The journey to freedom begins...

Lately I have been coming to the realization that those called to some ministry function in the Body of Yeshua have a higher “price” to pay. As we step into our gift and calling, we are stripped. Everything that is meaningless, useless, selfish, etc is stripped bared….and the stripping hurts.

Pruning is painful…but necessary.

People with a prophetic gifting are often put through the pruning process more times than others. God wants to remove every hindrance in us, and our lives, that prevents Him from doing what He wants to do.

I was reading the following from “What’s New in the Prophetic. com” this morning.

There are two words that describe prophetic preparation very well: STRIPPING and BREAKING. It is a time where the Lord has to strip you of anything that prevents you from being a fit and trustworthy vessel. During prophetic preparation, He will break anything that will prevent you from being a fit vessel for Him to use.

So what are the things that the Lord will be breaking and stripping you of?

• He will deal with the taint of the flesh that stand in your way and prevents you from being a pure vessel.
• Have you got fleshly strengths and independence? You can kiss them goodbye; He will take them away. You need to come to the place where you depend 100% on His strength and ability
• Have you got natural strengths such as intellect, natural personality skills? Are you a strong-willed person? Do you rely on your physical strength or your good look? If yes then sorry, there is bad news for you because they will be broken into pieces. I hate bad news, but that is the truth. The Lord can’t use you if you are a stubborn strong-will person who only does what they want.
• You will be stripped of your reliance on family heritage, popularity etc; anything that you rely on.
• I can hear someone say, “I am so glad I am weak and don’t have natural strengths and abilities.” Not so fast! You are not off the hook yet. The Lord will deal with any insecurity, weaknesses and hesitations in you.
• Is fear of man your problem? He will deal with that too.
• Do you seek acceptance and recognition from people? You will have to hand it over to the Lord because only the Lord can meet that need in you.
• Do you have a complex of superiority or inferiority? Have you developed a persecution complex? Have you got a poverty mentality? The Lord will break and strip you of all of them.

There will be no stone unturned in prophetic preparation. You can add your own list; just think of anything that may prevent you from being the vessel of honour that the Lord wants you to be.

Are you beginning to see why prophetic preparation is difficult and longer?

This is me.

As I read through those questions, I began to see the pattern that my life is taking right now…and some of the things I am going through hurt. But I am not running away. I am staying here…planted in the training ground God placed me here. It would be easy to pack up and run away.

Things might seem good for a while, but life would eventually fall apart. I would be out of God’s will for my life. I would be running from the gift He gave me.

So here I am…standing…and being pruned.

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