As a little girl my mother taught me not to talk to strangers or accept rides with people I didn’t know. At the age of six, I was raped by a relative. These things combined to cause me not to trust anyone. I was very shy and though I had lots of friends, I kept my thoughts to myself. Close relationships were few and marriage was difficult.

When I became a Christian, I decided I needed to trust others until they were proven to be untrustworthy. Sounds Christian. I found I was often disappointed and discouraged by people. One day as I was complaining to God about someone who had become untrustworthy and disappointed me. He said, ” Stop trusting people. Trust me and love my people.” It took me a few minutes to let this sink into my spirit. Then it hit with a tremendous force of liberation. I found when I trusted people, I had this list of expectations. When I loved them there were no attachments or expectations. Loving them became easier and the hurts and disappointments became fewer.

The Bible tells us trust is not to be placed in:

1. Weapons: Psalm 44:5, Through You we will push down our enemies; through Your name we will trample those who rise up against us.

2. Wealth: Psalm 49:6-7, Those who trust in their wealth and boast in the multitude of their riches,

3. Leaders: Psalm 146:3, Do not put your trust in princes, nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help.

4. Man: Jeremiah 17:5, Thus says the Lord: Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, Whose heart departs from the Lord.

5. Works: Jeremiah 48:7, For because you have trusted in works and your treasures, You also shall be taken. And Chemosh shall go forth into captivity, His priests and his princes together.

6. One’s own righteousness: Ezekiel 33:13, When I say to the righteous that he shall surely live, but he trusts in his own righteousness and commits iniquity, none of his righteous works shall be remembered; but because of the iniquity that he has committed, he shall die.

We can find trust is to be placed in God’s:

1. Name: Psalm 33:21, For our heart shall rejoice in Him, because we have trusted in His holy name.

2. Word: Psalm 119:42, So shall I have an answer for him who reproaches me, for I trust in Your word.

3. Christ: Matthew 12:17-21, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: behold, My Servant whom I have, chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased; I will put My Spirit upon Him, and He will declare justice to the Gentiles. He will not quarrel nor cry out, Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets. A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench, Till He sends forth justice to victory. And In His name Gentiles will trust.”

When our trust is where God wants it there are benefits attached.

1. Joy: Psalm 5:11, But let all those rejoice that put their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; Let those also who love Your name be joyful in You.

2. Deliverance: Psalm 22:4-5, Our fathers trusted in You; They trusted, and You delivered them. They cried to You, and were delivered; They trusted in You, and were not ashamed.

3. Triumph: Psalm 35:2-3, Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for my help. Also draw out the spear, and stop those who pursue me. Say to my soul, I am your salvation.

4. God’s goodness: Psalm 31:19, Oh, how great is Your goodness, Which You have laid up for those who fear You, which You have prepared for those who trust in You in the presence of the sons of men!

5. Loving kindness: Psalm 32:10, Many sorrows shall be tgo the wicked; but he who trusts in the Lord, mercy shall surround him.

6. Provision:  Psalm 37:3,5 Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him and He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.

7. Blessedness:  Psalm 40:4 Blessed is that man who makes the Lord his trust, and does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.

8. Safety:  Psalm 56:4, 11 In God I will praise His word, In God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me? In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?

9. Usefulness:  Psalm 73:28 But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all Your works.

10. Guidance:  Proverbs 3: 5,6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

11. Inheritance:  Isaiah 57:13 When you cry out, Let your collection of idols deliver you. But the wind will carry them all away, A breath will take them. But he who puts his trust in Me shall possess the land, and shall inherit My holy mountain.

What a divine revelation this has been for me. Trust placed in the right areas brings about God’s peace. We are to labor to enter the rest of God.

I believe this is a key to entering the rest. Trust in God’s word, His name, and Christ and love His people.

“The prophet and the martyr do not see the hooting throng. Their eyes are fixed on the eternities.” – Benjamin Cardozo

As we embark on this journey to understand the prophetic anointing and reveal the heart of God concerning His sons and daughters, I feel that it is appropriate that we commence with a prayer that I feel should be at the core of every Prophet, prophetic minister, or someone desiring to understand the prophetic anointing. Before I unveil the prayer I feel it is necessary that we understand the motive for the prayer. It is not a prayer to get God to bless us, or give to us things. It is a prayer with one single focus and that is that He will reveal Himself to us. He is the center of all that we do and our heart must be to encounter His presence in order to reveal His purposes. The Lord is not hidden from those who search for Him and He is always faithful and ready to disclose His truths. With these things in mind, I want to begin with what I call the Prophet’s prayer. You may want to say this aloud or even memorize it.

 Father God, I am here as Your servant, Your friend, and Your son/daughter. I come before You humbly and yet boldly asking You to reveal Yourself to me. I desire to be a mouthpiece for You and I long to see the moments when Your glory is revealed and Your presence released. Give me the eyes to see what You see. Give me Your perspective. Help me to see with the eyes of compassion. Teach me to hear Your voice. May it sound like thunder so I won’t mistake its power but let it be sweet like honey so I can receive it with gladness. Help me to only convey what You give me. Purify my heart and cleanse my mind. Make me Holy for you are Holy. Help me to be sensitive to You Holy Spirit and give me the courage to open my mouth. In this time and at this place and at this very moment use me as a vessel for Your honor. Release the prophetic anointing in me. Expose Your heart to me. Reveal through me Your purposes and plans. Use me to encourage, strengthen, and comfort Your people. Lord Jesus I acknowledge that Your testimony is the Spirit of prophecy. May everything I say and do escort people back to You. Validate Your presence and confirm me as Your servant. I pray that You will receive all Glory, all Honor, and all Praise. I Love You! In Jesus name. Amen!

 Eternity is something that has been wrongly equated as futuristic. When people think of eternity they think of heaven and/or hell. It seems so distant until there is a tragedy such as a loss of life or some other circumstance that makes a person think of the future. I submit that eternity is neither futuristic nor ancient. Eternity has always been and will always be. Yes there is an eternal place that every soul will find itself in one day; however, I believe that the prophetic anointing does not simply allow us to look into the future and predict an outcome. The prophetic allows us to look into the eternities and see from a divine perspective the thoughts and intents of the Lord concerning a matter. Jesus showed us eternity and many of us miss it because of the future. He said in Matthew 5:17 to repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand, which means it is near or here. What Jesus was saying is that with Him He has brought a kingdom so close to us that we can touch it. It is almost tangible. It is a dimension where we can experience the kingdom NOW! Jesus walked on the earth as a man, but although He became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14) , He has always been. Jesus is not limited by time or space. John 1:1 begins by saying: ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.’ Before time began, Jesus was. Before He walked on this earth for thirty-three and a half years He was sitting somewhere beyond time and space. That place is called eternity. The prophetic can not operate from a fleshly carnal viewpoint. It must be birthed in the realm of His kingdom, so that when we see eternity we can invade the realm of earth from the perspective of heaven.

 Let me give a personal example. I grew up in a Spirit-filled church where giftings and prophetic utterances were very excepted. My father being the Pastor would invite many prophets to come and minister at the church. All of my life I have been around prophets. I tell you this to inform you that I never wanted the mantle of a prophet based on what I considered the responsibilities and the personality requirements to be a prophet. Eventually I took over as Pastor of the church I grew up in. I was pretty happy being a Pastor. The call had been confirmed by other respected men of God. My church had begun to grow. One day a man came to the church and he said something over my wife, Michele, and I that I did not receive as from the Lord until later. I want to quote this so as to get the entire meaning. This prophecy was given on May 26^th 2002 by Dr. Prega Gounden.

 “Father I thank you for this couple. Thank you that as a little young man you called him into the ministry. Like you said to Jeremiah, before you were even born, you knew him. And you called him to be a prophet to the nations. Even though you are the Pastor of this church, there’s a prophetical mantle over your life. And you’ll flow into the prophetical at times that’s beyond your own understanding, because God has anointed you with the prophetical. So I place my hands upon both of you, side by side, together with one another; you declaring things and your wife will confirm it. She’ll be your partner and spouse, that will be confirming everything that you will be declaring, over individuals, over nations, over situations and circumstances. And the enemy would try everything in his best to come against both of you to bring about a division so that you’ll not walk in unity. But today I break down those powers of darkness in the name of Jesus, that you’ll stand side by side together with one another, walking in harmony and unity, breaking down the forces of darkness and every negative thing that has been spoken over your lives, I cancel it in the name of Jesus tonight, and I impart Lord an anointing over this couple that will break the yoke of bondage in the lives of others, and so I bless them tonight in Jesus’ name. Amen”

 The purpose of this is to show how a person can be at the center of the will of God and still miss their destiny. When I was given this word, I remember thinking that it was a good word, but not for me. After all, I was called to be a Pastor. Yes, for that moment in time I was, but what the Lord allowed this man to do was to see into the realm of eternity and release it into reality. I did not want to be a prophet to the nations, but the Lord knows my end from my beginning. The truth is that what the Lord revealed to this man I could not yet grasp. My heart was set on being a Pastor for the rest of my life. But what this word did was release heaven into earth and it impacted the world around me. I am still more comfortable being called Pastor but I know that the prophetic mantle is upon my life. Allow the Lord to use you to be an instrument of change. This man came from India and although I did not believe his word then, I now know that it was true because every word of it is still coming to pass in my life.

• (All Scripture references are from the New King James Bible)

I. Proverbs 29:18, Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint.

It is necessary to have a vision for your life and for your church. Write it down and make it plain. It must contain at least five elements.

A. Personal and phenomenal. Dan 10:7-9, And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision; but a great terror fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves. Therefore I was left alone when I saw this great vision, and no strength remained in me; for my vigor was turned to frailty in me, and I retained no strength.

 B. Understandable. Dan 7:15, I, Daniel was grieved in my spirit within my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. I came near to one of those who stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of these things:

 C. Authenticated by divine glory. Ezekiel 8:1-4, And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I sat in my house with the elders of Judah sitting before me, that the hand of the Lord God fell upon me there. Then I looked, and there was a likeness, like the appearance of fire–from the appearance of His waist and downward, fire; and from His waist and upward, like the appearance of brightness, like the color of amber. He stretched out the form of a hand, and took me by a lock of my hair; and the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven, and brought me in visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the north gate of the inner court, where the seat of the image of jealousy was, which provokes to jealousy. And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, like the vision that I saw in the plain.

 D. Prophetic. Dan. 9:23-24, At the beginning of your supplications the command went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved; therefore consider the matter, and understand the vision: Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for you holy city, to finish the transgression, to make and end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy.

 E. Dated and localized. Ezekiel 1:1-3, Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the River Chebar, that the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God. On the fifth day of the month, which was in the fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity, the word of the Lord came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the River Chebar; and the hand of the Lord was upon him there.

 II. Vision will produce:

A. Guidance. Gen. 46:2-5, Then God spoke to Israel in the visions of the night, and said, “Jacob, Jacob!’ And he said, “Here I am.” And He said, “I am God, the God of your father; do not fear to go down to Egypt, for I will make of you a great nation there. “I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again; and Joseph will put his hand on your eyes.” Then Jacob arose from Beersheba; and the sons of Israel carried their father Jacob, their little ones, and their wives in the carts which Pharaoh had sent to carry him.

 B. Direction. Acts 16:9-10, And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.

 C. Encouragement. Acts 18:9-10, Now the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, “Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; for I am with you , and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city.”

 D. Warning. Isaiah 21:2-6, A distressing vision is declared to me; the treacherous dealer deals treacherously, and the plunderer plunders. Go up, O Elam! Besiege, O Medial! All its sighing I have made to cease. Therefore my loins are filled with pain; Pangs have taken hold of me, like the pangs of a woman in labor. I was distressed when I heard it; I was dismayed when I saw it. My heart wavered, fearfulness frightened me; The night for which I longed He turned into fear for me. Prepare the table, Set a watchman in the tower, Eat and drink. Arise, you prices, Anoint the shield!

 E. Judgment. I Sam. 3:11-13, Then the Lord said to Samuel: “Behold, I will do something in Israel at which both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. In that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knows, because his sons made themselves vile, and he did not restrain them.

 F. Action for the Lord. Acts 26:19-20, Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance.

 III. Motivating.

A. Vision will motivate you in times of discouragement. Vision is the destination and the goals and plans on how to get there. Each week should be listed with items of things to do in order to attain your vision. As you do each thing check it off. When discouragement comes (and it always does) you can look at all those check marks and see all the progress already made. It will encourage you to go on.

B. Sometimes your destination will change. You don’t have to go back to the beginning and start over. You simply start the change of direction from where you are. If you were reading a road map to go visit someone and you received a call that they were in a different location, you wouldn’t go all the way back home and start over. You would look at your map from where you are and plan a new route.

C. Vision should be ever enlarging and evolving. God wants us to achieve His purposes. He chooses to give us vision and to continue to add to that vision as we progress. Where does God want you to go? What does He want you to do? That is your vision.

D. Your vision should always fit with the vision of the church. One will enhance the other. God gives each of us our part and when all the parts come together, we’ll find Kingdom.