Leading up to activation of my spiritual gifts:
“He had to change these things so that I could live according to His plan and have it stick. He was breaking up the old foundation I had formed my misshapen reality on in order to build a new foundation that He could properly build upon. He took from me the old to make room for His new. I keep a journal and on 7/26/2010 this is what God had revealed to me about why I was in the spiritual and physical place I was at that time:
Journal entry based on Hebrews 11:10 KJV and Psalm 118:22 KJV.
The Lord’s Message To Me:
“For [Abraham] looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and Maker is God” (Hebrews 11:10 KJV). This is what God has sent me here for. That the things of my life would have foundations made by Him.
My relationships
Career
Future Marriage
Ministry
-He is rocking the old foundations and forming new ones. He is making big holes like a jack hammer in the old foundation.
-“The stone which the builders refused has become the headstone of the corner” (Psalm 118:22). The old foundation wasn’t suitable for what is to come. It would not hold the new structure that I [the Lord] am building.
The tearing up of my former foundation began with my break up. “Blessed is the one whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty. For he wounds, but he also binds up; he injures, but his hands also heal. From six calamities he will rescue you; in seven no harm will touch you” (Job 5:17-19 KJV).”
“My beloved spoke and said to me, “Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, come with me.”(Song Of Solomon 2:10-12 NIV)
Liken the process to activation with chemical reactions and mechanisms that lead up to the start of an engine. With every reaction functioning in unison the start of the engine can happen and the vehicle/vessel can move forward. We are vehicles/vessels of the Holy Spirit and those gifts that he has prepackaged us with and we need to be in tuned with His process to working on all cylinders. God has to get us to a place to be fully reactive and move forward with no hindrances or baggage in this season.
To Activate:
The beginning to end, the break down. There are steps that lead up to activation, have you completed the steps or are you in process? We are always in process.
A tender heart ready to submit, praise on your lips and heart, and that we are nothing without Him according to John 15. (Psalm 34:18 and Psalm 51:15-17). Psalm 34:18 NASB [18] The LORD is near to the brokenhearted And saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalm 51:15-17 NASB [15] O Lord, open my lips, That my mouth may declare Your praise. [16] For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering. [17] The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise. The keyword in these scriptures is contrite, which means to humble, crush, wounded, crouch. With this definition we know that God loves a humble, teachable heart.
Instruction/ A word from the Lord: Finding your position through praise and worship (Psalm 100:3-4). Psalm 100:3-4 NASB [3] Know that the LORD Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. [4] Enter His gates with thanksgiving And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name. “We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.” This sentence tells our positioning and through praise our position is activated. Our senses and gifts become activated through our praise and worship.
Faith to believe the instruction and follow through (2 Chronicles 20:12). -“…we don’t know what to do but our eyes are on you.” In this verse and beyond it shows how we should be resolved (be sure) to seek the Lord and know beyond a shadow of doubt that He will lead you to victory and give you good counsel. In this scripture King Jehoshaphat received instruction from the spirit of God and praised with the people, then God sent ambushments and the enemy turned on themselves. The people were able to reap a great spoil from that conquest. The people knew their position and stood firmly and took every gift that God had for them.
Prayer life. Reading the word daily. (Psalm 145:18, Romans 15:4, 1 Thess. 5:16-22, Hebrews 4:12). Psalm 145:18 NASB [18] The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth. Romans 15:4 NASB [4] For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-22 NASB [16] Rejoice always; [17] pray without ceasing; [18] in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. [19] Do not quench the Spirit; [20] do not despise prophetic utterances. [21] But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; [22] abstain from every form of evil. Hebrews 4:12 NASB [12] For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Eyes and heart open to the movement of God. (Ephesians 1:18). Ephesians 1:18 NASB [18] I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
BE FLEXIBLE!!! Be willing to go wherever the Lord wills. Is your will His will? Always self examine. The direction you would naturally take may not be the direction God has for you. In order to have your plans established make sure your plans are in agreement with what God’s plans are for your life.
“There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.” (Proverbs 14:12 NIV)
“In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” (Proverbs 16:9 NIV)
ACTIVATE:
“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you.” (Isaiah 60:1-2 NIV)
God is calling us higher. He wants us to experience His best and we must be positioned.
Something that comes to mind first. When I made the decision to fully submit to God, He showed me something:
“My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to one’s whole body. Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.” (Proverbs 4:20-26 NIV)
Ephesians 3:15-16 NASB [15] from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, [16] that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man,
****That those things that He strengthens on the inside of you, through the power of His Spirit, begin to manifest outwardly and overflow onto the lives of others.****
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” (Galations 6:9 NIV)
Keep in mind our Christian walk helps us to fully activate spiritually and maintain that activation. We are never meant to be stagnant. He wants us to be fully equipped. God wants us functioning on all cylinders, with all chemical reactions running in order to move forward freely and effectively.