Take Heart - Part 1
What does it mean to have heart?
“Oftentimes the loudest resistance to what you have a hunger, an ache, for is really what you’re called to.” - Bill Johnson
What are you called to?
For me, it’s cultivating a healthy family.
I come from a long family history of divorces and remarriages. I remember telling my Dad what I was believing God for in a man, and he told me, “That’s impossible. That’s maybe two percent of the men in the entire world.” I was quick on my feet and responded, “Well, Dad, my man is in that two percent!”
When my husband and I started dating we faced many challenges. He was everything that I had dreamed, yet it seemed like there was an external opposing force waiting on the other side of our victories to knock us back down.
Things were spoken about us behind closed doors that should have never been said. The enemy, through other people close to us, used fear-based control tactics and punishment to try to put an end to our relationship. I was told, “You couldn’t hear the voice of God through a PA system even if you wanted to.” It felt as if my heart were on the defendant's stand being judged constantly.
We were told we would never make it.
How do you know the difference between when God is trying to stop you from going the wrong way and when the enemy is trying to stop you from going the right way?
Before I knew anything about being a feeler or discerning atmospheres, I would often take on the fear others were projecting as my own. The first step in discerning the truth was to silence all the noise inside my heart by getting alone with God and focusing on what He was saying.
When I removed myself from the fear and control that others were giving voice to, I was able to discern what was mine and what was theirs.
I got quiet and began to ask God questions about this romantic relationship. I asked if this relationship was of Him. I asked about our future and I asked Him to show me the truth. I prayed that the eyes of my understanding would be enlightened to know what is the hope of His calling and that all truth would be revealed.
If you ask God questions, He will respond to you. He cares about you and your purpose.
What questions do you want to ask God?
When I sensed that I had heard the Word of the Lord for myself, I then went to several trusted leaders, shared with them what I believed to be the Word of the Lord, and asked them for their input and what they were sensing.
After seeking guidance from people that I trusted, I decided to stay in the relationship with my now husband.
Once I heard from the Lord, I had an unwavering peace. Now that I had been anchored in what God had shown me, I could move forward, but it wasn’t easy.
So, how do you know when to press forward and fight for something and when to hold a promise loosely and be willing to let it go?
I believe that the first step is to know the character of God, what He has said in His Word, and recall the prophecies He has spoken over your life.
The weapons of our warfare are for pulling down strongholds. Those weapons are the prophetic declarations that God has spoken over you. (1 Timothy 1:18)
Before Isaac was conceived, Abraham contended for the promise the Lord prophetically spoke to him. He made a few mistakes along the way, but God was still faithful.
“By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he left, not knowing where he was going. By faith he lived as a stranger in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised.”
Hebrews 11:8-11 NASB2020
Abraham lived as a stranger in the land of promise because he was a pioneer of the faith, paving the way for his family to inherit the promised land.
“The Lord leads you into conquering the enemy of your soul that has been in your family line for 5 generations and suddenly you’ve got a marriage that works, you’ve got children that are growing up healthy. What’s happening? You just took over territory that was occupied by the enemy.”
-Bill Johnson
Have you ever had trusted family or friends tell you to give up on a promise God has given you?
Or perhaps you've received the same prophetic word so many times that it leaves you frustrated with God—like the horse trying to reach the carrot on a string, never quite reaching it.
It’s the unwavering faith of a fighter who refuses to stay down, the grit of a believer who knows that God’s word does not return void that will cause us to walk into our promise.
“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth And making it produce and sprout, And providing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; So will My word be which goes out of My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the purpose for which I sent it.”
Isaiah 55:10-11 NASB2020
Having heart means pressing onward when the world says you should quit and when the promise of God feels distant or impossible.
Take heart! Jesus is calling you. He is inviting you into a deeper understanding of hope.
If you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel or you have lost your sense of purpose, come in for a Sozo session. Our team is waiting with open arms to walk you into freedom.
