Overwhelming Joy is upon you!

Last year in August of 2019 I asked the Lord for a word from him and he brought me to Isaiah 35, specifically in the passion translation. When I read it for the first time I knew this was for me and I’ve been meditating on it ever since. As I sat in this chapter of one of my favorite books of the Bible, I realized that this word was not just for me, it was also for many of you in the body of Christ. It’s always exciting to me when God gives me a word that I know has more than one direction: my heart and then to other’s hearts. I’m still growing in the prophetic and learning how to steward the words that God gives me appropriately, so it took me quite a while to finish this word. I would write some of it and then I would come back to it because I wanted to make sure that I understood as much as possible what the Holy Spirit was showing me personally. But most of you know that God’s word is multifaceted, and there is so much revelation to be received and so much to learn and it’s glorious!

Isaiah 35 says this: 

“The wilderness and dry land will be joyously glad! The desert will blossom like a rose and rejoice! Every dry and barren place will burst forth with abundant blossoms, dancing and spinning with delight. Lebanon’s lush splendor covers it, the magnificent beauty of Carmel and Sharon. My people will see the awesome glory of Yahweh, the beautiful grandeur of our God.  Strengthen those who are discouraged! Energize those who feel defeated. Say to the anxious and fearful: be strong and never afraid! Look! Here comes your God! He is breaking through to give you victory! He comes to avenge your enemies. With divine retribution he comes to save you! Then blind eyes will open and deaf ears will hear. Then the lame will leap like playful deer and the tongue tied will sing songs of triumph. Gushing water will spring up in the wilderness and streams will flow in the desert. The burning sand will become a refreshing oasis, the parched ground bubbling springs, and the Dragon’s Lair a meadow with grass, reeds and papyrus. There will be a highway of holiness called the sacred way. The impure will not be permitted on this road but it will be accessible to God’s people and not even fools will lose their way. The lion will not be found there; no wild beast will travel on it, they will not be found there. But the redeemed will find a pathway on it. Yahweh’s ransomed ones will return with glee to Zion. They will enter with a song of rejoicing and be crowned with everlasting joy. Ecstatic joy will overwhelm them; weariness and grief will disappear.”

My friends, now read and receive what I believe our Father wants to speak to you: 

"Beloved,

Every dry place, every dormant dream, the places you’ve laid down for whatever reason are coming alive and will be fruitful again!

In this fruitful place, you My sons and daughters, will see with your own eyes My glory and magnificence, My awesomeness as I fulfill hopes, dreams, longings and promises.

My children, as you are strengthened and energized by My hand, as you are set free from anxiousness and fear, Now declare this freedom over others with the authority of Jesus! At this present time your God, the living God, is breaking through for you bringing you victory in every area of your life so you can run in all I have called you to. I Am most certainly right now avenging the enemy on your behalf so that everything that was stolen from you will be paid back in full and double!

I Am opening up eyes to see and ears to hear what My spirit is saying-Just Ask Me for it!  Those who have felt weighed down, troubled and distressed are about to leap for joy as those things break off in Jesus’ name! Those who have felt like they lost their voice are about to find it again! You will speak My words without fear and with great authority never to be silenced again by the enemy! No on the contrary, the enemy is forever silenced, never to taunt to YOU again! 

The areas in your life that have been difficult or the things that have been difficult will now become easy and refreshing for you. And again, the dry, barren places in your life will come alive and flourish!

As you step into this new season, this new land that I have opened up and have given you, the enemy cannot follow, he cannot enter into this new land and season. Just like pharaoh and the Egyptians were not permitted to cross the Red Sea following the Israelites, the enemy is not permitted to cross over. Those who dared to, were swallowed up by the sea never to be heard from again. In reality the stepping into a new season is actually returning to your rightful place or coming full circle. You are stepping Into the land promised to you, the lane you should run in, the place and places you were destined to transform through the power of the Holy Spirit! This entering is actually a returning. The wandering wilderness is over! The days of frustration, weariness and grief are over. You shall be overwhelmed with joy in this new place and everything that caused weariness and grief will disappear into thin air. It will feel as if it never happened. Not only will weariness and grief disappear but the effects of weariness and grief. You will feel like a new person." Amen 

What wonderful news! Hallelujah! God is GOOD!
I hope this encouraged you today!

Love, Kristin 

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Zechariah 10:6-8 MSG version 
 "I’ll put muscle in the people of Judah; I’ll save the people of Joseph.
I know their pain and will make them good as new. They’ll get a fresh start, as if nothing had ever happened. And why? Because I am their very own God, I’ll do what needs to be done for them.The people of Ephraim will be famous, their lives brimming with joy.
Their children will get in on it, too—oh, let them feel blessed by God! I’ll whistle and they’ll all come running. I’ve set them free—oh, how they’ll flourish!"

Isaiah 58:11 
“God will always guide you where to go and what to do. He will fill you with refreshment even when you are in a dry difficult place. He will continually restore strength to you so you will flourish like a well watered garden in like an ever flowing trustworthy spring of blessing.”

Psalm 18:40 

“you’ve made them all turn tail and run, for through you I’ve destroyed them all! Forever silenced they’ll never taught me again!”

Isaiah 32:1

“never again will the unclean enter your gates.”

Isaiah 58:6

“set free the crushed and mistreated! Break off every yoke of bondage!”

1 Kings 18:41

“There is the sound of the abundance of rain!”

Get Ready! The Rain is Coming!

Earlier this year, the Lord started putting on my heart to start asking for rain because the “rain” is coming. First He brought me in the Bible to 1 Kings 18 where there was a severe famine in the land and the prophet Elijah came to see King Ahab. Long story short, in verses 41-45, Elijah, knowing there was a famine and a need for rain, instructed Ahab in faith:

“Go eat and drink for there is the sound of heavy rain. So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Mount *Carmel” (*place of victory)

At the top of the mountain Elijah worshipped the Lord, and spoke to his servant “Go and look toward the sea, he told his servant. And his servant went up and looked. “There is nothing there,” he said. Seven times Elijah said “go back.” The seventh time the servant reported, “a cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea.”

So Elijah said, “go and tell Ahab: “hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.” Meanwhile the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose and a heavy rain started.’”

Keep in mind, Elijah said all of this BEFORE it rained. He trusted and believed God, and then when the servant saw even just a small signal of the coming promise and reported it, Elijah, in the position of worship & faith said “GET READY- THE RAIN IS COMING.”

Elijah paid attention and acknowledged even the smallest sign of the coming fulfillment! He decreed it and then what happened: IT RAINED!

Then not longer after, the Holy Spirit brought me to Zechariah 10:1 in the Message version: “Pray to GOD for rain—it’s time for the spring rain— to GOD, the rainmaker...” So that’s what I’ve been doing.

One day recently I was shopping at a shoe store and when I went to check out, the guy, out of the blue, asked me if I wanted an umbrella, for free. I said sure! So I grabbed my freebie and went home. It didn’t dawn on me the significance of that moment until a couple of weeks later while I was swinging on the swings with my daughter who had been playing with the umbrella. Suddenly the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart and said “you don’t give someone an umbrella unless it’s about to rain.” Immediately my heart leapt for joy and I knew the rain was coming!

Over and over He’s been showing me in His word and through little signs all around me that the rain is coming. I know you’re probably sitting there thinking “that’s nice. But what is the rain?”

I’m glad you asked! I believe the rain is both the fulfillment of God’s promises and provision needed in this season. It’s whatever you need it to be! It’s about to rain in your life! Get ready!

My friends, you don’t need an umbrella unless it’s about to rain. The time of fulfillment has arrived! The rain is coming! Amen. 

Love, Kristin 

****************************************************

“You sent abundant rain, O God, to refresh the weary land.”

‭‭Psalm 68:9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“I will give the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain, your new wine, and your oil.” Deuteronomy‬ ‭11:14‬ ‭AMPC‬‬

“And Elijah said to Ahab, Go up, eat and drink, for there is the sound of abundance of rain. So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he bowed himself down upon the earth and put his face between his knees And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up and looked and said, There is nothing. Elijah said, Go again seven times. And at the seventh time the servant said, A cloud as small as a man's hand is arising out of the sea. And Elijah said, Go up, say to Ahab, Hitch your chariot and go down, lest the rain stop you. In a little while, the heavens were black with wind-swept clouds, and there was a great rain...”‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭18:41-45 AMPC

“The wilderness and dry land will be joyously glad! The desert will blossom like a rose and rejoice! Every dry and barren place will burst forth with abundant blossoms, dancing and spinning with delight. Lebanon’s lush splendor covers it, the magnificent beauty of *Carmel and Sharon. My people will see the awesome glory of Yahweh, the beautiful grandeur of our God.” Isaiah 35:1-2 TPT

“You will not labor forever!”

Recently in my prayer time I heard the Lord say “you will not be in labor forever!”

Right now I believe for many of you there is a very real and tangible sense of being in “labor” individually, corporately in the church and nationally. If you’ve ever been in physical labor you know what that feels like. Sometimes the pressure is so intense you wonder when it will be relieved. I clearly remember thinking when I was in labor with my 2nd child, my daughter (with no epidural), “oh yeah this is what it feels like, this feels terrible!” Because I also didn’t use an epidural with my son. So I felt every feeling you can feel in those moments. Lol!  But the labor and pushing didn’t last forever. I pushed and then I birthed. And you know what happens right after the birth? An incredible sense of quiet and peace. All the pressure fades and new life is wiggling and squirming and breathing and making sweet noises and looking at you in the face. Yes, after labor and delivery there is work to be done, but God prepares us, anoints us, equips us and commissions us. In Matthew 11:30 Jesus tells us that all He requires of us is pleasant and easy to bear. So the work is custom designed for us and comes with a lot of satisfaction and Joy. 

The Lord said “you will not labor forever, there will come a time of deliverance!” 

In real life, a woman in labor doesn’t labor forever. Eventually she delivers. If she labors too long, the doctors intervene to help the delivery along so she delivers the baby safely. 

Beloved son & daughter, Church & America, there may be birth pains now, but deliverance is coming! You will not labor forever! There is an unseen war right now, one that is manifesting openly through all the chaos, confusion and division you’re seeing around you, on the news and in social media. We have the ability and privilege of staying in peace as we interceed! 

1. Keep pushing, keep praying, & stand your ground! 
2. I believe you can be at peace even in the “laboring”. You can be like a woman who has an epidural in labor, feeling the pressure but not in pain. Even though you can feel things in the atmosphere, you don’t have to shoulder it; bring it to the Lord in prayer and release it to His shoulders. 
3. Declare SHALOM PEACE over your home, city, state and the USA (shalom peace is a Hebrew word meaning peace, harmony, wholeness, completeness, prosperity, welfareand tranquility; also it’s the destruction of the authority of chaos and then nothing missing, nothing broken.)
4. Keep decreeing God’s kingdom come and will be done on earth as it is in heaven! 
5. Declare that the cities, states and nation be unlocked! (This is something I read from a recent word from Christy Johnston)

God is moving on our behalf and is faithful to deliver! He put us here for a reason! Amen!

“Just like a woman giving birth experiences intense labor pains in delivering her baby, yet after the child is born she quickly forgets what she went through because of the overwhelming joy of knowing that a new baby has been born into the world.” John‬ ‭16:21‬‬‬

“The Lord will put him in charge of the key that belongs to King David's family. No one will be able to unlock what he locks, and no one will be able to lock what he UNLOCKS.” Isaiah‬ ‭22:22‬ ‭CEV‬‬

United States: “You unhappy one, storm tossed and troubled, I am ready to rebuild you with precious stones and embed your foundation with sapphires. I will make your towers of rubies, your gates of sparkling jewels, and all your walls of precious delightful stones. All your children will be taught by God and great will be there peace and prosperity. You will be established in righteousness. Oppression will be far from you! Fear will be far from you! Yes, terror will not come near you, nor will you be afraid. If anyone dares to stir up strife against you, it is not from Me! Those who challenge you will go down and defeat.… But I promise you, no weapon meant to hurt you will succeed, and you will refute every accusing word spoken against you. This promise is the inheritance of God’s children, and their vindication is from me, says the Lord.” Isaiah 54:11-15, 17 TPT

“Pour out all your worries and stress upon Him and leave them there, for he always tenderly cares for you. Be well balanced and always alert, because your enemy, the devil, roams around incessantly, like a roaring lion looking for its prey to devour. Take a decisive stand against him and resist his every attack with strong, vigorous faith...” ‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭5:7-9‬ ‭TPT‬‬ (Or cast the whole of your care upon God)

Love you!

Kristin J

A Prayer for Your Children

Dear Friends,

Recently I was looking through my journal and I came across a prayer that I wrote for my children back in October of 2019 that I felt was something really significant to share with others. This is so you too can have the opportunity to pray this over your own children.  As parents we're called to pray for our kids and raise them in the ways of God and we need all the help we can get from the Holy Spirit!  Our prayers over our children and families are extremely powerful and carry a great weightiness to them.  So, here's the prayer that I wrote out. I'll make it general so you can personalize it for your own kids!

Dear Heavenly Father, 

I pray for my child/ren ____________________________, that they would: 

1. Have understanding minds and hearts to discern between right and wrong (1 Kings 3:7)

2. Be disciples taught by you and obedient to Your will (Isaiah 54:13 AMPC)

3. Have peaceful, undisturbed composures (Isaiah 54:13 AMPC)

4. Have uncluttered and focused hearts (1 Chronicles 29:19 MSG)

5. Be Greatly protected by You (Psalm 91:14)

6. Have glowing physical and emotional health all the days of their lives (Psalm 104:15 MSG & 1 Sam 16:12 NIV)

7. Have great courage and resolve to do the right thing NO MATTER WHAT and to stay on Your paths for them (Joshua 1:7)

I pray, Father, that ______________________ would be full of JOY and faith, filled with the Holy Spirit and anointed to carry out their purpose and destiny. I ask that Your favor would always be on them and that they would love and walk in Your wisdom all the days of their lives. I ask that they would prosper in every way and in all that they do as they walk in Your will and way of doing things.  Most of all, I ask that they would love You with all of their hearts, minds and strength! 

I ask that they would be confident and comfortable in their own skin, having a positive self-image, knowing that they are marvelously made (in Your image). I pray that they would be well-balanced in their minds and emotions. I ask that they would have favor with both God and man, be well-liked with a good reputation, and be kind and loving to others. I ask that they would bring honor to the Name of Jesus and to our family. 

I ask that they would stay in Your perfect will for their lives and that they would choose to trust You with all of their hearts. 

Father I thank you that ______________________ are in your hands always and that you promise to never loosen your grip on their lives.  Help us (or me) to raise them right and raise them well for Your GLORY! 

In Jesus' Name, AMEN!

For more scripture references: Psalm 16:9 TPT, 1 Timothy 1:14 TPT, Isaiah 44:3, 3 John 1:2, Psalm 1:3, Psalm 119:37 TPT, Matthew 22:37, Psalm 139:14, 1 Peter 5:8 AMPC, Proverbs 3:3-4, Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT, Hebrews 13:5 TPT, Proverbs 22:6, Ephesians 6:4, Colossians 3:23. 

Have a very blessed day my friends!

Love, 
Kristin J

The year of Leaping

Hey friends!

One morning back in January I was reminded that February had an extra day added to it and it was a LEAP YEAR! Quickly the Lord spoke to my heart and said "This is the year of Leaping!"

                                                        As in "He or She leaped for JOY!"

Well that got me so excited! Joy has been a resounding theme for me for awhile now!

When I looked up the definition of Leaping here's what I found:
It means:

-To spring through the air from one point or position to another -To JUMP-
-To move or act quickly or suddenly
-upswing, upsurge, surge, rise, ascend, SOAR, advance, spring, arise, increase, clear.

God has been speaking so much about this and I believe this year is a HUGE year for promises fulfilled, a time of leaping for Joy in seeing and experiencing the faithfulness of God and how true He is to His promises; A year of leaping forward or moving forward into the land that you are to occupy in this next season. A time of moving forward in victory, moving UPWARD in increase. A victorious  extension and addition of territory is taking place! Not just physical territory, but emotional, mental, relational territory and everywhere else the enemy has had an illegal influence (but his influence is being stripped once and for all as you take your rightful place)!  Things are about to change quickly and suddenly in a mighty way and it's going to be so good!

God wants you to know that in the areas where you have felt held back, you are about to leap forward in all that you've been hoping for and believing God for.  Stay firmly planted in God's truth and what He's promised you and keep the focus forward and on Jesus. Trust the Lord to act on your behalf and to unfold the way before you. This IS THE YEAR OF LEAPING! Get ready to LEAP!

"The Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in His wings and you will GO FREE LEAPING WITH JOY!" Malachi 4:2

"Let the people of God rejoice with gladness. Let the daughters (and sons) of praise LEAP FOR JOY!" Psalm 48:11

(also see: Luke 1:44, Isaiah 35:6 TPT, Song of Songs 2:8 TPT, Psalm 89:16 TPT)

Love you, 

Kristin  

A season for pruning

Dear Friends,

I believe the Lord has a word for you to encourage you and I wanted to share that with you today :) 

I had a dream recently where I was driving through different places, and all around me I saw trees being bulldozed and uprooted. Some of the places were familiar places from my past and I remember thinking “look what’s happening! It’s all changing!” And I was a little bit upset about it, almost distressed, because I wondered why that was going on. I LIKED those trees! I even felt like I needed some of those trees! At least I thought I did.

After I woke up I asked the Lord about it and I was brought to two scriptures: 

"An ax is ready to cut the trees down at their roots. Any tree that doesn't produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire." Matthew 3:10 CEV

"Jesus told them this parable: There was a man who planted a fig tree in his orchard. But when he came to gather fruit from his tree he found none, for it was barren and had no fruit. So he said to his gardener, For the last 3 years I've come to gather figs from my tree but it remains fruitless. What a waste! Go ahead and cut it down!" Luke 13:6-7 TPT

After pondering it for a little bit I felt like the Lord was showing me that the trees represented everything unfruitful (good and bad) in my life that was being brought down to make room for fruitful things, and also to allow the things that are already producing good fruit to thrive and grow even more (think pruning in a garden). It was a GOOD thing, and even though it made me uncomfortable, it was necessary. Yes things were changing, but it was a good change! Another thing to note is these trees were being brought down in familiar places. 

Sometimes we see commercials of all the trees being cut down all over the world and it’s being shone in a negative light. But the Lord showed me that this was a clearing out of unnecessary things, so it was contrary to where our thoughts would go to and instead was a good thing! The word tells us in Psalm 45:10b TPT to "let go of our attachment to the familiar." That can include habits, patterns, lies, fear & hurts; but can also include good things that you're growing out of, things that no longer fit you. And this makes room for all the amazing things God has for us and allows us to BLOSSOM!

But remember this was God doing the removal, not by my power but His. It wasn't according to my understanding, but His. In that dream, I wasn’t cutting down the trees. You see, 
we can’t do this on our own. Not successfully anyway. We have to allow Him access to do the heavy lifting, and our job is to obey Him and rest and trust and move forward with fixed purpose. It really works if we obey :)  (I'm reminding myself of this as well, lol!)

"Watch Where You’re Going. Set your gaze on the path before you. With fixed purpose, looking straight ahead, ignore life’s distractions" Proverbs 4:25

I encourage you with this, if you feel like you've been going through a pruning or an uprooting of things, TRUST GOD! You will be more than ok! He is such a loving Father who cares for us and loves us and like any good parent, He consistently works with us to make us the best we can be. Get ready to be stronger, more free and flourishing more than ever! There is change in the air! 

"Arise, my dearest. Hurry, my darling.

Come away with me!

I have come as you have asked

to draw you to my heart and lead you out.

For now is the time, my beautiful one.

11 

The season has changed,

the bondage of your barren winter has ended,

and the season of hiding is over and gone.

The rains have soaked the earth

12 

and left it bright with blossoming flowers.

The season for singing and pruning the vines has arrived.

I hear the cooing of doves in our land,

filling the air with songs to awaken you

and guide you forth.

13 

Can you not discern this new day of destiny

breaking forth around you?

The early signs of my purposes and plans

are bursting forth.

The budding vines of new life

are now blooming everywhere.

The fragrance of their flowers whispers,

“There is change in the air.”

Song of Songs 2:10-13 tpt

Love, 
Kristin J

The Season of Motherhood

"She was called into the ministry, but her ministry also consisted of her being a mother. She realized there was a timing to all things.  Motherhood and a stable home were never meant to be sacrificed for the other half of her ministry call, because those days would come again for her, and then she would have fulfillment knowing that every facet of her calling had been completed." 

-God's Generals

I was so encouraged when I read this quote on a friend's Instagram recently.  I love being a mom, it's one of the greatest gifts that's ever been given to me. But as a wife and mother who feels inside that she has a calling that's bigger than herself, that goes beyond the walls of my home, who feels like something so BIG and BEAUTIFUL is brewing inside by the hand of the Lord, it's hard sometimes to see the beauty, importance and power of the simple normalcy of everyday life: being an available wife, raising children, managing the home, etc.  But more and more lately the Lord has been showing me just how important the ministry of home is.  That it's the very foundation and highest priority of any family, whether both parents have careers, or one works and one stays home. Either way, it's the foundation.

foundation

[ foun-dey-shuhn ] 

the basis or groundwork of anything.

It takes discipline to pull yourself into the present and see the importance and power in the sometimes mundane, while at the same time keeping your hearts desires and dreams alive, looking forward to the amazing things you'd like to accomplish with God to advance His Kingdom.  Especially when, in the secret place, He's been growing and changing you in ways people have NO idea, preparing you for another facet of your calling and destiny and you want to shout it from the rooftops! Sometimes you might feel antsy or bored in the repetition or overwhelmed with present tasks. But when we can learn to be present and engaged with the calling that's right under our noses, keeping our priorities in order to the best of our ability, we'll reap a harvest of fruit beyond our wildest dreams.  AND I truly believe that even in the midst of raising a family, God will surely make room for you to pour out to others beyond your 4 walls, without sacrificing the most important things...you just have to trust Him and yield to His rhythm for you.  He always surprises me with how he works those things out.  

I don't know about you, but I want every facet of my calling to be completed in full.  So when the lie of the enemy comes to tell you that you're losing yourself or giving up on dreams that you have to focus on family first, you can immediately cast down those thoughts and shift them to the truth that through this important and powerful season in your life, God is actually using all of it to prepare you for your future!  And the cool thing is, right now in this very precious and powerful season, you're advancing the Kingdom of God just by growing and nurturing the human beings He gave you. I mean eventually they'll be adults in society and the way they enter into adulthood is part of our responsibility in partnering with God to raise our kids in His ways. So don't be discouraged!  He knows the longings of your heart and He faithfully fulfills the longings of His children and makes room for your gifts to be used for His glory in amazing ways! 

Lately I've been asking the Lord to help me to see the beauty, importance and power in the present. I think it's crucial to ask Him for this because it's so easy to sit there while folding laundry, daydreaming about the future, and miss the important "Now" moments that fly by. There's nothing wrong with daydreaming, but sometimes we can wish so much that we were doing something different, or that we were in a different season, that we miss the significance of the present. I'm speaking from experience!  I wrote in my journal back in January, as the Lord impressed upon my heart, that "you must refuse to allow the enemy to downplay or degrade the profound effects of managing your home and home-life well. Changing sheets so your husband and children sleep on a soft and clean bed, is no small thing. God's satisfaction will flood your soul as you realize even something so seemingly insignificant actually brings GLORY to our Heavenly Father." 

Beloved daughters of God, I pray that whatever season of motherhood you're in, God would open your eyes to see the beauty and importance in right now while at the same time stirring up inside your heart desires for the things He has waiting for you in His perfect timing. I pray that He would give you opportunities to use the gifts He's given you even while you're raising your children, in ways that make you come alive!  

He knows exactly what He's doing in the wonderful plans He has for you :) 

Love, 

Kristin 

 "Whatever you do, live your life in a way that glorifies and honors God." 

1 Corinthians 10:31