Game Changers

We’ve kind of been in this quiet season. One that, if the Lord in His mercy had not told us was coming, would have left us feeling disappointed, I’m sure. We participated in a state wide fast praying and declaring over Alaska Isaiah 9:2 which says, “The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine.” It was a powerful time of worship, intercession, and presence. There was so much synergy happening, especially towards the end of the fast, that you’d think afterwards there’d be a missional explosion of some sort. Half way through the last week of the fast, the Lord told me, “Mariya, there’s going to be a lull after the fast. Do not become disillusioned. IT IS ME.” I took mental note. But honestly, when a room jam packed full of people are giving themselves to wild worship, the last thing you think of is that it is all going to slow WAY down. We had a few planned trips here and there after the fast. So, that was good!

And then it happened. Just as He said it would.

There was stillness.

Then those words that He had said became really relevant. Right before disappointment settled in, I reminded the Lord what He had said and then simply said (in kind of a freaked out manner), “What do we do?!” and I could see this word coming towards me, almost like it was floating in the air….
“A B I D E”
For two weeks I asked the Lord what He wanted me to do, see, hear, say… and the only word that would come was “abide” the same way it did the first time, floating in front of my eyes. I lived in John 15 (especially vs 4-5) which says, “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

There’s so much to be said about abiding. But I actually want to tell you what He said after those two weeks. The revelation to catch from that is that your next move will come out of abiding.

There were a number of specific things the Lord started to tell us. I’ll share three things that have been such game changers. I’d like to think that we have done this through our lives. But sometimes we gain new perspective of things we’ve known from seasons past as we stand on the threshold of a new season.

1. GATHER FATHERS. LET THEM SPEAK.
Holy Spirit came and said, “Mariya, who are your fathers? Identify them, gather them to you… and LET THEM SPEAK.” So, I wrote down a few names. Jason and I talked and agreed on the list of people we had. And then we did just as we heard Holy Spirit say to do… we contacted them, got together, and invited them to continuously speak into us. You know what happened? They took us up on our offer. They started to speak.

We need the wisdom and experience of the ones around us that carry the heart and anointing of a father. We also need their love and belief. We need the ones who let us cry in their chest when we’re falling apart, but do not see us any different than when we are well. They challenge us and broaden our perspective.

2. DEEPER RELATIONSHIP
Tribe… Community… Clan… We all know those words. We all want and need people in our lives. We love to be celebrated and celebrate others. We need those shoulders to cry on. When we have deeper relationships we also can have those that will challenge us. And those that we’ve placed around us are people that will be safe for us to go to with our stuff, but that they’re allowed to ask us the harder questions, challenge us, and call us HIGHER. We encourage and know each other. This goes for fathers as well. They’re very much a part of our tribe!

3. INNER HEALING
A wise friend and father of ours said, “Without a lifelong pursuit of wholeness and healing, the supernatural at some point will become superficial.”

Honest moment: I’ve written and backspaced this portion so many times. And have reduced it down to this: It’s time. It’s time for our hearts as a body of believers to come home and find rest in the Father. Our life is about our connection to a loving and good God. There are things in life that will want to break that connection. It takes us participating with the Spirit to keep it and grow it. Also in order for us to be able to carry what God placed on our lives, we have to be clear of things and old mindsets that are not rooted in truth and can keep us in a holding pattern.

Our journey in inner healing particularly in this season has been us going to a ministry to walk us through. We’ve loved that there is someone else there that is part of the process, because it’s a good practice of vulnerability and open repentance. My husband LOVES Braveheart… To sum it up we love FREEEEEEEEDDDDDOOOOMMMMMMM!!!!

These have been three specific tent-pegs that we’ve been hitting for our widening tent that I’ve wanted to share. It’s humbling, growing, painful, encouraging, fruitful, and WORTH IT! It’s time to go! Let’s go!