Now is not the time to stop, but to advance!
By Michelle Stokley
I was in prayer, and I heard the Lord say, “Advance, advance, advance! It’s time for My children to advance! The enemy has given his last hurrah in an attempt to keep My children away from their purpose, but the gates of hell will not prevail in their lives!”
The expression “last hurrah” really stood out, as this isn’t something which would come out in my everyday vocabulary, and it was pressed upon me to define what it meant. There are a few definitions of “last hurrah” to be found. Merriam-Webster defines it as “a last effort, production, or appearance”. The Cambridge Dictionary says “Someone’s last hurrah is their final effort after a long period of work. Someone or something’s last hurrah is their last period of influence or power.” Lastly, the Collins Dictionary says that someone’s last hurrah is the last occasion on which they do something, especially at the end of their career.
For many of those in the Body of Christ, this past year has been filled with hardships and testing at an incomparable level. So much has been shaken up, rearranged, and burned away, that it has left weariness and redefinition in its wake. Those who have endured this period have felt an increasing sense of “something big” on the horizon. This “something big” is destiny, purpose, and calling. We are on the edge of the Promised Land, ready to come out of the wilderness and preparation, ready to step into the higher calling of our lives.
This “last hurrah” of the enemy is what we’ve experienced in the last year. It was the enemy’s final effort to stop the Sons and Daughters of God from entering into the destiny of high calling. He wanted us to become so weary that we would walk away from God defeated. What the enemy didn’t know is that God, in His Wisdom and goodness, would use this onslaught as testing and preparation. God uses all things for the good of those who love Him and are called to His purpose (Romans 8:28).
For those who have remained faithful to the Father, this period has served to train, strengthen, and grow His children in wisdom and truth (1 Peter 1:6-7, James 1:2-4, Romans 5:3-4). We have been refined into purer vessels by the flames of the furnace of affliction. We have been sharpened as weapons of the Lord, entrusted with power and authority to walk in the high places- the high callings of our lives (Isaiah 48:10, Psalm 66:10-12, Zechariah 13:9). We have become warriors!
With much travailing, we have moved through extended wilderness seasons that have caused some to give up on hope, and they have fallen to the wayside while abandoning their positions. For others, this extended wilderness has served to create reliance upon the Father, a reliance which will be necessary for those prepared to walk into their Promised Land- a place where only Our Father has went before us to make a way for our inhabitation (Deuteronomy 8:25, 1 Peter 5:10, 1 Peter 4:19, James 1:12). The door is now being opened for advancement into that Promise in the coming months of 2018! It is time for His warriors to advance into positions of victory and restoration!
Michelle Stokley is the founder of Jeremiah2911Ministries.
I am a Daughter of the King, a worship leader, a prophetic writer, an intercessor, a media coordinator, a mother, and a wife. I deeply love Jesus and want others to know Him. I have a love and a vision for social media ministry. I enjoy helping others reach their goals and realize the dreams God has placed within them. I seek to encourage those who need encouraging and seek to offer hope and direction to those who may have lost sight of hope in their lives. I also have a vision for uniting prophetic women together so that they can learn from each other, pray for one another, teach one another, glean from one another, and grow together as strong women and leaders in Christ.
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