Properly responding to life’s seasons of transition yields beautiful harvests in our lives and in the lives of those around us. Persevering through long stretches of waiting and enduring through the sometimes heart-wrenching challenges that come with change are not easy feats. Nonetheless, if we position our hearts rightly, we will arrive at the horizon of that season victoriously.
In my 35 years of ministry, I have been through quite a bit of transition. In the past three years alone, we have transitioned out from a 20-year tenure pastoring a healthy church in Colorado to supporting a youth ministry in Alabama and now serving as executive director of Christ for the Nations Institute in Dallas, Texas. And we are still in transition, still receiving new assignments and still seeking the Holy Spirit’s direction on how to carry them out. It’s keeping us young!
Despite the drastic shifts in location and assignment, my life mandate has not changed. Dutch Sheets Ministries (DSM) remains steadfast in carrying out an apostolic mandate to restore hope to America and be a voice for awakening and reformation. Every weekend, I am traveling for DSM and laboring for this great cause. Since the start of this calendar year, I have ministered in over two dozen cities across the nation, stirring the church to pray, challenging believers to be the ekklesia and fanning into flame the fires of revival and awakening.
All along this journey, through the transitions and the waiting, from one assignment to the next, as well as in steadfast pursuit of awakening and reformation, the most important lesson I’ve learned has been: Make time to listen to and obey God’s voice.
A New Level of Listening, Discerning and Seeing
Many of us have arrived at the place where we stand today only because we’ve been diligent to lean in to hear the voice of the Lord. Nonetheless, I feel very strongly in my spirit that to arrive at our next great horizon, we must go to a new level of listening, discerning and seeing in the Spirit. There is a new level of prophetic revelation God is inviting us to tap into that will take us to a greater level of authority and assignment.
There are new paradigms and strategies being released to the church that are vital for successfully moving forward into the next season. We cannot allow our attention to be divided. We must identify and remove anything that is crowding out His voice. Not only must we incline our ears to hear what Holy Spirit is saying to us, we must be willing to obey. We must bring ourselves under the authority of what we hear, to submit to it and follow it through to obedience.
One thing is certain: God has faithfully met me with an increase of anointing with every step of obedience in my personal life and ministry. And as we continue to listen and obey, we are seeing God raise us up into higher levels of authority and influence.
But this is for everyone. This promise of increase is available to you too. The church has moved into a season of increase. It’s yours for the taking!
For those who are hungry, for those who are diligent to listen and willing to obey, there is increase available—increased anointing for signs, wonders, evangelism, prayer, prophecy and more.
Lean in close. He is speaking in the quiet. Posture your heart to obey—breakthrough and increase await.
Dutch Sheets is an internationally known speaker and was recently named the executive director of Christ for the Nations Institute. He is a successful author who has written many books, including the best-selling Intercessory Prayer and his recent book, Dream. Dutch travels extensively, empowering believers for passionate prayer and world-changing revival. He and his wife, Ceci, reside in Dallas, Texas.