SEASON OF DISCLOSURE

Season of Disclosure
By Alice Smith
 
Relationships, whether with God or his people, cycle through seasons. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 says “there is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.” 

I’m convinced that these eight verses provide a foretaste of the seasons we must walk through with our heavenly Bridegroom in order to truly know his heart, in order to become intimates.
 
Seasons of Disclosure
Don’t you just love springtime? It’s that time of year when every living thing seems to be alive with song and the world is suddenly awakened to joy. The warm breath of spring thaws the frozen lakes and blows across the fields until the flowers open their sleepy petals. Everything feels fresh and full of life.

Spring seasons in our relationship with God are those “first love” periods when the Lord is actively disclosing himself, and we just can’t get enough time alone with him. We feel his closeness, and there is almost a tangible presence in it. During these seasons, life is abuzz with fresh prophetic words from the Lord, new revelation, and rich times of seeing him kiss our lives with unexpected blessings.

It’s as if we have just awakened to love. We want to gorge ourselves with more and more of his Word. Our conversations with him are lively, and even the simplest prayers seem to receive answers. Yes, these are seasons of disclosure. We tell him every detail about ourselves (as if he didn’t know) and share our hopes and dreams with him. The fragrance of our prayers is sweet and lingers in the atmosphere we carry. We feel known and loved and want to share that love with the whole world.

Spring is a planting time, everything is in seed form, but each new season of disclosure will require a new process of trust and maturity. After decades of walking with the Lord, I assure you that many of the prophetic words I received in my seasons of disclosure made my heart leap with joy. What I did not know is that they would take years to come to pass and that those words would go through many seasons before they would finally burst into the reality of my life.

Are you in a season of disclosure? If so, know that the prophetic words and new revelations you are receiving may take time to become a reality. Permit me to explain.

On June 27, 1985, I had a powerful encounter with God. I had just become a new mom. My sole ambition at that time was to mother our children, our new baby, and stay intimate with the Lord. Eddie and I had started a new church so I was also teaching Sunday school. I thought my life was as full as it would ever be.

The Lord, however, had other plans. That day in my prayer closet, the Lord gave me a prophetic word from Isaiah 55:3-5 in which he said, “Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David. See, I have made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander of the peoples. Surely you will summon nations you know not, and nations that do not know you will hasten to you, because of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has endowed you with splendor.”

I sobbed, thinking that God wanted to make a covenant with me and that he loved me even as he had loved David. When he told me he was calling me to be a leader and that I would change nations, I thought, The only thing I’m changing is diapers, Lord! How can this be? But I also knew that if God gave that word, and he did, he would bring it to pass in his way and in his time.

Remember, I received that word in 1985, during a season of disclosure. But, it wasn’t until September of 1995 that I spoke at my first national meeting and started ministering to the nations. I felt so unqualified and so nervous before that first conference that I chose to wear my longest skirt so people wouldn’t see my legs shaking! Today, I jet travel internationally about the globe, teaching the body of Christ about the history of their nations and how to pray for change.

Another component God used to fulfill his word to me is the publication of Beyond the Veil. The book was rejected fourteen times when I finally decided to self-publish. Shortly, thereafter, Kyle Duncan (at that time from Regal Books), attended one of my conferences and sought me out, even though his company had turned down the book twice before. But Regal finally published the bestselling book, and it has been translated into eight other languages to date. Dear friend, if the Lord tells you that he is going to do something in you, or through you, believe it--because nothing is impossible with God!

I’d like to stop right here and share an important key that the Lord taught me about seasons of disclosure. When you receive a word, hold it in your heart and do not share it unless God tells you to do so. Secrets must be held until they are ready to be fulfilled. Psalm 25:14 says, “The LORD confides in those who fear Him, He makes His covenant known to them.”  

One detriment to sharing with others is that some people cannot visualize you the way God sees you. They may dash your dreams and drive you into a spirit of unbelief, which can become a stronghold. So just trust the Lord to bring you forward when the timing is right.

A PRAYER OF FAITH

A PRAYER OF FAITH
This is a POWERFUL PRAYER!
Remember . . . when you're DOWN to nothing . . . God is UP to something!
Father, in the Name of Jesus, bless me even while I'm reading this
prayer and bless the one that sent this to me in a special way. Open
Doors in our lives today, Save and set free! Give us a double portion of your Spirit as we take back everything that The devil has stolen:

****Emotional Health
****Physical Health
****Finances
****Relationships
****Children
****Jobs
****Homes
****Marriages

I cancel every plot, plan and scheme the enemy has devised Against us in The NAME OF JESUS. And I declare: NO WEAPON FORMED AGAINST US WILL PROSPER. I speak LIFE into every dead situation. And, I thank you that nothing is over until YOU say it's Over! Speak prophetically in to our lives and to our situations:

****our households are blessed;
****our health is blessed ;
****our marriages are blessed;
****our finances are blessed;
****our relationships are blessed;
****our businesses are blessed;
****our jobs are blessed;
****our children are blessed;
****our grandchildren are blessed;
****our parents are blessed;
****our siblings are blessed;
****our ministries are blessed;
****our decisions are blessed;
****our friends are blessed.
****Mortgages are paid and debts canceled;
Father, we establish all these blessings upon our lives according to YOUR perfect will and plan for our lives IN JESUS' NAME! AMEN!
 
Robert Fitts
Outreach Fellowship International
76-6309 Haku Pl.
Kona, HI 96740
Website: www.robertfitts.com
My Jaxtr number is http://www.jaxtr.com/robertjoni

A Declaration of Unity
I belong to everything that belongs to Jesus and everything that belongs to Jesus belongs to me. It's not, "Us and them." It's just, "Us!" There's only one Body of Christ! And the problems of the church, the whole church, are our problems, for we are the church and we can do more united than we can do divided.
 
Divine Appointment Prayer
Father, give me a divine appointment today with someone who is hungry for God, or sick, or in need. Give me sensitive to know when that divine appointment happens, and give me grace to minister the love of Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit.
 
Luke 10:2 Prayer
"Father, send more laborers into your harvest in which you have called me to serve" Note: Set your cell phone to alarm each day at 10:02 AM as a reminder to pray Luke 10:2 daily.

Winning the War on Terrorism with a Simple, Sincere, Daily Prayer
"Father, give every terrorist an Encounter with Jesus like Saul of Tarsus had on the road to Damascus."

PASTORS PRAYER SHIELD

Pastors Prayer Shield
By Alice Smith
 
Prayer is the pastor's primary protection against spiritual attack. Fervent, effective, focused prayer is his greatest asset. Simply put, every pastor needs a shield of prayer surrounding his life, his family and ministry. The need to partner with intercessors and surrender the time and energy necessary to build an effective prayer shield are keys for successful ministry.
 
An Intercessor's Warning         
    "If in doubt—don't," wrote Robin White, one of our personal intercessors in an email message to my pastor husband.                
    "Incredible!" Eddie said aloud even though no one else was in the room. For about a week he had been encouraged by a friend to call a particular pastor and inquire about a church issue. Yet there was a reservation in his heart. If you know Eddie at all, you know he is rarely shy about anything!
    Shrugging off what he thought was senseless unreasonable doubt, Eddie picked up the phone to call the pastor. But before placing the call, he decided to check his email. There it was--his answer! Robin's email said, "If in doubt--don’t." So, he didn't. Later that day Eddie learned how tragic that call would have been had it been made.
    My husband called Robin later to thank her for warning him. Of course, she never knew the specifics, but she was appreciative and encouraged that her intercession had made a difference.
    For more than fifteen years Eddie and I have had over sixty personal intercessors that make up our prayer shield. What they hear God say becomes "fuel" for their intercession. Sometimes they report to us what they've heard.
    Pastor, if you don't have a prayer shield we strongly urge you to ask God for one. The mistake that most leaders make when forming a prayer shield, is soliciting people to serve as their intercessors. There are at least three reasons we feel that is unwise.
1. Few mature intercessors will take requests for long-term assignments, because they know their long-term assignments come from the Lord. They know the weight of such a responsibility and will hesitate to make such a commitment without a sure word from God and the promise of his grace to complete it.
 
2.  Some immature intercessors will be flattered that you've asked and will jump at a chance to have "inside access" to leadership. Most often they accept the invitation only to become weary after a season, or cause problems later on, and drop out from a sense of guilt.
 
3. Finally, those who God often raises up are people you would never have selected. But if they are to be effective and remain, they need to be God-called, not man-chosen. 
    We suggest that you ask the Father for intercessors (see Matthew 9:37-38). God will hear and answer your prayer. Then begin to listen closely to what people say to you. You will begin to hear statements like, "Pastor, the Lord has really had me praying for you lately." Or, "Pastor, I've really had you on my heart this week."
    When you hear those comments you should immediately ask, "Do you feel that God is calling you to intercede for me?" As they acknowledge and accept God's call, then begin communicating your needs to them. God called and commissioned them for you! You didn't recruit them in the usual sense of the word -- God recruited them. These are the best kind of prayer warriors to have. Now for you who love to pray for your pastor, or spiritual leaders, here is some good advice:
 
1. Your pastor needs his/her privacy.
Intercessor, prayer is your passion and pursuit. Your pastor, like most, may not be an intercessor. It is just one of many ministry items (missions, preaching, counseling, and administration) that he must address. Because of this, you should be sensitive to his personality, spiritual gifts, ministry focus and to the type of ministry partnership he offers you as an intercessor.
    Sometimes intercessors find it hard to accept the fact that they may not be able to experience a close personal friendship with the senior pastor. A pastor and his wife should enjoy the freedom to select their own circle of friends. "Partnership" and "communication" don’t necessarily mean social closeness.    
    There may be rare instances when "all the best" of relationships come together. But because of the nature of friendships, that too may pass or change. Human relationships are ever changing and at best temporary. Try to avoid imposing eternal dynamics on relationships. Don't look to man for those things that only God can provide.
    Because of time restraints or the sheer size of their congregation, some pastors assign pastoral staff to interface with their intercessors on a routine day-to-day basis. This staff member needs to be well acquainted with intercessors and intercession. They should be sensitive to the intercessors' unique needs. The recognized prayer leader should, as a rule, have access to the senior pastor.
2. Pastors need your understanding as well as your prayer. Having been in the ministry for over 39 years, I am convinced that the average church member has no idea the level of pressure that rests on the shoulders of pastors and evangelists.
•   Pastors are on-call 24-hours a day, seven days a week. Even policemen and firemen have their days off. Church member emergencies can always interrupt a pastor's day off, or even his family vacation.
 
•   Most of us work for a boss. Of course it isn't true, but the average church member feels as though his pastor works for him. He thinks, "If he doesn't measure up, we'll fire him and hire us a pastor who does." Imagine yourself having 300-400 bosses!
 
•   The visibility of leadership means that your pastor "lives in a glass house." In many ways, a pastor and his family are constantly "on trial." What they do, what they say, what they wear and where they go is always being scrutinized.
 
•   Spiritual leaders are like commissioned officers in God's army. A pastor may as well have a target painted on his back on which Satan's guns are trained. We are constantly hearing of pastors who have lost their health to sickness and disease, lost their mental or emotional balance due to stress and overwork, lost their spiritual vitality (Titus 1:7-9) or have lost their faith and have fallen out of the ministry by falling into sin. Satan prefers to target your pastor and his family because he knows that one of the best ways to defeat the church is to shame its leaders.
 
•   Your pastor's family is also in the cross hairs of the devil's sight. Satan loves to inflict pain on a pastor by causing his wife to suffer accident, illness or disease. He targets ministers' marriages and takes pot shots at their children. A pastor's child is a favorite "bull's-eye" for the devil. Believe us! We know! Our children have been through frontal attacks that the average church member rarely experiences. Our children, often young and easily deceived, are unfairly held to a higher standard than their peers simply because of who their father or mother are. And more so, with national or international visibility.
 
•   True pastoral ministry is supernatural. No man can do it, regardless of how gifted or talented he is. Satan produces distractions, causes fruitlessness and stirs up divisions. He will do all he can to drum your pastor out of the ministry. Many pastors today are close to "drop out" or "burn out." And they know that they will be personally judged more strictly than others! (See James 3:1.) So the stakes are high!
 
•   A pastor's faithfulness influences many others. When he falls, the cause of Christ is besmirched and many are wounded.
 
•   The pastor carries great responsibility. He has been entrusted with God's work. Every time he makes a decision he can rest assured that part of the church will agree with it and another part will oppose it. He continually copes with the questions, "Did I handle that right?" Or, "Did I make the right decision?" Others are following his instruction and example. (See Matthew 15:14.) Pastor, we encourage you not to sweat the politics. God is quite able and willing to vindicate.
 
•   Leadership carries enormous demands and extraordinary pressures. The pressures of ministry often require solutions that only intercession can provide. The Institute of Church Growth at Fuller Seminary in Pasadena, California conducted a survey of pastors in 1991. The findings showed:
 
90 percent of pastors work more than 46 hours a week.
80 percent believe that pastoral ministry has affected their families negatively.
33 percent said that ministry is an outright hazard to their family.
75 percent reported a significant personal stress-related crisis at least once in their  ministry.
50 percent felt unable to meet the needs of their job.
90 percent felt they were inadequately trained to cope with ministry demands.
70 percent say they have lower self-esteem now than when they started out.
40 percent reported a serious conflict with a church member at least once a month.
70 percent do not have someone they consider a close friend.
NOTE: This survey was taken in 1991, but I can guarantee you, that the percentages are even higher in 2008.
 
3. Your pastor needs your love.
Pastors often suffer the pain of shattered friendships. Many are sheep-bitten, lonely, wounded or depressed from a constant barrage of criticism. Some even lose their lives due to the crushing weight of ministry. We have learned over the years that few people can love a pastor like an intercessor. We think it’s because pastors and intercessors, in one sense, have so much in common.
 
•   Like pastors, intercessors have a pastoral heart. Why else would they spend so much time "giving away their lives in the prayer closet" for others?
 
•   Intercessors, like pastors, know they are called into the ministry they perform. Their prayer closet is as much a calling as his pulpit!
 
•   Both pastors and intercessors are visionaries.
    These and other similarities cause intercessors to be particularly capable of loving leadership. The true gift of heaven sent intercession is expressed by love so intercessors must always keep in mind an old Texas Indian saying, "Don't criticize your brother until you have walked a mile in his moccasins."