Location.
Moses climbed a mountain to meet with God.
Jesus, compelled by the Holy Spirit, journeyed into the wilderness for a season of preparation and testing.
The apostles, instructed by Jesus, waited in Jerusalem for the promised Holy Spirit.
Location.
I was thinking about how being in the God-ordained place at the right time can unlock destiny. God can meet us in the known, in our homes, in our places of comfort. However, I read in scripture and glean from the testimonies that swirl around me that He often calls us to a PLACE before He calls us into what’s NEXT. It’s like the PLACE becomes the DOORWAY into our next season.
Recently, I was listening to a friend share about how everything changed for him the day he walked into IHOPKC for the first time. He knew he was supposed to travel hours from his home to visit the Global Prayer Room, but he didn’t know in advance the fullness of what God was going to do when He arrived. He just knew he needed to go. From the moment he stepped over the threshold, he entered into a multi-hour, divine encounter. During that experience, God even gave him new speech. Can you imagine? He was one way. Then in obedience, drove hours to a specific location, encountered God’s holy fire, and left completely changed.
Location.
I remember receiving a simple prophetic word before I journeyed to the Azusa Now stadium gathering in Los Angeles back in 2016. The convocation was happening on the 110th anniversary of the historic Azusa Street revival. The Lord told me that I needed to make sure I networked when I had the opportunity to do so, because there was a connection I needed to make that was significant to my destiny. No big deal, eh? The Lord also shared in that word that He knew I had a tendency to just stand in the background and not speak to people (like a wall flower) if I was in an unfamiliar place, which was why He was encouraging me to speak up when the moment was right. (Ever receive a prophetic word and feel “seen?” For better or worse? Haha! My Father knows me well…)
I am so thankful for that prophetic encouragement, because that word gave me the gumption to walk across a crowded room during a prayer leader fellowship time and re-introduce myself to a fiery young preacher named Jonathan Thomas. It was that small conversation that led to his coming to Kalamazoo, MI in 2017 for the very first Civil Righteousness conference. The rest is history…
It’s not that God won’t meet us in our places of familiarity. He can and does. But there are times when He beckons us (and sometimes even compels us) to GO. When we obey, forsaking the convenience of the mundane, traversing the mystery of the unknown, God will meet us.
When He meets us, we will never be the same.
We may get new speech (like my friend), or a new assignment, anointing, spiritual gift, strategic relationship, unexpected provision or incredible revelation, etc. Whatever comes from that step of obedience, we can be assured that there is beauty and purpose on the other side.
But we won’t know until we GO.
The season is changing, both in the natural and in the Spirit. So let me ask you, where do you need to GO?
God wants to meet you.