Last weekend I gathered with our Australian Prayer Network Regional Coordinators and members of the national team on the beautiful central coast of NSW. This was another wonderful time of being together, seeking God for the way ahead and giving thanks for the past year and the season that we have recently come through. In our closing session, I brought the following word to our leaders.

There is a fresh wind of the Holy Spirit moving in the nations!

This is not a time for timidity or for drawing back: instead in obedience to the Spirit’s voice, we must move with courage and determination, yielding to what the Spirit is doing in the nations. As we do this, we need to challenge the enemy and move past the obstacles that He will erect to discourage us from connecting with this fresh wind of the Spirit.

To do this, we need to quieten our soul and listen carefully to the Spirit voice within us, for the Spirit of God is wanting to do a deeper work of grace in all of us. Because it’s within us that the Holy Spirit will grant us fresh victory, from which, we gain new momentum and direction to connect with this wind of change. Therefore, seek to abide in the grace of His presence within and don’t be knocked out of your abiding place in Him. Fight for your birthright to connect to your kingdom inheritance in creation.

As you do, let me encourage you to consider the following nine statements; they will assist you in evading the enemy, as he seeks to prevent you from moving forward and connecting with this fresh wind of the Spirit:

• It’s time to break free from old patterns of religious activity – including prayer, and to have a fresh abandonment to follow God in a new way of surrender; then in faithfulness to Him, be willing to serve others no matter what the cost. Each of us has a specific measure of authority that God has given us, so with unbridled passion begin by exercising that measure and a way will start to open up to you.

• As you circumvent the enemy, as he seeks to block you from moving on in God, don’t be afraid to address previous issues that may arise because they have not been fully dealt with in your life. Surrender them to the cross of Christ and let God’s love open up for you new spheres of grace and healing. Isa. 43:18-19, ‘forget the former things, don’t dwell on the past. See I’m doing a new thing!’

Therefore settle your past so that it doesn’t sabotage your future.

• As you move into position to catch this fresh new wind of the Holy Spirit that is blowing in the nations, allow the Lord to reveal to you unexpected ways to overtake your enemies. Sometimes it will be necessary to go through the ‘thistles and thorns’ of life, in order to gain victory. If this happens, it’s important to keep your eye on the Lord and He will show you how to move to that place of victory: as you do, His presence will be established with in you, sustaining you and enabling you to hold onto His vision and voice.

• Watch for the enemy’s retaliation, like the Philistines in David’s day and the religious right of Paul’s day, the enemy will come to torment you and to rob you of your anointing and to prevent you from moving forward in God. Therefore, don’t let your guard down once the initial victory comes, because the enemy often regroups and tries to attack again. As scripture clearly demonstrates, Satan detests it when we move forward with a new sense of Holy Spirit power and purpose.

To be continued next week…