As I sat down to write, I felt the words begin to flow for you from the heart of the Father. Beloved one, I know the winter has been long and weary. It's seemed like it's never going to end. Through the dark and barren winter, it looked like nothing would ever revive again. But just how the flowers are faithful to return to life, I am faithful to return to you. I will bring life to the dry and barren places covered in hopelessness. There is life beneath what looks dead. Seasons of death lead to seasons of life. Even now, I am leading you into a new season of life. The garden of your heart that has overgrown with the weeds of this world, I am carefully tending to you. I am pulling up weeds of bitterness. I will destroy vines that choke my precious Word to you. I will remove seeds planted in doubt. If you will trust me to come into your heart to do these things and prepare you for this new season, I am waiting. I am ready. I stand at the door of your heart and knock, waiting for you to answer the call: "Arise, and come away with me." (Song of Solomon 2:10) There is a fountain of life found in me and my presence. Will you come to the well and sit with me so I can revive your heart again? Will you sit in my presence and shut out distractions and disappointments and pursue Me until you find Me? There is much I desire to show you in this season, so much I want to tell you. "Will you let me hear your voice?" (Song of Solomon 2:14) When you praise me, even when you don't feel like it, it moves my heart. Not only that, it brings faith and life back into your own heart. Will you sing again? There is always a reason to sing. Dig into your heart, and let thankfulness and praise open the doors and gates of this new season (Psalm 100:4.) Adventure awaits you, beloved. I ask again, will you come away again? Will you trust me again? It looked like life would never spring up when I was in the grave. But three days later, I rose again to life. I AM the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25.) Let us leave the grave of winter behind, the seasons of mourning and pain, and step with me into new life. Leave the grave clothes that bind you behind. Don't despise the pruning. Remember, I am your Good Gardener. When I remove branches in your life, trust that I know how to tend to you best. When I prune even the branches that are blooming and bearing fruit, know that it is with your best intention in mind. I am preparing you to bloom more in a later season. You can trust me in the pruning process. So when you see things removed from your life or falling away, know that it is only for your good. Trust me. (Read John 15)
Come and spend time in my presence, and watch as the ice melts and the flowers spring up. You'll see the things you planted in prayers and faith and love beneath the surface begin to spring up. When it looked like nothing changed, I was doing something beneath the surface. You will look and be amazed at what I do.
Sing again. Hope again. Believe again. It's a new season.
Prophetic Picture: Thumbelina
Growing up, I used to love animated princess movies. One of the lesser known ones is Thumbelina, the story of a very small girl the size of a thumb who meets a fairy prince - just her size. Random Fun fact: Jodi Benson who plays the voice of Ariel in the Little Mermaid also plays the voice of Thumbelina. Anyways, the story goes like this: one day Thumbelina is singing, and a fairy prince hears the sound of her voice. They begin to fall in love - but he must leave. The prince promises to return. But then, winter comes. Everything is frozen. Unbeknownst to Thumbelina, the Fairy Prince gets frozen in a block of ice. Thumbelina thinks the Fairy Prince has forsaken her as she goes from hardship after hardship and trial after trial. During one of her trials, she sings a song: Once there was the sun
Bright and warm and wonderful
Shining like the love within my heart!
Now there's no more sun
Winter has killed everything!
And although it's dark December
Forever, I'll remember Sun! She is now hopeless. Winter has literally killed everything. Toward the very end of the story, her friend, Jacquimo, the bird, finds her and asks her to sing so that the ice will met and spring will bloom again. But Thumbelina is completely hopeless. Even so, her friend encourages her to use her gift and sing. So, she sings even though she doesn't feel like it. Thumbelina : [singing] You will be my wings. You will be my only love. You will take me far beyond the stars. Thumbelina : Jacquimo, this is silly! This is a weed patch! Jacquimo : This is the Vale of the Fairies! Thumbelina : Take me home, please. Jacquimo : [sings] Let me be your wings Jacquimo : Like that. Sing like that! As she sings, her voice begins to melt the frost.
Thumbelina : You will lift me high above/Everything we're dreaming of will soon be ours/Anything that we desire/Anything at all/Everyday you'll take me higher... [speaks] Thumbelina : Let's be practical. This isn't the Vale of the Fairies, and Cornelius is never coming back! Prince Cornelius : [comes up behind her, singing] And I'll never let you fall! Thumbelina : You...it's you...Cornelius, you're alive!
The snow melts revealing the "vale of the fairies," or the fairy kingdom. The flowers bloom and everything comes back to life. Cornelius returns. Thumbelina was braced for the very worst-case scenario - but it was the best-case scenario. What seemed dead is very much alive.
Winter is over spring has come
I share this story because I feel like it is a prophetic picture for how many people feel. You've been given a promise from the Lord. Yet, very quickly, everything went wrong, causing you to doubt what you heard. Much time has passed, and the winter seems to have killed everything - your hope is barely alive, your faith has taken many hits.
But like Thumbelina, right here is where you prophesy and sing your new season into reality.
As Thumbelina began to sing, she did not feel like it. She didn't believe there were flowers "This is only a weed patch" She wasn't being "practical" by believing.
But it is here where we cause our soul to bless the Lord. We worship Jesus in faith because he is worthy, he is able, he is good no matter what the winter has taken from us.
It is here where we will begin to see what has been buried beneath the surface spring up to life. God has been faithful this whole time.
I prophesy life back to your heart. I prophesy joy beyond circumstance. I prophesy your testimony will be, "It was like a dream when God came through for me!"
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Tags: Prophetic, prophetic words, Prophetic ministry, prophetic word of the year, prophetic gift, daily devotional, prophetic words 2023, prophetic message, prophetic training, prophetic school, MARIEL VILLARREAL
Needed this tonight! Thank you :)