My husband and I were at a prayer meeting on New Year’s Eve to pray in the New Year. We had an agenda to pray over the seven mountains and then for Israel. We spent about ten minutes on each category. Several times I said in my heart, “Lord, just shift things in this mountain.” When I realized I had prayed it a few times I knew I should pay attention to the word. Just then a man in the group prayed, “Lord, shift . . ..” It came up a few more times in different places over the next week and I realized God wanted me to dig a little deeper.
Though I understand the word, I decided to look it up because there is often more to glean from the definition. I looked it up on two different dictionary websites Britannica.com and dictionary.com. There were several definitions and each one spoke something to me. The first, “to move or cause (something or someone) to move to a different place, position, etc.” I found this interesting as I have noticed over the past two years people moving churches, locations, and in some cases jobs. I have believed it to be designed by God to structure and position His Church. I believe this shift to come will be due to the shifts in churches, cities, and jobs that have been done.
The second definition I came across was “to change or to cause (something) to change to a different opinion, belief, etc.” How interesting. As my first contact with this word came while praying for the seven mountains, I cannot help but think over the past several years. All the division based on world view, politics, media, science, and even arguments within the body of Christ due to differing opinions. Yes, Lord, shift our thinking to align with Yours. Let this also be a time of tearing away the veil of deception that has been hovering over the mountains and the nations.
The next definition, “to go to or to cause (something) to go from one person or thing to another.” May there be a shift in evangelism and healing ministries on the seven mountains not merely the mountain of religion. God wants to invade every mountain. What if we are looking at causing faith to go from person to person and overcome the spirit of fear who has been running rampant on and through the mountains? Let it be a Divine reversal as we exchange the transference of fear to faith; of disbelief to faith. Amen.
The final definition is to “change gear in a vehicle”. At first, I thought this was a benign point and it did not fit. Then the thought exploded in my mind/spirit, God is grabbing gears! If you’ve never driven a manual vehicle, grabbing gears is a colloquialism for shifting with the expectation of quickly increasing speed. Growing up around boys with muscle cars, I understand it two ways. First, when you want to quickly increase speed from cruising speed you first gear down to increase power and speed. Then you can shift up through your gears for quicker acceleration. The second way is to gently press on the accelerator and work through your gears gently increasing speed gradually. I believe this shift is the former. I sense with the revelation of God grabbing gears that there is a downshift to increase power and speed. We are coming into an accelerated shift on the seven mountains. Watch and see. Better yet, ask God how you can partner with Him through prayer and active participation.
I have heard prophetic voices say things are going to get even worse and others saying this is your big turnaround year. I believe both can be true and I believe God is going to show us that no matter what is coming on the earth, He is sufficient. Funny, when I finished typing that my radio sang out, “sufficient for the day”. Yes, Lord, You are sufficient for the day.
Maybe part of the shift in our thinking about what His sufficiency looks like. I believe this is a two-fold shift. He will shift the church’s idea of what this looks like especially in the places where we have equated comfort with His peace. He might let us become uncomfortable so we can find His true peace – the kind that surpasses all understanding. I think the other part is as the world around us becomes darker, our lights will shine brighter. The shift will come to those who are called by grace to change the way they think about God. We will become the fragrance of life to those who once thought of us as a fragrance of death. (2 Corinthians 2:15, 16)
Pray into the shift. Ask God for direction on how to pray into it and how to personally prepare. He has a plan and you are included in that plan. He has equipped you for what He has called you to. (Ephesians 2:10) Trust Him in every circumstance and know He will bring you through it. Don’t give into fear but watch and see how He will shift the seven mountains in 2023.
God, do you want me to move in any way – new church, ministry, job, home, city? Yes, Lord, I will go wherever You lead me.
God, how do you want me to shift my thinking this year? I give you permission to change my mind about anything.
God, how are you calling me to be contagious in this glorious time on the earth? Wherever you send me I commit to let my light shine in hopes of spreading faith on every mountain You send me to.
God, I give you permission to grab gears in my life. Increase power and acceleration and I will rejoice at Your shifting my life into high gear whatever that looks like. I trust You!
Lord, overall, I proclaim You are sufficient for the day. I rely on You. Whatever comes my way, I will trust in You because You are enough.
“Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life” (2 Corinthians 3:5-6).