‘With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.’ Isa 12:3
Recently, the conviction has been growing in me to have an attitude that rises up to say,
‘I will dig a well in the place where God has led me. I will not sit back and wait for breakthrough and the release of God’s purpose and presence in my home, my relationships, or my church to happen. I will not become disheartened when God’s prophetic purposes are delayed, nor will I give way to the temptation to give up or move on.
Instead, I will proactively and expectantly pray and do whatever it takes for breakthrough to come.’
The Unseen Resources of Heaven
For the past 8 years, The Hunk and I have been living in Victoria, Australia—a region that is suffering drought.
I learned recently that here in Victoria, groundwater provides drinking water for 60 cities and towns. Amazingly, a large percentage of the world’s fresh water is actually under the ground, not on the surface of the earth.
Rain that falls to the earth seeps into the ground – and that water travels under the ground through water-carrying soils (sands and gravels) and rock strata called ‘aquifiers.’
Consequently, there is a HUGE resource of water lying concealed beneath the earth.
Springs of water occur where one of the aquifiers that is carrying the water under the ground meets the ground surface so that the water flows out.
So when God says, “I am the spring of living water” (Jer 2:13) He is also saying, “I am the Source of Life. And in Me all the unseen resources of Heaven are there to back you up.”
These unseen resources of Heaven are ours—but we need to access them, to tap into them.
The Water of Life
In Biblical times, groundwater was accessed and life sustained through the digging of wells.
In Genesis 26, Isaac, along with his family, servants and flocks, was forced to change locations. Isaac re-opened wells that his father Abraham had used and discovered fresh sources of water. However locals contended that the water belonged to them.
Finally, Isaac moved to a new place. In Genesis 26:25 the Bible records that he
- Built an altar
- Pitched his tent, and
- Dug a well.
When his servants located water, he knew they had found the source of life and could live there permanently with their families and flocks. Beersheba became Isaac’s home for the remainder of his days.
How To Dig A Well
Like Isaac did, we can dig a well and make room for God to move wherever we find ourselves. Here are 5 ways that we can ‘dig a well’ for spiritual breakthrough:
1. Choose the Ground
Ask the Lord to show you where He would have you concentrate your prayers and efforts for breakthrough at this time. It could be one area or many.
It could be your home and family, your church or ministry, your community, a relationship, or someone you would like to see come to Jesus.
2. Prepare for the Work Ahead
This is where we resolve that we want God to move.
Now is the time to reflect. We are not satisfied with living by our own strength, neither are we content with the results that we have seen up until now.
We long for God to get the glory in our household, church, and place of study or work, and we will not settle for less than Jesus’ best.
Ask the Spirit to fill you and stir up in you the inner resource of resolve that you need to start digging and to keep going until breakthrough happens and His life, power and provision is released.
3. Start Digging
It’s time to break ground–to begin somewhere, no matter how small our efforts may seem at first.
We must dig deep to locate water. We dig primarily by praying, and we pray because God is our Source. He is the Living Water. We are totally reliant upon Him.
We start with prayer, but we do not stop at prayer. We also dig by listening to what the Lord is saying for our situation and obeying Him. We dig by speaking life-giving words.
4. Persevere–Keep On Digging
The ground may be hard, others may give up, but we must stay and persevere. This choice will confront us again and again.
Recently I have been meditating on this. I have resolved to, when I encounter dry ground, not to give up and move on, but to dig a well in the place God has called me.
5. Focus on the Water, not the Dirt
When digging a well, there is a lot of dirt to encounter before we reach the water. We can easily be tempted to pay attention to the things that are wrong or less than perfect in our situation, church or relationships.
Don’t focus on the dirt to be removed, focus on the water that to be received. Keep your eyes on the prize.
Remember, nothing is too difficult for God, and if He has given you a vision, it will be fulfilled.
A well represents provision and life.
A physical well can provide drink—and therefore life—to a community. When we determine that we are going to dig a well, it is not just about ourselves, but for many.
Would you like to see God move in an area of your life—your family, a relationship, a locality, your church or ministry—and fill it with His Presence?
Dig a well.
*****************************
Related Posts:
Spiritual Renewal: How to Receive a Fresh Impartation of the Holy Spirit
Portal Moments: Supernatural Encounters with God and Answers to Prayer
© Helen Calder Enliven Publishing
A Prophetic Song of Praise Releases the Power of God
It has been said that ‘desperate times call for desperate measures.’
In God’s Kingdom, however, desperate times call for extraordinary measures.
Occasionally, I find myself in a crisis that requires an exceptional response of faith. In these times, I know I can pray—and I do. But when I know that extraordinary measures are needed, I turn to praise.
A song of praise is a powerful prophetic tool that
- Celebrates victory in the face of apparent defeat.
- Declares God’s ability in the circumstance of your inability
- Thanks God for answers that have not yet been sighted
It is prophetic because it gives voice to the word that God has spoken to you, concerning His outcome for your circumstances and life.
We can choose to believe and respond to that prophetic word over and above the voice of our circumstance, or the negative whispers of the enemy in our minds.
There is something about singing songs of praise that has a powerful magnetic pull on the resources of heaven. And this is why:
The Bible’s Prescription For Our Desperation: A Song Of Praise
God has prescribed the prophetic song of praise in scripture as an instrument of breakthrough. Here are some examples:
Warfare(2 Chron 20)
King Jehoshaphat received word that a ‘vast army’ was coming against Israel. In answer to a prayer of desperation he received a prophetic word: ‘The battle is not yours, but God’s.’
Jehoshaphat sent out a choir singing praise to God in front of his army. He was not sending the praisers to their death, but to proclaim the victory that he had already received by God’s word.
The Bible records, ‘As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes…’ 2 Chron 20:22
The enemy armies turned on each other and victory was won with no weapon except a song of praise to God.
When it feels as though all hell is breaking loose against you, break heaven loose against the enemy and overcome with a song of praise.
(see also Psalm 149:5-9)
Provision (Numbers 17)
Israel returned to the place God had miraculously provided water for them in the past and sang this song:
“Spring up, O well! Sing about it, about the well that the princes dug, that the nobles of the people sank–the nobles with scepters and staffs.” (Num 21:17-18)
This song of praise did two things. It
- Commemorated God’s past provision and
- Anticipated His present supply
Impossibility (Isaiah 54)
Are you waiting on promises from God to be fulfilled? Does fulfillment to be out of your reach?
In Isa 54:1-3 God says to His people,
‘Sing, O barren woman, you who never bore a child; burst into song, shout for joy, you who were never in labor…
Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes. For you will spread out to the right and to the left; your descendants will dispossess nations and settle in their desolate cities.’
In the face of barrenness and impossibility, sing! Sing a song that celebrates the fulfillment of God’s promise. Don’t stop there, prepare and make room for His answers.
Obstacles (Acts 16)
Persecution and imprisonment threatened to cut short Paul and Silas’ ministry in the city of Phillipi. Instead of the effectiveness promised by God in a prophetic dream, they found themselves flogged and cast into the stocks of an inner dungeon.
But outward circumstances could not rob them of their inner faith. They prayed and loudly sang hymns to God that were heard throughout the jail. Suddenly an earthquake shook the prison, opening the doors and breaking chains.
There could have been no doubt of the correlation between the song and the earthquake, for the jailer cried out, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30)
As a result, more people came to know Jesus and the Kingdom of God was advanced in that city.
When you find yourself trapped, in pain, and there is no earthly way out, try a song of praise—and make sure that others know you are singing.
When Singing Is The Hardest Thing You Can Do
Sometimes singing a song of praise can be the hardest thing to do. It helps to remember that even when Jesus faced the cross, He was able to sing praises to God.
Mark records of that night,
‘When they had sang a hymn, they went out to the Mount Of Olives.’ (Mark 14:26).
Singing a song of praise is not about feeling good, and certainly not about sounding good. You don’t have to be a singer or musician to sing a praise song to God.
Here are some ideas to help you sing a prophetic song of praise to God, no matter what your circumstances are:
- Find a recorded song of praise that gives voice to God’s prophetic word for you, and play it—over and over. Sing along to it
- Attend a church service, and sing the praise songs with all your heart
- Sing praises when you are alone—in the car, in your room, under your breath while you are out walking
- When you feel tempted to worry or fear, recall the song to mind
- Tell someone how you are responding to God in the crisis. It will be a powerful testimony to them.
Desperate times call for extraordinary measures. Sing a prophetic song of praise and watch as God moves
Related Posts:
Prophetic People in Testing Times: The Reason For the Season
Your Prophetic Word and Spiritual Warfare
© Helen Calder Enliven Publishing
