God is moving in the land of Australia and as we prepare our hearts to be his vessels we should also be preparing our bodies, minds and souls. I believe that God wants more than just a spiritually healthy church; He wants an army of people who love him and heed his wisdom, voice and his discipline.
We can honour God by preparing our bodies to be healthy, strong and fit. Then we will be ready to run with Holy Spirit and fulfil the call on our lives. We can prepare by making sure our marriages and family relationships are strong with good patterns in place.
We can prepare by making sure our minds are being renewed daily by the Word of God. We can prepare by letting God into the depths of our souls to bring his healing and transformation.
Strong in body
Could your body handle being part of revival; long days pouring out in ministry and travelling to share the gospel? Are you ready physically to run with Holy Spirit in these last days and go wherever Jesus sends you? Are you disciplined in the areas of health, nutrition and fitness so you can be strong in body and be used powerfully for Jesus?
Many people have had battles with ill health and it is more important than ever to give our bodies healthy and nourishing foods, as well as continuing to pray for breakthrough and healing.
Renewed in mind
Our minds can be a beautiful place if we let Jesus be King there. Brain scientist Dr. Caroline Leaf believes that our minds can bring life and health to our bodies through healthy and positive God-inspired thoughts and beliefs. I like to picture my mind as a garden of Eden, with refreshment and life flowing through my mind and those rivers of life flowing on to impact my words and actions.
On the other hand, if we do not “take every thought captive for Christ”(2 Corinthians chapter 10, verse 5) we can quickly spiral into hopelessness by starting to believe unhelpful lies. We must submit under Jesus’ Kingship, any thoughts and beliefs that do not line up with the truth of God’s Word. We can decree Gods Word and speak life and truth at any point in our day, to encourage us and stay in the knowledge of the Love of Christ and His victory over us.
For we are His beloved. As we continue to pray and give everything over to Jesus He will give us peace and “guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians chapter 4, verses 6 and 7).
Prosperous in soul
We also need to let God into every corner of our souls and let him heal our wounds and flood us with His light and love. We need to forgive people who have hurt us so that we can be ready for Jesus to use us as vessels of his love. I believe Jesus wants to help us break strongholds in our soul and bring us into more freedom and joy in Him, with no deep soul issues that would hinder us pouring out his love wherever we go.
Good Gut health
Recently I was praying alone when I heard the Lord say something interesting to me. I was praying for God to heal my poor gut health. I then heard the Lord say to me two phrases. One was ‘short term pain for long term gain’ and the other was ‘You will need a good gut microbiome for Africa’.
I immediately knew that his heart was to ultimately bless my body and ready it for the exploits he has for me in ministry including visiting nations where bacterial diseases are rampant and missionaries need strong immune health.
I felt God was saying to me that no matter how much effort it seems right now to invest in my health, that He would use it all to help me fulfil my call. A balanced gut and a healthy body is a starting point to being able to be running, not just walking with Holy Spirit.
We have an opportunity to be like Elijah in 1 Kings Chapter 18, where we see in spirit what is coming and go and prepare ourselves to run. Like Elijah we can see the heavy rain of revival coming on the horizon and start to pray like never before for the birthing of God’s plans and purposes on the earth. And like Elijah we can get ready to run faster than horses to achieve great exploits for God.
You may need to tweak some things in your life and ask God to help you become a much more disciplined person. You may need to break some addictions and create new and healthy habits to become all that you were made to be. The Word of God says that the Father disciplines those he loves. His heart is to see us flourish in body, mind and soul.
He is readying his Bride and we are called to partner with him in preparation. For the coming outpouring of His Holy Spirit on this earth will require willing and ready vessels. We are being invited to partake in and partner with Jesus in bringing his love, his good news gospel and his restoration into the streets, the slums and the nations. Holy Spirit is ready to run and pour out God’s glory and love on this earth, so the question is: are you ready?
Liana Monaghan lives in coastal South Australia and enjoys songwriting, singing, worshipping and dancing with Holy Spirit. She lives in a community house with two other musicians and her husband who is an Artist and a facilitator of corporate events. Liana works with children as a nanny and is part of Tree of Life Church community.