By Jennifer A. Miskov, PhD

October 31st, A Day Pregnant with Destiny

October 31st is pregnant with world changing opportunities to be catalyzed as we fiercely decide to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit even in unusual ways.

In my personal research, I recently discovered that there is rich redemption hidden in this date in history that we can pull from. October 31st is a powerful date in revival history that was catalytic for Reformation and Revival movements.  On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther lit a flame that reformed the Christianity of his day, breaking people out of religious cycles that had entrapped them for hundreds of years. Nearly 200 years later in 1904, this date was an important spark for the Welsh Revival. The revival’s primary leader, Evan Roberts, followed the leading of the Holy Spirit back to his hometown to conduct a catalytic meeting this very day. This day was also significant in 1918 in the life of Aimee Semple McPherson. She was 28 years old at the time and on her journey to the land of her destiny when she got to meet healing evangelist Mariah Woodworth-Etter in Indianapolis.[1]

In light of the wells of revival that emerged, there is something about how we respond immediately to the leading of the Spirit on this day that has the potential to impact not only our generation but generations to come. There is freedom from religious bondage and the breaking of generational curses. Do not be afraid to face opposing spirits head on. There is victory as we walk through the fire and through our fears (Isaiah 43). October 31st is a day to step into brave communication with others, to confront injustices around us, to no longer partner with lies that once held us back, and to declare truth all around us.

It is a day of religious freedom and freedom from the religious spirit. It is also a day that is waiting to be set aflame with the fire of God. It is a day to hunger and seek after God with everything inside of us, to take risks, to step out of our comfort zones and to push the envelope just a little more. It is a day of stepping out in faith into the unknown, following even the smallest sign of the Holy Spirit wherever that might lead. It is a day of being led by the Spirit and by our hearts immediately. It is not a time to process and think over decisions and weigh them. It is a day to take action immediately and to act on the whispers of God in the moment as we align ourselves with Heaven’s best. It is a shift into a new season. It is a time where dreams come true, where significant life-giving connections for our destiny will be released. It is a day when one generation rises up in the midst of those who came before in order to run alongside them.

October 31st is a day of breakthrough and of revolution. It is a day of new paradigms being released, where old wine skins are challenged and abolished and where new wine skins are filled to overflowing with the wine from Heaven. Be sharply in tune with the Holy Spirit October 31st and don’t hesitate on responding to His impulses. There are significant parts of our destiny that will be catalyzed and released this day that have the potential to not only impact the rest of our lives but also impact those around us for generations to come.

Halloween Roots

Let me give you a little background on this special date in history. Halloween is an interesting holiday that I never thought much about until I recently discovered the significance of the date it falls on. Originating in the early Middle Ages with roots in an Ancient Celtic pagan festival of Samhain (summer’s end), some believe that this is the time when the physical and spiritual world’s are the closest. October 31st is also a celebration of the end of harvest and beginning of winter. In the year 609, Pope Gregory III introduced May 13 as a Catholic holiday to honor saints and martyrs. This was called All Saints’ or All Hallows Day. In 835, the date was changed to November 1, the same day as the Samhain. The evening before “All Hallows Day” became known as All Hallows’ Eve which was later changed to Halloween. I love that in tradition, this day is believed to be one where Heaven invades earth in a greater measure than other days. It is also a day to honor saints and those who have come before which is what we will now do.

Reformation (1517)

Even though he was mid-semester at law school in a nearby town, Martin Luther (1483-1546) decided to journey home to visit his family. It was on July 2, 1505 when he got caught in a thunder storm and nearly was hit by a bolt of lightning. Fearful of his life, he called out, “Help me, St. Anne. I will become a monk!”[2] His life was spared. Two weeks later, true to his word, he joined the Augustinian order. In November 1510 - April 1511, he journeyed to Rome and was disillusioned by the hypocrisy going on within the Catholic Church. This seed of discontent with the church would later grow. In 1512, Luther received his doctorate and then moved to Wittenberg to become a theology professor. In 1515 when he studied Romans 1:17, he understood that he was justified by faith. For the first time he began to realize his freedom and salvation in Christ in a whole new way. He gave lectures to his students on Romans from April 1515 - September 1516.

About a year later, Dominican priest Johann Tetzel came to his town to sell indulgences. Luther was outraged at his approach and disagreed with certain premises behind this in a similar way that Jesus was upset by the way the people were selling items in the temple courts of the Lord. The same night Fredrick the Wise was due to offer indulgences on All Saints Day on October 31, 1517, Luther posted his 95 Theses (also known as the Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences) written in Latin on Castle Church door. These were translated into German, printed on the newly invented Gutenberg printing press, then quickly spread. Originally, this was an act of inviting people to debate over these issues within the Catholic Church. Luther’s 95 Theses were not initially intended to be a refined amendment to the pope. However, God breathed on his declaration for justice and it served to be the catalyst to set things in motion for the Protestant Reformation which freed people from the religious spirit at the time.

Catalytic Fire in the Welsh Revival (1904)

On October 29, 1904, both Evan Roberts (1878-1951) and his friend Sidney Evans had a vision of an arm stretched out from the moon towards them. They believed this was a sign that revival was coming to Wales. Roberts was then stirred to believe God for 100,000 souls to be saved.[3] On October 30, 1904, Roberts got caught up in a vision when he heard a preacher speak on the text, “Father, the hour is come.” His body shook and all he could see was the people of his hometown sitting and waiting for someone to speak to them. He felt this was God calling him to go to them. When he finally yielded, he felt the light of the glory of God fill the whole chapel in a marvelous way.

The next day on Monday October 31, Roberts immediately responded to the leading of the Holy Spirit and left for Loughor by train. He originally only planned to be in his hometown for a week. While on the train, he also wrote a sermon and practiced preaching it to the other passengers. The same night he arrived home, he was able to arrange a small meeting following a main session. There were 17 people present (16 adults and 1 little girl) at this first meeting. After much encouragement from Roberts, the reserved Welsh all stood up and publicly confessed Christ. He continued to lead meetings in his hometown each night at nearby churches and saw a total of 65 conversions that week.

Some of the meetings in the early weeks of the revival started at 7:00 p.m. and continued on without any breaks until 4:30 a.m. the next morning. As these meetings continued and testimonies were released, increasing numbers of people began to confess Christ. While there were already a few pockets of revival breaking out in Wales, especially in New Quay, after Roberts released the Holy Spirit flame in Loughor, in just two months (from November 8 to December 31, 1904), there were over 34,000 conversions recorded. Two months after that, by February 28, 1905, there were over 84,000 conversions recorded. That is an average of over 5,000 conversions a week! From Wales, the revival began to spread to scattered cities in England, Scotland, Ireland, and the Isle of Man. It also spread as far as New Zealand, Madagascar, India, North America, Mexico, Australia, and several countries within Europe, Asia, and Africa. The revival was also a pre-cursor and believed to be a catalyst for future Holy Spirit movements like the Azusa Street Revival.

There was great cultural transformation as the revival spread. Shops closed down early so the workers could get a seat at the revival meetings. Bibles flew off the shelves in bookstores. Longstanding debts were paid off, drunkenness and crime drastically declined, and relationships were reconciled. Some people characterized the movement “by the most remarkable confession of sin, confessions that must be costly.” The mining workhorses did not know how to respond to the absence of profanity and abuse they were so accustomed to. The revival even spilled into places of leisure. One night at a football game, the whole crowd broke out singing one of the revival worship songs.

This was truly a revival founded on cultivating God’s presence. Transformation was released as a result of people worshipping God. The spontaneous flow of the Holy Spirit in worship, testimony, and prayer was the rhythm of the Welsh Revival. It was a revival led by the Holy Spirit, the conductor to a symphony of surrendered hearts.

Redemption

The Protestant Reformation transformed a religious system and freed people to worship God in spirit and in truth. The Welsh Revival ignited a flame that inspired and gave birth to future Holy Spirit movements. October 31st is pregnant with potential to once again be a powerful day of ignition for reformation and revival movements. There is an inheritance waiting to be tapped into for those who are brave enough to step out in faith to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit on this special date in history. October 31st is an anointed day, filled with opportunities for new revival flames to be ignited and spread around the world.

Evan Roberts asked that the children in the towns he was going to visit would learn and pray the following prayer to prepare for the revival.

I encourage you to pray this out loud as a declaration over your life today. As you pray this catalytic prayer again today and take risks to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit into new territories, may you see the Holy Spirit move in greater power than ever before.

Send the Spirit now, for Jesus Christ's sake

Send the Spirit now powerfully, for Jesus Christ's sake

Send the Spirit now more powerfully for Jesus Christ's sake

Send the Spirit now still more powerfully for Jesus Christ's sake

-Evan Roberts 1904

To Learn More

Watch Jen share about the Welsh Revival.

Listen to Jen share about the significance of this day at a Destiny House meeting on October 31, 2013.

• The night Destiny House Community redeemed this day in history through worship and recounting testimonies of old October 31, 2013.

Read Jen's article on Charisma Magazine

*Destiny House community does a worship night each year on or around this day, releasing further testimonies to shift and redeem this day back into the kingdom. Wherever you are, feel free to join together in the same spirit by doing a meeting in your city with friends and family to share Holy Ghost stories, pray, and worship on this significant day in revival history. Please send us any testimonies from what happens this day or as a result of reading this article to info@silvertogold.com.

The following artwork was released by Jenny Schoensiegel October 31st, 2013 at one of our Reformation Day events at Destiny House.

On October 31, 2015, we launched Jen's book Writing in the Glory: Living from Your Heart to Release a Book that will Impact the World so that we could pull from the wells of Reformation and Welsh Revival glory and sow that revival fire into this catalytic project as we launched revivalist writers around the world. We had a great time October 31st together at Destiny House worshipping and tapping into such deep wells together as we sought God for an even greater Reformation and Love Revolution to arise in our day.

On October 31, 2018, our Destiny House family around the world hosted a worship night in Redding, CA, in Maui, and one in Australia.

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Footnotes

[1] Wayne Warner, Maria Woodworth-Etter: For Such a Time as This (Gainsville, FL: Bridge-Logos, 2004), 316-317 and Edith L. Blumhofer, Aimee Semple McPherson: Everybody's Sister (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1993. reprinted 1998), 140. [2] Roberts Liardon, God’s Generals: The Roaring Reformers (New Kensington, PA: Whitaker House, 2003), 122. [3] Much of the section on Evan Roberts comes from Defining Moments by Bill Johnson and Jennifer A. Miskov (New Kensington, PA: Whitaker House, 2016).

New release by Rolland Baker Keeping the Fire is sure to cause you to burn for the One Thing (Psalm 27). I remember reading his doctoral thesis a year ago and how much I burned for more of Jesus after. I am so excited that his book is now available to the world! I am also in awe at the Holy Spirit’s creative synergy in the midst of the family of God. When I look at the covers of these two new releases, I celebrate God’s goodness. 

That Writing in the Glory and Keeping the Fire came out only months apart and that these covers were done separately without the other knowing causes me to praise Jesus because of His goodness and the synergy that happens in family. I love that simply by being a part of the same Iris family, we are tapping into a similar current of the Holy Spirit without even needing to talk about the aesthetics of our projects. Not only in appearance and timing are these books similar but also in heart. Both of these books are rooted and grounded in intimacy with Jesus and focusing on the One Thing (Psalm 27).  

In Writing in the Glory, I talk about the importance of being rooted in Jesus as the source of all creativity and about writing from a place of intimacy to light a fire that will impact the world. I share a few excerpts below.

Works that are birthed from a place of intimacy with God can have ripple effects for eternity. As you feast on God and contend for the One Thing (see Psalm 27:4), your covenant love with Him will naturally birth life.

Now is the time to strip of offenses, let go of bitterness, unforgiveness, doubts, or anything that might hinder you and run fiercely into the arms of the One who love you more than you could imagine. Now is a time to have no other lovers but Him. Today is the day to be single minded; to press in so you can release what God is about to birth in and through you. The time of awakening and birthing has come. It is here. It is now. Step in. Rise up. Don’t look back. Arise and shine. You were born to release this book.

In Writing in the Glory, Heidi Baker also writes

Apart from Him we can do nothing. But as we abide in Him and as we remain connected to the vine, we bear fruit that remains. All lasting fruitfulness flows from the place of intimacy and deep connection with God.

The fruit that remains might just be a book that impacts generations with the love, healing, and power of God.

Ask to be a holy habitation, a resting place for Him to come and abide. Open yourself up now to the glorious presence of God. Invite Him to capture your heart again.

In Keeping the Fire, Rolland, a leader in this generation and has seen the lame walk, blind eyes opened, and even the dead raised, shares about the core values of Iris and how Jesus is the key to sustaining of revival. A few excerpts are below.

Iris is not about us. It is about Jesus. Revival is not about manifestations or miracles; it is about the Reviver, Jesus our Savior. We only have one destination, one home, one reality, one resting place, one source, one motivation, one reward, one possession, one point of contact with God, one source of real satisfaction – and that is Jesus. We cannot overemphasize Him in any way. He is all we have and everything we need.

Love is a gift of relationship, not just self-sacrifice. The secret place is not necessarily found in a prayer closet or a posture of soaking, or in battling for a just cause, or in a massive prayer and fasting effort. Even the most amazing miracles can leave us lonely and without relationship. We can run out of motivation advancing the noblest ideals and working at all levels to transform society. We can minister until we have no more strength, and still go home and lie in bed without the relationship for which our hearts are made.

Everything is okay with relationship. It is all that Jesus cares about, all that motivates Him. He could do many more amazing miracles and dazzle the world with His powers, but He is interested only in relationship.

I wonder what the Holy Spirit is trying to say by birthing these two works with creative synergy in family at the same time. Maybe it’s another Ephesians 3:20 exceedingly abundantly above all we could ask or think or imagine moment. Maybe there’s something about intimacy with Jesus and living for the One Thing that will cause us to burn in this generation like never before. Maybe there’s a powerful synergy when reading these two works together. Either way, I encourage you to explore and receive this piece of our hearts. These can both be ordered on irisglobal.org's bookstore HERE. May our words start a fire inside you and cause you burn for the One Thing like never before. May Jesus truly be what this season is all about. Happy Christmas and may the fire burn hotter than ever before.

To read another account of crazy synergy that happened within the context of the Destiny House family, go HERE.

by Jennifer A. Miskov, Ph.D.

What if our generation is pregnant with birthing the next Great Awakening and The Call Azusa on April 9, 2016 is a tipping point? If this might really be the case, what would it look like if this unified Body of Christ assembling in Los Angeles for the 110th anniversary of the Azusa Street Revival knew the depths of God’s history there to be able to draw from and tap into the power of the testimony? What kind of focused prayers and greater signs, wonders, miracles, and stewardship of the awakening might take place because of this investment?

Now is our time arise and shine. Today is the day to dive in and not look back, to remain focused on Jesus, to immediately respond to the leading of the Holy Spirit, and to lean into the Father’s heart. Now is our moment as a generation to shine.

As a generation, we have been given a great opportunity to shift the culture of what the next 100 years and more can look like. What if once this billion soul harvest is released, the new believers immediately get welcomed into the family of God, are discipled and activated in signs and wonders all coming from a place of intimacy with Jesus? What if people are knit together in covenant relationships with the family of God who will encourage and cover them as they follow the leading of the Spirit even into dangerous places? We have such an awesome opportunity to create a culture of family, love, intimacy, and power to welcome the new Christians into. What are we going to do with the responsibility God has entrusted us with?

We were born for such a time as this. God has called and equipped us to stand together with one another. He has promised to be with us always.

To position yourself to step into what God has for us in our day, I encourage you to receive impartation from the Welsh Revival (1904-1905) video above. This revival preceded and was an important catalyst for the Azusa Street Revival (1906). The ladies of Destiny House watched this video during one of our Monday night family times and after it ended, we waited on the Lord. The presence of God was thick in the room. After some silence, prayer broke out, then I could hear weeping. Bodies covered the floor. A couple of the ladies were so rocked by God's presence after watching this that they never made it back home that night but lay there encountering God deep into the night. I pray the same refining fire falls upon you as you watch.

Be also encouraged by an exhortation by Azusa Street Revival participant Frank Bartleman written in June 1906, just months after the the Azusa Street Revival broke out:

“Opportunity once passed, is lost forever. There is a time when the tide is sweeping by our door. We may then plunge in and be carried to glorious blessing, success and victory. To stand shivering on the bank, timid, or paralyzed with stupor, at such a time, is to miss all, and most miserably fail, both for time and for eternity. Oh, our responsibility! The mighty tide of God’s grace and favor is even now sweeping by us, in its prayer-directed course.

There is a river (of salvation) the streams whereof make glad the city of God. - Ps. 46:4. It is time to ‘get together,’ and plunge in, individually and collectively. We are baptized ‘in one Spirit, into one body,’ - I Cor. 12:13. Let us lay aside all carnal contentions and divisions, that separate us from each other and from God. If we are of His body, we are ‘one body.’ The opportunity of a lifetime, of centuries, is at our door, to be eternally gained or lost. There is no time to hesitate. Act quickly, lest another take thy crown. Oh, church of Christ, awake! Be baptized with power. Then fly to rescue others. And to meet your Lord.” 

To learn more about the Azusa Street Revival check out Spirit Flood: Rebirth of Spirit Baptism for the 21st Century (In light of the Azusa Street Revival) and to be catalyzed to write literature that will set this world aflame with the love and fire of God check out Writing in the Glory. Join us at Destiny House Redding Friday mornings 8-10am for worship, prayer, and testimonies. Many blessings and fire!

I wrote this when I lived in England sometime around 2010 and wanted to re-release it because it is always good to be reminded of such a relentless and all consuming love freely accessible to us today. Be blessed with a fresh baptism of the Father's love...

This is a picture of my friend Craig holding his newborn baby who came into the world just 5 days before this shot was taken. For me this is such a beautiful reminder for Christmas on two different levels. First, it reminds me how Jesus obediently chose to leave the perfect union He had with the Father for the sole purpose of living a life He knew would be filled with suffering. Regardless of the risks He would have to take, Jesus chose to come, not as the victorious King, but rather as a completely vulnerable and dependent baby.  He did this because of such an intense and amazing love for each one of us.

Can you believe that someone would knowingly engage in a life that would be filled with suffering all because of the joy that would one day be set before Him? This joy of knowing us and loving us was greater than the pain (Hebrews 12). I am awe struck at Jesus’ relentless passion and pursuit of our hearts at any cost, in fact, at all costs. Such perfect love pursues us today, even when we feel lonely and rejected and unwanted. Let us remember the extreme and ultimate journey Jesus embarked on in our behalf, for the purpose of knowing us and inviting us into the immense measure of love found in Him.

On the other level, this picture also reminds me of God the Father’s love. It is easy to see that in the father’s eyes, his son can do no wrong. He is loved perfectly exactly how he is. Not only did God the Father send His son as a baby into this world, but He did it so that we could have relationship with Him. And the beautiful thing is, just as my friend Craig is adoring his baby, so God the Father adores us, exactly as we are. We don’t have to do a thing to earn His love. We don’t have to be good enough, pure enough, righteous enough, or do enough good works, but He loves us just exactly the way we are here and now, today in this moment. And the beautiful thing is, this will never change. I know many of us already know these facts but I also understand that sometimes it is the hardest thing to simply receive this great big love.

Let us take even 5 minutes today to stop and picture ourselves as the child in the Father’s arms and simply receive the acceptance, delight, and joy that emanates from His face onto us, His beloved children. May the Holy Spirit still our lives and open our hearts to receive an increased measure of the Father’s love. May each one of us be blessed this Christmas season and be reminded of the intense, persistent, and passionate love that has been demonstrated on our behalf.

For those hungrier still, there is another gift that is also freely available to those who want to open and receive it…Check out "A New kind of Christmas Present"to learn more.

Much love and peace to each of you during this season,

Jen

by Jennifer A. Miskov, Ph.D.

“The desperate need today is not for a greater number of intelligent people, or gifted people, but for deep people.”  -Richard Foster

God wants to free people from fear. He wants to raise up His bride to embrace all He has in this new season. One of the ways He wants to equip people to step into all that He has is to bring a resurgence of what has been overlooked, forgotten, abused, broken, misunderstood, or misappropriated. God is raising up an army of lovers who will go anywhere and do anything for him. When I hear people say that they want to be like Heidi Baker, John Wesley, Smith Wigglesworth, John G. Lake, Carrie Judd Montgomery, Rees Howells, Saint Francis of Assisi, or even Jesus, I encourage them to follow in their footsteps and embrace the things they embraced. These all practiced spiritual disciplines. They all lived with their lamps full of oil. They all regularly positioned themselves to step into all that God has by integrating the spiritual disciplines into their daily lives. If we want to walk in same authority, dominion, power, love, intimacy as these, a good start is to discover and tap into similar wells where they found life.

Purpose of Spiritual Disciplines

Spiritual disciplines are for the purpose of knowing God. We practice spiritual disciplines so that we can live deep within the heart of God. We commit to walk the path of spiritual disciplines so that we can choose God first and feast upon Him. I regularly go to the lake and spend time waiting on God, being with Him, reading His Word, playing with Him, or simply resting in Him. I long to be with Him alone. No one else and nothing else can ever satisfy. Choosing to embrace the disciplines will help position us to be with the One we love. Contending for space with the living God for the sole purpose of communing with Him is invaluable.

Richard Foster says in his Celebration of Discipline that “The purpose of the Disciplines is liberation from the stifling slavery to self-interest and fear. When the inner spirit is liberated from all that weighs it down, it can hardly be described as dull drudgery. Singing, dancing, even shouting characterize the Disciplines of the spiritual life!”*Spiritual disciplines, including prayer, meditation, fasting, reading the Word, worship, and community help us to align our lives more with heaven. The disciplines are an invitation to explore the hidden crevices of the Father’s heart. This world is crying out for deep people who can live from a place of interwoveness with the Creator. Foster says that “The classical Disciplines of the spiritual life call us to move beyond surface living into the depths.”* There is so much more of the Father’s heart to explore and the disciplines simply help take us on that journey.

Everyone connects with God differently according to their personality and how they are wired. Some people connect with God in nature or in silence while others connect with Him during activity or through music or dance. Practicing the disciplines helps everyone, regardless of how they are wired, tap into a greater measure of the heart of God.

The Spiritual Disciplines

• Deepen our connection with God
• Bring us into greater union with God
• Invite us to feast upon God
• Position us to hear God’s voice
• Align us to receive God’s blessings
• Prepare us to step into the kingdom
• Keep our lamps full of oil

Spiritual Disciplines Release Freedom

The Spiritual disciplines are intended to bring freedom and liberation. The motivation should always be a longing to know God more (Psalm 42:1-2). The disciplines bring focus, self-control, and pave the way to walk on the highway of holiness. It is the pure in heart that see God. The disciplines also can act as a purifying fire. While there is always the danger of the disciplines degenerating into law and empty ritualistic practice, fear of this happening should not be greater than the drive to take hold of the King of kings by positioning ourselves in front of His throne. The disciplines help us do just that.

Some people confuse the disciplines with striving or trying to manipulate or control God when in reality that could not be farther from the truth. While only God can grow us spiritually, there are things we can do to prepare and cultivate our lives to invite this. One helpful example of explaining spiritual disciplines is likening it to farming. A farmer can’t make the seeds grow. However, he can plant the seeds, cultivate the ground, water the crops and create an environment that invites this growth. When the sun shines and the rain comes, saturating what he has cultivated, life springs forth (Galatians 5:22-25). The same is true for us. We all have seeds of destiny deposited in our hearts. As we cultivate and tend to our hearts by practicing the disciplines and thus positioning ourselves under the waterfall of God’s grace, when the outpouring comes, we are ready to receive. The floods will cause our dreams to spring forth (Isaiah 61:11).

Another benefit of the disciplines can be likened to training for sports. Athletes don’t win gold medals by sitting at home and watching television. They train their bodies for the big race. Similarly, spiritual disciplines can also act as spiritual training for us to be ready to advance the kingdom of God. Because we have been building our spiritual muscles and regularly filling our lamps with oil, we will be ready to set the oppressed free, tear down demonic strongholds, release healing, and love the broken when the need arises.

Freedom to Soar in His Presence

If you have been under an oppressive system of law rather than love and grace or have run from the spiritual disciplines because you have been wounded by their inappropriate and legalistic implementation, today is your day to be set free. I invite you to no longer react out of fear. God wants time with you. It takes discipline to set aside and guard time for Him alone. You will have to fight a million battles to protect your time with God. Discipline will help you win those battles. Discipline is not intended to imprison you but instead to bind you to Christ Himself. Motivated through your relationship with Christ and by following the leading of the Spirit, may God use the spiritual disciplines to free you to fully explore and dive even deeper into the heart of God. I release you from fear in Jesus’ name. I release grace to forgive those who have hurt you through legalism. I impart courage to dive into a new world of forsaking all other lovers. Today, I invite you to be compelled to set everything aside for the sole purpose of beholding Jesus.

“Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear;

though war break out against me, even then I will be confident.

One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek:

that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,

to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple.”

Psalm 27

See also Feasting on God: The Lost Art of Fasting (Part 1)

*All Richard Foster quotes come from Celebration of Discipline (New York, NY: HarperOne, 1978, reprint 1998), 1-2.

“They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations” (Isaiah 61:4).

Built in 1949 with the same materials used on the Shasta dam, the property on 2391 Placer Street, now functioning as Destiny House, was at one time a church in downtown Redding. The top floor was a wide open space where the children met for Sunday school. Later on, the city officials of Redding met there to declare laws over the city. A space that used to release goodness over the city later took a turn when it was vacated in the early 2000s and instead became a center where child pornography was filmed and released around the world. Witches and others later inhabited the home until 2007 when God led Jennifer Beebe and her family there. God gave Jenn a vision for it to be a glory house they called the Kabod House (Kabod means heavy weighty glory, honor, and blessing in Hebrew). Kris Kildosher and several young men who attended Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry felt led to live in the home. They helped sanctify the home spiritually and also began its restoration process. They regularly worshipped together in the open space on the top floor. As they did community together in the glory alongside the Beebe family, they saw many unique signs and wonders. One of the prophetic words released over this site during this time was that the salvation of the city is tied to this home. The Beebes lived in community here for 9 months until they had to move out in 2008. They owned the property for a total of 2.5 years until they went bankrupt and had to let it go.

After several years of the house being vacated, homeless people took residence there. A handful of people were drawn to put in an offer to buy the house but God protected it from being bought until Brad Coultier reluctantly put in a ridiculous offer. He secured the property for only $132,000 in September 2010. Fulfilling the prophetic words over Redding (Isaiah 61), he began to invest his time, resources, and heart into rebuilding the house. To learn more about Brad's journey go HERE.

In early 2012, shortly after finishing her Ph.D. in England on the life and ministry of Carrie Judd Montgomery, the founding mother of the healing home movement in North America, God divinely led Jennifer A. Miskov to the home. Through standing on testimonies of faith by Carrie Judd, Jen felt led to move into the house even though she had no car, no job, and very little money. All the resources she had would only cover the deposit and first month’s rent. God broke through in amazing ways and sent people every step of the way to help. She moved in February 15th. A few days later on her birthday on February 18th, 2012, Destiny House was officially dedicated for God’s purposes. At that time, it consisted of one floor with 3 people. To learn more about Jen's personal journey towards Destiny House and the incredible God story, go HERE.

Jenn Beebe was invited to a BSSM graduation party at Destiny House in the summer of 2012 by one of the girls who lived there whom she used to know many years before. It was at that party that Jenn Beebe met Jen Miskov for the first time. As they shared their hearts, they then realized that God had given them identical visions for the house years apart. Jen Miskov knew nothing of the Kabod house until after she had already moved in. At the party, Jenn Beebe saw a picture of Carrie Judd Montgomery and recognized her from one of her dreams. Her journey all began to start making sense.

Other threads of destiny began to be revealed as time went on. During one of the Friday morning worship and prayer times with the few girls in the house, there was a discussion of what the street name of the house, “placer,” meant. When it was discovered that it had to do with gold mines, Jen Miskov was sparked to share her favorite sermon by Carrie Judd Montgomery entitled “Life on Wings: The Possibilities of Pentecost.” As the sermon was read, unbeknownst to Jen at the time, there was a reference to placer mines! Within that very sermon originally released in 1910 was a tie to the street name of Destiny House, a home influenced and modeled after Carrie Judd’s healing home, the Home of Peace. Behind Destiny House is “Gold Street.” Jen Miskov’s life message can be found in a book entitled Silver to Gold. For Jen, there was prophetic destiny all over this house and she was tapping into something much greater than she had realized from the start.

By June 2012, the bottom floor of the house was also released. After the summer, God sent Jessica Phelps to steward the downstairs to have a total of 9 women in the house, all students attending BSSM. For most of 2012-2013, Destiny House operated as a community and glory home, centered around worship and God’s presence that also hosted and honored missionaries and leaders from around the world. Senior leaders from church movements in the U.K., a leader of the underground church in the Middle East who also works with the royal family there, Iris missionaries including one who works with rebel soldiers in the Congo, a movie star’s mother, brother-in-law to John Wimber, and many other saints stayed at or visited the home during this season.

By May 2013, God sent Angela Locke who would be the first full time missionary to be a part of Destiny House besides Jen Miskov. The two floors transitioned back to a community centered around God’s glory and focused on Friday morning worship and ministry times, Saturday night monthly Holy Spirit nights, and Monday night community meals. There was continued prayer for and release of destiny to missionaries and leaders as they joined the weekly and monthly gatherings. One lady who heard about Destiny House through her visit to the Home of Peace, drove up from Oakland for the Friday morning worship time. After being prayed for, she later received financial breakthrough of $217, 544.21 forgiven off of a house loan.

Besides ministering to many visitors, the young women who have spent a season living in this set apart atmosphere have received a great deposit for the rest of their lives, most importantly learning how to worship God in all circumstances. Many of these who have learned to live powerfully within a community centered around worship, have been transformed and launched into a greater measure of their destiny.

After over 2 years of praying, hosting God’s presence, worshiping Him in all circumstances, honoring missionaries and leaders from around the world, imparting destiny to all who enter, and Brad rebuilding the house and adjacent property according to city regulations, the top floor of the home was released May 1, 2014 for the Destiny House family to rent and have set aside for the whole ministry. God sent the Hess family with their two beautiful daughters to eventually reopen the missionary room that was open in phase one of Destiny House. This home that used to be a church, then the Kabod House, is now being restored to perfect alignment with heaven as a place set aside to host God’s presence and to learn to live in the glory within the context of community. It is becoming a prototype for restoring family worship and living a lifestyle in the glory. It is a model for future Destiny Houses centered on glory, honor, and destiny to be launched around the world.

Could the rebuilding and restoration process of the house on 2391 Placer Street in downtown Redding, once called the Kabod House, now called Destiny House, be a prophetic sign for the city of Redding based on Isaiah 61? Could Destiny House’s rebirth be prophetic in nature of what God is about to do in the church by bringing perfect alignment and convergence to prepare for what’s coming next?

With the full alignment of Destiny House, I release a prophetic declaration to the city, the church, and the world that this will be a season of long await dreams fulfilled, hope restored, broken parts fully healed, convergence, perfect positioning to step into all that God has, and destinies released. To the city of Redding, may you be called a Holy People, the Redeemed of the Lord. May you be called Sought After, the City No Longer Deserted (Isaiah 62:12). God will come in great power shortly, position yourselves to step into what He is about to pour out. May now be a time for us all to “Pass through, pass through the gates! Prepare the way for the people. Build up, build up the highway! Remove the stones. Raise a banner for the nations” (Isaiah 62:10).

Please pray for us as we enter into the next phase of what God is doing in our community here and around the world. Thank you for celebrating our journey with us.

While there are many who have played a part in this miracle over the past few years, this article is dedicated to the two hidden heroes and pioneers who have literally laid down there lives and given all they had because they believed in a dream from God. We would not be here if it wasn't for you two. To Jennifer Beebe and Brad Coultier, may this be your season of convergence, may blessings flood and overtake you, may honor chase after you for the things you have done in secret, may you experience God’s love beyond what you ever have before. Thank you for making a place for the Destiny House family. You have an inheritance and a direct part in everything God does in this place and you will never be forgotten for your great kindness.

See video below to learn more of our future direction and the 100 year vision to cultivate and release God's glory from this place. We are in partnership with Iris Global. All are welcome to join us for worship and receive ministry from our Destiny House family Friday mornings 8:00-10:00am at Destiny House.

To learn more of Jen Miskov's personal journey and some of the craziest breakthroughs of her life as she was moving towards Destiny House, go HERE.

by Jennifer A. Miskov, Ph.D.

As I write this from Toronto, where 20 years before this date on January 20, 1984, the Toronto Blessing was birthed, and I remember the incredible breakthroughs God released for Destiny House in this very same season in 2012, I release an anointing for unprecedented breakthrough into destiny over you today. Let my story be your legacy and testimony. Allow the currents of this stream to pull you farther into your own destiny in Him. Take courage, it is time for the baby to be born.

Stretched

I feel like this season in January/February is a time when God wants to birth dreams that people have been carrying for way too long. I feel that He is bringing relief and release as we continue to put our hope in Him. Has anyone else felt stuck, stretched to breaking point, or trapped lately? Have you felt like you’ve been in one season too long and are itching to get to the next season but just can’t seem to get there? I feel like there are many of us who have this dream or this baby inside and instead of the 9 months allotted for the normal birth cycle, its taking 10, 11, 12 months or more. It’s to the point where the stretching is incredibly uncomfortable and its extremely painful carrying this heavy load. The baby is way overdue and we are wondering how much longer we have to carry it and what’s wrong with us that it’s not coming out.

I feel prophetically that what has happened to me over the last couple of years offers hope for any who might feel this way. My story can be weaved into the generation of Israelites moving from a season of constant provision in the desert to a season of abundance in the Promised Land. From 2007-2011, I was somewhat hidden away in England for 4 years doing research and writing. When I finished my Ph.D. in the summer of 2011, I was ready to come out and play, to do more creative things with Silver to Gold, and to get launched. I was ready for the baby inside to be birthed. I had carried some of these dreams long enough without release.

Getting Restless

Upon my return to the States, I transitioned to Redding, California. By January 2012, I was living on a blow up air mattress at my friend Carrie’s house. I had searched for a job but couldn’t find one. Because I was just back from England, I also did not have a car. Carrie had graciously agreed to let me stay at her house for one month which was a huge blessing. During that time on January 19, 2012, God gave me a prophetic dream in the night having to do with an airplane. I didn’t quite understand the full meaning of the dream at that time.

Then a couple of days before the end of the month, I found a room I could rent which was perfect provision. I even said “yes” but then started to get restless and did not feel peace as I moved towards it. I felt the tension; the baby inside was bursting to get out and to breathe but I had to keep it in longer, hold back on the release of the promise. I was stretched. The time was right, the baby was past overdue but the pieces were not coming together. Even though I had already said “yes” to the landlord, I did not feel right moving in and knowing that within a month I would just move right back out. Then February 1st hit, that uncomfortable day when I began to overstay my welcome and felt completely helpless with no way out. I struggled with the tension of dreaming for more when I couldn’t even get my needs met.

Held Back

Meet two of my friends and heroes, Joshua and Caleb. They knew when the time was right to move forward. But their community, the Israelites, couldn’t see it or step into it until it was too late. This community missed out and put Joshua and Caleb in the awkward position of waiting another 40 years for this part of their destiny to be birthed, for their promise to be fulfilled. Joshua and Caleb had to sit and watch a whole generation of Israelites die before they could move forward. They were stretched. The birthing time was set but the baby didn’t come. They had to sit in a place of the promise getting bigger and bigger without a release until 40 years later. For 40 more years they had to carry this baby as they watched those who struggled with unbelief die off. They had to love the same community who were the very reason they were held back from stepping into their destiny 40 years prior.

Then it was finally time to venture into the unknown land of their destiny. They had waited their whole lives for this. In this process however, the constant provision would be stripped from them, dry up, and disappear as soon as they moved to step into the new land. As they chose to walk into a destined land, they knew they must face new giants they were never trained to fight before. But this wild, dangerous, and unsafe land was so much more satisfying and teeming with life than any they had known thus far. And they knew God had promised it to them. They held true to the seed that was planted long ago (Numbers13-14).

Then Suddenly

On February 1st, after Carrie encouraged me not to make a rash decision and to take a few more days to stay at hers if needed, I turned down the other room for rent. I said “no” to perfect provision for a room that was affordable and quiet even though I had no idea of where my Promised Land living situation for that next season would be. I was simply following what I felt in my spirit even though it made no sense at all and some people thought I was crazy. Then on February 2nd, after being stretched beyond capacity, everything shifted within a matter of moments. It was literally one of those "and then suddenly” moments.

At 5:00pm on February 2nd, after spending a full day in the Hebrews coffee shop at Bethel church, I had a breakdown. My potential ride home had just left and I felt stuck once again, powerless, having no control at all. This time I could not take it. As soon as I saw my friend, I burst into tears. For some reason Rene had felt led to go to the church right then. Within a matter of moments, several friends appeared out of nowhere and were surrounding and trying to help me figure things out. Right in the midst of all this, Heidi texted me back and said I could stay somewhere for 2 weeks in between trying to figure out other housing. It was in her in between place where I finalized the manuscript of what would become known as Life on Wings: The Forgotten Life and Theology of Carrie Judd Montgomery. I later found out that the desk I finished it on in that place was Bill Johnson’s desk! Amazing how a crazy turn of events can position one moments of destiny.

Desperate for Breakthrough

This was also the place where on February 5th, after hearing Mario Murillo preach, that I called out to God more than possibly ever in my entire life. It was the most intense Superbowl Sunday of my life, I remember it clearly. Mario spoke about how Hannah was desperate to have a baby and she called out to God. Her desperation later saved the nation of Israel when Samuel was raised as a prophet. Similar to Hannah, I felt that the baby inside me had to come out or I was going to die. I couldn’t take it any more. When I prayed that day, I told God that I didn’t need a car, a husband, or even food, I needed to step into the destiny He had put before me at all costs. I was willing to lay it all down. I was desperate for breakthrough.

February 15th was the day when I emptied out my bank account to step into a destiny I hoped was really of the Lord and not just me. By faith, I was standing on Carrie Judd Montgomery’s legacy from over 100 years ago as I moved towards renting a house I felt the Lord had led me to. I still remember sitting in the parking lot at the bank with my friend Nicol and asking her if I was making the biggest mistake of my life. I felt I was jumping off of a cliff and had no idea what was going to happen next. I had no other options but than to trust and rely on the Lord to carry me and give me wings to fly. It was either one of my biggest mistakes or one of my biggest breakthroughs. I was shaking and trembling in the car just like I was at my ordination with Heidi Baker a month and half previous to this moment. This was not just a financial transaction taking place, it was a spiritual transaction and I knew I was stepping into another level of trust and dependence upon the Lord. I was in over my head. I was scared of making a mistake that could not only cost me everything I had but also put others in a difficult situation.

Many of you know the rest of the story up until now. The day after I took out money from the bank, I moved into what would later become known as Destiny House. This would become the fulfillment of the airplane dream I had the month before as well as the birthing of a dream I had been carrying elements of for over a decade.

The Final Push

Joshua and Celeb waited 40 years and still had strength to step into the final push. They chose to let go of the comfort and constant provision in the desert to step into a dangerous new adventure. They knew they would have to fight a battle to enter into the Promised Land. They stayed prepared all those years, feasting on God’s promises planted in their hearts. They stepped in for the final push.

I believe that the burden of carrying an unfulfilled promise that has nearly crushed us is coming to an end. I declare that the stretching and the pain of carrying this "baby" beyond term is over. I believe that God is saying that many of us have carried, hoped, and prayed into seeds of destiny that have felt long overdue in being birthed. Carrying the weight of these promises has been extremely painful to some. Some of us feel we are almost bursting at the seams and we can’t take any more. Some of us are struggling with giving up.

I believe that in many of our lives, including mine, over the next few months, God will be calling us to step in for the final push to birth what He placed inside us long ago. As we are led by the Spirit and remain in His love, He will lead us deeper into our destiny and into His heart. For some it will only take one more risk, one more small step of faith, one more act of hope, breath of courage. This final push will not come through our own strength. He says that it’s not by might nor by our own power but by His Spirit that we can live the impossible (Zechariah 4).

I challenge you today to move towards that dream deep inside of you that you have yet to see the fulfillment of. Soak and saturate that dream in prayer and worship and ask God what He thinks of that dream and desire. It is highly likely that it was He who planted it in your heart when He knit you together in your mother's womb. His dreams for our destiny are bigger than our own. He is so for you today and for your destiny being birthed.

Take heart, be encouraged. Believe and strengthen yourself in the promises God has given you long ago. I urge you to cling to Him and hold tight to Him in this season, for I believe we are about to embark on one of the wildest rides of our lives!

To learn more about the journey behind Destiny House see Destiny House History

For further inspiration on this topic, check out Heidi Baker's new book Birthing the Miraculous

Jennifer A. Miskov (written 2011)

Looking at “The Gift of Singleness” article I wrote several years ago, I have noticed that the insights are very good but that the article is a little imbalanced. It must be stated that I was not writing about an actual “gift of singleness” but more so referring to the “season of singleness” as a gift from God, one of the only times in our lives to be fully and 100% devoted to God without having to take care of our spouses, etc. I think having a godly perspective on dating is very important and I think the issue holds two tensions that need to be awkwardly balanced. I admit that I have swung from one extreme to the other but I do feel that some need to swing from the wait on God perspective to a more active stance on the issue depending on their season (while continuing to hold both tensions in the balance if that’s at all possible!).

This article is only written to those single people who are very interested in getting married in the near future. If that’s not you now, please enjoy and take advantage of the freedom that your singleness offers!

Men: Active Pursuing
There are many singles today who are lovers of Jesus but are experiencing severe loneliness and even depression because their needs are not being met with a spouse. Adam was lonely before he even sinned. Humans were created for one another, man and woman together in perfect union. Loneliness is a very real thing that is unfortunately plaguing many single Christians today. I want to encourage the men if they are stuck, to stop waiting for God to point them to the perfect woman who is going to be their wife before they do anything. For many, dating is how people find out if someone is good for them or not. Christians in general need to get over the hurdle of believing that the first person they ask on a date is going to be their wife.

Take some risks, date women to get to know them and once you get to know them you will know whether or not they are a good fit for you. And in the process, you will learn how to relate to women and hopefully develop some positive friendships in the process if putting God first. And a hint to men, you become more attractive when you are intentional and pursue a woman. And look for windows of opportunity and go for it. These change and when it’s too late, it really might be too late. Second hint, many women are more open than you think; many will give you a chance and go out on a date with you if you just ask. If it doesn’t work out, shake off the dust, at least you know that it wasn’t a good fit, then try again. If you don’t risk and get over the fear of rejection, you won't be able to move forward.

Women: Active Waiting
And women, rather than being an adorer from a distance and creating this wonderful fantasy of how you will one day fall in love with this ideal man, get out there and breakthrough into reality. Figure out a way to spend time with him, whether it’s in a group or out to coffee, and soon. Then at least you will know if he really is that ideal man you’ve made him up to be in your mind or if he is just a creation of your imagination. And then if he’s not the ideal man you thought he was, you won’t have to spend endless hours, days, weeks, and months wasting your thoughts fantasizing about someone whom you thought could be the “one.” I believe that it’s not our job to pursue men, but at the same time I think it’s perfectly okay to put yourself out there and pursue a friendship with a man you might be interested in. Please continue to put God first, be yourself, but also learn how to invite pursuit, smile, and be more open to the men in your life.

And if you are thinking about putting on makeup, dressing cuter, looking fabulous, yes that is something that will attract men, which is a good thing, but I think above all, if you choose to do any of these things, do them for yourself first and foremost. If you are content with yourself, make up or no makeup, that is what is going to show the most in your interactions with men. If someone’s heart is bursting inside them, they are full of smiles and love, and open, the right people will be drawn to them.

I really feel the season of preparation in the midst of the gift of the season of singleness needs to be capitalized on. I think that the best relationships happen when a woman is content in who and how God has made her, then she enters a relationship in a giving mode not a taking one. Granted, no one will ever be perfect enough before entering into a relationship but why not use that time before marriage to intentionally ask God to prepare us while we are actively waiting.

All:
So to all, I think the key word really is RISK. Begin to put yourself out there and take chances with people. As long as this is done with respect, each person can only begin to grow up more, learn from mistakes (yes, there will be many but you will improve with time, I promise), and get closer to marriage. Ask God to open up your eyes and heart. He may want to bring you someone whom you have not previously considered but who is right in front of you.

Just last year I needed to by a warm coat for my new life in England, yes in California we don't have such strange weather. Anyway, I looked and looked for the ideal coat. I was close minded to all coats over a certain price range as well as all coats with furry hoods. There was one coat that I really liked the style of. It seemed to be totally me but when I tried it on, it didn't fit right. I did actually consider buying it anyway. Regardless of how good it looked on the hanger, realistically it wouldn't have suited me because it didn't fit right. Finally, after looking for hours for that perfect coat, a friend convinced me to broaden my horizon. She encouraged me to at least try one of the coats with the furry hoods just to see. Turns out that I tried one, it was a great fit, and I ended up buying it.

All this to say, sometimes the style we think will be the perfect fit doesn't end up working at all. And there might be times we risk missing the unexpected perfect fit because we are too close minded to give it a chance. You will never know if it fits unless you try it on. What do you really have to lose anyway? You might make a friend in the process, or even better, who knows, you might end up with that perfect fit after a few tries. There might just be greater things God has for us if we are more open minded to possibilities we otherwise never considered. Just a thought.

Thanks for listening to my musings.

To read similar articles around this subject see:

Ladies in Waiting: 10 Encouragements for Single Women

God Holds the Key to Our Destiny

The Gift of Singleness (If you struggle to trust God in this area and always have to be dating someone)

On Break Ups

Water to Wine: Experiencing God’s Love in the Canary Islands

Silver to Gold: A Journey of Young Revolutionaries

Jennifer A. Miskov (2009)

On the issue of singleness here are some of my present thoughts and encouragements, mainly written for women, based off recent conversations, a friend asking me to write on “purity,” and my own devotional reading centered on Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. Here Paul is mainly giving his own wisdom and advice.

1 Corinthians 7:25-40
“Are you married? Do not look for a wife. But if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this…I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord’s affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world- how she can please her husband. I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may love in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord…”

I honestly don’t think that it is our responsibility to seek a husband. It is our responsibility to seek first His kingdom and trust that all things will be added unto us (Matthew 6:33). Marriage is not going to cure us from loneliness, not being satisfied, or our emotional void. Yes, it will deepen and stretch us, and there are incredible benefits, or so I have heard :). Yet in the mean time, there are so many wonderful things the single person can be celebrating and growing into. I have seen too many single people living a life of perpetual mourning and sitting around waiting for their prince charming to come instead of living a full life of adventure.

The Gift of Singleness is also the Gift of Preparedness in disguise. I have been pondering the woman of Proverbs 31 and more and more instead of trying to fantasize about my husband and what he will be like and praying for God to hurry up already and bring him to me because I have been so faithful (there has definitely been a time and place for that my friends), instead of all that, He has graciously turned me toward really beginning to love my future husband by having me pray preparation over myself. As a woman, instead of the outward action of seeking, I have been led to ask the Holy Spirit to do some intense preparation on my own heart and soul so that when the time does come, I will be ready.

Hadassah spent 12 months in preparation before getting her chance to meet the king and then consequently become Queen Esther. What could be worse than having the man of our dreams show up on his black stallion ready to sweep us off our feet but we don’t see him because we are wallowing in self-pity, struggling with bitterness that bleeds a horrible stench over us, or not self-controlled enough to wait for him? Or what if he doesn’t see our beauty because it’s clouded by all the baggage we haven’t taken the time to deal with? Granted nobody is ever going to be ready enough or perfect, but why not take advantage of the gift of singleness set before us to allow the Holy Spirit to make us even more wonderful than we already are so that we can give even more to our future spouse?

Ultimately living with the tension of the now and not yet in the area of relationships, being single and at the same time really desiring to be with a man and knowing, hoping that he is coming soon, doing this well all has to do with the issue of trust. The majority of my personal problems and my problems with God all come down to this issue…Trust. Is my perspective correct? Do I really believe what God says about me and my future and is He trustworthy to make all things comes to pass? If there is an intense desire in my heart to get married one day, can I trust that God will bring it to pass in His perfect timing if it is really His will? And can I be so secure in Him either way that I trust that He knows what is best for me regardless of the outcome? Do I really believe Him when He says He wants to do “immeasurably more than we ask or imagine (exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think)” in Ephesians 3:20? Do I believe Him when He says “There is no want (lack) to those who fear Him. The young lions lack and suffer hunger; But those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing” in Psalms 34:9-10? Or when He says, “Trust in the Lord, and do good; Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass” in Psalms 37:3-5? These are some of the main verses that consistently have gotten me through times of desperation in desiring to be with someone. These truths I continue to hold on to for when that next wave of desperation comes so that I won’t be swept off my feet.

Today, I am convinced that “my God shall supply all of our needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:20). He is in love with us; let us invite the Holy Spirit to continue preparing us for when God’s perfect timing comes to pass. And in the meantime, let us enjoy this one and only chance to live a totally undivided heart towards the Lord!

To see another side of this issue that I wrote several years later, see Action Dating

To read similar articles around this subject see:

Ladies in Waiting: 10 Encouragements for Single Women

On Break Ups

Water to Wine: Experiencing God’s Love in the Canary Islands

Silver to Gold: A Journey of Young Revolutionaries

by Jennifer A. Miskov, Ph.D.

The following are 10 things I have learned in my own journey of singleness that I want to pass on to all of the ladies in waiting. I say “Ladies in Waiting” not because you are sitting around waiting for your prince charming, but because you are waiting on the Lord for all things, including the release of your husband. I hope and pray you are encouraged by some of the things God has revealed to me that have strengthened me in this particular journey of the heart. Not in any particular order…

1. God Will Give Us “All Things”

If the Father did not even spare His one and only Son because of His great and awesome love for us, how will He not also meet our every need and desire and give us all things, including our life partner at the right time (Romans 8:32).

2. Seek Him First and “All These Things” will be Added Unto You

God knows the desires of our hearts (Psalm 37). He will satisfy us just how we need to be met as we continue to seek Him first above all things (Matthew 6:33).

3. He works out “All Things” for our Good

Every broken relationship, risk taken, and broken heart God promises to turn around for the good of those who are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). Allow the Lord to transform the hard times from the past to strengthen and prepare you for your future relationship.

4. He is the Author of our Relationships

It is God who stirs up and awakens love in it’s time (Song of Songs 3:5). He removes the veil and causes worlds to intersect in His perfect timing as we keep our eyes on Him and run after Him with everything. It is the Lord who opens or closes the doors of our hearts (Revelation 3). If the Lord is opening our hearts towards each other, no one can stop this. If it’s not the Lord, there’s not much we can really do to make something happen if He’s not leading us in it.

5. What God Joins Together Let No Man Take Apart

When it is God who does the joining together, there is no need to strive. If both people are actively seeking the Lord and He is leading them to each other, it will be an anointed journey. This does not mean it never gets hard but it means that there will be an abundance of grace for each other because God is the one who is at work doing the uniting. There are also times when God is not clear but as we step out and risk towards following our hearts, He makes it clear in His timing.

6. Don’t Go Anywhere without His Peace and His Presence

The journey into the heart is a wild and dangerous adventure. It is important to “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life (Proverbs 4:23 NLT).” Just as Moses was not willing to enter into his destiny if God’s presence did not go with him, so must we be courageous to enter into the depths and crevices of another’s heart only when God’s presence and peace is with us there (Exodus 33). We must align our lives with Him and be led by His Spirit above all other emotions and feelings.

7. It's Not “Either Or”, it’s “Both and More”

Because of Ephesians 3:20 and God’s promise to bless us exceedingly abundantly above all we could ever ask, hope, dream or imagine, we don’t have to choose between someone we are attracted to but who lacks character  versus someone we are not attracted to but are one in spirit with. I believe God wants us to have “both and more” all in the one He chooses to give us. He wants us to be physically, emotionally, and spiritually attractive to each other. Don’t ever settle for silver when you’re destiny is gold. God doesn’t want us just to be partnered together for a life of ministry but He also wants us to be so in love with each other that our love displays His glory to the world. Don’t marry the person you can live with, marry the person you can’t live without. Marry the person who inspires you to greatness, who stirs you to dive deeper into the heart of God. And be that same inspiration to them.

8. You Can't Say the Wrong Thing to the Right Person

If this is the one God has for you, no awkward conversations can deter that. If you are following the leading of the Holy Spirit and remaining open, there’s not a lot that can stop the momentum of God’s heart coming your way. Be patient and remember that God only has good things for you. Keep your heart yielded to Him. Remain open to receive all He has and is waiting to pour out on you in His timing. The process towards marriage is like Michelangelo discovering the David in the block of stone. As we take risks towards following our hearts, we are discovering something that is already there and destined to become. We are finding a hidden treasure in the other that God has buried long ago.

9. Rejection is Redirection

When you follow your heart, become vulnerable, and risk and the other person does not feel the same way, take the time you need to grieve the loss of what was hoped for and then move on. Rejection is just redirection and it means you are one step closer to discovering the person God has for you. When someone doesn’t choose you back all it means is that God is protecting you from giving your heart to anyone who is not going to be married to you. Clarity and rejection is so much better than fear of rejection because then you can move forward and out of the realm of fantasy into the reality of being prepared for an actual relationship. Celebrate the fact that you were willing to live from your heart and take a risk. You are now one step closer to the real thing with greater wisdom to take with you on the journey.

10. Diamond Rings

When you go to a jewelry store and look at the diamond rings, there will be one that stands out to you above all others. There will be one that is just the right fit for you, your personality, and style. One that you feel you could wear forever. This does not mean all the other diamond rings are ugly or have no value; it simply means they are just not the right fit for you. Just because one person does not feel called to align the rest of their lives with yours, that does not change the fact that you are amazing, beautiful, and unconditionally loved (Ephesians 1). It simply means it was just not the right fit and there is a better fit out there. No matter who reciprocates your love or who does not, you are still amazing. When you are rooted in God’s love, nothing can change your value and worth. Never forget who’s you are and that no matter what happens, you are awesome and beautiful in every way.

God is so for you and already at work behind the scenes to bring you into an even greater measure of abundance as you trust in Him (John 2). You are amazing and so loved because of His great love for you. As you feast on God’s goodness and pursue Him with everything inside of you, may He release alignments from heaven and may this part of your destiny be better than you could ever hope, dream, or imagine.

To read similar articles around this subject see:

God Holds the Key to Our Destiny

The Gift of Singleness (If you struggle to trust God in this area and always have to be dating someone)

Action Dating (If you are ready for marriage and need encouragement to begin risking)

On Break Ups