Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? And who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood and has not sworn deceitfully. He shall receive a blessing from the LORD And righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is the generation of those who seek Him, Who seek Your face - even Jacob. Selah. ~Psalm 24:3-6 NASBS Psalm 24 is a powerful psalm of David for the year 2024. It teaches us how to ascend above the chaos and collisions to enter into promised encounters with the Lord. Spiritual encounters happen more easily as we consecrate ourselves to lives of purity, rejecting rampant deception. Hebrews 12:22 also confirms that spiritual ascension is not a new-age concept but a biblical, mystical reality. God longs for you to live in the Spirit, experiencing heavenly places with Him! To help you ascend spiritually, the Lord asked me to take a prophetic word from 2021 and expand it into a book. The new 40 page book: CALLED TO ASCEND: A Prophetic Mandate to Soar in the Spirit, is now available on Amazon as a paperback and an e-book. I invite you to purchase a copy of the book to use in your personal quiet time or small group study. Each chapter contains study questions to help you apply the prophetic words to your life. The Lord urged me to send this particular book far and wide; please help me share the message with friends and churches who are seeking deeper encounters with the Lord. You can also leave a book review on Amazon, which helps boost its reach. Click on the image above or the button below to purchase. Thank you! 90-DAY NATIONAL CALL TO PRAYEROn 8/8/24, the day before Lou Engle and Christy Johnston called for 90 days of prayer prior to the elections (below), I was out on a prayer walk. Along the way, I found an abandoned "99 Restaurant" gift card that someone had dropped and abandoned in the streets. The card had exactly $1.49 remaining in its balance. The Lord said to pay attention: the dollar amount was significant and connected to one of my favorite Scriptures: Psalm 149. This is a Psalm of victory for the saints of God! It is a promise of justice and vindication being released as believers in Yeshua lift up high praises to their King. One day later, I received Lou's Briefing containing Christy's dream to pray for the 90 days prior to our national elections. Not coincidentally, Lou highlighted the very same scripture, Psalm 149, as a "key" to praying for our nation and for Israel right now. The timing of this prophetic "gift" dropped into the streets is no accident; it is a time-sensitive CALL TO PRAYER! I believe the Spirit of Might is now working through worshiping intercessors who are using the sword of God's Word to decree the righteous judgments of God in America, their families, and the nations. As I continued to ponder this sign, the Lord brought me to Luke 1:49, which records an amazingly similar song of victory - Mary's magnificat: "My soul exalts the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave; for behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed. For the Mighty One has done great things for me; and holy is His name. And His mercy is upon generation after generation to those who fear Him. He has done mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart. He has brought down rulers (lit. "mighty ones;" from the same Greek root used for "Mighty" above) from their thrones and has exalted those who were humble. He has filled the hungry with good things; and sent away the rich empty-handed. He has given help to Israel His servant, in remembrance of His mercy, as He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and his descendants forever." (Luke 1:46-55; NASB; emphasis mine.) We are living in a remarkable, powerful time where kingdoms collide openly before our eyes and the enemy brazenly broadcasts his hand. Empowered by our prayers, God is pulling down ancient supernatural strongholds and so-called "mighty" rulers that have hindered believers from advancing by infiltrating every level of our government, media, and culture. How we pray right now is essential for restoring covenantal, godly legacy in the land! NEW COVENANT PROMISESWhile the Psalm 149 confirmation was amazing, there was more to the gift card that God wanted to reveal. The card contained another number: "99." In Matthew 18 Jesus speaks about the shepherd who leaves the 99 to go after the lost, straying sheep; a beautiful picture of His merciful love for a straying nation. Jesus has not abandoned America; He is leading us back to a place of joyful revival! The Lord then brought me back to Genesis 17, where Abram was 99 years old. At 99 Abram has a life-changing encounter with El Shaddai, or "God ALMIGHTY." Here God initiates the Covenant of Circumcision with Abram, renaming him Abraham. He promises that Abraham and Sarah will be a "father and mother of many nations" through their promised son, Isaac. God "deeds" the entire land of Canaan to Abraham as an everlasting possession, pledging Himself to Abraham's descendants as their God. As a sign of this new covenant, Abraham is to circumcise every male in his household at 8 days old. This points to yet another confirmation: my "99" gift card was found on 8/8/24, a day of new beginnings! Through simple signs like Christy's dream, Lou's scripture, and a highly symbolic "gift" in the streets, God is urging us to pay attention to our COVENANT realities and promises. His abiding desire is to restore lost peoples and nations to His heart. He is still willing to leave the 99 for the one that will bring rejoicing in heaven, just as Isaac brought laughter to his parents. Our covenant with Israel has never been more important to uphold. As Lou mentions, peace will not come by political means but only through the Spirit. Our prayers and high praises are the spiritual keys that unlock nations as well as hearts and have the power to restore even covenant relationships that have been broken. I urge you to read or listen to Lou and Christy's short Briefing below, then join with me for the next 90 days of prayer and communion which culminate in our national elections! Gratefully, Deborah Dear Friends: In this Jewish month of Tevet, I believe the Lord is challenging His Beloved not just to grow up, but to give up! He is looking for those whose hearts are fully surrendered, or given up, to Him. God's desire for your wholeheartedness is not selfish. In fact, it is your best form of protection. Your choice can be a matter of life and death. As a Christian, the war you fight against a satanic enemy is a war over your heart. All other wars are rooted in this foundational battle over the dominion and territory of the heart. (See James 4:1-4.) God wants you to win this war. Yet in order to win the war, you must humble yourself and surrender to God. To fail to surrender is to become God's enemy. The Lord once said to me: “A surrendered heart is all I need. No matter what you are going through, your surrender to Me is the key to victory. You may not have all the answers; you may not even see the way ahead of you, but a simple surrendering of yourself once again is the yieldedness that will allow Me to move you forward.” 
Dear Friends, As Jeremiah 29:13 says, a wholehearted search for God is the key to finding Him. In the same way, consistent devotion to God's ways is meant to bring greater experiences of His overshadowing glory (2 Corinthians 3:18). Many believers are experiencing greater manifestations of God's glory, which are much needed at this time! Around the world, people are having increased encounters with the supernatural realm. Lately, I've been asking the Lord how believers can position themselves to receive all the fullness of His glory. What helps or hinders someone's interactions in the glory realm? The Lord showed me two things in response. Wholeheartedness helps. But a "heart with holes" is a problem! 
Dear Friends, Two weeks ago the Lord asked me to call a dear friend, a watchman/intercessor I highly respect, to deliver a very simple challenge: "Just Jesus." Those two words, the Lord said, were an invitation for my friend to close the doors temporarily on all external sources of "noise" or information-gathering in order to recalibrate the ears to just one sound: the voice of God. I knew this would not be easy; turning off phones, news, YouTube, and even the Kingdom sounds of other prophetic voices is a daunting task today! Yet I saw the Lord sitting patiently and quietly nearby, waiting - as any good guest might - for His Brides' full attention. 
Dear Friends, In repeated encounters over the past few months I have heard the Lord encouraging us to “open the door” to welcome His harvest. I hear the Lord saying: “Open the door! Go, stand at the door and watch: your harvest is coming in!” 
Dear Friends, Happy New Year! This word for 2022 can be viewed and shared on YouTube as well as on the blog for those who prefer to watch or listen. I believe what the Lord is sharing with me at this time will be a blessing to you as you set your focus on the new year! At the end of this post you’ll also find a link to a companion study sheet which you can download or print for free. On Christmas night, I was awakened by the Lord at 3:16 AM. Throughout that night, I was also given a series of three related dreams, which I will share below. When I awoke from the third dream, I heard this phrase ringing loudly in my ears: “2022 is the year of VISION and PROVISION!” VISION and PROVISION are significant themes for the Body of Christ in 2022. The Lord wants you to know He is releasing KEYS OF DELIVERANCE this year which will UNLOCK your ability to SEE more clearly and RECEIVE more abundantly! Using the “code” of 3:16, Holy Spirit highlighted a number of specific scriptures as He unfolded this word. The verses are included below, woven into the content of the prophetic word itself. In this new era, I hear the Lord issuing an age-old call to His Body to return to our First Love: “I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first.” (Revelation 2:2-4) 
Dear Friends, Joshua thought it would be easy. Fresh off an angelic commissioning, the successful crossing of the Jordan, and a decisive victory at Jericho, he was ready to take on the next city: Ai. This commander had all his ducks in a row. Joshua had patiently served God under Moses for years. He knew the Presence of God intimately himself, and woke up early each morning to seek God. He was courageous and even received manifest angelic assistance. Joshua was a good leader and a tenderhearted warrior who received detailed military strategies from the Lord. Everyone in Israel wanted to fight with him! Yet despite an abundance of prophetic words straight from the Lord promising him success, Joshua and his army failed. What went wrong? In a vision early this morning I saw the Lord overturning tables in the temple. (Matthew 21:12-13.) The tables in the vision, He said, represented "trading tables;" places in people's hearts where the enemy had caused them to "trade" God's ways and God's goodness for demonic agendas. I felt the Lord's zealous desire to overturn those places where the enemy has taken over and "set up shop" in peoples' hearts. He longs to restore purity, peace, and prayer to His Bride! 
Dear Friends, As I prayed about this coming year, 2021, I heard a proclamation in the Spirit: “We have liftoff!” The moment I heard these words, I looked at my clock, and the time was 3:21 AM. I understood that the Body of Christ was now in a ‘3-2-1- launch” time! I heard in the Spirit that a significant theme for 2021 was “delineation.” We will begin to see and differentiate between those who truly know God, walking by faith, and those who know or trust only themselves. To delineate means to define or describe precisely. We can expect God to bring fresh clarity this year where things have previously been obscured. 
Dear Friends, Exactly eight months to the day since the glory of God entered my home (see this post for the beginning of the story), I was preparing to take communion with the Lord in the early morning hours before dawn. To my surprise, I heard the Lord say: “I want to lead our time of communion today.” As we shared the elements together He spoke these words: “My body, broken for you, is a symbol of My love. It is the international symbol of love for mankind. It is the standard for love upon which all other models of love are (or should be) based. To fall short of the standard of the cross - of a sacrificial life - is to fall short of true love. “Most people do not define love as “brokenness.” Yet a broken heart is one I can both fix and fill to capacity, for in its brokenness, all of self is poured out and there is room for My anointing of love to come in. “Many people will never know true love because they will not allow themselves to be broken and poured out for another. Yet I tell you, every time you yield to My anointing for brokenness, your capacity to love will expand.” Dear Friends, A few weeks ago, the Lord asked me to set aside some time for Him, as I do several times a year, for a prayer retreat. Several days became a week, then two, of deeper encounters with Him, and I am now in the third week of intensely seeking His heart. I have never felt more of an urgency in the Spirit, especially for our nation and the world, and I know many of you are feeling the same desire to draw close to the Lord in repentance and prayer. I believe our prayers can change even the worst outcomes predicted by man! During the course of these weeks with the Lord, I was awakened one morning at 2 am. I often go downstairs in the early hours of the morning to worship, read, or pray, but on this morning I was led to go and share communion with Him with no Bible or notebook, just heart to heart. I feel strongly impressed to share with you what happened during this time because I believe it is an urgent call for all of us as His Body. Dear Friends, For the past two nights, I have encountered the glory of the Lord in a powerful but unusual way: through the book of Ruth. Most of us know the story of Ruth and Naomi as a beautiful Old Testament "gospel" of redemption through Boaz, the kinsman-redeemer. It is impossible not to notice the love story foreshadowed between our heavenly Bridegroom and His Bride! Yet this week, the Lord has been speaking to me about deeper truths contained within the lives of these two women; insights that have direct application to us as redeemed people called to reflect the glory of the Lord in a dark time. The book of Ruth is an allegory: a Jewish parable containing hidden keys for a life of faith. I invite you to walk with me for a moment through its pages, allowing the Lord to inscribe on your hearts the very personal and prophetic messages He has for you today! 
What does it mean to be a “burning one?” To be passionate for Jesus, bearing fruit in every good work? There was a tremendous response to this topic in a previous post. I promised you I would share more about what it means to be a “burning one,” and I believe today’s practical prophetic word will be a blessing to you as you seek to burn brightly for the Lord! 
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified. I am writing to you this week from about 35,000 feet - roughly 7 miles up - in the air. Two of my children and I are returning from a visit to North Carolina with my sister and her family. My younger boys have never flown before, and one of the most wonderful parts of our journey is showing them what it is like to soar above the clouds, in a place where bright daylight is radiant no matter what the weather below. We took off in a fog; we now soar in a luminescent sky with pillow-like clouds that beg us to somehow step out and walk upon them! The contrast is amazing. My boys have loved every minute of their flights to and fro, with the change in perspective they bring. To be "above and not beneath" (Deuteronomy 28:13) is a blessing indeed, and it started with a simple choice to shift our focus. 
Living a godly life is actually quite simple: In every situation where you honor God, He honors you in return. One choice made for God, in the midst of many other potential choices, can mean the difference between a victory or a defeat in your personal battles! So many of us long for more of God. More love, more intimacy, more security. I do, and I have talked to some of you who desire the same thing. The Holy Spirit is drawing us into a deeper relationship with a Father who SO loves His children! At the same time, the enemy is launching wide-scale attacks to challenge that love. He’s presenting more options than ever to keep us from entering the secret place of God’s Presence, where we are renewed. As I contemplated this, I heard the Lord emphasize one single truth: the power to fully comprehend God’s love begins with a life of consecration! Far from a religious ritual, and beyond the obvious biblical requirement for priesthood, the Lord’s heart is to communicate how simple and how powerful our consecration to Him really is in our quest for more of Him. Take a moment to listen to His heart; to understand how HE sees consecration and the blessing it can be for you. 
Most Christian leaders I know, including myself, have a desire to see the Kingdom of God expand. Some want to grow their churches, some want to send missionaries to the field, some evangelize the lost and heal the wounded, and some pray for revival. Each of us has a part to play, and every one of us will have a different vision. At the moment, I am called to write, while you might be called to share Jesus in your workplace. God invites ALL of us to help build His Kingdom, yet we ALL need to invite God into our processes first to see His Kingdom expand! If you’re longing to bear more fruit for the Kingdom of God, these words the Lord shared with me recently will encourage you. 
Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His Counselor? - Romans 11:33 I am sitting by the sea today, as so many times our Savior must have done. It is chilly and windy during this off-season; more suited to snowboarders than sunbathers. Yet the sea still glistens, its waves crashing to the shore as they have done for countless seasons before. How vast an expanse is the ocean, mighty enough to unleash powerful destruction, yet faithfully contained within its God-ordained boundaries. The sounds of water, the song of birds, the beauty of creation - all of the sea's peaceful rhythms soothe and comfort me. As I watch, I remember that the very first city Jesus ministered to after His trial in the wilderness and rejection at home was Capernaum by the Sea of Galilee, a city whose name means “Village of Comfort.” Here among the fishermen is where Christ would find His first disciples. Here Jesus would walk on water, calm the storm, and feed the multitudes. Here, I am reminded again that faithfulness leads to revival. 
In the next few posts, I will be focusing on three spiritual roadblocks that can hinder your revival. These three are not the only barriers to revival, but they are things I felt the Lord wanted to us to focus on here at His Inscriptions. The first barrier? Unforgiveness. 
How familiar and comforting are these words from the prophet Isaiah! I have been quoting this verse all week, praying it over myself as I battled sickness that overtook my son and me. Weary and decidedly un-energetic, I knew I needed God’s strength! Then a dear friend called me and said he had been quoting that same verse this week, as he was in severe pain and could not walk. It is a wonderful promise to those who love the Lord. The Bible promises renewal, not just in our minds, but in our physical bodies! When I woke up this morning, however, it was as though the Holy Spirit were urging me to dig a little deeper. “Those words in Isaiah are not reactionary,” he said, “but preemptive.” Isaiah does not envision only a battle-weary tribe of godly people, clawing their way desperately back into God’s renewing presence! (Although historically, that is what happened.) No, in fact, Isaiah’s words also envision a victorious people, whose “waiting upon the Lord” connects them daily to a God who is “Everlasting;” who never grows faint or weary Himself (verse 28). In other words, we are not just the weary who hope to run again; we are runners with the potential to not grow weary in the first place! Why? Because we pray. Strength In the WaitingWe may begin in weakness, but our time with God enables us to persevere. Our waiting on God precedes our running and precludes our weariness. All our strength is predicated on waiting! Waiting on God may seem like a slow start to your day when you see those java-loaded, caffeine-energized sprinters heading out the gate, leaving you in the dust of their wake! But the quiet peace and renewed energy you gain from those first moments alone with God will cause you to keep running when the golden hours come, overtaking those who have long since dropped in exhaustion by the wayside. Not only that - but if you do fall - when you are wearied beyond belief and think God has forgotten you, Isaiah reminds: “His understanding is unsearchable.” (40:28) Compassion, not condemnation, is extended to you like a firm and sturdy hand, lifting you back to your feet. No matter how you look at these verses - whether preemptive or redemptive - they carry tremendous hope. Either God will sustain us as we run because we waited on Him and received our sustaining strategy; or He will come to us and assist us when we fall. There is no situation in which you could find yourself where God cannot renew or restore you. For this reason, Isaiah says, “Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel: “My way is hidden from the Lord, and my just claim is passed over by my God? Do you not know? (Hebrew yada, to know intimately) Have you not heard? He is your EVERLASTING God!” In case you missed the irony of this verse, Jacob and Israel are the same person! (Genesis 32:27-28). Jacob represents our fallen nature, the soul that cries out in desperation to God. Israel, however, is the victor who emerges after that struggle, the one who learns to run his race successfully in the strength of the Lord. No matter how you feel today, or whom you most identify with, God is still your God! Wait a Minute!God has said that this is the year of “recompense.” (Isaiah 35:4) Do you believe He is renewing and restoring all things to you, both physically and emotionally? Do you rely on Him to help you walk - even run - through situations that made you stumble before? Are you believing Him for the prophetic strategies and insights that come from having divine perspective - the eyes of an eagle soaring above? Most importantly, is your life and are all your movements founded on the directions you receive as you wait upon the Lord? For Isaiah, prayer precedes our daily walks and runs for a reason. Waiting on the Lord is preemptive. It protects us from the burnout and weariness that others experience in their eagerness to run ahead. Prayer is also redemptive when we run ahead of Him ourselves. We could ask for no greater God than this, whose compassion never fails and whose strength towards us is undying! Teach us, Lord, to wait! 
"Sharing or exchanging intimate thoughts and feelings, especially on a mental or spiritual level." The above dictionary definition could easily describe the life of prayer. After all, prayer is the place where we develop "Life-Giving Communication with God" (our His Inscriptions mission), sharing our thoughts and listening to God's heart. Actually, the definition above is not for prayer, but for communion! Far from just a sacred sacrament, communion is one of the most powerful ways to connect with God in prayer. I often take communion as part of my personal prayer time. It is a way of remembering the Lord's sacrificial death and renewing my commitment to the New Covenant. As I meditated on His death once again this week, the Holy Spirit highlighted these words: "The Lord Jesus, on the same night He was betrayed, took bread..." 
For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.
As a maturing believer, I have a burning desire to see and hear God more accurately. I often ask to know more of God. Sometimes I hear from you readers asking similar questions: How do I know what God wants me to do? How can I be sure I will see Him leading me, or hear Him guiding me? I want to know Him, but I have trouble seeing Him!
God’s solution to these everyday questions is a secret that Jesus revealed in the Sermon on the Mount. |
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Deborah Perkins 
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September 2024
AuthorA severe hearing loss from childhood caused Deborah Perkins to develop what she now calls her secret weapon: tuning in to God's voice. A Wellesley College graduate and an award-winning writer, Deborah is now a wife and mother of 3 boys. Deborah has devoted over 25 years to professional and lay Christian ministry in New England and beyond. Her passion is inspiring people to cultivate greater intimacy with God. 
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