Dear Friends, Times of stress can make us feel as though we have been thrown overboard, tossed from the safety and comfort of our ships into a tumultuous sea. Traumatic events - whether injuries, losses, wars, or relational fractures - shock our systems like a plunge into cold water, momentarily destabilizing us. All we can do, it seems, is watch as waves and wind batter and shatter the only sources of security we have ever known! We are living in a time of unprecedented trauma, when storms of epic proportions are being unleashed against our world. It’s a time of compounded trauma: each event triggers another. Stress is emerging like bands of a storm, wanting to draw us into the very center of its turmoil. King David expressed so well how this feels. He wrote: “For the waves of death encompassed me, the torrents of destruction assailed me; the cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me.” (2 Samuel 22:5-6) It is important for the Bride of Christ to remember that her security is in Christ alone, not in things she might hold dear. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17) Although it may seem like the Lord Himself has cut your lifeline and detached you from the safety of any “ship” you have relied on in the past, I believe this SEVERING from the old is what’s necessary for a stronger TETHERING to your empowered, new-creation life! Christ in you is the hope of glory! I hear the Spirit saying: “We have this hope as an anchor for our souls.” Dear Friends, In the past few weeks, I’ve had two significant encounters with the Lord which I believe will bring great ENCOURAGEMENT, STRENGTH, and HOPE to those who feel they have been walking in almost unrelenting, demonic darkness. In the Name of Jesus, I prophesy to you that THERE IS HOPE ON THE HORIZON! You are about to see heaven’s angelic “special forces” team pierce through the darkness on rescue and resupply missions all over this nation! Dear Friends, Can you feel it? There has been a significant SHIFT in the Spirit within the past few days, and a fresh outpouring of HOPE is here! I believe the Lord is STRENGTHENING His people and releasing a RESOLUTE spirit; a strong resolve in the wake of much reconstruction. Some of you have been standing in faith for a while, believing for change that has still not manifested. But as I spent time with the Lord this week, I sensed such a momentous shift in the Spirit. I heard Him say: “I WILL BE AN ENEMY TO YOUR ENEMIES AND A FOE TO YOUR FOES!” (Exodus 23:22.) I saw that some who have been flying with the Lord in a certain direction for many months, will suddenly see their plane take a hard right turn. You'll hear your heavenly Pilot announce your new destination. I prophesy to you that destinations that have been hidden or unclear to you will suddenly SHINE and become very visible against the night sky as you prepare to land. The names of your new destinations are written on the rooftops so that you cannot miss them! This past season of purging, pruning, darkness, and uncertainty is changing into a season of LIGHT and will come with CONFIDENT ASSURANCE of your new missions and assignments. Wisdom is entering your heart and knowledge will delight your soul! (Proverbs 2:10) Knowledge of HIM will be translated into the knowledge of your future. Some of you are being RELOCATED in this process of change so that you can fulfill your new orders from the Throne. This is so that God’s GLORY can be released in the exact locations and timings God has determined, according to a preset pattern. While you may have helped “steer” your plane at times, the Spirit has also had you on autopilot and on a precise schedule. You won’t fail, and you can't miss it! I hear the Lord saying: “Pay attention to what I’m showing you right now. Pay attention to the patterns and the order of things. Don’t move unless I tell you to. When you move, move in sync with Me and let Me order your steps!” There will be a PRECISE ORDER to your steps during this next sequence of events and you must be ready to move WITH the Lord. 
IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD AND THE WORD WAS WITH GOD AND THE WORD WAS GOD.In the early hours one morning this week, I heard Holy Spirit whispering the first five verses of John to me over and over again. As I meditated on these verses, the Spirit said: “Begin with the WORD. Stay in the WORD. Keep your gaze on the WORD, so that you abide WITH GOD.” The Word - Jesus - refers to a person, not just the pages of a Bible. Jesus is WITH GOD, and as we keep our gaze on Jesus we abide in Him and remain WITH GOD ourselves. The incarnate WORD OF GOD whom we celebrate this season is also EMMANUEL, GOD WITH US! As we abide in the Word we become demonstrations of the WORD ourselves (“the Word WAS GOD”); and the light that shines in the WORD begins to shine in us. This light is unquenchable by darkness: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:5) The Lord has been highlighting Exodus 23 to me for many weeks. In this chapter, God promises Canaan to the Israelites, saying: “Behold, I send an ANGEL before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared. PAY CAREFUL ATTENTION TO HIM and obey his voice; do not rebel against him… for MY NAME IS IN HIM.” (Exodus 23:21; emphasis mine.) Many scholars believe that the “Angel of the Lord” who appears so frequently in Old Testament scriptures refers to Christ Himself - a God who, although He did not appear in our timeline until much later, is nevertheless not confined to time. The Redeemer of all reveals Himself to the likes of Joshua, Gideon, Moses, and Manoah even before His birth on earth, simply because He can! The Word - Jesus our Emmanuel - is ever-present, from the beginning and even before the foundations of the earth were laid, and the Word is still with us now. This is why the promise of the Lord “I will be an enemy to your enemies and a foe to your foes” is so powerful today. GOD THE AVENGER is fighting for justice, to bring you into YOUR promised land. He is not slack in keeping His promises. Meditate on the MIGHT of God described in Exodus 23:27-31: “I will send My terror before you and will throw into confusion all the people against whom you shall come, and I will make all your enemies turn their backs to you. And I will send hornets before you, which shall drive out the Hivites, the Canaanites, and the Hittites from before you. I will not drive them out in one year, lest the land become desolate and the wild beasts multiply against you. Little by little I will drive them out… until YOU have increased and possess the land. And I will set your border from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness to the Euphrates, for I will give the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you shall drive them out before you.” (ESV) The Holman translation of that last verse clarifies: “I will place the inhabitants of the land under your control, and you will drive them out ahead of you.” I feel so strongly that these are promises for YOU to decree today over your own lives and situations. The work of the enemy in the past few years has been to oppress like the Midianites, and to use widespread fear as a means of controlling God’s people. I hear the Lord saying: “I have given these enemies into YOUR control, and YOU will now overthrow them and break their demonic structures in pieces!” Freedom does not come without a fight, and you must know that the enemy will oppose you as the Spirit brings you into your land. But it is time to TRUST that the Lord will COMPLETELY DESTROY them as you obey His voice and move with Him, unafraid, at this time. During the exodus, darkness fell over all the land of Egypt, but the Word says Israel had LIGHT IN ALL THEIR DWELLINGS!” (Exodus 10:23) Friends, because of the supremacy and preeminence of Christ, who was IN THE BEGINNING and still wants to disclose Himself to you now, you can EXPECT LIGHT to enter you and bring wisdom when things are shrouded or unclear. You can EXPECT God to fight on your behalf when you feel your strength is spent and you have nothing but weariness and tears to offer Him. GOD DELIGHTS in you, He is close to the brokenhearted, and He delights in revealing Himself to you! Let the KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST IN YOU delight your soul! 
WORSHIP is still a powerful key. Continue to cultivate the Presence of the Lord in your homes and your gatherings, saturating yourselves with the sound of HIS VOICE, which thunders against every enemy of your soul and causes even cedars to shake. There is NOTHING that is too hard for God. Everything that you see in the natural realm was made by the WORD: “Without Him NOTHING was made that has been made” (John 1:3). In the same way, WITHOUT HIM WE CAN DO NOTHING. I’m praying for your breakthroughs as you cling fervently to the Lord our Warrior and Deliverer! Believe in His unchanging LOVE for you. Stir up your gifts! Turn up your worship! Stir yourself up to faith and hope again, for God is giving the inhabitants of the land into YOUR hands! Deborah 
WATCH AND PRAY! GOD IS POSITIONING YOU TO RELEASE THE LIGHT OF HIS GLORY AROUND THE WORLD11/16/2021
For God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
~2 Corinthians 4:6 Dear Friends, Early in the morning on November 14, 2021, I was worshiping Jesus, inviting Him to share His heart. He began speaking to me about “The watch of the Lord.” Intercessors often describe the “watch of the Lord” as an all-night prayer meeting; watching and praying for Israel; or perhaps being “watchful” against the enemy. All are essential! Yet at this particular time, I felt a strong desire in Christ’s heart for us to remember to WATCH HIM. A war is a series of battles, not just a “one-and-done.” Satan, the enemy of our souls, is prepared to fight for the long haul. Believers today must be equally equipped in the knowledge of God and His Word to defeat him. Nearly two years ago, the Lord took me into a vision of His armory. He showed me exquisite swords and weapons hanging on the armory walls. Each sword represented a Scripture verse or strategy that could be used in spiritual warfare. Sadly, for the most part, they were not being used. This week, as many of us are taking a firm stand in very difficult times, I feel it is important to re-publish the vision. I want to encourage you to take up your swords for as long as necessary, believing in both the sharpness of each blade and the slickness of each anointing! Biblical warriors were as married to their swords as present-day prayer warriors can be to our cell phones. 2 Samuel 23:10 describes one of David’s mighty men, Eleazer, who “stood his ground and struck the Philistines until his hand grew weary and stuck to his sword.” We’re told that the LORD brought about a great victory because of Eleazer’s perseverance with the sword. Psalm 30:5 says: “Every word of God is tested; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.” Psalm 12:6 expands on this thought, saying: “The words of the Lord are flawless, like silver purified in a crucible; like gold refined seven times.” Jesus adds in Matthew 4:4 that man LIVES by every word that comes out of the mouth of God. Every sword in God’s armory is available to believers today. Faith does not shrink back to destruction when weary! There is a weariness that has overtaken many in the Body of Christ right now, but the Lord is raising up warriors that are as captivated by the Word as David was, and as skilled at using it as Eleazer. As you read this vision, my prayer is that you will cling to the Word like never before and see continued victories. Whether you speak it, sing it, decree it, or pray it, the Word of God will NEVER return void. 
In September of this year, at the close of Rosh Hashanah, I had an encounter with the Lord Jesus in what seemed to be the throne room of heaven. The focus of the encounter was on specific sons and daughters who had felt pressured by the enemy to step away from their God-given callings or divine destinies. For a variety of reasons, these chosen ones had adopted a “wait-and-see” attitude concerning God's current Kingdom plans. I saw that the Lord wanted to reignite faith and boldness in these disillusioned leaders. He is breaking off demonic hindrances of apathy and reluctance, encouraging them to fulfill their destiny in His amazing Kingdom plan! Dear Friends, On 7.27.21 I had a vision of the Lord Jesus, followed by two encounters in the Spirit which the Lord asked me to describe to you exactly. Please know that it is not my desire to call attention to the encounters themselves, but to the messages contained within. I saw the Lord comforting those who were suffering from trauma. We are living in increasingly difficult times, and as trials increase, the manifest Presence of the Lord is also increasing to release grace and peace to His people! I believe the Lord wants to impart hope and healing to those who face trauma and opposition for His Name, and I am praying that these words will impress you as deeply as I was impressed when I heard them. At the end of this post you will find a recorded prayer you can use to receive ministry yourself or share with a friend. (Click here for audio podcast or scroll down for YouTube podcast) Dear Friends, I hear the Lord saying: “It is time for the Body of Christ to raise their voice! Do not be silent! The enemy is attempting to silence you one final time because he knows your breakthrough is near. Do not allow old lies of unworthiness or condemnation to hinder you. You have been clothed with righteousness and are anointed and appointed to speak on behalf of the oppressed in this hour!” For several months, the Lord has been highlighting a pattern to me which is found in three similar sections of Scripture: Acts 28; Luke 4-5; and Matthew 4-5. I believe this thrice-repeated pattern illustrates what is happening right now in the Body of Christ. In fact, many of you may be finding that you are living these scriptures! You are feeling the enemy’s attempts to silence you one last time through heavy attacks of witchcraft or condemnation. The attacks, however, are a precursor to great things! 
Dear Friends, A few nights ago I was awakened by the Holy Spirit, who began walking me through the texts of Joshua 3 & 4, bringing them to life line by line, without my Bible! He wanted to reveal what it feels like to be “in the middle of a miracle.” This portion of the book of Joshua tells the story of Israel crossing the Jordan into the Promised Land. It parallels the miracle of the Red Sea crossing with Moses. I believe these words will be encouraging to those of you who are called to be leaders and prayer warriors for the Lord. “It happened that the father of Publius lay sick in bed with fever and dysentery. And Paul visited him and prayed, and putting his hands on him, healed him. And when this had taken place, the rest of the people on the island (of Malta) who had diseases also came and were cured.” Acts 28:8-9; ESV Dear Friends, I believe the Body of Christ is entering a “sweet spot” in time. Despite all evidence to the contrary, we are beginning a bright new Kingdom era full of miracles and favor! I believe that this will be a season of marked increase in healing and deliverance ministries that honor Christ and help bring in the harvest. 
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? 
During a time of intercession today, I felt so strongly the Lord's heart for women who are warriors in the Kingdom of God! I heard Him say: “I am bringing forth My MILITANT WOMEN! I am pulling out of obscurity women who have been hidden for such a time as this. I'm building an UNUSUAL army of WORSHIPING WARRIORS who have fended off such mighty attacks at home that they are UNAFRAID of what’s on the battlefield! The “messes” have prepared them for the masses; the “housework” for the workings of the Household of Faith. 
“Simon Peter said (to the disciples), ‘I am going fishing.’ They said, ‘And we are coming with you.’ So they went out and got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing.” ~John 21:3
There was a time when the apostle Peter felt more like a defeated soldier than a fearless leader. He wasn’t “catching” much of anything! His Savior had just been arrested. A valiant attempt to defend Jesus with his sword had brought the Master’s rebuke instead of praise.
Even worse, Peter had watched Jesus willingly face death like a lamb led to the slaughter. On the darkest of nights, Peter matched Christ’s three bold identity statements (“I am He”) with three denials of his own (“I am not;” see John 18). Come to the sea of Galilee with me to understand how Peter must have felt at this moment - and what the Lord did to restore him. In 2006, author Rick Joyner wrote that a time was coming when churches would look more like military bases than church gatherings. I believe that time is imminent. With the worldwide pandemic-induced shutdown, the widespread demise of church as we know it, and virtually every one of the seven mountains being shaken, those who now take a stand for Christ must be unusually bold and courageous. In these last days we must be as militant about defending our faith as the enemy is about destroying it. God is calling soldiers in the Church to arise as mighty warriors and deliverers in this time. Not all will accept the call, but those who press in to pursue the Lord now are the ones whom God can call upon later. 
Dear Friends, I hear the Lord saying: “These are as the days of Noah.” Like Reagan before him, President Trump has used the words “drain the swamp” as a catchphrase for how he will combat corrupt and inefficient bureaucracy. Yet in the Spirit, I see that what is happening today could be better described as a flooding. In a vision last week, I saw springs of the deep being opened up and water rising all across the earth. This great surge of water had the effect of flushing out evil in the government and in every sphere. I heard the Lord say: “This exposing (of evil on the earth) is a flushing out of the “swamps” by waters from My deep storehouses; people do not perceive this as glory, but I tell you it is the pure springs of glory pouring forth from beneath that are causing evil to be exposed in this day. "The rains will now also begin to fall in great torrents like you have never seen; think of the outpourings in Toronto and Brownsville, but MULTIPLIED in their force and effect.” The powerful outpouring I saw in the Spirit was not in one place alone, but covered the earth in its scope and dimensions. I heard the Lord say: “You have no idea HOW BIG I AM and how I long for a total immersion of My people in My Presence! Joy will be magnified as those who are rescued find great purpose and peace in this hour.” 
"WILL HE EVEN MOLEST THE QUEEN WHILE SHE IS WITH ME IN THE HOUSE?" ~Esther 7:8 Dear Friends, Those who desire to live a life of prayer in the Presence of the Lord will eventually find that there is someone who seeks to interrupt intimacy and destroy identity. I believe that what I share today will set many people free from a demonic strategy of Satan used to steal peace and stop believers from abiding in their secret places with the Lord. Dear Friends, Those who follow His Inscriptions know that I usually write my messages to you, but this week I felt compelled by the Lord to see you face to face! If you are feeling weary from your battles, please watch and share this short video, which will encourage you to find places of peace and joy in the midst of your trials. I believe there are many of you who need a "word in season" to combat the work of the enemy. Join with me at the end of the broadcast to receive freedom as we pray together. May you be blessed by what I'm hearing from the Lord this week. For Him, Deborah I had a dream from the Lord this week which truly alarmed me. In the dream, I saw that the Church at large, Christ’s Bride, was being systematically seduced by a man who was familiar to her. He was a “believer” and an active participant in countless local and regional ministries. Because this man was working toward the same goals and supposedly serving the same Lord, the Bride willingly gave herself to his service in the deepest sense of the word. The Bride (represented in the dream by a variety of different women) bore his children and nurtured them as best as she could. However, once the children were born, the man returned to each one of the women, exposing himself as a liar, not a lover of God. Though operating within the Church, he was anti-Christ. On January 5, 2020 as I prayed I saw a vision. In the vision, the Lord gave me a key to the armory of God. I took the key and entered into a spacious room with extraordinarily high ceilings. An iridescent peach-gold light permeated the room, which was much taller than it was wide. On all four walls were hung beautiful shining swords in an ordered display. From floor to ceiling, these gleaming swords covered the walls and each bore a label of some sort, identifying what it was for and how it was used. I stood in awe of this collection: so exquisite! Yet designed for use. I wondered how someone of average height like me would ever reach the uppermost swords on the wall. As I was contemplating this question, I noticed, in the opposite corner of the room, an angel of gigantic proportions. The angel was as tall as the ceiling. He was a translucent, winged white presence whose sole function in the armory was to remove swords from the walls as they were needed, giving them to the ones who had requested them. Also, in the center of the room, there was a rectangular glass case, where I saw someone carefully wrapping a brand new sword, recently cataloged, in a beige linen cloth of some kind. This weapon, too, was to be displayed in God’s armory. Then I heard the Lord say: My spiritual father has a favorite saying he’s used for years when things get tough. No matter how difficult the situation, he’ll put a big smile on his face and say, “We win!” 
As I listened to the Lord last night, I felt His heart of compassion and I believe strongly that He asked me to simply pray for you today. Prophetic words are wonderful, teaching and devotionals help us grow, but there is nothing like the powerful ministry of the Holy Spirit in prayer! There is no distance in the Spirit (see Colossians 2:5; 1 Cor 5:3a). God is omnipresent and unlimited in His ability to reach anyone, anytime, anywhere. As I pray in the Spirit for you, and you agree with me, I believe I am effectively standing beside you, IN HIM. Our unity with the Savior means we are never alone! Please join me in agreeing for these very biblical promises and blessings to take place in your life today! Read them out loud over yourself; insert your name if you'd like to make them more personal. They represent God's heart for you! 
Evil roots bear bad fruit. Have you ever said to someone: “Well, that’s just the way I am.” “I’ve tried to overcome ______ (fill in the blank), but I’ve never been successful.” “It’s part of my personality; I’m a _________” (insert label here). “I guess some things never change.” Or has your spouse, parent, or close friend ever said to you: “You always do this….” “I wish you would stop ______.” (Fill in the blank) “Can’t you see that you’re the problem here?” I believe most of us have said or heard at least one of these statements in our lifetimes. I certainly have! Typically, comments like these stem from issues we or others have noticed about ourselves that don’t represent our best selves. You know what I mean: the nagging wife. The controlling husband. The angry child. The fearful friend. Ask any one of us why we do what we do and we’ll say, “It’s because _______ (name a situation or offender) made me do it. I was bullied as a child, so I never became who I wanted to be. My mother was always angry. My husband doesn’t help me around the house unless I nag him. You get the picture! Evil roots bear bad fruit, and while it’s easy for people to spot the bad fruit (and want to throw you out like a rotten tomato for it!), it’s not so easy to deal with the roots. Instead of thinking we are bound to bear bad fruit in some areas, we can take a more comprehensive approach to prayer and work with the Lord to destroy evil roots and establish righteousness. Here’s how. 
For the past few weeks, the Lord has been bringing to my mind a vision as I’ve reflected on prayer. The scene is so unlikely to ever happen in the natural that it is almost humorous! Yet the Lord is impressing on me that this scenario happens daily in the lives of many believers, and spiritually, it can mean the difference between victory and defeat. Today I’d like to share this vision with you because I believe it identifies a particular problem we face in prayer and gives us a strategy for greater victory. This vision could be the one major reason why Christians are defeated on the battlefield, and I don’t want you to be a casualty! As I listened to the Lord this week, I heard God saying that He is cultivating in His people an ability to work through the noise and distractions of battle right now. It is so easy to be distracted by the sights and sounds of spiritual war! The battlefield can be a painful, ugly place, and not an easy road. For those of you who feel like you are in the middle of a battlefield today, I hear the Lord saying, “I am calling My people to take a higher view of their territory, looking up from those wounded and slain who are past help and returning wholeheartedly to their true mission, which is to make Me known. Do not be surprised by the torments of the enemy! Learn to live and thrive in the midst of his noise, for I will create an oasis of peace for you if you look only to Me. “Ten thousand will fall at your right hand” - you will see My miracles here on the battlefield more clearly than in any other place of your life, and praise Me for My goodness! Your praise will then become a gateway to greater victories overall, as others around you join in your song. I will set ambushes against the one who destroys when you repeatedly surrender to Me on your battlefield. Don’t look around you, but look UP to the heavens and see My salvation. My mercy is always at hand. Only believe and you will see My goodness!" Standing with you for your victories! Deborah 
Around the world today, people are dealing with unprecedented levels of stress. Never before have we had such widespread fear, anxiety, and even terror. In response to this, I believe the Lord wants to release not just the grace to deal with stress, but strategies to overcome it. Keep reading for a prophetic word on this subject, and a prayer strategy you can use to eradicate stress from your life altogether! |
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Deborah Perkins 
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May 2022
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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