Stephanie Ike - All Things New (01/19/2026)
Stephanie shared how God unexpectedly changed her prepared message, using Noah’s story from Genesis 8 to illustrate that God is doing a surprising new thing in people’s lives, requiring them to agree with what He has «killed"—old relationships, regrets, unforgiveness—to fully embrace the new. The key scripture focuses on God «remembering» Noah after the flood, not because He forgot, but because Noah’s heart posture of agreement, letting go, and gratitude provoked the manifestation of God’s promises. Ultimately, true change comes not just from actions but from aligning the heart with God’s process, releasing the past, and worshiping in gratitude to step into the new beginning He has prepared.
Introduction: A Surprise from God
I thank God for my spiritual leaders, Toure Roberts and Sarah Jakes Roberts, for allowing Avril to bring the word tonight. There’s something new God is doing in this atmosphere. There’s an expectation in this room that is pulling on something different. Because, transparent moment, I had a very different message planned, and I believe that the manner in which God is moving is the manner in which He’s going to move in your life, because He surprised me.
We were together yesterday and today, working on this message. I’m like, «Daddy, so what does that mean?» He’s like, «Okay, my daughter, this is what that means. Okay, tell the people this.» I’m like, «Sure, I’m ready.» I come into the house of God, and He switches up the word on me in an instant. And I believe that is because God is going to surprise you. I believe there are things that you have been praying for, and God is going to surprise you with the things that you’re just like, «God, I don’t even know how there’s going to be a way made in this situation. I don’t even know how this mountain is going to move.» But God is going to surprise you. Thank You, Jesus.
The Story of Noah: A Reset and a New Beginning
Honestly, go into the Word. Let’s read Genesis chapter 8. I’m going to start with verses 1 to 9. And actually, before we do, we’re looking at the story of a man named Noah. You see, Noah was such an interesting guy because in his time there was so much evil on the earth. Because the end of what we believe are the angels started, you know, having intimate affairs with man, and what that produced were giants on the earth. And not just the giants on the earth—there was evil.
You know, God talked about how the heart of man was continuously evil, and there was a word that He said: that He regretted that He made man on the earth. And so there was a plan to reset. There was a plan to make all things new again. And the person He found favor with to produce that plan was Noah. And so He approaches Noah and tells Noah the plan: that, you know what, I’m going to wipe out this whole earth with a flood. You need to build an ark.
Boy, see what is interesting about this—because this is sprung upon Noah like a surprise. Like, what? And that’s not the kind of surprise you want to hear, right? That we’re going to… but you’re going to build an ark, and everyone you’ve ever known except your family is going to die. You see, when God is doing a new thing, the old thing must pass away. When God is doing a new thing, everything you’ve ever known, everything you’ve been connected to that has been outside of your destiny, must die. If it wasn’t connected to the truth of who you are, if it wasn’t connected to the DNA of your calling, the only people that could remain were Noah’s sons and the sons' wives. And God said everyone else is going to die.
And when you read that, you start thinking, but what about the children? What about the children? In that time, they looked… I mean, it would appear that there would be innocents. They don’t know anything. Why couldn’t Noah make room in the ark for children? And there’s something that PT said that I love so much: is that with the Holy Spirit, He knows what now could look like a baby—He knows what that would look like when it’s all grown up. And so God gives you a word not how it looks right now, but how it would look all grown up.
You see, imagine if you met Hitler when he was a baby. You’re like, «Look at sweet little Hitler. Wow, sweet little Hitler. Just, you know what, I’m going to just take you to get some ice cream, » not knowing that he would kill… Let’s not even talk about Hitler right now. But imagine if you met Hitler as a baby—he would seem harmless. He would seem like, oh, there’s nothing wrong with him. But I cannot even begin to fathom what Noah was processing in his mind. Because while Noah had to build this ark, every time he put a nail in the wood, he’s realizing that I’m saying goodbye to everything I once knew. I’m saying goodbye to my childhood friends. I’m saying goodbye to the man who buys me fish. I’m saying goodbye to the guy who, you know, kills my goats. Everything that he knew outside of his family—every time he built that ark, he was saying goodbye to that. God was in the process of doing a new thing. God was already moving.
God’s Preparation Before the New Thing
But you see, the interesting thing about Noah and the interesting thing about God is that when God is about to do a new thing in your life, it’s new to you, but He’s been preparing that thing to happen. You see, Noah had someone in his life—that was known as Enoch. Enoch is a man we know walked with God. But the interesting thing about Enoch—the Scripture tells us that when Enoch fathered Methuselah, he walked with God. There was something about Methuselah that provoked Enoch’s belief in God, that after he fathered Methuselah, then his walk with God began faithfully for all his life. And Methuselah is the man who is known to have lived the longest, but Methuselah is also the man who died in the year of the flood. And so I wonder if, in the year that Enoch fathered Methuselah, God gave Enoch a word that the year this child would die, I’m going to release a flood that would wipe out the whole earth. There was a preparation for what Noah was going to reset.
Noah had a father named Lamech, and when Noah was born, there was a prophecy over Noah’s life that he would bring… it’s almost like that Noah would restore the land, because the land had been cursed for many years due to the fall of man and what Adam had done—Adam and Eve had done; let’s not put it on Adam alone. And his father gave him a prophetic word and said, I’m paraphrasing it, that this is the child that would bring restoration to the land. There was something about Noah that he did not even know about himself. There was a prophecy about him. And when God is bringing change into your life, He’s prepared things already. The big thing now is: are we prepared to be in agreement over what God is killing?
God Shuts the Door: Heart Posture Matters
And so when we go into this Word, Noah has built the ark. God has sent him and his family—everyone get inside this ark. And it’s interesting because the Scripture talks about that God shut him in—not that Noah… I find it fascinating that God is the one who shut him inside. Then Noah, you’re going to know the time for you to come out. Because you see, family, something interesting is: when changes are happening, there is the action of change. There is the rhythm of change that is produced by your actions. But sometimes you could act out a change, and your life is still not producing the intended purpose. Because change is not just about what you do—it’s about your heart posture. And so Noah is doing everything that is in alignment with what God is saying: that, you know what, build the ark—Noah builds the ark; get into the ark—Noah gets inside the ark. But now God shuts him in, because for God to open the ark, Noah’s heart must be in agreement with what God has killed.
And the question I have for you, family, is that as God is bringing an answer to you—as God has delivered and said that, you know what, you have been crying out to me for this one thing, I am bringing the answer—and the answer may come in the form of things that He will tell you to do differently. And as you do that one thing differently, boom, something happens.
Hezekiah: Obedience in the Answer
You see, interestingly, there was a man named Hezekiah. And Hezekiah was a man who, you know, he had received a prophecy that he was dying. And when he received that prophecy, Hezekiah cried out to God and said, «God, remember what I have done for You. Remember how I have walked with You.» And then the Word of God says that the Lord heard Hezekiah’s prayer and sent a word to Hezekiah that He would add 15 years to his life. There was a word, but there was a method. It said that He would add 15 years to Hezekiah’s life, but then He tells the very prophet—it was like there was some medication or something, right? —and He tells the prophet to instruct Hezekiah to put that medication on his body. But check this: Hezekiah had done everything that he tried to do to survive. The healing was not in the medication—the healing was in his obedience.
And why I’m saying this is because when God has brought an answer to you—when you’re saying, «God, I need You to move this mountain, » and God says, you know what, I am bringing the answer for how that mountain will be moved—but for the change I’m bringing into your life to manifest, you have to be in agreement with me over what I’m killing. Because you cannot embrace the new when your heart is in the old. And my prayer in this moment is that God, what is it—what is it that you are still mourning over? What is it that you’re still carrying as regret? What career, what relationship, what partnership, what endeavor are you still holding on to—that God, I need this—and you’re praying for God to resurrect something that He killed? And you don’t understand how to move forward because you don’t see the way, and nothing in your environment is showing you, okay, how is God going to do something? But when God is saying that I’m going to do a new thing in your life, that means I’m going to create even a new path for you.
Genesis 8: God Remembers Noah
And so I want us to read this Word in the book of Genesis chapter 8. It says, «But God remembered Noah.» You see, the flood was going to be for 40 days—it was going to be raining and, you know, just water everywhere. But the rain stops, and right before this passage, it tells us that the water prevailed on the earth for a hundred and fifty days. And my question is: why? If the flood happened in 40 days—you know, the whole everything that had life on the earth drowns and dies—why a hundred and fifty days? Why is the water on the earth for a hundred and fifty days? But the Scripture says, «But God remembered Noah.» Now, when it says God remembers Noah, it doesn’t mean God has a memory problem—that He gave Noah instructions that He forgot. He’s like, angels, did we leave Noah in the ark? It’s not like He forgot where He sent him or the instruction He gave him.
You see, when it talks about—a lot of times in Scripture—when God remembers something, there is something you do that provokes the manifestation of His word to be made. Because He had put Noah in the ark. He shut Noah in the ark. I wondered what was going on in Noah’s mind: Am I worthy to live when I’m watching everyone around me die? You have to picture this—he’s in an ark, he feels the water, he hears the rain. He’s aware that everyone I’ve grown up with, the person I was looking down the street at—all of them are inside this water. I wonder how Noah felt—whether he had guilt, whether he felt shame, whether he felt unworthy to live. Because God was the one who shut him in. So when God remembers him, it doesn’t even say that Noah cried out to God and God remembered him. I believe that Noah had a heart posture that came to the place and said, «God, I’m in agreement with what You have killed. I’m in agreement with what You have done. I may not understand—I may not understand why the lady I saw down the street that could have been pregnant with this child was also in the waters.»
Trusting When We Don’t Understand
When God is calling you out of something, you may not understand why you have to leave: God, I don’t understand why I have to leave my family—they need me; God, I don’t understand why I have to leave this job—I need it. God changes your career, changes the plans that you made. Because we are in a year of becoming, and sometimes you have attached your identity to things that were never of you. And when God is calling you out, there are things you’re not going to understand. And if you live in the place that says, «God, I don’t…"—if you don’t come to the place that says, «God, I’m going to trust You"—because the truth is, there are things that we may never understand. Because the Word of God says that His ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts.
Personal Story: Leaving Home
I remember when I was leaving my country, and the Lord told me as clear as day, «It’s going to be a while before you come back home.» I was 17 at the time. I was like, that doesn’t make sense—we’ve already made plans. Every year, Christmas, I’m here. And He says, «Gonna be a while, because I’m going to start shaping you into who I’ve called you to be.» And I never told my mother or dad at the time. And I remember when I was at the airport—because I mean, the Holy Spirit now has turned me into a crier, but as a child I never really cried. It took even till now—if my mom sees me crying, she’s shocked. She’s like, «Is everything okay?» I’m like, «Mom, God just touched me here.» No, that’s all. The first time I actually cried—that it’s funny, I filmed myself, and true story, and I told myself, «Stephanie, remember this is what it looks like when you cry, » because I just… it was weird, you know. I don’t know—it’s maybe issues in the past. You know, I’ve got the book «Wholeness"—I’m home now.
But what I’m sharing with you: I was at the airport, and my mother was there, you know, family members were there. And I was… I was like a baby. And my mother did not understand why I was crying, because she’s like, something was wrong, but you know, you’re going to be back in a few months—you know, vacation. And I couldn’t explain to her that you don’t even have the power to orchestrate that, because I heard the word God gave me so clear: not going to be back here for a while. And I was mourning the fact that I was not going to see my friends for a long time. I mean, thank God for Facebook, you know, after some years. But the physical presence of people—I was in the airport, and I was like, «God, how long is it going to be before I come back?» He didn’t tell me. He just said, «You’re not going to be back here for a while.» And a part of me was still hoping that, you know what, that’s not possible—but like, a joke. Christmas will come; it will just skip the whole family’s mind. That’s definitely, you know, what’s the plan—Stephanie should be coming home for Christmas. Next, my mom is like, «Oh yeah, maybe I’ll just come over.» And it happened year after year—nobody was thinking about it. And I was like, «God, this is really You.» And I didn’t understand it. But when He said to me, «I’m going to shape you into who I’ve called you to be, » there are things that God will call you to do, and it will make no sense to those around you.
But if you keep longing for the past—when the past gives you an opportunity, you will go back. And the crazy thing is, when you find yourself in a rhythm that, «God, I feel it feels like I’m doing the things You said I should do—why is nothing in my life changing?"—you have to check your heart posture. Because it doesn’t matter if it changes—if the past knocks on the door, you will go back. And God’s Word says that the blessings of the Lord make it rich and add no sorrow. That means when God is going to release a blessing to you, He’s releasing it to a version of you that can handle it—not a version of you that would betray it. And so when you find yourself, «God, You told me to move here—I moved. Why is nothing happening?» Where is your heart? Where is your heart? Are you here just to flow in the rhythm of, «Okay, God told me to move—I bought a ticket, I came"—but in your heart you’re still questioning about, you know, if I was home, I would have been doing this; if I was home, I would have been doing that? Because everything with God takes time. The Scripture says that God is love, right? The first thing that describes about love is that love is patient. And so when you want to do things God’s way, He does it in His character. And so the process of the birthing will take time. And God will not begin a birthing process—He will not cause you to start having contractions—if you’re going to shut your legs. Right? Nothing, man—but you know, just get a good idea of it. But you feel me. God would not cause you to have contractions to birth something that you will give up for adoption when it gets hard—even though that is the very blessing that you’ve been asking for.
Agreement with God’s Answer
And so the thing is now that God is saying that I have brought an answer to you—but are you in agreement with the way that the answer will be made manifest? Are you in the place where you’re going to say, «Lord, I’m going to let it go—this regret that I’ve been holding on to—because I’m thinking of what if I did that different, what if I did this»? Nothing can hinder the plan of God in your life. The things you’re holding on to—of, oh, if this person comes back—because for some, prefer you know, one thing that He showed me while I was sitting down is that—and I would just say this as He showed it—because there are some who you may even say, you know what, «God, I’m taking a vow of celibacy until my Boaz or my… I don’t know, Esther"—comes to people in the Bible that everybody talks about, right? But if you’re honest, that vow of celibacy only stands because no one has caused the temptation. And so you’re like, «Man, I’m just out here in the streets being celibate.» But you’re celibate by default. And you’re like, «God, I’m over here being celibate—where is my Boaz or my Esther?» But you see, the Scripture says man looks at the outer appearance; God looks at the heart. Are you celibate because that is a choice you made in your heart? Have you said no to something—not by default, not because you don’t see it around—but have you really said no because in your heart you’re like, «God, You can put that thing in front of me, and I will still say no»? This is a process of change—of real change.
God Remembers: A Sign from the Heart
It says, «But God remembered Noah.» And for some reason, I’m just stuck on that word. Because you see, I’m reminded—when after the flood happens, right, and God says that, you know what, I’m going to put my bow in the sky. The bow was the rainbow. And He said that this would be a sign unto me—that when I see it, I would remember my covenant to never again destroy the earth with water. You see, when God remembers a person, there is a sign you have put in front of Him. When God remembers the word He gave you—when God remembers that, you know what, I gave you a word when you came out to Los Angeles; I gave you a word when you went to that job; I gave you a word when you started that project; I gave you a word about your career—but what sign have you put in front of God? What sign have you put in front of God? I believe that Noah’s sign was his heart—that his sign was that, «God, I’m in agreement with what You’re saying.» We’re going to see that in a little bit in the passage. But when God says that there is a sign I’m going to put in the sky to remind me of my covenant—for some, you’ve been feeling frustrated: «God, where is the thing You promised me? Where is the word? Where is the manifestation of the word You promised me?» For some, you look at the words in the Scripture, and you’re like, «God, if this is Your word, why is it not happening in my life?» And the thing is, when God remembers you, there has to be a sign in front of Him. Is your faith a sign to God? What is it? When He has given you a word, did you just talk about the word, or are you acting it out? Is your life a sign to God? Is your heart a sign to God?
Have you made a decision with your mind? There was something that Job said that I love. He said in the Scriptures—he talked about, «God, I have made a covenant with my eyes to not look lustfully on a woman.» He said, «I made an agreement.» Because it might just be my nature, but I’m stepping out of my nature because there’s something I’m looking for in You, God. And if I have to make a covenant to remove my eyes from this to look at my future, then that’s what I would do. If I have to make a covenant so we move my eyes from the past—to remove my eyes from pain—you see, for some, even though you are here right now, but your presence is being lifted by the experience of your pain. There are people that God is putting in your life, but you can’t trust them; you can’t let them in because you’re still living in the experience of your hurts.
Forgiveness and Receiving Blessings
You see, it’s interesting, but you know, I was talking with a friend here that they were talking about forgiveness. And I was telling her something: that everything God has promised you will always come through His character—just like I shared. But this is the crazy thing: because man is flawed, and yet God loves him. God calls him. God equips him. God puts him in positions that other people will be like, «Why would You choose this person?» But in the same way that God would use a flawed man to deliver a nation, God will use a flawed man to be His prophet. God will use a flawed man to be an apostle. It’s the same way that God would use flawed people to bring a blessing to your life. And what that means is, for some of you, you are chasing away the blessing that God has brought to you because they did something that hurt you. But this is the key—this is why God says forgive. Forgiveness does not only allow you to release yourself to be free; it also allows you to receive the blessing. Because someone did something wrong to you does not negate the fact that God called them to your life. And if you walk out of the place of, you know what, «God, this person did this to me—I’m done"—that is not the character of God, though. Because no matter how flawed you are, He’s never done with you. He’s like, «I’m still going to use you.» Listen, while you’re out there acting all crazy, «I see—have let me tell you about my plans for you.» He still has a belief in who you are and what you can do for His kingdom.
In the same way, family, there are people that you might be… because for some people, the thing that you need to kill is unforgiveness—the thing you need to kill—because Jesus killed that already—it’s unforgiveness. Because there are people that God has placed in your life, and you don’t know how to receive them because of a mistake they made. And I’m not talking about people that are arrogant and act like they can run it off—no, they’ve come to you to apologize. They’ve come to you to say, you know what, «I’m sorry I did this.» But you’re holding something against them, and you want God to validate that. When God validates forgiveness—God will never validate unforgiveness. And you’re like, «God, this person did this—so You know what, send somebody else. Bring somebody else to fill this position.» And God is like, «I need you to kill unforgiveness.» What is it that God is calling you to kill—to agree with Him that this is not of me, this is not my way? If you’re going to receive a God thing, it’s God’s way. There is no roundabouts about it. There is no shortcuts about it. If you’re going to receive what God is doing in your life—if you’re going to receive the manifestation of His word in your life—then you have to understand His character.
The Raven and the Dove: Letting Go Completely
And the Scripture says, «But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the livestock that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind blow over the earth,"—kind of like the wind outside. Hey, listen, you know, I had a mind to have a wig on. I said, you know what, I might be walking two steps and just go with the wind. And He said, «And God made the wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided. And the fountains of the deep and the windows of the heavens were closed, and the rain from the heavens was restrained. And the waters receded from the earth continually. At the end of one hundred and fifty days the water had abated. And in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. And the waters continued to abate until the tenth month; in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains were seen.
And at the end of forty days Noah opened a window of the ark that he had made and sent forth a raven. It went to and fro until the waters were dried up from the earth. Then he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground.» Now this I find fascinating because the dove has received an inverse sign. Let’s even read—let’s listen, read verse 9: «But the dove found no place to set her foot, and she returned to him to the ark, for the waters were still on the face of the whole earth.» So my question is: if him sending the dove is going to do the job of the raven, why send the raven? Why would you first send the raven, then the dove, when they’re going to do the same job? And what I understood is this: you see, ravens—they eat meat; they feed on dead flesh. Noah—the ability to even send a raven—revealed Noah’s heart posture. That, God, not only am I in agreement with what You have killed, I am okay with even seeing remnants of the flesh of it.
When Noah sent the raven, if the waters had dried up, the raven would have fed on some dead flesh. And the fact that Noah was okay with the flesh of those he had known being food to the ravens showed that really Noah had reached the place that he had let go. Noah had reached the place where he is like, what is dead should remain dead. Where are you with the things that God has killed? If it resurrects today, are you going to answer the text? If it resurrects today, are you going to take that plane ticket? If it resurrects today, are you going to take that job back? If it resurrects today, what will you say? Because the answer—if you’re honest with yourself—the answer is the difference between coming out of the ark and staying in. You see, if Noah stayed in the ark too long because he had not come to the place of agreement with God, eventually they would run out of food. They had animals in that ark of every kind—lions are not very happy when they’re hungry, either. Noah would have died of starvation, or he would have been the meal for the animals if he stayed in that ark too long—because he was still wrestling with God: «I don’t know, I don’t know.» He would have died in the ark. And would that have been the plan of God? No—because God already made a way for Noah to survive, just as God has made a way for your mountain to be moved. But the question is: are you going to be able to walk the path that He has created? Are you going to be able to find the path that He has made? Where is your heart? Is your heart in today, or is your heart in yesterday?
Noah’s Altar: Gratitude and Covenant
You see, what is interesting is—let’s go to verse 20. It says that Noah built an altar to the Lord. Now, after this, God opens the ark and instructs Noah and his family to come out. And God does not tell Noah anything about building an altar. God does not instruct Noah to give Him any offerings. But this is what the Scripture says: «Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And when the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, the Lord said in His heart, 'I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done. While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night shall not cease.'»
You see what happens here: Noah comes to a place where not only is he in agreement with God, but first of all—even the limited resources they have in the ark—he’s able to give that to God as an offering, as gratitude. And it was until God smelled the sacrifice—when God smelled Noah’s worship—in the place that would have been a place of confusion—when Noah was able to say, «God, I agree with what You’re doing, and I’m going to walk with You, and I’m going to even bring an offering unto You.» You see, when you can give in this manner, it reveals gratitude to God: «God, I may not understand—because all of a sudden now, you know, now we’re the first family of the earth. We have to learn all kinds of new trades. Perhaps Noah was good with building, but was he good with fishing? There were so many things that he and his family had to learn.» But he came before God not in complaints—not in, «God, if You removed this person from my life, now I have to fill that position; if You removed this job from my life, then I have to work twice as hard in this other one"—not with complaints to God, but to say, «God, I trust Your way. I believe in Your word. It may not be easy, but I trust You. And I’m going to worship You in the midst of it. I’m going to praise You in the midst of it. I’m not going to complain. I’m not going to say, 'Oh, now You’re just trying to make my life harder.'»
It was when God smelled the sacrifice that the purpose of Noah—the very prophecy by his father—was made known. It was not when Noah came out of the ark that God gave him a covenant and said, «I will never destroy the earth, » or that now seedtime and harvest would never cease—which was the prophecy concerning Noah’s life: that this is someone who will heal the land. That prophecy was made manifest through Noah’s heart posture—when Noah was able to bring a sacrifice—not even just when he stepped out of the ark. Because you can even come to the place of agreement with God, but then you’re bitter. You can say, «God, I’m never doing this again"—but you are harboring bitterness: that, «God, I’m walking with You, and this is the life I get?» Because it’s possible to walk with God—it’s possible to do the things that God says. Hello, Jonah—it’s possible to say, «God, I’m going to… You know what, You want to send me? Fine, You know, send me"—and be bitter.
And so it was not just when Noah came to agreement with God—it was when Noah could find gratitude in the midst of it. And at that moment, God released a promise over him. At that moment, God released a word over him. And that word was the manifestation of Noah’s birth. What is the word over your life that you’re waiting to be manifested? What is the word that happened even in this house—that God, You’ve moved my mountains? But for you to see the mountain moved, you have to be able to praise Him even when you don’t understand. You have to be able to find gratitude. It’s not for you to come to the place of complaints. It’s not for you to come to the place of, you know, where, «God…» Because I have seen it—I’ve seen where people would walk with God, and from the outside you just think everything is like, whoa—and behind the scenes it’s complaints and bitterness and, «Oh God, I have to do this again.» You’re doing it, but they’re not happy about it. When you can find that joy—when you can find joy in who God is—I’m telling you, family, everything you’ve been waiting to see, it will manifest just like that. Everything—not missing one. Because God will not release His blessing if you’re going to betray it, if you’re going to abort it, if you’re going to give it away, if you’re not going to see its value. He will take you through a process—a process for you to recognize what He’s doing in your life, a process for you to recognize who He is in your life.
Gratitude Creates Atmosphere for Miracles
And when we can stand in that place of being alone but trusting—of being alone but trusting—then you will recognize that whatever it is you need, He will start releasing new skills to you. If you thought you’re in the position that you don’t understand the position—"God, You’re placing me here, and I don’t have what it takes to be here"—and when you can just say, «God, I thank You for placing me here. I thank You that I worship a God who can do all things. You can give me a new skill. You can give me the talent I need. You can give me the wisdom for this position. You can give me… I trust You. I may not understand this job. I may not understand this town. But I have a God to whom the earth belongs. You can touch somebody to fill the position that I think, you know what, I don’t know how this is going to be done—or You can give me the ability to do it.» It is when you start finding gratitude—because you know who God is—when you start finding gratitude that, «God, I may not have anything now, but I serve a God who is a miracle worker, who is a way maker. I may just go to the store, and somebody could bless me.» That mindset—that mindset creates an atmosphere for miracles.
Altar Call: Agreement and Release
That mindset—stand with me, family. I thank You, Lord. He’s making all things new in your life. But we have to be in agreement with the new thing. We have to be in agreement that there is an exchange. Because you don’t get a new phone—well, in this country, when you’re in there with the contracts—if you’re not going to leave at least the old one, you can’t sign the paper. Because nobody’s trying to pay full price. They’re like, you know what, if you turn in the old one, you have a $50 or whatever rebate—I don’t know what they call it. You can do everything it takes to get that new iPhone X or, I don’t know, the next 11—who knows what’s coming out. You can do everything, but if you don’t turn in that old phone, they’re going to be looking at you like, «So we’re open tomorrow from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Would you like to bring it tomorrow?» You have to release the old thing for the new thing.
And so it’s not just in the place of prayer that, «God, turn my life around.» He’s already turned it. Now you have to agree with Him. Now you have to agree that if You turned me from here to here, then I’m not going to face this direction anymore. Thank You, Jesus.
If you’re in this house on something, I want you to just bow your heads with me. And if you’re in the house and you’re like, «Lord, you know, maybe I’ve been praying for You to make a way, and I’ve been like, God, when are You going to do this, when are You going to do that—and I never realized that my heart was not right before You. I was putting everything on You, but negating my own part. I was putting my complaints on You—everything—forgetting that my heart has to be right with what You’re also doing.» If that is you, I want you to raise your hand. Thank You, Jesus. Thank You, Jesus. Thank You, Lord. God sees you. God sees you.
If you’re in this house and you’re like, «God, I’m ready to release every unforgiveness. I’m ready to agree that what You have killed would also be dead. I’m ready to let dead things remain dead.» If you want them to be dead—there are things that God will resurrect, but when He’s the one killing a thing and He’s telling you that this thing cannot live in your life, this thing cannot survive if your purpose has to survive, if who you are has to survive, if the person that I formed has to survive—then this thing cannot live. If you are in this house and you’re like, «God, I’m coming in agreement with what You have killed. I’m coming in agreement with it"—raise your hand. You have lost nothing. You have lost nothing. That is a lie from the enemy that makes you think that you have lost something. You have lost nothing.
Everything you see—one thing I’m learning with God is that if one step connects to the next, there’s never… you’ve never failed, and you’ve never lost, because it connects. And so if even if it looks like you were in the wrong place, but the wrong place leads you to the right place—you never lost anything in the wrong place, because it led you to the right thing. So if the steps connect, there’s no loss—there’s only gain. If I’m able to put one foot in front of the other, I never move backwards. And so even if you’re fighting yourself like, «God, you know what, I shouldn’t have done this. I shouldn’t have done that—look at where you are now.» The «should’ve, would’ve, could’ve» not done led you to here. So let it go. Let the regret go. It connected you to your next. It’s not a loss—it’s gain.
Closing Prayer
Just lift your hands with me. Let us pray. Father God, I thank You. I thank You that You had a word for Your people. I thank You that You see each and every one in this house. I thank You, Lord, as they’re raising their hands to You—Father God, they’re raising their hearts to You. They’re saying, «God, purify my heart. I’m not trying to move in a robotic experience with You—I’m trying to move connected to Your heart. Purify my heart, God. Purify our hearts.» Father God, I thank You, Lord, that You are touching each and every one of them. You’re touching them, Lord Jesus. You’re giving them a new heart—that this word is awakening them, Father God, to the truth of who You are—that it’s okay to let the past be the past if it’s trying to keep you there. I thank You, Lord God, that Your children are moving forward—that they are moving forward into the new, Father—that what You have promised them, they would see it, because You are not a man to lie. So You are always faithful to Your word. But for us to see the manifestation, Lord God, I thank You that as they raised their hands, they’re putting themselves in the position to see what You’ve already done.
I thank You, God, that we would know the God that we serve—a God that would never lie to us, a God who watches over His word for the manifestation of it. So I thank You, Lord, that we would not just look at—we will not get fed into the lie of the enemy that You are not for us, that You don’t see us—but we would know, Father God, that You watch over us. We will know, Lord God, that all of this is a process to get us to the place that we would be equipped to receive Your blessing. We thank You, Lord, because Your word is never in vain—and so Your gifts are never in vain. And so we would know that, Lord, it’s okay if I’m not ready. Someone needs to hear that: «God, that’s okay if I’m not ready. I don’t want You to give me something that I will not know its value.» So if You need to put me through a process to understand who You are to me—and so understand who I am to You—if You need to put me through a process to say, «God, that on the other side of it I will become the person that will value my calling—then I will become the person that will value the very purpose for which I was born"—it’s okay if I’m not ready.
There is no rush here, family. You are running your race—no one is running it with you. There is no time frame for you to feel like you’re in a hurry. God does not need you to be in a hurry—He wants you to get there in the fullness of who He called you to be. And it’s okay if I’m not ready—and it’s okay if I am. However it is, Lord, teach me. Grow me. Equip me. May I be the clay, and may You be the Potter. It’s okay for You to form me. It’s okay for You to mold me. It’s okay for You to shape me. I will be patient and trust You.
So God, have Your way in Your children. I thank You that Your peace that surpasses all understanding is resting on them even now. I thank You that the place of anxiety is being cast away—that the place that they have been troubled in their hearts, Lord God, that we break that right now in the name of Jesus—that Your peace will rest upon them. Thank You, Lord. Thank You, God. In Jesus' name.