THE SEASON OF THE WRESTLE AND GLORY

God is Wrestling With Us into a New Name

Just as the Lord wrestled with Jacob to bring him a new name and a new identity (see Genesis 32:22-31), so He is wrestling with the nations of the British Isles in their time of change. Though the country is going through challenging processes, God’s promise is this: It will not be a wrestle without glory, nor will there be glory without first a wrestle.

God said that He would deliver the nation of its pride through the Brexit process and we should therefore be on guard that we do not partner with fear, anxiety or alarm during a decade of economic re-stabilising. Having gone through this deliverance, we must adopt a national humility and walk forwards without any ungodly pride. These islands carry injuries from the process that are like Jacob’s limp after the Lord wrestled with him. However, the Lord says, ‘British Isles, if you remain humble and faithful, your limp will be your strength and not your weakness.’ (see 2 Corinthians 12:9)

God renamed Jacob at Peniel and is renaming the British Isles now. The Lord says, ‘I have let a nameless moment emerge, where your leaders and your people no longer know your true name. This is so that I can then release to you a new name: You will be called faithful – ‘Faithful Britain’. As you step forward with courage into new covenants and the restoration of my original intention for you, you do so into your call to be a land of faithfulness once more’.

In faithfulness the nation will find favour in His eyes.

• There will be a renewing of the historic qualities of leadership, innovation and pioneering.
• Faithfulness will rise in the hearts of a new breed of determined leaders.^aFor Prayer: Pray that faithfulness will once again partner with pioneering, innovation and leadership and that there will be leaders who are faithful with their words, businesspeople faithful with resources, church leaders faithful with vision and their people, reporters, journalists and media personalities who are faithful with telling true and honest stories. People who walk in covenant faithfulness. Pastoral Thoughts: What does it look like to be a people of faithfulness and for the nation to be faithful?
• Where the nation in the past dominated, controlled and subjugated, a softening of the heart and attitudes of humility, honour and love will see its true apostolic influence among the nations restored.

As it does, Leviathan is being dealt with in the surrounding seas.

• In the natural, prophets have been experiencing cravings to eat oily fish (like a pregnant food cravings); fish and oil symbolise the harvest of souls and the manifest presence of God.
• There is a birthing move of God that the Lord has been overseeing on these islands and it is being brought to the point of delivery (see section below, Awakening & Harvest).
• The waters will teem with life as a sign of God’s blessing.^bLook out for: Expect to read reports of unusual fish hauls and fruitfulness in the seas.

Storms, Speed and Suddenlies

In this most strategic of years (that will become known as a ‘hinge’ or ‘pivot’ year), we need to be sober, focused and alert. The booming voice of God will be heard; He will come close and scorching, devouring purity will be established. Storms of change will be the norm.

Our God comes and will not be silent; a fire devours before him and around him a tempest rages. It is very tempestuous around him. Psalm 50:3

• Be prepared and ready for a major change of pace in 2020 – urgency. ^cWe are in Hebrew year 5780. 80th element of periodic table: Mercury – Quick Silver. Silver symbolises redemption, hence suddenlies of spiritual transformation.
• We are in a time of great momentum, speed and ‘suddenlies’. A ‘tipping point’ for the new epoch or era.^dPastoral Thoughts: When we hear prophecies of ‘change’ or ‘suddenly’ or ‘new’ we can sometimes become discouraged when it appears like nothing is happening around us. But do not be dismayed – just as scales are stationary the moment before they tip, one tiny shift in weight causes everything to change. Further Reading: Scriptures to encourage: Exodus 3:17, Micah 2:13, Amos 9:13-14, Titus 1:2
• We have heard that ‘New Means New’ and now we will see that ‘New is the New Normal’.
• This season in the earth will be known as a ‘New Era’ – some will call it a ‘Glory’ era, whilst others refer to it as a ‘Power’ era!
• Prepare, construct, organise and position to receive the harvest and to align with sudden moves of the Spirit.

Things to look for:

• Because there is a speed to this season, don’t expect to see things as polished as they might have been before. There will not be time to shape, correct or ‘fix’ things because of the abundance and increase in this ‘double portion’ season. Things will happens so fast we cannot be human-perfectionists. Go with God’s flow!
• ‘Do you not perceive it?’(see Isaiah 43:18-25) Old practices, structures and ways of thinking may have to be dismantled where they are no longer fit for the ‘new thing’.^ePastoral Thoughts: Have we become entrenched in the way we do things? Do we embrace new things and fresh revelation from scriptures and prophecy etc. but then swallow them up into old paradigms and structures that stifle the growth and fulfilment of a ‘fresh move of God’? How are we preparing ourselves for ‘the new’ and for ‘new is the new normal’. Prayer: What do we need to leave behind? Get off the box you are in and then destroy the box so that you can’t get back in! Don’t look back like Lot’s wife did.

2. THREE ANGELS –
AWAKENING, HARVEST & DELIVERANCE

‘The Angel of Awakening’, the ‘Angel of Harvest’ and the ‘Angel of Deliverance’ have been sent into the earth for this season and hour.

Awakening & Harvest – Spiritual Flashpoints

There will be turning point moments or, ‘spiritual flashpoints’, in the nation in the coming year. Be prepared for:

• Encountering the God who answers by fire (1 Kings 18 moments)
• Showdowns with the enemy akin to Elijah vs. the prophets of Baal.

These spiritual flashpoints will, as their main effects:

• Ignite a new awe for God.
• Produce a vast and ‘sudden’ harvest of souls – multitudes in a moment
• A great harvest is coming to Europe, with an unprecedented number of souls saved and consistent signs, wonders and miracles. Europe will laugh at the size of this harvest!
• The release of the ‘Angel of Awakening’ (see above) is a sign of this awakening harvest beginning.^fPastoral Thoughts: Many commentators now describe the British Isles as being no longer “Christian” or even “post-Christian” but instead as “pre-Christian”. We therefore no longer look for signs of ‘Revival’ (because there is nothing to be re-vived) but instead of a new ‘Awakening’. How do we respond to this pastorally and evangelistically?
• Citywide transformation is coming to these Isles from the North to the South^gFor Prayer: Particular cities mentioned were Reading, Glasgow, Norwich, Portsmouth, Swindon, Bristol and Southampton – but this list is by no means exclusive. Pray for your city/town/village that it might see harvest and transformation. Pray for Heaven’s strategy in identifying the territorial spirits oppressing your region – are you being called to partner with leaders and groups in strategic spiritual warfare? with significant shifts forward in dealing with territorial spirits over cities.
• What will be birthed is a move of God that will redeem what had been sown by the Empire spirit; it will be marked by a humility-driven missional move.
• The British Isles will once again emerge as a fore-running, sending nation
• Communities will move from occasional ‘days of prayer’ to ‘daily prayer and worship’.

Flashpoints of Outpouring in the Nations

Although it seems like there is an increase of wickedness on the earth, look and see that there is a great increase in the outpouring of revelation on nations:

• The Middle East is stirring again ^hAlso in the Middle East: a new breed of female leaders is arising, especially in this region, who are not afraid to outshine others who would have oppressed them before
• There are atmospheric shifts in Iran, North Korea, Saudia Arabia and South Africa
• These atmospheric shifts will create point-of-no-return flashpoints that will ignite outpourings such as have not yet been seen in these places
• The landmark flashpoints of the year 2020 will ignite and set in motion a trajectory of trailblazing cultural and spiritual transformation that will mark out the rest of the decade.

The Angel of Deliverance

An ‘Angel of Deliverance’ has been sent forth by the Lord in this hour.

• Undiluted truth that is spoken/decreed by God’s people will ignite a new freedom and authority for deliverance.
• The result of new, bold and uncompromising truth teaching will be a wave of deliverance, especially concerning issues that would normally considered pastorally stubborn or intimidating.
• The church will be known for love and mercy but also as a force to be reckoned with as He restores her bite, roar and backbone to stand against injustice, poverty, impurity and ungodly policies.
• We have been given a weapon (a sword) of love – love of the land and love of the people – in order to:
  • Cut off the heads of unbelief, the demonic, religious spirits, offence and to deal with the giants in the landⁱDeut. 7:1, Gen. 15:8. Spiritual Warfare: Deal with the ‘Girgashites’ (a ‘stranger’/unrootedness spirit that has brought disconnection in the church and communities, and especially between apostles and prophets.
  • Pierce hearts (Acts 2:37) to bring salvations
  • Harvest the fruit for the renewal and redemption of the land and nation

3. TO THE CHURCH:

A Bold New Voice For The Church

Prophets described seeing a ‘flashpoint’, ‘lightning-bolt’ or moment of ‘ignition’ for the church. One saw ‘revelatory surges of blue fire [fire burning at its brightest] coming straight from the Throne of God which released truth, hope, vision, purpose and the authority of the Holy Spirit in unprecedented measure’.
The days of silence, intimidation and even a spirit of death over the church in the British Isles are over!

• Prophets! Stand up again and come forth out of hiddenness! The days where you have been hidden and not heard are over.^jFor Prayer & Decree: Every restriction over the voice of the prophets is broken now in the might name of Jesus! Every spirit of lying, intimidation and shame is broken and banished by the Blood of Jesus!
• You are being lifted up by Christ to where your modus operandi is no longer from the ‘ground up’ but is instead from ‘heaven down’.

Prophets And Prophetic People Arising

• The Lord is enlarging the tent of the prophetic across the Isles. Companies of prophets will gather across the country and will reach out into Europe, working together to bring down strongholds over nations.^kFor Prayer: Pray for the ‘Samuels’ who are arising – prophets who walk in friendship and a level of trust in God, so that none of their words will fall to the ground (1 Sam. 3:19)
• There will be a great connection between the different schools and companies of prophets, forming a strategic network of communication, love and appreciation, as well as a united front in battle.

Undiluted Clarity And Truth

“If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. You shall know the truth and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32) And Jesus says to His church in the British Isles, ‘You must regain your confidence in my teachings’.

• Where the fear of man has struck the church dumb, she will repent and once again rise to be a voice to the nation and to the cultural mountains in the land.
• The church and its prophets will be a revelatory offensive force that will communicate the good news of the Kingdom and shatter the mindsets of doubt and impossibility that have shrouded the nation.
• Prophets, you will begin to speak with a thundering power, with the majesty of the Kingdom – no more with apologetic tones – and you will be those who God uses to strike both the UK and Europe with hope vision and purpose.
• Prophets will work with the other ‘fivefold’ ministries to bring revelation, wisdom and strategy that will address the controversial topics of our day with an undiluted clarity and truth – subjects such as sexuality and identity issues.
• A generation of purity is rising but they will first need to hear an aligning, Godly truth taught on sexuality and identity issues.
• ‘Flashpoints of truth’ will occur when the church speaks with a bold confidence into the issues of the day and comes up against the deception which is pervasive in society and which increasingly has been challenging, mocking and provoking the authority of God’s people.

2020 –  A Year Of Drawing Lines

The Lord is drawing lines in the sand and asking His church, ‘which side of the line will you stand on these things?’

• This year the centrality of the Lordship of Jesus Christ – His Supremacy – will become the central issue the church faces.
• All cultural challenges the church faces are secondary to, ‘Who do you say I am?’ (Matt. 16:15)
• This will become all important as draconian and illiberal legislation is introduced at the behest of minority pressure groups and identity-politics lobbyists to silence the church, ban truth and even censor the Bible.^lFor Prayer: The Holy Spirit is exposing these schemes of the enemy and bringing them into the light so that the Church can respond with prayerful and prepared solutions, without fear of alarm, and with trust and hope in the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

New Level Of Apostolic & Prophetic

The church must begin to function at a higher level of the apostolic and the prophetic so that it will be fully equipped. The apostolic and the prophetic are to be put back into working relationships, like broken links in a chain coming together. As they come together it will release a togetherness across the body of Christ and the ability to partner and of partnership that has so alluded the church will be healed.^mFor Prayer: pray what Jesus prays in John 17:20-25: “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”
When apostles and prophets function together we will:

• See a higher level of anointing in both offices than before, moving out of the ‘shallow waters’ of both these functions.
• Hear and see – but also understand – strategy.
• Not just understand job titles of apostolic/prophetic and their role but also the active function of these offices will also land on us.
• See a properly functioning, Biblically healthy apostolic and prophetic and
• The emergence of true prophets and true apostles, with a new grace on them; a new weight of anointing is landing on them even now.
• Have leaders in the church who function as foundations.
• Experience a marrying together of prophetic and apostolic anointings – and a fullness will come.
• See ministry gifts function together without suspicion, mistrust, competition or leadership ‘one-upmanship’.

Look for the establishing of:

• A new generation of leaders who understand that people are God’s treasures and are not the possession of men.
• Fathers and Mothers who are being called into place and who will send and let people go further than they ever did or were allowed to go. They will not be threatened, or jealous, but will release others with ease.
• Fathers and Mothers who will receive and not refuse gifted people; they will accept the new things that God is doing in His church.

The Bride must repent, be cleansed and once again rise to be a voice to the nation and to the cultural mountains in the land.ⁿFor Prayer: Church repentance in the areas such as – drinking from polluted waters (deception/political and religious spirits) instead of heaven’s sources; operating in manipulation and control; becoming ‘wise’ in her own eyes; being silenced by the fear of man; thinking that ‘our way is the whole way’

Prayer/Fasting & A Youth Movement

God says, ‘At the beginning of 2019 I birthed a Daniel 10 prayer and fasting movement in the nation. Whilst only a few grabbed hold of it, in 2020 onwards it will become “mainstream”’.
Teaching on what it means to fast, pray and see breakthrough will become common.

• It will emerge from surprising groups of people; particularly teenagers who will hear the call and drop to their knees.
• Opposition to the Kingdom will fan the flames of awakening amongst teens and young adults; even suspensions and expulsions from schools for preaching the gospel and standing for truth and purity. But they will not be silenced and their boldness will shock older generations and the established order awake.
• Even as a spirit of rebellion spoke through young activists to rally a generation to a cause in 2019, so also the Spirit of God – the Spirit of Truth – will speak through many others who will raise a clarion call to purity and will eschew the constraints of a false freedom message.^oFor Prayer: pray for teens and young adults as they reject cheap imitations and ‘candy-floss’ Christianity. They will reject the false gospel of personal comfort and will instead embark on an exhilarating life of adventure and radical risk taking!

Worship Reformation In The Church

A renewed fear of the Lord and reverence for His presence will dominate the hearts and minds of those who hear His voice. In turn this will lead to:

• A reformation in the church that will bring her back to foundational values in worship
• A greater depth of intimacy and encounter with Him.
• Stronger manifestations of glory in worship and the emergence of a new sound – each house will carry a unique sound that matches its mandate
• Small groups of hungry people will gather in informal settings for worship (‘houses of worship everywhere’ – watch them spring up across the nation). Their worship releases a fragrance into the atmosphere and they will experience a greater sense of the tangible, manifest presence of God.^pIntercessors: in parallel with the release of houses of worship everywhere, a fresh fire is falling that will fuel Holy Spirit led intercession, with all ages (including young) and backgrounds drawn together to call into being the God-plans and visions for their communities.
• As they worship, hungry people will shift from being ‘consumers of worship’ to being ‘consumed’ by worship – and the fire of God will fall on them.

I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Psalm 27:13

This is a time for seeing, saying, singing and savouring as God releases a grace to see His goodness, His glory, in ways that many have not yet experienced.

• This will be in the secret place and in everyday life
• Miracles will be the new normal and angelic visitations frequent, as God demonstrates His glory in and through us, to the world.
• Savouring – lingering, waiting, resting and enjoying Jesus – and a basis for inviting people into relationship with Him
• God is ‘taking back worship’ – all ‘performances’ are cancelled!
• The lines between sung worship and spoken word will be blurred in church
• New creative expressions will emerge from this into secular music: combined spoken word/singing (including gospel declarations and scripture quotes) will trend and reach those who have never hear about Jesus.

4. TO SOCIETY & CULTURE

See Well & Speak Well – ‘Benedict’

As many have said, there is an opportunity to partner with increased vision in 2020. You will not want to go back to old levels of vision!

• With increased clarity, depth and detail of spiritual vision, our words may hit home in a deeper way. Be careful not to react badly or take offence if these words are not received well.

We are in a season of unlocked voice and should seek to BENE-DICT (Latin: bene – well; dict – to speak) in the following ways:

• Speak more, speak well and speak blessings and words of life
• The land and the dry bones are ready to hear the word of the Lord in your mouth that will unlock, redeem and revive the mountains of influence (see Jeremiah 22:29, Ezekiel 37:4)
• The land and the very molecules of our body will resonate with the symphony of love that is released from Heaven over us.^qZephaniah 3:17 Pastoral Thoughts: Physicists have shown that the words coming from our mouths can change the physical environment around us. Similarly, Heaven’s ‘symphony of love’ that comes forth from our lips must resonate in every cell of our body. As we speak well (benedict) over our land, community, government, business, education, media, arts, families and our brothers and sisters, the sound will resonate with the land, bodies and even bones (we will see cancers driven out and diseases flee from bodies!)

Godly Advocacy

God is raising up a Psalm 102:18 new breed of spiritually wise warriors who will fear the Lord and who will be Kingdom advocates. They will:

• Have a fullness of understanding that it is not up to government officials (whether Christians or used-by-God ‘Cyruses’) to reveal and steward Godly morality, directions, destiny and opinions.
• Steward in prayer but will also speak boldly and keep walking and displaying the fruits of the Spirit
• Fight in both prayer and in advocacy and they will quickly be raised to platforms of influence (spokespeople, future-MPs, lobbyists and advocates).
• These Christian ‘consultants’, though formally unqualified, carry solutions and will walk in a blessing that is contrary to the shaking in the nations.

These radical, burning ones will not stop until they see societal reformation like the Clapham Sect once did. And Holy Spirit says, ‘I am putting radical words in the mouths of those who will speak with boldness and truth. These words are not about tickling the ear of the present listener but are about securing the future of generations not yet formed or born’.

• Watch as well-known lobbyists, whose hearts are not refined as gold, are removed from positions of influence and have their platforms taken from them.^rFor Prayer & Declarations: God is taking back areas of politics, government and justice that have been usurped and wrongly appropriated. He desires to dwell in these areas, and fill with His goodness and the fruits of His Spirit. Therefore: make specific, godly, legal declarations over the land and unpick evil agreements and contracts. When unclean cliques and dark alliances are broken the people of righteousness must be ready to occupy and influence.
• God is making space for His advocates. They will be a ‘first fruits collective’^sPastoral Thoughts: ‘First Fruits Collective’ – in Scripture the first fruits spoke of the first yield of the harvest (see Leviticus 23:10) which was given up or offered to God – an obedient, reverent sacrifice that demonstrated trust in God. A collective is a cooperative enterprise. How do we prepare the ground for, and support, such a group of bold societal reformers?, those who will advocate for morality again in the nations;
• They will push back on a variety of long-standing laws with love and understanding instead of aggression and disagreement.
• Their words will resonate with hearts first, even before minds.
• They will not be accepted initially, but as what they have spoken lingers, an openness and invitation for their input will come. They will speak, and the tables will turn.^tFor Prayer: We must pray for these new breed spiritual warriors as we see God raise them up

Those societal reformers will go against the common received wisdom of this day and will call out all that is holding people in slavery and bondage in the current age. They will emerge in the areas of politics, economics/business, psychology, neuroscience and the arts.

Abortion

What seemed like a long-lost battle for life in the womb will be readdressed in rooms of debate as these new generation Godly activists rise and begin to proclaim truth. Not many will like what they say but there will be a gentleness and winsomeness about these emerging voices that will be listened to, even by those who disagree. Their words will linger.^uSpiritual Warfare: There has been intimidation leading to a shutting down of Christian voices by a ‘spirit of Pharaoh’. This spirit has silenced, manipulated and ‘brow-beaten’ the church into submission. Pray for an emboldened generation who rise up and name abortion as genocide. Church – rise up and be a defender of the defenceless.

Freemasonry, Mammon & Finance

The Lord says, ‘Free the cities! Deal with Freemasonry in the land and its partnership with Mammon. I am breaking the hangman’s noose of Freemasonry off my cities and there will be a massive breaking of debt in the land’. See 2 Chronicles 20:22

• Expect debt clearance, cancellation and paying off of debts. Expect unusual financial miracles and a liberty from financial bondage from those who place their trust in God.
• Steward money with wisdom. Be generous, not from a place of financial superiority, but from a place of authentic compassion. And our Saviour promises us, ‘I will take care of my people in times of crisis if they posture themselves with generous hearts’.

Dealing With Poverty

• During this time of political and economic tumult, how the nation treats and protect its poor is of utmost importance. The enemy has a plan to cause areas to return to slum-like living conditions; cities and towns overlooked and left to decline and rot.
• The church must systematically work to eliminate poverty. Solutions are being released to apostolic churches who will purchase land, build housing and invest in the renewal of communities.
• Local, mission-minded churches will take greater responsibility for the well-being and care of their community’s poor. Doors will open to partner with local government.
• National projects will emerge that are funded, led and initiated by the church but supported, endorsed and then celebrated through awards and promotion by governments.
• Be on the look out for new industrial and entrepreneurial economic ventures, as the church enters into a strong season of wealth transfer.
• A social justice move amongst predominantly young people will revive the country’s tradition for compassion and provision; selfishness and greed will give way to new social enterprises which are new, creative and dynamic.

Culture

• Beautiful and pure sounds and images will come out of our entertainment establishments – a new breed of dramas will fill our TV screens. God is anointing a new generation with script and novel writing capabilities. Comic books with Kingdom principles yet accessible to the masses will become mainstream and viral.
• A new breed of prophetic fine arts (specifically visual arts) will come to the fore – prophetic art that is not for the church but instead speaks into the wider culture (and does not merely comment on culture).^vFor Prayer: Pray for the new breed of trained and skilled (1 Chronicles 25:7) prophetic artists to begin to prophesy outside of the church and into the culture around them, even pushing back against the tide of secular humanism. Pastoral: How does the church best support artists to secure opportunities to collaborate and exhibit together and to find favour with funders and authorities?
• As the church penetrates territories that have been held captive to demonic systems (such as popular culture) there will be more ‘celebrity’ salvations. Demonic strongholds of control, manipulation and witchcraft will be challenged and exposed, leading to a deeper hunger and thirst for truth.^wFor Prayer: Pray for an increase in the level of wisdom and innovation in Godly strategies to infiltrate those areas of culture that have been held captive by demonic systems.
• The Spirit of the Lord will overshadow the UK parliament to such an extent that ministers will change their pre-planned messages as they speak, subverting the subversive and causing them to bless instead of curse.

Science & Innovation

• We have heard of a technological ‘Arms Race’ to develop weaponry. Now we will hear of a ‘Cures Race’ as pharmaceutical scientists race to discover new medicines and solutions to the so-called ‘incurable’ diseases.
• 2020 will see new global battles in technological and medical areas but a common enemy (e.g. a sickness or disease) will provide an uncommon unity.
• The UK is to be known for its IT industry.^xFor Prayer: Pray also for innovation and innovators in science. There is a calling over the UK to be an innovation nation once again; with this there will be a fresh partnering with scientists, technologists and innovators in Israel.

The Omega Ability To Finish Well

“Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.” 2 Chronicles 2:20b

You have not been lacking in visions or in getting them started but many of these have subsequently floundered or run aground before their completion . Jesus reminds His children, ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the beginning and the end’ (Revelation 22:13).

Now He is releasing to you an omega ability to break through and finish what you have started. You will run your race with purpose and will see prophetic words come to conclusion in the spirit of Isaiah 66:9.