Fundamentals – The difference between servant and King is like a structure with a foundation that starts with our heart’s desire. When things go against us in life it’s wise to reassess that foundation. We all “labor to enter into rest.” The sweet spot in life is when building the Kingdom is fun; our heart and God’s heart are both on the same path. We feel the favor of God, the wind is in our sails, divine appointments flow toward us, ministry happens, people are blessed, and finances grow in abundance. In short, life is a lot of fun.
What if it’s not fun? Kings engage in big dreams, take big risks, and engage the enemy in big battles. It’s not too surprising to experience seasons when things are not “peachy.” Kings are typically blessed with a level of tenacity that gets them through challenges. That perseverance can be good and bad; good if the foundation is in order and bad if the Lord is really knocking on our door to make an adjustment. Sometimes we try to wear optimism when it’s just a cleverly disguised form of denial; an excuse to maintain the status quo when change is needed. All of us are currently at a self-imposed station in life that is exactly where our attitudes and actions have led us! If we want a different result in the future then it’s time to tweak the foundation or we just end up with more of the same… for years at a time.
Laying that foundation, or checking up on it once in awhile, goes through a discreet series of steps that you and I can “manage” to make sure our Kingly foundation is on the Rock. This progression is the birth process for a level of creativity that will lead us into managing our destiny instead of “hoping and praying” things will go well… and whining when they don’t.
#1 Heart’s Desire – The Kingdom lifestyle begins when we give ourselves permission to pursue our heart’s desire. Self discipline is good but you cannot make sacrifice a lifestyle – that’s religious bondage. You have to enjoy what you do and have fun at it. Jesus endured the ultimate sacrifice but his motive was the joy set before Him (Heb 12:2). It was one lousy day followed by a party for the rest of eternity!
May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. 5 We will shout for joy when you are victorious and will lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the Lord grant all your requests. Ps 20:4-5
You have granted him the desire of his heart and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah You welcomed him with rich blessings and placed a crown of pure gold on his head. Ps 21:2-3
Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Ps 37:4
Here’s the first foundation stone for life in the Kingdom; Go shopping for the will of God inside the desires of your heart! Give yourself permission to get totally excited when you find those desires. Run after them with all of your heart. Fervent prayer that avails much is rooted in strong personal desires. Do you have any? Strong feelings are the seed bed for the nest step – imagination.
#2 Imagination (the eyes of your heart) – The second step is dreaming about how you want to see your heart’s desire manifest. You have to see your dream in your heart and mind. Paul prays that the “eyes of your heart may be enlightened.” We “picture” in our mind the desire of our heart. Without that “vision” of how we want the future to go, we are prone to perish (Pro 29:18). Take the time to meditate, daydream, imagine… it’s key to creativity and an integral part of how faith works. What do you want your future to look like?
I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance… Eph 1:17-18 NIV
We get what we focus on. If our eye is good, the whole body is full of light. But when the eye (focus) is bad the whole body is full of darkness that produces evil (Lu 11:34). Jesus counted “looking” as adultery because he understood thoughts produce actions. Lesson learned; manage your focus; manage your thought life. …think on these things (Phil 4:8). Use the power of your thought life to produce the fruit you want.
#3 Affirmation – Learn to put your dream into words and in a journal or prayer diary. We devoted an entire newsletter to this step in Use Your Words that is well worth reading. Confessing the desire of our heart is a huge reinforcement to our faith and an important step in the creative process. We believe, therefore we speak. Affirmations are self-talk. Praise is God-talk for giving and granting our personal desires; a natural expression of our words that is very powerful.
A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. Luke 6:45 KJV
It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak 2 Cor 4:13 NIV
Caution: make sure your words have roots in the foundation of your heart’s desire and in the heart of God’s desire. Affirmation is the 3rd step – not the first. Godly desires conceive to expand the Kingdom just as lustful desires conceive to produce evil (James 1:14-15). It is possible to use words and imagination to build a tower of Babel and have God working against you – that’s when it feels like life isn’t flowing in your direction.
#4 Proclamation – Hearing our own words express our heart’s desire resonates in our spirit with what God is doing. When it dawns on our hearts that those desires really are rooted in God’s will, a whole new level of boldness and authority comes into our lives. We don’t just confess those desires, we speak things into existence creatively the way God does. Notice the power of words in the verses below. Proclaiming, releasing, and binding with the spoken word are the keys to this Kingdom lifestyle. It’s like getting the keys to dad’s car!
…the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were. Rom 4:17
He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.” Luke 8:24-25 NIV
“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. 23 “I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Mark 11:22-24 NIV
“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” Matt 16:19-20 NASU
#5 Creation (work) – Many believers think God is going to perform miracles for them. He does, but we have to realize that “signs follow” our initiative. The final step in this process is action; sometimes referred to as work. However, for Kings this process of working to create something feels more like recreation than work because it’s all about manifesting the desires of our heart! It’s what we naturally want to do and enjoy doing. Get it? It’s fun!!! Work and wages are for servants; creation and recreation and profits are for Kings. The joy of the Lord really is our strength. God delights in this final step of bringing things into reality with us because He knows the connection with joy.
In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete. John 16:23-24 NIV
In the Greek, ask means “to require” or “a demand for something due” and is also translated as “desire.” Aiteite is the same word used in James 4:2, “You do not have, because you do not ask (require of) God.” Jesus paid the price for life more abundantly. Your inheritance is due to arrive the minute you step out because Jesus already paid for it. Possess your land. It will please your Father and you will have fun doing it. Too often “asking” stops at a beggar’s request and becomes “faith without works.” The balance is asking plus initiative and work… get out there and do it.
I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. 4 Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates — all the Hittite country — to the Great Sea on the west. 5 No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. 6 “Be strong and courageous… Josh 1:3-6 NIV
Let these five steps lead you through a Business Plan.
We’re Dancing,
John and Sue
