We live in a defining moment in world history. I have believed and continue to believe that we live in the greatest time to be alive. In a time of great difficulty and challenges, God is birthing the next Great Awakening. God spoke so clearly to me in the fall of last year. He said to me that the enemy could not stop the present move of God being birthed in the earth. As the people of God, we must always listen, take heed and honor the Word of the Lord.

In honoring the Word of the Lord, I have learned to inquire of the Lord for the wisdom of God on how to position myself to experience what He is speaking. We know God can desire to release a reality to us from Scripture, but if our hearts are not positioned correctly, we can, by our unrepented thought process, abort that which God wants to release (see Num. 13).

On the evening of Thursday, April 22, 2021, I spent some time listening and meditating before the Lord, and I believe God released to me four keys for His people to navigate the next season. Navigate can be defined as "to steer, as to direct or manage." These keys are not exhaustive but necessary to apply if we are to receive that which God is birthing in the earth.

4 Keys for Navigating the Next Season

Get Spirit-filled content delivered right to your inbox! Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.

1. Intimacy. The foundational assignment for all believers is to live a lifestyle of deep fellowship with God. For over 25 years, I have, with God's help, endeavored to make friendship with God the highest priority of my life. Yet over the last several weeks and months, I have sensed a deep longing from the heart of God for His people. He is inviting us to know His heart as never before. His people have never experienced every profound dimension of God, but it is God's heart to reveal to us in this season. God invites His people to position our lives to make space for increased fellowship that will result in many divine encounters. Those who heed the invitation to draw near as never before will find their lives overtaken with His goodness and unprecedented wisdom and revelation (see Deut. 6:5, James 4:8).

2. Humility. Jesus as the perfect Son of God, served as the model for a lifestyle of humility. Though He had a free choice like us, He makes this remarkable statement: "Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does" (John 5:19). A lifestyle of humility positions us to defer to God's perspective on reality. It is only in deferring to God's perspective on reality that we think, speak and act as God desires. Our ability to act like God determines the measure by which we properly represent Him in this season. Humility is foundational for God's people to navigate the coming season (see Prov. 22:4, Matt. 18:1-3).

3. Fear of the Lord. The impossible is never accomplished through choices made according to reason or intellect. It is only the wisdom of God that allows us to live a lifestyle of supernatural exploits. If we are going to function according to the knowledge of God, then we must know and love the fear of the Lord. The fear of the Lord is a posture of our heart that takes God seriously in every area of our lives. It is also one that makes an intentional choice to give the word of God first place in our lives. Scripture teaches us that "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge" (Prov. 1:7a) and that the "fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom" (Prov. 15:33a).

4. An established heart. Establish is defined as "to bring on a firm or permanent basis." One of the characteristics of a believer that is maturing is a heart and, therefore, a mind that is fixed on the Word of God. Circumstances, difficulties and challenges do not move the heart that is established. The enemy will seek to cause God's people to abort this great outpouring in the earth, and God's people must maintain an established heart. We must maintain an established heart and speak and do what God is saying. We will see what God has promised. The psalmist declared that the man who fears the Lord "shall not be afraid of evil tidings; his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord. His heart is established" (Psalm 112:7-8a).

Abner Suarez is the founder and president of For Such A Time As This Inc. His ministry is marked with the ability to call forth the destiny of individuals, churches, cities and nations of the world. He has been welcomed in a variety of streams in the body of Christ and different sectors of society, including government, education and business. His latest book, Trust: God's Unseen Power to Change the World, is now available for pre-sale. You can find out more about Abner at abnersuarez.com.

Read articles like this one and other Spirit-led content in our new platform, CHARISMA PLUS.

Get Spirit-filled content delivered right to your inbox! Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.

Dr. Mark Rutland's

National Institute of Christian Leadership (NICL)

The NICL is one of the top leadership training programs in the U.S. taught by Dr. Mark Rutland. If you're the type of leader that likes to have total control over every aspect of your ministry and your future success, the NICL is right for you!

FREE NICL MINI-COURSE - Enroll for 3-hours of training from Dr. Rutland's full leadership course. Experience the NICL and decide if this training is right for you and your team.

The NICL Online is an option for any leader with time or schedule constraints. It's also for leaders who want to expedite their training to receive advanced standing for Master Level credit hours. Work through Dr. Rutland's full training from the comfort of your home or ministry at your pace. Learn more about NICL Online. Learn more about NICL Online.