James 5 speaks of an example of prevailing in prayer. Elijah is no different to us.

Eli´jah was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.
James 5:17‭-‬18 KJVA

If anything in this season is the “earnestly” of prayer and asking God to demonstrate His covenant. It is a time to

1. Ascertain

2. Align

3. Accept

4. Apprehend

We need to ascertain through the Word the hidden meanings and principles that come. For Elijah he had to get over his passions to get to undertake to the task in hand. The power of the “false lord” had been broken on Carmel, so as the conditions of breaking the spiritual power over the land we need to bring it into the manifest visible realm.

For our ascertaining we need to see that the Greek for prevailing in earnest is the Word ischuo. My friend Al Houghton (www.wordatwork.org) brings excellent teaching on this. I am referring to it as I have been sitting on this aspect of the remnant for some weeks. I sense from the retreat I am returning from in ministry that we have moved into an aspect of ischuo, that is prevailing.

When the world celebrated New Year and for physical time a year turned I was convicted that a spiritual season had not ended.

What is significant in the context of the remnant in its prevailing?

We need to ascertain where we are, and where we need to get to. Luke 24 showed us 2 disciples defeated and sad by the events of Jesus’ death. Jesus is walking with them but they were prevented from recognising Him. They refer to Jesus as a prophet, and could go no further in their realisation of Him.

Jesus explains to them the scriptures concerning His death. It is time that we begin to see that in the bitter things we experience FOR Christ and the process which happens IN Christ, we are coming into a new revelation.

It is the season that we ascertain both our personal covenant with Him. See Him afresh as Lord and Judge.

And it causes us to align. We begin to see our emotions, our circumstances are not mere chance occurrences but part of bringing us into a transition where we are aligned to see Him as He is, and what He desires to do in us and through us.

We come into a realisation that one part has ended and a new season has begun which is always greater than the last. It is greater because in the alignment to revelation we come into a place of being partakers of covenant bread.

In Luke 24 we see Him break bread with us, translating the normal bread into a means of getting revelation inside of us! It is here we see Him!

The alignment positions us for fullness.

We come to accept that what had to end was a hidden beginning because at times we look at our losses, broken relationships as being negative. In the season we will walk into brings us into a wholesome healing to our minds and hearts.

No more does damage than the inner questions never resolved or never answered.

It brings me to a painful time in my life 29 years ago. I lost my father to cancer. The questions around the loss but also the exceptional fellowship of God at the time both delivered me from grief. It was a great transition in my life. However I cannot affirm that questions did not remain. A loss is a loss. God does answer our questions but never when we think we need them.

It took God 9 month to show me the reasons for my father’s sudden death. I had faith he would win over the cancer but God saw fit otherwise. The answer came in the form of a dream and it answered all. Today however I miss him my heart has resolved all concerning that passing.

I sense that whilst bereavement can be the greatest pain, and can affect us long term, there is a fellowship we need to enter into for bringing wholeness and healing.

And for this next season we must accept that God can turn our pain as stepping stones for gain. That way in our acceptance we can enter into purpose and a life free of potential health hazards.

We need to apprehend the objectives God shows us. In Acts 1, the disciples saw Jesus’ resurrection as a prelude to His full overthrow of Roman occupation. Jesus’s teaching over 40 days showed them a longer term objective. The first thing He showed them was His own ascension and His need to supervise every move of the Spirit. The mission being the formation of disciples and formation of people who would come into a walk with God.

We can have objectives which do not correspond with Jesus’ programme.

A few weeks ago the Lord opened what appeared to be a “door” into the spiritual programme found in Acts 3:19-21. I saw Jesus programme to be the restoration of all things! I saw that if I apprehend this in my daily life I would see a flow. I would see Jesus construct in me and through me channels of restoration.

To do all this there is a prevailing that needs to come. It is not enough for Jesus to throw His cloak down like Elijah, but like Elisha I must rend my old cloak and pick up what fell from Him and take possession.

When you consider the example of Rees Howells who interceded through the 2nd world war, did not give up until what he saw in prayer come into visible manifestation. The way we break through is to apprehend the ischuo given to us in the task.

That way what we pray, shall become what shall stay, and what shall stay shall prevail over what shall stray.

Shalom.