On an afternoon in August this year, I asked the Lord where we need to focus our attention in these uncertain times. I lay down and closed my eyes for a few minutes. While drifting off, I heard a symphony playing impressive music that reminded me of a WW II movie soundtrack. Then I saw an armada of ships traveling in a V formation on a great river. I could see more ships joining the formation as the armada moved forward. A small riverboat paddled quickly to join this fleet, where warships, cruise liners, and other vessels were moving as a unit.
The music was inspiring and gave the impression that they were on a critical mission. I sensed this was a picture of the mission of the faithful ones in the Body of Christ coming into formation with other churches, ministries, businesses, and organizations whose primary calling was to walk out their faith according to Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” I understood that by joining the armada in this way, we could safely navigate these troubling times.
Then I heard a Voice say: Keep your focus on the Lord, stay in your lane and with your armada. There is safety in numbers, both in the natural and in the spiritual. Stay together (I heard “stay together” repeated several times), and stay in formation. Do not deviate from the mission.
I was reminded of the scriptures in Exodus 23. These were the marching orders for the Israelites as they prepared to enter the Promised Land:
Exodus 23:20-22, “Behold, I send an angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared. Pay careful attention to him and obey his voice; do not rebel against him, for he will not pardon your transgression, for my name is in him. “But if you carefully obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries.”
We are on the threshold of a great battle at a level we have never encountered, and the Lord of Hosts, commander of Heaven’s armies, is speaking with serious authority. He is with us, but we must listen carefully to His words and instructions and follow Him. To survive these turbulent times, we cannot be Lone Rangers. The Lord will lead us safely through, but we must obey His voice and respond quickly.
My prayer for you is that you find your armada, stay together as a team, and follow the Lord closely. Recognize the distractions for what they are and remain focused. The enemy is firing everything he has against the Body of Christ to keep us divided and scattered. Learn to forgive and move on. Learn to see one another as the Lord sees us and move on. Keep moving forward and stay focused on the mission.
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7
For over 30 years Judy has trained intercessors and led prayer efforts across the United States. Her continuing focus is to raise up and equip prayer teams to shift the culture of the nation and make a way for the end time harvest. She co-founded a ministry in the early 80’s and taught principles of spiritual warfare and pioneered prayer walking efforts. She and her late husband organized and led community-wide concerts of prayer, youth prayer breakfasts and early morning prayer watches which resulted in dramatic changes in their city and many people turning their hearts to the Lord.
