This is the prophetic word for February 2018. This is the month of Sh’vat (Shevat) on the Hebrew Calendar which runs from January 17 – February 16th. This is the month of rain!
Before I get into the beautiful symbolism that is tied to this month the Lord impressed upon my heart one important thing that He wants His people to do.
Stop >> Review and Recap 2017 >> Collect the Spoils >> Build An Altar of Praise >> Get Ready to Bloom!
Stop. You know 2017 was a very difficult year for many of us. Very, very difficult and there was much war waged in the realm of the spirit. Many people were so happy to have 2017 end so they could start afresh in 2018. God wants you to stop. Do not run away from 2017. Why? He wants you to do one very important thing before you move forward…
Review and Recap 2017. I think one of the reasons the Israelites took 40 years to complete an 11 day journey (Deut. 1:2) was they didn’t take the time to review what went wrong and how they could have done things better. We can’t just run to the next season we need to look back from January 2017 and think what happened. Where and when did the warfare or trial start? How did you respond? How did God show up? How did he reveal Himself to you? Then…
Collect the Spoils. I know some of you are thinking, what spoils? Well, you need to think of this point as what you gained through the experience. Are you more patient? Gentle? Less Judgemental? Did you reconcile with a family member? Have you learnt that God is really a Provider? Did you learn new prayers? Do you now have spiritual gifts that you never had before? You see, every trial and war that we go through MUST produce something! It is there but you are not paying attention to what you gained.
James 1:2-4 New International Version (NIV)
Trials and Temptations
“2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
Yes! You gained something. But you need to take the time to review what happened and then write down what you gained. These are your spoils!
Build An Altar of Praise. This is what we should all do after we’ve walked through a trial or war. Do you know when Moses called God Jehovah Nissi (The Lord is my Banner)? It was after warfare between Joshua and the Amalekites (Exodus 17:8-16). He stopped, thought about what they had just experienced then build an altar to celebrate how God revealed Himself to them at that time. When did Abraham called God Jehovah Jireh? After He was tested by God to offer his son Isaac up as a sacrifice (Genesis 22:1-18). When did God reveal Himself as the Healer? When the Israelites were wondering through the desert searching for water for 3 days and found nothing (Exodus 15:22-27) An on and on. Every revelation of God was done through struggles, testing, trials, war, hardship. God wants you to pay attention to how He is revealing Himself to you in these seasons, how you have grown so that you do not grumble and complain in the next season when you are faced with the same trial! Do you know that the Israelites need for water did not end after revealed Himself to them as Jehovah Rafa? No, they had thirst 2 more times after that. Do you think they said OK Moses we need water, let’s call on Jehovah Rafa? No, they complained AGAIN. Because they never took the time to acknowledge how He worked it out the first time. The one who was praising God and building an altar was Moses but the people were completely oblivious to how God was moving among them.
So in 2018, should you face a battle that looks like something you already overcame in 2017 what you need to do is reflect on how you got the victory and use that in your warfare prayer to overcome in future warfare. This is why to word says (Revelation 12:11) that “we overcome by the word of our testimony and the blood of the lamb”. We need to know that no matter how difficult 2017 was we did gained something and God deserves to be praised and acknowledged for that.
What you went through in 2017 was just a training ground and preparation for 2018. It was a year of equipping.
If you walked out 2017 the way the Lord wanted you to walk it out, you are officially equipped to repossess, possess and have dominion and authority over the enemy in the area where you struggled.
Revelation 2:26-27 New International Version (NIV)
“26 To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations— 27 that one ‘will rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery’—just as I have received authority from my Father.”
When you overcome the enemy in any area of your life you move to a level of authority where you begin to reign in the realm of the spirit over that thing. If you are battling poverty then once you overcome that demon you now rule and have authority over it in the realm of the spirit not just for you but for others who need to be free from it. Hallelujah!
This is the same scripture in the Amplified version and you need to get it in your spirit because God is trying to launch some of you into your ministry, destiny and purpose and the minute you get the strategy on how to overcome that “thing” you are ready!
Revelation 2:26-27Amplified Bible (AMP) “26 And he who overcomes [the world through believing that Jesus is the Son of God] and he who keeps My deeds [doing things that please Me] until the [very] end, to him I will give authority and power over the nations; 27 and he shall shepherd and rule them with a rod of iron, as the earthen pots are broken in pieces, as I also have received authority [and power to rule them] from My Father;”
Get Ready to Bloom. This is where the Hebrew month of Shevat comes in. It is the month of rain. Can’t help but feel that this is when you start to reign! 15th of Shevat (Tu B’Shevat) is the New Year of trees. It is the beginning of spring when the trees start bearing fruit. Yes! Fruitfulness. The almond trees are in bloom! This is the season of growth. You must read the prophetic word for 2018 to get the significance of this.
These verses come to mind…
John 15:1-8 New International Version (NIV) The Vine and the Branches
15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”
Jeremiah 17:5-8 New International Version (NIV)
5 This is what the Lord says:
“Cursed is the one who trusts in man,
who draws strength from mere flesh
and whose heart turns away from the Lord.
6 That person will be like a bush in the wastelands;
they will not see prosperity when it comes.
They will dwell in the parched places of the desert,
in a salt land where no one lives.
7 “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
whose confidence is in him.
8 They will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.”
As we begin to see the blossoms and trees spring up let’s be prayerful in how we build, how we plan and how we move forward.
(Proverbs 16:3) “Commit your works to the [submit and trust them to Him], And your plans will succeed [if you respond to His will and guidance].” Don’t forget Him in our prosperity and joy in this season of blooming.
There are many many scriptures on trees and fruits in the bible and most refer to them in spiritual terms, like the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Pay attention to your fruit and also watch the fruit in others.
It was in the month of Shevat the Moses translated the Torah into 70 different languages. This is significant because Moses, through the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit, made the Torah accessible to others. He brought the message to others. I know this point will mean something to some of you.
That’s it!
Here’s a prayer for the month of February 2018
Father God, the great Revealer of all things thank you for allowing me to understand more about You. Help me to not miss any of the lessons I should’ve learned in 2017. Show me step by step how I have grown and how You were revealed to me in 2017. I build an altar of praise to You because I am still here and still going from glory to glory. I praise You for the growth in my spiritual life and for the ways You will use what I learned this year. Open my eyes to see the blooms this month. Show me the trees that are springing up even now. Give me fresh eyes because I don’t want to miss any of it. I commit my plans to You and ask You to guide me in making all the decisions that will bring You glory, in Jesus Name, Amen.
This morning I was lead to your site. I thank God for your message. It spoke to me on many levels. I have work to do! My God continue to bless you
Thank youfor words of encouragement and making your words to my understanding. Praise to God,May God be with you.