Contending For God’s Dreams!

The word Contending I believe is a now word for the Body of Christ that is imperative for advancing the Kingdom of God in this hour of instability. God has been awakening our spirits to rise up to contend for our breakthrough, for the dreams He has given us, for our families, for communities, cities, and nations, and for His will and purposes to come forth.

Over the years, Ezekiel 36: 36-37 is a passage He has been underlining to me. This chapter speaks powerfully of God’s intentions for Israel in their land and the abundant outpouring of blessings He makes clear He plans to release to them. As all believers are grafted into Israel, these blessings and promises are also for us. Each blessing spoken of is with intentionality as something He has predetermined He would do.

The Holy Spirit highlighted verses 36 and 37…36 revealing His determination, “… I, the LORD, have spoken it, AND I WILL DO IT,” verse 37 revealing the condition: “Thus says the Lord GOD: “I WILL ALSO LET THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL INQUIRE OF ME TO DO THIS FOR THEM…” The Hebrew word for inquire means also to seek continually, ask, and pursue.

As I prayed and sought the Lord about this, I received an understanding that God was looking for a people who would be willing to TAKE OWNERSHIP of His dreams, desires, and intentions. He was looking for a people who would tend the dream and travail in union with Him to bring it forth; a people who would unite with Him in mind and in heart for the promise to be realized and the Kingdom enforced and advanced.

The Lord gave me a picture of a father who owned an empire and had two sons; to one son everything came on a silver platter—everything he asked for he was given; he did not have to exert himself for anything. The other son went to work with his father in the company at an early age. He started at the very bottom and worked his way through every department learning every aspect of the business. He spent time getting to know all the people who worked for his father and building relationships with them. He listened to His Father’s heart for the company and not only understood his vision for it but united with his father to see his dream come forth.

When the time came to hand over the company to his sons, which son will the father put in charge? The one who will protect the company, pursue the vision, and contend for its success; the one who paid the price in travail with his father for its success!

In Ezekiel chapter 36 the Father clearly lays out his intention, He places it before Israel, and challenges them to rise up and own the vision with Him. The implication in verse 37 is that if they hereto take ownership and contend for the dream—it would be theirs!

God’s dreams are guaranteed for the contenders…the reason He raises up those with a spirit to contend and who inspire others to contend… to give Him no rest until He fulfills what He has promised!

I once heard a leader share a related story; he promised his children that after church he would take them to their favorite restaurant, the children were very excited! After church, he was asked to attend a leader’s meeting and told his children the outing would have to be canceled. However, his children refused to accept this. He was hammered over and over with statements of, “You said,” “You promised!” until finally, he had no choice but to give in. At that moment he heard God say to him, “I wished that my children would hold me to my promises the way that your children hold you to yours!” Our Heavenly Father is looking for those who will not only believe his promises, but who will hold Him accountable to his Word.

I understood that Ezekiel 36:37 meant to pray, ask, and contend for the vision until the breakthrough came! That is the spirit of a contender who will birth the purposes of God on planet Earth! To knock, seek, and ask until the door is opened!

After teaching this word for many years, the Lord brought to my attention a most powerful commentary on this same passage in Ezekiel that began to stir me to contend once again! It made some very powerful points:

1. God’s promises are given not to restrain, but to INCITE TO PRAYER.
2. They SHOW THE DIRECTION in which WE MAY ASK,
3. And THE EXTENT to which we may EXPECT and answer.
4. The promises are a SIGNED CHEQUE MADE PAYABLE TO ORDER
5. A cheque we must endorse and PRESENT FOR PAYMENT.

The day must come when we leave the wilderness and begin to take the promised land of God’s intentions. The world is daily descending into dark times. The light of the Glory of His Presence will rise upon those who have broken through in contending for the Glory. These are the ones being called forth to do exploits in His name; they have travailed with the Father and carry His burden for the lost and the world.

Those who have travailed with Him will enter into union with Him; they will carry His authority and the strategies to complete His will to save and transform nations and people groups.

According to Ezekiel 36:36-37, first, we must ASK—we must desire what He desires and receive it in our spirits as our own. Second, we TAKE—we endorse the cheque and present it for payment. We put our finger on His promise and say, “As you have said, Lord.” We hold God to His promises as David did:

“You, my God, have revealed to your servant that you will build a house for him. So your servant has found the courage to pray to you. You, LORD, are God! You have promised these good things to your servant.” 1 Ch 17:25-26

Someone has said, FAITH IS CONFIDENT ACTION IN WHAT GOD HAS MADE KNOWN TO US—God cannot bless us beyond our belief and belief will lead to action—to contending!

Job 22:28 states, “YOU SHALL DECREE A THING AND IT SHALL BE ESTABLISHED FOR YOU.” To decree a thing is to contend for it! The Hebrew word for decree also means to decide, to make a firm decision, one where we will not waver, and the Hebrew word for establish means to rise.

This verse closes with, “…light will shine on your ways.” The word light means to be illuminated, the word shine means to glitter, and ways also means the road. A mature Christian will have learned the discipline of contending through much trial and tribulation and will see the rising of the vision and the dream. The illuminating Light of God will light up the road ahead with the glitter of His Glory.

It is time for the sons of God to take the Promised Land – Time to declare and decree. Esther and Mordecai prayed, they fasted then they decreed the deliverance of the Jewish people.

I hear the Lord saying, “TAKE OWNERSHIP! The Kingdom of God is yours! All that I have belongs to you, invest in it. With the currency of your faith purchase stock in it! Set your focus on the eternal not the temporal. The dividends are magnanimous and superlative! Ask large! I am a great and mighty God, greater and mightier than you could ever imagine, though you may try. Bring all you’re your appeals and petitions before the court of Heaven, the time of fulfillment has come. Show your faith; give Me something to work with. I am ready to perform My word!

God is preparing vessels of Glory to stand in the last days having the fortitude of spirit to withstand the demonic assaults, and like the mountain tree, to thrive amid the swirling and violent winds of change.

“A Mountain tree if it would see
The far horizons and the stars
May never know a sheltered place
Nor grow symmetrical in grace.
Such a tree must battle doggedly
The blasts and bear the scars.”
(Lloyd Marion Thompson).

“The mountain tree is the price of those ascending to the realm of intimacy with God. It is a lone tree jutting out from the crest of a very rugged, windswept mountain, far above the peaceful forest beneath. There is truly a reward for its singular loneliness and struggle to survive. It has unobstructed vision to see, ‘the far horizons and the stars.’ Abiding in an unpolluted atmosphere, this lonely, battered tree can view the distant skyline or look up into the glorious expanse of the heavenlies in all their glory…But there is a price—such a tree has been set apart from all others” (Wade E. Taylor).

 Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men and have prevailed.” Genesis 32:28