Lion Bites – Global Prophetic Alliance – There Is Joy!

Have you not heard that the joy of the Lord is your strength!

Choosing joy builds courage, strength, and it brings breakthrough. My plan for you has always been that you would dwell in a place of unshakeable joy. Things will not always be easy and straightforward. Life will not always look and feel as you would have it look and feel, but the joy is found in knowing who I am. It is found in believing – deep within yourself – that I am faithful. Knowing that I can be trusted with your heart. Knowing that I will see you through the storms of life. Joy is found in knowing that with me, nothing is ever wasted.

When you partner with joy you release yourself from the shackles of this world.

Activation: Ask Holy Spirit to teach you what it looks like to partner with the joy of the Lord. As you reflect on what is revealed, ask God what brings him joy. After reflecting on these things ask for a fresh understanding of what it means to be strengthened by joy.

Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Nehemiah 8:10 (NIV)

You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Psalm 16:11 (ESV)

These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and your joy may be full.

John 15:11 (TLV)

#lionbites

Tuesday Morning Scripture (Wk43/2022) – Nehemiah 8:1-12

Ezra Reads the Law

Then all the people gathered together as one man at the open square in front of the Water Gate; and they asked Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses which the Lord had given to Israel.

2 So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men, women and all who could listen with understanding, on the first day of the seventh month.

3 Then he read from it, in front of the open square which was in front of the Water Gate, from [1]early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and women, those who could understand; and [2]all the people listened carefully to the Book of the Law.

4 Ezra the scribe stood on a [large] wooden platform which they had constructed for this purpose. And beside him [on the platform] stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right; and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam on his left.

5 Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above them; and when he opened it, all the people stood up.

6 Then Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God. And all the people answered, “Amen, Amen!” while lifting up their hands; and they knelt down and worshiped the Lord with their faces toward the ground.

7 Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, explained the Law to the people, and the people remained in their places.

8 So they read from the Book of the Law of God, translating and explaining it so that the people understood the reading.

“This Day Is Holy”

9 Then Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people were weeping when they heard the words of the Law.

10 Then Ezra said to them, “Go [your way], eat the rich festival food, drink the sweet drink, and send portions to him for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be worried, for the joy of the Lord is your strength and your stronghold.”

11 So the Levites quieted all the people, saying, “Be still, for the day is holy; do not be worried.”

12 Then all the people went on their way to eat, to drink, to send portions [of food to others] and to celebrate a great festival, because they understood the words which had been [3]communicated to them.

Nehemiah 8:1-12 (AMP)

Footnotes

  1. Nehemiah 8:3 Lit the light.
  2. Nehemiah 8:3 Lit in the ears of all the people.
  3. Nehemiah 8:12 Lit made known.

Tuesday Morning Scripture (Wk43/2022) – Psalm 16

The Lord, the Psalmist’s Portion in Life and Deliverer in Death.

A [a]Mikhtam of David [probably intended to record memorable thoughts].

1 Keep and protect me, O God, for in You I have placed my trust and found refuge.

2 I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have no good besides You.”

3 As for the saints (godly people) who are in the land, they are the majestic and the noble and the excellent ones in whom is all my delight.

4 The sorrows [pain and suffering] of those who have chosen another god will be multiplied [because of their idolatry]; I will not pour out their drink offerings of blood, nor will I take their names upon my lips.

5 The Lord is the portion of my inheritance, my cup [He is all I need]; You support my lot.

6 The [boundary] lines [of the land] have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me.

7 I will bless the Lord who has counseled me; indeed, my heart (mind) instructs me in the night.

8 I have set the Lord continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

9 Therefore my heart is glad and my glory [my innermost self] rejoices; my body too will dwell [confidently] in safety,

10 For You will not abandon me to Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead), nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.

11 You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore.

Psalm 16:1-11 (AMP)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 16:1 Meaning uncertain; perhaps a poem.

Tuesday Morning Scripture (Wk43/2022) – John 15:1-11

Jesus Is The Vine – Followers Are Branches

1 “[1]I am the true Vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.

2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that continues to bear fruit, He[repeatedly] prunes, so that it will bear more fruit [even richer and finer fruit].

3 You are already clean because of the word which I have given you [the teachings which I have discussed with you].

4 Remain in Me, and I[will remain] in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself without remaining in the vine, neither can you [bear fruit, producing evidence of your faith] unless you remain in Me.

5 [2]I am the Vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him bears much fruit, for [otherwise] apart from Me [that is, cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing.

6 If anyone does not remain in Me, he is thrown out like a [broken off] branch, and withers and dies; and they gather such branches and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.

7 If you remain in Me and My words remain in you [that is, if we are vitally united and My message lives in your heart], ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you.

8 My Father is glorified and honoured by this, when you bear much fruit, and prove yourselves to be My [true] disciples.

9 I have loved you just as the Father has loved Me; remain in My love [and do not doubt My love for you].

10 If you keep My commandments and obey My teaching, you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love.

11 I have told you these things so that My joy and delight may be in you, and that your joy may be made full and complete and overflowing.

John 15:1-11 (AMP)

Footnotes

  1. John 15:1 The seventh of the memorable “I am” statements. See note 6:35.
  2. John 15:5 See note v 1.

Lion Bites – Global Prophetic Alliance – Abandoned Surrender

When David danced before the Lord, he didn’t care that he was undignified. He was so overtaken by the power and glory of the presence of God that he danced and praised him with no constraints and no fear of what others thought of him. He was fully surrendered in his worship and praised in pure abandonment like a little child.

I hear the Spirit of the Lord say, as you surrender in full abandonment to me like a little child, you will receive more and more of my Glory and presence. You will experience new encounters of me and be transformed; all fear, especially the fear of man, will flee as My glory and presence inhabits the worship of my people.

Activation: Put on your favourite worship song and come to the Lord today in humility, with a child-like heart. Surrender your whole heart, body, and soul, allowing God to move through your heart and even physically as you express yourself fully. Allow Holy Spirit to show you how to be abandoned in worship with him, and be blessed in his glory.

Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the Lord with all his might . . .

2 Samuel 6:14 (NIV)

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Psalm 150:6 (NIV)

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Monday Morning Scripture (Wk43/2022) – Psalm 150

A Psalm of Praise

1 Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty heavens.

2 Praise Him for His mighty acts; Praise Him according to [the abundance of] His greatness.

3 Praise Him with trumpet sound; Praise Him with harp and lyre.

4 Praise Him with tambourine and dancing; Praise Him with stringed instruments and flute.

5 Praise Him with resounding cymbals; Praise Him with loud cymbals.

6 Let everything that has breath and every breath of life praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)

Psalm 150:1-6 (AMP)

Monday Morning Scripture (Wk43/2022) – 2 Samuel 6

Peril in Moving the Ark

1 Again David gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand.

2 And David arose and went with all those who were with him to Baale-judah [Kiriath-jearim], to bring up from there [to Jerusalem] the ark of God which is called by the Name—the very Name of the Lord of hosts, who dwells enthroned above the cherubim.

3 They placed the ark of God on [1]a new cart and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, were leading the new cart.

4 So they brought it with the ark of God from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill; and Ahio was walking in front of the ark.

5 Meanwhile, David and all the house of Israel were celebrating and dancing before the Lordwith all kinds of instruments made of fir or cypress wood, with lyres, harps, tambourines, castanets, and cymbals.

6 When they came to Nacon’s threshing floor, Uzzah reached out [with his hand] to the ark of God and took hold of it, because the oxen [stumbled and] nearly overturned it.

7 And [2]the anger of the Lord burned against Uzzah, and God struck him there for his irreverence; and he died there by the ark of God.

8 David became [3]angry and grieved and offended because of the Lord’s outburst against Uzzah, and that place has been called Perez-uzzah (outburst against Uzzah) to this day.

9 So David was afraid of the Lord that day; and he said, “How can the ark of the Lord come to me?”

10 David was unwilling to move the ark of the Lord into the City of David with him; instead he took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.

11 So the ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite for three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-edom and all his household (family).

The Ark is Brought to Jerusalem

12 Now King David was told, “The Lord has blessed the house of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.” So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom into the City of David with rejoicing and gladness.

13 And when those who were carrying the ark of the Lord [by its poles] had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling.

14 And David was dancing before the Lord with [4]great enthusiasm, and David was [5]wearing a linen ephod [a priest’s upper garment].

15 So David and all the house of Israel were bringing the ark of the Lord up [to the City of David] with shouts [of joy] and with the sound of the trumpet.

16 Then, as the ark of the Lord came into the City of David, [6]Michal, Saul’s daughter [David’s wife], looked down from the window above and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord; and she felt contempt for him in her heart [because she thought him undignified].

17 They brought in the ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the tent which David had pitched for it; and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord.

18 When David had finished offering the burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts (armies),

19 and distributed to all the people, the entire multitude of Israel, both to men and women, to each a [ring-shaped] loaf of bread, a cake of dates, and a cake of raisins. Then all the people departed, each to his house.

20 Then David returned to bless his household. But [his wife] Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said, “How glorious and distinguished was the king of Israel today, [7]who uncovered himself and stripped [off his kingly robes] in the eyes of his servants’ maids like one of the riffraff who shamelessly uncovers himself!”

21 So David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord [that I did this], who chose me above your father and all his house, to appoint me as ruler over Israel, the people of the Lord. Therefore I will celebrate [in pure enjoyment] before the Lord.

22 Yet I will demean myself even more than this, and will be humbled (abased) in my own sight [and yours, as I please], but by the maids whom you mentioned, by them I shall be held in honor.”

23 Michal the daughter of Saul had no [8]child to the day of her death.

2 Samuel 6:1-23 (AMP)

Lion Bites – Global Prophetic Alliance – Dig Deep

There are treasures hidden in secret places that I have placed for you to find. There are few who are willing to dig deep, especially when it gets dark or hard or lonely or scary, but there are treasures in the deep, dark places.

Do not be discouraged or put off by not instantly seeing the treasure, but trust me that in the deep places I have treasures that you haven’t even dreamed of. Heavenly secrets, unfathomable mysteries yet to be revealed, solutions and new creations.

So, dig deep for revelation in the most unexpected places and let me reveal the jewels and blueprints of heaven and the richness of all that is stored up for you. There are answers for provision in the deep places; there are solutions for impossible situations; there are new businesses and new ideas; there are answers to unfathomable questions. Search for me in the deep and you will find me along with all that you have been looking for.

Activation: Ask Jesus to lead you into a deeper place with him. Close your eyes and see him take your hand, leading you to the place where his treasure waits for you. Let Jesus lead you and ask him what he wants to show you or give you in this place.

He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light swells with him.

Daniel 2:22 (NIV)

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