As we move along into the New Year, I wanted to share 25 key initiatives that I feel are significant for every believer. I am hopeful that these will confirm some things the Lord has already been showing you as well as encourage you to pray into these initiatives for your own lives, and for the body of Christ.
I pray that each of us would ask the Father to reveal to us our part in the body and that we would seek Him for guidance for His will to be done through us. May the Lord kingdomize your life in amazing ways in 2012 to further expand His kingdom and His glory upon the earth.
1. Give to Caesar (government) what is Caesar’s, and give to God what is His, which are our very lives. Jesus was consumed with His Father’s kingdom being brought to the earth. We must focus on Christ and His kingdom rather than being overly concerned with political processes and government foolishness. We pray for governmental change, but we must look to God and not government to provide for us.
2. God is raising up new leaders who will stand for righteousness in the realms of government. This generation of Daniels and Josephs will continue to take their place in leading nations with Father’s influence, presence and wisdom in governmental offices.
3. Father continues to shake all foundations that are not built upon the Rock of Himself. We must stand out with His light in the midst of the shaking all around us?
4. We must utilize what we do have and be busy doing what we must do. We must surrender all paralyzing fear and worrying about what we don’t have, or cannot do.
5. We must understand and activate true repentance in every area of our lives; truly turn away from instead of just feeling sorry for our patterns of sin.
6. We must swiftly move to forgiveness for every wrong committed against us. We must allow His presence to eradicate bitterness from the depths of our souls. We must forgive ourselves, and move on past the shame simply because Jesus has forgiven us, and His work in forgiveness is complete and has made us whole.
7. We are not victims, for in Christ we are victorious. We must choose to not ever live as a victim, because the revelation of Christ and His grace suffices for us daily. Live as a victor and flee from the victim mindset.
8. We will accept and believe with all of our heart, soul and mind that Jesus loves us, accepts us and is for us in every moment of every day.
9. We remain overwhelmed by the love and acceptance of God where we are presently. We are children that are continuing to grow but also are complete in Him now!
10.We acknowledge that our lives follow the way of the cross, knowing persecution and trials will come. We choose to die more to self, knowing that it is the narrow way He has asked us to follow. As we die to self more, Christ lives through us and our joy is made complete in Him.
11. We enter the rest in God, in the rest of who we are in Christ. We rest from running around doing religious activities that He never called us to do. We continue to be more than we can ever do!
12. Confident and humble leaders need to continue to train and release every member of their organizations into the ministry that the Lord has called them to. This training and releasing goes beyond the four walls of organized church.
13. Citywide transformation will expand as each individual realizes his or her purpose and calling, and is released to fulfill it in everyday life.
14. God’s servant leaders will continue to be recognized and promoted because they seek to serve others with no concern of ever having to be served. Corporate vision never controls or usurps God’s purpose for each person.
15. The Lord owns everything we have and asks us to steward everything He has given us. We must ask Him how much to give and to where, always willing to give 100 percent if He were to ask that of us.
16. Kingdomized people will continue to bring godly influence and leadership to all the gates of the city. Kings and priests of God will lead by serving His wisdom and authority in the spheres of government, business, health care, media, law, church and the educational jurisdictions of our cities.
17. Every believer must accept others and the blessing that they are, rather than being offended by them in their differences. We must live with unoffendable hearts hidden in Christ. We do not need to see eye-to-eye in order to walk hand-in-hand.
18. We choose to see the good in people, pray for them and love them regardless of if they change and conform to our ways. Believe for the best in others.
19. Every believer must understand their journey and the continual process they walk in. They must humbly come alongside others who may not be as far along in their journey or process.
20. Convergence can come as we truly love and become excited about the uniqueness of each other’s differences, and value each expression of God’s people.
21. Spiritual fathers will have a heart of giving to their spiritual sons that surpass any thoughts of what they might receive in return through their relationship.
22. We must seek to trash every idol in our life to be free in serving effectively in the army of our Lord. The greatest idol that we battle is the idol called “self,” continue to lay down self and become selfless in our pursuit of Christ and His kingdom.
23. We must see the kingdom of God beyond race, gender or age, and seek to unite through all the diversity and expressions of His glorious kingdom. In the kingdom male, female, Greek and Jew can work together in the fullness and likeness of Christ.
24. Prophetic accountability in the body of Christ will increase as prophetic people move beyond subjectivity. As a body, we will collectively hear the “sound” of God through the multiplicity of voices.
25. The earth will continue to be filled with the glory of the Lord as more of His people move from religion to relationship while continuing to become one with God and one with each other. We will love as He loves, speak as He speaks and do what He does, and we will be changing the world together “as one.”
