Before we crossed over into the Hebraic year of 5780, I could hear the continual decree in my spirit, “the year of rescue and restore.” I was prompted to read Psalm 80 in the Passion Translation and was amazed to find that it is titled, “Rescue and Restore.” In the subtitle is written, “… Asaph’s poetic song, set to the tune of ‘Your Decrees Are Like Lilies.'”
Immediately when I read this, I knew we were to decree the year of “rescue and restore.” Lilies speak of Jesus, and also of our lips speaking sweet, fragrant words.
I want to show you how profound this Psalm is for the year of 5780 and the coming Gregorian year of 2020. I encourage you to study it, write it in your journals and align your heart with it, prophesying its promises over your own life, family and nation.
As you may know by now, the number 80 in Hebrew correlates with the 17th letter of the Hebrew alphabet, which is the letter pey. Pey has the numeric value of 80 and it symbolically means “mouth, word, expression, vocalization, speech and breath.”
This is a year of the mighty decree, and as we decree the answers ahead of time, God will come in great power to rescue and restore all that has been lost.
There is an amazing mystery hidden within this letter pey, as it is believed that this one letter is also made up of two other letters, kaf and yod. Without going too deep, it paints the picture of the divine spark (yod) of God, within the soul, or the place in the body where potential is actualized (kaf).
The pictorial letter itself looks like a spark inside an open mouth. This year holds a divine invitation for you to open your mouth with the spark, or decree, of God that will set into flame the fires of revival.
As you release the sparks of revelation that He reveals, prophesying His answers ahead of time, His plan of rescue and restore will be set into motion. You will begin to see, or have possibly already noticed, many prophetic words coming forth about decreeing in this coming year. Pay attention to these words, for they align with what God is saying.
This will be a year of increased intercession, prayer and declaration, and it will result in rapid answers and harvest.
The question is, what do we decree? I believe there are six key decrees found within Psalm 80.
- Decree: “God-Enthroned, be revealed in splendor.” I have been sensing for quite some time now that this new year is going to be a significant one. Every year is like a chapter with God, and each chapter reveals another facet of who He is. Within each chapter, we have a new invitation to step into and discover another realm of His glory, and I believe that this year, according to Psalm 80:1, will be a discovery of His splendor:
“God-Enthroned, be revealed in splendor
As You ride upon the cherubim!
How perfectly You lead us, a people set free.
Loving shepherd of Israel—
Listen to our hearts’ cry!
Shine forth from Your throne of dazzling light.”
Where there has been growing tensions and increased discord in the nations, it is all simply a stage being set for the king of kings to be revealed in His splendor and majesty.
The Amplified Bible translates the same verse this way:
“Hear us O Shepherd of Israel,
You who lead Joseph like a flock;
You who sit enthroned above the cherubim
[Of the ark of the covenant], shine forth!”
It is significant that Joseph is mentioned here, for Joseph was one who was in slavery and captivity for many years, until the time came for Jesus to be revealed through his life. This will be a year where many “Josephs” who have been in hiding will emerge onto the scene. Suddenly, they will appear with the answers of God. They are those of you who have been in captivity, but God has secretly been planting His answers within you all along for this very moment in time.
We will see these ones step onto the scene in such a profound and impactful way, for suddenly, the years the locusts have eaten from their lives will be washed away in a moment, and God will be revealed in His majesty and splendor through their lives. This is true not only for individuals, but nations. Where God’s people have been experiencing persecution across the earth, the shining light of His glory will burst forth upon them and shine through them and into the nations where they live.
- Decree: “Double the fruit for the years of pain.”
“In the sight of Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh, stir up Your mighty power in full display before our eyes. Break through and reveal Yourself by coming to our rescue” (Ps. 80:2, TPT).
The name Benjamin means, “Son of my right hand” (which points to Jesus); Ephraim means “doubly fruitful” and Manasseh means “causing to forget.” This speaks of those who have been in years of exile, slavery and bondage, as well as points to the bigger picture of nations having suffered under the hands of evildoers.
God is saying to the nations and individuals, “My power is about to be displayed in full; I am breaking through for you as you continue to cry out to Me. I am coming to your rescue, and you will say of Me, ‘The Son of Your right hand has rescued me, made me doubly fruitful and made me to forget my years of misery.'”
This reminds me of Psalm 90:15-16, where it says, “We’ve been overwhelmed with grief; come now and overwhelm us with gladness. Replace our years of trouble with decades of delight. Let us see Your miracles again, and let the rising generation see the glorious wonders You’re famous for.”
- Decree: “Revive us again, O God.”
“Revive us, O God! Let your beaming face shine upon us with the sunrise rays of glory; then nothing will be able to stop us” (Ps. 80:3).
As we call upon His name to revive us again, we are going to see the revivals of past generations culminate upon the earth like a roaring, raging fire. God is renewing and reviving in this coming year, and the flame of these fires will be sparked by your decrees.
I also felt that this was speaking of prodigal sons and daughters who have walked away from the Lord. There is a callback taking place in the spirit as we decree over them, “Revive them, Lord; then nothing will be able to stop them.”
- Decree: “Come back, O God, and restore!” The verses of Psalm 80:4-6 speak of years past—the pain, suffering, mistreatment and exile that many individuals and even nations have suffered through. But in Psalm 80:7 it says, “Come back, come back, O God, and restore us! You are the Commander of Angel Armies. Let Your beaming face shine upon us with the sunrise rays of glory, and then nothing will be able to stop us!”
God is saying to you in this hour, “Call upon Me to come back and restore.”
I see this restoration coming in power and might to broken marriages and families, and I also see this over nations that have turned away from God.
I see it specifically for the United States, which, in years past, has had God driven out of schools and governments. For those of you in the U.S., I felt impressed to tell you that as you continue to cry out to God, “Come back, come back, O God, and restore!” you are going to see His hand come in and sweep away the darkness in quick and swift motions.
I see sudden open doors where He will be unexpectedly invited back into schools, government and mountains of influence that will restore health and wholeness back into the United States, and ultimately, the nations of the earth. This is a year of redemption for you, and you will know it by how much the enemy kicks and screams.
“Do not fear them!” says the Lord over you, “For they will bow to Me because of you!”
You can take this individually as well, but I sense it strongly for the United States in particular. When reading Psalm 80:8-9, it speaks to me prophetically of America’s foundations:
“Remember how you transplanted us here like a tender vine from Egypt. You cleared the land for your vineyard, evicting the nations from your land and planting us here. The roots of your vineyard went deep into the soil and filled the land with fruit.”
- Decree: “Let blessing extend to every mountain of influence!” There is a prophetic declaration found in Psalm 80:10-11, both for individuals and for nations. Decree this over your life, family and nation:
“Because of Your favor on Your vineyard, blessing extended to every mountain of influence. Through this flourishing vineyard mighty ones were raised up. The nations were blessed by your fruitful vineyard of Israel, all the way from the Mediterranean to the Euphrates.”
God of the angel armies is raising up His mighty ones in this hour—that’s you—and His blessing will extend to every mountain of influence through your spoken words of fire. Where the enemy has long been the ruler over the mountains of influence, we are about to see God’s hand extend and overtake every mountain of influence through His people.
He is on a mission of rescue and restore over individuals, families and nations. I see this on a practical level as well—I see many families being moved to adopt babies and children, for this mission of rescue and restore is for the family. I see many individuals stepping into realms of government with the mission to restore godly family values back into legislation. I even see many families being led to purchase homes that are in need of restoration.
These are all prophetic signs of what God is doing on a deeper level. Family is being restored and it will become a place of safety and rescue, where prodigals will come from afar and sit at these tables and find Jesus again. We are going to see His hand of deliverance move in a mighty way for the destitute, the helpless, the unborn, the lost and the broken.
- Decree: “Strengthen the Branch-Man!” Finally, Psalm 80 finishes with this decree from verses 15-19; again, it speaks of family being the fruit of our lives:
“Nurture our root and our fruit with your loving care. Raise up the Branch-Man, the Son whom you’ve made strong. Enemies chopped down our vine and set it on fire; now show them your anger and let them perish by your frown. Strengthen this Branch-Man, the Son of your love, the Son of Man who dwells at your right hand. Then we will never turn back from you.
“Revive us again, that we may trust in you. O God, the mighty Commander of Angel Armies, come back and rescue us! Let your beaming face shine upon us with the sunrise rays of glory. Then nothing will ever stop us again!”
I encourage you to decree this over your year:
“Come back, O God, rescue and restore me. Raise me up as one of Your mighty ones in the earth; strengthen this Branch-Man in my life, in the lives of my family and in my nation. Revive me and let nothing stop me ever again. Pour out Your Spirit!” {eoa}
Christy Johnston was born and raised in Australia. After living the majority of her life plagued with insecurity and fear, she came to learn the power of her identity in Christ. She now lives with the mandate to breathe fresh hope and life into God’s sons and daughters through her passion of writing, uncovering the truths of living in grace and freedom through our identity in Christ. Nate and Christy have two daughters, Charlotte and Sophie, and currently live on the Gold Coast in Australia.
Joyce Meyer 
Stephen Strang 
Charisma Media Staff 
