While watching Wonder Woman with my family, I sensed the Holy Spirit present a series of prophetic thoughts directed at what He is doing in women in this generation.
The Lord is handing out swords to women in this hour!
A sword represents authority. A sword qualifies you to fight. A sword is not a shield. A shield is defensive, but a sword is offensive.
In the spirit, I see the King of glory knighting women with swords, as if to authorize them to offensively advance the kingdom into spheres of society that demand solutions only Holy Spirit can provide. When men carry these solutions, half of the assignment is being accomplished—and that’s great. But when the Spirit was poured out, men represented only half of the containers purposed to carry God’s glory, power and strategies into the earth; women are the missing link. I believe God’s wonder women are the key to unlocking the fullness of outpouring into the earth, an outpouring that will only come to the world through the people of God.
The Lord is releasing women from the restraints of the “Women’s Conference Circuit.”
As daughters of God, you carry messages, anointings, talents and leadership abilities that are purposed to bring solutions to problems. It’s not just solutions for women; it’s solutions for both the body of Christ and society at large.
For too long, Christianity has perpetuated a “women’s conference” mentality, where anointed and gifted women preachers are given opportunities to share what Holy Spirit has put on their hearts—but in a restrained setting, woman-to-woman. Yes, continue to have women’s conferences. Yes, continue to ensure that women disciple women. The problem is this cannot be all there is.
I prophesy that the hour is at hand where women are going to be released from exclusively speaking to women. Because they have been knighted by their Father in heaven, I see the daughters of God arising to boldly declare the Word of the Lord to the church and release supernatural solutions into the broken parts of society.
The Lord is releasing mantles to women.
A mantle was passed from Elijah the prophet to Elisha, his successor. In charismatic circles, we have this picture of receiving someone else’s mantle: “I want the mantle of Wigglesworth” or “I want the mantle of Kuhlman.” This cheapens what mantles are, as they are not for a human being to give, nor are they exclusive property of one person or another. Mantles are God’s to give, and they represent supernatural power for specific assignments.
The Spirit is not passing out mantles based on the qualification of gender. Women of God, if you read historical examples of men serving as catalysts for national awakening, for engaging cultural crisis and shifting the course of history, I sense the Holy Spirit is asking you a question: Do you want it? How do you know that God might have one to give you? Simple.
- What problems in society or the church particularly burden you? Do you have a passion to bring solutions to these issues?
- What stories and historical figures cause your heart to burn? Those past examples are testimonies of what measure of change and transformation are possible through an able and willing man or woman.
Mantles are not for charismatic showcase—to show off our power, gifts of the Spirit, abilities or other gits. Mantles provide “able to your willing.” They are endowments of unusual supernatural power and strategy, not so you can appear spiritual, but so you can solve problems through the Holy Spirit’s means and methods. Mantles are the exclusive property of God and God alone; He distributes them as He sovereignly desires. And yet, the sovereign God is searching the earth for those who are filled with His Spirit, burdened for what burdens Him and asking for a mantle of transformational power. So what qualifies you to receive this?
What qualifies you for a mantle?
While processing this word about mantles, I sensed that, for many women, there is often a wall. It makes sense for women to ask for mantles that were on the “wonder women” of the past—Aimee Semple McPherson, Kathryn Kuhlman or Maria Woodworth-Etter. But what about women asking for the mantles upon Billy Graham, Reinhard Bonnke, William Wilberforce or Jonathan Edwards?
What makes mantles spiritually appealing are the end results we tend to focus on as recorded in history books: cities transformed, bodies healed, devils cast out, nations reformed, multitudes of souls brought into the kingdom, supernatural strategies that release solutions. But for history to truly and fully capture what’s involved in stewarding a mantle—an assignment from heaven with significant, measurable results—yes, end results must be presented, along with the cost. The demand. The price. And the question: Do you want it? How you answer this question determines your qualification to receive mantles from heaven, regardless of the gender of the person who stewarded them in times past.
Do you want what those reformers and revivalists of old carried? Do you want that level of glory? Are you willing to pay that high a price?
Gender does not qualify you to be used by God in a history-shaping, reformational manner. Gender does not qualify you to receive or not receive a mantle. Consider Paul’s reminding words to the Galatians: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, and there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28).
What qualifies you is the same response that qualified every person throughout history who has ever been used by God: will you say yes? It’s one thing to say yes with your lips; will you say it with your life? Your yes qualifies you for the mantle that God wants to give you, in the same manner that Elisha’s yes to Elijah qualified him to receive that “double portion” mantle.
A Prophetic Restoration of the Genesis 1 Dominion Mandate
There are several moments in Wonder Woman where both the lead male character and Diana (Wonder Woman) are fighting the enemy, side by side. The male is not less masculine because of the presence of a powerful woman. Likewise, the powerful woman is not hidden so the strength of the male can be given prominence.
When male and female—operating in their created capacities and identifies—take up their weapons of warfare and fight together, I believe Satan will experience a nightmare scenario.
The redemptive work of Jesus on the cross set us free from the curse of the law (Gal. 3:13). I often fear that the modern church is not aware of how expansive her redemption is. When the Spirit of God was poured out on Pentecost, power was released, thus authorizing both men and women to advance the kingdom of God on earth. The disciples asked about when the kingdom would be restored to Israel, right? Jesus didn’t ignore their question with His response; He just issued a superior answer. They were asking about some form of world takeover; Jesus introduced something infinitely more powerful and impacting.
Remember how Paul explained our kingdom-advancing assignment: “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds” (2 Cor. 10:3-4). We do warfare in the invisible realm. As victories are secured in the Spirit, there are measurable tangible shifts in the visible realm. There are cultural changes. Governments are impacted. Bodies are healed. Torment is broken. This demands prayer and intercession, yes, but it also demands presence. It demands the presence of God being carried by men and women into the epicenters of battle—into media, arts, entertainment, politics, government, education and every other sphere of society. It demands man and woman fighting together, without distraction—without men compromising their distinctiveness, and likewise, without women laying down theirs. When men and women partner together to do warfare in the spirit realm, occupying high places of leadership and influence, a dominion is released that takes us right back to Genesis 1.
God’s assignment to man and woman, together, was: “And God blessed them. And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves on the earth'” (Gen. 1:28).
God blessed them, not just him (Adam).
God said to them to “subdue” the earth and have “dominion … over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
When men and women fight together, lead together, preach together and advance the kingdom together, there will be a powerful manifestation of darkness being subdued and the “creeping ones”—Satan and his demons—being crushed under the feet of an authorized and anointed ekklesia.
Decrees Over God’s Wonder(s) Women
I decree that you are receiving a sword in this season—a sword of authority for your assignment. I decree that, right now, you are being set free from any intimidation associated with the assignment the Lord is extending to you.
I break off word-curses that have been pronounced over you.
I break off the lie that your words, voice and your thoughts don’t matter, either because they were rejected or because someone spoke over you.
I decree your words matter—if women don’t prophesy, lead and boldly speak forth, the fullness of Holy Spirit outpouring will not be released. It’s a “sons and daughters” movement.
I decree that mantles are being released by the sovereign God—not male or female mantles, but Holy Spirit mantles that release power for reformation assignments and callings.
I decree that you are qualified for these mantles, not because of your gender, but because you said yes to the One who distributes mantles.
For the Lord would ask: Do you want it? His invitation is not exclusive to a certain gender; it’s for whomsoever will. Take up the sword and step into your assignment. You are God’s wonders woman, anointed and authorized to release the wonders of His kingdom into the earth! {eoa}
