“He Knows My Name”

My experience in Switzerland was marked by the sounds of bells. The first sound I heard walking through Fluelen was the captivating call of the church bells from the city center. Each time they rang I got chills feeling in my spirit a deeper call of God going out to the city inviting people to gather in His name for worship. No one responded. 

Exploring the Klingenstock mountains the next day we heard the sounds of tiny bells ringing all around. 

Following the sound we looked higher to discover milk cows grazing on the Swiss alps each adorned with a bell.  As we rode a gondola higher up the mountain the sounds of the bells continued to ring below us.  

The following afternoon we visited a store in Lucerne and purchased an enormous brass cow bell which dates back to 1880. Historically the largest bell was given to the lead cow and that each bell makes a distinct sound. The farmer knows each sound and can tell by hearing which cow is missing. 

Consider our individual voices and sounds, each unique, distinguishable and anointed with purpose. Voices that worship, teach, lead, pastor, influence, direct, guide, rally and support. The ear of our Heavenly Father is attuned, listening intently for each sound to take its place, joining the Heavenly orchestra. Each in its place releasing a unique sound for this day and time in the earth! He is listening, calling, waiting. 

The worship song I continue to hear associated with this message is an older song by Israel Houghton titled “He knows my name”. 

“But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭12‬:‭7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Psalms 37 affirms that The Lord “delights in every detail of your life.” He watches over even the most specific facets of who He has designed you to be. If you follow Him He will lead you into the next place of destiny for your life. Long awaited paths are opening up even now. 

Even as I record this post I can see and hear the movement of people and voices responding to God, taking their places, joining the chorus and releasing their sound “for such a time as this” in the earth all over the world.  

The post He Knows My Name first appeared on The Banquet Celebration.

The Battle Over The Gates Has Been Won

During an extended stay in Fluelen, Switzerland the Lord highlighted a familiar promise to me:

“Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭10‬:‭19‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Reading this verse I felt a sense of longing as if my spirit responded “how can I get there?”. The Lord impressed upon my spirit “can you imagine what you could do if you believed this?”

Beginning this post you can see the view from my room. A worship song by Hillsong is resonating in my spirit. Particularly these verses “every hour every minute You are loyal to me. You are faithful and you always will be…”

From the middle of June I perceived and experienced intense warfare as events unfolded beyond our control and we had to press with the help of other intercessors to break free. I felt that the enemy was trying to lock us in a pattern preventing us from moving forward.

As I stood in faith being refined by practicing patient endurance trusting God in the intense heat of the battle a long awaited breakthrough 20+ years in the making suddenly came to pass. I am now a licensed, ordained minister. 

There has been a great battle at the gates of your next place of destiny. Through standing in faithfulness and patient endurance the battle was, is, and will finally be won and long awaited breakthroughs are coming forth in your life. 

Today as I gaze upon the glorious, majestic Swiss Alps I can feel the refreshing God promised during this season. As the “faithfulness” song replays continually in my spirit it brings tears to my eyes knowing that the darkness we face has an endpoint and the glory on the other side is always greater than any you’ve ever experienced before. When faithfulness begins to break through in your lives you enjoy a long season of harvesting the fruit of your faith!

 Every word declared in the dark is echoing loudly as it breaks forth and shakes things loose in the light. 

The post The Battle Over The Gates Has Been Won first appeared on The Banquet Celebration.

“While Zechariah was in the sanctuary, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the incense altar. Zechariah was shaken and overwhelmed with fear when he saw him. But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John. Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I be sure this will happen? I’m an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years.” But now, since you didn’t believe what I said, you will be silent and unable to speak until the child is born. For my words will certainly be fulfilled at the proper time.””

‭‭Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭11‬-‭13‬, ‭18‬, ‭20‬ ‭NLT‬

“When the baby was eight days old, they all came for the circumcision ceremony. They wanted to name him Zechariah, after his father. “What?” they exclaimed. “There is no one in all your family by that name.” So they used gestures to ask the baby’s father what he wanted to name him. He motioned for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s surprise he wrote, “His name is John.””

‭‭Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭59‬, ‭61‬-‭63‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Discovering that people had to speak to Zechariah using hand gestures reveals to us that not only was he was unable to speak but he was also unable to hear due to his unbelief. 

A generation changing event was about to unfold  preparing for the greatest move of God yet to be witnessed since the beginning of time. In preparation for this moment Zechariah was literally cut off from the world only able to commune with God Almighty. He had to sharply attune his spirit to that “still small voice” that speaks to each of us. A voice that is easily ignored if other forces are competing for our attention. 

As this great prophet was formed in his mother’s womb his father was being prepared for the critical role he would play as he waited on the Lord learning the power of quietness and confidence. 

“This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength. But you would have none of it.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭30‬:‭15‬ ‭NLT‬‬

There is literally warfare happening over the gates of your promise. I can see the clash of kingdoms in the spirit.

In this moment a choice is being presented. Will you believe that every Word of God will prove itself true in your life or will you listen to the other voices trying to lure you into conflict?

Choose quietness and confidence and go through the gates!

The post In Quietness And Confidence first appeared on The Banquet Celebration.

On Sunday night, in midst of the most monumental, magnificent celebration ever to grace the White House lawn, I watched astounded as the Lord suddenly spoke through the most unlikely man. 

In an abrupt adjustment BO NICKAL defeated Kyle Daukaus by “technical knock out”. The victory came in the final minute of the first round. (This is significant)

Bo is an American fighter and his first action following his victory was to personally thank and honor President Trump. He was grateful for the opportunity to take the win! (This reminds me of Caleb who eagerly conquered the promised land and declared “give me my mountain”)

Interestingly this grand event took place on President Trump’s 80th birthday. Moses was 80  years old when he confronted pharaoh and delivered Israel. The Hebrew meaning of 80 is tied to strength and endurance. It is associated with reaching your limitations then pressing past them to another level. It means “prayer” and “testimony of the new man”. 

When Bo stood behind microphone he publicly thanked and honored our president then honored God quoting John 10:10 verbatim:

“The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”

‭‭John‬ ‭10‬:‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

In this moment, The Lord our God offered a choice and prophesied a turning point!

It was as though a clarion call went out to the nation as in the days of Paul Revere, except this time a choice was presented. “Choose blessing or cursing! Make your choice!”

I believe this point in time marks a turning point in our nation’s history. After decades of steady decline, falling away from God and experiencing the thievery of the enemy a turning point has been reached. God’s plan of blessing, favor and abundance is being realized. 

“The wicked flee when no one pursues, But the righteous are bold as a lion.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭28‬:‭1‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Align with abundance today, thank God for the opportunity and take your mountain!

The post A Prize Fighter’s Prophecy first appeared on The Banquet Celebration.

Over the weekend as excitement for our Sunday service began to mount I saw a vision of sailboats gliding through the atmosphere over the sanctuary. I understood this to mean that our Heavenly Father is drawing us into a season of wonder and awe. 

A church member came up to help pray for another on Sunday. Previously she had battled a 6 week period of sleeplessness but the Lord had healed her. As another seasoned saint stood at the altar, the Lord moved in the same way restoring peace and sweet sleep. The Lord gave me insight into this. 

The battle in this moment is over your ability to dream. If the enemy can inhibit your rest, he can hinder your ability to dream. 

“When the Lord brought back the captivity of Zion, We were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, And our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.””

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭126‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

This promise is spiraling repeatedly in the Spirit around you. It is being issued as an offer.  You must choose to grasp it and move with it or the moment will pass you by.  

Consider Joseph this month. The dreams of one man led to an entire nation’s deliverance.  Open yourself up to wild imaginations and dreams again. 

In the presence of Jesus, as Heaven touches your home, allow your expectations to elevate. Dream big!

Take a moment to repent for limited thinking, for living within the confines of small boundary lines. “Christ in me the hope of glory”! His dreams for your life are massive!

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭13‬:‭12‬ ‭NLT‬

You must first have a dream in order to see it fulfilled. 

“He gives seed to the sower”. Your seeds are magnificent dreams for the future. Plant them in faith, water them in worship then watch!

I think of Hannah who went to the altar appealing  to God. She exchanged her grief for a dream and then returned to the banquet with a new steady resolve. From that moment on she freely partook of the feast set before her with joy. She then entered a long season of multiple blessings. 

You will harvest the fruit of your wildest dreams in this season. 

The magnitude of the dream you carry will break you through the glass ceiling above as you spiral upward. 

Your ability to dream with God about the glories of your future positions you for expansion. 

It’s time to dream again. 

The post Enter Your Dream Season first appeared on The Banquet Celebration.

Go Through The Gates!

Warfare has intensified in the Spirit over the last few days of May. Often I’ve looked at the calendar in disbelief exclaiming: “is it still May?”

Beginning in the month of June the “summer fruit”will begin to break forth for you. The Lord is promising “you will be strengthened by the summer fruit”. Many hopes will result in happiness. Much faith will be met with glorious resolution. Hearing this prepares us to enter peace, rest, refurbishment and refreshing. However it is also a planting season. 

Throughout this past month as heavy, monumental seeds were sown all over our country through the National Day of Prayer and Rededicate 250 I’ve heard the Lord say “I’ve enriched the soil”. Enriched soil maintains the integrity of the seeds planted. 

“Then the earth will answer the thirsty cries of the grain, the grapevines, and the olive trees. And they in turn will answer, ‘Jezreel’—‘God plants!’”

‭‭Hosea‬ ‭2‬:‭22‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Prepare yourself to enter a season of both harvest and planting ensuring that we bare fruit in every season. I see you gaining momentum this month as you see prayers being answered in magnified detail, beyond your wildest imaginations. Such outcomes will fuel your intercession to ask and expect even greater results. 

On the morning of the National Day of Prayer the Lord rallied me with this promise “another level, a greater mantle”! 

Reminding me of the story of the loaves and fishes He refreshed my understanding with a new revelation: it was the actions of one that blessed the multitudes! One gave and 5000 were blessed!  There are times to work with a team and times when you must believe in the power of one! Christ in me the hope of glory!

With this new understanding as I pray for territories and entities the Lord has assigned to my care I now say “I spread my mantle over this” seeing them come under my covering of prayer and blessing. 

Starting in the month of December the Lord assigned this promise to me: 

“Open up, ancient gates! Open up, ancient doors, and let the King of glory enter. Who is the King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty; the Lord, invincible in battle.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭24‬:‭7‬-‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Faithfully my husband and I have declared this in prayer every day since that time. I even released it in the House of Representatives in Washington. Normally this assignment would continue for the remainder of the year but on May 26th there was a sudden sharp shift. 

It was the day of a major milestone, my 25th wedding anniversary. I was on a prayer call when the Lord turned my attention to Isaiah 62. 

“Wham!” I saw a marking post had been planted in the Spirit illustrating a sharp turn:

“Go through, Go through the gates! Prepare the way for the people; Build up, Build up the highway! Take out the stones, Lift up a banner for the peoples!”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭62‬:‭10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

I encourage you today to begin praying this promise over every name on your prayer list. For some the fruit will break forth quickly, for others seeds will be planted in enriched soil with a future break through date. 

Go through the gates!

The post Go Through The Gates! first appeared on The Banquet Celebration.

Count Your Milestones And Rejoice!

“But the people of God will sing a song of joy, like the songs at the holy festivals. You will be filled with joy, as when a flutist leads a group of pilgrims to Jerusalem, the mountain of the Lord— to the Rock of Israel. And the Lord will make his majestic voice heard. He will display the strength of his mighty arm. It will descend with devouring flames, with cloudbursts, thunderstorms, and huge hailstones.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭30‬:‭29‬-‭30‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Following an extravagant worship service, as I tried to sit down, the Lord spoke to me through the thick cloud of glory immersed in the atmosphere saying “count your milestones and rejoice”! 

Suddenly I realized this is a year of milestones for my family! One child in college, the other starting in the fall, this month my husband and I will celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary and next month my parents will celebrate their 50th!

Take a moment to pause, appraise, consider, take note of and add up your own personal milestones. See all the wonderful things He has done in your life. It’s a “stop and praise” Him moment as we turn the corner!

Often we get so caught up in the battle, in the hard press forward, that we fail to glorify God for the milestones we’ve surpassed along the way. 

Today I perceive an enormous transition ahead. I feel the fear of the Lord and the need to quietly observe and listen. The strong, mighty arm of God is about to reach forward into your future and open up something enormous. 

The post Count Your Milestones And Rejoice first appeared on The Banquet Celebration.

You Are About To Conquer The Night Season

The Lord impressed upon me to consider what certain prophets today are focusing on. Asking “do they talk more about the darkness than the light?”  We are children of the light therefore we should always in every circumstance watch for even the tiniest glimpse of light!

“He opened the heavens and came down; dark storm clouds were beneath his feet. Mounted on a mighty angelic being, he flew, soaring on the wings of the wind. He shrouded himself in darkness, veiling his approach with dark rain clouds.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭18‬:‭9‬-‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Stop for a moment and consider what is in the other side of the darkness you are facing! You may be seeing a tough battle but all the might of Heaven is mounting up on the other side! The enemy is surrounded and he doesn’t even know it because the Lord’s approach is hidden!

“Let the faithful rejoice that he honors them. Let them sing for joy as they lie on their beds.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭149‬:‭5

Holy Spirit began repeating this verse to me over and over until I opened my mouth and began reciting it to God in prayer. Consider the meaning of this verse. When are we on our beds? When does the enemy like to attack us? In the night season! This speaks of being awakened at night with rejoicing! 

With the strength of Heaven you will conquer the “night season”. 

The next verse reads:

“Let the praises of God be in their mouths, and a sharp sword in their hands—”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭149‬:‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

In 2024, as I prepared to visit Washington DC with my children as part of the Family Research Council prayer team for Pray, Vote Stand just weeks before the most critical election of my lifetime, an election that would determine the future of our nation, I heard this verse. This verse armed me for battle. 

It illustrates how we conquer. With a heart of worship and praise balanced with the Word of God. Stopping to look up to Heaven with celebration, adoration and thankfulness then advancing cutting open the path ahead by declaring the commands and promises of God. This is the method of movement was used by King David when he learned the proper way to move the ark of the Covenant to the city of David!

“Give us gladness in proportion to our former misery! Replace the evil years with good. Let us, your servants, see you work again; let our children see your glory.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭90‬:‭15‬-‭16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

We are approaching a great harvest of the fully ripe “fruit” of decades of prayer, hope and expectation!

The post You Are About To Conquer The Night Season first appeared on The Banquet Celebration.

Solomon’s Garden Season

A few weeks ago the Lord suddenly spoke the words “you have entered Solomon’s garden”. After hearing this I visited a church that had dedicated 12+ hours a day for several weeks to constant prayer and worship. Standing up to speak, saturated in the presence of God, I gazed around the room and perceived enormous flowers in the spirit filling the room like a garden. They were as tall as the people in the room. At that moment I understood that the church had already entered the place of their hopes and were spiritually standing in their harvest field. 

What can you expect to find in “Solomon’s Garden”?

1. Solomon’s Garden is a place of encounter. 

“How pleasing is your fragrance; your name is like the spreading fragrance of scented oils. No wonder all the young women love you! Take me with you; come, let’s run! The king has brought me into his bedroom. How happy we are for you, O king. We praise your love even more than wine. How right they are to adore you.”

‭‭Song of Songs‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Persistently the Hand Of God knocks on the doors of hearts seeking to gain entrance. Knock, knock, knock. His gentle knock is accompanied by the beckoning of that still small voice drawing hearts to desire more. 

The Father’s love, the love of Christ and brotherly love mark this season inspiring new alliances which will birth Heavenly plans. 

An invitation has gone out drawing you into greater depths where you see Him clearly, hear His voice loudly and know Him with certainty. You are living in the moment you’ve hoped for! “Take me with you; come, let’s run!”

1. In Solomons Garden the beauty of His works surround us. 

“How beautiful you are, my darling, how beautiful! Your eyes are like doves. You are so handsome, my love, pleasing beyond words! The soft grass is our bed; fragrant cedar branches are the beams of our house, and pleasant smelling firs are the rafters.”

‭‭Song of Songs‬ ‭1‬:‭15‬-‭17‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Consider your surroundings. Look in every direction and observe that you are blanketed by favor and surrounded by the beauty of His faithfulness. You are blessed!

1. Solomon’s Garden is a staging area for your “next”. 

“My lover said to me, “Rise up, my darling! Come away with me, my fair one! Look, the winter is past, and the rains are over and gone. The flowers are springing up, the season of singing birds has come, and the cooing of turtledoves fills the air.”

‭‭Song of Songs‬ ‭2‬:‭10‬-‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Recently while on a prayer assignment in Washington DC I was in a prayer room with a powerful group of intercessors warring against a relentless spirit of witchcraft which had entered to try and defy God’s plans. I watched in the spirit while a husband and wife from New York began to take authority over it. As the wife prayed I saw a giant hammer strike an enormous tent peg into the ground with great force right in the center of our prayer circle. “Whack”! The action repeated itself several times while she prayed. I could actually feel the striking force of the hammer. I discovered later that the couple pastored a church in Queens and were nearing the end of a prayer assignment given by Apostle Chuck Pierce which sent them all over New York striking tent pegs into the ground claiming territory for the Kingdom of God! The three of us were astonished and blessed by my vision. Until that moment they had focused so intently on the assignment that they had not stopped to witness the power breaking forth as a result. 

A completed work has taken place in your lives and even in the lives of those around you and many are ready for more, ready for the “next”! 

1. Solomon’s Garden is a place of refreshing for the adventure ahead.  

“You are as exciting, my darling, as a mare among Pharaoh’s stallions.”

‭‭Song of Songs‬ ‭1‬:‭9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Hearing His voice, feeling His heart, speaking His words, moving with His Spirit will become the driving force of your lives. Jesus is our obsession. 

1. It is a site of new beginnings. 

“Awake, north wind! Rise up, south wind! Blow on my garden and spread its fragrance all around. Come into your garden, my love; taste its finest fruits.”

‭‭Song of Songs‬ ‭4‬:‭16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The delightful fragrance of bread baking in the oven is sensed prior to our eyes gazing upon the finished product.  Fragrance appeals to the senses guiding us to the next step which is to partake. A fragrance indicates you are getting close to something wonderful. 

The north and the south winds are working on your behalf. One is a drenching stormy rain while the other brings the heat of the sun. Together they contrive new life. 

Sometimes the force of the wind has felt violent, even distracting. 

The fragrance of the fulfillment of your prayers, hopes and dreams is wafting through the air even now. 

6.Solomon’s Garden is connected to revival. 

“All Your works shall praise You, O Lord, And Your saints shall bless You.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭145‬:‭10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Entering the garden you find a place of blessing, breakthrough. You are met with the favor of a King and the overwhelming love of a Father. Many will be drawn in by His great love which permeates the atmosphere. 

May the Lord be glorified in your blessings and breakthroughs. Begin to look for the tiny shoots springing up from the ground and rejoice in even the small beginnings. 

The post Solomon’s Garden Season first appeared on The Banquet Celebration.

You Have Entered Solomon’s Garden

Today I discerned a distinctive shift in the Spirit and began to understand that we are now in a completely different place. We are living in a sudden moment. 

“Awake, north wind! Rise up, south wind! Blow on my garden and spread its fragrance all around. Come into your garden, my love; taste its finest fruits.”

‭‭Song of Songs‬ ‭4‬:‭16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Beginning earlier in the week at a powerful gathering of prophets and intercessors on Tuesday evening, while a blood moon hung in the sky, I heard a stirring in the Spirit inspiring people to call forth the fruit of their labors. 

Specifically the Lord encouraged me to ask that He “multiply the effectiveness of our every effort”. This includes every place you have focused your attention even if only for a moment. He inspired me to call the “hard pathways” to “overflow with abundance”. 

“Let us, your servants, see you work again; let our children see your glory. And may the Lord our God show us his approval and make our efforts successful. Yes, make our efforts successful!”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭90‬:‭16‬-‭17‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Excitingly the New King James Version finishes with “establish the work of our hands for us”.  I feel the Father’s heart inspiring His people to begin to pray with expectation seeking the manifestation of what you’ve hoped for. 

“You faithfully answer our prayers with awesome deeds, O God our savior. You are the hope of everyone on earth, even those who sail on distant seas.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭65‬:‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

With fervent hope you’ve released your best intercession to Heaven and now His response will be nothing short of glorious. The prayers of the faithful result in awesome deeds released by the hand of God Almighty. 

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭3‬:‭20‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

May I encourage you today to enter Solomon’s garden, call upon the north and south wind to stir up the fragrance of what is beginning to break forth all around you. Enter and believe that He “faithfully answers our prayers with awesome deeds”.  It’s time to tell God “I’m ready”!

The post You Have Entered Solomon’s Garden first appeared on The Banquet Celebration.