And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. Luke 1:31
The story of Mary in the bible has in the past two years become one of my favourites. One of the lessons I have come to learn is understanding seasons. The life of Mary has taught me to understand that when God wants to birth something on earth He needs a man. When He finds a man, He would send His word. Once the word is received in the heart of the man it goes through three stages, conception, pregnancy, and birth. Understanding these three seasons enables us to assume the right posture and respond correctly.
Conception: This is a season when the word is received and planted in the heart of the believer. Conception requires intimacy. Just as it is in the natural so it is in the spiritual. Because conception requires intimacy, this would be the greatest area of attack in this season. Anything to get you to not spend time with God will be thrown at you.
In conception, surrender is required. Receiving God’s seed is receiving His agenda, it will interrupt yours as it did for David, Mary, and others. Mary’s plan was not to be a pregnant virgin, I’m sure David had no thoughts of being king as he raised his father’s sheep. God’s plan would require you to let go of your plans and agenda.
Surrendering I believe is one of the biggest hindrances to birthing God’s will on earth because if we are being honest, God’s agenda isn’t a priority in many churches and in many of our lives. We may have unconsciously allowed the metrics of success set by culture, society, or our environment to become the same standards by which we measure spiritual growth and progress. Therefore, many believers pursue success with no attention to the desire of the one we call King. If in His mercy, He interrupts our plans inviting us into the place of intimacy, we bind and cast, thinking it must be the devil trying to hinder our plans, because it has not been engrained in us that His agenda would interrupt ours, like it was for Mary.
There may be someone reading this today whose life isn’t going as planned. You’ve done all you know to do and it just not working. Could it be a divine interruption? Could it be God saying I’ve got something bigger and better than you can imagine?
Finally, the season of conception requires faith. When His word comes, it would be exceedingly abundantly above all you can ask or think or imagine. Would you choose Faith over sight and Trust over understanding? Would you like Mary say “Be it unto me according to your word”?
There are some of you God is bringing into a season of conception. He is saying there are certain things I want to do on earth as it is in heaven but I need a man/woman who would partner with me to conceive my seed (The word) on earth, nurture it, grow it and birth it. I am looking for the Davids who can receive my call to be king even as shepherds, I’m looking for the Josephs who would believe the dreams I’m giving them, understanding that it is about my Kingdom and my agenda.
Pregnancy: This is the feeding stage. At this point, you have received the word. You have conceived. it is time to feed, nurture and grow that seed inside of you. You must eat right because the seed in you will be fed from what you eat. You feed the seed by speaking, your words serve as food. But in order to speak right, you must fill your heart with the right food- the word. For out of the abundance of your heart, your mouth will speak. You must spend time in the word, you should consciously surround yourself with any resource that feeds that which you have conceived and you stay away from anything that can affect the lie of that which you have conceived.
The attack in this phase is to get you to abort that which is conceived with your words. The Bible says Life and death is in the power of the tongue (Proverbs 18:21). You therefore must understand that just the way you feed and give life to the seed with your words, you can kill with your words that which you have conceived. There was a reason Zachariah was made dump until John was born. No matter what is thrown your way, speak life. Don’t abort your pregnancy
Birth: And they said unto him, “Thus saith Hezekiah: ‘This day is a day of trouble and of rebuke and of blasphemy; for the children have come to birth, and there is not strength to bring forth. Isaiah 37:3
Strength is what is needed in this season, and this may be the most difficult of all seasons. Strength to go past the pain and push. Strength to keep standing on the word in face of the contrary. Strength to not waiver and keep giving God the glory like Abraham. Strength to remain in prison while trusting God for deliverance like Joseph. Strength to not give up.
Even Jesus needed it. When He went up to pray at Mount Olive, Jesus was at the place of birth. It was time to birth the new testament, He needed strength to do that. As he prayed the bible says “And there appeared an angel unto Him from Heaven, strengthening Him.” Luke 22:43. It takes strength to birth.
I believe there are many in the season of birthing. I pray that God will strengthen each one in this season. I pray He will cause each one in this season to bring forth. Don’t quit, you’ve come too far. Stay the course, push for joy awaits you.
