During our 50-State Tour meeting in Providence, Rhode Island, the Spirit of the Lord began to align us with the redemp- tive history of that state. (The history of Rhode Island is incred- ible!) In the process of the message, the Lord began to speak that this would be one of the first states where there would be a sweeping move of repentance.
The simple meaning of repentance is to change your mind. So many times we develop a belief system that is not aligned with the absolute Word of the Lord; or we start off believing right but then add other worldly knowledge to our knowledge of who God is and develop other thought patterns. This is how strongholds and iniquitous patterns develop. Second Corinthians 10:3-6 says:
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 in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all dis- obedience when your obedience is fulfilled.
These thought processes have to be dismantled if we are ever going to express the mind and heart of God.
Repentance has three phases: intellectual, emotional, and volitional. First, there is an intellectual aspect of repentance. When we gain knowledge that something in our own life or thoughts is not right, we have to change the way we think to incorporate that knowledge.
Next, there is an emotional aspect to repentance. Our emo- tions actually store many of our memories. When we are wounded, we remember. When we experience trauma, we remember. When we violate a principle of God and suffer the consequences, our emotions are affected. In other words, we can know we need to forgive, but our emotions never give up the wound.
The third aspect of repentance is volitional. Our will must change. There has to be an action based upon your new thought processes. This is why so many prophets demonstrate through prophetic actions the required change of mind that God is requesting His people to make. This also means that you cannot voice a change of mind and then continue to practice the same old sin pattern.
When we repent, we change our mind and take a turn onto our new path of victory. The Lord accomplished this in many ways throughout the Word of God. He would bless His people abundantly, as He did with Peter in Luke chapter 5. He would bring judgment. He would dry up heavens or change atmos- pheres. And at all times, the Lord is longsuffering, in order to provoke us to think the way He thinks.
In Restoring Your Shield of Faith, Robert Heidler and I share that to enter into a new dimension of faith we must:
Develop His mind-set. We can’t lean on our own under- standing because we will never make the right choice with our limited knowledge. Philippians 2:5-8 makes it clear: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who…made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant….He humbled Himself and became obedi- ent.” Romans 12:2 declares, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” This simply means we cannot let Satan’s scheme shape our thinking to be that of the world. Also, we cannot allow outward appearances to deceive us, causing us to miss what God is doing. We must prove the voice of God and practice in everyday life what God’s will from heaven is declaring to us. Romans 8:7 explains: “The carnal mind is enmity against God.” We declare that the Lord will put His finger on every area of carnality in our thinking.
We must also learn to express His heart. I love to proph- esy. We war with our prophecies. Many of us never enter into a new place because we don’t know how to war with the word God has given us. However, we for- get that prophecy is not just speaking truth. Prophecy is expressing the mind and heart of God. We need to let the Lord deal with our emotions so that they do not interfere with His communicating His heartbeat. We declare that all self-pity and hope deferred are being removed from us. Bitterness and unforgiveness are leaving so that we can express what God is thinking. We will not let inordinate affection cause us to mis- align. The heart can have weights or attachments that create shifts. These shifts can prevent us from entering into a new dimension of faith. I declare a free heart over all of us. 21
This causes us to develop a Kingdom mentality. The Kingdom of God is within us. We build the Church, but we receive keys to the Kingdom. We need to study the Kingdom. Matthew 11:12b declares, “Now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.” The Kingdom advances in victory. This occurs through violent spiritual conflict and warfare. When the Church acts as God’s warring agent, the Kingdom increases. Let us lift up our shield and sharpen our sword because they are both important in God’s Kingdom conflicts ahead.