PREPARING FOR 2021

“Umm…Deborah. We are still in November. Isn’t it too early to start preparing for 2021?”

It’s never too early to start preparing for something important – and I believe the start of a new decade is very important.

At the beginning of the year, God gave me a word on ‘rest.’ My mind went in a hundred different directions, and I thought, “What am I resting from/for?” However, as the year played out, I began to understand.

Truthfully, I entered 2020 with some trepidation. I had noticed certain patterns play out in previous ‘special’ years in my life, so I was rather apprehensive of this one.

But it has turned out to be a very defining and pivotal year for me:
I have done things I never imagined I would do at the beginning of the year. I have gone places that were definitely not in my plans, and I have met people I never imagined I would meet.
My life’s trajectory went down a completely different path from what I had always thought or assumed it would be – and it was because I did something this year that I had never done before:

I refused to move or take a step – until I got clear directions for the year. No matter how long it took.

Usually, I would go on auto-mode. I would do the usual ‘waiting’ at the beginning of the year – while going ahead with my plans and everyday activities.

But not this time.

I turned down two major opportunities because I kept feeling God wanted me to wait. I didn’t tell anyone because I knew that, in love, they would tell me to take the offers – and still wait on God.

But I sensed God wanted me to really ‘wait’ – totally let go of everything I had in mind or assumed. I just knew I couldn’t take on those opportunities – and still wait the way He wanted me to.

My head kept screaming, “Deborah, this is foolishness! You can still move – and wait! Wisdom is profitable to direct!” But a quiet voice in my heart was saying, “Don’t move. Stay. Wait. Be still.”

So, I decided to be ‘foolish’ and just stay and not move until I heard clearly. It was scary, but I decided to just do it.

I began spending more time in prayer and the Word. Everytime I opened the Word or went into His presence, I went in really expectant and hungry – my spiritual ears straining to hear, spiritual ears desperate to see. Really waiting.

At first, I didn’t really hear anything ‘special’ or clear-cut – and then, God began to speak.

He showed me things I didn’t expect…
He told me things that blew my mind…
…and then He took me on a totally different path from what I had thought and assumed He wanted me to take.

You see, we live in a world where we have to constantly move. Constantly be active. Constantly run. Constantly “do something.”

However, activity does not always equal Progress or Purpose in God’s sight.

Joseph Prince once said, “Waiting Time Is Never Wasted Time.”

It is true.

I can give you a list of strategies for 2021 – but I won’t. Rather, I will condense all into one strategy where all others will flow out from:

Wait On The Lord.

I’m not talking about your regular waiting where you fast and pray for the new year and all that. Neither am I talking about your ‘denominational’ waiting that is done at the beginning or end of the year. All these are perfectly fine – but I am talking about really waiting to hear, to get directions, instructions and leading.

If you must, go into His presence with your list, goals and plans. That’s perfectly fine. However, once you get in there, drop them at His feet – and bring out a new, fresh and empty slate. Then wait for Him to write on it.

In other words, when you wait, wait tabula rasa.

God fills you to the capacity you are able to receive. I have had situations where I get revelations and it bombards me – and I tell God, “I can’t handle this. It’s too much…or too deep…or I don’t have enough time right now…” or whatever. Immediately, it stops because my receiving capacity has run out.

It’s the same thing when we wait on God with our slates. Sometimes, God writes just a line or two on them because the remaining space is filled with our plans, our dreams, our desires, our goals – so He is only able to give us a little bit of what He actually has for us.

You don’t have to shut down everything and disappear from your family or work, as I explained in Chapter Two of my free ebook ‘According To Pattern’. However, make sure you create time to be in His presence. While there,

He might refer you back to your list, untouched;
Or He might tweak it and add His own thoughts;
Or He might totally tear up your list and give you a brand new one.

But, whatever He does, God has plans for you for 2021.

Make sure you get them.