Someone reached out to me this morning for prayer saying that they feel discouraged because the pressure in their life has intensified and that they want to be sure that they are making the right decisions. As I prayed for this person, God immediately began to speak to me. He said to apply the pressure.
First, understand that many of God's chosen people are under pressure right now. It's not just you. God is raising up an army in these last days, and He needs us to be prepared for what's to come. The pressure that we are feeling is resistance training! God told me that this training is preparing us for the next season of our lives, where there will be blessings but also lots of resistance. Remember, to much is given, much is required. Remember, the greater the anointing, the greater the attacks. We are asking for more, and God is giving us more. However, the more that He is giving us will attract opposition. The enemy does not bother you when you're idle and stagnant, but the moment you begin to operate in your authority, gifts, anointing, and power, he sees you as a threat and begins to attack you. That's why you are feeling the pressure. The pressure does not mean you made a mistake or the wrong decision. It means the exact opposite. The pressure means you are in your rightful position and made the right choice. All hell may be breaking loose in your life after you made a decision out of obedience to God. Take that as a sign that you made the right choice! And understand that you are not alone. All of us who answered the call of God this season and made some hard but obedient decisions are going through pressure too. You are not alone. We are all in this together, and we will all make it out together in one piece--stronger than ever.
Second, understand that the enemy may be attacking you and causing the pressure, but God is allowing the pressure because He is using it to make you stronger. You may have prayed for the pressure to ease up and it hasn't. I want to encourage you to change your perspective. Embrace the pressure. Apply the pressure. Because God is using it to make you stronger. Genesis 50:20 tells us that what the enemy uses for evil, God uses for our good. God can take the same thing the enemy is using to discourage us to build us up, and that's exactly what He's doing right now. Well, how could this pressure be making me stronger? I feel weaker. It's because you are looking at your circumstances from the wrong perspective. You're allowing the enemy to get in your head and tell you that you made the wrong decision, that this pressure is going to kill you, that you need to give up. Giving up is aborting the process. Don't stop the process. Stopping the process is stopping your progress. Think about it like this: you're in the gym training with a personal trainer. Each time you come to train, the trainer adds more weight. The pressure is getting heavier. What was once easy is becoming harder because you're having to squat with heavier weights. It doesn't feel good. You want to stop, but the trainer is in your ear telling you to keep going. At this point, you're ready to cuss your trainer out. However, it's the trainer's job to push you because no pain, no gain. Your muscles won't grow if you only use a weight that you're comfortable with. Your body will get used to the weight and will, therefore, not grow. If you want gain, you must increase the weight, or the pressure. God is in the character building business. He's in the growth business. God's desire is to mature us and perfect us. That is why He allows us to go under pressure. He doesn't just give us what we want or the plan He has for us without first preparing us for it. We will fumble the bag if we get it without preparation. This pressure you're feeling is your preparation. God does not want you to fumble the bag. God does not want you to mishandle what He has for you. Therefore, you must endure the process.
Third, the pressure is so intense because we are in an accelarated training session. We are learning years of material in weeks/months. God is taking us on the fast-track this season because He needs us out there doing the work ASAP. However, He needs us fully equipped to handle what will come at us out there. Therefore, He is training us intensively at a faster rate. Understand that this season will be over sooner than you think, if you apply the pressure--if you let the pressure mature you and grow you. When the pressure is upon you, you can do one of two things: you can apply the pressure or you can allow the pressure to take you down. The weight of the pressure can take you down if you let it. Gravity wants to pull you down. The enemy wants the pressure to pull you down. However, you have to resist. That is why it's called resistance training. You are resisting gravity--that natural pull down--that natural urge to buckle under pressure. God wants you defying gravity in this season. Resist that urge to buckle, and do the opposite. You may ask how do I practically apply pressure. You apply pressure by resisting the urge to be down, resisting the urge to be discouraged, resisting the urge to complain, resisting the urge to remain stagnant, resisting the urge to give up. Instead, stay in prayer, read your Bible to increase your faith, hold on to your faith, allow the Holy Spirit to shape you and mature you, stay in a place of worship, fast, don't let the enemy steal your joy or peace, and after you've done all you can and know to do, just stand--stand on the solid rock--stand on God's word and don't back down no matter what!
God is training us for the frontline. God is pushing His remnant out to the forefront, but He needs us ready. A bunch of new faces are about to emerge. New prophets. New intercessors. New world changers. New voices. And it's so amazing and exciting, but we must be ready for the new position. God can't have weak soldiers in His army. Soldiers that run at the first sign of opposition. He can't use fearful soldiers. Soldiers who are too afraid of being canceled by culture so they remain quiet. No! He needs strong soldiers who won't back down. Most of us have the heart to do it, which is why He chose us, but we aren't fully ready for the opposition that awaits us. Remember, even the Promise Land had giants. Your new place of promise has giants. You can't see yourself as a grasshopper and expect to conquer them. You must see yourself in the spirit, and some of us are still battling identity issues based of past trauma. Some of us have low self-esteem in the natural, which hinders us from being all that we are called to be. It causes us to shrink back in fear. God is using this pressure to reveal who you truly are and for you to fully walk in that identity.
Remember, you are not alone in this training. I am in it to. I encourage you, if you haven't already, to fellowship with other believers. The enemy wants to isolate you from other believers because he knows the power in believers coming together on one accord, praying and edifying one another. If you're looking for a community of believers online, download my app. On the app, you'll be able to create an account, comment on posts, and fellowship with other believers. My goal is to create a community of pressers that uplift one another on this journey.
Download the app here: Join “New Wine” on Spaces by Wix
Also, wearing encouraging words can help you stay encouraged as well. Check out our current Apply Pressure collection on the Wine Press store here:
https://www.winepress.biz/category/all-products
Thank you so much for being a part of my community. Continue to press!
Pressing Forward,
Jasmine Alexis
