My Heart Offering | September Monthly Blog

In the month of September, God is inviting us to dream again with Him. He is reawakening dreams that have lain dormant in our hearts and aligning circumstances to bring our dreams to pass. He is teaching us how to ignore the negative reports and He is releasing divine strategies on how to pray and partner with Heaven’s perspective on what is happening in the world. Moreover, He is drawing us into a place of intimacy with Him, and calling us to lay aside distractions to go deeper with Him in relationship. As we do, we receive grace to release offense and walk in full forgiveness and purity of heart.

Inspired to Dream

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Jeremiah 29.11

As we spend time in His presence and connect with His heart, we discover small seeds of dreams that have lain dormant in our own hearts. Circumstances are aligning right now that are pulling these dreams to the surface. In the beginning, they may seem impossible (and without God they would be), but circumstances are aligning them now. In fact, you may be surprised that, as this seed of a dream is being unearthed, it may suddenly and unexpectedly connect with other dreams in your heart. The rapidity with which it develops will feel supernatural. This will be something to pray into as God leads you with clues for steps along the way. The timing of this dream may happen suddenly or it may take some time to unfold. As you pray for wisdom to move forward, God will not deny you. The topic of this dream may be something you’ve thought of before, but it always felt out of reach. This time as it comes to mind, there will be a fresh grace for it, and it will be the easiest thing to attach hope to it!

God is stirring up timely dreams in our hearts and going before us to work out the details. He is the God of the impossible and nothing (no dream) is too big for him. If we can achieve it on our own, we are not dreaming big enough! This word is for people that have been afraid to dream. They may have had a thought at the back of their mind for months or years, but it always felt impossible. Then, in an instant, they open their heart to the possibility. That’s when their dream has room to bloom within their heart. This is also for people who have been disappointed by a dream in their heart not coming to pass and God says “It’s time to dream again!” If this word is for you, are you willing to tell your dream to the Lord and write down your dream? Partner with faith by researching it and laying each thing before the Lord, asking for His wisdom and guidance. He wants to lead you in this process of unpacking what He has placed in your heart.

Divine Strategies

“Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”
Matthew 6.9-13

When we are surrounded by bad reports, it can feel like things are only getting worse. Many times the bad reports are in the form of predictions. When the Israelites scouted out the Promised Land, all except Joshua and Caleb came back with a bad report. They stated, we’re like “grasshoppers in the land of giants” and they allowed this to terrify them and prevent them from stepping into their Promised Land (Numbers 13:33). A few examples of a bad report: coming war, financial collapse, food shortages, gas shortages, supply chain disruptions leading to shortages and the like. In the midst of hearing reports like this, it is so easy to become discouraged and to lose hope. If we don’t guard our thoughts and stay connected to God, we can go to a very dark place quite quickly. For this reason, I no longer listen to mainstream news sources, but get my updates on what’s going on in the world from independent sources. We must protect ourselves from getting bogged down in the negative report.

I have found that when I do hear a negative report (whether it’s actually happened or it’s a prediction), it is revealing to me the plans of the enemy. In these moments, I’ve learned to be grateful, because this “bad report” has given me a strategic way to pray: AGAINST what I’ve heard. We may have heard what the enemy is planning, but that does not mean that it will happen. It is not a foregone conclusion--things can still change. This is where we come in--to usher in the kingdom of God. We want to seek God’s wisdom in how to pray. Just because we hear something doesn’t mean it’s a done deal. Instead, it is an invitation to pray. Some ways that I’ve found to pray that are virtually always in alignment with God’s heart are: for God’s will to be done (on earth as it is in heaven), for people to encounter/return to God, for God’s redemptive solution, wisdom, for a Romans 8:28 outcome (God would work all things together for our good), and to pray for the opposite to happen when I hear a bad report.

God is empowering us to partner with heaven to turn the tables on the enemy because he has overplayed his hand. In the end, God wins and we are on the winning team. God is revealing His strategies to pray for things happening in the world. The truth is that we live in a fallen world and God has given us free will. So, bad things do happen, but that doesn’t mean it was God’s desire for it to happen or that He can’t turn the outcome around. He absolutely can, and it is His heart to always bring redemption and that none should perish. This word is for people who have felt too overwhelmed to even pray for our world. It’s for people who feel disqualified to pray or not necessarily called as an intercessor. It’s for those who feel like they’re trapped in a negative spiral because of all the bad news going on around them. If you know this word is for you, be open for God to lead you in how He would have you pray. Use discernment to get information about what’s going on in the world without coming under the negative report. Continually seek God’s strategy in how to pray, but a great start will always be the Lord’s prayer and prayer points mentioned above. Make regular declarations about what God is doing as a way of renewing your mind with truth!

Freely Forgiven, I Forgive

“But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
Matthew 6.15

In this time of political division and unrest, it can be so easy to (even unknowingly) foster offense in our hearts. There are so many charged topics that are dividing people right and left, and in order to stand against that, we must be very intentional with our thoughts and words. All the more reason to stay connected to our hearts and understand how we are really feeling and what we are believing as we process life. The Bible tells us that our enemy is not flesh and blood (Ephesians 6.12), but there are times that it can be difficult to remember this. Especially when someone is intentionally stirring up strife and tension. We know that unchecked offense leads to unforgiveness and resentment which leads to bitterness and ultimately to a hardened heart. The fruit of bitterness is an open door in which the enemy can wreak havoc on our lives. YIKES. Moreover carrying offense in our hearts can actually distance us from God-distance us from his presence, from his mercy, from his forgiveness.

Instead, we want to live with a heart posture of keeping our hearts tender and regularly taking account of where we might have picked up an offense against someone. As soon as you realize that you are carrying offense, or even possibly it has escalated to resentment or bitterness, choose to humble yourself and let it go. We know that by forgiving that person, you are not saying that they are not guilty, or even letting them off the hook, but instead that you will not keep that offense in your heart. Romans 12.19 tells us that, “it is God’s to avenge, He will repay.”

God is highlighting the need for all believers to keep our hearts pure. He wants connection with us and for us not to be limited by our woundedness. As a good father, He wants to protect us from something that will harm us, and He knows that unforgiveness will ultimately harm our hearts. He is leading us to forgiveness. This word is for people that have been feeling distanced from God, like they’ve been under attack (everything seems to be going wrong or like you can’t catch a break). You also may have been finding yourself isolating yourself from certain relationships. If this is you, then it is important to take account of who it is you need to forgive. Perhaps it is very plain and you know exactly who it is or maybe you’re not sure. Spend some time with the Lord and He will show you. Release them from judgement and let them go. Repent for unforgiveness and bless the person you’ve forgiven. You will feel so much lighter!

My Heart Offering

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,”
Luke 10.27

Our God is a God of relationship. Since the very beginning in the garden, God has been seeking connection with man. Unlike other beings, we are made in His image, and He delights in His creation, mankind. It is so easy to get wrapped up in busyness and focusing only on what we need to get done that even in our quiet time we can fall into marking things off of our list. God is pursuing our heart, and wants to know the intimate details of our lives as we process them. He wants to be included and cares about the things that matter to us. He is our great reward when we pursue connection with Him, welcoming Him into our hearts.

Early on in Exodus 19.4-5, God tells Moses what He is to say to the house of Jacob. “You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” In the very next chapter (Exodus 20.19), the people say to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen, but do not have God speak to us or we will die.” Right here, God has said that He set apart and delivered Israel and brought them to Himself and yet they were afraid of Him (after a little thunder and lightning on the mountain). There are so many good, even righteous things we can do, but if we are disconnected from God when we do them, they are just empty works. He wants our heart and He always has.

God is gently reminding us that our connection is what matters most to Him. He wants our communion with Him more than anything else. It’s as if He’s calling us up the mountain, inviting us close. Will we be shaken by a little lighting and thunder, as He’s drawing us to Himself? How can we share ourselves with Him? How can we include Him in our lives every day? Choose to spend time in His presence without an agenda. This word is for people that have never known a heart connection with God or that have gotten off track focusing more on the good things they can do for God rather than connecting with His heart. Allow God into your heart. Intentionally invite Him into the issues of your life as they come up. He wants to partner with you and co-labor with you. He is a good Father and wants to draw near His children.

DECLARATIONS

We, at The Crowning Jewels, believe in the absolute, transformational power of declarations. We know that truth comes by hearing (Romans 10.17). Speaking truth over ourselves is an active way for us to renew our minds (Romans 12.2). We invite you to partner with what God is doing and say these declarations for the remainder of the month. We would love to hear what God does! Please email us your testimonies at hello@thecrowningjewels.com.

God is igniting the dreams in my heart.
God’s strategies are more powerful than the enemy’s plans.
As I’ve been forgiven, I freely choose to forgive.
I choose to intentionally prioritize and pursue connection with God.
God is giving me divine strategies in prayer.

At The Crowning Jewels, it's our desire and our mission to bring encouragement, to build others up, and to bring comfort to people’s lives (1 Corinthians 14.3). Each month our founder, Anne, asks the Lord what He’s doing in the coming month and for any words of encouragement He might have for His people. We believe that prophetic words need to be encouraging and edifying. Moreover, with a corporate prophetic word, not all words are applicable to all people. If our words bless you, please take hold of them and apply them in your own life. If it’s not specific to you, please pass it on to someone else who might be blessed.

As always , the prophetic is a free gift from heaven and will always be something we freely share. As a prophetic business, it’s our mission to bring encouragement and edification to people through the free gift of prophecy, with our product being jewelry.

Blog written by Anne E. Ballard

Each month we design limited edition pieces of jewelry, only available for that month, handmade with words and charms that reflect the monthly prophetic word. If this word resonates with you and you'd like to wear a reminder of its truths, click the pieces below to shop!