Soft Hearts of Surrender | December Blog

Returning to the Secret Place
Therefore tell the people: This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Return to me,’ declares the LORD Almighty, ‘and I will return to you,’ says the LORD Almighty.
Zechariah 1.3

Busyness can be an addiction. And unfortunately, we live in a culture that is both addicted to busyness and celebrates it. Our culture celebrates hustle and striving and overcommitting. However, when we are overly busy, one of the first things to go is intimacy with Jesus. Busyness can be a trap to keep us out of the Presence of God. Sometimes, busyness can actually invite attacks of the enemy into our lives--because we let go of that which matters most. For many people, December is a nonstop month of busyness. However, there is a powerful invitation back into intimacy in the middle of the madness.

The lyrics to Kari Jobe’s song “First Love,” remind us of the power and importance of coming back to intimacy and cherishing our sweet times with the Lord:

I’m returning to the secret place
I’m returning to the secret place
Just an altar and a flame
Love is found here in our sacred space
I hear Your voice, I see Your face

You’re still my first love
You’re still my only one

If you’re exhausted by constant movement, if you feel like you need things to change, but don’t know how to bring them about–this is for you. God is bringing relief but it requires your partnership. What can you let go of in order to spend more time in His Presence? How can you change up your rhythms and routines in order to encounter Him? One favorite strategy is this: take yourself on a God date. Go outside or to a cafe or to a museum with the Lord and ask Him to show Himself to you in an impactful way. Say “no” to extra activities and see what you can eliminate from your schedule in order to prioritize His Presence. Even a few moments of focused attention–a daily commute or a while drinking your coffee–are significant.

The Power of the Anointing
Then you shall take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it, and shall consecrate it and all its furnishings; and it shall be holy.
Exodus 40:9

We come into partnership and agreement with heaven through our physical actions and not just our words. One of the ways we come into agreement with heaven is by anointing places, people, and things with oil. This isn’t something superstitious we do out of fear or religion. Rather, it’s an act of consecration and cleansing. In scripture, people were anointed when they stepped into leadership or for specific roles, places were anointed and set apart as holy, and people were anointed when they needed healing. This is a prophetic act that declares that this place or person is now set apart for the Lord.

Every time I move into a new house and often, even when I stay at hotels, I anoint the rooms, declaring that this is now a holy place. If you’ve been experiencing intense spiritual warfare or if you feel like you’re up against intense battles, it might be time to pull out the anointing oil and anoint your space for the kingdom of God! In addition, gather together with fellow believers and pray over and anoint one another. Anointing with oil is a powerful spiritual practice and way to partner with heaven’s word of truth. If you’ve been facing weird spiritual battles or feeling like you’ve been unable to access breakthroughs, take time to pray and anoint with oil.

Soft Hearts
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
Ezekiel 36.26

Right now, God is softening the hearts and minds of those who have been against you or whose hearts have been hardened and trapped in a certain way of thinking. There is a powerful shift happening in the spirit and an outpouring of grace for repentance. Freedom from addictions, complete changes of heart, and prodigals coming home are all happening right now. There is a divine grace being released to repent and experience powerful transformation. Repentance, essentially, is shifting from one way of thinking and living to a completely different one. God is releasing His heart over people and over situations.

If you’ve been battling an addiction or a loved one with an addiction, now is the time to cry out to the Lord for freedom. If you’ve experienced slander and intense opposition, release peace and love over those who’ve been against you. If you’re feeling trapped in lack, ask God for His way of thinking and seeing. Right now, God is pouring out a fresh grace for transformation and soft hearts. We may even see powerful shifts in government and influential leaders showing up and confirming what God is doing. If you’ve been facing fierce battles, lean into the Presence of God and ask for His heart. Your perspective can either turn bitter and resentful or soft and tender when you experience struggle. Lean into His Presence and allow Him to mold and shape you.

True Surrender
The kindness of the Lord leads to repentance.
Romans 2:4

Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.”
John 4:34

Mary, the mother of Jesus, faced shame, ridicule, and ostracization for saying “yes” to the angel Gabriel. She faced slander and accusation. Who would believe a young girl who was suddenly pregnant out of wedlock? And yet. She surrendered to God’s Word and gave her “yes” even though it didn’t make any sense. Likewise, Joseph surrendered to the voice of the Lord and married a woman who was already pregnant. In addition, Jesus surrendered his “god power” and became man and submitted to living fully human. He made himself vulnerable to us. Each of the people in this story surrendered their own agendas to God and made themselves vulnerable to the unknown.

Their surrender led to our salvation.

Many of us avoid surrender because we want to avoid the cost of vulnerability and the pain of letting go of control. It can be terrifying to trust a God outside of ourselves. With surrender comes obedience, laying down our own agendas and surrendering to the Lord’s. Take time to ask God what He wants to say and do in your life. Who does He want you to become? It may mean relinquishing something you thought was important to you or being willing to give up your reputation or the way others see you. But surrender always equates to encountering His goodness.

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.

We at The Crowning Jewels believe in the absolute, transformational power of declarations. We know that truth comes by hearing (Romans 10.17), and speaking truth 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 testimony at hello@thecrowningjewels.com.

Declarations:

I am returning to the secret place and my first love.
I am consecrating myself unto the Lord.
God is softening my heart.
I surrender my agenda and pick up God’s purposes.
God is turning my surrender into an encounter with His goodness.

Each month we design two 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!