I was speaking last week on the subject of inward sins with some other restoration ministers in our nation over coffee. We discussed the many times we had seen the power of answered prayer stifled in the Body of Christ directly due to unforgiveness, judgement, false burdens/ inner vows etc.
Unanswered prayer has a terrible effect on people; they become discouraged and doubt the promises of God and in turn the reality of God.
Prv 13:12" Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life."
The Lord reminded me of some fantastic healing testimonies I have personally witnessed over many years of ministry through the release of these unhealthy mindsets.
I was nudged by the Holy Spirit to share about the consequences of unforgiveness, judgement and false responsibilities /inner vows during this transitional season. Holding on to these things breaks God's spiritual laws, it ties Gods hands so he cannot answer our prayers or work on our behalf.
This message is for all of us to examine our hearts the Lord will show us what we are carrying that we are not anointed to carry, he will show us where we have broken spiritual laws and how to make the inward adjustments to help position us to receive the answers to our heavenly petitions.
The word explains this well in the below scripture.
Luke 6:37
" Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven."
You may not feel like you are harbouring anything what about do you have a judgement against other ministries, denominations, movements, political parties, politicians? Maybe we are carrying around false responsibilities for our families made inner vows we will never be like them? All of these spiritual decisions carry consequences.
We often try to justify the inward sins of the heart. We have to understand that when we were born again, we lost all rights we came into a powerful covenant of love that overrides all hate so now to go against love it is our decision, not our nature. We have been given the power to love.
We were called to cover sin with a multitude of love not reveal it that is the Holy Spirit's job. Peter tells us that "Love covers a multitude of sins" (1Peter 4:8). He echoes the proverb, "Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins" (Proverbs 10:12).
When we say I won't forgive that person because of this reason or that we are uncovering their weakness. We break spiritual law. When we violate spiritual laws, God cannot answer our prayers; he does not contradict his laws. He will not bless outside of His covenant of love.
We can petition heaven until we are blue in the face if we have broken spiritual laws in our lives God won't violate our will.
I believe at this time, God is speaking about this because he is getting ready to fill his church with unspeakable glory.
Vision
I saw there was a shelf of what looked like gold vessels (jugs) the Lord walked up to the shelf and started polishing each vessel ( I had a sense these were the Lord's prize vessels") it was an amazing transformation that took place they went from dull tarnished vessels to magnificent shinning gold vessels. I heard these words "fit for the master's use". 2 Timothy 2:21 "Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonourable, he will be a vessel for honourable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work".
After they were polished, they were not put back on the shelf in obscurity, they were ready to be used. They were placed on a long table and filled with pure crystal clear water. The exciting thing was they were continually filled, but it never ran onto the table as if the vessels we're bottomless. Also, as the vessels were filled, they grew in size.
There is a polishing going on in all of our lives, and God is rubbing the areas he wants to be cleaned up. We are about to be filled with the living water that never runs dry. This is a time of transition a time of crossing over but also a time of cleaning house. Our Heavenly Father wants to answer our prayers and show the world His goodness.
”For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us” 1 Peter 4:17a