Prophetic Storytelling: Fall 2022-2023, Prophets of the Blank Page

Today I want to tell a story from this past week that illustrates what I believe God will do in his prophets from now until fall 2023.

Last Sunday 9/25, I aspired to start the Hebrew new year as blamelessly as possible. Just days before, I had confessed some lingering pain to a safe friend about what felt like an un-win-able situation. Focusing on my own responsibility to keep short accounts, I cleared debts in forgiveness and asked God to illuminate my own blind spots. I told God to spend me like a blank check, and do what he wants with my life. I prayed that he would make me truly innocent.

That Sunday, I dressed in white as an aspiration and prayer.

I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.

Revelation 3:18

And while He was praying, the appearance of His face became different, and His clothing became white and gleaming.

Luke 9:29

His garments became radiant and exceedingly white, as no launderer on earth can whiten them.

Mark 9:3

That morning as I found myself unexpectedly standing beside an established prophet during church, I found out what God does with people who have washed themselves.

He writes on them!

As I stood there in white, my hand slipped as I tried to record the stream of revelation in my notebook. A faint black line a few inches long appeared over my middle, and I realized that I had become God’s notebook. The stain came out the next day in the wash, but not before catching my attention. Another prophet staying with us also found herself surprised when ink changed her clothes unexpectedly.

Surrender Your Rights

There with my friends, I remembered a dream that takes this example to the extreme. In the dream, I saw a character with protest words written all over his clothes. It wasn’t entirely clear how they had gotten there. Could he have written the words? Was it other people? From head to toe, grimy complaints and curse words covered him in black sharpie marker. In the dream, it became clear that the words were a waste.

Why?

Believe it or not, the words were only a distraction from the real problem. Realistically, the boy needed to speak the words he had written on himself instead of trying to undo others’ labels. He needed God’s help to refine his words and give him courage to embody who he was called to be instead of being marked wrongly. And he needed God to wash every accusation and false word off of him.

Have you ever hidden your words in order to avoid risking confrontation?

I believe that in this dream, the Lord chose to expose the internal frustration of the main character had so that he could go through a greater healing and reconciliation process with the Lord.

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Hebrews 4:12

God knows our hearts. He esteems the areas where we are truly blameless.

Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy.

Revelation 3:4

“Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”

John 7:24

When we let God be our defense and simply speak the words he’s given us to say, he finds occasions to make wrong things right. Sadly, fearing other people’s condemnation can cause us to waste valuable time in self-defense.

“The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

Exodus 14:14

He will vindicate you in broad daylight,
and publicly defend your just cause.^[a]
7 Wait patiently for the Lord!^[b]
Wait confidently^[c] for him!

Psalm 37:6-7

O Lord, You have pleaded my soul’s cause;
You have redeemed my life.

Lamentations 3:58

This Year, God is Re-Writing the Story

Do you trust God to defend you? Do you believe he will really make every wrong thing right?

Have you hidden your words instead of standing in your God-given identity?

Have you put false responsibility on yourself to measure up to others’ expectations?

For those who have chosen surrender, God is turning the page to write an entirely new story.

For He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in His presence. In love 5He predestined us for adoption as His sons through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the Beloved One.

Ephesians 1:4-6

This year, God is vindicating those who have sacrificed tremendously to keep short accounts.

As individuals surrender their unresolved pain, he will redeem it.

In order to enter into the new story he is writing, you must take your hands off the past and let the Holy Spirit re-write it.

Receive his invitation to become the blank page!

Prayer

Father,

I am in awe of how you are re-writing my story,

Forgive me for every time I have tried to self-defend this past year,

Come meet me in my unresolved grief.

Lord, I choose surrender! I have emptied myself and will let you spend me. This year, give me away as a reward!

Would you wash me from every false word that has been wrongly spoken over me this year?

I believe that you will make all things new, and will make every wrong thing right.