An excerpt from the eBook Way of the Wilderness: Introduction – It was in May 2013 while considering the word that the Lord would have me speak to a group of leaders and believers alike at a training School of Ministry in the city of Eldoret, Kenya (East Africa), that He began to open my spiritual eyes and my understanding regarding ‘The Way Of The Wilderness’.
The emphasis of the training school was on “The Cave of Adullam” taken from 1 Samuel 22:1 when David escaped from the town of Gath to hide himself in the cave of Adullam as he ran from King Saul fearing for his life. Through this experience David discovered God’s purpose for him in the wilderness which helped established him in his kingship.
Since then I have continued to speak about this principle in different nations, and the response is overwhelming as many have found purpose and hope through their present difficult state – a state which had previously caused them to wonder what was going on in their lives and ministry.
I have therefore taken the liberty to pen down some thoughts that have come out of my studies and times of ministry, to help you to find and understand God’s purpose for your life as you seek the fulfillment of your God given assignment. May you find strength and hope during your wilderness journey, and may you have increased understanding as you navigate your way through the various tests and trials that come your way.
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you are involved in various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. But you must let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing” (James 1:2-4 ISV).
The objective of the wilderness is a spiritual lesson, which will bring us to a place of deep searching and self discovery, helping us to understand what the wilderness means and why we need to go through it.
The way of the wilderness can be referred to as an experience in the life of the believer that isolates him to a season of preparation or spiritual processing for his prophetic assignment and destiny in the kingdom of God.
There is always a time in our lives when we come to a place of dryness and all hope is lost; but God is still in control of our lives. This can be a wilderness experience that will bring spiritual fruitfulness if we understand all the lessons.
There are two main reasons we go through the wilderness:
(1) – Because of sin.
(2) – Because of our prophetic assignment/destiny.
These two reasons should not be confused with one another, because some of the wilderness experiences for both are similar. We must therefore be able to distinguish them, so that we can be clear as to God’s process and purpose of the wilderness we find ourselves in.
The first reason we go through the wilderness is when we miss the mark of the primary purpose of God for our lives, this is what is considered to be a sin. Sin brings us to a contrary walk of disobedience against the commandments and leading of God for us. In this case, we can be sent by God to a wilderness experience that serves as a tutor and a kind of temporal punishment for our disobedience, depending on our response to Him, until we come to that place of deep searching, self discovery and repentance, and return to His original purpose for us. This is the only time we will find the exit door out of the wilderness and begin a walk of restoration back to our purpose in Him where we find peace and the full manifestation of our purpose and destiny.
The second reason we go through the wilderness is because of the prophetic assignment of God on our life for our divine destiny in Him. In this case, we are not under the punishment of God (even though it seems like it), as you will discover through the course of this writing. This is part of the process through which God prepares and shapes us to become a complete vessel of honor for Him. This is where most believers are in their wilderness. The whole span of our Christian life until we break into incorruptibility will require a wilderness experience. It is a spiritual training ground for everyone.
“And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace [Who imparts all blessing and favor], Who has called you to His [own] eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will Himself complete and make you what you ought to be, establish and ground you securely, and strengthen, and settle you” (1 Peter 5:10 Amplified Bible).
The wilderness is the raw material through which God shapes a person to make him/her compatible to His purpose.
Have you had an encounter with God and received an authentic prophetic word of revelation, either from a genuine prophet of God, or through a word of prophecy or in a dream form, and with excitement of these promises you stepped out in faith with expectation of the things that God would do with you? However as time goes on, it seems like things are falling apart, or all hell has broken loose against you? You now find yourself in a wilderness type experience. It is a frustrating place to be in, but you must understand that your present position is because of the prophetic word and destiny upon your life and God is allowing you to go through this process. This is the melting-pot of God shaping you and establishing God’s character in you to serve His purpose.
God is a God of purpose, but also a God of process. The destination is important, but the most important thing is the lessons learned in the process of the journey that prepares us for our destination. The wilderness process teaches patience and gives hope. It ultimately causes us to lack nothing. Through it all He makes us perfect, established, strengthened and settled.
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One thought on “The Way of the Wilderness”
Thanks for these articles. very nourishing. but I discovered that to download the e-book takes one to other links. I needed the e-book on The way of the wilderness. Thanks alot for the great work. God bless.