When we pray for God to shift us, He is waiting for us to shift! God is progressive and always ready to move whenever we are ready. He will never impose on us to shift or transition by force; shifting requires our submission and corporation. Transitions and shifts go beyond declarations or verbalizations, and we must shift mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. There are aspects of the shifts that may require geographical relocation; but all shifting aspects require our acknowledgment and personal commitment.
We acknowledge the new things (the shifts) by embracing and believing in them; this is equivalent to saying yes, Lord, let Your will be done, just like Mary and Jesus did in Luke 1:38; 22:42. Next, we embrace the shift by aligning our hearts and minds, attitudes, and focus to what God is about to do. There are still more excellent dimensions that God wants to thrust each Spirit-filled believer. There are greater heights and depths of fellowship, revelation, wisdom, power, strength, insight, spiritual inheritance, blessings, and understanding that God desires to take us to. First, however, we must position ourselves for these shifts. We need to attain more extraordinary aspects of our gifts and talents. A greater dimension of the skills and gifts will result in more significant impact and transformation; many lives and situations can be changed as a result of this. Another approach to acknowledging the shift involves letting go of the past. God wants to shift us at times, but we are so stuck in the past and present that we are not ready to embrace the shift that would catapult us to the future.
Let us position ourselves for the many shifts God has already started doing in this shifting by aligning our emotions, attitudes, minds, hearts, and resources to them. Let us embrace the shifts by letting go of the past and refusing to remain comfortable in the present. Let us adjust ourselves to the discomforts that may accompany the shifts. And let us aspire to be used by God for greater transforming impact!
Isaiah 52:1-2 and Isaiah 60:1-2 remain pivotal scriptures in this season. There is a call to awaken, rise and shine, be ready to take the position, and engage with the many shifts coming to believers. “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland” (Isaiah 43:18-19 NIV).