Don’t Stop in the Wilderness

Don’t Stop in the Wilderness
Doug Addison

The Wilderness
A big mistake we can make spiritually is stopping or quitting during difficult times. Periodically, we all go through a spiritual wilderness which is actually quite normal. God uses these difficult or unclear times to strengthen us and prepare us to be able to stand stronger in the future. We can learn valuable lessons in the wilderness.

Isaiah 43:19 NKJV
Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

Some people refer to the wilderness as the “dark night of the soul”. This phrase emerged from the writings of Saint John of the Cross, a Carmelite priest in the 16th century. Over the years I have learned to embrace these times and learn what I need, but I have found that it is best to get out of dry times as quickly as possible. Learn the lessons that God wants to teach you and get out of the dark night, for crying out loud! Some people think you are more spiritual if you live in the wilderness. The Israelites made this mistake when they were freed from captivity in Egypt. They were called to the Promised Land but settled for the wilderness instead.

Hosea 2:14 NIV
Therefore I am now going to allure her (Israel); I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her.

Quite often God will allow us to go into a wilderness time to test us just before a promotion to a new level spiritually. I went through a major dark night and testing in 1999. There were seven deaths in my family that year including my mom. There were legal battles going on within my family, and I was beginning to have the early symptoms of a fatal incurable disease called Huntington’s Chorea, from which I was later healed of all symptoms in 2001. I was pastoring a church at the time and to help cope with the difficulties in my own life, I did a sermon series called “Post Cards from the Wilderness” in which I talked openly about how to understand and embrace difficult times. I got out of my wilderness two years later by learning some lessons that quickly catapulted me into a spiritual promotion with a new level of anointing and ministry. During this time I went to the San Francisco Standup Comedy College and made my wilderness time fun by enjoying each day that God had given me and learning to laugh in the midst of great trails.

Don’t stop moving forward!
The Kingdom of God is always advancing, and God wants us to stay moving towards what He has for us. We might have seasons of rest, but we should be proactive and continue to grow in our spiritual life. If we stop using our spiritual gifts we can cut off the life flow of the Holy Spirit in our life. I discovered this firsthand in 2007 when I went into another time of testing in the wilderness. After a series of events and for various reasons, I stopped releasing prophetic words on the national and international level. I still prayed for people and prophesied at meetings and churches, but I stopped writing and releasing prophetic words that I was receiving from God for regions, cities and nations. The problem was that my call is to influence the entire world for Jesus using my gifts of prophecy for outreach. God was beginning to use me in a greater way with my prophetic gifting, but along with that calling came a major amount of spiritual warfare that was absolutely unbearable at times.

My reasoning was good at the time. I was already going through so much spiritual warfare doing outreach that I found the extra warfare of releasing world-wide prophetic words would be too much for us. I had also announced that a revival would start in 2005 but it did not happen. I began to listen to advice from people to use wisdom and hold back. What I did not recognize was that the warfare would have been less had I gone forward with what God had given me instead of allowing the enemy to shut me down. When God calls us to something, He gives us the ability to stand and He fights battles for us. You’ll find many cases in the Bible in which God called people to do something against all odds and even being outnumbered. He gets the glory when we succeed.

False humility
At the time I was holding back on releasing prophetic words I was thinking that I was being humble. I had good intentions and wanted to operate in character, and I actually began to apologize publically for words that I released that never seemed to come about. Then God spoke to me that He was the one who gave me the words to release, and even though it seemed that I was inaccurate at times, something did happen that I was not aware of. Many of the prophetic words spurred people on to go for what God has called them to, and some are happening now years later. In January 2009, I was speaking at a conference with Bob Jones. He told me that I was operating under false humility, and that I need to release what God tells me and leave the rest up to Him.

We need to be humble and not promote ourselves or puff ourselves up. False humility is when we are holding back out of fear and timidity or other negative motives and thinking that we are being humble. Fear is not a motive and aspect that comes from God.

2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Getting restarted
To respond to this, I went back to my journals and found the last big prophetic word that was intended to be released. It was an experience I had on January 15, 2007 A Plan of Darkness to Bring Financial Ruin. I released this in April 2009 and the response was phenomenal. People contacted me and said that they had gone through this very attack. Had I released the word when I got it in 2007, it is possible that it could have saved some people from losing a lot of money.

Since then I am back to receiving prophetic words and having major spiritual experiences on a regular basis again. Not only am I back on track with my prophetic gift, God has given me a supernatural ability to stand in the midst of a tremendous amount of warfare. Along with this has come a new authority and anointing. His power has increased in my ministry and His presence is now resting in me on a daily basis. Though I have a relationship with God and have been operating in ministry all along, I did not realize I was settling for less than what He wanted to give me. I had actually opened up doors for the enemy to attack me and cause me to retreat instead of advance.

The reason I am sharing this so openly is that there is a spiritual principle found in Matthew 18:19 where two agree together, what they agree on will be established. This principle is at work in your spiritual life right now. Are you agreeing with Satan to pull back and close down your gifts, or are you agreeing with God to move forward with His power, presence and anointing? It is a time to move forward and be re-fired and encouraged!

“God, I pray that you would reveal where the enemy has been deceiving and robbing us of our spiritual gifts and authority in You. I pray for new authority and new favor with you and other people.” In Jesus Name. Amen

Mark 9:23 NIV
…Everything is possible for him who believes.

Doug Addison
www.dougaddison.com

Doug Addison

Doug Addison is the founder and president of InLight Connection. Doug is a prophetic speaker, author and coach. He is best known for his Daily Prophetic Words and Spirit Connection podcast and blog. Doug’s message of love, hope and acceptance reaches people around the world! His powerful, lighthearted style of teaching and coaching helps open people to discover their spiritual identity and personal destiny as they experience God’s supernatural love and power. He and his wife Linda live in Los Angeles, California where they are impacting the arts and entertainment and media industries.

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    • Patti
    • September 14, 2009
    Reply

    Hi Doug, Thanks for your post. Wow – a lot to ponder and pray over. I know I’m not where I aught to be yet. Fear is a battle I’ve been stuggling with for a few years – had to realize that at its core, fear of what others think is just plain old pride. 🙁 Ugh. Thanks again for your very encouraging post and for sharing what you’ve gone through.

    • Patti
    • September 14, 2009
    Reply

    Hi Doug, Thanks for your post. Wow – a lot to ponder and pray over. I know I’m not where I aught to be yet. Fear is a battle I’ve been stuggling with for a few years – had to realize that at its core, fear of what others think is just plain old pride. 🙁 Ugh. Thanks again for your very encouraging post and for sharing what you’ve gone through.

    • Lubka
    • September 10, 2009
    Reply

    Dear Doug, i saw you on webcast on prophetic school with Global awakaning this year, and since then i go regurarly to your webside for your insights… i did translate some of them to slovak language ( i am from Slovakia ) and postet them on my blog thro NING social net.
    Iam thankful to God for you and yout ministry, you bring so much wisdom… i go thro similar situations… and it is explaining me or confirming.. what i understod is God doing with me.
    God bless you mightily …

    • Lubka
    • September 10, 2009
    Reply

    Dear Doug, i saw you on webcast on prophetic school with Global awakaning this year, and since then i go regurarly to your webside for your insights… i did translate some of them to slovak language ( i am from Slovakia ) and postet them on my blog thro NING social net.
    Iam thankful to God for you and yout ministry, you bring so much wisdom… i go thro similar situations… and it is explaining me or confirming.. what i understod is God doing with me.
    God bless you mightily …

    • Pamela Perez
    • September 10, 2009
    Reply

    Thanks Doug for sharing your heart with us again and for being so right on.

    • Pamela Perez
    • September 10, 2009
    Reply

    Thanks Doug for sharing your heart with us again and for being so right on.

    • Horacio Perez
    • September 8, 2009
    Reply

    thank you.

    • Horacio Perez
    • September 8, 2009
    Reply

    thank you.

    • Wanda Hollingsworth
    • September 8, 2009
    Reply

    Thanks Doug. This is a very important word for now. Please keep releasing the words of the Lord so we can partake of the Good things from God as we walk this journey. The lord is speaking to me about having fun while I am waiting on Him to bring me through.So I enjoyed the part about you going to a comidy school.blessings, Wanda

    • Wanda Hollingsworth
    • September 8, 2009
    Reply

    Thanks Doug. This is a very important word for now. Please keep releasing the words of the Lord so we can partake of the Good things from God as we walk this journey. The lord is speaking to me about having fun while I am waiting on Him to bring me through.So I enjoyed the part about you going to a comidy school.blessings, Wanda

    • Mark Develde
    • September 8, 2009
    Reply

    thanks Doug…I believe this has also a season when for the last year & a half, the Lord has been quiet….He is starting to stir again…this may be a timing of the Lord’s unrelated to what we do…not to discount what He is teaching you…anyways, that’s my opinion for what it’s worth…Blessings

    • Reply

      Mark, My prophetic friends like, Bob Jones, Larry Randolph, John Paul Jackson, have still been hearing God over the past year and a half, just not as much – but they were all still releasing words. I saw a noticable difference in my personal spiritual life when I started releasing words again. I now can not keep up with all the experiences I have been having. I’m just saying….

    • Mark Develde
    • September 8, 2009
    Reply

    thanks Doug…I believe this has also a season when for the last year & a half, the Lord has been quiet….He is starting to stir again…this may be a timing of the Lord’s unrelated to what we do…not to discount what He is teaching you…anyways, that’s my opinion for what it’s worth…Blessings

    • Reply

      Mark, My prophetic friends like, Bob Jones, Larry Randolph, John Paul Jackson, have still been hearing God over the past year and a half, just not as much – but they were all still releasing words. I saw a noticable difference in my personal spiritual life when I started releasing words again. I now can not keep up with all the experiences I have been having. I’m just saying….

    • nate nelson
    • September 8, 2009
    Reply

    That was AWESOME thanks Doug just what i needed!!

    • nate nelson
    • September 8, 2009
    Reply

    That was AWESOME thanks Doug just what i needed!!

    • Ron Lucarelli
    • September 7, 2009
    Reply

    Thanks! No more false humility…

    • Ron Lucarelli
    • September 7, 2009
    Reply

    Thanks! No more false humility…

    • Jean Toledo
    • September 7, 2009
    Reply

    Oh my God I sure needed to hear your prayer and wittness…..I have been shutting down and/or pulling back…..but I still God work in it and I needed to hear this Doug. I am trying to start my Supply Chain Management process…7 years ago there was a prophecy over me that God is going to give me ideas to solve all my financial situation….I heard that prophecy at BF church about 2 years ago….I wnet home and figured out the calculations needed to create my MinMax Supplier Management Program…..now that I am ready to launch it the battle has heated up all around with foreclosure, family illness, etc…..I felt like I needed to take second best…well maybe I need to take the easy way out..leave the house and family…….but now that I have heard your word I am going to keep on standing on God’s Word and “I will tell it on the mountain” because He would want me to…and I have been encopuraged to keep on believing Jer 29:11……Thank you Doug, I am still in the game…..

    • Jean Toledo
    • September 7, 2009
    Reply

    Oh my God I sure needed to hear your prayer and wittness…..I have been shutting down and/or pulling back…..but I still God work in it and I needed to hear this Doug. I am trying to start my Supply Chain Management process…7 years ago there was a prophecy over me that God is going to give me ideas to solve all my financial situation….I heard that prophecy at BF church about 2 years ago….I wnet home and figured out the calculations needed to create my MinMax Supplier Management Program…..now that I am ready to launch it the battle has heated up all around with foreclosure, family illness, etc…..I felt like I needed to take second best…well maybe I need to take the easy way out..leave the house and family…….but now that I have heard your word I am going to keep on standing on God’s Word and “I will tell it on the mountain” because He would want me to…and I have been encopuraged to keep on believing Jer 29:11……Thank you Doug, I am still in the game…..

    • a sis in Christ
    • September 7, 2009
    Reply

    Doug! Absolutely great post! Thank you for sharing your personal experience and talking about how God has restored you to a better place spiritually. You are a great inspiration and a tremendous blessing!

    • a sis in Christ
    • September 7, 2009
    Reply

    Doug! Absolutely great post! Thank you for sharing your personal experience and talking about how God has restored you to a better place spiritually. You are a great inspiration and a tremendous blessing!

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