Sonship and Identity

             The Samuel Elijah Prophetic College offers classes such as Introduction to the Apostolic and the Advanced Apostolic Course, which impart revelation about sonship and fathering to its students. Furthermore, sonship is at the heart of every course taught at the college.  

             What is sonship? It is realizing that we are children of the Heavenly Father, and we did not have to work or perform to become His children. All we must do is be born again. Romans 8:15 states "For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, 'Abba! Father!'”. When we are born again of the Spirit, we become heirs of God and partakers of his promises! As sons and daughters, it is also important to connect with a spiritual father who protects, affirms, guides, and imparts wisdom to us. This wisdom will point us to our purpose and help us reach our potential. Spiritual fathering leads us to maturity.    

             Sonship also helps us find our identity. I didn't really “know” my identity until I truly came into the knowledge of my sonship. Up until that time, I honestly wasn't sure who I was, and I sometimes felt like I was wandering through life aimlessly. I had been struggling with an identity crisis for years. I often changed my personality with my environment and would say yes to people just to make them happy. Although beliefs regarding my faith were solid, I often had a hard time making personal decisions because I wasn’t sure what I wanted. I didn’t have a good self-image and thought it would be better if I was different. This was because I didn’t know my worth and did not know how much God loved me. I was also often anxious and restless, always second-guessing decisions I made.   

              After coming into knowledge of my sonship, I began to see myself in a positive light and embrace who I was. There came a point in time where I no longer wanted to be anyone other than myself. I embraced the person God created me to be. I began to have a much stronger sense of purpose regarding my personal life, work, and ministry as well. I still don’t have every piece of the puzzle, but the picture is looking clearer than ever before. I also gradually became more peaceful with myself and the world around me. Apostle Ricci said once “When we come into sonship, we find rest for our soul. When we haven't settled this, we are going to lack peace and be restless.” This could not be truer in my life.  

                No matter what we feel God calling us to do, it is essential that we understand this message of sonship. Everything else in our life and ministry must build on this. It starts with knowing the Father and knowing our identity as His sons and daughters. Whether you are a new believer or seasoned minister, it’s important that you know your identity. Purposes comes from identity.     

 

    God bless, 

 

    Debra Szubrowski 

    Blog writer 

 

The Importance of Prophetic Journaling

                           

            One of the classes taught at the Samuel Elijah Prophetic College is the Prophetic Scribe Course. When we think of scribes, we often either think of men writing on scrolls in biblical times or people writing about prophetic matters publicly through articles or books. We don’t think about personal writing that ministers to the individual. Some may even think people should not write about personal matters.

            In this post, I want to talk about prophetic journaling, a private type of writing. Even if you are not a scribe, you can take advantage of this type of writing. 

           Apostle Theresa Harvard Johnson, an authority on the Prophetic Scribe, was the speaker at the 2019 RJH Sons and Daughters Assembly this year. Her book The Scribal Anointingis the main text for the Prophetic Scribe course. In this book, she talks briefly about journaling in the most basic sense and also discusses how prophetic writers use journaling as an opportunity to converse with God. 

           This was King David’s scribal secret. If you look at many of David’s psalms, they begin with him calling out to God for help and end with him praising God. He entered into the presence of God when he was in despair and emerged restored. Here is one example: 

Psalm 3:1-4 

“Lord, how they have increased who trouble me! 

Many are they who rise up against me. 

Many are they who say of me,

There is no help for him in God. 

But you, oh Lord, are a shield for me, 

My glory and the one who lifts up my head. 

I cried to the Lord with my voice,

And he heard me from His holy hill.”

            When I first dedicated myself to the Lord at fifteen years old, I remember writing in a journal almost every day. Recently I looked back at old journals from this time and realized that many of the entries took the form of David’s psalms! They began with me calling out for help and ended with me praising God. At the time, I didn’t know much about the Bible or the prophetic and knew nothing about scribes. Although I began going to a youth group, I still didn’t always have someone I could talk to about my problems. Yet, I remember writing to God and clearly remember Him giving me peace and understanding. God was healing me through journaling. 

            I encourage everyone reading this to consider prophetic journaling. Some of you may already do this. If you do, know that it is biblical and keep doing it. If you never tried it, find a quiet space, get a journal and begin writing to God. Do this with the intention of conversing with God. You may find that you write about things that you are struggling with or things that are bothering you. Surrender these things to God and expect Him to hear you and heal you through writing. Journaling could relieve stress, deepen your relationship with the Lord and allow Him to bring healing and deliverance to you.  

God bless!

Minister Debra Szubrowski 

Blog Writer 

If God’s not in it, it’s best to just quit it.

      If God's not in it, it's best to just quit it. Lately God has been dropping this sentence into my spirit. When thinking about it and inquiring of the Lord for its meaning, I realized it was about obedience. God was speaking to me about obedience. For every idea we have, activity we take part in or relationship we are involved in, we should ask “Is God in it?” If the answer is no, then we should abandon it because it’s a waste of our time. Who knows what’s best for us more than our heavenly Father? Why should we go off track by doing something that God has not called us to do?
      Now just to clarify, when I say activities, I’m not talking about routine activities like doing laundry and household chores, paying bills or exercising. These are things that don’t need questioning. I am talking about the many activities we find ourselves busy with. Should we go to every church conference or event that we are invited to on Facebook? Should we get involved with that ministry? Should we implement that idea? Should we take that advice?
       This modern world sometimes offers us too many options. We could get so busy that we miss God’s plan and purpose in our life. I believe that God is calling us to simplify our lives in 2019. Proverbs 19:21 says “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.” (ESV).

So how do we know if God’s in it? Here are a few simple ways to know.

1. Ask God for some clarification on what his main plans and purposes are for you. Seek him for a vision for your life. If you don’t know the vision, ask him. James 1:5 states “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you”. After you have done that, look at the activity that you are thinking about doing and see if it fits into God’s plans for you. Although God sometimes wants to do an entirely different thing in our lives (unrelated to our main vision), this is more of an exception than the rule.

2. The idea or direction comes to us when we are praying or spending time in God’s presence. Sometimes, it’s not something we would normally think of on our own.

3. The idea keeps coming back to us over and over again. We can’t seem to forget about it. This is often a nudging of the Holy Spirit. We should write the idea or direction down and follow through. Often, there will be a restlessness in our spirit until we complete it.

These are just a few simple ways we can hear God’s voice about his direction for our lives. There are many other ways. Check out our previous blogs for more information. Also, check out the 12-week and 24-week courses that are offered at the Samuel Elijah Prophetic College. Consider taking a class in the near future.

Blessings
Minister Debra Szubrowski
Blog writer

How to Hear God More Clearly

      Have you ever had a time where you felt that you could not hear God? Your spiritual ears were clogged? Maybe you feel that way now. If so, don’t be discouraged. Anyone could experience times like these. I definitely have! Here are some things you could do to unclog your ears and strengthen your connection with the Father. 

Meditate on the written Word of God. 

The first one is a no brainer. We must continue to read God’s written word and meditate on it daily. Even if we think we know the Bible, it is still important to keep ourselves immersed in it so when God speaks to us, we can know if it lines up with his written word. The written word is the standard. God would never tell us to do something contrary to it. God could also speak directly through his word to you. You might get a new revelation from a verse you read a hundred times or a verse might really speak to you at a certain time.

      Psalms 119:105 (ASV) reads “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and light unto my path”. 

Set aside time to rest in God’s presence.  

Whether it’s 2 hours or 20 minutes, put aside time to soak in God’s presence if you want to clearly hear from him. Turn off all electronic devices. Tune out the outside world and its many distractions. Sometimes we get too busy and distracted to hear God. Although God does speak in noisy environments, it is still easier to hear God when it’s quiet. Also, it’s easier to be distracted when phones and tablets are in our reach. Take some time off from a busy schedule to rest in God’s presence. Put on some worship music or just sit quietly. By doing this, we are developing our relationship with God. 

      Psalms 16:11(ESV) states “You make known to me the path of life, in your presence there is fullness of joy, at your right hand are pleasures forevermore”

Make sure you take time to listen when you pray. 

God often speaks to us in our times of prayer. Prayer is a two-way conversation with God. Listening is a skill that does not come naturally for a lot of people. You may carry this tendency to not listen in the natural into your relationship with God, always talking to him but not listening. I sometimes have difficulty with this as well. We all must make a conscious effort to listen. For example, if we ask for wisdom concerning a situation, we should take time to actually listen for God’s response after we ask instead of praying about something else.

       Matthew 13:9 (ESV) says “He who has ears, let him hear.”

Clear your mind of worry.

Anxiety will cloud out God’s voice. This has been a struggle for me at times. I would go to spend time with God with an intention to hear from him but would begin worrying about things and thinking in the natural. This would obviously stop me from hearing God’s voice because we must be focused on him and have faith that he will speak to us. If you struggle with this, ask God to help you overcome it and read the many scriptures about fear and anxiety. Meditate on God’s love for you and his desire to give you peace. This has helped me greatly.      

       Philippians 4:6 (ASV) says “In nothing be anxious; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known to God.” 

      These are just some ways that will help you hear God more clearly. There are many others. Prophetic training is another thing that can help. Check out the Samuel Elijah Prophetic College and what it has to offer on our Facebook page. Also, check out some other posts on this blog. Remember that God loves you and wantsto speak to you. Expect that he will. Be blessed!    

    

Minister Debra Szubrowski 

Blog writer

Living a Prophetic Lifestyle

Do you think of the prophetic only as a “church” thing? Do you only talk about prophecy at church services or conferences and then forget about it? Well I’m telling you that the prophetic wasn’t meant to stay within the four walls of a church. It was meant for any environment. It’s a lifestyle! I’m not saying to go out and give personal prophecies to strangers with no supervision. Of course, we shouldn’t be doing that. However, there are ways to bring the prophetic into practical areas. Here are just three simple ways we could do this. There are many more as well.

1.    Ask God to add the “supernatural” to your natural. Apostle Ricci has said this. The prophetic could be attached to anything done in the natural such as singing, drawing, painting, writing etc. If you ask the Holy Spirit to lead you, he will supernaturally enhance your natural ability. The key is to not doubt. I remember doing this most consistently during my senior year of high school. I made it a habit to ask God to help me with my school work and everything I was involved in. I spoke in my heavenly language and prayed prophetically. Taped onto the inside of my locker was the verse “I commit all that I do to the Lord and my plans will succeed” Proverbs 16:3. I believed it. As a result, senior year was my most successful year of high school in every way. I took harder classes than any other year but did better. (Of course, I still had to study). Unfortunately, I can’t say that I continued that habit throughout all of college. However, I do know that this works if you have faith God could do it.   

2.    Ask God for wisdom concerning situations at your home, school or job.  If you encounter a problem at home, school or work, specifically ask God to give you wisdom on how to solve it. This may not seem like a prophetic thing but it is. Being prophetic is simply hearing the voice of God. God may give you wisdom by giving you a thought or idea that you wouldn’t think of on your own or he could give you the thought in a dream. This could even be done with simple problems, such as finding a lost item. I have prayed to God on several occasions to help me find lost items and he showed me visually where they were.

3.    Speak prophetically to unbelievers. Everyone needs to hear an encouraging word, especially those who don’t know Jesus. Ask God to give you the words to say to unbelievers-both to witness to them and encourage them. Ephesians 4:29 says ”Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you to give general words of prophecy. Even one word could bring great encouragement to a person. Students at the Samuel Elijah Prophetic College learn this. They participate in activations where they just give one word or one sentence to another person. They depend on the Holy Spirit to give them the word. This will help lead unbelievers to the Lord because they will know that He personally cares about them.     

            In the year 2018, let’s try to deliberately live a prophetic lifestyle, both inside and outside of the church. It will make a great difference in our lives and will bring God glory. God bless!

Debra Szubrowski

Blog writer and editor

Warring with your Prophetic Word

      Have you ever been discouraged because a prophecy has not yet come to pass in your life? Have you ever doubted God's promises for you? I'm sure everyone has at some point in their life. I know I have. Sometimes years and years go by and the prophetic word did still not come to pass.
      Some prophetic words come to pass easily and quickly but many require us to do something on our part. One of the things students learn at the Samuel Elijah Prophetic College is that we often must “war” with our prophetic words. What does this mean? 1 Timothy 1:18-19 says “This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience”.
     
 Here are three things we must do to war with a prophetic word:

      First, we must have faith that the prophetic word is true. We must believe it to receive it. If we doubt God or think I can’t see that happening, then we are fighting against what God wants to do in our lives. We are giving Satan access. If our spirit bears witness to the prophetic word when it was spoken and it is in line with the Word of God, then it is a true word from God and we need to believe it is true.
      Next, we must read the prophetic word carefully and make sure we are meeting the conditions. In many cases, the conditions are clear. For example, one time I got a prophetic word saying that as I spent time in the presence of God, limitations would be removed from my life. The condition was to spend time in the presence of God. If I didn’t do that, then limitations would not be removed.  For prophetic words where the condition is not clear, we must pray for clarity. Sometimes the condition is implied. When someone receives a prophetic word that they will be married, they must be on the lookout for their future wife or husband and work on changing their mindset to a marriage mindset or that word won’t come to pass.
     Lastly, we must not get discouraged by the process. Apostle Ricci, headmaster of   the Samuel Elijah Prophetic College sometimes says “With much preparation, there is much use”. The greater the prophecy, the more difficult the process. God needs to work on our character. He needs to prune us and tweak us in order to prepare us for our destiny. The enemy doesn’t want our destinies to be fulfilled. We must press through times of testing and not lose faith in God and his promises. We could do this by reviewing our prophetic words on a regular basis. When we do that, we will get encouraged and stay focused. It’s also important to stay strong in our relationship with God and let him help us in times of difficulty.

      If you ever find yourself discouraged and disappointed that your prophecies have not been fulfilled, remember to war with your word and not lose faith. God bless!

Debra Szubrowski
Blog writer

An Invitation to Prophetic Writing

    Do you love to write? Are you always taking notes, recording events or journaling your thoughts? Do you write poetry, songs or other creative styles of writing? If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, then God may be calling you to prophetic writing.
       
   Now you may be thinking, What is prophetic writing? Is this a new fad in the Christian world?  No it is not new, but a concept found in antiquity referred to as scribes. However, a Prophetic scribe will be writing the Rhema word of the Lord. It's actually a pretty simple concept. Just as a Holy Spirit filled believer can pray, dance, sing or draw prophetically, they can also write prophetically. Prophetic writing is different from writing in the natural. It is not planning and writing an essay for a class, which uses the mind and intellect. Nor is it writing a story or novel. Prophetic writing is when the Holy Spirit gives you the words to write and the writing just "flows". God could speak to you personally or he could give you a message for someone else.

   Here's how it works. First, you must desire for God to use you that way. You must be open to the idea that God could speak to you through writing. Psalm 45:1 “My heart overflows with a goodly theme; I address my psalm to a King. My tongue is like the pen of a ready writer.”

   Next, prepare yourself. Gather your writing materials and find a quiet spot to write so you won't be distracted. Putting on worship music is another option. Then ask God to speak to you. You may also want to pray in your heavenly language. Let Him guide your pen or your fingers (if you are typing). His words will flow out through writing!
       
    If you enjoy writing, then I encourage you to start a journal for prophetic writing and write in it on a regular basis, whether it be daily, weekly, bi weekly or even monthly. Make this part of your devotional time. Let God speak to you through writing. See if you could find any common themes throughout your journal. These may be things God is trying to communicate to you at the time.

   To learn more about the Prophetic Arts, visit our website: samuelelijahpropheticcollege.org

Blessings!

Debra Szubrowski
Blog Editor/Writer