PROPHETIC DREAM: A CORPORATE OFFENSE IS AFTER THIS GENERATION
There is talk about a “spirit of offense” creating problems amongst believers.
And many seem offended by it…
In a dream several weeks ago, the Lord revealed this spirit at work, but it wasn’t someone being offended at someone else. It was more like a corporate offense. A collective angst against a collective body.
In the dream I found myself getting into a large vehicle to drive home. It was so huge I could barely see out the windows. Then I saw a bunch of young kids outside who saw me as a threat. They started running behind me, They started pushing my vehicle and trying to drive me off the road. They were angry and I tried to tell them to stop. I saw one of them peer inside to get a better look at me and I yelled at them to stop as I was afraid something bad would happen. I wanted them to see that I was one of them! The vehicle finally slowed down to a stop and I hopped out. I looked and saw the vehicle was larger than a bus and more like a tank. Then I turned and saw more of them come around the corner for me. I hated to keep yelling at them, seeing how young they were, but they were convinced that I was the enemy.
What came to my spirit as I pondered this dream was a strategy of the enemy to convince a generation that they can’t trust “The Church.” Leaders have betrayed them. Teachers have led them astray. That which they believed in has let them down. Because of a few bad apples, the enemy has stirred within this generation a collective anger against the collective Church. What may have started as disappointments in a few has led to a corporate disillusionment. An offense against the entire system.
The only problem is that The Church is just “the vehicle.” It’s merely a structure; a wineskin; and to some, an outdated one. And though I agree that the religious systems of the past have bred some ungodly characters and misplaced doctrines, we must remember all of the people inside these structures. The Body of Christ. To condemn the whole bunch for the wrongs of a few is to punish many whose hearts are pure and hands are clean. And yet, our spiritual adversary has used the pains and disappointments of a generation to fuel a corporate offense that is destroying us from within. Yes, the Holy Spirit is doing a sovereign cleansing work in the Body of Christ, but the enemy wants to twist God’s plans and distort His purposes to sew unnecessary anger and discord.
“And He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything He might be preeminent. For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of His cross” (Colossians 1:18-20 ESV).
Jesus loves His body, especially His young ones, and He longs to bring healing and reconciliation. Even as we address the malfunctions of the past and restore that which is broken, let’s not allow the enemy to build walls instead of bridges. Let’s pray for this generation that has been disillusioned, disappointed, and hurt. Their pain is real and their concerns are valid. But the only way to heal those wounds will be to start building some trust. To test everything and hold on to the good. To rightly divide the word of Truth so we do not presume guilt or discard relationships so quickly. Let’s pray we can get a better vision for the kind of Church that Jesus died for. Our prayers can overturn the plans of the enemy if we start calling out the best and offer this generation something worth fighting for.
Isaiah 42:16
I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.
Thank You, Lord, for leading this wounded generation through the darkness and into the Light! Regardless of the paths they take, may they meet You at every turn. May they see Your hand of protection and care and Your desire to bring them onto level ground. Thank You for meeting them where no one else can!
2 Timothy 2:25-26
Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.
I declare over this generation that they will come to their senses and escape the traps of the devil. Lord, lead them to those who can speak words of life and truth and break the spell of deception. May they be drawn by Your loving kindness and realize the promise of redemption. May they receive the fullness of Your love and mercy.
Ezekiel 34:15-16
“I Myself will tend My sheep and have them lie down,” declares the Sovereign Lord. “I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice.”
Thank You, Lord, for being the Good Shepherd who goes after His lost sheep. Thank You for searching them out and bringing back those who have strayed from Your paths. Bring healing to those who have been wounded and strengthen those who have been weakened by trials. May they lie down in peace and know the safety of Your fields once again.
John 6:44a
No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws them.
Father, draw the lost to You and compel them to seek that which is true. Holy Spirit, hover over those who are wandering and shine Your light on the right paths for them to take. Bring them to the cross and the power of a life laid down. Whisper in their ears, Jesus, so they hear Your voice and know that it is You that longs to meet with them and set them free.
John 14:6
Jesus answered, “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
Lord, I pray for those who have lost their way and have no purpose in life. May they have a revelation that Jesus is who they are looking for! Displace the lies about religion and awaken their hearts to a personal relationship with You. May all the paths they take eventually wind their way to Your heart, Your will, and Your unconditional love.
Romans 5:8
But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
When I share with others who are trapped in sin, Lord help me to demonstrate Your unconditional love to them. May they realize that You forgive any and all who call on Your name. May they see the incredible grace You offer so they can be free from shame and guilt. Reach into their hearts and set them free from condemnation so they can receive the gift of salvation and freedom from sin.
1 John 4:8
Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
Lord, I pray for those around me who are trapped in pain and brokenness. I ask that Your Spirit overwhelm them with the reality of Your love for them. May they have a revelation of Your love that goes beyond anything humanly possible. Open their eyes and hearts to what true love looks like.
