PROPHETIC WORDS
SUMMARY OF MAIN THEMES EMERGING FROM 2023 PROPHETIC ROUND TABLE GATHERING
by NZ Council of Prophets
This is a summary of the main themes that emerged from the prophetic words presented at the New Zealand Council of Prophets, Round–Table gathering held on Wednesday 15th March 2023, and Thursday 16th March.
Throughout these two days we felt the immensity of God’s heart of love and His care for New Zealand (the land and its peoples) and we also saw that same love carried within the hearts of the prophets who attended. During these two days we saw New Zealand prophets from different cultures and ethnicities come together in humility, honouring each other and the Lord. The lack of a spirit of competition in the room was tangible and able to be seen clearly in how each shared and worked with the others. In this way something was modelled that was a prophetic word in and of itself. But it also came through in many of the words shared. God was very clearly showing us that in the diversity of operation and perspective in the church there is a treasure trove and feast of revelation that adds to the fullness of the revelation of God, rather than subtracts. As with a jigsaw, as we bring our pieces together we get a greater, fuller, truer, picture.
There was a definite call from the Lord to work together with great humility in order to see His Kingdom released in our towns and cities.
While many of the prophetic words that came through carried with them a gravity, because of their subject matter, there was an overwhelming presence of God in the room that brought with it hope and a sense of expectation – that we are entering what will be New Zealand’s greatest days and the fulfilment of its purpose on the earth.
A time of the convergence of many things
We are in a time where there is the converging of many things. In that converging, some things are flowing together easily and some things are meeting together with force, causing turmoil and disturbance –
A convergence where unprecedented miracles and provision will meet a wave of unprecedented need.
A convergence of generations marching together.
A convergence of apostolic leadership as leaders and churches work together in great humility. Josh 2:13-15 is an example of this.
It will be the best of days in the worst of times.
Times of immense shaking, turmoil and change
We are in a time of immense change, where we will see continued shaking. The Lord is saying for us to prepare for the worst, but believe for His provision and protection in this time. While many focus on the shaking, we as God’s people must look to Him and expect Him to release divine strategy and provision. These will be days of great darkness and days of great glory. The glory of the Lord will be seen in New Zealand, and out of that the glory will be taken by New Zealanders to all parts of the globe.
The Lord is encouraging us to prepare for the days ahead, practically and spiritually. While darkness will increase, God will raise up a standard and His light will be released in powerful ways that have not been seen on a global level before. The days of shaking will continue with major geo-political rumblings and conflicts, economic troubles, and natural disasters (see Matt 24:6–8).
While the turmoil will continue to happen, God is releasing solutions and supernatural strategies to those who have an ear to hear.
An increase in solutions, creativity, and innovation
There will be an explosion of solutions, creativity, innovation, and invention – New Zealand is already known as a land of innovators, but God says we are to expect that to increase in every area. Innovation will bring an increase to the productivity across all sectors. The Lord says, “Ask Me for innovation in your area - whether in building, engineering, retail, Tech and IT, AI (artificial intelligence) the arts and media etc.” Ask the Lord for ideas, and for strategic insight in how to follow through to see them become manifest. Ask Him how to steward and use that area of innovation wisely for the good of all.
There is a release of innovation to do with stewarding the land and its resources wisely and well.
Removing the label of ‘test nation’
God is removing the yoke of slavery that has been put on NZ by global leaders to be the place of experimentation for international organisations with their own agenda. He says, “Yes, NZ is called to be a nation of innovation and firsts, but the enemy has twisted the call into something that has enslaved NZ. I, the Lord, have seen the distress it has caused, and I am removing the label of ‘test nation’ from you.”
A call to increased trust and intimacy with God.
God is calling and requiring us to come into greater intimacy so that we will be able to trust Him at a deeper level than ever before. This increase in intimacy will establish us in comfort and peace in the midst of turmoil and allow us to access God’s provision, instead of giving in to fear.
Another outworking of that increased intimacy will be increased purity and holiness before God, and that will lead to an increased ability to work together in unity for the common good, so that He can command the blessing.
We will see an increase in
the fear of the Lord, (awe, respect, and reverence of Him and His ways).
an increase in true repentance.
respect for the Holy Spirit, allowing Him to lead and guide us and move afresh in our lives and churches.
intercession on a large scale – individuals and churches will feel a strong pull toward prayer and intercession in the days ahead. Make room for that! There was an indication from several prophets that the only way forward is through intentional prayer and intercession.
Shifts in Governmental authority and power
There will be shifts in governmental power – this is happening on all levels of government (natural and spiritual). This governmental shift is taking place now in the spiritual realm and it will translate into the natural realm.
In the church –There will be a rise in spiritual governmental authority in the five-fold gifting. The place you will see this first is in God’s apostles and prophets, and it will flow to the others from there. We will see God drawing Apostles and the other five-fold offices together, to work, strategize, and pray together for the benefit of the Body of Christ in a greatly increased way. Time and commitment to building into these relationships is essential.
Apostles and prophets in particular will become increasingly bolder in the days ahead in the proclamations they make, but the Lord is doing this – people will need to discern what is of God, and not mistake the boldness of apostles and prophets for arrogance or control. (These two, along with the other five-fold ministries mentioned in Eph 4:11,12, are tasked with leadership and the administration and outworking of God’s plans in His church.)
In society – God has prepared Josephs and Davids and is shifting them into governmental positions – within all spheres of government and leadership. They are those who carry the heart of God and are not seduced by power and authority. These people (men and women) will lead with godly wisdom and people will listen to them. They will have God given strategies for the blessing and benefit of the nation. The Lord is asking us to increase prayer for those in governing positions.
Moves of God
God is unplugging spiritual wells and springs of living water that have been stopped up, and He is opening up new ones – individually and corporately. The Lord is saying that we should expect increasing flows and moves of the Holy Spirit within individual lives and churches, expect outpourings of His power, and an increase in the manifestation of His presence. Look to old historical moves of God and expect to see aspects of them revived; expect that even the physical places where they occurred will experience another move of God.
Expect these rivers of living water to come together to create a corporate synergy and convergence that increases and multiplies the power that is released. Within this is a call to freshly yield control of the church into His hands, so that He can do what He needs, and desires, to do. This may take repenting on our part and learning how to flow with Him, so that we don’t unwittingly or deliberately shut down His moving.
A release of healing – We are seeing a release of healing that will bring people into wholeness – body, soul and spirit. This means healing of physical sickness, disease, disabilities, as well as emotional wounds, trauma (individual, family, cultural and generational). God will release new strategies in mental health and treatment.
God is moving across all generations – Don’t dismiss the older ones, there is new life and power that God is releasing to them. God is saying, “Watch the kids – the young people – there will be a move of the Spirit across the young people within our nation. They will see in the Spirit, prophesy and move in power.” Do not quench the work God does in this area, give them place to minister. There will be a convergence of all generations working and flowing together. Malachi 4:6 was mentioned by several prophets – “He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.”
There will also be healing within the family unit and a turning of the hearts of mothers and fathers to their children, and the hearts of children to their mothers and fathers.
In the whenua – the land – God will bring healing to the land; some of that healing will be supernatural and some will come through innovation. Supernatural increases in yield and production will result. God’s plan for New Zealand is to be a store-house and a bread basket in the South Pacific and into the 10-40 window.
Healing and reconciliation between cultures, tribes and nationalities will increase and people will put aside their ideas of what things should look like and seek God for the establishing of His Kingdom in the earth.
Please feel free to share this document with pastors and intercessor groups that you may know of. To download a pdf version of this summary click here.
ACTION AND PRAYER POINTS
In light of what’s been shared, let’s pray for grace and faith to:
Set Time aside for soul-searching and deep prayer – consecrate ourselves.
Overcome demonic assignments of fear and intimidation; the fear of daring to hope again; fear of disappointment preventing us from letting our imagination align with God to dream what He dreams; the reluctance to have our comfort disturbed, capacity stretched, boundaries extended, habits changed.
Don't be fearful or intimidated by the occurrences on the earth – political, economic or otherwise. Understand there is a convergence of good and evil, darkness and light, “Best of days in the worst of times” – this shall occur before the return of the King.
Stop partnering with the spirits of control and isolation. There are new relationships, partnerships, collaborations, community connections, new alliances, new synergies... but we need to relinquish small, manageable, comfortable, and control. There’s more.
Seek God’s heart for the alignments, the holy partnerships, allegiances and energetically facilitate these as they are critical & strategic for this season.
Seek strategies for forming larger prayer movements and gatherings – multiple times of seeking His face in humility, then advancing with strategic insight will occur.
Recognise and welcome people and groups, approaches and styles, ideas and perspectives that are unfamiliar and uncomfortable, letting God challenge our blinkered views, rules, preferences, and expectations.
Inward change: welcome the major roadworks in the pathways in our brains and hearts as good change, upgraded infrastructure for a better future. Manage the discomfort and disruption by accessing His comfort, reassurance, and love.
Prophesy to the dry bones, declare the dream of God, His Word, imagine that place of death and disruption through the prophetic promise of God, release the prophetic flow of the river of life, and welcome the breath of God bringing new life, a new day.