…Men Versus Women…
According to a wide array of entertainment media and even some scientific theories there is a natural on going struggle between men and women. At one point in history women were considered to be the ‘weaker’ sex and since then they have been striving to overcome their male counterparts. Often overcoming means successfully tarnishing the value that society places on men in order to boost their own value. In the end the arguement goes absolutely no where. We tear each other down, fail to walk in unity and miss the value and enrichment that we were created to offer to each other.
At the end of our stay in Malaysia U squad was given the opportunity to meet up with P squad as they were entering their final month on the race. During worship one night my team got to hang out with Colby Gardner from P squad. Colby encouraged our team and he shared with us a vision that God had given him while he was in Africa. He explained that God had been teaching him that when he spoke life over the women on his team and squad and encouraged the release of their voices a change took place in them. As these women were released from their insecurities and bondage they began to speak life over the men on their squad in turn releasing them to walk greater boldness as warriors. In the vision he described to us the women on his squad were painting the faces and arms of the men on the squad. As they painted them they declared identity and truths over them preparing them for battle and releasing them to be warriors in the Kingdom. Colby’s vision stuck with me and it was something that I began to think and pray about.
I began to ask a question:
What would it look like for the girls on my team to paint Andrew and Cole for war?
It’s not a secret that the number of girls on the race far exceeds the number of guys. Why? The World Race is probably one of the craziest, action packed missions trips out there. It’s an ADVENTURE in every sense of the definition. What happened to that manly desire for a right of passage, the discovery of real manhood in the face of raw reality and abandonment? Where did that go? Missions is not just for the ladies, there really should be more men involved in the World Race.
In India during our girl time with our WR coach Bernadette we talked about how as women we have been given voices of influence. Generally speaking women like to talk and there is a reason for it. We were made to speak forth words of life, of release and of freedom. It is a characteristic that we share with God and since the very beginning the enemy has worked overtime to shut us up or, even better, to get us to speak idle words and curses instead. The voice of a woman of God and the quality of the words that she speaks are vitally important to the Kingdom of God.
Bernadette’s talk stuck with me remained a constant theme in my thoughts as I travelled into Nepal. As I continued to press in to understand my identity and the need for my voice to be released loud and clear God reminded me of something that I had learned about First Nations culture in one of my history classes and once again stressed the need for our team to paint our men as warriors. Contrary to the typical view of First Nations women portrayed in westerns many tribes actually treated their women with great respect and valued their opinions highly. In some tribes the men would not go to war unless the women held a counsel and gave them permission.
The voices of these women were so highly respected that men would not even go to war UNLESS THE WOMEN SPOKE UP AND COMMISSIONED THEM FOR BATTLE.
That is a powerful amount of influence! We as Daughters of the Most High God, as Queens, have been given that same authority and influence. Our voices carry a heavy weight and we have a choice to make. Choose to look from a heavenly perspective and declare life or become passive aggressive and speak curses that not only bind us but the people around us.
In Swaziland at our 8 month debrief the men of U squad took the iniative and did something very prophetic. They honoured the U squad women, prophesied and spoke life over us, declare our value and released us to be all that God calls us to be – Women of a higher standard. When I saw it happening I knew that it was time to take a step of faith and put into action the things that they had declared by painting our men for war.
At our final debrief in Romania the women of U squad put together a special ceremony. We gave each man a t-shirt with declarations about their identity written on them and then we prayed, prophesied and made declarations over them while painting their faces and arms and annointing them with oil. When they were all painted we gathered them together and shouted declarations with them sealing their identity in Christ.
These are the Warrior Kings who make the enemy tremble. The men of God who walk in full confidence, tear down the works of the enemy, love freely, shake the earth with their roars, touch heaven with their worship and walk free from the fear of man. These men move mountains! They slay giants! They bring the Kingdom! Nothing stands in their way, they march side by side with their Lord and they trust in his might. These are my brothers and my friends. Men who speak life over me, who set my voice free and stand beside me. They will change the world and because of them more men will rise up and take their places on the battle field.
I
