Something is missing. Maybe you haven’t thought about it in a while or had resolved to get over it and move on. But the devil has stolen something from you. The failed business that robbed you of your retirement account, your sleep, and your joy. The opportunity that was pulled right out from under you. The money spent on a health problem that persisted. A relationship that suffered damage or ended altogether.
God never Intended for you to accept defeat in that area. He still doesn’t. That’s because God is a God of Restoration. Not as the world would define it—putting things back as they should be. No. He doesn’t do things the world’s way. God’s plan for restoration always involves restoring things to you better than they would have been.
Brother Copeland recently prophesied that in 2022, things are going to happen that you know should have come to pass a long time ago. It’s going to be the greatest year you’ve ever had. Like any prophecy, we each have a part to play in seeing it come to pass. It’s time to see a full Restoration of everything the devil has stolen.
We’re sharing how to receive Restoration from God this year and always.
1)MAKE A LIST OF WHAT YOU WANT RESTORED
“Write the vision; make it plain.” –Habakkuk 2:2 (ESV)
Most of us know what’s been stolen and would love to see a turnaround, but often we’ve put much of it out of our minds and haven’t known to expect Restoration in certain areas.
That’s why it is so important to take time to identify those things—big and small—that should have been. Restoration begins with making a list of what you want Restored. During your next quiet time, grab your journal and a pen, and get quiet with the Lord.
Think about the things that have been stolen in one way or another, but not in a sad or self-pitying way. You’ve likely already mourned those things. But rather, you are bringing to your remembrance the things that need Restoring with the intention of seeing a victory. That is how you receive Restoration from God.
Then, write it down. Make a list of everything you’d like to see Restored. It could be your marriage, a friendship, finances, time, sleep, health, joy, the return of taste and smell after COVID, an opportunity, a promotion, your reputation, or anything else. Acts 3:21 tells us that God restores everything. Hallelujah!
Then, get ready to….
2)ASK GOD FOR RESTORATION
“No one says, ‘Restore!” –Isaiah 42:22 (NKJV)
Have you said it out loud, yet?
Have you said, “Restore!” as Isaiah 42:22 mentions?
It’s time! It’s time to walk your house saying, “Restore! God, I ask You to Restore my marriage, Restore my finances, Restore the car that was wrecked, Restore my reputation, Restore that promotion, Restore the years I lost to illness. Restore!” Something turns loose when you do this. Something breaks free in you and around you. It’s how you receive Restoration from God.
God says He will restore to you the years the locust has eaten, and He will do so because He of His Compassion (Joel 2:25; Zechariah 10:6). So, when you ask Him to Restore, it is imperative that you also believe that He will. James 1:6-8 Says if you ask Him but don’t really, truly, excitedly believe it will happen, you won’t get it. And it’s OK to ask God to Help you have Faith to receive it. He wants to Help you!
Ask Him. Go down the list. Ask for Restoration. Put pressure on the circumstance with the Word of God. Against hope, believe. Against what you can see, taste, and smell—believe. When all hope is gone in the natural—believe. This is what pleases God.
Quit looking at the ashes and the pain. Look up to God. Begin to tell Him that you love Him and inquire of Him. There is a Miracle and a double portion at the end of this. Ask Him to Show you what to do. He will Show you. Now, it may not all come to pass by next Tuesday, but when He Shows you the first step, move on it. It could be so simple but take that step and then the next one; and before you know it, this whole thing will be Turned around.
3)SEEK CORRECTION
“Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.” –Proverbs 12:1 (ESV)
When it comes to restoration, one thing is sure—nothing changes if nothing changes. Restoration is God’s Will for you. But seeing things come to pass that should have manifested a long time ago begins with seeking correction.
Correction—though not always pleasant—gets you in perfect position to receive what you’re believing for. If you don’t ever want to hear anything about yourself that involves making an adjustment, you’re lacking in wisdom. Worse, you’ll never be in alignment to receive the Restoration God wants to Give you.
It’s easy to get caught up in what others have stolen from you or where you feel you’ve been short-changed. But no matter what is going on in your life, God is Concerned with one thing—your growth and development. You want promotion, but if you don’t have it, it’s because you aren’t prepared for it yet. It would be dangerous for you to receive it without making the necessary adjustments.
Terri Savelle Foy once shared how God told her she would receive restoration of her marriage, finances, and life dreams: Forget everything going on around you. You work on you.
Maybe you’ve allowed yourself to fall into a victim mentality—the idea that life just happens to you, and you can’t do anything about it. The idea that people control your circumstances or that things will never change. The idea that you’re powerless (read: “I have no one to put me in the pool” John 5:7 or “He stole my birth right and my blessing!” Genesis 27:36).
If you’re always the victim, you’ll never be the victor. A victim approach refuses to take any personal responsibility, but rather, focuses on unjust events or perceived wrong treatment from others. It specializes in the blame game, as in, “It was that woman You gave me!”
It’s time for you to see a restoration of everything that’s been stolen! It begins by understanding this one thing: You are not a victim. In Christ, we are no longer powerless. Through His power, authority, Grace, and Mercy, we are victorious overcomers!
Becoming a victor, rather than a victim, begins with not just being willing to receive Correction when it comes, but seeking it out! Ask a trusted mentor or friend to share one or two items for you to work on. And don’t be easily offended when they do. Love isn’t easily offended—and neither is wisdom. None of us is above Correction, nor are we ever without a time when we need it.
At the same time, ask the Lord to Shine His Light on the dark places in your heart, too. Allow Him to dig around and reveal those areas of weakness you may not have even known were there. Then, ask Him to Help you fix them. When He Gives you a step to take—do it! It may be something humbling or uncomfortable but do it anyway. The road to Restoration isn’t always an easy one, but the Reward is sure.
4)SOW A RESTORATION SEED
“If [the thief] be found, he shall restore sevenfold.” –Proverbs 6:31 (KJV)
Jerry Savelle says it best: “When you say ‘need’, God Says ‘seed’!”
Once you’ve made a list of things that need restoring, asked God for Restoration, and sought Correction, you’re ready to sow a Restoration seed. Proverbs tells us that the enemy must not only give us back what was stolen but restore sevenfold. That kind of harvest needs seed.
Go the Lord and ask Him, “Lord, what would You have me sow for Restoration?” He may have a specific seed for each area of Restoration. Be tuned in to hear His direction, and then give with a thankful and expectant heart.
5)RAMP UP YOUR GRATITUDE
“Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you.” –1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NIV)
You won’t see a Christian harvesting a blessing without gratitude, any more than you’ll see a farmer harvesting a crop without going out and intentionally bringing the crop in. Gratitude is the harvester.
You prepared the soil by asking God for Restoration and seeking Correction. You planted the seed by sowing where He instructed. Now, you’re ready to harvest by ramping up your gratitude.
A gratitude journal is a perfect place to start. Take the time to write down 10 things each morning that you are grateful for. It can be anything—even something as simple as your cup of coffee. Then, spend time thanking God for each of them. You’ll be amazed at how much it will lift your spirit over time. In fact, Dr. Don Colbert prescribes keeping a gratitude journal to many of his patients for physical and emotional Healing.
There is so much untapped spiritual power in praise and thanksgiving.
The devil wants to keep you from being grateful while you’re in the process of believing, because he knows it’s an important key to breakthrough. Remember when Paul and Silas were locked up in the bowels of a prison? Things looked pretty grim. Most people would be begging and pleading with God to Get them out, or considering all the ways they’d served Him and wondering how they could possibly deserve what was happening.
Instead, Paul and Silas “were praying and singing hymns to God” (Acts 16:25, NIV). The result? “All the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose” (verse 26, NIV). All the doors. Every chain. All because of praise and thanksgiving—hearts of gratitude toward God.
So, as you’re believing for Restoration, when you pray, “enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name” (Psalm 100:4, KJV). A heart of praise, thanksgiving and gratitude are integral parts of prayer. They are you and God working together—your prayer and His Power. You can pray amiss, but you can’t praise amiss.
Never underestimate the importance of gratitude and praise in receiving Restoration and manifestations you’ve been waiting to see for a long time. It’s one of the most powerful spiritual weapons you have!
You can take these steps to receive Restoration from God and turn it into a year you’ll remember forever! It’s time to move into the victor’s circle again. It’s time to shout,
“RESTORE!”
