By MariaMaria #544 CM/FM 3310 3/00

Continued from GN 913

JEWELS ON
UNDERSTANDING PROPHECY

179. The following are miscellaneous excerpts of vari­ous prophecies that will help to enlarge your general understanding of prophecy. These excerpts are not related to each other, nor are they presented in any particular order of importance or priority. Each one should be viewed as an individual little jewel that provides further explanation, but none of them present the full picture. I pray these will be edifying, instructional and encouraging for you.

Ask the Lord to Override Your Opinions,
Even if You're Sure They're Right

180. (Jesus speaking: ) Even if you feel your opinions are right on and probably within My will, it's better to ask Me to override them, to get them out of the way, to overwrite them with My Words, because then you can be sure to not only get a confirmation on your general leading or opinion, but you put yourself in a place to receive My smaller fine-tunings on your thoughts. I often lead your thoughts, so your opinions are in line with My will; but if you let them go completely when you come to Me, I can help bring all the details in line and fill in the blanks of points you had not thought out. So it's better, even if you're pretty sure your opinions are right, to come before Me empty of your own thoughts. (End of message from Jesus.)

The Quicker We Go to the Lord‚
The Easier Life Is

181. (Jesus speaking:) Thank you, My love, for bringing your questions before Me. I'm happy to answer. I never tire of your questions. You have the time and the strength and the faith to ask, so I will willingly give the answers.

182. I know you feel like you asked out of selfish reasons, because you're burdened and you know you can't rest or find peace until I give you the counsel and answers you need. You feel your motives were slightly selfish—that it wasn't entirely because you were hungry for My perspective, but you wanted rest from your discouragement, condem­nation and sadness. But you must understand that there are many who refuse to come to Me to find My answers because they feel it's their duty somehow to carry the load, to pay for their sins through suffering.

183. So many give up the peace they could have because they don't ask, they don't listen, they aren't willing to be weak; instead they try to be strong in themselves. So even though you needed these answers as much for yourself as for anyone else, I still count it as righteousness because you took the easy route, the trusting route, the asking route‚ rather than trying to muddle through on your own.

184. People understand the principle of hearing from Me and letting Me shepherd them; they believe it and desire it. But they need to be retrained so that they let go of their self-right­eous reactions and tendencies to carry the burden themselves and suffer. They need to accept the truth and let Me change their mindset so they realize that by asking Me and allowing Me to make things easier for them, they are doing the right thing, not the wrong thing. It is not wrong to want Me to make life's battles lighter and easier, and thereby enable you to sail along more smoothly. Oh, if My children could understand that the quicker they come to Me, the easier life is! Asking Me everything and receiving and following My counsel is the key to experiencing the reality of My promise that My yoke is easy and My burden is light. (End of message from Jesus)

A Lesson on Preconceived Ideas

185. (Jesus speaking:) Thank you, sweet lover, for being willing to pray about this matter. I know you don't really like to pray about these kinds of problems‚ especially if you feel you have opinions on the matter. But don't worry, for I will honor your prayer and yielded­ness. I'll overwrite your opinions and emotions with My Words, and I'll erase from your memory for the time being all that has gone before. You'll be as an empty, humble little pottery vase—broken and chipped and uncomely—but just what I need to carry and pour forth My water. So don't worry or fear that you'll influence the message.

186. Someone needs to pray about this and you're the most available one. You understand the complexities of the situation the best. And what you mistakenly call "preconceived ideas" or "personal opinions" in many ways are just an understanding of what the problem is and how it's manifested. The Enemy would want to cause you to feel incapable and unqualified to hear from Me about this matter be­cause of that understanding and your personal in­volve­ment with the problems that have come up, but that's a lie. As long as you've done what you've done—sought Me for yieldedness and come before Me in desperation to not let your own thoughts enter in—then I can use that understanding to My advantage, as you'll be more desperate for the answers, more willing to give forth the full message, and more knowl­edgeable about how very needed this counsel is.

187. So you don't have a thing to worry about. You can just sit back and enjoy the ride and watch as I unfold the mysteries. You're a mere servant, a robot, a channel. That's not too hard, is it? I love you, My love. Thank you for praying and opening yourself to Me. I will do the rest. (End of message from Jesus)

Counsel on Receiving Specifics

188. (Mama:) When Peter and I were travel­ing together, he had to do some urgent business for a few hours. I didn't feel up to ­accompanying him, so I stayed in our hotel room to rest. Peter was delayed somewhat in returning‚ and while he was away I needed to make a long distance phone call from our hotel room, but I couldn't get through. I was doing something wrong in the placement of the call‚ but I didn't know what. I tried asking the Lord in prophecy what the problem was, but didn't get a specific answer. Here's the Lord's explanation as to why I didn't receive the answer I sought, as well as some counsel on what to do when you're trying to receive specifics in prophecy but nothing is coming.

189. (Jesus speaking:) Listen quietly and I will speak, I will give you specifics when you need them. I will not fail to lead you and answer you with the things you need. If at first you don't get anything‚ just keep waiting. Ask Me other questions. Think of things to ask Me that will prompt the specific answer that you need. It's not that I don't know the answer and am not able to give it to you, but if you're not used to receiving specifics‚ you might need to prompt your faith in a certain area in order to open your channel to receiving the answer.

190. For example, with the phone call, if you're asking a general question, "Lord, what am I doing wrong?" or saying, "Show me what to do," this might be too broad a scope for you to receive a specific answer. But if you ask Me, "Lord, who can I ask for help to make this connection?" or "Where can I find the instructions for long distance phone calls?" I could have then shown you more specifics about how to get the help you needed.

191. But don't worry about it. I allowed this to happen and I'm teaching you as you go. It's not that you're a bad channel or that you can't get things in prophecy from Me, but there are many factors involved‚ and sometimes I know it's even better for you to learn the patient way. Don't be discouraged about your gift of prophecy, for I'm well pleased that you're exercising it so faithfully. I will continue to help you and strengthen you and give you the things you need.

192. If sometimes you don't get it right, or you don't get the details you feel you need, just be patient, keep trusting, and know that I do all things well. Keep going, keep having faith, keep praying and listening, and I will be faithful to strengthen you and lead you each step of the way. (End of message from Jesus.)

Receiving the Gift Is the First Step

193. (Jesus speaking:) The gift of prophecy is simply that, a gift. I don't give this precious gift only to those who feel they're deserving, or those who have done great works to be deserving of it. I give this gift to each of My chil­dren. I give this gift to every­one who asks Me for it. The giving of this gift is not dependent on how close you are to Me or how diligently you're following My Word‚ nor how deeply you drink of the things of My Spirit. I give the gift to all who ask of Me. I don't turn any away, for this is a gift that is necessary for the survival of all of My children in this day and age.

194. But there's a difference between one who simply has the gift of prophecy and one who is a good, clear, reliable channel. Receiving the gift of prophecy is the first step, but it takes a bit of spiritual effort to ensure that you will be receiving My Words clearly and without the interference or static of the Enemy. You have to strive to be yielded, to be obedient to My Word, to be desperate with Me, to stay close to Me, and to receive faith to pull down My seeds, faith which comes from My Word. I give the gift of prophecy to all, but it takes effort on your part to become exercised in using the gift‚ as well as to ensure that you're a clear, unobstructed channel, and that you remain so.

195. It's not an automatic guarantee that as soon as you receive the gift of prophecy you'll receive My messages perfectly clearly and effort­­lessly without the static of the Enemy. You have to pray for yieldedness, desperation, con­centra­tion, against attacks of the Enemy, as well as do the necessary physical things in your life that I'm asking you to do. If you have sin in your heart, or if you aren't doing the things that I've been showing you to do in your life‚ then it will be hard to come to Me in full faith, completely open, ready to receive My seeds.

196. That's why you must keep yourself free from the snares of the world and the entangle­ments of the System in order to be a clear channel. You must also come before Me in yielded­ness and humility and desperation, with faith that I will answer you—and I will. If you're in the right spirit, claiming My promises and doing My will, then you can be sure that I will speak to you. The words that you receive will be My fresh words from Heaven. (End of message from Jesus)

Bring an Empty Vessel

197. (Jesus speaking: ) When you come before Me to hear what I would speak to you to instruct and guide, encourage and strengthen you, you must come before Me as an empty vessel. You must ask Me to empty you of your own will, your own ways, your own wishes, your own desires. You must come to Me with nothing in your cup; thus when I fill you with My water‚ it will be pure waters. But when you come with a cup half-full of your own ways, your own desires‚ the words that I pour forth to you are mixed with that which you would have Me say.

198. Come to Me empty, thirsty, open, willing. Come to Me with an open heart, an open mind, an open spirit, void of anything of yourself, of any of your own ways‚ your own wishes, your own will, your own desires, that I may speak to you with clarity, majesty, and the fullness of My Spirit to give you the truth that I would give you. Come to Me this way, that it be not mixed or tainted or flavored by your own will or way or spirit. For I wish for you to be clear channels unto Me.

199. But fret not, nor be condemned if you have a bit of your own water within, for in time you will learn to come to Me empty, fully open, fully prepared, fully ready, that I may pour forth through you in great abundance.

200. My shepherds‚ be not harsh on those who mix a little of their own water within the waters of God's Word, for they are learning. But judge righteous judgment; for if it's harmless, if it hurts not‚ if it confuses not, it's only a little mixture within the pure waters of God's Word. But deal definitely and firmly with the one who shuts off God's Words and speaks his words as God's Words, with one who hurts, who con­fuses, who pours forth not God's Words. Judge wisely. Judge prayerfully. To be sure you must seek Me. You must come before Me and hear from Me in prophecy. Lay the words before Me and ask Me, and I will lead you and guide you. (End of message from Jesus)

Short Prophecies
Are Not Necessarily
Indicative of a Baby Gift

201. (Spirit helper speaking:) My dear one‚ please believe that when you come to Him desperately seeking His answers, no matter what the situation is, He will not give you anything that is tainted. He loves to give you the truth, clear and fresh and accurate. He will not fail the desperate heart. Desperation is the soap of the channel; it comes in with its cleanser and bubbles and washes away any mindsets and preconceived opinions‚ scrubs away any of your own thoughts, and makes your channel like a spark­ling crystal.

202. Also, do not judge your gift by the volume you receive; that's the wrong standard. Just because your gift doesn't come out in flowing torrents of words to fill reams of paper doesn't make it a baby gift. A baby gift is when someone is just beginning and hasn't yet practiced much or developed a lot of prophecy muscles.

203. You can receive brief messages—just a few lines that are accurate‚ right-on, to the point, and very specific—and that will be all the answer you need, and plenty and sufficient to cover your question. If you're tuned in and receiving answers like this all day long as you work, as you read reports, as you're talking to people, as you're on the phone‚ as you're writing messages, as you're answering questions, as you're trying to decide what to do next, and as you wonder what to read for devotions, then you're receiving quite a lot of instruction from Heaven.

204. That is not a baby gift—even if the messages are short—because you're using your gift constantly, with skill, and mastering the use of it and exercising it at every turn, even if you're only receiving short answers. Short answers throughout the day on many things are quite sufficient, and if you're doing this, your gift is actually quite strong and well developed.

205. The Lord's answers don't all have to be what you think are deep, profound, great spiritual truths every time you ask Him some­thing. Many times His Words are simple, brief, and to the point, giving you just what you need on many practical things too.

206. But when you do ask for more and bring a heavy or complicated question to Him, asking for more than just quick answers to questions, don't be discouraged if you still don't receive long answers. Your channel is suited to fit your needs perfectly and is exactly what you need. Just be faithful to receive, and believe what you get, trusting Him that He will give you everything that you need‚ and that it's His perfect and loving voice speaking to you. (End of message from spirit helper.)

For Someone Whose Messages
In Prophecy Don't Come Easily

207. (Jesus speaking: ) I'm well pleased with you—with your openness to My Spirit, with your desperation, and with your obedience to come before Me and ask of Me. You've been faithful to come to Me over and over, to ask and ask, to wait and wait, and you continue to do this even though you feel you're not rewarded, that I don't pour out much to you. In this I'm well pleased and it makes Me love you all the more because I see how sincere and faithful you are. It's not because I don't love you or trust you, or that you're not good enough to receive a more abundant flow of My messages. You must not listen to the lies of the Enemy. The Enemy wants to discourage you‚ to pull you down, to condemn you and make you feel distant from Me, but I say that you are close to Me and I love you very much, whether I give many or few words through your channel.

208. I'm not limited by many or few, and whether I choose to give many words through you or not, they're still My words of life and have much power. I have not chosen to open your channel wider at this time because I have other work for you to do. It's My doing that you don't receive as much as you would like or think you should. It's not because you're failing or you're doing something wrong; this is My doing.

209. Not all can be channels of much abundance, for I have other work in My Kingdom that must be done. Not all can sit and receive for hours, for there are other needs to attend to. So some I call to receive as a channel‚ and others I call to perform My other work. This is what I've done with My queen. I've not allowed her to receive as much as other channels—not because I'm not able to pour through her, not because she's not able to receive it or doesn't have the faith to receive‚ but because I can't allow her to spend so much time receiving My messages when I must use her to do other things for Me.

210. I give My queen the short version of messages, the briefs, the little sentences and paragraphs. And although she desires more and wants more, I've not allowed her to receive more at this time because it's not yet My timing for her. And so it is with you, My dear. I could open your channel more and pour more through you, and the day will come for that, but for now it's not My will that you sit for hours struggling to receive long messages. Just receive the briefs, the sentences, the paragraphs, the short version of what I want to say through you, either for your work, or for others, or for you personally. Be content with the gift that I've given you for today, and don't let the Enemy lie to you and steal your joy in serving Me.

211. I will pour through you in the way I know is best. So look not at the length‚ or at how easily it flows, but just receive what comes and trust Me that I know exactly what to give, how much, and when. You should fight for the message, open your spirit and mind to Me‚ but then don't worry if you don't receive as much as you think you should. If you receive only a sentence or two, and nothing else comes for a while, then go about your other work and return later and ask Me again. But don't worry that you'll be failing, because I will pour through you in the way I know is best for you and My work.

212. The Enemy would like to hinder you and discourage you from receiving anything at all. He knows what a struggle it is for you. He thinks that if he can persuade you to not exercise your channel at all now and if he can belittle you and your gift of pro­phecy, that you will quit altogether. But I say, you must fight even for the small messages, because they are powerful in My Spirit and exactly what I want to give through you. You must not let the Enemy stop you from receiving even one word, for even one word from Me is life–giving.

213. Resist the Enemy's thoughts of dis­cour­age­­ment. Resist his temptation to stop hearing from Me in prophecy, and continue to come to Me. I will speak to you, and what you receive will be of Me. (End of message from Jesus.)

Receiving
Unexpected Answers

214. (Jesus speaking: ) Sometimes you'll get a message when you're praying that you didn't even ask for; in fact, sometimes you'll ask for one thing, but a completely different message will come! But this doesn't mean that you missed it or failed, or that you're a poor channel; in fact‚ it means you're a good, open channel who is willing to receive whatever Heaven wants to send!

215. Sometimes when your channel is open, there will be other spirit helpers who want to speak and get their message across for some reason. They see their opportunity and they have something important that they want to say, so they jump in and seize the opportunity to speak through you. This is good and I allow this, because I see their desire to speak, and I see that your channel is open and you're willing to receive whatever comes.

216. So when that happens, don't think that something is wrong or that you somehow missed it. You might not always get the answer you asked for the first time you pray, but when that happens, just pray again, or as many times as it takes for you to receive the answers you're seeking. Heaven is full of spirit helpers and they're eager to jump in and speak through your open channel, so don't be too surprised if you receive something completely different from what you were expecting. It all works together for good, and I use your open channel as an op­portunity to give a timely message that I know is needed. So just keep coming back and asking, and you'll receive the answers and instructions you need for your situation. (End of message from Jesus)

Giving the King the Honor and Reverence that Is His Due

217. (Jesus speaking:) Sensitivity to the spirit world isn't in itself a guarantee that what is being received is of Me. I've designed and gifted some to be more sensitive to the things of the spirit than others. But even those who are sensitive channels must make sure that they stay close to Me, and that they empty themselves of their own ideas and their own feelings and thoughts‚ in order to receive My Words.

218. I've explained in many messages the prerequisites for making sure that what My children receive in the spirit is untainted and is from the spring of pure and living waters. Any time that any of My children stray from these guidelines‚ either through pride or through neglect of spending time with Me and My Word, then what they receive could easily be influenced‚ either by their own opinions or those of others.

219. You ask then, "How can I be sure that what I'm receiving is from the Lord?" My ­answer is very simple: In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence. As long as you're desperate to get My answers and to not lean to your own understanding, then you can rest assured that whenever you call unto Me for the answers you need, it will be Me Who is answering you.

220. As is written, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." Whenever you're making decisions and hearing from Me, the very first thing you must do is stop everything else you're doing and come before Me. You must, in spirit, perform the salaam and bow low in reverence and in respect. It is necessary that My brides who desire to suck My seeds and receive My Words not only give Me the love that is My due as their Husband, but also give Me the reverence and the honor that is My due as their Lord and King.

221. I don't mean that I want you, My ­lovers, My friends, My brides, to have to come before Me in fear and in trembling, afraid that you'll make a mistake and get a wrong message, or afraid that I won't answer your requests and speak to you. I've promised that whenever you call unto Me, I will answer‚ and what you hear will be My voice. You don't have to fear or worry that you'll be on the wrong channel, as long as you're sincerely asking Me to lead and guide you and speak to you.

222. But for your own sake—so that your heart will not condemn you, and so that the Evil One will not be able to accuse and condemn you—you must set aside all familiarity and take time in reverence and adoration, giving your heart and your thoughts wholly to Me.

223. This isn't something that requires a great deal of time; it can be done anytime and any­where. As your Father David taught, prayer is something that you should be doing all the time, no matter what else you're doing or what else is going on. It's a matter of the heart. You must reverence the King and make sure that you've emptied yourselves of your own thoughts and your own wishes. This is for your own benefit as well as for the benefit of others. For when you've taken the time in heart and in spirit to come before My throne and to bow before Me in reverence‚ love, honor, and respect, then the Evil One will not be able to come in afterwards and accuse you—either to yourself or to others—that the message you received was not of Me or was just your own thoughts and ideas.

224. For this reason, I ask that you, My beloved channels, do everything you can to keep the connection with Me strong during your times of prayer and prophecy and listening to Me, and don't let it be interrupted or broken. Make it clear to others that you cannot be interrupted. Put out signs explaining that you can't be disturbed, and be faithful to take the phone off the hook. Let it be a witness to Me and to others and even to the Enemy that there's nothing that you count more important than your time in the temple and hearing from Me.

225. Don't take this time lightly, My loves. It's an awesome privilege and a blessing to be allowed into the very halls of Heaven and to be given audience with the King of kings. It's a wonderful honor to be chosen as My intimate Bride and to be called into My bed of love to receive My golden seeds. Please don't become so familiar with the privileges that you fail to give Me the honor and the respect that is My due.

226. Taking the time to make the connection strong and to give reverence to Me, your King, is a testimony—a testimony to those who are with you, as well as to yourself, that you're not leaning to your own understanding, but that you truly honor Me and love Me and are so desperate for My answers that you're willing to stop everything else and look to Me and listen to Me with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind. It's a witness even to the Enemy that you're giving yourself to Me completely—in total surrender‚ in spirit and in truth—and that you're not going to give place to anything that's not of Me. Again, as it is written, "You shall seek Me and find Me when you shall search for Me with all your heart." (End of message from Jesus)

Prayerfulness During Free Time

227. (Jesus speaking:) Hearing from Me in prophecy is an integral part of prayerfulness. Even when you've communed with Me and prayed about something and made your plans in communication with Me, still, a key is to take this a step further and hear from Me in prophecy about those plans. It's usually best to hear from Me before you finalize your plans‚ but if you don't do that, then you should at least hear from Me as a final check, to get My "okay," My "nod" of approval.

228. You would do well to apply the "ask Me everything" policy to your free-time activities as well as your work and ministry, for then you will have My full blessing and will learn lessons along the way and avoid problems and mishaps. For example, if you're going out on parent day, you are wise to seek My counsel and approval. Along with giving you My blessing and My permission to go on an outing, I can also caution you about prayerfulness, carefulness, security, and the need to keep your eyes stayed on Me. Hearing from Me in prophecy beforehand also serves to slow you down so that you're more inclined to hear My checks. I am teaching you more and more about prayerfulness—the full scope of prayerfulness. It's not enough to just hear My general checks, or to acknowledge Me by praying as you go about your day. If you wish to be a prayerful person, you must also build a consistent habit of asking Me everything and hearing My voice in prophecy.

229. Some of My dear brides are not in the habit of seeking Me or being as in touch with Me in matters that are not related to their work‚ and especially in matters of recreation and so-called "off hours." Some have a bad habit or attitude of "checking out," not wanting to be boxed in or hassled when they're in relax mode. This can become an attitude of resistance to or even rebellion against being too "spiritual" during free time or rest time. In some cases this is a remnant of your rebellious youthful habits; you don't want to be bothered or restricted.

230. There are times when I have to allow little mistakes and mishaps to get your attention, because during your free time you're not overseen so closely, and as a result, many are not as open to others' reminders, nor do you want people "cramping your style" when you're relaxing. Not that you willfully resist counsel or that you're purposely trying to not be prayerful or to be out of tune or foolish, but you need to let go of the independence that makes you want to take little "vacations" from your responsibilities and the need for prayerfulness, constant vigilance, and utter dependence on Me.

231. It's not just a good practical lesson to hear from Me each time you go out‚ but it's also crucial to the positive outcome of your activity or outing. Even if you're sure that what you're doing is My will‚ if you don't seek My voice in confirmation, you can miss important instructions, reminders, or fine-tuning that can make or break your plan. When you hear from Me in prophecy, you will receive My promises of protection. Then if you continue to be prayerful and go slow and counsel with others and listen to your spirit helpers, I'm more able to punch through with needed reminders, checks, and instruction that will help keep you in a spirit of prayerfulness and caution that can help you avoid mishaps, danger, accidents, and problems of many sorts. (End of message from Jesus.)

Stir Yourself Up to Stay Tuned In

232. (Jesus speaking: ) Receiving from Me, as I have said before, is much like tuning into channels on a radio. I'm not only broadcasting all the time, but I'm broadcasting on many channels at the same time, on everything you can imagine—dia­logue, dramas, seminars, music, science channels, and all kinds of other information—much like your earthly radios. Part of the responsibility of the re­ceivers‚ especially experienced receivers, is not just receiving something, but selecting the right channel out of the many. It's a little like surfing the Heavenly Information Highway. You could spend hours picking up all kinds of stuff, flitting from one thing to the other. But even though you know how to surf, it can sometimes not be that effective if you're not hitting the target you need to hit and don't have a real purpose, direction, or goal in your surfing.

233. If you really need something specific, then you have to ask for something specific in your prayer. You have to be definite in your prayer request for what you want to receive in prophecy, just like you have to be specific when praying your regular prayer requests for the things you need or want Me to do. Otherwise, you're like the guy who prayed for any old car‚ and that's what he got—any old car.

234. If you're praying for someone, the more specifically you ask Me for whatever it is that you want, the more specific the message will be. If you don't know what to pray for, you could start off by pray­ing‚ "What does this person need at the mo­ment? Is there something in particular that would be especially feeding for him right now? Does he have anything on his heart that needs answering? Is he going through any kind of battle at present that You could give some encouragement or comfort for?"

235. You have to clear your mind and channel so that you're concentrating totally on the person or thing you're praying for, totally focused on them, so that you're not slipping in and out of channels. If someone's mind wanders while they're hearing from Me, and if they begin to think about something else‚ they can start receiving a message regarding what­ever it is they're thinking about. Both messages will be true, but when put together in the same text it's confusing.

236. If you spend a little time beforehand actually praying for that person or situation, this helps you to really get into it, to get in the groove, to get in the channel, as you're filling your mind and heart with that subject, which creates a vacuum and drawing power and suction, a fine–tuning. (End of message from Jesus)

It's His Reputation, Not Ours!

237. (Jesus speaking: ) These are My Words, not your words. It's My reputation at stake, not yours. I give what I give, and I say what I say, and I do what I do.

238. My Words will not always please all. Even when I walked upon the face of the Earth‚ My Words offended many. My hard sayings even caused some of those that followed close to depart. Nevertheless, they were My Words and I spoke them. Some who followed left because they didn't understand; they saw things with their natural eyes and understanding, rather than in the spirit. They didn't understand with the understand­ing of God, but they looked and they listened and they comprehended with the sight and the hearing and the mind of man. But those who had faith and who believed, even though they understood not, were rewarded, and were My truest and closest followers.

239. My Words are not always easy words, and My Words are not always understandable words. The things of the Spirit are not always under­standable to the mind of man. But this is not your concern or worry. You must only be faithful to ask and seek and knock‚ and I will be faithful to pour forth and answer and to give that which I will give unto you. (End of mess­age from Jesus.)

Ask for and Receive
The Gift of Interpretation

240. (Jesus speaking:) My love, the easiest and surest way to find out what I mean in a prophecy, or to remove any question in your mind about a possible contradiction, is to bring the question to Me again and ask Me about it. I will answer your question. I may even tell you that you didn't hear correctly the first time you received My message. I may want you to change a word or two that will make the concept and My message clearer.

241. It's important that anyone responsible for going over prophecy for the purposes of interpreta­tion or seeking guidance should keep an open mind. You need to prayerfully read the prophecies you are to interpret, and ask Me to make all things clear. I can do much to clear your mind, help you understand the prophecy, and give you the wisdom needed to perceive what I'm saying.

242. But even more important than those aspects of interpretation, I can show you when to ask Me to give you further details and explanation in prophecy. This is a key element that is crucial if you are to wisely and properly interpret and apply the Words that I give: You must be willing to ask Me to speak to you further in prophecy about anything that is not clear. If you feel the slightest hesitation that you do not fully understand, or if there is any concern that you might be misreading My Words, you can simply ask Me to tell you again in prophecy what the meaning is.

243. The gift of interpretation of My word of prophecy is not just a gift of wisdom and under­standing and faith, but also a gift of patience and asking. Those who are the best at understanding and interpreting the mysteries of prophecy are those who are the most willing to ask again and again if need be! Asking Me is much wiser than leaning to your own wisdom or thoughts, or assuming you understand. It's always safer and better and smarter to ask‚ to make sure, to get My word of confirmation in prophecy if there is any doubt or wonder as to the full meaning of a message.

244. Sometimes people don't understand a prophecy because they have their minds already made up about a situation. Other times they may simply wish for the issues to be more clear-cut—black and white instead of gray. Other times there may be a genuine openness and desire for My will, yet the matter is obscured from their understanding because I'm speaking in mysteries.

245. Remember that interpretation is a gift, and you should pray for this gift, and ask Me for the wisdom needed to implement and follow the Words that I give. Ask Me to help you under­stand the nuances, the leadings‚ the faint shades of meaning, the little subtleties of My voice and My will. Because I can say‚ "Do it!" and I can say, "Do it," and it can be said in two different ways, depending on My tone of voice, My intensity‚ whether I'm giving a command or giving permission. There's so much to understanding My voice, so you should pray for the gift of interpretation.

246. I would that all My children ask for the gift of interpretation. It's extremely import­ant, and I'm willing to give it to all who ask. There will be those who hone this gift more than others, due to necessity and their responsibility or ministry‚ and their personal hunger and desire to improve in understanding prophecy‚ so not everyone will have the same level or quality of the gift. But anyone who asks can and will receive the gift.

247. When you're praying to come to the correct interpretation of prophecy, if there's a portion, a sentence, a paragraph‚ or even a few words that are unclear to you, I know that the temptation would be to just delete or disregard those parts of the message. But by doing so, you might be losing the most important part of the message. You may be losing the punch line, or the balance‚ or the explan­ation that is needed. Don't let the mysteries of My Spirit and My Words intimidate you, but ask Me again and I will explain all these things to you. I love to answer your questions. I love to be at your beck and call. I am even your servant, guiding you into all truth, for I love you, and I want to teach you. (End of message from Jesus.)

Retaining Our Respect
For the Lord's Words
When Seeking Clarification

248. (Jesus speaking:) Each person's gift of prophecy is so tender, so personal, so delicate. So if you, for whatever reason, need to ask someone about a prophecy they received‚ it's very important to do so with an attitude of respect for the words that I give.

249. These are precious words, holy words, priceless words. They are pearls without price, love without measure‚ My Spirit embodied in words. They are, as your David expressed, the wild wind of the Spirit, captured in words for you to embrace. They are mystical, special, magic; they have power. They give you My love in an anointing that they bestow on you when you receive and then follow them. They are My love gift to you. Therefore, someone who talks about these words, who discusses them‚ and who asks the receiver about them, must do so in an attitude of respect—not for the one who received them, but for Me, as they are, in truth, My words.

250. Sometimes it's easy to forget that prophecy is the divine Word. You now see it every day. You are close to it, you feel it, you look at it, you turn it over in your hands and examine it. But, it's so special and so wondrous and so marvelous that I can speak to you, that I can put My words in your mouth, that you can grasp them and reach out into the spirit and pull them into your heart and then voice the words so that they come out of your mouth. This is a miracle‚ an unending miracle.

251. I would that you remember this when you talk about them. When you ask each other about them, please do so remembering that I gave the message that way so that you could know Me in this way. Pray des­perately that you will retain the wonder‚ the awe, the feeling of respect that My Words are due. Seek Me desperately that you will not become familiar with this precious gift‚ but that you will continually see My Words to you as the awesome, marvelous‚ tremen­dous miracle that they are. Remember that I gave My life so that I could be close to you, and this is one of the many ways I show My love to you.

252. Then when you discuss the words, you'll remember their majesty—even in the little answers that I give you—and you'll keep that joy, that tenderness, that fresh way of looking at them, with reverence. You'll keep the innocence of a child the first time he sees a wonder of nature. You'll keep the love for My Word that I wish you to have, and then your conversations about the Word will be loving and tender and delicate, easily entreated, as My Spirit is. I love you‚ and long to pour out more to you, which I will do as you stay open to Me. (End of message from Jesus.)

A Step-by-step Process

253. (Jesus speaking: ) Sometimes I work along with My children, taking them on the route of their choice, first of all to show them that it's not the best choice. When they're satisfied that it's not the best choice, they look for the next step‚ the alternatives, and then I can lead them to the next step. It's like shopping, in a way: You go to all the different stores and look for the best deal, the best buy, the one that's economical and meets your needs.

254. Sometimes I choose to lead My children this way in prophecy. I let them explore all the avenues of their choice in prayer with Me, and then I lead them along step by step to the best deal, the best buy for them personally. That way when they see the best choice, the best deal, they're very happy with it and know that it's My perfect will for them. It's a lesson in coming back to Me many times in prayer about something, and continuing to ask Me for more input, more guidance, more of My will, until you find the best solution for your situation and My perfect will.

255. When you find out one piece of information, come back and ask Me about it. Ask Me for My counsel and direction‚ and then follow it. When you come to a door that I'm leading you to, walk through it in faith, and then come back to Me and ask Me for more directions, what steps to take next, whether to continue to go through that door or if I have another door for you.

256. Prayer and prophecy is a step-by-step process of finding My perfect will for each situation. Often I won't show you the whole answer, the whole picture at once, but I'll show you things step by step, because there are other factors that must be played out first, other choices that must be made in the process. So it's important that you don't get discouraged if it appears that something didn't work out, but rather come back to Me and ask Me about it. Ask Me what's next‚ where to go, how to do it, what's the next step and the next door to walk through, and I will show you.

257. When it appears that things didn't work out‚ you must pray about what other factors came into play. It's highly possible that other circum­stances came into the picture after you prayed that influenced the direction that I want to lead you. People made choices, directions were changed because of factors that you don't know about, situations that you have no control over.

258. For many reasons I may change the plan‚ change the direction; and what I once told you to do, I may change and tell you not to do. The direction I once told you to go, I may change accord­ing to the need, and tell you to modify your direction and correct the path.

259. It's important that My children use prayer and prophecy as a step-by-step process in finding My will, that they don't go on only one message in important situations, but that they come back to Me to confirm if this is My will. They should confirm that they're on the right path and going the right direction, and I will show them.

260. You shouldn't refrain from hearing from Me out of fear that you'll get the wrong thing, because if you use prayer and prophecy as a step-by-step plan of finding My will‚ then you can keep coming back to Me and seeking for clarification and direction. The first message could be a rough mess­age to give you general counsel and guidelines, then as you come back again and again, I'll bring the picture into focus and give you step-by-step specifics and counsel to your satisfaction and according to My perfect will. (End of message from Jesus.)

The Analogy of the Loom

261. (Jesus speaking:) My will is like a tapestry on a loom. There are the main vertical threads in the loom, and these form the main frame of My will. But I've laid out for you on a table many threads of various colors—some gold, some green, some red, some blue, and many other beautiful but completely different colors.

262. I ask you to choose which thread you would like to weave horizontally through the main frame of My will. I wait to see which one you'll pick up. If you choose one color, then the tapestry will appear a certain way. If you choose another color‚ then it will look very different.

263. You hold the thread of choice in your hand. You consider each choice, and want to make the best one. Some choices will change the picture completely, but it will still be within My will.

264. This is how I weave the picture of My will for your life. You help to determine what the picture will be by the choices that you make within the tunnel of My will. Those choices have an effect; they can even cause a fairly major change in the picture, as one thread leads to another and then to another. That is why at different phases of the weaving I give different counsel and instructions, and this is why what I said at one time might change later, depending on the choices you make.

265. Some things are black and white; they don't change. But most things that the human mind can comprehend have many shades in between, all within My will. I put these things to you in this simple way so that you can under­stand them. (End of mess­age from Jesus.)

Don't Worry, Jesus Is in Charge

266. (Dad speaking:) If you're real desperate with the Lord, He'll keep you on track. He won't let you go too far afield. When He knows you're praying, when He knows you're seeking His will, when He knows you're desperate to do what He wants you to do, then He comes through and steers the ship in the right direction.

267. He'll either steer it by giving you the answers directly, or if He sees there needs to be a turn or you need to chart your path a little differently‚ then He'll find a way to get in there and reveal to you His will and His plan and any new directions that have come up.

268. So don't worry, Jesus is the One who's in charge of this outfit! It's His work and it's important to Him. He's the main overseer. He's directing things from Heaven and He's coordinating it all. He's got the complete overview, and He's the One directing the show. So stay close to Him, stay desperate in prayer, pray without ceasing, and He'll be faithful to do His part. (End of message from Dad)