Step into Your Prophetic Destiny

Copyright © 2014 Andrea T. Watts.

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Scripture quotations are taken from The Open Bible Expanded Edition–KJV, copyright © 1985, Thomas Nelson, Inc.; Deuteronomy and Romans–KJV/AMP Parallel Bible, Grand Rapids, Mich. Zondervan Publishing House, copyright © 2004; and Bible Gateway.com

Scripture quotations identified as (KJV) are taken from the King James Version of the Bible. Those identified as (AB) are taken from the Amplified Bible. Those identified as (NIV) are taken from the New International Version of the Bible. Those identified as (ASV) are taken from the American Standard Version of the Bible.

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ISBN: 978-1-4908-2546-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-2547-2 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-2545-8 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014902134

WestBow Press rev. date: 02/07/2014

CONTENTS

Dedication

Foreword

Acknowledgments

Introduction

1   The Struggle

2   Wilderness or Promised Land

3   Preparation

4   Prophetic Destiny

5   Conclusion: Walking in Purpose and Destiny

Sources

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to my beloved and belated father, Leroy Towler, Sr., and my brother, Leroy Towler, Jr., who both inspired me so much during my many times of distress and illness.

My father was not perfect. Nevertheless, he was able to recognize who God was in his life through the struggles, wastelands, and wilderness experiences. God gave him preparation time to be able to walk in His purpose and prophetic destiny. He took care of his family and taught me what life is all about. My father, Leroy Towler Sr., walked his way right into God’s hand. When he died, he was praising God, singing with the choir as he walked to the choir stand one Sunday morning. What a life it was to be called from earth to glory while he was in God’s house, walking in God’s prophetic destiny!

As for my brother, Leroy Towler, Jr., he magnified God greatly, even through all the illnesses he had to experience for so many years. God was preparing him as a living testimony. I was able to finish this book because my brother died after praising God in my presence to the fullest. My brother was blind in one eye and suffered many infirmities, but he still praised God in His sanctuary. When I saw him, I was inspired to go forth and give all that I have to God.

That Sunday morning before he died, he praised God as though it was his last time. Who could have known that it was his last time—at least at New Community Church of God in Christ? When he left town after visiting that day, he told me that if he lived in the area, he would have joined our church. He had felt the anointing of God when he walked in the door. I believe God was so pleased with my brother’s praise that He would not allow him to suffer any longer, and God said, Come home, my son.

These two men meant so much in my life. I will never forget their praise or how they both went through their struggles, wilderness experiences, and so many wastelands in their lives with faith, trust, and hope in God. They both realized their expected ends: eternal life with Jesus Christ. God allowed them to step out of their struggles, wilderness, and wastelands to go through their preparation time and step into His purpose and their prophetic destiny.

I love you both. Rest in peace until we meet again in glory.

FOREWORD

We are living in times when many children of God find themselves feeling stuck. This comes about when we feel stagnant, unproductive, and stifled. The truth is that there is no stuck place in Christ, as the Bible declares in Romans 8:28: And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose. That wonderful promise ensures that regardless of what we feel, where we are, or what we must endure, everything is being divinely fitted together to reveal a glorious plan—one that God ensures is for our good. That truth alone brings liberty to those who feel stuck.

When we look at the overwhelming feeling of stagnancy, we find that it is an issue not only of where we are but also of what we are doing where we are. In our wilderness experiences, what have we chosen to feel and to do? Most importantly, whom have we chosen to be? We must remember that the message of God to Pharaoh consisted of a powerful statement that is often missed and is the key to our wilderness victory and release. In Exodus 7:16 (KJV), God made us aware of His true heart for His people when He said, And thou shalt say unto him, The Lord God of the Hebrews hath sent me unto thee, saying, Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness: and, behold, hitherto thou wouldest not hear. God desires that man transition from slavery to liberty so that even in the wilderness His people will worship Him.

Today many people find themselves in the wilderness, forsaking the pure worship that God desires in every situation. The Hebrews’ worship of God was the key to every provision and victory, and so is ours. The Bible states in John 4:23–24 (NIV), Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.

At the onset, before we can embrace the instructions of how to Step Into Your Prophetic Destiny, we must embrace the powerful reality of what God desires for us in the wilderness experiences of life. In order to get a response from God, we need to bring forth a sound of worship that makes a statement of preparation. After the wilderness ramblings of a generation of Hebrews, and upon the death of Moses, Joshua became Moses’ successor. God’s detailed instructions to Joshua to take possession of the first territory of the Promised Land were based on worship. Joshua 6:16–17 (ASV) says, And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for Jehovah hath given you the city. And the city shall be devoted, even it and all that is therein, to Jehovah. It is important to see that this was all about obedience and worship. The seven trumpets that were blown were seven shofars, which are the horns that come from rams. These horns, used in worship, were only blown at five specific times in the Word of God:

1. As a call to worship

2. As a call to divine assistance

3. As a call to faith, repentance, and obedience

4. As a warning

5. On a certain Sabbath

In this case, under Joshua’s leadership, the blowing of the trumpets represented all five of these uses. Everything the Hebrews had done thus far had encompassed worship, divine assistance, repentance, warnings, and the reinstatement of the Sabbath. The people followed the instructions because their hearts were so in tune with the Lord God. They had no idea how many days their actions would go on, because Joshua never told them any specific time frame. Joshua 6:10 lets us know that they only shouted when they received word from Joshua to shout. They simply followed the leader in obedience with renewed hearts.

Joshua knew two things about this shout: (1) if the people shouted on any day other than the one God declared, they would not have God’s backing, and He would not come to their aid and take down their enemy, and (2) if the people shouted out of enthusiasm and religion instead of relationship, the enemy would sense the lack of God’s backing and would develop the courage to attack the Hebrews.

This is why our worship and praise must be authentic, and it must resound far beyond our feelings, emotions, situations, or circumstances. It must be from a heart turned toward God.

We could refer to so many instances where the Israelites turned from the Lord and went to battle, shouting with simple religious enthusiasm in hopes of winning a battle—only to lose because their worship was not authentic. (See 1 Samuel 4 and 2 Chronicles 13:13–17.)

In 2 Chronicles 20:15, we see another instance of the delivering power of worship when Jehoshaphat feared an attack by the Ammonites and Moabites. The Bible declares that the king proclaimed a fast and a time of worship and praise. He rose early and God comforted him. And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not your’s, but God’s. (2 Chronicles 20:15 KJV) The story goes on to reveal that after fasting, he appointed the people to sing, shout, and praise God in the beauty of holiness.

This is true intimacy in the midst of adversity. This is what we demonstrate when we know Him. It is then that we can receive divine strategies and instructions and can release the worship and praise saturated in His presence and His power. Because they turned not toward winning a battle or what God could do for them, but they truly had hearts of pure worship, praise, and adoration, God released their victory in the midst of that worship. The Bible declares that as they worshipped, God set an ambush against their enemies, and it took the Hebrews three days to recover all the spoils from a battle that they literally did not even have to fight!

As you read this book, which will inspire and instruct you on how to Step into Your Prophetic Destiny, enter in with a heartfelt worship that declares, Lord, I will bless you at all times, and your praise shall continually be in my mouth! One of the most powerful things you can do is to decide that you will not be defined by what looks like stagnancy, lack of productivity, or time in the wilderness. Trust that God is working on your behalf according to His purposes for your life. Do what God always wanted the children of Israel to do: worship Him, even in the wilderness, and watch Him move you into the place of promise and purpose.

—Hope D. Blackwell

Overseer, author, and founder of Back to the Garden Ministries

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

First, I thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who birthed this book through my many struggles, wilderness experiences, and wastelands in order to produce a teaching tool, experience, empowerment, deliverance, prayer, lifting up of spirits, and the awesome anointing that comes only from God. God is so good and is worthy to be praised. It is for His glory and honor that I place this book in the Master’s hands. My life is also in the hands of the Lord, for without Him I could not have accomplished this.

I thank God for a