What Can Delay Your Season by Rev. Christie Bature: MP3 Download & Sermon Notes

Things That Can Stop Your Season

What are some of the things that can stop your season?

Overeating. When you eat, what happens to you? You feel heavy. When you overeat, especially in the night, you try to sleep and you cannot sleep. You have acid reflux. You grow fat. Many of your organs start to slow down. Overeating is not only eating till you are overfull. Overeating is also eating everything that you see.

Overeating can make you sleep deeply and you cannot pray. It is a small thing, but it can stop you from entering your season. You over-fantasize, it affects your productivity. Your body will be too heavy, your mind will not function at the level it should.

If you overindulge in food, you can miss your season.

Too much sleep. Some of us can sleep for the world. If you are lazy, how can you then contact your season? How can you connect with your season? You can't sleep. And if you don't sleep, you can't dream. Laziness is an enemy of your season.

Lack of spiritual sensitivity. Spiritual sensitivity is not one big thing that you have to go and look for from afar. If you are reading the word of God, if you are praying, most times the voice of God is a small voice. It is a tiny suggestion. It is a small thing that will just come to you and pass quickly. If you are not paying attention, the thing will pass. It is later you realize, "Oh, that was God."

David's Three Failures of Sensitivity

Today I was reading my Bible. I saw three times in 2 Samuel where David was not spiritually sensitive and it cost him greatly.

The first time — in 2 Samuel 13, Amnon said, "I want my sister to come and cook for me." And the father was not sensitive. He said, "Oh," and sent Tamar. Go and cook for your brother. What happened to her? She got raped.

The second time — in the same chapter, Absalom was angry with Amnon for raping his sister Tamar and planned to kill him. He came and said, "After 2 years of the rape, please let all my brothers come for my sheep shearing." When David said no, we will be too much of a burden, Absalom said, "Then let my brother Amnon come." Immediately, if David was spiritually sensitive, he would wonder: why is he specifically asking for Amnon? But Absalom pressed him and he let Amnon and all the king's sons go. And Absalom killed Amnon.

The third time — in 2 Samuel 15, Absalom said to him, "I want to go and worship the Lord in Geshur." And David said to him, "Go in peace." But that was when Absalom was going to go and complete his plan to take over the throne.

It is so important to be spiritually sensitive.

The voice of God is not one fat thing. It is with you. The Bible says He is inside of you. He will open your mouth. You have the mind of Christ.

The devil will never ask you to go and do good. The devil can never inspire you to do good. So if in your mind something says, "Give that person your last." And you say, "Get thee behind me, Satan" — no. Satan will not tell you to give your only thing to somebody that is worse off than you. Recognize that the voice of God is not one big spectacular thing. It is a still small voice.

Understanding Kairos Moments

Kairos moment is not an instant thing. It is something that has been in preparation for some time. As you align yourself in prayer, align yourself in study of the word, waiting in the presence of God, everything is coming together and then you enter that moment.

You can stay praying, but you cannot force a kairos moment. You just stay in the place of prayer, stay in the place of alignment, and then the kairos moment will happen.

Disobedience

Not learning what you are supposed to learn in your current season can delay your next season, absolutely. Let me share something about how the enemy comes to counter spiritual moves.

God told me to travel to nations at my expense and hold programs with people who follow me on social media. Last year I was able to go to 14 nations. When I landed in the 10th nation, which was Kenya, as I was coming down the plane, I heard in my spirit, "I am going to reward you for obeying me." Immediately I heard that I said, "Yay God, you are going to return all my money?" God said, "I am not giving you money. I am giving you visibility."

Every time I engage in spiritual warfare, spiritual exercises, spiritual practices, the devil comes to challenge what you have just done. Satan is afraid that if you continue, you will be completely free. Don't back off when the enemy is reacting because you are pressing into God and decimating his kingdom.

Somebody has been praying for 6 weeks and a person they are praying for offends them deeply. And they want to stop. God showed me a flash of two hands — one big hand and one small hand. The big hand was holding the person I had been praying for. And I saw myself in a corner kneeling down praying, and something was counting the days. That day the person offended me and I wanted to stop — it was only two fingers remaining. God said, "You have come so far. The devil is afraid that if you continue praying, this person will be completely free. Continue praying. Don't get angry."

Don't back off. Don't let the devil convince you that it's because you prayed that's why you are suffering. No. Because I've prayed, your kingdom is threatened. And so the reaction will come.

Offense Can Delay Your Season

Do you remember what happened to John the Baptist when he was in prison? He was expecting Jesus to come and do something and bring him out. But Jesus did not do that. Then he sent his disciples to go and ask Jesus, "Are you the one we are expecting or should we look for another?" This is John the Baptist who recognized Jesus from the womb. Suddenly offense had gotten in the way. He was offended at Jesus for not saving him.

That is what offense does to you. It blinds you. It blinds you to opportunities, blinds you to relationships, blinds you to joy, blinds you to happiness, blinds you to freedom.

Don't hold offenses. Don't hold anybody in your heart. Forgive.

Lack of Accountability

That is another thing that can stop you from entering your season when you are not accountable. If you are not accountable, you can miss your season.

I call someone every time God speaks to me, especially if I am not sure this is God, and I will tell him, "Hey, see what I heard in my spirit." Then he will say, "Okay, if it is God, it will come to pass." I always tell him so that I will not come back later and be saying, "Ah, and I heard that thing, you know." This is how I practice the voice of God. When I tell him and it happens, I know that is God.

Sometimes God Empties You to Fill You

Not every setback is a defeat. My husband had a thriving business and he needed to take a loan. He had to mortgage his two tugboats. The bank assured him they would give him the money. So he signed. And the bank didn't give him the money, and they took his two tugboats. At that time, those were the only assets he had. He was so broken, so confused, so afraid. He said, "God, what has happened to me? I did good business. I did not cheat anybody."

And God said to him, "I needed to empty you out first before I fill you up again." Today he has 14 ships. He does not only have 14 ships. He has four other companies that are all doing well.

Every setback is a setup if you will accept it for the next level.

Closing Summary

Don't let anything stop your season. Anger, unforgiveness, laziness, overeating, lack of spiritual sensitivity, disobedience to the instruction of God, stubbornness, hot temper — all these are things that can get in the way of you entering your season.

Do not feel you have not prayed because you did not feel anything. We believe by faith. The widow of Nain — her son had died. She was crying beside that coffin. There is no record that she said anything audibly. And Jesus stopped the burial procession and said, "Rise up." You do not have to feel God for you to know if you have prayed, if you have fasted. Stop looking for feeling. God is not a feeling. We believe by faith. It is faith that you need, not feelings.