Many years ago, Pete volunteered at a breakthrough celebrate recovery group.
This is a group that was designed to help people trying to overcome addictions, drugs, alcohol, sex, whatever it might be.
This group would meet once a week. There was a support group to help people socially. Then, there would be a full prayer team. There were also professional people trained to help people with a dedicated resource package.
Pete would watch as people came in. Someone would hold up their seven-day chip. Seven days sober.
And maybe the next week, 14 days sober.
They’re covered in prayer and we’re seeing all these miracles happen of lives transformed and turned around.
Pete says “If I was to look at it on balance, most people didn’t change.”
Most people would get small breakthroughs and then regress. Not all, but most wouldn’t come out the other side.
It got Pete thinking “Well, if God is the God of the impossible, and if God can do all these things, and heal people in an instant, why is he not radically changing people’s lives?”
In that scenario, Pete’s observation was that God’s grace and power were open. But where he saw people regress, to old ways that they detested was when they didn’t believe they deserve good things.
They didn’t believe they were worthy of love and they didn’t believe they deserved good things.
So when good things happened – when they began to be sober, get a job, and maybe at times, people gifted them with something that could help them – whatever it may be, when things started to go better, they would hit this wall where they just could not believe it would continue.
So rather than being disappointed, and have things taken away from them, they would take control. They would sabotage themselves.
So often in life, we’re waiting for people to help us, prophesy over us and speak life into us.
But if we don’t believe we can approach God and others with confidence – that we’re worthy of help, love, mentoring and friendship.
If we don’t believe it then we’re not going to find it.
We’re always going to be in the outer thinking that no one is doing enough for us.
We just want to encourage you in this: you are worthy of love.
God is a perfect father, and he loves you.
His primary message and hope in sending Jesus weren’t to condemn you.
Jesus said “I’ve come to bind up the brokenhearted”.
He says, “if you’ve got a broken heart, I want to knit it together, so it has time to heal” and “I’m here to bring freedom for the captives”.
If you’re held captive by addictions, or fears, or anything else – He is here to bring you freedom.
If you believe you can claim that and ask that as a son, because you’ve accepted God, then you need to ask it boldly.
Pete wants to encourage you to prophesy over yourself. “This was something that an old spiritual mentor said to me: write down the ‘you said’. Write down the promises that God has given you and claim them.
After this, Pete wrote his own ‘you said’ letter. This is something you may be able to apply to your own life in prophesying over yourself.
Pete’s ‘You Said’ letter reads something like this:
“Father, you said that you’ve set me apart for a higher purpose even before I was born.
In Jeremiah, You said that you’ve prepared in advance the good works that you want me to do.
I want to live this life. I don’t want to go through life living for me and chasing meaningless things.
I will find a life of meaning and fulfilment as I seek to live the life that you’ve set for me.
I look back on my life and consider myself immensely blessed.
I know that you’ve used me for Your glory and being present at all seasons and stages of life.
You promise that your favour is not for a season but a lifetime (Psalms).
And it is with this in mind that there is great excitement as I approach the second half of my life.
Lord, you said that the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few (Matthew).
I’m putting my hand up and asking that you’ll bring me into a mighty harvest.
Jesus, you once told story about three men who were given one, two, and five talents by their master.
The first one hid the talent whereas the other two took risks and put the talents to work, doubling the original investment.
You had equal praise for the later two. “Well done, good and faithful servant”.
I’m willing to do everything I can do, so that you can do what I cannot do.
Lord, show me the talents you’ve given me and show me where you want them invested.
It’s in line with your word. And I know that this prayer will not go unanswered.
Set your vision ablaze in me. Connect me to the right people – people that will guide me as mentors support me as peers, and work alongside me in the harvest.
You bless me so much today. You’re Jehovah Jireh – the Lord God my provider.
You promise that the glory of the latter house will be greater than the former.
Bless me indeed and enlarge my territory.
Let your hand be with me and keep me from hurt so I will be free from pain.
Grant this request just like you did Jabez.
Provide abundant financial provision so that my family will be provided for.
May my profile and influence raise so they may expand on the portfolio lifestyle.
Utilise the talents that you’ve invested in me.
In a moment, you can turn a life around.
You told a story about a woman who was bleeding for 12 years and was healed in an instant by faith when she touched a cloak.
I believe and claim the same power over my life today.
In an instant, you can take me to a place that I could never be on my own.
You are the God that can do more than I can think or imagine. May I do it all for your glory.
Release me to use the talents that you’ve invested in me. May I return back multiples on what you have given to me?”
Pete says sometimes, when he is down and tempted to blame others. He reminds himself that God has called him to be his son through a relationship with Jesus Christ.
That’s when he prays this: “God, You said Do not forget me. And personally, I want to tell you that I wrote that at my one of my lowest times in life.”
When he wrote it, he was going through a marriage breakup. He had negative cashflow in the business. He was going through a personal settlement and the immense stress and betrayal that goes on with that.
Pete remembers wrestling with God like Jacob but he clung tight to God.
He said “You said, You said, You said.” and “I consider myself one of the most blessed men on the planet. I’m going through a divorce. Everything’s going backwards. I am one of the most blessed men on the planet. I am blessed beyond blessed.”
And he held on to God like Jacob.
He said “I am not letting go until you **** bless me.”
“I don’t think God cared that I swore”, Pete says. “I think he saw my heart. I think he saw my desperation to cling to him”.
We want to prophesy over you today: you are not cursed. You are blessed beyond blessed.
God will give you double for your trouble. For the iniquities you’ve suffered, for the false accusations, misunderstanding, and personal attacks.
For the things that have come to you in one direction, we prophesy over you that God will scatter in many and your better days will be ahead.
There is always faith. There is always hope. There is always love.
There is always a better day ahead.
May you go in peace.