It's Time To BREAK THE GAME!
Recently, I read Sunrise on the Reaping, the latest installment in the Hunger Games series. The story takes place years before Katniss and Peeta enter the arena and centers around their mentor, Haymitch’s, game.
I read it because our daughter, Abigail, asked if I would read it, so she had someone to talk to about the story. I’d read the others alongside the kids, as well, so after she finished, I borrowed her book.
I didn’t expect to hear God speak through it, but He absolutely did.
While there are multiple themes, one that stood out to me was Haymitch’s offhand remark and later decision to try to “break the game.” Without giving too much away, let me share enough to be able to explain what God spoke to me.
There’s a moment in the training session before the game begins when both the Peacekeepers and several of the recruits are armed. Haymitch knew the recruits outnumbered the Peacekeepers by four to one on that particular day, and if they moved quickly, they could probably grab other weapons in the room and, if not subdue the Peacekeepers, they could at least do significant damage. He said as much aloud to another recruit, and Plutarch, who worked for the Capitol, overheard him. Plutarch’s genuine questions to Haymitch were to ask him why he didn’t take action and why he submitted to it all.
As the training continued, Haymitch discovered the arena in which the recruits were sent to fight to the death was a machine; he recognized that machines could be broken, and as the story unfolded, he decided to do all he could to “break the game,” even if he died trying.
What I heard God say is that it’s time to break the game.
You’re probably asking the same question I did. What does that even mean?
He showed me how we live according to traditionally accepted ways of doing things in every sphere of society. It’s the “game” we play and participate in without question because it’s what we’ve always known.
What’s the “game”? It’s the world’s system.
God is breaking that game and is inviting His sons and daughters to partner with Him in establishing something from heaven instead.
It’s far more comfortable to sit back, watch things unfold in the world, criticize it, and leave it to someone else to take action around it. Yet, Matthew 11:12 says, “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.”
I’m NOT suggesting literal violence. Hear me clearly on that. What I am saying is that there’s a forcefulness to God’s kingdom advancing on the earth, just as there’s a forcefulness to plowing new ground in preparation for seeds to be planted for harvest.
When we choose to forge new paths, we’re often met with resistance in the natural or spirit realm. Will we shrink back and give up, or push on to dismantle the old and build what God is showing us, even if it comes at a cost?
I heard a warning. If we don’t take up our roles and responsibilities in “breaking the game,” the rebellious will, because the game WILL be broken.
The question God asked me was, “Which fruit would you rather eat?”
What does it look like to break the game of the traditional ways of doing things in business, education, government, and more? God wants to have that conversation with us in every area of our lives, show us what needs to be torn down, and give us the blueprints to build anew with Him.
We’re designed to be pioneers, innovators, inventors, and those on the forefront of society as sons and daughters of the King of kings, ruling and reigning in every area of society. That’s our mandate from the beginning of creation.
It’s time to break the game and advance God’s kingdom in every area of society. The question is, are we willing to lay down our lives, sacrifice, and pay the cost of breaking the old and building the new?
If we don’t, others will rise in our place.
Either way, we’ll eat the fruit of what is established.
It’s time to break the game.
Living for Him,
Andrea
Our Mission: Love Others Well & Empower Them to Do the Same
Understanding the Mysteries of God
God doesn't hide things from us - He hides them for us.
Ever go on a treasure hunt as a kid?
That’s what it can feel like when God invites us into the mysteries of His heart. He hides revelation not from us, but for us—to be discovered in His Word, in everyday moments, and in His presence.
Too often, we read Scripture like a story, skimming the parts we don’t understand. But every word carries the message of His heart. We know we’ll be with Him in heaven, but we long to encounter Him now. And we wonder… if God still speaks today, could we be missing what He’s saying?
Let’s explore that together.
Join me on Monday, June 16th, at 8:00 p.m. EST via Zoom as we dive into:
That’s what it can feel like when God invites us into the mysteries of His heart. He hides revelation not from us, but for us—to be discovered in His Word, in everyday moments, and in His presence.
Too often, we read Scripture like a story, skimming the parts we don’t understand. But every word carries the message of His heart. We know we’ll be with Him in heaven, but we long to encounter Him now. And we wonder… if God still speaks today, could we be missing what He’s saying?
Let’s explore that together.
Join me on Monday, June 16th, at 8:00 p.m. EST via Zoom as we dive into:
- Understanding the mysteries of God through His Word
- Encountering & Experiencing His presence here and now
- Recognizing His voice in the everyday
We’ll search it out like hidden treasure—and find Him in all His glory.
Who is this for?
Who is this for?
- This is for the curious and questioning…
- For those new in faith, just starting to explore God’s heart…
- And for those seasoned in the journey, hungry to go even deeper.
No matter where you are, there’s always more to discover.
Can’t join live? No worries—there will be a replay!
Everyone who registers will receive:
Can’t join live? No worries—there will be a replay!
Everyone who registers will receive:
- The Zoom link
- Recording
- A downloadable notes page with key points and resources
Cost: Donation-based (details in registration).
I’d love to have you there! Let’s discover more of Him—together.
PLEASE SHARE THIS WITH OTHERS who might want to join in! I love making new friends and helping others grow in their relationship with God!
#DiscoverHisHeart #HearingGod #FaithJourney #AustraliaInAugust #FaithInAction
I’d love to have you there! Let’s discover more of Him—together.
PLEASE SHARE THIS WITH OTHERS who might want to join in! I love making new friends and helping others grow in their relationship with God!
#DiscoverHisHeart #HearingGod #FaithJourney #AustraliaInAugust #FaithInAction
Our Mission: Love Others Well & Empower Them to Do the Same
"Did You Ask For It?"
The Question That Changed Everything
Ever feel like you’ve been waiting and waiting on something that hasn’t come to pass yet, and hope is waning in your heart?
Maybe, you even began to believe it would never happen, discouragement settled in, and the truth you held onto in your heart was disappointment. You’d waited on God to move on your behalf, and were left still waiting with it unfilled.
“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but desire fulfilled is a tree of life.” (Proverbs 13:12)
What if the one you were waiting on wasn’t God, but you?
So often, we blame God for things and label them “hope deferred” when the real problem is that we’re not doing our part.
I had a solid lesson in this recently. I’d been waiting several months for something. I began to believe it wouldn’t happen, and I resigned myself to needing to let it go. It absolutely felt like hope deferred to me, and I accepted that as my reality, adding it to a list of other things I’d waited on and hadn’t seen come to pass.
Then, I heard God speak to my heart - “Did you ask for it?”
I’m certain that in that moment, my eyebrows shot up, my mouth fell slightly open, and I likely looked like a deer caught in headlights.
No. I hadn’t asked for it.
I had expected it to be offered, and when it wasn’t, it became hope deferred in my heart, instead of recognition that I had shirked my responsibility.
The truth of the matter was that I didn’t want to ask for all kinds of reasons, all of which were rooted in fear of man.
That wasn’t on God. That was on me.
I didn’t feel condemned by God’s question. It felt like a revelation into my soul.
I began to think back through other times I’d chalked up a situation to “hope deferred,” when, if I had only done my part, the outcome would have been different. Instead, I'd shoved the responsibility off on Him to come through for me and harbored disappointment in my heart when it didn't transpire.
Sometimes it feels way easier to blame God than take personal responsibility and make needed changes, especially when those changes are connected to internal workings of the heart.
Next time you feel a sense of “hope deferred,” consider asking God if there’s anything He’s waiting on you to do for it to come to pass.
Like me, you might be amazed at how quickly it transpires when you do your part!
Living for Him,
Andrea
P.S. If you follow me on social, you may have seen me post about an upcoming trip to Australia for The Voice of the Lord National Prophetic Summit. I'm putting my hand to work to help make this trip a reality. If you have a need for remote or in-person work, I'm your girl! I'm not setting any pricing, but trusting God to be my provision. Every task I complete brings me one step closer to Australia. Please reach out if you have a need I can partner with you in accomplishing. Thanks so much!
Our Mission: Love Others Well & Empower Them to Do the Same
June Prophetic Word: First Fruits
Life can be parabolic when lived in heart connection with God.About a week ago or so, I harvested my first ripe tomatoes from this year’s garden. The words, “FIRST FRUITS!” resounded in my mind, and I couldn’t help but declare it.
When I sat with the Lord and asked Him what He was speaking over June, I didn’t hear anything immediately.
Then, Brian and I were praying together, and those same words slipped from my lips and landed in my heart.
I knew God was declaring over June that it's a “first fruits” month.
The sense I’ve gotten is that many of us have been in a season of patiently waiting for the seeds we’ve planted to grow and bear fruit. We’ve tended and nurtured the seeds, watered and fertilized them, looked expectantly for growth each day, spoken words of faith over them, trusted they would grow . . . and kept on waiting.
The waiting has seemed so long, but hope has stayed in our hearts because progress has been evident, even if we’ve sometimes questioned if the seedlings would flourish.
This month, we’ll begin to see the first fruits - the initial harvest of the seeds we’ve so tenderly nurtured. It’s the early harvest, and a promise of the greater harvest yet to come.I hear, “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him!” (Psalm 34:8)
Keep waiting, tending, and trusting. A bumper crop is on its way!
I would LOVE to hear about your first fruits early harvest this month! Please reach out and share!
Living for Him,
Andrea
P.S. If you need prayer or encouragement, please reach out. Brian and I would love to pray for you!
Our Mission: Love Others Well & Empower Them to Do the Same
When Heaven Rewrites Your Identity
I love it when God shows you something new in a very familiar scripture. That’s what happened to me recently when I read the prayer of Jabez found in 1 Chronicles 4:9-10.
Two short verses, just a few words, but they say so much! Many have taught on this verse. A bestselling book was even written focused solely on Jabez’s prayer.
What stood out to me in my recent reading of it might not be what you’d think.
I first asked the Lord what He meant by Jabez being more honorable than his brothers. When I looked up “honorable” in Strong’s concordance1, I discovered it’s the word “kabad,” which I knew meant “glory,” but it also means “to be heavy, honorable, make weighty, and great,” among other things. What I found interesting is that there’s also a negative aspect to this word. It can mean “burdensome, severe, dull.”
Hold that thought.
Can we talk about his name for a moment? “Jabez” literally means “He Will Cause Pain.” His momma named him that because she experienced pain during his delivery. (Aren’t most births accompanied by some level of pain?) I couldn’t help but wonder what his brothers must have been named!
As I pondered on these two things - the meanings of kabad and Jabez, I began to form a very different picture of Jabez in my mind, and I heard his heart’s cry in an entirely different way as I read his prayer.
When we read Jabez’s prayer and personalize it, we often focus on the blessing, the enlarging, God’s hand being with us, and Him keeping us from evil. It’s easy for the last part - “that I may not cause pain” to become a bit of an add-on as we think of others in what can be an otherwise self-focused prayer.
What I suddenly recognized was that every time Jabez heard his name, what he really heard was “he will cause pain,” “he will cause pain,” “he will cause pain.” That was programmed into his identity every time it was spoken.
Could it be that the reason Jabez was described as being more honorable than his brothers was because of the burden he bore in being told he would cause pain wherever he went and in the lives of anyone he knew and loved? Was that internal belief system he was supposed to keep as his own?
If so, it gives an entirely different perspective on the last portion of Jabez’s prayer. When he asks God to keep him from evil, that doesn’t just mean bad things (morally or naturally), but also “adversity, affliction, calamity, distress, sorrow, and trouble.2”
I personally believe Jabez had developed such an intimate friendship with God that he knew he could not only cry out to the Lord in prayer for the blessings, but he could also bring before God the injustice of his name. That declaration of causing pain had been made by his momma, but God spoke a better word over Jabez. He knew his identity wasn’t as one who would cause pain. The cry of Jabez’s heart was that he wouldn’t fulfill what others had spoken over him every day of his life, but he would walk in the truth of God’s original design for him.
The King James Version of verse 10 says, “ . . . keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me!” In this context, “grieve” means “to worry, pain, anger, vex, or be sorry.3” Put that together with the definition of “evil” and we discover in this sense, Jabez is asking God to keep him from adversity, calamity, distress, sorrow, and trouble so that it wouldn’t cause him worry, pain, anger, or to be sorry.
Either way we look at it, I believe Jabez is holding God to the truth of what he knew GOD had spoken over him, and the only way he could know that was through deep friendship with God.
God’s response was to grant Jabez what he had requested. I find the entire exchange to be incredibly beautiful - from Jabez’s heartfelt cry to God’s loving response!
We’ve each had things spoken over our lives that aren’t in alignment with God’s truths and our original design.
What would it look like for us to bring those things before God like Jabez did? To cry out before Him and in essence say, “God, this is what has been said, but I know it’s not who I am. Tell me who I am and enable me to walk in it!”
It could shift so many things in each of our worlds!
We are His sons and daughters, His beloved Bride, His perfect partner, His friend - those are just some of the truths He has spoken over us. Father God, help us to walk in the truth of who YOU say we are!
I hear God responding, “So I granted him what he requested . . . "
Living for Him,
Andrea
P.S. Praying this Easter fills your heart with fresh hope, deep joy, and the unshakable truth of who you are in Him. May you hear heaven speaking a better word over you. You are loved. You are His. You are made new. Much love and many blessings, now and always!
Endnotes:
- “Honorable.” e-Sword, version 2024, Rick Meyers, 2024. I Chronicles 4:9
- “Evil.” e-Sword, version 2024, Rick Meyers, 2024. I Chronicles 4:10
- "Grieve." e-Sword, version 2024, Rick Meyers, 2024. I Chronicles 4:10
Our Mission: Love Others Well & Empower Them to Do the Same
