I remember when I received the baptism of the spirit (a free will choice) and I started hearing the voice of the Lord and his plans for my life. His instructions and words were so clear for what was ahead of me. When this was happening there was one major concern I had and that was that I didn’t want to be a robot following instructions as that is not who I am. I remember saying to the Lord I will do whatever you ask and walk the path you have for me but please I don’t want to be a robot.
Little did I know the true nature of God. This is not who He is and that is why the Lord absolutely preserves the right for us to have free will choices. I have grown to know this now and as I have got closer and closer to Him my free will choices have become aligned with His purpose and calling on my life. That is more and more where I want my free will choices to be.
When Jesus went to the cross this was a free will choice for Him. He could have not done it but we know the verse and we know how much He loved us.
Luke 22:42
“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”
Jesus was about the Fathers business and He wanted His will to align with the Fathers.
The same free will decisions applies to us today.
Jesus was walking in the Kingdom of God and as such His will aligned with the Father.
When we walk in the Kingdom of God our will aligns with the Father
I believe one area we see this really impact is when we receive words of prophecy and walk in our calling.
A Kingdom of God position enables prophecy to be fulfilled.
Why?
Because your free will decisions will be aligning with the Fathers.
We all have a calling on our life, we all have things written in the books about us and we all have the ability to receive prophetic words and a number of us have.
But whether these things are achieved depend on our free will calls. The calling over my life will depend on my walk. If I sit on the couch and do nothing then that calling will not be achieved. I have to start with something even a small step. I believe this is a show of faith which the Lord is looking for and it gives Him something to work with. It is like the parable of the talents and if you make a step of faith aligned with His calling then He can work with that and He gets excited as you move closer to a Kingdom position.
The same applies when you receive a prophetic word over you. At this point there is a free will choice. In a number of cases the prophetic word is what the Lord sees for your life BUT this won’t happen unless you are prepared to step into it. There is a free will choice involved. If you receive a prophetic word and then promptly sit on the couch waiting for it then it won’t happen. The Lord works in partnership with us and He wants us to take a step of faith or make a decision around that word. Quite often a door or opening comes along shortly after you receive a word and your free will choice around that opening will dictate whether that word is going to be fulfilled or not. He may in the future take you around the mountain again to give you the choice again as He is a loving God who wants you to fulfill your destiny.
Sometimes He will put a decree over your life. I have had this occur sometimes when I have given a word over individuals. The difference between a decree and prophecy is that a decree is something that is going to happen as the Lord has decreed it whereas the prophecy is subject to free will.
Isaiah 46:10
Declaring the end from the beginning,
And from ancient times things that are not yet done,
Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand,
And I will do all My pleasure,’
He has decreed and it will be done. On a decree you still have free will choices that impact. The free will choices impact the way I get to the position of His decree. It can be the long way or the direct path. He said to me in the past “I have plan A-Z and if something changes (normally driven by mine or other peoples free will choices) I will still get you to the end because I have declared it.”
I remember an experience about seven years ago where the Lord took us to His throne room in the Spiritual. He said to us “that this was unusual but when He got us there, He declared that a major calling in our life was complete and that we were now just in the process.”
This was a decree as He had done it and we were now just in the process (a process over a number of years by the way!). However, we had free will choices and that is impacting the way we get to His declared end.
When you have been given a decree it enables you to walk to faith as He has said it. I understand that the decisions I make in free will impact the way I get to this end and how hard that journey has to be as a result. I reckon I am on plan H of His A-Z plans due to my free will choices. But I know I will get to the end he has declared.
I had an experience two weeks ago which helps explain this free will choice. In my business calling the Lord had given a word on how a major strategy could be put in place. This involved getting in partnership with another major player. I went down this path and left this strategy open. About a month later I had this feeling to ring someone else and another option opened up. I thought no that won’t be the case as I had the first option opened that the Lord had given me. However, in obedience I went to the Lord (which I have learnt to do on major decisions) to check out this second option. The Lord said “go for it” which was not the answer I was expecting. When enquiring further the Lord said “the first option partnership was no longer an option as they had made a free will choice (and He respects everyone’s free will choice) to do something different and they would now miss out on the opportunity.”
This was quite a revelation but when I think about it I shouldn’t have been surprised as He is delivering the end and He just switched to Plan B (after allowing for free will) to deliver the end. The nature of the Lord will be that He will not overwrite anyone’s free will choices (even yours!) and that you then live with the consequences of your free will choices. We are not robots.
When I ponder about these things, I have found many times when I ask the Lord about how do I make sure I am making the right choices or I am hearing you properly. His answer quite often is “by getting close to Me”
James 4:8
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Let’s get as close as we can to Him through prayer, tongues, medication. Let’s get in Kingdom position so our free will choices align with His plan for us. When we do this I believe life becomes a lot smoother (there are still giants in the land remember) and we make quicker progress.
Here’s some scripture to ponder on for this topic.
2 Peter 1:19
And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; 20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, 21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke [as they were] moved by the Holy Spirit.
James 2:22
Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?
Take one step.
Luke 17:20-21
20 Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; 21 “nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.”
Take one step. Don’t observe!
1 Chronicles 28:6-7
6 “Now He said to me, ‘It is your son Solomon [who] shall build My house and My courts; for I have chosen him [to be] My son, and I will be his Father. 7 ‘Moreover I will establish his kingdom forever, if he is steadfast to observe My commandments and My judgments, as it is this day.’
Solomon had the choice to stay in the will of the Father or do his own. When he went in his own will it fell apart at the end of his life.
1 Kings 8:55-56
55 Then he stood and blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying: 56 “Blessed [be] the LORD, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised. There has not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised through His servant Moses.
Not one word failed. What was Moses position and walk such that not one word failed the Lord had given him?
Goes onto say
1 Kings 8:58
“that He may incline our hearts to Himself, to walk in all His ways, and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, which He commanded our fathers.
This is our part, this was Moses part.
Brick on Brick Teaching 