Written by: Simcha Natan through devotional series called “Awakening” (Bible app)

When we are awakened, everything about us changes – our stance and our outlook. The position of our heart changes and our spiritual posture shifts.

Imagine a person trying to go against the flow during London’s rush hour. Imagine getting tossed about, carried by the flow of people all pushing to get onto the Tube. This is a good analogy for our sleepy state. We may try and walk the opposite direction, but we’re not really strong enough or alert enough to get past. We just get jostled and shoved in the direction of the majority.

So many of us are in this position. Our voices are stifled by the growing volume of the world - sometimes even the church. We are quick to betray our authenticity in order to conform to the box we’re surrounded by. If we have our voices and strength sapped from us often enough, so many of us end up allowing our uniqueness to be extinguished, and we become just another shade of grey, amidst the thousands of others out there.

But when we are awakened, a warrior suddenly rises up in us. Our position becomes more intentional; our feet are poised for holding ground. We are not easily swayed, but alert, not allowing ourselves to be moved by oncoming traffic and pressures. Our voice suddenly becomes highly valuable, and we learn that while we may need to craft how we communicate, our authentic voice is one of our gifts. We are a unique creation and therefore represent a unique facet of God’s image, that no one else on earth does.

When we are awakened, we start to see how the seasons we’ve walked through, the tests, the fires and the trials that we’ve faced, are all part of our training. Those smaller valleys and hills we’ve endured were preparation for the mountains and gorges that God wants us to take for His kingdom.

When Joshua took Jericho, he didn’t do it from a command center, through comms, with other people’s boots on the ground. In the same way, we cannot conquer ground we haven’t walked. Walking through things is what enables us to conquer them - but not only that, it gives us the ability to navigate others through the landmines and dangers of that land.

In the kingdom of God, nothing is wasted, and nothing is selfish. When we have put on the armor of God and stood our ground, it’s sometimes the right thing to turn around and see how far He’s brought us. We realize that the hill we’ve just conquered wasn’t Mount Everest after all, but that what we’ve learned along the way will help us on our next quest.

Sometimes there may even be people behind us who need a helping hand with exactly the thing we’ve just been through.

Stepping out and taking new ground requires obedience, determination, persistence in prayer, and a grit to be able to stick to what we’ve heard God say. Joshua didn’t waver in his battle plan of marching around Jericho seven times. Not a single arrow was fired, or sword wielded, not even a shout was heard. They obeyed, they were determined, and they silently and persistently prayed as they walked.

What is your Jericho? And what is the battle plan that God has given you? It may not be conventional! Take time today to ask God for clear vision and strategy, and make a commitment to walk the ground you’re wanting to conquer. This may mean going on a prayer walk, or it may mean using the experiences you’ve already walked through to help others, but whatever the case, taking new ground requires courage. Ask God today for all you need to conquer the new ground He’s giving you.