I started hearing God’s word for the new season in early to mid November during a particularly powerful group fasting session.

I began to pull the thread on night and day dreams, hearing his voice in my stillness time, and even during meetings and conversations in the workplace -  because he speaks continuously. It’s when you are still that the power of his presence roars, invading your space and you recognize him. Psalm 46: 10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God.” When you read the entire psalm, you’ll notice that A LOT is going on, but even as nations are in uproar, in the chaos of kingdoms falling, still God speaks.

In John 8:47 we learn, “Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.” Now it’s not unusual to question whether you’re hearing him correctly, but if you’re unsure as to whether you belong to him…that’s a concern you must resolve this year. Don’t go another minute without knowing how to recognize him. The information about God and his kingdom structure has been spoken and distributed through multiple channels, and it’s your choice to receive what he’s speaking to your heart.

What are some reasons you may not to hear God or know whether you belong to him:

1. Your heart has become hardened because of unforgiveness, anger or bitterness towards yourself or others. Heb. 3:15

2. You choose not to hear his voice because you don’t believe he exists or don’t trust he’ll come through for you and provide what you need to move forward. You don’t trust that he’s more real and powerful than what you’re holding on to. John 5:25

3. You’re still trying to please others because they give you a temporary feeling of comfort, and not walking in your true gifts because you’re worried others may not understand or want that plan for your life. Isa. 30:21

4. You are afraid to open doors of opportunity in your personal and professional situations for fear of failure and success. You resist developing spiritual power, increasing your awareness of his Spirit, uncovering your love relationship with God. You refuse to allow him to come in and dismantle wrong mindsets that have plagued you for a long time. Rev. 3:20

This year, God will give you the power to push through.

Your 2024 Affirmation: I will set my heart and commit to know God this new season and year, and he will give me the ability to hear invaluable instructions for my life even when chaos is surrounding me. He will give me an inner peace when many loud voices are shouting my way. No matter, I will discern his presence through stillness and I will know this change in my atmosphere comes only from God.

I had a remarkable night dream and heard the sound of marching. I was in the highest heavens when I heard the sound. I felt the weight of God’s glory. There are many studies that explain the frequencies of sound, and say it has the power to move us. A recent Forbes article stated, “As sound technology advances, audio professionals are learning new core principles, using them to move us in entirely new ways. They’re also applying these principles to help shape the future of wellness, healthcare, retail and even the workplace…Research conducted by Made Music Studio notes that there is an 86% correlation between the sound of an event or experience and the desire to return to that space. According to Made Music Studio, that correlation happens at a subconscious level.”

In the dream, I saw people coming up to receive their papers, letters explaining where they’ll be deployed. They were being dispatched to their mountain. They were receiving news about abundant favor that would be released to them in their sphere of influence. They already had their equipment in hand. The people were ready and standing alert.

When I sat up, I asked God what that sound meant. I saw the word “Platoons.”

The dictionary describes a platoon as a military unit typically composed of two to four squads, sections, or patrols. Platoon organization varies depending on the country and the branch, but a platoon can be composed of 20–50 troops, although specific platoons may range from 10 to 100 people. It also states a platoon is a group of persons sharing a common characteristic or activity.

A scripture from 1 Chronicles 14:15 immediately floated to my mind, “It shall be when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then you shall go out to battle, for God will have gone out before you to strike the army of the Philistines.”

Now I’m aware we’re literally surrounded by wars and rumors of war in every corner of the earth, but this vision and scripture was an instruction from God to his children.

He’s putting you in specific groups, and in unique alignment with others. These platoon-type subunits are being developed to hear unique commands and do specific work in the marketplace. I heard the Lord say, “Think of the mountain where you conquered for it is in that sphere you shall rule. Only humble yourself under my watchful hand and submit yourself to my wonder for you, and I will exalt and assign you to your platoon, to your mountain, to your sphere of influence.”

I recently accepted a new teaching role and I’m sure if I remain spiritually focused, connected and committed to him, he’ll form my platoon alignment to express his love and allow me to shine brightly for his glory. It could be as simple as smiling and laughing to bring hope to a different generation, or maybe sharing the goodness of God’s heart for their future. Who knows - I could be in line for a platoon leader position, lol.  It doesn’t matter - it only matters that I say yes to his presence and hear the sound of righteous feet moving forward being productive.

Push through and come up higher. Hear the sound of majesty, the sound of His honor. The weight of glory will feel like you’re wearing a suit of armor.  The armor is the expression of the work of Christ. “Your waist is girded with truth, … with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace...” Eph. 6: 10-19

And the Lord says, “You will be able to carry the weight of my glory in this season as you pray with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit. You will speak boldly as Holy Spirit directs you and aligns your voice with mine. You will penetrate the one heaven and come up to the next. You will do my purpose in the earth. The sound from the third heavens will be released in your mouth and you will be granted authority to say, Thus says the Lord, my God… now receive your papers from Me. Take hold of your assignment and walk circumspectly.”

Your papers include and confirm your identity and purpose. You shall receive your paper and instructions with joy because it will describe and reinforce how He sees you with your gifting and new position of favor.

Suddenlies will take place this season. You will suddenly begin to do what Father has created you to do, and be who he’s created and intended you to be. And you’ll know that you know.  You’ll recognize that you have his backing when you embrace the door he opens, and remain calm even if the project or task before you is unfamiliar or uncomfortable. Finally, you’ll understand why you’re wired the way you are, and what the equipping phases of your life were meant for.

I realized I’ve accomplished more new and unfamiliar projects in the past three months than I did all of last year! And God gave me the boldness to achieve every project. Miracle after miracle.

He wants you to know that miracles are behind your door. You shall receive if you believe. No more doubt. No more hesitation. No more stuck.

What could my dream mean for all of us in the new year?

1. Become more aware of who you’re aligned with. Do you know the platoon you were made for? Can you see how your skills and abilities bring new sound and glory to God? In your personal or professional relationships? 1 Cor. 3:16

2. Don’t miss your moment to get in step and align with the right company, organization and people-circle. Listen for the sound of others doing work with godly initiative, moving fearlessly forward, and bringing hope for success in whatever endeavor they put their hands to.  This is a year for groups and units to know how to work victoriously together. Isa. 55:11

3. Stay in right timing. Stop letting distractions buzz around you. There’s a sound of peace that can create the life breakthrough you’re desiring. Avoid the trance-like sound that lulls you away from your destined purpose and into a slumber causing missed victories for yourself and those you’re designed to impact. Eph. 5:14

4. Reframe your idea of how you’ll get work accomplished for God this year. When is the last time you looked around your workplace or within your friend circle and initiated activities outside your comfort zone that caused a group to form godly characteristics and commonalities? Take your position, Platoon leader! Ezek. 37:7

You have the power to push through.

Your 2024 Affirmation: I hear the sound of breakthrough. This sound is new and powerful when I am aligned with a group that echoes prayer unceasingly. I am a part of a specialty group handpicked and designed by God. My strategic moments will become plentiful and sharper causing suddenlies and miraculous breakthroughs that work all circumstances out for good. The presence of God will reverberate in my atmosphere, and the walls of defeat will come tumbling down this year. Favor will rest on the things my group and I accomplish for God.

I had a difficult truth to deal with not long ago, and it caused me to reevaluate relationships that didn’t end well. I re-lived interactions that were filled with manipulation and controlling behaviors, and ultimately bruised my spirit. The emotional tug of war and extreme rigidity from a particular leadership group usurped many growth and learning opportunities.  It took three years to walk through the trauma, and overcome the painful memories. I’m grateful God allowed me the space to receive his help and deliverance from the deep unforgiveness, offense and bitterness that grew in my heart. As I moved toward the comfort and guidance of Holy Spirit, I learned how to replace judgement with mercy. I also learned how to embrace my true identity and let go of situations and others that I mistakenly tied my identity to. The past hurts were eventually demagnetized from my soul. I broke free from the hard place and relearned how to magnify my soul to attract a victorious future.

You must close the chapter on past negative relationships and divisive group experiences because this will be a year to collaborate on exciting purposes for God.  A brighter, “righter” life journey requires a bold type of breakthrough strength. He is breaking you free from past pain.

Consider how my wilderness experience might provide wisdom and understanding for you to overcome and detach from harmful traits and behavior:

1. Become alert and align with enthusiastic and energetic relationships that produce life and peace within your soul. Jer. 29:11

2. Weigh your motives for compassion and mercy. Can you extend it without expecting something in return? Luke 6:35

3. Competency battles arise when you claim your skills and abilities come from yourself instead of God.  Even those who say they belong to God can place more importance in their public accomplishments. How invested are you in the quiet sacrifices that let him transform you openly and at the right time? Heb. 13:15-16

4. There’s nothing wrong with being a high performance achiever, but you must remind yourself daily to prioritize letting his will be done. Psalm 31:5

5. Don’t let a deliberate, self-disciplined attitude suck the life out of personal and professional opportunities where you can be imaginative and creative. God is a creator; give him the space to create and do a new thing in your life.  Isa. 43:18-19

6. Honesty and integrity are sweet but when you lord those qualities over others… it’s unpleasant and distasteful. Be guided by scripture and not by your emotions. Prov. 16:2

You have the power to push through.

You must be open to new experiences this year. Move into brighter light for your new life. You are light in the Lord. Push through the atmosphere of chaos trying to keep you from stepping in the next assignment he has for you. God will help you sort through all the decisions you’re having to make. Like sorting through index cards, although there will be lots to focus on with complicated tasks and atypical activities, he will order your thoughts if you let him. He will get you up to speed this year. The process of cleansing and rejuvenation is happening now. Embrace the cleansing for no man shall see God without a pure heart. Throughout your challenges and battles in this season, you will have a spiritual black box where God will take an account of what you think and say. Notice I said what you think, not what you do. Ephesians 5:15 instructs you to “Be very careful how you live.”

Analyze what initiates in your mind by weighing it using scripture. Human intellect versus God’s thoughts. That’s the big war you’re preparing for. The Lord says, “ There are many altars set up against my purposes, against Me. The brain always looks for an easy way out. Take no mental prisoners for this year’s mission. Be very determined. Don’t care about other’s emotions while doing the work I have called you to do. Push through with my strength and my will.”

It’s no surprise that the idiom and phrase “take no prisoners” originate from a literal military context where during battle, an army might choose not to take prisoners for strategic reasons because it slows their progress.

God says, “Take no mental prisoners this year. Don’t slow the progress you’ve made. Let my Spirit rest on you, give you wisdom and understanding, might, counsel, knowledge and reverential fear.”

You have the power to push through.

God’s heart is filled with sorrow for the lost - those who do not recognize him. So much sorrow for the deaf and blind - those who do not hear or see him and what he’s creating in their lives. There is darkness all around, but He needs you to focus on the light.” The lumen. An upgrade in the brightness of light on earth is arising. Lumen is defined as a measure of light brightness - the higher the lumen rating the brighter the flashlight. To see in a really dark area you want a high lumen rated light. Luminous flux indicates how much light is actually perceived by the human eye. God is overshadowing you with supernatural lumen. It will allow you to turn over any fallow ground; those dry personal areas where you desperately need a do-over. God’s lumen will shine and make rich soil so you can feed on new hope and good success. Arise and shine with the new level of light that has come.

Your papers have arrived. Your enlistment is here. It’s time to catch the step of the march and triumph.

As you embrace the wind of His Spirit blowing in the new year, you’re not controlling your life anymore. The flow of your life and the Blended Self is moving with such rhythm that you’ll have to let go of your past perceptions. Those methodologies just won’t work out for you anymore. Don’t miss your moment to breakthrough and align with your platoon for the next move of God. He wants you to step out and pursue an unknown motion. This won’t be a year of routine movement and schedules like the past season. This year’s progression will take turns and surprising twists, but you’ll laugh at the past habits you held on to and begin to see how stifling those responses were for your destiny. No more. No more stuck.

You have the power to push.

You will move like a skipping stone in refreshing waters and walk through dark situations with childlike confidence like you’re playing hopscotch. Others will look at you with curiosity and intrigue because you’ll more easily accept a new idea or plan without trying to control every step. They’ll give you favor for your newfound transformation. How liberating not to remember every step, but confidently believing God is moving you forward and it will all work out!

You have the power to push.

Scripture will illuminate the answers you’ve waited seasons for. If you read them daily wherever and whenever you can, there will be abundant “aha” moments when you’ll hear his sound telling you, “This is the way, walk in it.”  The more living water you drink, the more your body will thirst for and want it. Don’t be afraid if you don’t remember every verse. Your platoon will support you with unceasing prayer and the luminous intensity of those appointed scriptures will rest in the synapses of your mind.

Your 2024 Declaration: This is my year to push. God is strategically setting platoons in place.  He’s setting me in a wide place. I will accept my papers this year, and read my assignment with fullness of joy. Because He knows me, and has numbered the hairs on my head, the right doors will illuminate - and because I know him, I will stand ready when he says enter. I am standing ready in my field of promise. Let my field align with others having the same love, being of one accord, united in spirit, and agreeing with each other. My platoon has arrived, and I say yes to this year of triumph.  I’m ready to push!