Re- a prefix, occurring originally in loanwords from Latin, used with the meaning “again” or “again and again” to indicate repetition, or with the meaning “back” or “backward” to indicate withdrawal or backward motion
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Like so many of us, I prepared for 2024 by asking the Lord for a word, or a theme for this new year. Instead of a word, I heard Holy Spirit say “re” as in the prefix. When you add the prefix ‘re” in front of a word, it indicates having to do something again, to go again or to do again and again and that is what I feel the Lord is saying to us…go again. Do it again, and keep doing it until the job is done.
The Word of God tells us that “It is because of the Lord’s lovingkindnesses that we are not consumed, Because His [tender] compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great and beyond measure is Your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3: 22, 23 AMP)
The Word of God is full of promises, and words that council us to not give up, to go again, to try again, do care again, to trust and love again.
Psalm 126:4 says “Now, Lord, do it again! Restore us to our former glory! May streams of refreshing flow over us until our dry hearts are drenched again.” (TPT)
Some of us have been knocked down and knocked about in the previous season, but we are not knocked out! 2 Corinthians 4: 8 – 10 tells us that “We are pressured in every way [hedged in], but not crushed; perplexed [unsure of finding a way out], but not driven to despair; hunted down and persecuted, but not deserted [to stand alone]; struck down, but never destroyed; always carrying around in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the [resurrection] life of Jesus also may be shown in our body.”
The ESV puts it like this: when we are knocked down, we get up again.
Let’s talk practicalities…what does it look like to put this into action? For some of us it’s a call to take stock of our lives. Do I have to recommit to the Lord, come back to my first love? Have I allowed hurt, offense, disappointment or rejection to harden my heart towards the Lord and His body? Maybe it’s time to repent and rejoint the body in a regular place of worship, instead of being a lone wolf or as my father puts it, being an “extramural” Christian, professing Jesus but totally distancing ourselves from His bride.
Maybe we’re no longer dedicating time to prayer, reading the Word or worship? Maybe we used to fast and pray, once upon a time, but we have let those disciplines slide? Maybe we prayed for the sick and disposed of demons, but we don’t do that anymore.
For some of us it might look like reclaiming some territory or rereading a book or two. For some of us it might mean taking a long overdue holiday to refresh and recalibrate. For some it might mean having to make hard choices and redefine certain relationships, so that the Lord can realign us with people who have been prepared to impact our new season.
I also heard the Lord say that it’s time to draw a line under some things, and to put a full stop behind it. Those feelings of inferiority, of rejection, the fear and frustrations has to be dealt with even if it’s difficult, because our new season depends on it.
This is the year to reposition yourself…to draw close to Jesus. It’s the year to recalibrate your life, to be restored, recommissioned and rejuvenated. So let us reset, let us leave everything that’s caused us pain, anguish and destruction in the last season and let us pray that the Lord will strengthen and lead us to a place where we can reclaim everything that we surrendered to the enemy.
Now may the God of peace [the source of serenity and spiritual well-being] who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood that sealed and ratified the eternal covenant, equip you with every good thing to carry out His will and strengthen you [making you complete and perfect as you ought to be], accomplishing in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. Hebrews 13: 20, 21 AMP