Have you seen the myriad of prophetic words about restoration, refreshing and riches? Have you wondered what is the hold up? Have you held on to a promise about one of these three issues and yet, have not seen movement in regards to them coming to pass? You are not alone. Many are prophesying and preaching restoration, refreshing and riches, and they are not inaccurate in their prophesies or in error in their preaching. Everything they are saying is biblically accurate, so what is the hold up?

I was praying Ezekiel 44 the other day and the Lord revealed to me something I had never seen before, but just like God, it is not in one place, it is in many and I just missed it until He opened my eyes to it. In Ezekiel 44, Luke 15, Acts 3 and Revelation 3 we see three stages that we are to progress through, but what we hear is only the third stage. Look at Acts 3:14-15, 17-21 and see if you can identify the three stages the Lord showed me. “You denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses…Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers. But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.”(NKJV) The three stages are recognize, repent and be restored or refreshed.

When people preach restoration, refreshing or even riches, without preaching recognize and repent first, they will not be restored, refreshed or rich.

Our God is a God of order, He does not give us something for nothing. We are in a relationship with the Lord and therefore, we have a responsibility. The Holy Spirit was given to open our eyes to see things we cannot see about ourselves (Ephesians 1:18), to convict us of sin (John 16:8) and to lead us into all truth (John 14:26). Until we recognize our error, the deception we have believed, and the iniquity we are bearing, we cannot repent. If there is no repentance there is no restoration, refreshing or riches. It all starts with recognition.

Let’s look at Revelation 3, so I can show you how important this is. Revelation 3:17-19 “Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore, be zealous and repent.” (NKJV) It’s in reverse order, but do you see it. They needed salve so they could see (recognize) they were not who they thought they were; they needed garments of white (repentance) and they needed to buy gold refined in the fire (restoration) so they could be rich.

If your restoration, refreshing or riches are being held up, it is probably because you have been promised something out of order. Recognize the truth, repent of sin and be restored, refreshed, enriched. This is a word for the church, not the world, today. We need to be restored, so we can be ready for the harvest that we will be called to serve.