This word was submitted by Teresa Seputis [ts@godpeak.net]

(It was originally distributed on April 23, 2007)

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                    I Am Your Greatest Strength

Child of Mine, I am your greatest strength. You don't realize this yet,
but the more you have of Me, the greater access you have to move in all
of My gifts and anointing. You don't need to seek Me and petition Me
for specific gifts of the Spirit--just seek Me and these things will be
made available to you as you need them.

I want to reset your thinking, for you often make the wrong thing your
goal. You think to yourself, "if I can only convince God to give me
this gift or that anointing, then I will be able to do the things that
He has put on my heart." But child, it does not work that way. Your
goal should not be to acquire this spiritual gift or that anointing--it
should always be to acquire more of Me.

The truth is that you already have all of Me, but your senses are dull
and you are not able to fully perceive My presence. You are not able to
hear My voice as clearly as I would speak to you, and you are not able
to enter into the depths of intimacy with Me that I have desired for
you.

As you grow in Me and increase in these areas, it will seem to you as
though you are getting more of Me. In truth, the fullness of My Spirit
already dwells upon you and within you. The increase is not in My
presence with you; it is in your ability to perceive it and to tap into
it. As you learn to submit to Me with a heart of willing obedience, you
will get to know Me better. Your spiritual senses will become more
tuned to My presence. Your spiritual eyes will be better able to see
what I am doing and your spiritual ears will hear My voice more clearly.
It will seem to you as if you have more of Me, and I am delighted to
give Myself to you in that matter.

Dear child, I am the One Who gives good gifts to My children. I delight to
give you the things that you ask Me for--especially when your motives are
pure before Me and your heart is set after My heart. But the very best
gift that I can give you is more of Myself--bringing you to a deeper
level of intimacy with Me and yieldedness to My will. You see, when you
have Me, you have all of My gifting and all of My anointing at your
disposal.

If you seek a specific strength or a specific gift or a specific
anointing, then you are enabled only in that area. But if you seek Me
and yield more of yourself to Me, then you will find that any gift you
might need at the moment is at your disposal, for I will strengthen you
in all things. Have you not read how I was with Joseph when he was a
slave in Egypt? What was the result of My presence? The result was that
I strengthened him in all things. Whatever He put his hands to prospered
because I was with him.

I want to do the same thing for you, but that requires that you give
yourself to Me completely and unreservedly. If you want to be strong,
then be completely submitted to My will and I will strengthen you with 
My strength. If you want to be mighty in spirit and deed, then give 
more of yourself to Me and I will more of My might to you. If you want 
to do the words that Jesus did (the healings and the miracles), then 
obey Me like He did and pursue Me like He did.

My Son spent many hours in prayer building deeper intimacy with Me when
He walked on this earth. It was in those times of intimacy together 
that I would show Him My will for the coming day, and empower Him to 
be able to perform it with great miracles and mighty works. I will do 
the same for you if you will seek Me like He did and commit to obey My 
will as He did.

Child of Mine, I am your greatest treasure and your greatest strength.
Seek Me earnestly and you find Me. Draw close to Me and I will draw
close to you. Give more of yourself to Me and I will give more of 
Myself to you.