Recently, I attended a conference (Voice of the Apostles, Global Awakening) where I heard a sermon on mantles of restoration from Pastor Samuel Rodriguez. God was speaking directly to me about His restoration power in a way I have never known before. Shortly after, I found myself fully submerged in God’s presence in which I could not open my eyes or move from my chair. I asked the Lord what He was doing, and He responded, “I am giving you the mantle of restoration.”
Being a Licensed Clinical Pastoral Counselor, I thought I already knew about this, but God was doing something more here. Jesus was sharing His heart for His people and the power and desire to restore them. When people come to me for emotional healing, restoration is always there, but this time it was different. It was a gift from heaven that rested in my hands to heal His people of emotional brokenness no matter how bad it looked. God told me people quit too soon and He has restoration waiting for marriages, people and families in waiting. He loves to restore what is broken. That is who He is! Revelation 21:5 states, “And the one sitting on the throne said, ‘Look, I am making everything new!’” After receiving the mantle, I immediately began to pray for people at my church, on the streets and anywhere God said “go.” In fact, even that afternoon as I went outside in the streets of Lancaster, I saw a man sitting on a step full of green puke (I mean green fluorescent puke) and God whispered to my heart, “There is my heart!”. So, I backed up, handed him some baby wipes, and spoke to this man about God’s love. I prayed over him full, 100 percent restoration from God. I felt God’s heart and desire to heal even the most unwanted, overlooked people because in God’s eyes these were His gems. I don’t know what happened to this man afterwards. I can tell you, however, when he gazed upon my eyes, he saw the fire and love from God. His encounter with God that day would forever change his path back to God’s Initial plan of complete restoration.
God wants us to align with His vision for people
I want you to think of an old decrepit chair that was thrown to the curb. Many people would ride past the chair and see that it was junk and keep riding. Perhaps a few people would stop and take it to be patched up to use again. But only a very small percentage would see the chair and envision its full restoration and beauty. That person takes the chair home. They take the time to put it in their garage and envision what it would look like after they complete the work on it. That person would have the patience and the perseverance to bring it back to life. You must be that person that comes into agreement to restore it. Coming into agreement with how God sees people is the first step.
Let me ask you this question: How do you see people? Or even yourself?
Are you the person that just passes the chair and says its junk? Or maybe you are just a patcher? Like most, do you try to fix the chair until it’s functional but miss the opportunity for full restoration?
I believe many operate in this way. It’s just good enough. Status quo. Never do we let our imaginations dream beyond that.
But Jesus is seeking those who believe and envision full, 100 percent restoration in His people.
I mean from spiritually dead to alive and whole. I’m talking about the husband who seems like he will never clean up his act or the son or the daughter who has gone astray. The broken neighbors whose highlight of the day is the next TV series or drink. Or yourself, thinking that you will always be broken and labeling yourself as something you were never intended to be!
Please hear me say this: Now is the time Jesus is seeking those who have the vision of seeing people fully restored. He wants us to stop underestimating people. Let me say that again, Jesus wants us to stop underestimating His restoration power! Co-workers, teens, students—He wants us to align with Him and how He sees them! In order to do this, you first must believe His restoration is true, His restoration is power, and His restoration is right here, right now!
Let us remember: The same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us as believers (Romans 8:11)! That is restoration power, but Satan wants us to believe we are not equipped, that power is not alive and it’s nice just in theory.
But I’m challenging you, if you are a believer, it is time to believe this power lives in you! This power of restoration is for others. It can’t be any clearer! God wants to show the world His glory. He wants people to ask who your king is! We can’t do that by driving by “junk” and thinking there is no more hope!
Finally, as a counselor, I mean as His counselor, I am His hands and feet and I partner 100 percent with how He sees His people. So, when His people sit across from me, no longer will a fix-up job do! It’s time, church! Time to restore His people! Come on… partner with Him and what He says and make the revelation of His love alive and true!
Here are some tools you can grab to help you begin to see your family, yourself, and others around you restored:
- Come into agreement with what God is doing in the lives of others. Once, I spoke to a bitter wife who didn’t think it was possible that her husband could be restored. However, when we asked her to close her eyes and ask Holy Spirit to show her how God saw her husband, she began laughing in joy as God showed her a husband who was no longer easily offended and full of love.
- Forgive that person, let it go, and contend in prayer for that person. Use your energy to begin to picture that person fully restored.
- Ask God what He thinks about you or that person. Ask Him to show you a vision on how he/she was meant to be.
- Be careful of the victim mindset that never allows you to partner with hope.
- Expect. God will do it!
Carrie Price-Knospe , M.A
Licensed Clinical Pastoral Counselor
http://www.revelationperfectlove.com
Founder of Revelation Perfect Love Counseling and Teaching Ministry.
Carrie Price-Knospe, M.A. 