Women, Walk in Your Calling! You Are Anointed and Dangerous!

“Does everyone have Judges 4 and 5 in their Bibles? Has anyone torn them out? I ask that question, because I rarely hear anyone, at least in evangelical circles, preaching from Judges 4 and 5. Why is that? Because, the primary character in this narrative, Deborah, does not fit modern American evangelical religious tradition. We don’t know what to do with her, so we just ignore her. I think that’s a big mistake.

“You know the story. God is the one that raised up the judges. It was not man’s opinion or vote. God Himself appointed the leaders of Israel at that time. Deborah was appointed by God to be the Judge of Israel and the Prophet of the Lord in that season. I have heard leaders in the American Church say, ‘Deborah was a judgement on Israel. Israel was backslidden at the time and one of the ways God deals with that is to give female leadership.’ There is a problem with that interpretation. First, the Bible never says that. It says that God appointed these leaders, including Deborah. It also says that because of Deboarh’s leadership, Israel enjoyed 40 years of peace! 

“Deborah was very sensitive to the Holy Spirit. She listened to God and understood by the Spirit that the nation was in danger. She understood that the enemy out-numbered them 10-1 and had [advanced weapons of war.] It was a very serious moment in the history of Israel. This woman of God that was attuned to His voice and partnering with Him, went out across Israel and spoke to all the tribes, and rallied an army. Then, she went to her General, Barak, and told him that they had to go to war. She said, ‘The enemy is going to be invading. We have to be ready, and if we will trust in the Lord, He will overthrow the enemy, even though we are out-numbered.’ 

“Barak told Deborah, ‘If you will go with me, I will go. But, if you will not go with me, I will not go.’ Some say that this is evidence that Barak is some kind of a ‘momma’s boy’, because he would not go to war without a woman. However, giftings of God have nothing to do with gender. Barak was not concerned about gender here. He was honoring the office and the anointing that was on this woman. Barak didn’t want to be in battle without the Prophet of God by his side! If you are not sure about this, go to Hebrews 11, where Barak is mentioned as a hero of faith. She prophesies that the battle will be won by a woman, then she goes with him, a beautiful picture of gender partnership. God did a miracle and wiped out the entire enemy army, except for their leader, Sisera. Sisera was killed by a very wise woman, named Jael. She dealt him a lethal blow. She is one of 5 women in the Bible that dealt their enemies lethal blows.” (J. Lee Grady)

“Villagers in Israel would not fight; they held back until I, Deborah, arose, until I arose, a mother in Israel. ‘Wake up, wake up, Deborah! Wake up, wake up, break out in song!’ ‘Arise, Barak! Take captive your captives, son of Abinoam.’ Most blessed of women be Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, most blessed of tent-dwelling women. He asked for water, and she gave him milk; in a bowl fit for nobles she brought him curdled milk. Her hand reached for the tent peg, her right hand for the workman’s hammer. She struck Sisera, she crushed his head, she shattered and pierced his temple. At her feet he sank, he fell; there he lay. At her feet he sank, he fell; where he sank, there he fell—dead.” (Judges 5:7, 12, 24-27; NIV)

Give Him 15 minutes in prayer:

• Ask God to forgive the American Church for largely discounting the gift of the Holy Spirit in women who know Him. What great power the Church could have!
• Ask the Lord to release revelation of the passages of scripture where women are called and anointed of God. We need to be done with this argument in the Church.
• Declare, “The early Church very clearly understood that gifting came from the Holy Ghost and that none of that gifting was about our ability.”
• Intercede for women to shake off fear, and societal and denominational traditions of men.
• Say, “Women of God, rise up and be everything God has created you to be! Come alongside your brothers in Christ and war in the Spirit together until every enemy is routed form this land!”

A prayer you can pray:

God, forgive the Church of America! Half the army of God in this nation has their arms tied behind their backs—by the Church. “We are missing the boat in not empowering Christian women. We, the Church, have a challenge before us. The Holy Spirit in this hour in which we live is trying to get a message across that we must unlock the potential of our women. We must recognize that spiritual gifts do not come in pink and blue packages. When the Holy Spirit was poured out on the early Church, there were not pink flames on the women and blue flames on the men. The early Church very clearly understood that gifting came from the Holy Ghost and that none of that gifting was about our ability. It is something supernatural working on the inside of we jars of clay, male or female. Lord, You love to take even the weakest of those vessels and display Your power. We must train our women to become fearless, even as Deborah and Jael were.” We must train our men to understand how much they need the advantage of the gifts of the Holy Spirit in women. In man and woman together is the fullness of the Holy Spirit revealed! In that united strength is where the enemy is routed! The American Church needs this revelation! Do it, Jesus! Amen.

Today’s decree:

“Women, walk in your calling! There are some Kingdom assignments reserved for women!”

1 Learn more about J. Lee Grady here.