“2025: Strengthened To Go To Further Places In The Spirit” by Nancy Dufresne

This past year was full of the blessings of God for this ministry. God’s goodness and faithfulness were so tangible and apparent, and we are so grateful for those of you who prayed and believed God with us all along the way. But there is so much more that awaits all of us in this new year!

     Last year, when we were coming into 2024, God took me to Isaiah 40:31, “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” God showed me that those who spend time waiting upon the Lord by coming into His Presence will mount up above the natural realm, and then they will be strengthened to run without weariness. It’s not first about running, but rather, about first taking our place in His Presence, and then we partake of the strength to run. So, the year 2024 was about “Mounting Up To Run Faster.”

     But coming into this new year of 2025, God said that we are to be “Strengthened To Go Further In The Spirit.” There are places in the Spirit we are to occupy, but we must be strengthened to go to those places. We are to receive greater strength to move further with God.

     Psalm 103:20 reads, “Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.” The Amplified Classic translation reads, “Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, you His angels, you mighty ones who do His commandments, hearkening to the voice of His word.” Doing His commandments makes the angels mighty – strong! There’s strength that comes from “doing His commandments” – being a DOER of the Word.

     Ephesians 6:10 instructs us, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.” We are to be strong in 2 ways – in the Lord and in the power of His might.

     First, what does it mean to be strong in the Lord? The Lord and the Word are one. To be strong in the Lord is to be strong in the Word – be full of the Word. Colossians 3:16 tells us, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom….”

     Second, we are instructed to be strong “in the power of His might.” What’s the power of His might? The Holy Ghost. We are to be full of the Holy Ghost if we are to be strong in the power of His might.

     To “…be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might,” we are to be full of the Word and full of the Holy Ghost.

     It matters that our spirit be strong, so that we don’t let go of the Word in the face of opposition, but we hold fast to God’s Word. The more we know how to hold fast in the face of opposition, the more usable we are to God.

     In some rivers, there are strong rapids. To go in flows that have strong rapids (lots of acceleration), you must have greater physical strength. You don't put somebody who's never been in a boat in a flow that's strong because they don't have the strength to move with that flow. Without proper strength and skill, they can be thrown from the boat – they are at greater risk. Certain flows call for greater strength and skill.

     Even in the rivers and flows of God, God doesn’t just throw someone into the deep end – man must advance there. Ezekiel 47:3-5 reads, “And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins. Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over.”

     Spiritual advancement in the flow of God is a process – ankles, knees, waist, then swimming. Mark 4:28 speaks of first the blade, then the ear, then the full corn in the ear. This refers to spiritual growth and advancement – it’s a process.

     To advance into greater flows, we must advance in spiritual strength. To go in greater flows calls for greater strength – strength of spirit, strength of faith, strength of obedience, strength of faithfulness, strength of wisdom, strength of consecration, strength of the love walk, and strength of the renewed mind.

     In John 14:2, Jesus said, “In my Father's house are many mansions” – many rooms – so there are further rooms that we can go to.

     There are many rooms in the Father’s house – rooms we are to go in and out of – going in to bring things back out for others.

     I want to quote portions of a vision Sister Clara Grace had while in a meeting with Kenneth Hagin in 1967. She stated, “I saw the Church lying down weak, and then I saw a veil. And behind the veil (the glory), there were faces coming through that veil. I saw them on the earth, and they were going behind the veil to where the glory was. They were getting in the glory, and they were bringing that glory out and ministering it to the Body of Christ. They ministered that glory to the Church, and the Church began to stretch. Its feeble knees were strengthened, and its arms were strengthened, and it stood up on its feet, and it was filled with the glory of the Lord.”

     The Body of Christ is to walk in strength. God said to me that we are to be strengthened so we can go to further places in the Spirit – further places in that glory. When we are strengthened to occupy those places, we can minister that glory to others, and they too will be strengthened to take their place.