As we move forward into this season, it’s worth pausing to ask a few important questions. What kind of year are you expecting—and more importantly, how are you seeing it? Are you viewing the days ahead through the lens of past battles and limitations, or through the promise of what God is now opening before you? 

The answers to those questions matter because the way we see determines how we respond, and how we respond determines whether we merely endure… or rise.

In Isaiah chapter 40, the prophet reminds us that God is not limited by the pressures that exhaust humanity. He declares that the Everlasting God neither faints nor grows weary, and that His understanding is beyond searching. Then comes the promise that has been resonating so strongly in my heart: “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles.”

Several months ago, I was having a conversation with my son, David, about the year ahead. As he shared what the Lord had been speaking to him during a season of prayer, something settled deeply in my spirit. 

The Lord reminded him how the first five years of this decade have been marked by intense pressure and opposition against the Church. In many ways, the enemy roared—through fear, confusion, and attack—but the Church did not shrink back. We roared back through prayer, through faith, and through decisive action. Believers stood in their God-given authority. And now, having stood firm, the time has come for those who have believed God and held their ground to rise—to lift their eyes, gain altitude, and soar into what God has prepared.

That word soar is important. Soaring is not striving harder or pushing through in human effort. Eagles don’t soar by flapping endlessly; they soar by discerning the wind and allowing it to lift them. In the same way, the life of faith is not about exhausting ourselves trying to make things happen. It is about learning to recognize what God is doing and responding to it, and that requires vision.

One of the great contrasts in the Christian life is the difference between vision and natural reasoning. Reasoning evaluates circumstances and draws conclusions based on what it can measure and explain. Vision responds to what God has said, and the two will often pull in opposite directions. If we allow reasoning to dominate, faith is slowly crowded out. But when vision leads, faith can find its voice.

That is why prayer is so essential. Prayer is not just about asking God to intervene; it is about positioning ourselves to see. When we pray, our eyes are opened to opportunity. Throughout Scripture, God consistently moves through people who are praying and attentive. 

We see this clearly in Acts chapter 10. Cornelius was praying in his house when heaven opened. At the same time, Peter was praying on a rooftop when heaven opened to him as well. Two men, miles apart, both seeking God, and God was orchestrating an unprecedented moment in the history of the Church. A door that had never been opened before was about to open, not by coincidence, but through prayer, and you and I are living today in the benefit of that moment. 

This is how God brings increase. He often answers prayer not by dropping provision into our laps, but by opening windows—windows of insight, timing, and opportunity. The windows of heaven do not pour out gold and silver; they pour out vision. They help us see what has been there all along but previously unnoticed. Many breakthroughs are missed not because God is withholding, but because His people are not seeing.

The spirit of faith is what allows us to respond when opportunity presents itself. Faith does not wait for perfect conditions. It moves when God speaks. It recognizes that divine provision often comes disguised as instruction, direction, or a simple next step. Reasoning hesitates, but faith acts. And when faith acts, God confirms it.

I believe we are living in a season like that right now—a season of open doors and uncommon opportunity. The world may be filled with noise and distraction, but God is still directing His people. Those who stay prayerful, expectant, and faith-minded will recognize what others overlook. They will see windows where others see walls. They will move when others pause. And they will find that God is faithful to lift them into what He has prepared.

Phyllis and I love you and are so grateful for you. We believe the days ahead hold more than you may have imagined. These are days to run without growing weary, to walk without fainting, and to soar.

P. S. I want to personally invite you to join us for our upcoming Faith Conference at the end of this month. These meetings are designed to strengthen your faith and sharpen your spiritual vision.

And if you’re unable to be with us in person, you can join us via livestream at wolbhm.org/live.