The Spirit of Elijah

June 2021

For the last few months, the Lord has instructed me to “pick up sticks.” Until recently I had no idea exactly what He was asking me to do. As He continued everyday to instruct me to pick up sticks, I asked Him questions, more questions, and even more detailed questions about what it looked like to pick up sticks for Him. He only vaguely answered my endless questions. I was looking for clarity on my assignment. Everyday I would wake up and ask the Lord for my next assignment and again He would say to me, “Pick up sticks.” I was honestly getting very frustrated. I picked up any and every stick I could find for the last few months. I bought garden gloves, trimmed bushes and trees, and gathered branches and sticks as assigned by my Heavenly Father. Even though I was getting a nice tan from being outside so much and had an extremely large pile of branches, I was really seeking clarity on this seemingly long assignment. Then one day, it all made sense.

My son and I were alone working when two teenagers came to the door. They knocked on the glass and I almost didn’t answer. At the time I was in the middle of writing and honestly didn’t want to stop the creative flow. I felt a sudden urge to get up as if someone was pushing me from behind. I went to the door and a nice young man asked me for a drink of water. Keeping it real here, I was going to say I didn’t have any water to give since I didn’t want to stop what I was doing. I had a deadline to get my writing completed and getting water wasn’t on my radar. Once again a wave came over me. I heard a voice say, “If they ask for a drink of water, give them one.” I sighed probably way too loud and went back inside to get the two teens a cup of water. I gave them the water and asked their names. The young man said, “My name is Elijah'' and as he did, he smiled the most odd smile. His teeth almost glistened with a sparkle. It felt like a cartoon as his teeth and eyes twinkled. I knew this was not a normal “can I have a drink of water.” So, I further investigated until I had all the pieces I felt the Lord wanted me to find. I turned to the young lady beside Elijah and asked her name. She had long, dark black hair and eyeliner in the shape of points up the side of her face. Elijah spoke for her. He said, “Her name is Raven.” She looked like her name to the tee. He again glistened in his gaze. I began to stall, randomly making conversation with them as I tried to discover what was different about this moment. I knew this was no ordinary meeting and that the Lord was using these teens to speak to me. As we talked, a big falcon flew down and around us as it squawked loudly. It was one of those moments that you know something is very prophetic about each meaning but you can’t quite figure out all the pieces. I looked at the time on the clock and made note of the details so I could later ask the Lord for more clarity. The teens remained outside for a long time. Every time I got ready to ask them to leave, since they were on private property, I was stopped by the Holy Spirit. Even though it went against everything in me, for some odd reason I knew I could not and should not ask them to go.

Later that evening, I sought the Lord’s heart on this unexplainable event. I opened the Bible to where I had left off earlier that morning, and what do you know, the verse I opened to was talking about the spirit of Elijah. As I began to read Matthew 17 about the Mount of Transfiguration, my spirit leapt with excitement. I continued reading and in Matthew 17:11-12 it said, “Jesus replied, ‘To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him…” He then began to unfold the encounter I just had with the teens, Elijah and Raven, in what felt like a movie being played before my eyes. The Lord first said,

“And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is My disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.” Matthew 10:42

The Lord then explained to me that many are crying out for the spirit of restoration to come to their homes, land, churches, and nations. He showed me that many times the spirit of Elijah/restoration comes to us in ways we are not aware of and miss it. It may even come like a teen boy knocking on the door for a drink of water. And to think I almost turned him away. But the ones who will recognize the spirit when he comes, open the door, and let him in will receive the reward. Matthew 17:11-12 says that the spirit of Elijah will come to restore all things, but yet many did not recognize him. In Matthew 10:42, Jesus explains that whoever will give a cup of water to one of the little ones that they would not lose their reward. In this instance, the Lord was speaking to me about the reward of restoration. Then, like a full length picture in front of my eyes, He brought to life the Bible story of Elijah and the widow found in 1 Kings 17:2-16. It says:

ELIJAH FED BY RAVENS

“Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah: ‘Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. You will drink from the brook, and I have directed the ravens to supply you with food there.’

So he did what the Lord had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.

ELIJAH AND THE WIDOW AT ZAREPHATH

Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. Then the word of the Lord came to him: ‘Go at once to Zarephathin the region of Sidon and stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food.’ So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, ‘Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?’ As she was going to get it, he called, ‘And bring me, please, a piece of bread.’

‘As surely as the Lord your God lives,’ she replied, ‘I don’t have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die.’

Elijah said to her, ‘Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: “The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land.”’

She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah.”

Therefore, the ravens brought Elijah food and provided for him in his time of need. But the water dried up because there had been no rain for quite some time. He was in need of food, water, and provision once again. The water source had to dry up so he would move onto his next assignment. That assignment was to find the widow that would feed him. He entered the gate and saw the widow gathering or “picking up sticks.” While she was busily working, Elijah stopped her and asked her for a drink of water. I’m sure she had a moment like I did and second guessed if she should respond since she was obviously busy going about her own business gathering sticks. As she agreed and went to get him a cup of water, he asked for bread as well. The widow had very little to offer Elijah and explained in verse 12, “I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die.” Elijah encouraged her to bake him bread with what little she had left and then go about her business, cook, and care for her son. If she would give what little she had, the Lord promised He would provide and she would not be without provision. The Lord would restore to her what she had lost and the flour and oil would never run out until the Lord sent rain on the land. It says in verse 15 that, “There was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family.” She was not only provided for, but the Lord restored to her what she felt like she had lost. By extending a cup of water to Elijah, the Lord blessed her and she would not lose her reward. The ravens were no longer needed because the widow opened her heart and home. In doing so, the power of God that walked with Elijah could bring restoration.

God used Elijah to perform many miracles during his time on the earth, including resurrection, bringing fire down from the sky, and entering Heaven alive by a chariot of fire and a whirlwind. The Book of Malachi prophesied Elijah's return "before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord," explaining that he will forrun the return of the Messiah to prepare the Bride and bring much needed restoration.

“And he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared” Luke 1:17. Just like John the Baptist forran Jesus, so the spirit of Elijah will forrun Jesus’ return as restoration takes place in the hearts and lives of God’s children as they yield to Him in purity and obedience.

Just like the widow, I was picking up sticks. So what I thought was a crazy request from the Lord all these months of “picking up sticks” finally began to make sense. The spirit of Elijah is here. Those who recognize and grab hold of this move of the Spirit, extend a cup of cold water, and invite the Holy Spirit in during this hour shall be blessed. A wave of restoration is upon us and I encourage you to recognize what the Lord wants to do in your life, embrace restoration no matter what it looks like, and open your heart and home to the Holy Spirit so that the rain of His restoration can flow. Malachi 4 explains that Elijah will come before the great and terrible day of the Lord to bring restoration on our land. I feel that we are in that timeline now. The spirit of restoration will begin to turn the hearts of natural and spiritual parents to the children and natural and spiritual children back to the parents so that He will not strike the land.

JUDGEMENT AND COVENANT RENEWAL

“‘Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘Not a root or a branch will be left to them. But for you who revere My name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves. Then you will trample on the wicked; they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I act,’ says the Lord Almighty.

‘Remember the law of my servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb for all Israel. See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.’”

What felt like picking up sticks in the natural for me, turned into a prophetic sign to show me what season we are entering. I feel the restoration that is among us is like nothing we have ever seen before. It will not look like what we expect it to look like or feel like we anticipated. It will be much better and provide more oil than we ever could dream. Natural provision and restoration as well as spiritual. Open your hearts, prepare, get that cup of cold water ready, and invite the spirit of restoration to come into your life, homes, churches, and nations.

The Lord is preparing His bride for His coming. He is restoring her piece by piece. He is asking us to give and partake in His living water. If you are thirsty, in need of restoration, I encourage you to come to the Father. Those who are weary, come. Those who are longing for more of His rain, come. Draw away and come to the Father and ask for His rain to pour over you and refresh you and make you new. Come!

“The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come.’ And let everyone who hears say, ‘Come.’ And let everyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift.” Revelation 22:17

Dear Heavenly Father, we ask that You send us the Spirit of Elijah, Your restoration power, to come like a mighty wave and flood our lands! Renew us, revive us, refresh us, and make us a new creation without spot or wrinkle to be used for Your glory. Amen.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” 2 Corinthians 5:17

“That He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.” Ephesians 5:26-27