Are You Pregnant With Promise?

It was the Christmas season of 1991.  Thousands of Foursquare youth were gathering from all around the nation to meet together for a gathering called Summit ’91.  It was an incredible conference filled with great songs, awesome teachings and new friendships!

I remember distinctly a workshop that I attended at that gathering.  The woman (whose name I don’t remember or I would give her a shout out!) talked about how Mary had been pregnant with Promise.  The Holy Spirit had divinely placed within her a part of God’s amazing, redemptive plan.

She went on to say that each of us is pregnant with something, too.  Each of us carries within us the unique calling and purpose that God has for our lives.  We each have our part to play in the redemptive story.  I remember being so moved by that!

God would go on to use that pregnancy analogy over and over in my life.  He has given us promises and spoken prophetic words to us repeatedly that carry this pregnancy theme.  He has placed dreams and callings within Craig and me that remind us of what He wants to do through us to further His Kingdom here on earth.  He has divinely placed within us things that will bring hope – that will point others to Jesus – that will bring new life to those facing spiritual death.

And He has placed those things within each of you, as well.  We are called to establish His Kingdom on earth in all aspects of life!  Maybe He has given you a new way to do business.  Maybe you have a creative idea for the entertainment industry or powerful ways to help other parents.  God has placed you exactly where He wants you to be and has redemptive things for you to do in that place!

I love how another phrase for being pregnant is that a woman “is expecting”.  Because there is A LOT of expectation about pregnancy, isn’t there?  What is the sex of the baby?  When’s the baby due?  What will it look like?  What will labor be like?

Maybe you are like we are – expecting!  Waiting for God to birth what He has placed within us!

And maybe you have been pregnant a long time.  We have been pregnant for 17 years!

As any woman who has had a baby will tell you, the longer you are pregnant, the harder it gets.  Your body gets bigger.  You feel pain and discomfort.  It is challenging to do the things you could easily do before.  You are so excited, but so tired!  You just want the birth to come, already!

Maybe you are feeling that in your life.  You have dreams and hopes that God has placed within you.  But you may feel like a woman who has been pregnant a long time.  You are uncomfortable and in pain.  The waiting is hard, even disappointing.  You feel tempted to give up on what God has put in your heart.

I was feeling this way very distinctly back in 2007.  I was reading a magazine and happened upon an article that would change my perspective completely.

Heidi Baker, who runs an incredible ministry called Iris Ministries, wrote an article about being pregnant with the promises of God.  Here’s what she wrote:

“The Lord spoke to me recently about the church and said, "No more abortions." No more aborting His promises or prophetic words.

No more aborting what God has placed inside us.
He told me to ask the church: "'Who will carry that which I've placed within them to full term? Who will allow Me to stretch them and break them and mold them and cause them to be inconvenienced? Who will allow Me to utterly transform their lives by the shape of the promise within them?'"
I hope and pray you will. I believe carrying a prophetic word is like being pregnant with a baby: The way you walk, talk, move, everything is totally transformed. That has been my experience. It was Mary's experience too.”

When we give up on the God-given dreams and promises that He has placed within us, then we are spiritually aborting what He wants to birth through us – whoa!

Though it can be so very difficult to wait, the beauty of the timing of pregnancy is what it produces in us.  We are enlargened in our capacity.  We are stretched beyond our own selfishness to give our very lives for God’s purposes in our lives and for those He has called us to share His love with.  Much happens in the pregnancy process that makes us ready for birthing a promise!

Because it’s ultimately about surrender, isn’t it?  Trusting God’s word is true, trusting His timing, trusting He will do what He said He will do!  And trusting Him, even in the face of all that we will face along while pregnant, just as Mary did.  She did not allow fear of the repercussions of what God had told her to change her answer.  She would carry what God had placed within her.

She said yes to being pregnant.  And yes to giving birth.

If you are discouraged on waiting for God to fulfill the dreams in your life, and are weary of still being pregnant with promise, remember this truth from Isaiah 66:9:

“Shall I bring to the time of birth, and not cause delivery?” says the Lord.  Shall I who cause delivery shut up the womb?” says your God.

Don’t give up!  God will bring to pass all that He has placed within you!