It Is A New Season by Pastor Jerry Eze: MP3 Download & Sermon Notes

Life Is Ordered in Seasons

Ecclesiastes 3:1 — "To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven."

No matter what you want to do, if the season does not accommodate it, it will not take root. One of the greatest tragedies of life is sowing when your season is not right. The seasons of men determine what they wear, what they engage in, and what they step back from.

The Prophecy and the Sound

1 Kings 18:1 — The word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year: "Go, show thyself unto Ahab, and I will send rain upon the earth."

The prophecy came in verse 1. He heard the sound in verse 41.

1 Kings 18:41 — "And Elijah said unto Ahab, 'Get thee up, eat and drink, for there is a sound of abundance of rain.'"

God said He would send rain. But what was Elijah hearing? Abundance of rain.

It does not matter what has been said — what matters is what you are hearing. God said rain was coming. Elijah was hearing abundance of rain. If God kept you waiting and stagnated for too long, what is coming now is not rain — it is abundance of rain.

He did not hear the sound of the abundance of rain because the season changed. He heard it because necessity had been laid on him. He was the one assigned to change the season.

You are not waiting for God to change your season. This is a prayer matter.

Praying With Your Head Between Your Knees

1 Kings 18:42 — "And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees."

Elijah sent his servant seven times. Six times the servant came back: nothing. Then on the seventh:

1 Kings 18:44 — "Behold, there arises a cloud out of the sea like a man's hand."

His eyes, his ears, his mouth — all found their expression through his knees. His sensibilities and sensitivities found expression through prayer.

• He was as human as we are — James 5:17 — and yet when he prayed earnestly, supernatural answers came.
• He was on Mount Carmel, the place where fire had fallen before. Not a mountain of geography — a reminder of prophecy. "Lord, I remember how You answered me. I am here again."
• Repeated negativity does not in any way discredit your prophecy.

Your new season is not in what people are saying. It is in your conversations with God.

The Sign Is Enough

The servant came back and said: "There is a cloud like a man's hand." The sign was enough. From a cloud the size of a hand, the entire sky was soon black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain.

But the Bible says something more. 1 Kings 18:46 — "And the hand of the Lord was on Elijah."

Do not just ask for a sign. Ask for the hand of God upon your life. A sign can be seen by anyone. The hand of God changes everything.

• Choose not to see everything going against you. Choose not to hear every word spoken in discouragement.
• Your voice is important — do not shut it down when there is so much more that God wants to do.
• Stop placing premium on people's validation. As far as you are on God's side, that is sufficient.

I decree it is done. Your new season is here. Every word spoken over you that has not yet manifested — receive your abundance of rain. The hand of the Lord is upon you. In the name of Jesus, Amen.