Only Sons and Daughters Can Take Cities By Wanda Alger

Do you think more like a slave or a son? If we want to see entire cities become centers of revival and transformation, we must get rid of our slave mentality. Slaves can’t take cities. Only sons and daughters can.
Just like the children of Israel in their long journey from Egypt into the Promised Land, so the Lord is taking the body of Christ through a process of preparation to receive this next great outpouring of His Spirit. There is an inheritance awaiting us. It’s the kingdom of heaven manifesting on the earth. But, heaven is waiting for the sons and daughters to be revealed. Creation itself is groaning for the children of God to rise up.

“The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed.” (Romans 8:19)

Look at the process God took the children of Israel through before they could take Jericho, the first city on their long-anticipated tour of the Promised Land.
God called them out of the bondage of Egypt. Whether it’s salvation, freedom from personal bondage, or the spiritual bondage of a community, God calls us out to something greater (Exodus 3:8).
God showed them what their inheritance was. We have to be convinced of who we really are and what we’ve already been given. Rather than disqualifying ourselves or allowing the enemy to keep us blinded, we must agree with heaven that we are, indeed, HEIRS and co-heirs with Christ with unlimited access to the throne and all the spiritual blessings and authority that goes with that crown (Psalm 2:8; Romans 8:17; Acts 3:20-21).
He brought them through a crisis of faith. The Red Sea was a crisis of faith for the Israelites as they had to step into unknown territory and trust God’s ability to deliver them. This is a repeated cycle in our journey until we have learned to trust God with the impossible (Exodus 14:15-16; Hebrews 11:6).
He tested them in the wilderness. It’s only in the wilderness experiences that we find out what’s really inside us. Everything  we depend on, other than God, will be stripped from us until we rest in God’s provision, alone…daily. This part of the preparation humbles us and positions us to live from His provision and Presence and not ours (I Corinthians 10:1-6; Hebrews 3:8).
He invited them to draw closer. God invited the children of Israel to come up Mt. Sinai to meet with Him personally. Unfortunately, their fears held them back and they settled for second-hand revelation from Moses (Exodus 20:18-19). The Fear of the Lord requires us to overcome fleshly fears in order to receive first-hand revelation from the Lord. We have access and invitation. The question is, will we go up.
He led them by His manifest Presence. Without a map or clear directions, God had to teach His children how to follow Him – a day at a time. It’s only when we learn to REST in His Presence that we can be good followers. It’s not where we are going as much as how we are going that matters to Him (Hebrews 4:1; 12:18-28).
He taught them to get over past failures – and successes. The Jordan River was the SECOND body of water the Israelites had to cross before entering the Promised Land. However, this time, the instructions were totally different. Instead of the mighty Moses leading the way, it was the next generation of worshipers (Levites) that stepped into the water carrying the Ark of the Covenant on their shoulders (Joshua 3:6-13). They had finally learned to receive His instructions and follow through without complaining or comparing with their past. New territories require new instructions. Will we listen and obey?
He circumcised their hearts in order to establish a covenant community. Their last stop before Jericho was Gilgal. This was where they built an altar of 12 stones (representing the 12 tribes) and the entire nation was circumcised. This represented covenant with one another. It was no longer “I”, but “we” (Joshua 5:8-9).
I believe many in the body of Christ are either trying to cross the Jordan River or are at Gilgal.
There are those who are at the edge of something new and trying to determine the best way to enter in. But, instead of comparing with past successes or looking to the “leader with the power”, God is looking to those who are carrying His Presence and working together. It is this Joshua generation that is carrying on the lessons learned from the past and staying alert to updated instructions and revelation thus opening the way for new opportunities and new territories.
There are also many forerunners who have been faithfully walking out this journey of faith and are now at their Gilgal. The pioneers who have had to endure alone must now join with others to take up a corporate cause that is greater than any one individual or ministry. God is calling the body of Christ to covenant together, shake off the reproach from past failures and disappointments and enter in as ONE. Ultimately, it will be this corporate circumcision of the heart that will empower the Church to receive our inheritance.
Jericho could not be taken until the slaves of Egypt became the sons of God. The reality is that there are GIANTS in the land that must be taken out! It is only the sons and daughters of the Most High God that have the access, authority, and anointing to do that. I pray we all yield to the process of preparation so as to receive that inheritance.
To listen to my entire message on “From Slavery to Sonship”, CLICK HERE.