I want to share a brief prayer vision I had a few months ago as we were worshipping and waiting in our house of prayer.

I was sitting in the quiet room, and suddenly felt in my spirit that I and others were walking through a valley. After a few moments I abruptly sensed a man with a blazing torch walk quickly past us, summoning us off the valley path we were on. In my vision it was a dark misty autumn night and he moved swiftly up a hill, so swiftly it was difficult to keep up with him. The man led us higher through an ascending wood and up into a clearing and then onto the top of a rocky hill. It seemed that Jesus was standing there in the clear night air, not with armies but small groups of people around him. We were not intruding, but were welcomed to be there. It felt a place of privilege, a scene of clarity, vision and strategy as Jesus surveyed the vista before him. There were no specifics of what Jesus was saying, but I felt more the importance of this high place where Jesus was waiting and leading. I was also curious about the identity of the torch bearer, and felt bold enough to ask if I could carry one down to guide others up to this meeting place; I sensed the answer was yes. At that point the vision ended.

This vision wasn’t as dramatic as it may sound; I didn’t have goosebumps or any ecstatic experience. Yet it did leave an encouraging yet sober picture burning in my mind.

What does this say to me? on the simplest level, Jesus wants us to come up higher, out of the fog and darkness of the situations that sometimes we trudge through. The valley is not a bad place, but one of limited perspective and the quality of air is not so good. In these days I believe there is a summons to God’s people to move out of the valley and follow the urge, the prophetic voices, the fiery longing in our spirits to ascend to a higher place with Jesus. In our chaos of our nation, and likewise in many nations of the world, Jesus isn’t abandoning us, he is just seeing and leading from a higher place. And we are invited there, in prayer and discernment.

This vision also speaks to me about greater things going on that I can immediately see. Game of Thrones and Lord of the Rings fans might immediately envision epic battle scenes from the big screen. We so need to remember that the Lord is always at work, his kingdom is extending, there are heavenly battles going on, there is a glorious church that is rising, there is a spiritual harvest being reaped, there is greater glory to come. Even as dark forces increase in power, Jesus is not perturbed by this nor distracted from the Father’s glorious work across the world. I may not see much of this, but I can gain more insight if I stand where Jesus is standing, and look at things from his perspective.

I am also challenged by the torch bearer. The scene had an End Time feel about it. There are clear and urgent voices, ministries, singers, writers who are encouraging the church to move out of a spiritual trudge and up into a stronger, clearer place at the end of the age. We have to have the insight of the Spirit to know how to minister life into the communities and heart of our nation in this season and in the remarkable days that are coming. The gospel never changes, but God will teach us how to live and what to say into our unique culture and time, if we ask him to lead us. He will break through in our world with greater glory and hope.

There have been a handful of times in recent months, where I have been in local and even national prayer times, where we started in a quite earthly place, with a dull or even foggy spiritual atmosphere in the room, and yet within a few minutes we shifted into a place of great clarity, faith and perception. One was during a powerful time of spontaneous praise, one was through a clear prophetic message about God’s hope for our nation, the third was out of a deep time of unity and confession amongst an international group. All three moments cut through the atmosphere and led us into a much higher place of discerning prayer, and powerful agreement.

I mention these as examples from the prayer movement, to encourage you to follow God’s summons to come up higher in your prayer and faith journey, and call others to do the same. Who knows where it will lead us? It can certainly be good, it can only position us well, if Jesus is there.

Thanks for reading.

God bless, William