♦ It is a place that we have been invited to.

♦ It is a place of provision, not a place where you shrivel &die.

♦ It is a place where you find an overwhelming revelation of God. Roll up your sleeves, consecrate  yourself for you will come out of this with an overwhelming revelation of God.

♦ It is a place of testing.

♦ It is a place of encounter with no ordinary mortal, but God.

♦ It is a place of renewal, of being made new.

♦ It is a place where you return from with power.

Sometimes wilderness means shifting your focus from whatever it is you are presently focused on. Priorities always mean something else is less prioritized.

The devil’s attempt to tempt is subsumed by God’s  intention of testing. One is to cause you to fall, the other is to prove your capacity and mettle.

If God’s intent is to test to prove our strength, what does this testing look like-

>> The Spirit of God will test your humility. Testing of humility is proving whether you have a helpless, continuous dependence on God, displaying a return to child likeness. Redemption is a restoresrion of lost humility. A  continuous dependence on God. It is one thing to be intensely dependent, but another thing to be intensely dependent continuously Unafraid.

>> The Spirit of God will test you on the condition of your heart. It will be on 2 levels: when it comes to the cares of the world VS.His concerns,He will expose the condition of your heart. No test can happen without an exposing of what actually is. Once He shows you what is, He will also show you what can be. Now the question is – which one will you choose. Cares of the world – family, money,work, possessions.

>> The Spirit of God will test the deceit of the Heart VS. non concealment.>> The Spirit of God will test my obedience to the Word under pressure from culture. When these things come up and God shows you disparities, wrestle with these things, work them out.

>> The Spirit of God will test me to prove whether I live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God or whether I live by self generated means of sustenance. Look for the proceeding word every morning, find time to separate and cleave to Him so that you can be fed by the proceeding word.

>> The Spirit of God will test me to see whether I will lift my eyes off the scorching sun, the hostile terrain, the hunger &thirst and spot the banqueting table He has prepared for me in the presence of my enemies. In the middle of the desert,if I lift my eyes off and spot Him,He will refresh me so I can do what I need to do for the rest of the earth.

During this time, the devil will try :

  • to poison my relationship with the Father.
  • to put suspicion on my son ship and His Fatherhood during this time.
  • to provoke me to take things into my own hands. Check the timing of God before you step into things.
  • to probe me into behavior that be trays the father-son relationship.

At the completion of 40 days, I will either be proven as a servant who is fit&ready for new kingdom work or not.