In January of 2011, I journalled a few prophetic thoughts that Holy Spirit had me write down for the year ahead. I journaled that it would be a year of going higher and deeper with God, yet experiencing great silence and resistance. Some would wake up to the call of Jesus “Come up here! Come up higher!” and follow Him, leaving the old clothes behind and be clothed in purity. Some would fall behind in this ascension. Even now, we are not to worry about them, but keep our eyes fixed on Him. In this time our armour would be tested and we would use our weapons to fight. I definitely experienced this in my life. I believe this will continue in 2012 but will come from a place of intimacy with God.

In my personal, little world the ‘Bride of Christ’ has been emphasized recently. A few of my friends are thinking about marriage – who to be with, and when it will happen. This year, reaching the age of 18 and becoming an adult I could have taken it literally thinking about my future husband and family, but after going to an intercessory morning last month, the focus was on intimacy with Jesus, our bride groom. I knew Holy Spirit was highlighting the ‘Bride of Christ’ again and I was led to weave through Song of Solomon with my notes from a few talks by Ryan Wyatt from a conference I went to in Dudley in May 2011 called ‘The Fresh Awakening’.

I felt that in 2011 we experienced the beginning of the hot becoming hotter and the cold becoming colder, so to speak. Meaning the passionate lovers of God would grow even more passionate, and the ones not willing to follow Jesus to where He leads, would become even colder to His callings and dumb of hearing His voice. I believe this will increase in 2012. The lovers of Jesus will go deeper into His presence, growing in desire and passion.

Follow Song of Solomon with me for a moment (YES! Go grab your Bible): the shulamite woman representing us, and the King representing Jesus. At the very beginning she experiences the affections of God – verse 2 “Let Him kiss me with the kisses of His mouth!” – The kiss of God being the very thing that satisfies us, prevailing over any earthly experience “For your love is better than wine!”  The reason we were created is to experience His love. “The odour of your ointments is fragrant; your name is like perfume poured out. Therefore do the maidens love you. Draw me! We will run after you! The king brings me into his apartments! We will be glad and rejoice in you! We will recall your love, more fragrant than wine. The upright [are not offended at your choice, but sincerely] love you”, she has a revelation of the name of Jesus and is called into the bridal chamber for deeper intimacy with Him.

Last year we entered this private place of love experiencing the furnace of fiery love. But some became self-conscious, remembering their former life before knowing God, worked out of their own human will feeling burnt out and losing the sweetness of the affection and kiss of Jesus. He gives her affirmation and tells her to continue walking because she is strong. “O my love, you remind me of my favourite mare in the chariot spans of Pharaoh.” He calls her to carry the King. He calls US to carry Him.

Skipping through the rest of chapter 1, at chapter 2 v 8 the woman is in a new season where He challenges her out of her comfort zone. The mountains speak of Human/Demonic hindrances; the hills speak of personal difficulties. He calls her out of wall/private world of self-concern, following with affirmations and encouragement. “The voice of my beloved! Behold, He comes, leaping upon the mountains, bounding over the hills. My beloved is like a gazelle or a young hart. Behold, he stands behind the wall of our house, he looks in through the windows, he glances through the lattice. My beloved speaks and says to me, ‘Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.’”

A lot of people last year also heard the call of Jesus into that new season, where God challenged us. In God’s grace we went so far but didn’t step into the fullness. It felt as though we had been separated with God and we experienced a silence. God pulled away knowing this would stir us making us love sick for Him. He’s not rising up an army that needs nursing but an army that can go into the wilderness and deserts with God. When He withdraws from you, the more His eyes are on you. In the night – the wilderness time – the Shulamite woman sought the one she loves, and His presence returned.

The rest of chapter 3 describes the King preparing the wedding carriage for His Bride. Reaching chapter 4, the beloved talks about His love for the woman “How fair you are, my love, how very fair! Your eyes behind your veil of those of a dove”. At this point let me explain what this means. A dove, also known as a love bird, is able to only put attention on one thing at a time. The Shulamite woman had single vision – her eyes fixed on her Lover. Seven times in the book of Song of Solomon, either the King or the Shulamite woman are described to be like a dove.

Verse 9 says “My Bride, my very own, you have stolen my heart! With one glance from your eyes and the glow of your necklace, you have stolen my heart.” The neck signifies the will. I believe the King is saying‘and seeing the displays of your desire for me, you have stolen my heart!’ He is overcome by her heart and desire. The King of Kings is filled with emotion and love. Jesus is completely and utterly in love with us. This is what happens to Him when we just look at Him.

Chapter 4 speaks of how God sees beauty in us – His adoration for us. Verse 12, “My bride, my very own, you are a garden, a fountain closed off to all others... (Verse 15) You are a spring in the garden, a fountain of pure water, and a refreshing stream from Mount Lebanon.” In those times the King would have a personal and private garden in which he would go for refreshment. We are His garden for delight. We are His place of retreat.

She says in verse 16, “Oh, I pray that the cold north wind and the soft south wind may blow upon my garden that its spices may flow out in abundance for you in whom my soul delights. Let my beloved come into His garden and eat its choicest fruits.” She realizes that love is not just passion and intimacy but discipline and judgement, burning out things in her life that hinder, asking that both adversity and blessing would blow. God alone would get the glory.

In 2012 we are going up! Things look different from the places you stand. God is doing a new thing and shifting things. God is taking us into a different perspective – the view from the Bridal chamber looks very different from a cellar. The New perspective is 1-1 with God. Our lovesick desire has brought us deep into His presence. We sought His face in the quiet times, in the night of 2011 and we experienced His love and affection. In 2012 God is calling us into deep intimacy with Him. In the private times with Him in the secret place, our hearts burn with love and passion. We hear, know and have the treasures of Heaven revealed to us so we can operate in Kingdom power. Our dove’s eyes fixed completely on Him; we are transformed from glory to glory, becoming a bride that is truly without spot or wrinkle.

Even though in this place we are very vulnerable, this is the best place we could be! He guards us! He protects us! We lean on Him. In this position we are most effective in warfare. Close to His heart we fight like a General Militant! We are in a time of great warfare. We are in a time of great shaking. We are in a time where governments are colliding. We need to radically hear from Heaven.
I saw a beautiful print of a painting where a bride was wearing army boots. We need to remain in the secret place; the shadow of the Almighty; the resting place with the love of Christ, living in intimacy but going through war. 2012 is all about intimacy. Not just connecting with God spirit to spirit in our prayer time alone, but daily communing with Him. We are the bridal generation. 
People may say (verse 9) “Most beautiful of women, why is the one you love more special than others? Why do you ask us to tell Him how you feel?” And we tell them, “His kisses are sweet. I desire Him so much!  Young women of Jerusalem, He is my lover and my friend.”

Blessings for 2012 and much love 
Deborah