On a recent trip back to Japan, where I used to teach Kindergarten, God used a phrase in a shopping center to speak to me about prophetic giftings. Often times I feel odd, weird and different for the ways that God speaks to me. I was walking in a shopping center and the phrase, “Imagination is more important than knowledge,” caught my eye. The Holy Spirit said, “Kristin, remember that God does not operate from the head, but from the heart.”

It reminded me of a dream I had a few months ago about thinking outside the box. In the dream, I was painting inside these squares and rectangles, but I quickly became frustrated because it didn’t look right.  It seemed like I was putting so much pressure on myself to stay within the lines, which left me feeling defeated. The next morning, I woke up and had this revelation that as believers, we aren’t supposed to stay within the lines! 

Staying within the lines limits us to what God can do. God calls us to a spirit of freedom and wants us to release what we have into the Kingdom. With this Spirit of freedom that God calls His people to, He also asks us to stay within heavenly boundaries. That’s another revelation I had about our freedom in the Spirit.

Isaiah 40:22 says, “It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in.”

Yes, God absolutely gives us so much freedom to think, love, minister and pray. He also asks us to follow His word, obey His commandments and love ourselves and people. We can’t minister prophetically unless we align ourselves with scripture and tune our ear to His voice. We have to stay within God’s heavenly boundaries which will allow us to be our authentic selves! 

We are called to be different. We aren’t supposed to feel or act like the world. God calls us to be prophetic people, operate in our spiritual gifts and marvel at who God is. 

A few weeks later,  I had a similar dream but this time I was running on top of clear boxes. I felt so free in the Spirit being outside of the box. Again, the Lord was showing me that stepping outside the box brings freedom to ourselves and to others. 

Will you go outside the box for God? Will you paint outside the lines? What do you have to release into the Kingdom that you haven’t done yet?