Building, Laboring, and Trusting | A Word for 2026, and 2025 Recap

What is the Lord Saying?

At the end of every year I always take my prayer times to sit down with the Lord and really ask Him what He is asking of me. Not just me, but our family, our community, our businesses, ministry, and more. You would think this begins in December, but it actually is months long, starting in September. I begin with an evaluation of my personal life. What do I need to step out of, throw off, repent of, or confront? The Lord then takes me into a time of refinement and revelation. Because I have limited time with a growing family, I feel my time is so precious, especially with Jesus. And so, I want to give Him all the time in the world to tell me whatever it is our lives will step into in the new year.

This year has been an interesting year. It has been like no other year we’ve ever had in our lives. The year started off like any other normal year. The word the Lord gave me for 2025 was “do not re-dig tainted wells”. As I unpackaged it, it was a warning to not stay in territory that you haven’t been given to take. And do not re-dig wells that God Himself filled in, or never asked me to dig.

Since we moved to our new farm a few years ago, I kept saying “I feel there is a well of revival here". That’s totally a christianese term, but I’ll explain it someday in its own post. God has been consistently bringing me back here, where we are, not to a city or another location, in regard to building His kingdom. I just needed to heed the warning myself. I got the warning loud and clear this year after wrestling with Him for awhile.

In March of this year, everything in our lives came to a screeching halt. Mark came down with a “virus”. I won’t go into all of the detail about it, but what seemed simple to treat became a nightmare for us. He essentially had a traumatic brain injury from the whole ordeal. He became unable to physically function well sometime in April, and it took more than 7 months for him to recover enough to some kind of true normalcy without too many little lingering issues. Thankfully he was still able to work after the first few weeks, but it is only by the grace and strength of God.

I am so thankful to the medical mentors, professionals, and friends that helped us during that time. I don’t even think most people know just how horrible it was because Mark is such a private person.

I was very, very pregnant during this time and hardly able to function myself (I’m very sick when I’m pregnant). I am also at my most fragile mental and spiritual state when I am pregnant. I remember one night literally “travailing in prayer”, as Charles Finney says, until I was physically distraught.

Yet, through it all, we were blown away by the people who showed up, brought us meals, sent us groceries, and came to pray. We are often the ones doing these things, and to be on the receiving end of it was truly humbling. This is how the kingdom should work (and even some who are not believers showed up).

So as the year comes to an end, I have a lot to meditate on from this year. It would literally take me hours to tell you all about the trials, and the victories, of the year. In fact, I should sit down and write them all out one day. We quickly realized that we were in a season of “trials”, and the question was (and still is), how will we come out on the other side? Trials do not last, especially as you pass each test.

I can tell you what God showed me about myself during this time, and the question He asked me. In prayer one night He asked me if I love Him more than I love my husband. Did I love Him more than anything else, no matter what? And my answer was no. It didn’t used to be no, but somewhere over the last three years it became a “no”. God was calling me back to my first love for Him, and He still is. As I began to realize my own faults and struggles, I began to pray differently for my husband. And not surprisingly, we began to see victory after victory in healing.

And so we come to the end of this year, and prepare for a new year. I want to share with you what God has been speaking to me since September of this year.

In September I began to walk through a multitude of self-reflective thoughts and processes. Since 2021 we have been contending for reformation in our local rural churches, and in the nation. In one baptist church that is still so dear to our hearts, we literally came up against a stronghold manifestation in leadership and could go no further. But God made kingdom connections there for a time and purpose, and I believe we will reconnect again soon.

And so, we have felt like we have been running a race since 2021. It was clear—God was calling us into weeks and months of rest these last months of the year. We are still in that season right now. But while He has us in this season, we are still being refined and formed into who He wants us to be in this season. And He is also speaking to us about what our next steps are.

We have weekly fellowship at our home right now, I lead a women’s discipleship group, we have accountability in every way we turn, and some visits to corporate gatherings. But otherwise, it was clear that the Lord wanted my whole mind and heart for the last few months of the year. No noise. No outside clamor. Just Him.

So what has happened? Our intimate fellowship gatherings have shown us that God is actually speaking the same thing to almost every single one of us. And every morning my phone has messages from local people who are looking for deeper discipleship, have dreams they need to understand, or people who aren’t even believers yet full of questions. It is overwhelmingly clear that the stage is being set for the new year, and the harvest is bursting at the seams ready.

And so, I decided this past week to go into deeper prayer for what God is strategically saying to us in the coming year, and write it down. Here we go…

Now Is Not the Time to Retreat

The Lord has challenged me to step into the fullness of what He has for us. And He has given me clear vision of His plan for the new year (for our sphere of influence). But most importantly He has loudly exhorted and proclaimed to me that retreating is not an option.

I’ll be honest, I have been discouraged by the body of Christ here in rural America on more than one occasion. But I have not given up. And the Lord has reminded me that retreating is absolutely not part of my vocabulary.

So many of us (especially in rural America) feel like we have been contending for reformation in the church and advancement of the kingdom, like pushing a boulder up a hill. But I tell you, the song of ascent is our song! We aren’t going back! We are only going forward and up! DO NOT RETREAT! The fallowed ground we have been plowing is finally ready to bring forth life. Keep plowing, keep planting.

The year we are headed into will show the Lord strong and mighty, an everlasting Father, and the King of Kings. Job said in chapter 13:15 “Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him;….Indeed, this will turn out for my deliverance.” The battles that you’ve been fighting, the health issues that have come out of nowhere, the restoration of the things you’ve prayed for, the things the enemy has stolen—2026 is the year where, if yielded to God, it will all make sense. We will see deliverance! God is awakening His church. Retreating now would equal shrinking back, and Hebrews 10:39 says “…we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed,”

Don’t Leave the Watchtower or Your Post

Watchmen, don’t leave your post! Habakkuk 2:1 says, “I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint.” Guard your heart and your ramparts. Guard the gates of your soul—your eyes. Many of us have felt defeated or tired but it is time to pray for an awakening, that just like Nehemiah, our hands would be strengthened to build and guard, build and guard. His bride IS waking up!

God has stationed you as a watchman for a reason—step into your post fully! Seers are going to “see”, and prophetic people are going to “hear”, and they will find themselves in the company of other seers and hearers more and more. I am already seeing this happening at the end of this year.

Network and share together to see the whole picture of what God is speaking in part to each of you. You cannot do this in isolation alone! But only share what you feel God telling you to share. Some things need to incubate in the secret place. Use great discernment.

A Year of Building Kingdom Foundations—A Nehemiah Season

This new year will be a year of building like never before, quicker than before. On CHRIST the solid rock, the cornerstone, we stand. Raise up the battle flag, friends. It’s time to seek the Lord like never before on this. What is your part of the building process?

I have been seeing vision after vision of literal foundations and walls being moved around and put in their right places. I’ve had dreams of buildings and homes that are half finished. I’ve had a vision of a church with the walls being shifted around in a new set up. God is doing a new thing, and it is going to be amazing. But we haven’t been here before, ever. So hold on tight.

The Lord has been exposing shaky foundations in the foundations of His bride in this season. The foundations must be completely exposed before a solid foundation can be rebuilt. God is calling leaders (some who don’t even yet lead) to trust fully in His processes and begin firmly building on the teachings of the apostles and prophets (more on this in a moment).

But it will not come without opposition. Did you really believe that as King Jesus asks His bride to build so quickly, that the enemy wouldn’t try to scare and stop us? We have entered into a “one hand on the trowel and one hand on the sword” season, just as when Nehemiah rebuilt the wall. It is important that we keep building in the new year, even when calamity is surrounding us. Just as Nehemiah did in Nehemiah chapters 4 through 6. We are in this season!

This year will be a year of strategy and building with emphasis on equipping and training. Before you can build well, the laborers must be trained well.

Do not give foothold to offense and opposition. Be clear in your vision and mission God has given you. STAY IN YOUR LANE. And He will show favor upon you.

Keep the Blinders On

Building on the last point, it is important that you learn to balance what your role is in what God is asking of you. Some of you reading this will feel as if you don’t have any role except to raise your family and attend fellowship. And that’s completely fine. But there are so many that God is calling up higher right now.

You are going to have to keep the blinders on. Remember, stay in your lane. It will be very tempting to see what others are doing and building, but that isn’t what God has asked you to do. Anointing and favor only rests on what He has given YOU to accomplish. Your vision must be clear and concise. Your mission is important and God expects you to commit to it fully.

There will be people who try to flatter you to be part of your journey. Friend, I had to learn this the hard way over and over again. There will others who try to bribe you to be part of your journey, or entice you to be a part of theirs, but it is important that you stay the course. You will have to find a balance. It won’t mean God won’t send you on a mini detour, but make sure it is aligning with the things He has told you to do. Be discerning about those who you link arms with. Not everyone who says they have your best interest in mind actually does.

Do Not Hold Onto Offense

Church hurt. Unmet expectations. Relationship offense. Whatever it is, don’t hold onto offense. Otherwise you will certainly birth an Ishmael instead of an Isaac. You will try to birth prematurely. Or worse yet, you will birth something you were never asked to birth to begin with, while what you were asked to do is aborted.

People will do what they have always done, let you down. But you must do what God tells you to do, even if they don’t understand. And you cannot hold onto mutual offense.

Get Rid of the Fear of Man

We haven’t been this way. It won’t look the same. The new wineskin is different than what everyone has been taught over the last several hundred years. The spirit of tradition and religion will well up in people and they will make you feel like you’re doing something wrong. Accept constructive criticism, holy rebuke and correction, and Spirit-led exhortation, and make sure you are in biblical alignment with the Word. But you must reject any decision that is based on the fear of man. You must fear God more than man.

Building Apostolic Houses

In 2026 we will see a major growth in the building of apostolic houses. Notice I didn’t say “churches”. There will be apostolic houses literally built to do what the church is supposed to do. Feed one another, provide clothing and necessities, equip and disciple, and to teach skills and knowledge/education. There will be more places to take care of widows and orphans, and to build community and networks.

They are houses because they are an assembly that is in covenant with one another, and that insists on being true to one another as brothers and sisters in Christ. Just as in a marriage, divorce isn’t an option just because your preferences aren’t met. We will see a great yielding to one another in these houses.

For too long we have looked at the church building as a place for Sunday morning services, and maybe a Wednesday night service. But God is looking for a committed people to dwell among, not a building. In 2026 we will see the New Testament church begin to wake up and advance. But we will build first. We will create houses dedicated to true discipleship (from the milk to the meat). Houses that are dedicated to equipping the saints and then sending them out into the cities and streets to bring in the harvest. We will see the equipping of the body of Christ in regard to wealth, trades and skills, and how to be in the world but not of it. People will learn how to use their entire lives for the kingdom, not for themselves.

I don’t want to call them “hubs”, because I feel that term is so trendy in the body right now, and it doesn’t do them justice. These houses I speak of are not “hubs”, but literally houses and buildings for the kingdom. A hub sounds like a tiny place to meet up. But these houses, they are true houses of God. They are more active than most churches. It will truly be the leadership’s lifestyle and dedicated mission to this house on a daily basis.

We will see some of these begin as “home churches”, but they will grow so fast that they will have to split to more houses, build bigger, or purchase actual buildings. We will see The Church Storehouse come to fruition. Some houses will remain small and secluded, because the Lord has asked them to be. He has many parts in His body, and each one holds a special purpose. We won’t all look the same.

If this section resonates with you, what is God asking YOU to do? Seek His heart on this matter.

A Year of Discipleship

How do we advance the kingdom outside of just taking territory, standing our watchpost, and building the church structures? We advance the kingdom through discipleship and evangelism. Some of the people being discipled will be people you least expected because they’ve been a “Christian” for twenty years and could never even explain what the blood of Jesus does or how salvation actually works. Evangelism isn’t just going out and telling people about Jesus. It’s the consistency and discipleship that need to follow.

We must be prepared to take people through the most basic of doctrine, while also not being afraid of teaching them things far past their understanding. We will teach the milk and the meat of the Word simultaneously. But we must start with the basics for new believers so that their doctrinal foundations are built firmly. Without the basics, they won’t fully understand deliverance, healing, spiritual realms, and all that is available to us in the body of Christ. Or the parallels throughout the word that bring the word to life.

True discipleship will give birth to revival. Disciples will have such an excitement for the word when they truly understand it, that they will share it freely and frequently. Open the doors of the storehouse, the harvest is ready!

Again I say, this year will be a year of strategy and building with emphasis on equipping and training. Before you can build well, the laborers must be trained well.

Pray for the Laborers

The church is more than 2000 years old and yet one of its greatest issues is the lack of laborers. When you get tired, learn to rest, not quit. Jesus knew this, and it’s why in Matthew 9:37-38 He said, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

So we must pray for the laborers, while also being a laborer. We must endure until the end. We must be ready to work for the kingdom. Find time to rest, of course. But we cannot be a passive people in a kingdom that is called to advance.

Nehemiah prayed that his hands would be strengthened for the task at hand, and we must pray this way too. Not leaving our post to chase every dog that barks, but being steadfast, firmly planted, and praying when times become difficult.

It is projected that 15,000+ “churches” will have shut down by the end of 2025, with more lingering on the horizon. Do not be alarmed, friend. Jesus is purifying His bride, and God is rebuilding the foundations of the church with Jesus as the true cornerstone. The shaking has begun, and will continue. What will be left is a tried and true foundation that is ready to withstand the fiery darts of the enemy.

A Season of Judgement, Famine, & Provision

This new year will be a year of building, laboring, and praying. But it will also be the beginning of a season of judgement and provision. We have entered into a season (which spans over multiple years) of building, judgement, and provision.

The next four years are crucial for families, nations, and the body of Christ. We must learn how to trust in God fully, for every need, every word, every thought, and every motive. We must be relentlessly laid bare before Him to refine us and rebuke us when necessary. We must take every thought captive that does not align with Him. And we must absolutely fear the Lord more than man. We must have His thoughts.

He will provide. He will restore. He will sustain.

We will see the building in homes, churches, and new structures of “storehouses”. In a true famine, there will be no food coming into the centralized food system, and you may not be able to grow your own food, either. We see famines throughout the Bible, which are normally a judgement from God on a nation, in order to turn people back to Him. This happened in the New Testament as well in Acts 11. What did the church do? THEY PREPARED. Why? Because God is sovereign and wants His people taken care of and not depending on the government.

NOW IS THE TIME TO PREPARE. Preparing is not fear based, it is a holy act that God prompts us to do so that we can provide for ourselves and for others. This is not the time to hoard for yourself and your family, but to begin thinking of your immediate community (like neighbors and family) as well.

Acts 28 says that the disciples sent relief to those in Judea. The church should be the source of food and necessities for itself and for the body of Christ in its region. It is time to prepare for this now.

I do not know how many years this season will last, or when the worst will begin. I wrote a substack called “The Joseph Mantle” a few years ago that you can read here. But I do believe we are in a period of mercy and grace—a window of time over the next 4 years to prepare more and more for what is coming. Please heed this word.

Trust In God

God will provide. God will restore. God will show Himself strong and mighty. You must trust Him for all things. You must trust that you can do nothing outside of Him, and that you can see nothing in the spiritual realms unless He wants you to.

God is great and majestic in all His ways. He is ready for His bride to awaken and advance. For such a time as this, we are here right now. What an exciting time to live in.

What is God saying to you about your region, your church, or your family? Write it down, pray over it, and share it with trusted sources. The Lord is ready to partner with you in His great and perfect plan!

Then the Lord answered me and said:

“Write the vision
And make it plain on tablets,
That he may run who reads it.
³ For the vision is yet for an appointed time;
But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie.
Though it tarries, wait for it;
Because it will surely come,
It will not tarry.”

Habakkuk 2:2-3