Living In The Dash - A Call to Nation Shifting Bold Obedience

There are moments when God asks us to be loud and moments when He asks us to tiptoe. The Spirit wants us to be sensitive enough to know which is which. This is a pastoral exhortation to stir your spirit, sharpen your discernment, and move from passive faith into bold, obedient action. We are living in the dash — the narrow space between the date of our birth and the day our breath ends — and every breath is an opportunity to make a difference.

Heightened Discernment: When to Cannonball, When to Tiptoe

God is asking for greater sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. Sometimes we are called to a cannonball into the public pool, shaking things up with confident praise and prophetic proclamation. Other times we are to tiptoe into a spa, gentle and quiet, moving only as the Spirit prompts.

“There are times to come out of the gate, yell and scream and shout. And there are times to tiptoe around the walls of Jericho for seven days without saying a word.”

Discernment is not a theory; it is a practice. It grows when we spend time with God, when we speak His word aloud, and when we expect divine appointments. It also requires humility — not insisting our emotions run the show, but letting the Spirit direct our footsteps.

Living in the Dash: Make Every Breath Count

I want you to see with fresh eyes what "living in the dash" means.   On all of our tombstones or memorial leaflets there will be two dates separated by a dash.  The first date — our birth date — is fixed. The end date is also fixed, though unknown. Right now we, you and me, are living in the dash. This is where purpose, obedience, and legacy are formed and lived. We cannot waste a single breath or we're wasting every moment in the dash.

I was reminded of this in two recent encounters. I received a phone call, while sitting in an airport traveling home, telling me that a dear friend, had taken a fall, suffered a coma and would not likely recover. That call was a stark reminder that life is fragile and that our time in the dash demands urgency. Yet the same dash is so full of potential: divine appointments, unexpected encounters, the chance to speak life into someone’s destiny.

Daily Disciplines That Invite Divine Appointments

If you want your life to be used by God, begin by adopting simple, intentional habits.

• Start the day in genuine gratitude. Don’t recite a script. Mean it. Thank God for the day, the air in your lungs, the fire and favor that follow you.
• Decree grace and favor. Speak out-loud declarations that set expectation for divine favor as you go about your day.
• Ask God for divine appointments. Not to manipulate God, but to position yourself to obey when opportunities arrive.
• Read Scripture aloud. Faith comes by hearing; hearing by the word of God. Let Scripture vibrate in your ears and settle in your heart.

When you consistently do these things, you will notice doors opening, encounters that were never accidental, and ordinary moments becoming divine assignments.

Prophetic Courage: Use the Gifts God Gave You

On a shuttle bus I met a woman who said she hears God and has prophetic words for people, but she was afraid to speak. Fear had made that gift die. We prayed. I encouraged her: you are capable of thinking for yourself; so are others. I Your job is to obey the Spirit. Let them think for themselves. Your calling is obedience.  The same is true for you and me... sometimes we think too much, we just need to meditate on the Word and and what the Spirit has said, then act on it.

“Use it or lose it.”

Fear keeps gifts from flourishing. When you step out in obedience — however small that first step looks — the Spirit begins to renew and amplify what was dormant.

The Abraham Model: Negotiate, Stand, and Release

Genesis 18 shows Abraham interceding for a nation. God said He would destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham asked, if there are 50 righteous, will You spare it? What followed was a negotiation of faith. What if there were only 40, 30, 20, 10 ... God moved toward mercy because someone stood in the gap and interceded. You are called to be someone.

That example is not just history. It is a template for how we pray over our nations today. God said, If my people humble themselves, pray, seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and heal their land. That call demands action. Not helpless waiting, but bold, covenantal speaking.

What To Do Now: Practical Steps Toward National Revival

We are mobilizing with focused prayer and decrees. Here are concrete ways to participate:

• Choose a mountain to steward. There are seven cultural mountains: religion, family, education, government, media, arts and entertainment, and business/economy. Pray and decree into one area consistently.
• Decree and declare. The Bible repeatedly invites us to speak. When you decree the promises of God, you position heaven’s favor to move on earth.
• Release what you have been holding back. God often asks us to let go — of pride, of fear, of resources — so He can bless and multiply.
• Pray with humility and persistence. We are asking God to spare nations for the sake of those who will arise and shine. That is a holy responsibility.

What obedience looks like

Obedience may be as simple as speaking a prophetic word, making a phone call, giving sacrificially, or stepping into a neighborhood to minister. Abraham’s obedience to sacrifice his son Isaac looked outrageous in the natural. Yet his willingness released God’s promise. Your obedience, matched with God’s faithfulness, will release the same kinds of fruit.

Break the Spirit of Fear

Fear is a killer of gifts and a killer of nations. We break fear by speaking Scripture, by praise, and by doing the next right thing in faith. Speak aloud. Bless the Lord with your spirit. Command your mind and emotions to align under the Spirit. If you will do this, the peace of God will come and the pathway will open.

“Arise and shine, for the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.”

That is a command, not a suggestion. The glory of the Lord comes to those who rise. The light refracts off us and reaches others. One person’s obedience can save a city; a faithful remnant can spare a nation.

A Final Exhortation: Move in Bold Faith

We are not meant to be flaccid or passive. The Lord is calling a bold, audacious ecclesia — people who will speak plainly to God, who will risk obedience in the face of natural doubt, and who will carry His light into dark places. Stop overthinking. Meditate on His word. Do the things that do not make sense to the natural mind.

When you step out — when you covenant with God, release your fear, and declare His promises — He will move. He swore by His name to bless Abraham because of obedience. He says the same to you: do not withhold what I have asked and watch what I will do.

Rise. Shine. Speak. Decree. Obey. The days are dark, but God’s light is brighter. For the sake of 50, 40, 30, 20, or even 10, He will spare. Will you be among those who stand in the gap?

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