Birth, Build, Break through

Steven Anderson has been involved in a variety of Christian leadership roles since 1987. Steven was pastor of Castlemilk Baptist Church before he, and his wife Helen, together formed Prayer for the City in Glasgow. In 2004 they pioneered Healing Rooms in Scotland which they led for 10 years. They are presently based at Glasgow City Church. Steven and Helen have written several books including Breakthrough Prayer, Releasing Healing, Discovery Questions and The Day That Changed My Life.

Everything begins in the heart of God – He creates and He births. We can only build eternally on what He has birthed and begun. 

What has God birthed in you? What has He birthed in previous times that you are inheriting? What might He be birthing now?

The Holy Spirit hovers, God speaks and creation comes forth. The Spirit is hovering, looking to ‘touchdown’ on someone on earth. The conception may have already happened and the promise is being incubated awaiting the birthing moment.

We build, and at times rebuild, on these Christ formed foundations (1 Corinthians 3:10-11; Isaiah 58:12). We don’t just build structures but we develop thoughts, words and above all people.

What are you building? What foundation are you building on?

We build on what we have but we need breakthrough to gain new ground.

Where do you need breakthrough? What could that breakthrough look like?

What is hindering and hampering breakthrough?

When Helen and I began Healing Rooms in Scotland in 2004 it was first conceived in my heart some months earlier as the Holy Spirit dropped the phrase, ‘Loose healing as a sign of the Kingdom!’ into my mind. This was quickly confirmed and led in the direction of connecting up internationally and birthing this ministry in our nation. The Spirit hovered, God spoke and something was formed and framed.

Now we had to build, developing this phrase, this thought, gaining greater vision to make the healing and saving power of Jesus accessible and available throughout our land. We had to develop and build people to lead local rooms, and to form and equip teams. We trained around 3,000 people in the years to follow with a sizeable percentage getting involved in a hands-on way.

Yet breakthrough was needed. There was no point in having rooms open to the public if no-one came or no-one was healed or came to faith in Christ. There were various ‘breakthrough moments’ over the years when particular miracles of healing took place and local newspapers carried the testimony of Jesus healing people. New ground was taken as 50 ‘rooms’ opened across Scotland in various villages, towns and cities, using various types of locations. New ground was explored and broken into as we set up stalls in psychic fares offering the grace, truth and power of Jesus among the tarot readers and others.

The Lord has much more to birth, including some things that were even conceived some time ago but have been delayed. There is much to build, to rebuild and to develop, and great breakthrough is needed to take rarely touched ground with the Good News of the Kingdom.

While the Spirit is hovering over many people and God is speaking various words to create, birth and bring forth a great variety of fruitful ministry, I believe there are four key things He is birthing and building in this time.

Birthing and building leading to breakthrough:

First, prayer energised by praise, fuelled by prophetic expressions, and enhanced by unity

Prayer that is recognising and expressing our dependence on God’s power, beholding His beauty and inquiring of Him (Psalm 27:4). To listen to Him and hear from Him through His Word and prophetic revelation in various forms. Prayer that is energised by joyful praise. Prayer that begins in a heart of personal devotion then expands in unity of spirit and agreement with other believers. We need this Spirit empowered prayer as there are key battles to be won in the heavenly realms.

Second, healing of the disintegrating soul into the integrity of life in Christ

God gives gifts (plural) of healing to His church. There are various ways and types of healing available in Christ. Healing as a sign and wonder points the not yet believer to Jesus and what He can do for any person. There is also such a great need for a depth of healing prayer that brings the damaged and disintegrating soul into the wholeness and integrity of heart that only the transforming love, power and authority of Jesus can accomplish. This need seems to be rising and accelerating as the effects of all manner of abuse and demonic oppression rise in our society.

Third, equipping the people of God to announce the Kingdom of God in words and works

We need a church that has experienced His healing themselves, and is well equipped to release this to other people. To be equipped is to be restored in who we truly are in Christ, to have a confidence in Him and the Good News, to be trained in how to give away what we have received, to exercise the authority Christ has delegated to us, and to move in the power of the Holy Spirit. It is essentially more about knowing Christ and being who He has made us than having a list of ‘how to’s!     

Fourth, releasing an apostolic thrust of mission resulting in many forms of new churches with a transformational impact, especially into largely untouched areas

This is what those who first went to Antioch did (Acts 11:20-21) and it had an amazing long-term and far-reaching impact. Out of fresh missional activity new churches will emerge. These need not be building and budget dependent, but light, versatile, mobile, adaptable and led by those with a heart and vision to see lives transformed (see Luke 10:1-9).

It is time to be expectant in faith for new birth and new births! It is time to be ready to build with the wisdom of God, and to be courageous to breakthrough into new realms of God’s activity and new fields of possibility in His power.

Steven Anderson