August 5, 2025

Introduction

Holy Spirit has given my brother Tim a very encouraging word regarding restoration and renewal coming to the body of Christ. As always, it is powerful, and I believe it will minister to you greatly. Tim’s title is:

The Oil of Joy: Strength for the Season  

I believe this is a season in which the Lord desires to bring deep healing and renewal to our souls, positioning us to reign victoriously with Christ in the fullness of His promises. Just as the Lord, our Shepherd, restored David’s soul in Psalm 23, He desires to do the same for us.

I recently heard the Lord say, “This is a season in which I will give beauty for ashes in amplified ways. My transforming anointing will destroy yokes of oppression, hopelessness, and resulting bondages. It will be poured out in great measure. “Soul strikes” will be healed, bringing full recovery to My people. I will give the oil of joy for mourning and garments of praise for the spirit of heaviness.”

As I prayed and reflected on this, Holy Spirit brought to my mind a prophetic word from several years ago and added fresh insight. Here is that word:

“A supernatural time of exchange has now come to fullness, which will liberate my people to live in the freedoms I intend for them. Move into and live in the reality of that which I have promised. Move into the power dimensions I have provided. Leave the ashes your enemies used to stain your soul and darken your times. Leave the burning, singeing soul-grief brought by the spirit prince of heaviness. 

Wrap yourself in new garments created from the promises your Prince of Peace has made to you. Live in the realities of My revealed identity for the joint heirs, My nature and life within you. Live life as a child of God. Live the God-life in your natural-life, filled with Holy Spirit-life. 

Come to the place of awesome exchange. Is not My altar the holy place of exchange? Your sins, for My forever life. Your chains, for My freedom. Your guilt, for My pardon. Your shame, for My innocence. Your condemnation, for divine approval. Your weakness, for My strength. Your futile works, for My grace. Your defeats, for My victory. Your fears, for My boldness. Your failures, for My success. Your sickness, for My healing. 

Come unto Me, all you who are weak and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Understand anew the supernatural favor I placed upon you. You are marked for supernatural favor. Understand the exchange privileges, the promises that are faithful, true, watched over, and performed for you. Move into the reality of My great exchange. Give Me your ashes, I’ll give you beauty. Give Me your grieving, I’ll give you joy. I'll pour soothing oil over you. Give Me your heaviness and I'll give songs of thanksgiving. Give Me your burial clothes and I’ll give you garments of praise. Receive the anointing pouring forth from heaven. Participate in the supernatural time I am providing. Receive and enjoy the benefits of the great exchange.”

As I began to reflect on this prophetic word, the Holy Spirit drew me to Isaiah 61. As I read it, I knew the passage was a kairos word, a now word. A fresh word breathed on the body of Christ, carrying fresh wind, fresh life, and fresh power.

I heard the Spirit saying: A new measure of the joy of the Lord is being poured out in this season. I am pouring out the oil of joy. Nehemiah 8:10 reminds us that the joy of the Lord is our strength. When joy comes, strength is activated. This means the opposite is also true: despair weakens us.

There is a surge of joy being released by Holy Spirit to strengthen sons and daughters, making them joyful warriors. They will be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Joy is always available to us, but there are times when heaven releases an intentional wave of joy that produces strength. This is one of those times. 

Isaiah 61:1–3 (Message) says:

“God sent me to announce the year of His grace—a celebration of God’s destruction of our enemies… to give bouquets of roses instead of ashes, messages of joy instead of news of doom, a praising heart instead of a languid spirit… They’ll be renamed Oaks of Righteousness, planted by God to display His glory.” This passage tells us the brokenhearted will be renamed. The bound will be renamed. Those who are mourning and in grief will be renamed. God is calling them His strong ones, His oaks of righteousness.

The Father never calls you His weakling. You may feel weak because of circumstances that have knocked you down, but heaven is pouring out joy to make you strong like an oak tree. 

We don’t make it through life without some misfortune. But experiencing problems doesn’t mean we’re in unbelief or that we’ve sinned. It simply means we’ve encountered an unexpected storm. We may not have seen it coming, and we may not have caused it, but when it arrives, we must overcome. As born-again sons and daughters, we have a promise of victory alive within us, and we trust God – He will turn things around!

Romans 8:28 declares that God works all things together for good to those who love Him. That doesn’t mean everything will return to the way it was; some things will never be the same. But the promise is that God knows how to make life good again. He knows how to restore or replace what was lost. He knows how to change what needs to be changed. He knows how to give beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.

There is a story recorded in Lee: The Last Years by Charles Bracelen Flood. After the Civil War, General Robert E. Lee was traveling through Kentucky on horseback and passed by the home of a woman, clearly upset about what the ravages of war had done to her property. She pointed out to Lee a great shade tree that had been mangled and broken by artillery fire, expecting Lee to condemn the Union troops. Lee knew, however, that it was time to heal, and simply said, “Cut it down, madam. Cut it down and forget it.” Then he rode on. (1)

You may have suffered greatly from the enemy’s artillery fire. And, yes, some of it is undoubtedly devastating. But I believe God wants to give you grace to move on from losses, abuse, and attacks of the past, so that you can stop reliving the “soul strike.” He will enable you to lay the axe to the root of despair, no longer controlled by the effects of the enemy’s artillery fire. Plant your hope in a new season. Plant your faith for a new harvest. Press forward into the future God has in store for you. 

This is a season when God is bringing fresh strength, fresh hope, and fresh joy. Receive the oil of joy and let Him make you strong, an oak of righteousness, planted to display His glory.

Pray with me: 

Father, we are grateful that You have promised to restore our souls. We thank You for this season of supernatural exchange. Thank You for the promise of Isaiah 61, that You give beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. Lord, today, we choose to trust You, anchoring our hope in You, knowing that You don’t disappoint. Cause joy to arise in us, producing strength for this season, so we may live as joyful warriors, strong in You and the power of Your might.

And Lord, we pray for this refreshing, restoration, and strength to be poured out on our leaders. They are on the front lines of war, not only in America, but the entire world. Give them strength-producing joy, faith-sustaining courage, and fruit-producing wisdom. We pray they not grow weary in doing what is right, so that they may reap in due season (Galatians 6:9). We pray this especially for President Trump. Give him supernatural strength to finish his race well.

All of this we ask in Jesus’ name, amen. 

Our decree:  

We decree that beauty is replacing our ashes, victory is replacing our sorrows, and our futures are filled with the goodness of God.

Today’s post was contributed by my brother, Tim Sheets.  You can learn more about Tim Sheets here.

Click on the link below to watch the full video.

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1. Charles Bracelen Flood, Lee—the Last Years (Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin, 1981). https://archive.org/details/leethelastyears00floo/mode/2up