Pruning (cleaning) Our House

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As I was seeking the Father about the new year and the new decade ahead as I typically do at the beginning of each new year, the only words I kept hearing were "rest" and "peace". I knew what He was trying to tell me. He is my rest and He is my peace. However, knowing how critical 2020 is to be for our nation, all I kept thinking about was what kind of activism would He have me do. I am an activist at heart. So, the words rest and peace really weren't computing. With that, I began to ask Him over and over again to no avail. Recently, my life has been really busy and with everything that goes along with the Holiday season, it has been even more so. So, I thought well maybe I'm just too busy to hear from Him. Maybe I can't settle down my thoughts enough to hear that still small voice I've learned to rely on over the years for direction and understanding.  I put down my pen and paper and I thought to myself that I would seek Him again later and off to the store my son and I went. While in the car, feeling a bit flustered, I began to tell my son how grouchy I've been feeling as things just feel out of order. He responded, "well mom, maybe you should do some pruning". Pruning? That is not a word my son typically uses and it  went off like an alarm in my spirit.  The Lord had my attention. I told my son, "I think the Lord just used you to speak to me". My son said, "mom I just meant that maybe we should clean our house when we get home". Simple enough conversation but I knew Holy Spirit was all over this! My first impression was that this was a personal word for me to remove everything from my life that was getting in the way of spending quality time with the Father but soon, I began to feel it was more than that. I also thought it was significant that He used my son to speak it. 

I began to pray and research.

Pruning Synonyms
cut back - snip - eliminate - exclude - reduce - shape - thin

Scripture
"Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit." John 15:2

"For before the harvest, as soon as the bud blossoms and the flower becomes a ripening grape, then He will cut off the sprigs with pruning knives and remove and cut away the spreading branches." Isaiah 18:5

Meaning
The word "prune" in the original Greek means to cleanse, make clean by purging.
Strong's (https://biblehub.com/greek/2508.htm)

House Synonyms or Metaphors
body - temple - family - household - dwelling - community - house of God - legislature - business organization

Scripture
"Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?"
1 Corinithians 6:19

"And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Joshua 24:15

"Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain."
Psalm 127:1

"Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was it's fall." Matthew 7:24-27

"For the time has come for judgement to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?" 1 Peter 4:17

"And He said to them, "Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father's business?" Luke 2:49

Pruning is performed not only on dead branches that no longer serve a purpose but also on fruitful branches. This allows them to grow back stronger to produce even more healthy fruit. This seven letter word carries with it so much meaning and not only as a form of gardening. Add the word house to it and it's multiplied. After prayer, research and gleaning from things the Father has put on my heart over the last several years, I believe my son speaking this out represented the Lord using the next generation as pruning tools in His hand for His Glory. Sometimes our kids can teach us! Also the next generation will benefit greatly by this pruning process. They are depending on us! Furthermore, I believe "pruning (cleaning) our house" is referring to the following three main areas. 

1. Personal/Family
Reducing unhealthy foods and physical inactivity to honor and steward the body God gave me/us, the temple of the Holy Spirit.
Removing old assignments from the Lord from my/our life that are no longer for this season, seeking only now assignments.
Eliminating our to do list that may be good but not actually from God. 
Cleaning out our house and discarding items we no longer use.
Whatever else you want to prune Lord!
​
2. Body of Christ/House of God
​God is about to deal  with the Religious spirit
Removing of the infiltration and corruption
Thinning out those not adhering to the Word of God and Spirit of the Lord
Shaping or re-shaping that which is good, who's hearts are towards Him, so it can produce more healthy fruit

3. Governmental/Legislative Body
God is about to deal with the Political spirit
Removing of the infiltration and corruption
Thinning out those not adhering to the Word of God and the Constitution on the U.S.
Shaping or re-shaping that which is good, that has God's and the people's best interest at heart so it can produce more healthy fruit


May the grace of God be sufficient as we embrace this pruning process. What many believe God wants to do, including myself, is very exciting but cannot be stewarded well without going through some pruning, some cleansing first. Everything that can be shaken must be shaken but praise God if we build our house on the Rock, the firm foundation, Jesus, we are on good stable ground. It is important we know our capacity and be intentional regarding how we spend our time and energy as we go about our Father's business. I believe in 2020 we will begin to learn what it's like to come into alignment more fully (Wholly Alignment) with our Father and His plans. It is sure to be an exciting wild ride. Hold on to the One that loves us the most! A great Harvest is on the horizon!

Much love and many blessings,
Trisha