CHAPTER 4: THE SHIFT IN THE SPIRIT
There are moments in a believer's journey when everything feels strangely quiet, almost too quiet. Not because God has stopped speaking, but because something deep is happening beneath the surface. This was exactly where Christiana found herself. The atmosphere around her had changed. Prayers now felt heavier. Worship felt deeper. Her dreams were sharper, and her spirit kept sensing one thing: a shift was happening.
She could no longer ignore the signs. Each time she prayed, she felt a gentle pull, like the Holy Spirit was drawing her into a dimension she had never walked in before. It wasn't loud. It wasn't dramatic. But it was undeniable. Her hunger increased. Her awareness sharpened. And even the smallest whisper in her heart felt like thunder.
That evening, Christiana sat on her bed, the room dimly lit by a single lamp. She opened her Bible, intending to read only for a few minutes. But one verse captured her:
"Deep calls unto deep", Psalm 42:7 The words rested heavily in her chest. She whispered to herself, "Lord, what are You calling me into?"
Suddenly, she remembered the dream from the previous night, a dream she couldn't shake off. She had been standing on a mountain, wind blowing fiercely around her. She felt an intense presence, like someone was right behind her, watching, waiting, urging her to step forward. She remembered wanting to move, but her feet remained planted. When she woke, her heart pounded like she had run a marathon.
Now, with this scripture before her, everything made sense. God was calling her deeper because something greater was ahead. And before great manifestations, there is always a shift, an internal rearranging, a sharpening of identity, and a realignment of purpose.
The Holy Spirit began to impress something strongly in her heart:
"You cannot rise without transformation. You cannot manifest without preparation."
Christiana closed her eyes and allowed His presence to settle over her. Memories of her past struggles, insecurities, and doubts floated before her, moments she thought were setbacks. But now she was seeing them differently. They were not obstacles; they were training. They were foundations for the glory she was about to carry.
Tears slipped down her cheeks as she whispered, "Lord, help me not to miss this season. Open my eyes."
A warmth swept through her body, calm and reassuring. She felt a sudden boldness, a confidence she hadn't known before. It was as if heaven whispered over her:
"You are stepping into destiny. The wind that lifts is here. Rise."
Her heart raced, not out of fear, but out of excitement. This was not just a call. It was an announcement. A spiritual alignment. A heavenly shift that had begun long before she realized it.
She stood to her feet and lifted her hands. Her voice trembled but remained steady, "Holy Spirit, I surrender. Lead me. Transform me. Prepare me. I am ready."
The shift was complete, not because everything had changed externally, but because her spirit had awakened. And once a believer awakens, nothing remains the same.
This was the beginning of her rise.