A week ago I woke from a dream. It was 5.30am and the first hint of sunlight sprinkled across the heavens.

I had seen floodwaters rising across many lands. As the dream unfolded, I saw large plantings of tall trees standing in these flood waters. The flood waters had risen to where they splashed on the canopy of clumps of hanging tree leaves.

As I gazed in wonder at how high the water was, my eyes were drawn to a thick branch coming from one of the trees.

I was startled to see a leopard spotted python twirled around the branch. As the waters rose, it slithered higher up the branch. 

I asked Father God, “What is this?” He replied, “The praises of my people have made the waters rise. Praises that have been offered from places of extreme warfare. A warfare that has seemed unending and wearisome. A warfare of resistance that has come from self-sufficient indifference. The praise offered to me from these places is deeply, deeply precious to me. Their praise is making the waters rise.“

I felt the tenderness of His heart as He replied. This pricey, persevering praise had ministered to Him. The sacrifice from which this praise had come, He held in highest esteem. He cherished every sacrifice of praise, nothing, not even the smallest, was missed by Him.

After a moment, I asked Him “What are you doing with that python?” Father God pulled me close as when a father puts his arm around the shoulders of his child.

With a gentle smile on His face, He winked at me and said, “Watch as the waters rise what happens.”

I turned back to look at the branch with the python wrapped around it. The waters rose and kept rising. As they did more and more water overwhelmed the branch splashing upon the python now frantic in its movement to a higher spot on the tree.

Very quickly the waters engulfed the tree pushing off the python. It disappeared into a wispy vanishing vapor.

I encourage you watch as the waters rise. Keep your praise on, because that which has been swirling around you, compressing and restricting you, slowly suffocating the life out of you is being overwhelmed by the flood waters of God’s presence.

Isaiah prophesied, “From east to west everyone will fear him and his great power. He will come like a rushing river, like a strong wind.” (59:19)