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I love Daniel 11:32. It resonates with me and empowers me every time I read it. Why don’t you read this verse to yourself at least five times and let it get into your heart.

If we know our God, not only will our strength increase, but there is no limit to what we can do. There are so many great things God has planned for you to do. In fact, long before you were born, He mapped out your destiny and designed your purpose.

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart…” Jeremiah 1:5 (NIV)

Let us see the beautiful revelation in this verse. God is speaking to the prophet Jeremiah and tells him that before he was formed in the womb, God already knew him. That is interesting. Before he was ever in his mother’s womb God already knew him and called him to be a prophet to the nations. Do you see it? That must mean Jeremiah existed before he entered his mother’s womb. The same is true for you. God knew you long before you were ever a thought in your parents’ minds. In fact, it does not matter what means was used to bring you here – some came in a loving home with mother and father while some may not even know their birth parents. There are even those who came through rape.

I want you to hear the heart of God as it was expressed in John 1:13 and 14. You were never an accident. Before you ever entered your mother’s womb, you existed and was known by God. He knew you and designed you for His will and placed you in the womb of your mother. In His plan, this was the family he wanted to use to usher you into the earth realm, just like Mary was the woman He used to bring Jesus to earth. Your family might have been dysfunctional but every trial you endured and every hardship you suffered will work together perfectly in God’s plan to make you an even better version of yourself.

Not everything you went through was of God. In fact, the evil in the world today tearing apart lives and families are from the devil and people who chose to disobey God. But even the storms the devil threw your way to try to take you out, if you will trust God with it all, they will work for your good if you love God (Romans 8:28).

I recall the testimony of one woman whom I love dearly and look up to. She was severely raped and molested several times. Had the man who harmed her been obedient to God, he would have never done this. As I mentioned earlier, evil comes from the devil and people who chose to follow his suggestions and disobey God. This evil could have destroyed her if the devil had his way, BUT GOD! God took a hold of her and walked her through a healing journey and today she is not only free from that past, but she is helping thousands of men and women who have suffered rape and molestation. Because of her past, God is able to use her to help so many others find freedom.

This is a great example of God making all things work for our good. Not only will you come out of the fiery furnace and not even smell like smoke, you will help others as well because you have traveled the road they are traveling and you know the way out. Your victory is certain, nothing is surer, and when you have tasted the other side, you will lead others to their victory and show them the way.

Know your God. Know how He formed you. You are not just a human. You are filled with His Spirit and your ability is limitless because He is your God. You are precious to Him. He did not just form you to go through life blindly, with no purpose and achievements. You were not meant to do what I call “follow the herd” – wake up, go to work, work all day, come home, tend to your home, go to sleep to wake up and do it all over again – following the masses and masses of people who are just living life following the pattern that someone else created. God’s plan will break you free from that pattern and set you up for your destiny so you are living life with purpose. There is much more to you than you can imagine. You are called to influence and to bring change. You are called to set standards and not just follow the herd.

Let us look at the story of Moses and the Exodus. If you are not familiar with the story, begin reading at Exodus chapter 1. The Israelites were in slavery to the Egyptians for four hundred years and they cried out to God for deliverance. God sent Moses to be His Hand on the earth and set them free, but God had a strategy. He always has a plan and He looks for us to trust Him every step of the way. God does not reveal all the details of His plan. He gives them to us in pieces. This has caused many to stumble because they do not understand what God is doing and therefore, they choose to abort the mission. This is a lack of faith. We have to trust Him even when things are not clear to us. We hold onto His Hand as dear children and trust Him to lead us every step of the way. God did not want to just deliver the Israelites from slavery. He had two clear goals in mind:

1 To show the world His might and power so all people would honor both Him and the Israelites since He was their God.

2 Make the Israelites extremely wealthy (the promised land).

God came up with a plan on how to accomplish this and that plan included the ten plagues. You see, by those plagues, God revealed who He was. He showed through each plague that He controlled the sky, the water, the air, the earth, the animals, the human body, the weather, and every other aspect of our human world. He showed Himself as the One and Only Omnipotent God; the only One Sovereign over all. Selah.

Long before the ten plagues were over with, the Egyptians were ready for the Israelites to get out of their land. They were begging Pharaoh to set the Israelites free because they could not take the demonstrations of God anymore. This is what God wanted – for all to see they are no match for Him. None is equal to Him and none can contend with Him and win.

This is the heart of God for you as well. He will defend you at all cost. He will fight for you with mighty demonstrations. When the enemy rises up against you, they are truly rising up against God. You are His child and therefore an enemy of yours makes themselves an enemy of Him. Think of this in the natural with your own children, whether current or future. If someone harms your child, how will you react? How will you feel? Parents go to great lengths to protect and defend their children. If you hate my child, you automatically hate me because my child is of me. We are one. By harming the children of Israel, Pharaoh made himself an enemy of God.

I do feel the need to make a statement on behalf of those who are from Egypt today. God does not hate or dislike Egyptians and you are not an enemy. Back in that time, the Egyptians held the Israelites as slaves and the story depicts their freedom from slavery. As the Old Testament is a shadow of things to come (Colossians 2:17), this entire story is correctly interpreted as a spiritual enemy. Today, the Church speaks of Egypt as a representation of bondage. Pharaoh and the Egyptians in the story are a representation of demonic activity and anything holding us back. It is not in reference to the actual people of Egypt. The people of Egypt are equally loved by Jesus Christ. I just had to clarify in the event that someone from Egypt is reading this, they do not feel badly.

So, what are your enemies? What are the things working against you? Are they generational curses, battles in your mind, hidden sins and issues in your heart, demonic attacks, lack of progress, stagnation, sickness, low self-esteem, poverty, etc.? There are even people who may be working against you. Nothing that comes against you is a match for your God. If you cry out to Him like the Israelites did, He is sure to rescue you. You are important to Him and with a mighty hand of power He will do whatever you need Him to do for you.

The entire nation of Egypt was destroyed when God was through with them. God took down an entire nation – the economy fell, agriculture was destroyed, and the country was in ruins. But He did not stop there. He was so in love with His people that He wanted them to have the best. He decided to give them the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. A land He described as flowing with milk and honey. It was the best of the best – the best houses, the best businesses, the greatest wealth, the best of everything. He wanted them to have it because of His love for them. He loved them with no restraint and nothing can stop God when He is on a mission. No one can dare get in His way, but if one dares, like Pharaoh and his army, they will drown in their own defeat. By the end of the Exodus story, we see that God took down multiple nations and kingdoms and handed them over to the Israelites. Not just one nation, but many fell so that God could bless His people in a colossal way.

I am hoping by now your heart is stirring with excitement, and that you see how much He loves you and wants to bless you. He wants you to prosper more than you want to prosper. I recall years ago dreaming of the type of house I wanted to live in. I was coming up with a financial plan to be able to afford this dream house. My husband then told me about a neighborhood he visited that had homes that were beyond impressive. I started looking at them online and right away I thought, “these are way too expensive and even more out of my league than my dream home. Let me not bother looking at these houses and stick to my original plan.” Then I felt God stirring in my heart saying, “Why? Why not want more?” I was not expecting that response and to be honest, I was not expecting a response from God at all. What God started to show me is that I think my dreams are big, but He has even bigger dreams for me. He wanted me to want more. The same is true for you - God wants you to want more. I pray right now that your heart is stirring with dreams and goals for your future.

Please refer to the workbook exercise in chapter 3. There you will find an exercise I love to walk people through when I teach on destiny and dreams. It will help you uncover your dreams and face them as well as anything hindering you from them. Have fun!

At the beginning of the Exodus story when God called Moses, He made this promise:

“And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and it shall be, when you go, that you shall not go empty-handed. But every woman shall ask of her neighbor, namely, of her who dwells near her house, articles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing; and you shall put them on your sons and on your daughters. So you shall plunder the Egyptians." Exodus 3:21-22 (NKJV)

This is a powerful part of the story I do not want us to miss. This was later fulfilled in Exodus 12.

“And the LORD gave the people such favor in the sight of the Egyptians that they granted their request. In this way they plundered the Egyptians.” Exodus 12:36 (BSB)

God told the Israelites to go to the Egyptians, those who ruled over them, and ask them for their gold and silver as well as their fine linen. The Egyptians were so fearful of the Israelites at the end of the ten plagues, that they literally handed their wealth and riches over to the Israelites and begged them to leave Egypt. The Israelites became wealthy overnight but God was working all along in the background. The entire process was not an overnight process. They endured hardship and trials and waited through the ten plagues while God dealt with their enemies. Although the Bible does not say, Jewish tradition holds that the ten plagues occurred in roughly the course of a year. Some estimate it was only a few months. Nonetheless, God was working on their behalf even when they had no idea and their patience and obedience paid off. I imagine they were afraid to ask the Egyptians for their wealth. They feared the Egyptians since they ruled over them harshly, but they obeyed God and their obedience opened the door to bless them with wealth in one night.

Now is a good time to head over to the Workbook for Chapter 3. It has one of my all-time favorite exercises that digs deep within your heart. This one is a favorite of my students.