Listen I hear my lover’s voice. I know it’s Him coming to me- leaping with joy over mountains, skipping over the hills that separate us, to come to me …(Song of Songs 2:8)

Dear Stairway family,

As we travel we are so thrilled that wherever we go we find people that we a part of Gateway, Facebook friends or someone that we’ve met along the way. This makes all the traveling so gratifying! We love seeing you all! Keep it up!

As we’ve traveled around the country lately I keep hearing people say that they feel as though they’re facing a ‘dark night of the soul’. But I’m hearing the Lord say, “I’m coming to you leaping over your mountains. Now is your time to come with me. Put fear behind you, and enter into my love, my peace, my joy and my rest. For I’m coming to carry you out. Simply let go and let me! Let go of the struggle for I am coming to change your bitter waters into sweet. Your friend and lover is coming to you today and lifting you up and out!”

The finished work of the cross has come and turns sweet all that’s bitterness in our lives.
The sweetness of His cross is stronger than the bitterness of abuse, pain, rejection, misunderstanding, or grief. There is honey for us and healing for our pain. Throughout our “dark night of the soul,” we must hold to our hearts the cross of Christ like “a sachet of myrrh” (Song of Songs 1:13). The sufferings of Christ actually become a fragrant sweetness to a tender heart. And now His resurrection power is lifting you up and out!

The Lord is changing your bitter waters, the things that you’re facing right now.
For the overcoming Spirit of God is rising up within you now by the power of the cross and His resurrection. That bitter thing God is making good for you. And He will even make it sweet, like Samson’s riddle. (Judges 14:14) “Out of the eater, something to eat; out of the strong, something sweet.” Out of what the enemy tried to do to you the Lord is turning it all around and will use it in your life to bless you on the back end. And today He’s lifting you up and walking you out of that place!

I just recently dreamed of twelve springs and seventy palms.
When I awoke I knew that the Lord was speaking to me about Elim. (Exodus 15:27) “Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped there near the water.” I see the Lord placing you by the water under the palm trees! He’s taking you to that sweet spot in Him, that place of sweet rest and refreshment!

Twelve is the number of the months of the year. Seventy years is the minimum length of life the Lord has promised to us. (Psalm 90:10). God has as many palms for you as He has years and a spring for every month. (Psalm 92:12)The Father has fruitfulness planned for all the days of your life, in your youth and in your old age. And Jesus is the never-failing stream that will cause your desert place to blossom like a rose as He overflows! I declare that He is restoring strength to you. You will flourish like a well- watered garden, and be like an ever-flowing, trustworthy spring of blessing (Isaiah 58:11).

“Who is this one! Look at her (you) now! She arises out of her desert clinging to her beloved!” (Song of Songs 8:5) You stand in victory above the rest, stately and secure! (Song of Songs 8:7)

This is your day to arise and shine.
For He has called you to love! It’s time to put all your excuses behind you. For with Him all things are possible and nothing is out of His reach. And His arm reaches out to take your hand and He’s lifting you up and saying arise. It’s time. It’s time to turn from yesterday so that you can come away with your destiny. For your destiny is to love. For I have called you to radiate my glory and to change the world around you. And I have destined you with greatness as my resurrection power takes hold of you!

Refuse to look at your limitations any longer.
This is your coming out party! You are called with purpose. You are called with a plan! You have everything you need! Just embrace it now! Embrace the resurrection power of the one who is in you & the one who completes you. For His love works in and through you. And His joy works in and through you! Who can resist the power of His love! Who can turn away from His goodness! This is your day my bride! He wants to show you off with your love so real and bold that it brings a lasting revolution! God has a dream and it’s alive & living in you!

(Ephesians 1:19)
My prayer for you is that you will continually experience the immeasurable greatness of God’s power made available to you through faith. Then your lives will be an advertisement of His immense power as it works through you!

Candice Simmons

Candice Simmons is a true spiritual mom in the body of Christ with a passion to see the bride of Christ awakened and brought into the full activation of their gifts and callings. She has been in ministry for 47 years mentoring both young and old, men and women. She received Christ in the early 70’s during the Jesus movement and immediately began ministering to the next generation of young people.

In the 80’s she and her husband, Brian were tribal missionaries serving in the jungles of Panama. They were field leaders and ministered to the Paya-Kuna tribe, living on the border of Panama and Colombia for nearly 8 years. In the late 80’s they returned home and established Gateway Christian Fellowship, a hub for revival and awakening in New England where they ministered for 18 years and established a network of churches called ARC.

She was a fore-runner in establishing the prophetic in New England and taught classes on the prophetic and established a prophetic ministry in their church called Impact. She is an avid dreamer and gifted in interpretation of dreams and uses this gift to minister hope and destiny to the churches.

Today they have an itinerate ministry (Passion and Fire), traveling the nations and internationally teaching and prophesying to churches. At the same time she is helping her husband with their new Bible Translation called the Passion Translation and has co-authored three books with him; The Sacred Journey, Throne Room Prayer and The Image Maker (soon to be released) and is currently working on two more books, The Stairway and The Dreamer.