Welcome, Family

Last week, we talked about the relief of not being a "project." This week, we're talking about your Dominion.

You've felt it—that gap between the anointing and the appointing. The call to lead, create, build. But right now? You're sitting in a season that looks nothing like the dream God gave you.

You're not crazy. You're in what Myron Golden calls the Season of Disappointing.

Here's what most won't tell you: That season isn't optional. David had it. Joseph had it. The anointing never comes the day after the appointing. There's always a gap. Always a cave. Always a Ziklag.

But you're not supposed to live in Ziklag. You're supposed to wake up, ask God one question, and move.

This week: the biology of worry, the power of pursuit, and God's three-step recovery plan.

Let's move our eyes to the front.

🍞 This Week's Bread

• ⏳ The Sign: Predator vs. Prey—The Biology of Worry

• 📖 The Word: The Ziklag Wake-Up Call (1 Samuel 30)

• 🌍 The Witness: The "Season of Disappointing" (The 15-Year Gap)

• 🔥 The Work: The "Eye-Placement" Audit

• 🙏 Prayer Corner: For Those Ready to "Recover All"

_{⏳ THE SIGN}
Predator vs. Prey—The Biology of Worry

You can tell what an animal was created for by where its eyes are placed.

• Prey animals—rabbits, deer, horses—have eyes on the sides of their heads. They need peripheral vision to watch for threats. Their entire system is wired for scanning enemies.

• Predators—lions, eagles, wolves—have eyes on the front. They're designed to see what they're pursuing. Vision focused. Forward. Locked on the goal.

Research in behavioral neuroscience shows that when humans adopt a "prey mindset"—constantly scanning for threats, replaying worst-case scenarios—our stress response activates, peripheral awareness expands, and goal-focused thinking collapses. We become reactive, not proactive.

When you worry, you're acting like prey to imaginary enemies.

The American Psychological Association's 2024 Work in America Survey found that workplace stress and career uncertainty are now leading sources of anxiety for adults under 35. Translation: We're paralyzed by what's chasing us—debt, comparison, failure—instead of pursuing what God called us to do.

And when you're standing still, surrounded by threats? That's when you have "circumstances." The word literally means circle-stance—things that surround you while you're not moving.

Predators don't have circumstances. They have targets.

God is moving your eyes from the side of your head to the front.

📖 _{THE WORD}
The Ziklag Wake-Up Call

David is living in Ziklag—a Philistine suburb. Not the throne. Not Jerusalem. A compromise city where he's hiding from Saul, playing it safe.

Then the Amalekites burn it to the ground.

Everything David loved—wives, children, possessions—gone. His men want to stone him. Rock bottom.

But God allowed Ziklag to burn.

Why? Because David was anointed to be king over Israel, not a tenant in enemy territory. Ziklag was a comfort zone. A less-than place.

Sometimes God lets your comfort zone catch fire to force you toward destiny.

Notice what David doesn't do:

• Doesn't ask "Why me?"

• Doesn't blame God

• Doesn't spiral

He asks one question: "Shall I pursue?"

God gives him three steps:

1. Pursue

Run after the pillagers. Recovery requires movement. You can't sit in ashes waiting for a miracle.

2. Overtake

Run over them. The enemy thinks they've won. They're celebrating early. But you're going to catch them off guard because you're not prey anymore.

3. Recover All

Not some. Not most. All. Total restoration. Your peace. Your purpose. Your assignment. Everything stolen while you stood still.

Your Ziklag had to burn so you could pursue your throne.

_{🌍 THE WITNESS}
The 15-Year Gap

If you're between anointing and appointing, you're in good company.

• David: Anointed at 15. Took the throne at 30. 15 years of caves, betrayal, running, Ziklag.

• Joseph: Dream at 17. Before Pharaoh at 30. 13 years of pits, prisons, forgotten promises.

• Moses: Called at 40. Returned to Egypt at 80. 40 years in wilderness, herding sheep.

The pattern is clear: The anointing does not come the day after the appointing. There is always a Season of Disappointing where God prepares you for what He has prepared for you.

Research on transformational leadership in Harvard Business Review confirms this biblical pattern. Researchers found that "crucible experiences"—intense trials and waiting seasons—were the defining factor in developing lasting leadership character. Not talent. Not early success. Suffering.

The throne requires character that can only be forged in the cave.

David couldn't rule Israel until he learned to worship in darkness and refuse revenge. Joseph couldn't rule Egypt until he stewarded someone else's house with integrity. Moses couldn't deliver a nation until he learned humility in the desert.

Your Season of Disappointing isn't a detour. It's the curriculum.

The enemy didn't burn your Ziklag to destroy you. God allowed it to burn to wake you up.

You weren't created for a comfort zone. You were created for dominion.

🔥 _{THE WORK}
The "Eye-Placement" Audit

Grab your journal. Be honest with God.

1. The "Prey" Check
What's currently "chasing" you—a debt, a fear, a person, a failure? How much mental energy are you spending scanning for that threat? Name it.

2. The "Ziklag" Check
Are you living in a "Ziklag"—a job, relationship, habit, or mindset that feels safe but is less than what God anointed you for? What would it look like if God "burned" that comfort zone?

3. The "Amalekite" Check
King Saul kept an Amalekite alive (1 Samuel 15). Eventually, it killed him. Is there a secret sin or compromise you've been keeping as a pet? What will it cost if you don't kill it now?

4. The "Pursuit" Move
If you moved your eyes from the side (what's chasing you) to the front (what you're called to pursue), what's one step you could take this week?

🙏 PRAYER CORNER

This week, we’re interceding for:

• Those in the final stages of job interviews—praying for favor and God's clear direction

• Those whose "Ziklag" just burned—relationships ended, housing lost, plans collapsed—praying for strength to ask "Shall I pursue?" and for total recovery

• Those battling comparison and imposter syndrome in new roles—praying for "predator vision"—eyes on the assignment, not the critics

• The "Kings of Their Thing"—everyone with dominion over an assignment—praying you steward authority to serve others, not yourself

📅 What's Next

Virtual Prayer Meeting (Virtual)
Wednesday, January 7th (8-9 PM ET)
We gather weekly to strengthen ourselves in the Lord—just like David did at Ziklag.
[🔗 Join Live] 

Virtual Bible Study (Virtual)
Friday, January 9th (8-10 PM ET)
[🔗 Join Live] 

• Forward this to someone who is lost in their faith

• Follow @mogakaeventsministry for the message of Christ

✝️ Final Word

You weren't created to stand still surrounded by circumstances. You were created for dominion.

Stop watching who's chasing you. Start chasing what God put you here to do.

The anointing is real. The appointing is coming. But the Season of Disappointing? That's where kings are made.

Move your eyes to the front.

In His Love,
- Mogaka Events Ministry

Come As You Are is a Spirit-led devotional for young adults hungry for God's presence. Written by Ravi Patel and Chriss Mogaka.