Build with Hari Rao

“One of the servants said to Saul, ‘One of Jesse’s sons from Bethlehem is a talented harp player. Not only that—he is a brave warrior, a man of war, and has good judgment. He is also a fine-looking young man, and the Lord is with him.’”‭‭ 1 Samuel‬ ‭16‬:‭18‬ ‭

You cannot be a warrior on the outside if you aren’t first a warrior on the inside. This is the formula that sustains you in the presence of kings.

A Man of Valor has nothing to do with fighting on the battlefield but everything to do with the battles within. It’s about conquering the battlefield of the mind.

The area you develop will bring you access.

A Man of Valor has mastered his inner life, building his capacity for pressure to navigate life without being overwhelmed. Develop internal governance. God is preparing a group to function as kings.

Jesus is the greatest example of a king whose heart is not to exalt Himself but to lay down His love for others. Yet, Christ-like leadership is not devoid of self-respect and honor. Living a defeated life is not a Christlike life.

What good would it be if David confronted Goliath on the battlefield, only to lay down his life instead of defeating him? A true Christ-like leader wins battles on behalf of those who cannot. We enter the battle to WIN!

Becoming skilled is not contradictory to being anointed. Being called and anointed is not enough—without skill, you may never occupy the seat prepared for you. 

David was skilled in playing, a mighty man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and the LORD was with him (1 Samuel 16:18)

What was the point of David learning an instrument? That which seemed skilled but unnecessary for his calling was the area that first got access to his calling.

Function in the area of your development! God uses the area that you are skilled in. 

Availability alone is not enough for God to use you—you must become a well-developed vessel. If your revelation is mediocre, you function in mediocrity.

The skill you are willing to develop is the skill that can be anointed. The anointing flows into every area you are willing to develop. 

Joseph’s gift was interpreting dreams, but along the way, from his father’s house to the palace, he developed into a skilled strategist who brought solutions.

The gift of a man makes room for him, but the oil brings solutions to more than what he was invited for. You need both.

You know you are developed when you find yourself in the company of kings. 

In the Kingdom of God, it is not the show of power or brute force that allows you to inherit a throne. The principles we engage in to rise within the kingdom are very different from those outside the kingdom.

In the Kingdom of Light, it must be given to you by the Lord. 

Judah was not the firstborn, yet the scepter of kingship was placed on him because he carried the heart of a king. He became an extension of his father’s heart, stepping in to protect Benjamin. Willing to sacrifice himself for his brother, foreshadowing Christ’s ministry. From Judah’s lineage came David, and ultimately, Jesus Christ.

The quality of your heart matters! 

Dominion isn’t just about skill—it’s about the heart. Many don’t rise, not because they lack desire but because they lack the right heart. Scripture says God sought a man—not just David. There is a condition, a requirement. The first quality is to have the nature and heart of God.

This heart of sacrifice is what qualifies one for the throne in God’s kingdom. The key is to be willing to align with His nature and let Him transform you into the person He desires for the task at hand. Every dimension and grace you want to walk into must be given to you by God. 

Master the principle of laying down your life for the glory of God and the benefit of others. This is the quality of a true leader.

Welcome to the DNA of a king!

Knowledge alone doesn’t keep you from sin—resisting temptation requires more. You can know the secret yet lack the will & discipline to apply it.

The last thing Jesus did before His crucifixion was pray—what an example of living in the Spirit! In Matthew 26:41–42, He warned Peter and the disciples to watch and pray, yet they fell asleep. Before temptation, there is always spiritual apathy. Beware of spiritual slumber!

Peter fell into temptation, not because of a lack of knowledge. He knew what was coming, yet he denied Jesus. Even in the Garden of Eden—the most perfect place, having full knowledge, Adam and Eve sinned. Victory over temptation comes from strengthening your inner man, and that happens in the place of prayer. There, you receive an impartation of Divine Life.

Death and life are in the power of the tongue. The worst attack was not Job’s children dying; it came from his wife—in the form of words. Similarly, Peter’s downfall came through his confession—just as his elevation did. Judas was brought down because of his confession, while Peter was brought up by his confession. Your confessions have power in the realms of the Spirit!

Words uttered under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit are the greatest weapon you possess. Resistance to the enemy comes from the Word birthed in your spirit. It becomes a fortress against temptation. You can speak your way out of temptation & trouble. 

Fear cannot be your primary motivation for a holy life. Love for God must be your primary drive for holiness. Faith in your heart and words in your mouth are power. 

Resistance from the enemy comes from the spirit of the Word.

May the Word make way for your elevation.

In this episode we learn the dangers of distance and how intimacy with Him is the key to overcoming temptation, restoring what’s lost, and experiencing true life in His presence.

Distance amplifies the temptations in your life. The strength of temptation you face is directly tied to how close you are to God. Distance leads to death, while intimacy with God brings life. When you walk closely with Him, you become temptation-proof. Even when faced with temptation, it doesn't have the same grip on you.  

Sin dulls our ability to relate to God without the consciousness of sin. Though Adam and Eve didn’t lose their awareness of God, they lost access to a certain dimension of His presence. You don’t lose God’s presence; you are cast out. Losing is accidental; casting out is intentional. Don’t let the inferior part of you that needs to be crucified remain satisfied.

But there is good news! The prodigal son, upon returning, was instantly restored—his brokenness healed, and everything he lost was returned.   When you return to God, you are restored. Proximity to Him brings life, and with restoration comes the return of everything you lost. Return to the Lord, to your first love.

Are you prepared to receive a word meant to protect you from the enemy's schemes? If so, stay tuned.

Think about it—how can someone have Jesus as their master, teacher, and friend—travel with Him, witness His glory, and see the might of His calling? How could someone who experienced miracles firsthand, who walked alongside God in the flesh, betray Him? Judas was chosen from among millions for the privilege of journeying with the Messiah. He was a first-hand witness to His love and power. He saw His tenderness, warmth, and the depths of His heart beyond ministry.

How do you sit at such a high table, share life with Jesus, and then turn against Him? If a man who walked so closely with Jesus fell to deception, it reminds us that no one is beyond the reach of such schemes. Let us be vigilant, for even the best can fall prey to the enemy’s plans.

The enemy operates at levels of deception so deep that people can turn against the very source sent to set them free. The enemy is an expert at distraction—if he can distract you, he can deceive you to fight the hand that has come to deliver you.

>> Conversations lead to Covenants:

Every demonic covenant begins with what seems like a harmless conversation. Judas ate at the Lord's table, basking in His grace and glory, receiving from His endless Spirit. He was one of the twelve who cast out demons, and he made room for Satan to enter him.

How could he fellowship with those who sought to kill the One who gave him life? It wasn’t him—it was the spirit within. He was sitting at the high table of Jesus, yet the fruit he was producing did not reflect the bread he was eating. Because the Lord’s table wasn’t the only table he ate at. There was a mixture in his life.

Don’t get comfortable eating from two tables. If you’re at a table, understand that power structures exist. Ask yourself: Who is imparting the spirit? Are you the influencer, or the one being influenced? There is an impartation happening at all times; the lesser receives from the greater.

At times, demons want you to underestimate them, to believe they are not a threat to you. Don't be deceived by Satan's endeavor to empower you.

Samson didn’t know that Delilah was on a mission to destroy him. She didn’t come with a sword; she came with a song. He saw beauty, but he didn’t see the danger.

Don’t find yourself in a place where you feel too comfortable and lower your guard.

The primary target was never Judas or Peter—it was always Jesus. Satan simply used them as instruments. For Satan to tempt, sift, and pull you away, he cannot attack your identity in Christ. He must target who you were before Jesus saved you. That’s why he came after Simon, not Peter. Satan cannot touch Peter—the part, born of an encounter with Christ. But the Simon inside? That’s the part Satan is drawn to, asking to sift.

Judas got permission, but Peter got prayer. Judas had already made a covenant and transacted with another. Simon Peter, though sometimes impulsive and even foolish, was fiercely loyal—all he knew was Jesus. To such a one, Jesus says, "I have prayed for you." (Luke‬ ‭22‬:‭32) ‬The prayer of Jesus can change and shift what the enemy has planned for you.   

Judas traded Jesus for the price of a slave (‭‭Exodus‬ ‭21‬:‭32‬), disqualifying himself from Jesus’ prayer. On the other hand, Jesus' intercession for Peter restored him. Peter carried great light, and some attacks on your life come because of what you’re called to do. Great light entered him when he received this new revelation. Revelation births identity and identity reveals your assignment.

Even though Jesus had prayed for Peter, why did he still fall into temptation? It was not about Peter surviving the temptation but the aftermath. Though he wept bitterly, he was not lost. There’s a grace that covers and protects you, even when you fall.

Prayer secures the destiny of those facing trials and temptations. May the Lord's blessing and hand cover you, making you deception-proof.

In the Kingdom of God, we rise based on two aspects:

>> The Word:  In our previous teaching, we learned that we rise on the strength of the light we possess. There must be a Word in our spirit, birthed from a divine visitation. The bread of God is what sustains us!

>> The Presence of the Living God: We rise in life based on our capacity to host the presence of God. We must transform into individuals who have developed the capacity to host and overflow with the presence.

It’s not enough to be filled with information, knowledge, or understanding gained by human effort. We are called to carry His presence.

Melchizedek, the priest of the Lord, came bearing bread (Word) and wine (Spirit).  A priest of the Lord brings both these dimensions. 

How many can truly say they are conduits of God’s presence?

There is a profound distinction in a vessel marked by the presence of the Lord. His presence is the most precious gift we can possess. Yet, how often do we fail to reflect the glory of this God who is with us?

You are the temple of the living God; produce evidence that God is tabernacles within you!

In Exodus, we read of Moses, the great deliverer who led millions out of slavery, encounters the Lord in the wilderness, and understands a profound truth: God’s presence sets His people apart. We are made distinct by the measure of the presence that goes with us.

 One can never fully comprehend God—He is limitless, inexhaustible, and beyond comprehension.  No matter how many host Him, there is always more to unveil. God decorates his people with his presence differently. The dimension of the presence you host is unique.

What qualifies you for greatness is not merely skill; true greatness is in becoming someone whose voice carries the presence and glory of God. 

When someone hosts the presence of God, it brings a fresh dimension to the Word, as though the Spirit behind the scripture comes to you.

 A real friendship and walk with God causes Him to show up and attest to your words. God’s presence becomes synonymous with yours.

What sets you apart is your ability to host the living God. While we all receive the same Spirit, some have taken time to grow in Him, developing a greater capacity to reveal Him. 

There is a divine mandate to feed the nations with Jesus and reveal the reality of His glory. In encountering you, people must taste Jesus—His undeniable glory and presence must mark your life.

For most people, the invisible Holy Spirit becomes visible and tangible through you. You become the tangible altar that connects the realms of the earth and the Spirit, a conduit between the seen and unseen.

We are called to present the reality of His presence and power so that people will know, without a doubt, that God is among us. While you can create an environment, you cannot manipulate or fake God’s presence. Hosting

There is no successful transition without God's presence. The Holy Spirit is the one who midwives your transition from one season to the next. You don’t move in your strength; you must be carried by the Holy Spirit. He is the birth canal that carries you. 

What you need isn’t another prophecy, but a real relationship with the Holy Spirit to carry you into your next season. Your transition must be managed and maneuvered by God.

Gabriel told Mary that the Holy Spirit would come upon her.

The Holy Spirit is the covering that births new things; you cannot conceive or deliver outside Him. He is the author of new beginnings; there is no commissioning or sending without the Holy Spirit authoring it. 

Your destiny isn't in your hands; you need the Holy Spirit. Jesus is the fullness of the Word, the Bread of Life. The nations hunger to experience His presence. 

Are you willing to dedicate your life and embark on a journey to become a people marked by His presence—carrying His glory?

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.”

This scripture in Isaiah 60:1-2 reveals a striking duality—while darkness covers the earth, a chosen subset of people will experience the glory of God. A specific light and grace can locate you that will cause you to rise—your light has come!  
At the arrival of this light, 2 things happen:
1. You Rise
2. You are commanded to Shine
In the kingdom of God, you rise on the strength of the light you possess.
It takes more than feet to stand; it requires light.
When Jacob dreamt of a ladder, it symbolized truth, understanding, and precepts.
In this kingdom, understanding is light; you scale heights based on understanding.
Is there a Word, like fire in your bones, locked within your spirit? What you need is a Word that sustains and carries you—it is the most valuable commodity you can have. You move at the speed of that Word.
Ruth's decision to follow Naomi was a holy covenant—following someone with nothing to offer is uncommon. Naomi’s only advantage was that she had tasted bread blessed by the Lord and carried vital information that there was bread in Bethlehem. She was now returning to the house of bread, to the voice of the Lord. (Ruth 1:6-16)
It matters where you eat, who feeds you, and where your bread comes from. This year, return to the place of bread—the place of friendship and fellowship with God. There is a word that is a product of a visitation from the Lord: this bread sustains you.
Naomi sent Ruth to Boaz, a man whose land was abundant with bread. As men of God, your primary function is to bring the Word of the Lord to your families. Are you rich in the Word? The Word is the generator of all things.
In Joshua 1:8, as Joshua stood on the cusp of stepping into Moses’ mantle, with over a million people looking to him for direction, the Lord’s instruction was clear: stay in the Word—it was his blueprint for leadership. The command is to be immersed in the Word—saturated and consumed by it. The way we possess and rise is by being in the Word. To take ownership, become a voracious consumer of the Word.
We rise on the merit of the Word in our spirit. There is a direct connection between your journey and your relationship with the Word. With all your getting, get understanding.
There is a Word sent that is tailor-made for you. The source of great light is locked in the Word, and that Word is within you. From the Word you've stored in your spirit, light will emerge. Strength is never found on the outside; it is within you. The WORD IN YOU will rise and shine.
Intellectual persuasion is not enough. If a word is born in the heart, it will move hearts; a word born in the mind intrigues minds, but the word born in the Spirit moves the spirit.

What prevents darkness from taking over? It’s that you possess Light.
Why did Satan want the body of Moses? There was light trapped in it—the evidence of the conversations he had face-to-face with the Lord. The greater your proximity to the presence of the Lord, the greater the light you carry.
Eden was a dimension of truth and glory, rich with information. When Adam fell, he first lost access to Eden. Eden was a dimension of God, where He had imparted Himself. Though God cast them out of Eden, He still came to speak with them, reducing the glory He visited them with.
Lucifer was cast out of one dimension—the place closest to the throne of God—yet he was still permitted at the gathering of the sons in the book of Job. He lost access to some realms of light but retained access to others.
God can come to you in varying capacities and degrees of glory. He can give you Himself while still hiding certain dimensions of grace from you.

There is bread in His presence; it is the product of a visitation.

Through the life of Abraham, discover the principles that prepare you for victory, stewardship, and access to higher dimensions of grace & fellowship.

Entering the promised land does not mean the absence of opposition. A blessing worth having is a blessing worth fighting for. Every promise land has certain giants that you have been sent to uproot. Warfare is a sign of ownership.

Learn to establish peace and dominion over every form of warfare in your promised land. Many lose their blessings because they fail to discern their opposition.

Develop the tenacity of a warrior to protect the inheritance God has entrusted to you. What is given to you, must remain with you. Your ability to steward a blessing is what qualifies you for more.

Soldiers are not forged in warfare; they are prepared in seasons of peace and deployed in battle. Growth and development happen in secret when there’s no visible threat. Learn the art of growing and developing yourself in secret. Train to function as a nation, even when you are small.

What have you accomplished during your season of peace? Abraham didn’t just have servants; they were warriors & generals. What you do in your seasons of peace will determine what will happen in your seasons of demand.

Abraham, along with his 318 men, decided to fight at night. Which means they were trained to fight in darkness; they could distinguish between allies and enemies. This mission was not just about rescuing Lot but delivering an overwhelming victory that would serve as a warning to his enemies.

How you respond to battles will determine what will happen in the future.

Abraham possessed a territorial advantage because he walked the length and breadth of the land. Have you studied your land? Do you understand what’s needed to secure your breakthrough?

In Gen. 14:18–19, we read of Melchizedek, a king and priest of God, meeting Abraham. While everyone else carried weapons, here was a man carrying bread & wine. Abraham recognized he was in the presence of greatness.

Is it possible that you are qualified for a higher level of fellowship once you have mastered a level of warfare? Welcome to a new lineage, a higher dimension of friendship—a hybrid of kings and priests.

There are dimensions of grace that many will never see because they have not overcome the giants in their current league. Melchizedek's arrival was an announcement, welcoming Abraham to the big league.

Despite all the warfare, there was peace in Melchizedek’s land, and he carried a word of blessing. Choose the one who can speak to the gold, rather than the one who has the gold.

Abraham recognized his divine opportunity; he gave a tenth of his possessions to Melchizedek. By giving his tithe, he transitioned from a league of kings to the league of Melchizedek. He was now able to function at the level of his blessing.

Something happens when a blessing comes from a Spirit greater than you. The blessing causes you to function not from where you are but from where the blessing has come. The blessing of Melchizedek qualifies you for certain visitations, privileged information, and encounters. Now, the Lord becomes Abraham’s great reward.

In Genesis 15:9, the Lord instructs Abraham to bring a specific offering. It is a privilege when God reveals exactly what He desires from you.

When you are connected to the line of Melchizedek, your offerings are not random—they are precise and tailor-made by divine instruction. One encounter with Melchizedek qualified Abraham for revelations extending 400 years into the future. A single tithe into a source greater than himself unlocked encounters beyond his comprehension. In one moment, the destiny of three nations was revealed to him.

When you encounter Melchizedek, his visitors become your visitors; his encounters are your encounters.

Welcome to a higher dimension of fellowship.

Receive grace to overcome every warfare and walk into life-changing encounters with the Holy Spirit.

In the Promised Land, one of the greatest challenges you must overcome is the spirit of famine.

Abraham, the right man in the right place, faithfully built altars and walked in obedience, yet he found himself in a season of grievous famine despite being in the Promised Land. He had left Ur, obeyed God's call, and diligently built altars of worship. Yet, in the land God promised to give him, he encountered a lack that drove him to Egypt.

Being in the Promised Land doesn’t guarantee everything will go according to your plans. Many struggle to see how they can be in the very plan of God and still face lack and famine. The enemy will test your resolve in the famine. You must learn to overcome and master seasons of famine while in the Promised Land.

The enemy will try to use lack to dislodge you from the plan of God but do not abandon a permanent blessing over a temporary season.

Every believer will be tested in the area of provision, especially in the Promised Land. You must learn to make the land yield for you. Turn deserts into gardens and extract outcomes in every atmosphere. Cause fruitfulness even in times of scarcity.

Famine stops you from establishing yourself; instead of establishing cities, it forces you to live in tents.

On the way to dominion you may encounter this season, learn to flog it.

Abraham, facing famine in the Promised Land, chose to go to Egypt—a land that had become famine-proof.

Egypt had developed itself by studying the land, understanding its cycles, and mastering the patterns of abundance and lack. They had enough historical records to master the seasons of abundance and lack.

Your ability to master a season determines your ability to graduate to the next.

Do you have an ecosystem in place to sustain you during a famine? Have you developed covenant relationships that can help you in seasons of lack?

Famine worsens when you choose to suffer alone and in silence, which is why many people are defeated by these seasons; they lack both preparation and partnerships. Are you an island or a kingdom with covenant relationships?

Build your reservoirs. Save in abundance so you can have supply in scarcity.

Abraham journeyed to Egypt seeking bread, but the spirit of Egypt will give you bread but, in exchange, demand your destiny. The way it transacts is that it will take from you that which is valuable. Sarah was the one through whom the promised heir was to be born. Sarah was the womb that was to carry Abraham’s future. Egypt demanded what was most valuable to Abraham

Egypt is a place of exchange, where you don't just trade time but your destiny. Egypt demands that you trade your destiny in exchange for your provision.

In a temporary famine, Egypt was trying to abduct a permanent future. It’s a similar story to Esau trading his birthright for a bowl of soup.

It matters how your provision comes. No provision comes without exchange. The one who provides for you will rule over you. Egypt is a spirit of slavery. It always finds a way of enslaving you. The price of Egypt is your destiny!

What is happening in Abraham’s life is a prophetic cycle that will rule his generation for 400 years. He went down to Egypt in search of bread, and generations after him repeated this pattern, ultimately leading to their enslavement.

How you deal with famine will decide how your children will deal with famine. It was a famine that led people into slavery.

Famine is the door that leads you to slavery. You don’t have to trade destiny to receive bread. The God you serve is Jehovah Jireh!

We must develop systems, strategies, and covenant relationships that sustain us in the Promised Land, even during famine. Learn to reproduce seasons of abundance amid lack. Learn to become an ecosystem sustained by the Lord.

There is a grace to tap into divine supply. In 2025, may we rise above every famine. May the goodness of the Lord overtake us, and may we walk in His abundant provision.