Let the Sieges Continue
I want to make sure all of you saw the post I did a week ago on July 5, entitled The Man In the Arena. It is very important to me. The post was a tribute to you, the faithful intercessors and workers who are rarely recognized or thanked. Heaven knows who you are, and you can be certain your Father in Heaven appreciates you. If you have not read or listened to the post, please do so. And now, for today’s post…
As intercessors, we must be strong in perseverance. Whether interceding for a person or a nation, it often requires a prolonged season of time to see results.
Some types of prayer are more like a siege than one quick battle. Situations that require the changing of people’s minds, such as their conversion to Christ, take time. Holy Spirit must inject thoughts into their minds to influence their reasoning, cause encounters with the right people, work to end wrong relationships, and more. Also, we must engage in spiritual warfare for individuals, which takes time. “We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ” (2 Corinthians 10: 3-5 NLT). This is a great promise, but the fruit doesn’t occur overnight.
The time factor is compounded when dealing with nations. Holy Spirit goes to work on corporate mindsets and strongholds through the prayers and spiritual warfare of believers. “Siege” is a great term to describe this process. Remember this is one of the meanings of the Old Testament word for a watchman. The concept of a siege implies time and a systematic process. Though most spiritual breakthroughs seem sudden, they are actually a culmination of much that has taken place over time to prepare the way. Galatians 6:9 tells us, “Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.” “Time” in this verse is the Greek word kairos, which means “strategic or opportune time.” It is contrasted to the Greek word chronos, meaning “general, chronological time;” there’s nothing strategic or opportunistic about chronos - it’s simply a season or progression of time. Kairos, however, is a segment of that season which has now become strategic, producing an opportunity. For example, the time from plowing a field up until the beginning of harvest is chronos; harvest season is kairos. From the conception of a child until labor is chronos; the time of labor and birth is kairos. Knowing the difference between the two and being able to recognize when time has shifted to kairos is important. If not, opportunities can be missed (see Luke 19:41-44) and necessary activities not implemented (1 Chronicles 12:32).
We must also learn to value and cooperate with the often unexciting and laborious chronos phase. It is necessary. In farming, the soil must be prepared, seeds planted, and much care given to the crops during the chronos growing season. When a child is conceived, much time and care is given to its development before the kairos time of birth takes place. Both phases are critical and must be properly discerned.
Galatians 6:9 assures us that if we persevere in faith and in doing what is necessary (chronos), we will come to the opportune time of reaping or breakthrough (kairos). Whether praying for the salvation of a person or revival in a nation, a prolonged season of chronos activity is usually necessary before we reach the exciting kairos window of opportunity. Most suddenlies, as in revival, aren’t really suddenlies; they are the result of prayer “sieges” that continued all the way to breakthrough.
Chronos seasons can be long, which no one really likes. After God made a promise to Abraham and Sarah concerning a son, and eventually a nation, there was a 24-year chronos season requiring faithfulness, commitment, faith, and patience. Though not perfectly, Abraham and Sarah nonetheless, persevered through this time until chronos shifted to kairos. In Genesis 18:10, Yahweh said: “I will surely return to you at this time next year; and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son.” (The word for “time” in this verse is the Hebrew word eth, which is equivalent to the Greek word kairos.) Chronos became kairos, and the promise was fulfilled.
After his dramatic conversion in Acts 9, Saul - later named Paul - entered a long season of chronos. Those twelve years of faithful study, equipping, and transformation on the Potter’s wheel, allowed Holy Spirit to cause the shift mentioned in Acts 13, changing chronos to kairos: “While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them,’” (v.2).
In the 1940s through the 1980s, much of Europe was under a shroud of Communist oppression and bondage. The Iron Curtain held millions of hopeless souls in captivity while a helpless world looked on. During this chronos season of seeming inactivity, however, much was actually occurring in the spirit realm. Untold thousands - perhaps millions - of prayers were offered for the liberation of this part of the world and the fall of Communism. In what seemed like a day, this siege bore its fruit, and God created a divine shift. Chronos was transformed into kairos, and the Iron Curtain came down. This did not occur in spite of the chronos season; it happened because of what was taking place in and through the chronos season.
Hang in there! You may be only days from your kairos. The divine shift your faithfulness is helping create may be imminent.
Regarding America, it may seem we are far from revival, but do not grow weary in your praying and activities. Our siege will produce a breakthrough. He who promised is faithful, and America shall be saved! Holy Spirit has indicated that this month of July is an important time in the process. I believe June 24 (the overturning of Roe) lifted a curse off our nation, allowing opportunities for further breakthroughs - a domino effect, if you will. Let’s persevere and seize the moment. Let the siege continue!
Pray with me:
Father, it is important and remarkable that the word watchmen has both a defensive and offensive meaning; a word used to describe protection, is also used to describe war and conquering. More than ever, we ask You for increased understanding to be effective watchmen. We want to protect our families, homes, cities, and nations - yes. And where satan has already gained a foothold, we have been and will continue laying siege in prayer, cutting off his supply lines and communications, discerning his activities and barraging him with powerful decrees and declarations from Holy Spirit.
We know satan has been defeated. But we also know that through ignorance and sin, he is allowed to rule territories and lives. As we do what You instructed us to do, however, we will rescue these territories and lives from the evil one, transferring them into Your Kingdom of blessing and life. So, we ask You to shift us fully into the season of harvest. Enable us to fulfill both Mark 16 - expanding Your family all over the world, and Matthew 28 - teaching entire nations Your ways and Kingdom principles. As we do this, the transformation will be monumental, bringing life, health, and peace. Do all that You desire and have determined to do through Your people in this month of July 2022.
We know sieges have begun and will intensify in Asia, Australia, Europe, Africa, South America, North America, and the islands. We also decree that the siege of Washington D.C. and America will intensify. We declare that the corruption and evil in this nation will be exposed, especially in government. We declare that the righteousness of God will once again invade the government of America. We decree that the salvation of the Lord is coming to this land and will not be stalled. This is not because we deserve it - no one deserves salvation. It is because of Your mercy and the blood of Your Son, Jesus. And we declare that the destiny You have called America to will be accomplished. Every stronghold over America is being demolished, and every principality ruling us is being overthrown. Every giant will fall, in the mighty, all-powerful name of Jesus Christ. Amen
Our decree:
We decree that the relentless power of God is being released throughout the earth to weaken strongholds and activate the greatest harvest in history!
Click on the link below to watch the full video.
Portions of today’s post were taken from my book Watchman Prayer.
[Dutch Sheets, Watchman Prayer (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Publishing Group, 2008), pp 94-97]