August 12, 2026

7 hours ago
4 min read

From Middletown to the Middle East

There is much evil in the world. That will not end until Jesus personally deals with it fully. Dictators and their regimes kill and torture people, demonized individuals kill and maim others, and power-hungry people oppress others for personal gain. Just this week, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey signed a law allowing babies to be killed in the womb up until full term.(1) In a heinous act of moral depravity, the entourage of 20 or so around her clapped gleefully along with hell as she signed it. They should all be made to watch several fully grown babies be butchered while writhing in pain. Maybe they would find some heart.

We will be joining together this upcoming Friday night, praying against evil in Iran. I appreciate the President’s hesitancy to unleash a full-scale war against Iran, not wanting to kill innocent people. The reality is that the wicked Islamist regime holds millions of Iranians hostage, using them as leverage while they kill “infidels” and spread their oppression. They know America does not want to destroy innocent people, so they hide among them, using them as shields, just as they’ve done in Gaza, Lebanon, and elsewhere. Those overseeing these actions epitomize evil. They’re the Hitlers of our day.

Trump took action to keep Iran from finishing their nuclear program, which would have enabled them to kill millions with the push of a button and spread their wicked ideology. With nuclear weapons, they could hold not only their own people hostage, but much of the world. This could not be allowed, so he took action.

Now they hold the world hostage, to a degree, in the Strait of Hormuz. Though their military is crushed and their economy in shambles, they don’t care as much about this as they do their evil agenda. And like dictators everywhere, they certainly don’t care about the suffering of their people, as long as they themselves have plenty to eat.

But again, I respect President Trump’s desire not to see millions of innocent Iranians killed. There seems to be no good natural solution, which is why we must pray. The conflict is spiritual at its core. The regime in Iran doesn’t even deny this. Their desire is to spread their ideology, whatever it takes. And, of course, they are led by the “principality of Persia” (Iran), mentioned in Daniel 10.

In spite of the evil, be encouraged that our all-wise God is always ahead of satan and his plans. He uses even the evil of the wicked to bring about good. I have been told by very credible sources that the underground church in Iran is exploding. At the time this wicked regime took the nation over in 1979, there were 75,000 mosques in Iran. It is now down to 25,000; 50,000 of them have closed! There were 500 known believers in all of Iran when this takeover occurred in 1979; now there are several million. Most Iranians are completely disillusioned with Islam and are seeking answers elsewhere, especially the young generation, which is the majority of the population. God has already begun the great harvest there.

I believe, as do many spiritual leaders, that the revival in Iran will multiply exponentially, and then it will become a base from which the gospel goes to the entire Middle East. I believe this will be the beginning of the great billion-soul harvest in the Middle East and around the world.

This is why we are praying this Friday night. Yes, it is to ask God for wisdom for the President, to help him deal with the overall conflict. But even more importantly, it is to see the back of the strongholds of darkness in that region broken. We know that God can do what armies cannot. And He works through prayer. The Ekklesia is rising to her calling, authority, and partnership with the Lord. As my spiritual father Jim Hodges said, “The Ekklesia is going from Middletown to the Middle East this Friday night.”

My posts for the remainder of this week will be a little shorter than normal, as I spend much time preparing my heart for this gathering. Tomorrow we will talk about the nature of the prayer that will take place. It will not be a night of shouting at principalities and powers. It will be a night of petitioning the Lord and releasing Spirit-led, biblical decrees over the region. Then on Friday, I will share a couple of encouraging dreams that members of the team have had during the last few days.

Pray with me:

Father, our hearts break over the suffering that has and continues to take place in Iran and other parts of the world. But our hearts also rejoice in what You are doing. You are ushering millions of people into Your family, transferring them from the kingdom of darkness to Your Kingdom of light. This will not be stopped; it will increase and multiply. The victory of Calvary will be felt around the world, and Your Kingdom will advance.

Give us wisdom and understanding as we plan for this Friday night. Lead us in our prayers and decrees. Mobilize many to be a part of it live, and many more later as they watch the recording. We are asking You for millions of believers around the world to agree in prayer regarding Your plans for the people of Iran and this great worldwide harvest. Change the world that night.

Please continue to give our President and his advisors great wisdom. Do not let them be late or early in any decisions they make. Do not let them be deceived by lying negotiators, or bow to inappropriate pressure from other leaders. Protect them, their families, and staff. We pray that You’ll protect all who come and go from this gathering Friday night. All of this we ask in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.