November 29, 2023

The Great Quest

We’ve been praying for unbelievers this week, focusing primarily on prodigals. They are coming home to Father! Yesterday, we shared three biblical truths to meditate on in order to increase your faith for this. This is how our faith grows - reading, hearing, speaking, and meditating on God’s Word. Today, we will look at five more.

God Is Hungry to Save

While on earth as a flesh-and-blood human being, with very real human appetites and needs, Jesus demonstrated that He would rather save a sinner than eat (see John 4). He went out of His way to minister to a confused, loose-living Samaritan woman, married and divorced five times and currently shacked up with yet another man. Jesus forgave her, put His well of life in her, and introduced her to the Father. Immediately afterward, when encouraged by His disciples to eat, Christ simply said, "I have food to eat that you do not know about" (John 4:32). He was so excited about what happened with this seemingly hopeless lady that He had lost His physical appetite!

She shared her testimony with the village, and many of them believed upon Him because of her words. They asked, and Jesus agreed to stay a couple more days to teach and share with the entire village. “Many more believed because of His word, and they were saying to the woman, ‘It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One truly is the Savior of the world”’ (John 4:41-42; NASB).

Jesus hasn’t changed; His favorite thing to do is still rescuing the lost.

Jesus Was Willing to Become Human and Die to Save Us

While fully God, living in heaven, Jesus chose to become human in order to redeem humanity. No one, absolutely no one, could possibly imagine what it entailed for Christ to become human in order to save us. But He loves us so much that He chose to pay this price, rather than have us remain outside His family. When faced with the agony of the Cross, Jesus stayed the course, chosing torture, humiliation, and death rather than angelic deliverance. He could have called upon legions of angels to deliver Him (see Matthew 26:53). His desire to save us was and is so intense that no price or sacrifice was too great. He did this for your loved one! Put a face to the price He paid!

In his book Written in Blood, Robert Coleman tells the story of a little boy whose sister needed a blood transfusion. The doctor had explained that she had the same disease the boy had recovered from two years earlier. Her only chance for recovery was a transfusion from someone who had previously conquered the disease. Since the two children had the same rare blood type, the boy was the ideal donor.

“‘Would you give your blood to Mary?’ the doctor asked.

“Johnny hesitated. His lower lip started to tremble. Then he smiled and said, ‘Sure, for my sister.’

“Soon, the two children were wheeled into the hospital room—Mary, pale and thin; Johnny, robust and healthy. Neither spoke, but when their eyes met, Johnny grinned.

“As the nurse inserted the needle into his arm, Johnny's smile faded. He watched the blood flow through the tube. With the ordeal almost over, his voice, slightly shaky, broke the silence, ‘Doctor, when do I die?’

“Only then did the doctor realize why Johnny had hesitated, why his lip had trembled when he'd agreed to donate his blood. He'd thought giving his blood to his sister meant giving up his life. In that brief moment, he'd made his selfless decision.”(1)

Johnny didn't have to die to save his sister. This was not the case with Christ. Our condition required Jesus to give, not just his blood, but His life. He did it gladly. That’s how much He loves your prodigal.

God Delights in Showing Mercy

The Lord delights in showing mercy (Micah 7:18). It isn’t a stretch of God’s righteous nature to give mercy to your prodigal; He delights in doing so! Nineveh was a wicked city whose level of sin reached a point that demanded judgment (Jonah 3:4). However, when the people of Ninevah repented, God delighted in changing the verdict and releasing mercy! His heart hasn’t changed! He’ll be excited to show mercy to your family member or friend, regardless of the level of their sin.

Jesus Came to Seek and Save the Lost

Jesus said He came to seek and to save the lost (see Luke 19:10). Holy and infinite God humbles Himself to seek fallen man. Unfathomable.

I can wrap my finite mind around we humans being told to seek God, but every brain cell goes into overload when told He seeks us. What kind of God does this, pursuing those who hate and reject Him? Where does this incomprehensible love come from? There simply are no words.

God is on a quest. Every day, He looks down the road, waiting for another prodigal to crest the hill. When He sees one, He runs - yes, He RUNS to them - and embraces them even while they’re still covered with slop and mud. Then He restores the prodigal’s inheritance and throws a party saying, “My child is home!” (Luke 15:11-32).

If you’re already dwelling in Papa’s house, be one who daily satisfies His seeking heart! But also believe in His heart for your wayward prodigal. He loves them and will seek them until they’re found!

Our Restoration to God Is the Theme of the Bible!

Think about this: the entire Bible is the story of God's desire to save the fallen human race, and restore them to His family. Genesis brings us very quickly to the Fall - chapter 3. The remainder of the Bible is the story of God’s heart, His quest and plan to redeem the human race. After Adam’s fall, He didn’t run from us; we ran from Him (Genesis 3:8). He’s been chasing us ever since.

“This distorted perception of the unbeliever is well illustrated by the story of a woman driving home alone one evening when she noticed a man in a large truck following her. Growing increasingly fearful, she sped up, trying to lose her pursuer, but it was futile. She then exited the freeway and drove up a main street, but the truck stayed with her, even running red lights to do so.

“In a panic, the woman wheeled into a service station, jumped from her car, and ran inside screaming. The truck driver ran to her car, jerked the back door open, and pulled from the floor behind her seat a man who was hiding there.

“The misguided lady was fleeing from the wrong person. She was running from her savior! The truck driver, perched high enough to see into her back seat, had spied the would-be rapist and was pursuing her to save her, even at his own peril.”(2)

The perspective of unbelievers is distorted. They run from the pursuit of a God who desires to save them from their enemy and the curse of spiritual death. Those of us who know God realize we love Him because He first loved us. When sinners, however, hear of a loving God who wants only their best and died to provide it, they often see instead only the promise of loss and a lack of fulfillment.

God‘s heart is to save. Meditate on, feed your heart, with these truths from yesterday and today. You will soon become fully convinced that the God who seeks and saves, will.

Pray with me:

[Insert the name of your prodigal as we pray.]

Father, satan’s plan to capture us began with him distorting Your heart. He has never stopped. The deceiver paints You as legalistic, mean-spirited, hard to please, one who loves to judge harshly, and who is distant and unapproachable.

You, however, are the essence of good and kindness. Your merciful heart is to redeem, You desire intimacy with us, and You’re always seeking our companionship. Yeshua is the ultimate proof of Your love and compassion. We ask now for Your pursuit of our prodigals to be relentless.

You said we have power to demolish the mindsets satan and sin have planted in unbelievers, and to stop his schemes and plans from succeeding against them (2 Corinthians 10:4-5). Therefore, we bind the lies, deceptions, mindsets and beliefs he has ingrained in our prodigals (Matthew 16:18-19). According to Luke 15:17, You can and will bring them to their senses. You will lift the veil from their eyes and shine Your light into the darkness (2 Corinthians 4:3-6). We use Christ’s keys of authority and release this now! (Matthew 16:18-19). We open the door for truth and light to reach them, and close the door to deception (Isaiah 22:22). We have been offered no less by You, Father, and by Your grace and power, we will accept no less! We ask and release these things in Yeshua’s name. Amen.

Our decree:

We decree that prodigals - by the millions - are coming to their senses.

Click on the link below to watch the full video.

Today’s post was adapted from my book How To Pray For Your Lost Loved Ones, published by Baker Books.

---

Craig Brian Larson, Illustrations for Preaching and Teaching (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1993), p. 25.

1. Ibid., p. 98.

November 28, 2023

The Hitchhiking Evangelist

I want to follow yesterday’s post with some encouraging thoughts regarding God’s desire to restore prodigals (and all unbelievers). As you think and meditate on these truths, not only will they encourage you, but your faith will also grow, causing your prayers to be more powerful.

God Wants Everyone to Be Saved

The Scriptures tell us God is "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9, KJV). We don't have to wonder about God’s desire or willingness regarding the lost; He could not make His will any clearer. The Lord wants every person to believe upon Christ and be born again.

God Is Able to Save

"Behold, the Lord’s hand is not so short that it cannot save" (Isaiah 59:1). Not only is God willing to save the lost, but He is fully capable of doing so. He has sufficient power and knows how to bend, shape, and change the perspective of unbelievers, bringing them to a revelation of the truth. Holy Spirit can break off of them every satanic stronghold and bring them to a knowledge of the truth. Allow the following story to encourage you:

“‘While hitchhiking home, Roger Simms was picked up by an older gentleman in an expensive car. They talked about many things, including Mr. Hanover's business in Chicago. Roger felt a strong compulsion to share his faith but was apprehensive about witnessing to a wealthy businessman. Finally, nearing his destination, Roger spoke up.

“‘Mr. Hanover,’ began Roger, ‘I want to share something very important with you.’ He explained the way of salvation and asked if Mr. Hanover would like to receive Christ as his Savior. To Roger's astonishment, the businessman pulled over to the side of the road, bowed his head, wept, and prayed the prayer of salvation. He thanked Roger, saying, ‘This is the greatest thing that has ever happened to me.’

“Five years later, while in Chicago on a business trip, Roger went to Hanover Enterprises. The receptionist told him it would be impossible to see Mr. Hanover, but Mrs. Hanover was available. A little disappointed, he followed her into an office.

“After exchanging greetings, Roger explained how Mr. Hanover had kindly given him a ride years ago. Suddenly interested, Mrs. Hanover asked when this had happened. When Roger told her it was on May 7, five years earlier, she asked if anything unusual had happened during his ride.

“Roger hesitated, wondering if giving his witness had been a source of contention. But, feeling the prompting of the Lord, he told her that he had shared the gospel message and that her husband had accepted the Lord into his heart.

“She began to sob uncontrollably. After a few minutes, she explained that she had thought her prayers for her husband's salvation had not been answered. After leaving Roger at his destination, Mr. Hanover had died that day in a horrible head-on collision.”(1)

God is faithful. He knows how to unlock people’s hearts, convince them of their need and Christ’s provision, and when the time is right for them to be presented with the opportunity. And this certainly does not have to occur in a house of worship. God knows when to have hitchhikers travel home; He knows how to ensure unbelievers are driving the right road, at the right time, and how to motivate them to pick up the “evangelist.” God knows what He is doing!

Don't miss the fact that Mrs. Hanover had been praying for her husband’s salvation. Our prayers release God’s power; never forget this. (I will teach on this in a post/s soon.)

Christ’s Very Name Is Savior

"And you shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will save His people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21).

“Jesus” comes from the Hebrew word Yehoshua, from which we also get Yeshua, both of which mean “Jehovah/Yahweh is salvation,”(2) These words originate from Yasha, which means "save."(3) Christ is called Yeshua because He is the Lord who saves us, the Savior. Think about that: Jesus chose to name Himself, "the Lord who saves." He wants no confusion, no ambiguity, no doubt as to His heart and desire.

Imagine the conversation that may have occurred as the Godhead was planning our salvation. Here is one possibility: After accepting the unimaginable reality that He would have to become a human, suffer, and die to redeem us, the Father asks Christ: “What name shall we give You as a human, Son? Most High? Creator? Omnipotent One? Everlasting God?…”

Perhaps pausing to consider the question, the Lord simply replies, “Let’s not complicate it. I just want them to know I’m coming to save them from the Fall, from the curse of their sins. Just call me Yeshua, ‘Yahweh who saves.’ In fact, we can just shorten it to ‘Savior’”.

And they did.

The Greek word for Savior is soter, “a deliverer that is God.”(4) It comes from sozo, meaning “save, rescue, deliver, or make whole.”(5)

The angel said to the shepherds, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which shall be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord" (Luke

2:10,11).

"For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers" (1 Timothy 4:10).

Jesus proudly wears this name as His title! He loves to save! He WILL save your loved one, your friend, your neighbor!

Charles Finney shared the following testimony of a father who came to a realization of the Lord's intense desire to save his family:

“I knew a father who was a good man, but who had misconceptions about the prayer of faith. His whole family of children had grown up, without one of them being converted. One day, his son grew ill and seemed ready to die. The father prayed, but the son grew worse and was sinking into the grave without hope. The father prayed until his anguish was unutterable. There seemed no prospect of his son surviving, so he poured out his soul as if he would not be denied.

“He received an assurance that his son would not only live, but be converted. God also assured him that not only this son, but his whole family would be converted to God. He came into the house and told his family his son would not die. They were astonished at him. ‘I tell you,’ he said, ‘he will not die. And no child of mine will ever die in his sins.’ That man's children were all converted years ago.”(6)

Believe in the heart and power of the Savior! What He did for this father, He will do for you.

Pray with me:

Father, first of all, we pray for the prodigals in our lives. We know You are mighty to save, and You love to do so. You are Yeshua. We ask You to awaken them to their true condition, and to Your provision and love. We release Holy Spirit’s power to bind every stronghold and strategy satan is using to keep them deceived and bound. We loose them from all demonic control and all deception. We prophesy to the wind of Holy Spirit: blow on the dry bones, giving them life, in Jesus' name.

Father, we also pray for those who have never known You. Save and deliver them, also, in the name of Yeshua. Release Your power, revelation, and salvation to them. Send the right laborers to them. Do this here in America and around the world. We continue to decree as Your Ekklesia that the war in the Middle East will not stop the great harvest there. The violence and war will backfire on satan and actually cause the harvest to materialize more quickly and in greater numbers.

And regarding another subject, Father, we continue to pray for breakthrough in America. We pray for President Trump, asking You to reverse the unrighteous attacks against him from corrupt members of the judicial system. Vindicate him. Give great strategy and wisdom to those fighting for him and with him. Deliver him from the evil trying to keep him silenced and ineffective. If he is Your preference to be our president in 2024, let nothing stop this. Remove evil, godlessness, marxism, and immorality from our government. Continue to give Speaker Johnson and others who stand for righteousness in America, the wisdom and favor needed to restore America. All of this we ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Our decree:

We decree that “the Lord who saves” is coming with another wave of revival to redeem millions here in America and around the world.

Click on the link below to watch the full video.

Today’s post is adapted from my book How to Pray for Lost Loved Ones, published by Baker Books.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I want to take just a minute and do something my staff has asked me to do. We have discovered that someone with the YouTube address @DailyPrayer-205 is fraudulently re-posting our GH15 videos. They do not have permission to do this. Please help us by reporting them.

We ask that you SUBSCRIBE to our Dutch Sheets YouTube account; this is free. Subscribing will ensure that you receive a notification anytime we have a new video - it will be at the top of your YouTube feed - and it will be us, not an imposter account. And remember, always look for the verified blue check mark.

Thank you.

---

1. Alice Gray, Storie4s for the Heart (Sisters, OR: Multnomah Publishers, 1996), pp. 225-257.

2. James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), ref. no. 3091.

3. Ibid. Ref. no. 3467.

4. Ibid. Ref. no. 4990.

5. Ibid. Ref. no. 4982.

6. Charles G. Finney, How to Experience Revival (New Kensington, PA: Whitaker House, 1984), p. 58.

November 27, 2023

Call The Prodigals Home

Today, we are going to release faith filled decrees for the return of prodigals to Father’s house. I have heard numerous words from the Lord over the past few months telling us it is time for this, and Holy Spirit has said the revival we have been expecting has begun. Let’s release our faith for these things. I want to begin by sharing a little of my story when I was a prodigal, running from God. The story is taken from my book, The Pleasure of His Company.

“It was 1973, and I was attending college, traveling fast but going nowhere. I had been running from the Lord for two years, serving the gods of alcohol, drugs, and rock ’n’ roll. Though I had been raised in church (Dad was an evangelist and then a pastor) and had surrendered my life to Christ at a young age, at age seventeen, I began to rebel. The rebellion started when my dad, pastoring at the time, divorced mom, left our family, and married another woman.

“As you can imagine, our lives were shattered. Mom, who had been a stay-at-home mom and helped in the church, found a job in a meat market, my brother and I acquired part-time jobs, and somehow, we survived. At least physically. We didn’t fare so well emotionally and spiritually. My brother and I rebelled, turning away from God and everything associated with Him and the church. My younger sister was also emotionally devastated; obviously, so was Mom. Deep in my heart, I knew none of this was God’s fault. Nonetheless, I was angry at Him, the church, and life. The pain was so strong and my confusion so great that I simply couldn’t cope with it. And I certainly couldn’t understand it. Perhaps the lowest point in my life was the day when, as a seventeen-year-old, I held my heartbroken mother in my arms and listened to her sob, telling me she no longer wanted to live. At that moment, I became an extremely bitter and hate-filled young man.

“God was very patient with me, knowing my rebellion was caused by my pain. He allowed me to run, loved me through my pain-filled responses, and didn’t take them personally. Two years later, at a bar named The Boar’s Head—aptly so, since I was a prodigal and this was my pigpen—while I was listening to a rock band and stoned out of my mind, Holy Spirit spoke to me.”

Departing from the account in the book for a moment, let me say that this was not the first time He had done so. God would often speak to me through my thoughts when I was alone, just as I know He is speaking to your prodigal. The Lord was never condemning, only affirming. Often, I would lie in bed at night, when the world around me finally became quiet, thinking thoughts about Him, life, and what I was doing with mine. I know now that He was stirring those thoughts, reaching deep into the hidden places of my heart, keeping me tethered to Him. On this night in the Boar’s Head, however, He shouted through the clamor and noise around me, drowning out even the loud music.

“‘What are you doing here?’ He asked. The Lord’s voice was so clear it may as well have been audible. His question wasn’t a rebuke, but rather a sincere prompting from deep in my heart. ‘You know this is not who you are,’ He continued, ‘and will never be who you are. You’ll never find the fulfillment and peace you’re looking for through this lifestyle.’

“Shocked and amazed that God would follow me into a place like this, my first response was, ‘What are YOU doing here?!’

“‘I’ve come for you.’

“Instantly sober, I went outside the bar to walk and think for a while. The Lord and I had several more conversations over the next couple of months, until I was finally healed enough to return to Him. Like the prodigal returning to his father’s embrace, I walked back into the loving embrace of Papa God. When I did, I found more than pleasure; I discovered my purpose in life.

“Realizing the field of study I was pursuing was not what I was created to do, I withdrew from college. I entered into a passionate pursuit of God, became active in a good local church, and connected with several other hungry seekers. I also began going on short-term mission trips, serving missionaries and the poor in Guatemala. Eventually, realizing I wanted to serve God in full-time ministry, I decided to attend Christ For The Nations Institute in Dallas, Texas. There I discovered God in new ways—over and over—and eventually, I discovered my wife, to whom I’ve been married for thirty-five wonderful years [Now 46]. It has been a great journey.”(1)

Back to Today

It makes no difference what caused your prodigal to leave Father‘s house: drugs, addictions, a wrong relationship, a broken relationship, it doesn’t really matter. The important thing is to be assured that God knows what is needed to bring them home, and that this revival is going to produce such power that they will not be able to withstand His wooing. Angels have been assigned to protect the prodigals and work in their lives, and Holy Spirit will speak to them, just as He did me. (Don’t expect them to tell you when He does!) He will use the pigpen, not wasting their pain.

Ask the Lord of the harvest to send laborers to them. He will (Matthew 9:38). Ask Him to give them dreams and cause them to hear what they need to hear. He will. Declare His promises over them; they don’t have to be in your presence for you to do that - He “sends” His word ( Psalm 107:20). And believe that he loves them more than you do!

Bind the powers of darkness that influence and control them. Loose them from demons and wrong influences (Matthew 16:18-19). Speak to every mountain between them and Father God, commanding it to be cast into the sea; do so with faith and confidence (Mark 11:23-24). The demons and mountains of adversity don’t stand a chance!

Pray with me:

Father, we take You at Your word. You said if we believed in You, we would be saved and our household (Acts 16:31). You said revival has begun, and prodigals are coming home. You have said signs and wonders will occur, drawing people to You. You said our sons and daughters will see visions and prophesy (Acts 2:17). We agree with You!

Now, lead the prodigals - if they aren’t already there - into their pigpens. Feed them the husks and slop. Then, bring them to their senses. Speak louder than the music, the pain, the confusion, the anger, the temporal pleasures of sin, and the pigs. Awaken them to Your heart. Awaken them to the destiny You have for them. Remind them that they are called to know You and do great things for You, not to partner with the evil one who steals, kills, and destroys.

We bind every evil force holding our prodigals. We bind the lies that have been planted in their thinking, placed there by the world, the flesh, and the devil. We loose them from demonic control, addictions, and other bondages. We call to the prodigals, “Come home to Father‘s house! Get your robe of righteousness back on, wear His ring of authority, and eat the fatted calf of revelation and wisdom. You are called to know Him intimately, to be a passionate worshiper, and become a powerful instrument in His hands. You are destined to be a deliverer, a reformer, a world changer.”

We pray and decree these things in the name of the Great Shepherd, Jesus, who leaves the 99 and goes after the one lost sheep. Amen.

Our decree:

We decree that prodigals are hearing a voice they cannot resist, and feeling a tug they cannot refuse. They are coming home!

Click on the link to watch the video:

_______________________________

1. Dutch Sheets, The Pleasure of His Company (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Publishing Group, 2014), pp. 28-29.