August 7, 2025

Our Protected Future

Yesterday, we looked at Jeremiah 33:3, where God said if we would call on Him, He would show us great and mighty things we have never seen. We saw that the word “mighty” does not refer to physical power or might, but has the connotation of something that is hidden, and therefore fortified or protected. The verse is saying God will reveal to us things that have been hidden and protected until the right time. 

Isaiah 48:6-7 is another passage speaking of God revealing previously hidden things.

“Thou hast heard, see all this; and will not ye declare it? I have shewed thee new things from this time, even HIDDEN things, and thou didst not know them. They are created now, and not from the beginning; even before the day when thou heardest them not; lest thou shouldest say, Behold, I knew them.” (emphasis mine)

The word used here for “hidden” is different from the one used in Jeremiah 33:3. It is natsar,(1) which means to watch over, keep, guard, protect, maintain, etc. As such, it is one of the Hebrew words for a watchman. These definitions do not do the word justice, however.

For all of the word-nerds out there, A Little Perspective (alittleperspective.com) explains that natsar is made from three different Hebrew letters/words: nun, tsadey, and resh. Combined, they literally mean:

“We ensure the continuation (nun) of a thing when we conceal (tsadey) its beginning or foundation (resh); that is, we guard a thing of value when its root is hidden from view.”(2)

The article continues adding, “The sense I get of natsar, is that the thing which is kept is hidden from view…The thing of value is not on display, so thieves do not know of its existence to steal it.”(3)

Now, for all of you bottom-liners who don’t want the etymology–just the meaning–Isaiah 48:6 is saying that God protects His plans by keeping them “hidden” until He knows it is time to reveal them. Holy Spirit chooses not to reveal many things regarding God’s plans for the future, whether they pertain to a person or a nation. Even when the Lord reveals certain plans, He typically does not reveal the exact timing or how He will accomplish them. He is protecting them, not only from His enemies, but from us! If He didn’t, we would want to see them fulfilled NOW, and would try to make them happen OUR WAY, not God’s. Therefore, He “hides” His plans and waits for the right time to reveal them.

Jesus was born at a “fullness of time” (Galatians 4:4). Holy Spirit was poured out only after Jesus was crucified, and the Day of Pentecost had “fully come” (Acts 2:1). Until these events, the plans and timing of God regarding redemption were still “hidden.” The apostle Paul was born again, then waited 14 years until God’s fullness of time, before being separated into his apostolic calling and destiny (Galatians 2:1; Acts 13). 

In 2020, God hid some of His plans regarding America. He did clearly reveal that America would be saved, and He informed us that revival was coming to America. He also told several prophets that President Trump would serve two terms as president. What He chose not to reveal at the time was that there would be a four-year delay for Trump’s second term, during which time He would 1) expose corruption in America; and 2) change Donald Trump, which would allow him to accomplish much more than he could have previously. Preparation was needed, both in our government and in Trump personally. Eventually, God’s hidden plans were revealed. 

God has plans for you that He has not yet revealed. He is still hiding them in order to protect them. In the meantime, pray and declare what you do know. Be obedient to what He has shown you. When the time is right, Holy Spirit will show you more. Don’t get ahead of Him. 

God began speaking to me about writing several years before it was time to do so. He needed to plant the seed in me, but it was not yet time for the fruit. This was somewhat confusing at first. When He first began speaking to others and me personally about this calling, all of us assumed it was time to start. Some of those who had prophetically discerned this gifting began urging me to begin. I tried, but it was obvious that I was not yet ready. Holy Spirit had simply been preparing my heart and mind for His future plans. A few years later, He made it clear that it was time to begin. I wrote my book, Intercessory Prayer and have been writing ever since. 

He has plans for you, also. Good plans. You are familiar with some of them; others are hidden. Regarding those you do know of, He has likely chosen to hide the timing. Trust and obey. Your trust in Him and perseverance during the wait are parts of your preparation. Remember, you are on a journey. 

And when God chooses to reveal His hidden plans to you, you’ll be glad you waited.

Pray with me:

Father, You have plans for us, plans for good and not evil, to give us a hope-filled future (Jeremiah 29:11). Thank You for this verse, assuring each one of us that You are not trying to “come up with” a plan for our life, but that You already “have” it. And thank You for hiding portions of this destiny, keeping it safe from the enemy of our souls, and even from ourselves, until Your fullness of time arrives. You are the Master Craftsman and the Perfect Timekeeper. You always know when the right time has come.

Give great assurance to those struggling with their timeline. Give them confidence that they can trust You from this day forward, and declare with the Psalmist that their times are in Your hand (Psalm 31:15). Awaken within them an assurance that You have a plan for their life and that, regardless of what has happened up to this point, they can trust You with their future.

And we agree in prayer now for America and her destiny. (Place the name of your nation in the prayer.) We declare our faith that Your purposes for our nation will be accomplished; that You have plans and events hidden in Your heart that You will bring forth at just the right time. These plans revolve around the gospel of the Kingdom spreading from these shores to the entire world. These plans involve a third great awakening that will reset and reform our nation. These plans involve a youth revival, not only here but around the world, that will shake the nations of the earth. We declare that these purposes are safe in You, and will not be destroyed.

All of this we pray in Yeshua’s name. Amen.

Our decree:

We decree that the hidden plans of God, safely concealed in Him, are now being revealed. 

Click on the link below to watch the full video.

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1. James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), ref. no. 5341.

2. https://alittleperspective.com/proverbs-4-guard-your-heart-with-all-diligence/

3. Ibid.

August 6, 2025

Mining the Gold

“Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” (Jeremiah 33:3)

This famous verse of Scripture has no doubt been heard by almost every believer. On one occasion several years ago, I woke up at 3:33 AM and heard the Lord say to me, “Jeremiah 33:3.” At least, I thought I had awakened at 3:33 AM, until I woke up again at 3:33 AM, and heard the same words! When I finally did wake up, I realized I had dreamed – twice! – that I woke up at 3:33 AM, and heard the Lord say “Jeremiah 33:3.” 

The Lord wanted to “awaken” me to this verse and do so with extra emphasis, so He gave me the same dream twice. I may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but upon waking, I knew immediately that God wanted me to look at Jeremiah 33:3. 

We all find comfort in the promise that if we call upon the Lord, He will answer us and show us great and mighty things. But I decided to dig a little deeper, and began by reading the verse in several translations. I was immediately intrigued by the Amplified Classic Bible:

“Call to Me, and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things, fenced in and hidden, which you do not know (do not distinguish and recognize, have knowledge of and understand).”

The phrase “fenced in and hidden” fascinated me. “Mighty” is the word that motivated the Amplified translators to add this additional phrase. My first thought was, Well, which is right? “Mighty?” or “fenced in and hidden?” Out came the lexicons.

The Hebrew word is batsar.(1) It is a very fascinating word. Follow closely: the root concept is “to cut off,” including the aspect of separating or isolating something. It was often used in the context of doing so in order to protect it. This is why it was used by the Amplified translators to describe something “fenced in and hidden,” like a garden or vineyard; it was even used to describe gold, which is “cut off” from view and “hidden” by the ground. The word also took on the meaning of a city that was cut off, inaccessible, and therefore, “fortified.” The concept of mighty, therefore, is not referring to a muscular or military might, but to something hidden and inaccessible, thus, protected and “mighty.” 

The Amplified got it right. The verse is saying that God will reveal information or a revelation that has been hidden, not yet made known. He will “unhide” it. This can be seen in the fact that a different form of the word, betser,(2) is used to describe gold that was once “hidden” but has now been discovered and mined. Using this analogy, we could say that God is going to reveal the treasure of His Word, or the prophetic revelation necessary to succeed or prosper. We actually sometimes use the phrase “a wealth of information.” This information from Holy Spirit could be prophetic insight regarding the times and seasons, how to break through in a given situation, or direction for the future. Any new insight revealed by Holy Spirit would fit the description of batsar/betser. 

God is willing to reveal the understanding you need to break through and prosper. Your Counselor and Teacher, Holy Spirit, wants to release the spirit of wisdom and revelation to you (Ephesians 1:17). He wants to “uncover” truth, information, and insight for You. Uncover is actually the literal meaning of revelation. Let Him help you mine the gold. Jeremiah 15:16 says, “Thy words were FOUND, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts” (emphasis mine). 

Too often, we fail to “find” the gold, the revelation we need, because we are not diligently looking and listening. Psalm 107:9 tells us God satisfies the thirsty and the hungry, filling them with what is good. “The problem isn’t God’s refusal to speak but our refusal or inability to get quiet enough to hear. Silencing the soul is a learned art. The psalmist David spoke of this. ‘Surely I have composed and quieted my soul; like a weaned child rests against his mother’ (Psalm 131:2). When we quiet the soul, we can hear His voice in our hearts.”(3)

As King Solomon was about to begin his reign over Israel, he prayed a prayer God couldn’t resist. “So give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?” (1 Kings 3:9). The phrase “an understanding heart” should actually be translated “a hearing heart.” The translators struggle with the concept of a “hearing” heart, so they don’t word it this way. But the Hebrew word is shama,(4) and it means “to hear.” Solomon asked for a hearing heart to discern between good and evil, enabling him to lead God’s people appropriately.

God answered Solomon’s prayer, revealing to him treasures of wisdom, and we can read them in the book of Proverbs. Why don’t you take a little time today and ask God to reveal some treasure to you?

Pray with me:

Father, we echo the words of the Psalmist, who asked You to “open my eyes that I may behold wonderful things from Your law/word” (Psalm 119:18). There is no problem we have, no situation we face, for which the answer cannot be found in Your Word. Give us the hunger and tenacity to dig for the treasure, for You have said that if we call upon You, You would answer and show us the hidden pearls of revelation we need. 

No, these priceless gems are not lying out in the open for the casual seeker to come across them “accidentally.” You do not cast Your pearls before swine. They must be sought, treated as the priceless treasure they are. But for the hungry, You have promised to help us mine the gold and find the treasure. Give us hungry, seeking hearts, just as Solomon possessed. And we know You will respond to that hunger by opening our eyes to see hidden treasures of wisdom.

We pray for our leaders in government and in the church. We ask that You give them wisdom and revelation to lead with Your understanding and enlightenment. Give them supernatural strategies to overcome challenging problems. Give them solutions to heal our nation and spread righteousness and justice. 

And we pray for everyone joining us today. Give them the answer they need in order to overcome, to break through, to succeed. Give them heaven’s understanding and wisdom for every situation they face. All of this we ask in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.

Our decree:

We declare that as we call upon the Lord, He will answer us, revealing great and mighty things we did not know. 

Click on the link below to watch the full video:

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1. James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), ref. no. 1219.

2. Ibid., ref. no. 1220, 1221.

3. Dutch Sheets, The Pleasure of His Company (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books), p. 143.

4. Strong’s Concordance, ref. 8085.

August 5, 2025

Introduction

Holy Spirit has given my brother Tim a very encouraging word regarding restoration and renewal coming to the body of Christ. As always, it is powerful, and I believe it will minister to you greatly. Tim’s title is:

The Oil of Joy: Strength for the Season  

I believe this is a season in which the Lord desires to bring deep healing and renewal to our souls, positioning us to reign victoriously with Christ in the fullness of His promises. Just as the Lord, our Shepherd, restored David’s soul in Psalm 23, He desires to do the same for us.

I recently heard the Lord say, “This is a season in which I will give beauty for ashes in amplified ways. My transforming anointing will destroy yokes of oppression, hopelessness, and resulting bondages. It will be poured out in great measure. “Soul strikes” will be healed, bringing full recovery to My people. I will give the oil of joy for mourning and garments of praise for the spirit of heaviness.”

As I prayed and reflected on this, Holy Spirit brought to my mind a prophetic word from several years ago and added fresh insight. Here is that word:

“A supernatural time of exchange has now come to fullness, which will liberate my people to live in the freedoms I intend for them. Move into and live in the reality of that which I have promised. Move into the power dimensions I have provided. Leave the ashes your enemies used to stain your soul and darken your times. Leave the burning, singeing soul-grief brought by the spirit prince of heaviness. 

Wrap yourself in new garments created from the promises your Prince of Peace has made to you. Live in the realities of My revealed identity for the joint heirs, My nature and life within you. Live life as a child of God. Live the God-life in your natural-life, filled with Holy Spirit-life. 

Come to the place of awesome exchange. Is not My altar the holy place of exchange? Your sins, for My forever life. Your chains, for My freedom. Your guilt, for My pardon. Your shame, for My innocence. Your condemnation, for divine approval. Your weakness, for My strength. Your futile works, for My grace. Your defeats, for My victory. Your fears, for My boldness. Your failures, for My success. Your sickness, for My healing. 

Come unto Me, all you who are weak and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Understand anew the supernatural favor I placed upon you. You are marked for supernatural favor. Understand the exchange privileges, the promises that are faithful, true, watched over, and performed for you. Move into the reality of My great exchange. Give Me your ashes, I’ll give you beauty. Give Me your grieving, I’ll give you joy. I'll pour soothing oil over you. Give Me your heaviness and I'll give songs of thanksgiving. Give Me your burial clothes and I’ll give you garments of praise. Receive the anointing pouring forth from heaven. Participate in the supernatural time I am providing. Receive and enjoy the benefits of the great exchange.”

As I began to reflect on this prophetic word, the Holy Spirit drew me to Isaiah 61. As I read it, I knew the passage was a kairos word, a now word. A fresh word breathed on the body of Christ, carrying fresh wind, fresh life, and fresh power.

I heard the Spirit saying: A new measure of the joy of the Lord is being poured out in this season. I am pouring out the oil of joy. Nehemiah 8:10 reminds us that the joy of the Lord is our strength. When joy comes, strength is activated. This means the opposite is also true: despair weakens us.

There is a surge of joy being released by Holy Spirit to strengthen sons and daughters, making them joyful warriors. They will be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Joy is always available to us, but there are times when heaven releases an intentional wave of joy that produces strength. This is one of those times. 

Isaiah 61:1–3 (Message) says:

“God sent me to announce the year of His grace—a celebration of God’s destruction of our enemies… to give bouquets of roses instead of ashes, messages of joy instead of news of doom, a praising heart instead of a languid spirit… They’ll be renamed Oaks of Righteousness, planted by God to display His glory.” This passage tells us the brokenhearted will be renamed. The bound will be renamed. Those who are mourning and in grief will be renamed. God is calling them His strong ones, His oaks of righteousness.

The Father never calls you His weakling. You may feel weak because of circumstances that have knocked you down, but heaven is pouring out joy to make you strong like an oak tree. 

We don’t make it through life without some misfortune. But experiencing problems doesn’t mean we’re in unbelief or that we’ve sinned. It simply means we’ve encountered an unexpected storm. We may not have seen it coming, and we may not have caused it, but when it arrives, we must overcome. As born-again sons and daughters, we have a promise of victory alive within us, and we trust God – He will turn things around!

Romans 8:28 declares that God works all things together for good to those who love Him. That doesn’t mean everything will return to the way it was; some things will never be the same. But the promise is that God knows how to make life good again. He knows how to restore or replace what was lost. He knows how to change what needs to be changed. He knows how to give beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.

There is a story recorded in Lee: The Last Years by Charles Bracelen Flood. After the Civil War, General Robert E. Lee was traveling through Kentucky on horseback and passed by the home of a woman, clearly upset about what the ravages of war had done to her property. She pointed out to Lee a great shade tree that had been mangled and broken by artillery fire, expecting Lee to condemn the Union troops. Lee knew, however, that it was time to heal, and simply said, “Cut it down, madam. Cut it down and forget it.” Then he rode on. (1)

You may have suffered greatly from the enemy’s artillery fire. And, yes, some of it is undoubtedly devastating. But I believe God wants to give you grace to move on from losses, abuse, and attacks of the past, so that you can stop reliving the “soul strike.” He will enable you to lay the axe to the root of despair, no longer controlled by the effects of the enemy’s artillery fire. Plant your hope in a new season. Plant your faith for a new harvest. Press forward into the future God has in store for you. 

This is a season when God is bringing fresh strength, fresh hope, and fresh joy. Receive the oil of joy and let Him make you strong, an oak of righteousness, planted to display His glory.

Pray with me: 

Father, we are grateful that You have promised to restore our souls. We thank You for this season of supernatural exchange. Thank You for the promise of Isaiah 61, that You give beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. Lord, today, we choose to trust You, anchoring our hope in You, knowing that You don’t disappoint. Cause joy to arise in us, producing strength for this season, so we may live as joyful warriors, strong in You and the power of Your might.

And Lord, we pray for this refreshing, restoration, and strength to be poured out on our leaders. They are on the front lines of war, not only in America, but the entire world. Give them strength-producing joy, faith-sustaining courage, and fruit-producing wisdom. We pray they not grow weary in doing what is right, so that they may reap in due season (Galatians 6:9). We pray this especially for President Trump. Give him supernatural strength to finish his race well.

All of this we ask in Jesus’ name, amen. 

Our decree:  

We decree that beauty is replacing our ashes, victory is replacing our sorrows, and our futures are filled with the goodness of God.

Today’s post was contributed by my brother, Tim Sheets.  You can learn more about Tim Sheets here.

Click on the link below to watch the full video.

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1. Charles Bracelen Flood, Lee—the Last Years (Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin, 1981). https://archive.org/details/leethelastyears00floo/mode/2up