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July 30, 2025

Operating in the Invisible Realm

Introduction

There are some truths from Scripture that, while essential for our success as we represent Christ, are rarely taught. I feel the need to emphasize a few of them for the remainder of this week. In today’s post, I want to remind us of the reality of the invisible realm of the spirit. I am using portions of the Give Him 15 Devotional, Volume One. Today’s title is:

Operating in the Invisible Realm

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” Ephesians 6:12.

The “heavenly places” referred to in the above verse are not often talked about. This is very unfortunate. Let’s look at the following verses:

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places. And raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus, so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

This sounds like one uninterrupted passage of Scripture, doesn’t it? It is actually five separate verses from Ephesians 1:3, 1:20, 2:6, 3:10, and 6:12. I became fascinated several years ago as I read these verses consecutively, with none of the in-between sections. I realized they really do provide a continuity of thought. In summary, they tell us we have been given everything we need in order to operate in heavenly places; Christ has been given all authority in this realm; we have been seated there with Him in that position of authority; through us, from our position there with Christ, God intends to confront the kingdom of darkness; finally, the last verse describes that evil kingdom, listing its various components.

What are “heavenly places”? They do not refer to heaven, God’s home, but to the invisible atmosphere all around us, the spiritual realm. It is the unseen realm of the spirit – invisible yet real, hidden yet very active. Much of what happens on earth is influenced from it; certainly, anything of eternal significance or that regulates the destinies of people and nations is influenced from this realm. However, most people, including Christians, give little thought to this unseen world. Many people, especially in cultures that emphasize higher education and intellectualism, are actually cynical of this dimension’s existence. But the Bible is filled with descriptions and accounts of it. In fact, apart from the invisible realm, there is no God, satan, angels, demons, the fall of humankind, the birth of Christ, redemption through the Cross, miracles, or resurrection of the dead. Yet again, surprisingly, most American Christians live their lives without considering how much this realm affects us, let alone how we can influence it.

As I meditated on these 5 verses of Ephesians, God began emphasizing to me that I was not cognizant enough of this invisible realm. It was not a new subject to me. I had been aware of it for many years and realized we could operate in it through our prayers and actions. But Holy Spirit was revealing to me that, even so, I was not as conscious of this dimension as I needed to be. I saw more clearly that in order to be as effective as possible in changing situations on earth, I had to understand more fully how this heavenly realm affected them. Conversely, I also needed a greater understanding of how I could influence the invisible world. Consider the following significant statement: the more we learn to function in the invisible spiritual realm, recognizing and applying its governing principles, the more we can partner with God, positively impact our world, avoid the snares and influence of the evil one, and enjoy the blessings of our salvation.(1)

The more I studied this spiritual realm, the more I realized it was central to the Bible’s overall theme – two invisible kingdoms warring for control of the visible world. The following account of the unseen gives us a vivid glimpse:

“When the attendant of the man of God had risen early and gone out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was circling the city. And his servant said to him, ‘Alas, my master! What shall we do?’ So he answered, ‘Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’ Then Elisha prayed and said, ‘O Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.’ And the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he saw; and behold the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed to the Lord and said, ‘Strike these people with blindness, I pray.’ So He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.” (2 Kings 6:15-18 NASB)

The invisible forces were there all along – it was just that Elisha’s servant could not initially see them. And so it is with us. We live in a world filled with constant and tremendous angelic and demonic activity. Our natural eyes, however, simply cannot perceive it.

If we Christians are going to be effective in prayer, we must acknowledge, understand, and learn to influence the spiritual realm. We must move beyond our fear of criticism and agree with Scripture. Jesus is our example, and He frequently dealt with the invisible. He was aware of it and consistently engaged unseen entities, stirring up demonic opposition everywhere He went.

The early church in Acts did so as well, confronting forces of darkness and addressing them when appropriate. We are inconsistent if we confess to be Bible-believing followers of Christ and yet refuse to acknowledge and deal with the invisible kingdom of darkness. Failure in this area hinders us greatly.

Pray with me:

Father, increase our understanding of the spiritual realm and how it influences the natural realm. Give us understanding of how to impact this dimension and extend Your Kingdom influence from it into our natural world. We ask for a greater revelation of how to release the victory of Christ into the earth in order to change nations, cities, and people. Make us more conscious of the invisible realm where much of what occurs on earth is determined. We pray that anointed teachers will be raised up to skillfully teach on this subject, so that with the tools You give us, we can operate in this invisible realm with balance, skill, and accuracy.

And as we do so often here, we ask You for, and thank You in advance, for sending the greatest spiritual awakening/revival ever to the nations of the earth. We pray that entire cultures and people groups would be swept into Your family. We ask You to break off from them the control of invisible principalities and evil spirits, freeing them to see truth and receive Your love and provision. We pray all of this in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.

Our decree:

We boldly declare that the spirit of wisdom and revelation is being released into the church at the highest level possible.

Click on the link below to watch the full video.

Sheets, Dutch, and Chuck D. Pierce. Releasing the Prophetic Destiny of a Nation. Destiny Image Publishers, 2005, pp. 75-76.

July 29, 2025

The Votes and The Children

Biden and the Dems began their assault on America’s borders on Day 1 of his term in January 2021. Executive Orders began flowing out of Washington immediately to undo all Trump had done to stop illegal immigration. This plan to flood the nation with potential Democrat voters was launched and became Biden’s highest priority. Millions were wanted – there would be no time for vetting. A few thousand gang members, murderers, rapists, pedophiles, and terrorists coming in with the millions of other illegals would just have to be accepted, as would the hundred thousand or so annual fentanyl related deaths. When you stack up 400,000 deaths over four years against 20 million potential votes…no contest. And so a conscienceless president and his soulless party went to war on America.

There would obviously be many practical issues to address in facilitating this invasion and vote-buying. The illegals would need housing, food, flights, buses, phones – all would want phones, monthly support, government workers to oversee all of this, etc. It would cost hundreds of billions of dollars. No problem – the taxpayers would cover it.

Then, of course, there would be the unaccompanied children. There would be many hundreds of thousands. What could be done with them? Not to worry – the compassionate, child-loving Biden, Harris, and Mayorkas vote recruitment team had developed a brilliant plan: “We’ll just pay a couple of hundred NGOs and UN agencies (234 to be exact) to deal with them,” they decided. “Those of us at the top will have more important things to do.”

And so they did. Allocating six billion taxpayer dollars – that’s billion, with a B – they handed off these pesky little “problems” to a host of organizations, some good, but many of whom were simply money hungry and had no idea what they were doing. What could possibly go wrong?

The vetting system for “sponsors” -- those to whom the children would be given – was poor, and keeping track of the children was almost impossible. The result: over the next four years, at least 300,000 kids vanished. Some claim that it was closer to half a million. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller stated on Fox News that the number is 450,000 and called it unforgivable. Just let that number sink in: 450,000 missing children. Sure, some are no doubt with people who care for them and have simply disappeared in the “system,” but others are without question either in forced labor, sex trafficking, abusive settings, living on the streets, or dead.

The vetting of the “sponsors” to whom the children were given was so poor that Ali Hopper, Founder and President of GUARD Against Trafficking, told Congress on July 16 in a House Homeland Security hearing that more paperwork was required to adopt a pet than to become a “sponsor” of one of these children. Well, of course, we can’t let the animals be mistreated; pets deserve love and kindness.

We must acknowledge, however, that Mayorkas and his childcare NGOs had a safety net. The kids were given a hotline number to call if they experienced difficulties or mistreatment. But that’s a lot of kids – several hundred thousand. How many phone operators/social workers/child counselors would be assigned to take the potential calls from such a vast number of children? One should do it. Republican members of Congress were stunned, aghast, when Hopper reported that there was only one person assigned to this task, and that between August 2023 and January 2025 (when Trump, Noem, and their team took over), there were 65,000 missed calls. Sixty-five thousand unanswered calls from children in danger, or hungry, or experiencing some sort of trauma, in an 18-month span.

Biden, Secretary of Homeland Security Mayorkas, and their associates could have stopped the carnage at any time, but they couldn’t have cared less about these children. I’m not referring to ICE, by the way, but to the Biden administration and the Dems in Congress. When questioned about the missing children by members of Congress, Mayorkas just smiled smugly and allowed the suffering to continue. The vote gathering must go on.

Don’t doubt for a moment that Biden and the Dems could have stopped this heinous barbarity. When reelected, Trump had the border closed in days, and his team has located 35,000 of the missing children in only 6 months.

This has been a challenging post to research and write. After 2-3 hours of reading and listening to reports, I wanted to hurt someone. I have no words to express the disgust and anger I feel toward all of those who participated in and sanctioned this cruelty. That includes those in the Democratic Party who were complicit through their silence. I am also angry and ashamed over the silent leaders in the church who refused to speak out against this gross wickedness. Regardless of whether they were willfully ignorant, afraid of offending, or believed it was inappropriate to speak about “political” matters, their silence is inexcusable. I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised, however. Those who won’t speak out regarding the murder of millions of babies in the womb or the mutilation of thousands of children’s bodies certainly wouldn’t speak up concerning a few thousand missing migrant kids?

Regarding the perpetrators of this tragedy, I know they can be cleansed by the powerful blood of Jesus, as hard as it is to wrap my mind around this reality. If they don’t find true repentance, however, some words spoken by Christ Himself come to mind:

“Jesus called a little one to his side and said to them…And if you tenderly care for this little one on my behalf, you are tenderly caring for me. But if anyone abuses one of these little ones who believes in me, it would be better for him to have a heavy boulder tied around his neck and be hurled into the deepest sea than to face the punishment he deserves!” ‭‭(Matthew‬ ‭18‬:‭2,5‬-‭6‬ ‭TPT‬‬)

Jesus seemed to be implying that there is a special corner of hell designed for unredeemed abusers of children. Let’s pray for the children.

Pray with me:

Lord, we often forget that You were once a child and therefore know full well their need for love and security. Joseph and Mary were hand-picked to become Your parents – You would need wise and loving care as a child. Your Word tells us that because You became human, You are touched with the feeling of our weaknesses and needs (Hebrews 4:15). And being all-knowing and ever-present, You know the pain, fear, abuse, and trauma all of these children have and are experiencing.

We ask You to give comfort and healing to them. Send angels to aid them. We ask that abuse be discovered and stopped, and that those perpetrating the abuse be brought to swift justice. We ask that wisdom and skill be given to government agencies that are looking for these children. And as they find children in unhealthy situations, please help them locate loving environments in which to place them.

And yes, we ask that those behind this evil treatment of the children be brought to justice. And if our system cannot do so, You have promised that You would. The money made harming these children – we ask that You cause it to dry up! Those who “sold” them for votes, may the votes never materialize.

We ask that You forgive our nation for this evil. I ask You to forgive leaders in the body of Christ who have refused to speak out against evils in our land. Awaken the conscience of our nation, convict us of our sin, and cause the burgeoning revival and reformation to end the abominations we have and continue to allow.

All of this, we pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Click on the link below to watch the full video.

The research for today’s post can be found here:

July 28, 2025

Deliverance from Hidden Traps and Deadly Hazards

The Hebrew language is pictorial. The letters form pictures and concepts, and the context gives us specific applications. The word paga(1) is a good example: the picture or concept of this word is of two or more entities coming together or meeting. The concept can be applied to various scenarios, including a meeting between two individuals, someone arriving at a location, carrying someone’s burden, striking or hitting an enemy, and more. Anytime two or more things “come together” or “meet,” this is paga.

In my books Intercessory Prayer and The Essential Guide to Prayer, I explain how all of these concepts and usages of paga can be pictures of intercession. And indeed, paga is sometimes translated as such. Intercessory prayer creates a meeting between God’s provision and individuals’ needs, allowing us to carry one another’s burdens and strike our spiritual enemy with God’s power.

Interestingly, paga is also the word for a boundary or border, the point at which two territories meet or connect. Paga is used repeatedly this way in Joshua 19 to define the boundaries of the tribes of Israel. When applying this picture to prayer,

paga is the establishing of boundaries or perimeters of protection. Psalm 91 describes the power of the “secret place” of prayer. Verses1-4 from THE MESSAGE state:

“You who sit down in the High God’s presence, spend the night in Shaddai’s shadow, say this: ‘God, You're my refuge. I trust in You, and I’m safe!’ That’s right--He rescues you from hidden traps, shields you from deadly hazards. His huge outstretched arms protect you— under them you’re perfectly safe; His arms fend off all harm.”

What a promise!

The Scriptures also refer to this protection from God as a tower to which we can run for strength and safety. In biblical times, towers were associated with security, as they provided locations for shooting weapons and offered visibility for watchmen. The following verses referred to this:

“The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous runs into it and is safe.” (Proverbs 18:10)

“For thou has been a refuge for me, a tower of strength against the enemy.” (Psalm 61:3)

“The story is told of a missionary experiencing the sovereign protection of God while taking the gospel to an interior region of China. Ruthless bandits along the road had prevented this area from being reached. However, this young missionary went anyway, preaching the Good News of Jesus Christ. He later returned to the base without having seen any bandits. Shortly thereafter, the missionaries heard a rumor circulating throughout the area: the bandits had not attacked the man because an entourage of eleven soldiers had traveled with him. Since he had traveled alone, the missionaries concluded angels must have protected him! But why eleven?

“The missionary wrote about this amazing experience to his home church in the United States. His pastor asked when it had happened. Upon receiving the information, the pastor excitedly communicated his part of the story. God had prompted him to call a special prayer meeting for this missionary. When the date of the prayer meeting arrived, the pastor had been disappointed at the poor turnout. That changed, however, after he received the missionary’s amazing report. The pastor was thrilled to tell him, ‘You’ll be pleased to know that, counting myself, there were exactly eleven of us who were praying for you that very day.’”(2)

Those eleven faithful intercessors created a wall, a perimeter of protection, around this missionary through their prayers of intercession. Through them, Psalm 91 and Proverbs 18:10 became reality. God wants to do the same through our intercession, building walls of protection around individuals.

Isaiah 26:1 and 60:18 refer to God’s protection as “walls”:

“In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: ‘We have a strong city; He sets up walls and ramparts for security.’”

“Violence will not be heard again in your land, nor devastation or destruction within your borders; but you will call your walls salvation, and your gates praise.”

The apostle Paul was a firm believer in receiving prayers for protection and deliverance from others. He frequently requested prayer from those with whom he was in relationship. Romans 15:30-31 states:

“Now I urge you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me, that I may be delivered from those who are disobedient in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may prove acceptable to the saints.”

Again, in Philippians 1:19, Paul states his confidence in “deliverance through your prayers.” Also, in Philemon 1:22, he says, “I hope that through your prayers I shall be given to you.” Paul was frequently persecuted and imprisoned for his preaching of the gospel. He placed his hope of deliverance from this in the prayers of his friends. He believed in the power of intercession, not just for the furthering of the gospel, but also for protection.

Two well-known ancient strongholds of protection from enemies exist in Jordan and Israel. The city of Petra (Greek for “rock”) in Jordan was virtually impregnable against attack by the weaponry of the ancient world. The original name of Petra was Sela, the Hebrew word for “rock.” The stronghold of Masada, from the Hebrew word metsudah meaning “fortress,” was an incredible natural fortress in Israel, located near the Dead Sea. In Psalm 31:3, David uses both of these pictures, saying of God, “You are my rock (sela) and my fortress (metsudah).” God is our Petra and our Masada!

A man who has been a spiritual father in my life for over 40 years, Jim Hodges, texted me after reading Friday’s post. He said that while reading it, he felt from Holy Spirit that Attorney General Pam Bondi, Director of National Security Tulsi Gabbard, and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem needed increased prayer for protection. These three women currently find themselves on the front lines of the Trump administration’s actions and are hated by radicals on the Left. I concur with Jim, of course. We should pray for protection for all of those in government, but today we’ll do so specifically for these three women. It would be great if, for a season, some of you would add them to your daily prayers.

Pray with me:

Father, we live in perilous times. Satan, whose mission is to steal, kill, and destroy, is on a rampage. We are thankful that we can look to You as our rock and fortress, our Petra and Masada (Psalm 31:3). You are our strong tower (Psalm 18:10). You rescue us from hidden traps, shield us from deadly hazards…Your huge outstretched arms protect us – under them we are perfectly safe (Psalm 91:1-4). We declare that our homes are like impenetrable cities, surrounded by spiritual walls of angelic protection.

We also pray this over Pam Bondi, Tulsi Gabbard, and Kristi Noem. We ask you to protect them and their families from evil (Matthew 6:13). Surround them with angelic guards and shelter them in Your “secret place” of protection (Psalm 91).

We pray for President Trump and his team, our congressional leaders, judges and justices, as well as state and local leaders. Surround them with protection. Uncover demonic plots to harm them; expose terrorists and their plans in our nation. Give those in authority supernatural help and success in finding the enemy. Protect our law enforcement individuals as they deal with criminals.

We pray against false evidence that is fabricated to accuse and destroy innocent leaders. We ask You to expose all lies and corruption, and vindicate the righteous.

We thank You for all of this and ask it in the name of Yeshua. Amen.

Our decree:

We declare that God is our Petra and our Masada, our rock and our fortress.

Portions of today’s post were adapted from my book The Essential Guide to Prayer, published by Baker Books.

Click on the link below to watch the full video.

James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), ref. no. 6293.
Dick Eastman and Jack Hayford, Living and Praying in Jesus’ Name (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 1988), pp. 13-14.

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