August 14, 2025

Experiencing the “Abundant Life” Jesus Promised

In yesterday’s post, we talked about an important Greek word used in the New Testament in the context of prayer. The word is dei, which means “that which is necessary, even binding, as in a legal sense; that which is right, proper or necessary in the nature of a case; that which is prescribed by law, duty, custom, etc.; from a sense of duty, one must.”(1) This word is used in Luke 18:1 to tell us prayer is absolutely necessary (dei) in order to overcome in life.

Another important passage using this word is Matthew 16:18-19: “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

“Bind” (deo) is a different form of this same word. Jesus, King of the Kingdom of heaven, is referencing the spiritual authority He would give His Ekklesia (the church) to carry out His will on earth. An Ekklesia, of course, was a legislative assembly. The footnote in the Passion Translation makes this clear: “This is not a religious term at all, but a political and governmental term that is used many times in classical Greek for a group of people who have been summoned and gathered together to govern the affairs of a city. For Jesus to use this term means He is giving the keys of governmental authority in His kingdom to the church.”

The meaning of deo, the word for bind(2) in verse 19, is consistent with this legal spiritual authority Christ gave His Ekklesia. Deo speaks of rulings that are “legally binding;” they must be honored. This is why some translations, including the Passion Translation, use the word “forbid” to translate deo. The Amplified Bible uses the words “forbid, declare to be improper and unlawful.” We have the right to forbid demonic powers from interfering in our lives and in the spheres of authority God has delegated to us. 

We can also do so in broader areas of shared authority, such as natural government. The fact that government is a “shared” authority means that the will and authority of others come into play. This is why it takes longer and requires the prayers of more people to shift governments through prayer. Nevertheless, we have the authority to bind or forbid the powers of darkness from affecting us and our family. And the corporate body of Christ has authority to bind and forbid demonic powers from ruling their nation.

There is still another important and fascinating verse regarding prayer that uses the word dei. Romans 8:26 makes the point that we don’t always know how to pray as we “ought” (dei). The verse is stating that we don’t always know what is “legally right or necessary” spiritually speaking, in order to see some situations change. For example, we may not be aware of all the spiritual strongholds that control an individual for whom we are praying. We may not be aware of the “legal” ground the person has given to evil spirits, giving demons the “right” to operate. We may not know whether it is a demonic spirit controlling a person or their own fleshly appetites. When praying for a person’s healing, the sickness is at times caused by an evil spirit. (Matthew 17:18 and others). If this is the case, we would need to pray differently.

When praying for our government, we obviously don’t know all of the details of how to pray; we don’t know “what is necessary, right or proper in the nature of the case” (dei). 

This wonderful passage in Romans 8 says Holy Spirit will help us overcome this weakness by praying through us. He alerts us to pray, gives us insight as we pray, brings Scriptures to mind and releases revelation regarding the situation. His supernatural help is what causes the working together of all things for our good, mentioned in verse 28.

In her book Prophetic Intercession, Barbara Wentroble shares the following testimony of Holy Spirit’s help:

“My mother-in-law was sitting in her living room at 9:30 AM. Suddenly, she felt a sensation of fear, accompanied by an urgency to pray for her son (my husband), Dale.

“After asking the Lord to reveal to her how to pray, she felt a deep impression that Dale was in danger. She prayed for several minutes and then felt the ‘burden’ lift. Later that night, she called our home to ask Dale what he had been doing at 9:30 in the morning. ‘Oh, that’s easy,’ he replied. ‘I remember because I looked at my watch. Another man was talking to me while we were standing out in the plant at work. There had been some remodeling in the plant over the past several weeks, and we were discussing the progress. All of a sudden, I felt an urgency to move from the place where we were standing. We quickly moved to another spot about 20 feet away. Just as quickly as we moved, a large steel beam fell from the ceiling and landed in that very spot where I had been standing.’”(3)

That is Holy Spirit help when, apart from Him, we wouldn’t know that prayer was needed, or what was necessary in the prayer.

In summary, Jesus said it is required of us, it is absolutely necessary (dei), that we always pray and not lose heart (Luke 18:1). He said we have authority to enforce what is legally right (dei), spiritually speaking (Matthew 16:18-19). And He told us that when we did not know what was legally right (dei), spiritually speaking, Holy Spirit would help us (Romans 8:26-28). These are just a few of the ways we experience the abundant life He promised (John 10:10).

Pray with me:

Father, You told us to pray and never lose heart. You delivered us from the authority of darkness, translated us into the Kingdom of Christ (Colossians 1:13), and told us we could forbid satan and his demonic forces from influencing our lives. We can stop him from causing us harm, stealing from us, and hindering our success in life. And You told us that Holy Spirit was always available to help us in our prayers. 

Therefore, in the name and authority of Jesus:

We forbid demonic attacks against our families from succeeding. 

We forbid diseases caused by demonic forces from affecting our bodies.

We forbid demonic forces from stealing our finances.

We forbid spirits of fear from overcoming us in our minds.

We forbid powers of darkness from controlling our government. 

We forbid spirits of murder from taking over our streets.

We forbid spirits of division from continuing to divide races in our nation. 

We forbid spirits of perversion and confusion from overtaking the children of America. 

(These are simply a few examples of things to pray. Let Holy Spirit lead you.)

We ask, Father, that You would increase revelation in the church regarding the authority given to us in Christ. We ask that the Ekklesia be taken to her highest level of functioning in Christ’s authority as we represent Him on earth. And again, all of this we do and ask for in His name. Amen.

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. 1163.

2. Ibid., ref. no. 1210.

3. Barbara Wentroble, Prophetic Intercession (Ventura, CA: Regal Books, 1999), pp. 68-69.

August 13, 2025

Be Courageous…And Pray!

Today, I want to mention a very important Greek word from the New Testament, along with a couple of references where it is used. The word is “dei,”  which means “that which is necessary, even binding, as in a legal sense; that which is right, proper, or necessary in the nature of a case; that which is prescribed by law, duty, custom, etc.; from a sense of duty, one must.”(1)

From these definitions, it is easy to see the strong meaning of the word. Dei does not indicate a suggestion or that something might perhaps be a good idea. To the contrary, it carries the weight of duty or legality. The very literal Wuest translation of the New Testament typically uses the phrases “that which is right and proper” and “that which is necessary in the nature of the case” to translate the word. With this in mind, let’s look at two passages where it is used. The first one will demonstrate the strength of the word; the latter uses it in the context of prayer.

In Luke chapter 13, Jesus healed a lady on the Sabbath who had a crooked back, bent over for 18 years; the condition was caused by a demonic spirit (verses 10-12). However, practicing medicine was considered work, and the Pharisees lumped healing in with practicing medicine. Therefore, as ridiculous as it seems, the Pharisees considered it a violation of Sabbath laws to heal on that day! Upon seeing this miracle performed, the synagogue official became indignant, saying to the people gathered, “Six days there are during which it is right and proper [dei] to accomplish things. In them therefore you should come and be healed and not on the day of the Sabbath” (verse 14, Wuest translation).

Unimaginable. “It’s against our laws to heal on the Sabbath,” he protested. No wonder Jesus couldn’t tolerate the Pharisees and religiosity of His day.

Christ‘s response to the official was first to point out the hypocrisy of this law, reminding him that they took care of their animals on the Sabbath. Then He turned the tables on the official, using his own word “dei” to win the argument. “And this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan bound, just think of it, eighteen years, was it not a necessity in the nature of the case [dei] that she be released from this binding restriction on the Sabbath?” (Verse 16, Wuest translation). 

Follow Christ’s logic. He first pointed out that this woman was “a daughter of Abraham.” As such, she had a covenantal right to healing: “I am Jehovah Rapha, the Lord your Healer” God had said to Israel in Exodus 15:26. Later, He said, “You shall serve the Lord your God, and He will bless your bread and your water; and I will remove sickness from your midst” (Exodus 23:25). Healing was her covenantal right.

Then He continued: “Since she has the legal, covenantal right to healing and I am here as Jehovah Rapha, the initiator and fulfiller of that covenant, it is legally binding (dei) that I heal her. I must. Your religious legalism says I must NOT; the legality of covenant says I MUST.”

Checkmate!

Now, with this understanding of the strength of this word, dei, let’s look at another reference. Jesus used the word again in Luke 18:1: “And He spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought (dei) always to pray, and not to faint.” He then shared the parable of the unrighteous judge and widow. 

When we use the word “ought” in conversation, we are typically suggesting that something be done or stating that it might be a good idea. That is NOT what Jesus was doing! Prayer is more than a suggestion, a possible good idea. He was saying that it is necessary, right, proper, even legally binding (dei), that we pray, asking the Father for what we need. We MUST! Wuest again confirms this, stating in the verse that it is a “necessity.” 

Elsewhere, Jesus said that even though God knows our needs before we ask (Matthew 6:8), we still must ask (verses 11-13). James 4:2 goes so far as to tell us one of the reasons we don’t receive what we need is simply because we don’t ask. Prayer isn’t optional!

And the last part of the verse in Luke 18:1 is also significant: “don’t faint.” A better translation in today’s language would be “don’t lose heart.” Some translations tell us not to lose our courage. Don’t be faint-hearted or lose your courage. Instead, pray!

When Joshua began his assignment to lead Israel, three times God commanded him to be courageous (Joshua 1:6, 7, 9)! As challenging as it is to hear, courage is a choice. God has placed within us an innate ability to overcome and be courageous. He has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). We must draw on this overcoming nature and refuse to let fear conquer us.

When times get tough, be courageous… and pray!

When the bad report comes in, be courageous… and pray!

When the storm rages and it seems you will not survive, be courageous…and pray!

When your nation turns away from God and toward evil, be courageous…and pray!

Anchor yourself to faith in God as your Father and believe that He will come through for you. You MUST!

Pray with me:

Father, You told us to always pray and not lose heart. You commanded Joshua in his battles to possess the land, to be strong and courageous. We, too, must be strong and courageous as we possess our nation. We declare our faith that You have given us a spirit of power, love, and a disciplined mind; the spirit of fear is not part of our inheritance. 

In the spirit of Luke 18:1, we ask You to forgive and heal our land. We ask You to heal the division and hatred, replacing them with brotherly love. We ask for a continued purging in our government, cleansing it from evil and corruption. Weaken those in our government who resist You and Your righteousness, removing their influence; strengthen those who walk in integrity and truth. We ask that the spirit of violence and crime be broken off our nation. Send revival to the youth of America (and the world), with a power the world has never before seen. Awaken the Ekklesia here and around the world to the authority You have given us, and cause her to burn with fires of revival. Uncontainable fire!

And we agree in prayer for our brothers and sisters who are struggling with loss, sickness, lack, emotional pain, and discouragement. Cause the spirit of faith to arise in them, overcoming the spirit of fear. Help them to choose courage, to fan the flames of hope and faith, and to pray! Where there is confusion, awaken the soundness of mind. Where there is discouragement, cause hope to arise. Where there is pain, replace it with healing power. We stand with and for them today, in the mighty name of Jesus.

Our decree:

We declare that we will always pray, and we will not faint.

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. 1163.

August 12, 2025

It’s Just Common Sense

I am often reminded of Thomas Paine’s 1776 pamphlet, “Common Sense,” when thinking about today’s battle to restore America. This writing was so compelling that George Washington required all of his troops to read it as they faced the challenges of being outmanned, outgunned, and undersupplied. No doubt about it, Paine’s pamphlet was a key part of motivating America’s patriots to fight for freedom. 

Paine’s choice of this title was as deliberate as the arguments inside it. The phrase was designed to frame the question of independence as something obvious, universal, and within reach of every reader—not reserved for scholars and politicians. By naming his work “Common Sense”, Paine signaled that he would demonstrate to ordinary people that the case for breaking with Britain rested on practical judgment and shared human experience, not on aristocratic theory. 

The title revealed that the pamphlet was a voice for a broad audience. Paine wrote in plain language, deliberately avoiding the high-brow jargon of political essays. He wanted farmers, tradesmen, artisans, and laborers to grasp his arguments without wading through numerous footnotes or Latin phrases. The choice of “Common Sense” promised clarity and the kind of reasoning that anyone, regardless of education, could recognize as reasonable. By appealing to the “common” logic of his readers, Paine bypassed the elites and framed independence as a decision rooted in everyday practicality.

The phrase also implied shared ideals. “Common sense” referred to the practical knowledge a community relied on to govern itself in ordinary life. Paine adopted this notion to contend that the colonies’ separation from Britain was not a radical leap but a logical conclusion grounded in the mutual interests and rights of the people. If a monarchy and hereditary rule, as Great Britain preached, seemed contrary to ordinary experience, then rejecting them became, in Paine’s view, common sense. In this way, the title invited readers to view independence as a natural consequence of the basic principles of liberty and self-government.

The title also reflected Paine’s target audience. “Common Sense” was addressed directly to the mainstream inhabitants of America, not to the academic community and cultural elite. Paine’s plan was to mobilize opinion by presenting simple, provocative arguments in direct language, often posing questions that exposed the inconsistencies of British rule and the benefits of republican self-government. If the reasons for independence felt like common sense, then resistance to it would appear as stubborn resistance to practical truth. 

Finally, the title helped inaugurate a new political culture. The pamphlet helped foster a growing American identity around the notion that governance should be grounded in consent and common welfare rather than inherited authority. The term “Common Sense” thus carried with it a promise: that all could grasp political truth, and that the American dream would be explained in terms that any person could understand and act upon. It was a strategic declaration that the decision to sever ties with Britain rested on the clear, shared judgments of ordinary people.

Common Sense Today

Here we are again needing common sense to save us. Oppressed by cultural elites, woke idiocy, and anti-biblical Marxists, the value of common sense is on the rise in America. Americans are sometimes gullible, definitely uninformed, and, sadly, entirely too self-absorbed. But they love their freedom, and most of them possess “good ole common sense.” They will tolerate bureaucratic and woke nonsense for a while, but their tolerance level is eventually reached, and they demand a return to sanity. 

Enter Donald Trump. 

I just listened to his press conference, where he announced that he and his team are taking over law enforcement in Washington, D.C., at least for the time being. He spoke of the rampant violence, filth, graffiti, disrepair, homeless camps, out-of-control crime, etc. I couldn’t help but think of Paine’s pamphlet as I listened to him, for all that Trump said was simple common sense. Here are some highlights of his statement, not in direct quotes, but generally speaking:

• We are taking back our nation from the thugs and criminals.

• We will clean up and repair our nation’s capital, making it something we can be proud of. 

• We will remove the graffiti; those who deface the city and its monuments will be held accountable and face jail time until they have served their entire sentence.

• We will make our capital city safe again, so that US families can visit without fearing for their lives.

• Spit in the face of a cop and they will now hit you, rather than be forced to stand and take it.

• We will use whatever force is required to accomplish this, including the military if necessary.

• Commit a crime and you will not be back on the street in a few hours through cashless bail. You will go to jail.

We will now listen to the culturally elite talk about how horrible these things are, while the rest of us shout a hearty “Amen.” One of the more entertaining parts of the press conference was watching Pete Hegseth stand just behind and to the right of the President, trying not to smile at some of Trump’s comments. Patriots like Hegseth enjoy good ole patriotic common sense. 

Most of Trump’s statements at his rallies were also simply common-sense-based declarations:

• We are going to function like every other nation and have controlled borders.

• We will deport those who have come here illegally, beginning with criminals, gang members, rapists, murderers, and those with terrorist ties.

• We will demand fair and equitable trade in our dealings with other nations.

• Countries we protect across the ocean are going to start paying their fair share.

• We are going to stop calling girls, “boys” and boys, “girls.” And we will stop mutilating their bodies.

• We will stop arresting concerned parents who attend school board meetings because they don’t want their kindergarten children taught how to be drag queens. 

• We will strengthen our military.

• We will lower taxes and cut out waste in government.

Common sense.

Pray with me:

Father, Your Word speaks of those who profess to be wise, but are actually fools (Romans 1:22). America has its share of these. It also says, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil” (Isaiah 5:20). Romans 1 also speaks of suppressing the truth and allowing darkness to overtake foolish hearts (verses 18 and 21). Rejecting You and silencing one’s conscience makes people become fools. America has allowed many incompetent individuals to sit in positions of government and education. In Your mercy, please continue removing them.

Give us more plainspoken purveyors of truth and common sense. Continue to awaken the American people to the nonsensical positions of those who oppose You and the laws of nature. Cause them to continue to rise up and demand that truth rule our nation. Give support to leaders like Trump, his team, Michael Johnson, and other government leaders who are standing for our Constitution, our heritage, and Your ways.

We ask You to rescue the many youth in America who are out of control and angry in our inner cities. They have been misled, deceived, and left to their own ways. Save them before it is too late for them. Give strategies to those attempting to reach them, and send the fire of revival to the inner cities of America. Pour out Your Spirit in our schools. Please send the greatest revival to the young people of America that has ever taken place. And we pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Our decree:

We decree that Americans are being awakened to truth and the teachings of Scripture once again.

Click on the link below to watch the full video.