March 16, 2026

Introduction

Tomorrow is Saint Patrick’s Day. Most people have very little knowledge of this venerated man, born as Maewyn Succat. For many people, tomorrow will simply be a day to wear some green, drink some green beer, and party a little. But there is a rich history behind the story of this man. 

Saint Patrick is known as the patron saint of Ireland, and tomorrow, March 17, is the anniversary of his death. It is worth noting that the Irish people, not the Catholic church, were the ones to declare Patrick a saint. Today our friend, Larry Tomzcak, tells us more about this incredible man and why he is celebrated. More than just history, Patrick’s life gives us timeless lessons we can emulate. The title of today’s post is:

1500 Years Later: St Patrick’s Amazing Story

If you engage people in conversation about Saint Patrick, you may find them having whiplash when you tell them the real story versus the folklore. It’s a great way to segway into possibly sharing your personal testimony and the gospel!

Did you know these factoids?

• Patrick was not Irish.

• As a young man he had no interest in God.

• He never drove out any snakes because there were none in Ireland.

• His use of a shamrock to teach the Trinity is cute for children, but it’s just a myth.

• There is no such thing as a leprechaun. [No offense intended to you Celtics fans.]

• Patrick didn’t drink Guinness beer, because it didn’t exist.

Now, I’m not a party pooper. I enjoy a celebration, but I enjoy it even more when I understand what’s legitimate and what’s legend.

With St. Patrick’s Day and let’s get beyond all the blarney - the green, the parades, parties with Irish stew and toasts to the “luck of the Irish,” - and focus on an incredible man of God who transformed a nation through the proclamation of the gospel and the planting of churches.

The Real Story of St. Patrick

Years ago when I ministered in Ireland, I recall the descent of the plane and how absolutely awestruck I was as I beheld for the first time the Emerald Isle. This deep green countryside is the picture conjured up in the hearts and minds of tens of thousands of Irish celebrants who annually dye the Chicago River green for St. Patrick’s Day. And in celebrations throughout America, this special feast day is a sign of spring, bringing welcome relief after the cold of winter.

But what’s really behind this day and the man we honor? After all, he died over 1,500 years ago on March 17, 461.

Patrick was born in Britain in A.D. 390. He was raised in a Christian family, but his interest in God was almost nonexistent. He also was illiterate.

Teens are often apt to wander, and Patrick certainly did, reaping the consequences. At the age of 16, he was kidnapped by thugs and taken hostage on a ship to Ireland.

Imagine the trauma and grief his parents experienced while praying for God’s miraculous intervention and the return of their son. 

For six agonizing years, he was trapped as a slave, working as a shepherd on hills where he tended the sheep. He was alone. He was scared. In desperation he began to cry out to God to rescue him from his plight.

Picture your teenage son or daughter on that hillside, trembling and fearful for their very life. Yet God was at work in Patrick’s soul (just as he is in your wayward son or daughter!). In his classic Confession, he painfully wrote, “I would pray constantly during the daylight hours” until finally God broke through and revealed Himself in a dream. And He specifically said the following to this young, lost soul: “Your hunger is rewarded. You are going home. Look, your ship is ready.”

Patrick Departs

Risking his life but pierced to the core by the call of God on his life, Patrick journeyed some 200 miles to the Irish coast! He bravely boarded a ship that was going to Britain, and he knew instinctively God was taking him back home.

This young man returned to his family, transformed by the grace of God (wouldn’t it be great to see this homecoming captured on video?). In time, he even entered a Christian training center, a monastery, to pursue the calling to full-time vocational ministry as a Catholic priest.

Patrick excelled in his understanding of the Scriptures, and his character impacted his superiors and peers. Eventually, they affirmed him in becoming an overseer/bishop in the church.

Patrick Returns

Three decades after his initial abduction, Patrick sensed God stirring his heart. The Holy Spirit was directing him to go back to the pagan land of Ireland to evangelize the people mired in deception and darkness.

Patrick recorded his sentiments as he wrote, “I am ready to be murdered, betrayed, enslaved— whatever may come my way!” May his courage ignite something in our hearts to reject silence and cowardice in the face of our cultural attacks today. May this man’s bravery inspire us to speak the truth in love regarding homosexuality, militant Islam, dishonesty, fornication (living together or casual sex), adultery, and compromising “Christians” yielding to pornography and a host of carnal indulgences in our day.

Incredible Spiritual Awakening

As Patrick crisscrossed the countryside, God blessed him mightily. Tens of thousands of Irish were converted and hundreds of churches were established! Thomas Cahill writes in his book, “How the Irish Saved Civilization,” that through Patrick's courageous leadership, this warrior 

populace of Ireland “laid down the swords of battle, flung away the knives of sacrifice, and cast away their chains of slavery.”

Fifteen hundred years after Patrick lived, let’s follow this world-changer in lifestyle evangelism! 

“When Irish eyes are smiling,

‘tis like a morn in spring.

In the lilt of Irish laughter,

you can hear the angels sing.”(1)

Pray with me:

Father, thank You for the selfless lives of men and women gone before us. They laid a track for us to run on, advancing the Kingdom of Heaven farther into Your decreed purposes. You tell us in Hebrews 11:39-40 that these giants of faith are not complete without us, that we play a role in finishing what they began. May we be found faithful.

We remember today that as believers our citizenship in heaven transcends all others. We celebrate our brothers and sisters everywhere, from Ireland to Australia, Iran to Canada. Give us hearts like Patrick, who was willing to risk everything to see Your Kingdom advance. Most of us will never have the notoriety he achieved, but we can all bear precious fruit as we participate in Your great cause. 

We ask you to pour out your spirit once again in Ireland. Do the same in Iran and the entire Middle East. Shock the world with the revival that takes place there. But we know the outpouring of Your Holy Spirit in this hour will not be limited to the Middle East. Many nations will experience this revival. So we ask for this, partnering with You in redeeming the world. Thank You for this honor. And in Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Our decree:

We will grab the baton handed to us by past heroes of faith, laying aside every encumbrance, and running with endurance the race set before us (Hebrews 12:1).

Click on the link below to watch the full video.

https://youtu.be/LkFvkIYickg

Today’s post was contributed by Larry Tomczak. We encourage you to visit his website (LarryTomczak.com) for free videos, podcasts, books, and other valuable resources. ​​

Larry Tomczak is a best-selling author of 10 books, a cultural commentator of 50 years, Intercessors for America board member, and a public policy advisor with the Liberty Counsel. Go to www.larrytomczak.com to watch 30 amazing, free on demand, brief videos done by some of America’s top leaders to confidently address today’s tough issues.

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1. https://www.irish-song-lyrics.com/When_Irish_Eyes_Smiling.shtml

March 13, 2026

Without Delay

Early Friday morning,  the day before the war in Iran began [February 27, 2026],

the Lord gave our friend, Gina Gholston, a fascinating, encouraging, and important dream. She actually sent it to me that Friday. Gina is no stranger to regular Give Him 15 followers, and we occasionally post her articles. She is a trusted prophet, teacher, and author. Her dream speaks of the impact our prayers are having and of strategic changes they are producing. Our appeals are accomplishing much. Here is the dream:

“I dreamed that I was with a large group of people, inside a building, walking down a long hallway. Everything in this hallway - floors, ceiling, walls, etc. - was solid white. At the end of the hallway was a man waiting for us, dressed totally in white, even wearing white gloves.

“When we approached him, he extended to us a solid red card, maybe 12”x12”. Written in white letters on the red card were the words ‘prayers and intercession.’ I reached out my left hand (palm facing upward), and he placed the card on my palm. I then placed my right hand (palm down) across the top of the card. I held the card in the same position as the man led us up a long, solid-white stairway.

“At the top of the stairway, we came to another long hallway extending as far as the eye could see, with doors on both sides the entire length of the hallway. Once again, everything was white. In the center of the floor, just a few feet in front of us, was a box-like pedestal, maybe three feet tall.

“Standing next to the pedestal was another man dressed completely in white. I walked up to the pedestal, and the man motioned for me to insert the red card into a slot located at the top. I put the card into the box, and all the doors instantly opened. People came through some of the open doors, and ‘things’ I couldn’t clearly see came out of other open doors. I am not sure what the ‘things’ were.

“The man then said to us, ‘Intercession has gone to another level, and your fervent prayers and intercession are unlocking things and people - replacements and additions. Now, without delay, people and things will be replaced, and people and things will be added, for the fulfillment of purposes God has set for this time.’

“After he spoke those words, other angels immediately came and removed the people and ‘things,’ taking them to their rightful positions.

“The man in white then said again, ‘Without delay.’ Then he added, ‘Do not mourn what is replaced, and do not reject what is added. God is at work! He has worked to guide you in your prayers and intercession, and He will work to carry out His intended fulfillment of the prayers and intercession.’”

End of Dream

My Thoughts Regarding the Dream

The hallway speaks of transition; the white speaks of purity - what is transpiring is righteous, pure. The men dressed in white are angels, sent to instruct and assist us. And the color red symbolizes the blood of Jesus, which produces redemption and purity. The words in white (“prayers and intercession”) on the red card indicate that our prayers are releasing the cleansing, redeeming, transforming power of Christ’s blood. Isaiah 1:18 tells us, “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” 

Going to the second floor indicates that our prayers have matured to another level, as the angel confirmed, opening doors and creating the changes about to occur. The coming changes have to do with people and “things.” Gina was intentionally given no hint of what the “things” might be. They are most likely events or circumstances - we often hear the phrase, “things are about to change.” The angel stated that people and things are about to be removed and replaced, then added the words “without delay.” He then assured us that God’s purposes will be accomplished. 

The heavenly messenger then repeated, as if to emphasize it, that this would begin “without delay,” adding that we were not to mourn what is replaced or reject what is added. “God is at work,” he assured us.

The dream is clear and very encouraging: our prayers are being used by God to create great change; it will happen quickly; we are not to fear it or reject it; and the purposes of God are being accomplished. There is no doubt in my mind that some of this refers to what is occurring in the Middle East.

Keep praying in faith, friends, with the assurance that our appeals are not in vain. “The effectual, fervent prayers of the righteous avail much!” (James 5:16). Remember that our prayers are not frantic efforts to persuade God to move. Rather, they are responses to His promptings and leadings, partnering with Him to accomplish His desires. The angel in the dream actually emphasized that God has been guiding us in our intercession.

As I end today’s post, I remind you that the book of Revelation tells us our prayers are stored in golden bowls in heaven (Revelation 5:8). They are precious to the Lord and create a pleasant fragrance before Him. At the appropriate time, God pours them onto the earth where they release His great power:

“And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand. And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake” (Revelation 8:3-5).

We are partnering with God…to change things on earth.

Pray with me:

Father, I thank You for the amazing army of intercessors You have raised up around the world. This company of kingdom-minded individuals is being used by You to establish Your purposes on the Earth. Thank You for their pure hearts and motives, pictured by the white colors in this dream. Encourage and strengthen them today. Let them know how much You appreciate them.

We also thank You for the angels who assist us. Thank You for dispatching them to give us messages and carry out Your assignments.

We know there are millions of prayers stored in the golden bowls in heaven, bringing a sweet fragrance to You. This dream tells us You are now pouring out some of those prayers to bring about great change. We will do as You said and not reject or mourn the changes. We trust You. Bring forth Your purposes throughout the earth. And bring forth the great harvest of souls. We appeal to You for these things in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.

Our decree:

We will continue to fill the bowls of prayer in heaven, ensuring that God has the cooperation He needs from us.

Click on the link below to watch the full video.

https://youtu.be/tvnnBzTDtPc

You can find out more about Gina at GinaGholston.com.

March 12, 2026

Giving Satan No Advantage

Our ignorance of satan and his tactics, as well as how to deal with them, is sometimes costly. Second Corinthians 2:11 tells us, “In order that no advantage be taken of us by satan; for we are not ignorant of his schemes.” The context is forgiveness - harboring unforgiveness allows satan to take advantage of us - but a general principle is also revealed in this verse. Let’s dig a little deeper. 

Ignorance 

The word “ignorant” is the Greek word agnoeo. It means “without knowledge or understanding of.”(1) Our English word “agnostic” is derived from it. Technically, an agnostic is not a person who is unsure if he or she believes in God, though we use the word this way. Actually, an agnostic is simply a person without knowledge or understanding of any given subject. We also get the word “ignore” from the same root. In this verse, we’re encouraged not to ignore or be an agnostic - without understanding - where satan’s actions are concerned.

Thoughts, Plans, and Schemes

“Schemes” is the Greek word noema. It literally means “thought” or “a product of the mind.”(2) The verse is essentially saying, "Don’t be without understanding of the way satan thinks.” Noema is also used for “plans, schemes, plots, devices” because these things are products of our minds and thoughts. For greater insight, let’s insert all of these definitions into the verse: “Don’t be without understanding of the way your enemy thinks and operates - of his plans, plots, schemes, and devices.” (By the way, there is more than just a warning or admonition here. There is also a hidden promise: If God tells us not to be ignorant of satan’s schemes, He is obviously willing to alert us to them. 

Taking Advantage Of

The verse then reveals to us the results of being unaware of satan’s schemes: he’ll take “advantage” of us. The word is pleonekteo, a compound word meaning literally “to have or hold the greater portion.”(3) It is easy to see why this word is also translated as “covet.” 

It also means “overreach.”(4) Overreach means to get the better of someone, usually through trickery or cunning. Consistent with this, pleonekteo is also translated “make a gain.” Bullinger says it means “to make a prey of, to defraud.”(5) Satan takes advantage of, preys on, and makes a lot of gains on us when we are unaware of his attacks, schemes, and ways. 

The Results

Let’s put all these definitions together: “To the degree we are ignorant of the way our adversary thinks and operates - of his plans, plots, schemes and devices - to that degree he will prey on us, gain on us, defraud us of what is ours, and have or hold the greater portion.” 

Not good!

The greater portion of what? Whatever! Our minds, homes, marriages, families, communities, income, government, nation, and more. Jesus said he “Comes to steal, kill, and destroy” (John 10:10). 

In the 1960’s, the church in America was ignorant, without understanding regarding what satan was plotting and planning, and he obtained the greater portion of our schools. The same could be said of our government. In the 70’s, he schemed and planned through our legal system and laid the groundwork for killing 65 million babies in the womb. All of this occurred because many in the church were unaware of his plans. 

We must listen and be led by Holy Spirit if we are to successfully defeat the schemes of the enemy. The Bible refers to Holy Spirit as “The spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord” (Isaiah 11:2). He functioned in these ways for Jesus as His “Helper” (John 14:26). Jesus was “led” by Holy Spirit (Luke 4:1), and anointed by Him (Acts10:38). 

Then Christ told us He would send us the same Helper He had while on earth: the Holy Spirit (John 14:16,26; 15:26; 16:7). But satan has effectively worked to erode the influence of Holy Spirit in the American church. I’ve seen statistics showing that over 50% of evangelicals don’t believe in a literal Holy Spirit. They believe He is just symbolic, a way of picturing God’s presence. This is beyond ridiculous! We cannot expect to overcome satan without our heavenly Helper! If Jesus needed Him, so do we!!!

We will never be perfect in our hearing of Holy Spirit’s alerts, but we can and are growing in this regard. Even Paul failed at times, saying in 1 Thessalonians 2:18 that he was taken advantage of more than once by satan in the battle over spreading the gospel: “For we wanted to come to you - I, Paul, more than once - and yet satan thwarted us.” Thwarted comes from a word meaning “to cut off.”(6) Who hasn’t been cut off in traffic? Well, satan “cut off” Paul en route to Thessalonica. We know this great apostle won more battles than he lost, but he wasn’t perfect, and occasionally Satan succeeded in thwarting his plans. 

Please notice that it doesn't say “God changed His mind” about where Paul was to go. The verse clearly says satan hindered him. Those who would have us think satan can do nothing except what God allows, and therefore we can just ignore him, should reread 2 Corinthians 2:11 and this verse in Thessalonians. God doesn’t ignore the devil, and neither should we. And satan certainly does a lot of things God doesn’t “allow” him to do.

The only sense in which it can be said that God allows everything that happens on earth is that He created the laws and principles governing the earth - sowing and reaping, cause and effect, the free will of humans, etc. We, however, implement these principles and determine much of what we reap and experience. 

We are growing in our ability to hear God’s voice and walk in His ways. We are becoming increasingly led by Holy Spirit, and taking back what satan has stolen from us. The Ekklesia is becoming the overcoming church Jesus spoke of in Matthew 16, and the fruit of this is being seen in the earth. Jesus will have what He said He would have, including a glorious church.

Pray with me:

Father, it is not Your will that satan takes advantage of us. Never. We thank You for giving us Holy Spirit to help us and alert us to the attacks and schemes of the devil. Remind us that Holy Spirit is always with us to lead, guide, counsel, and give understanding. And remind us to listen.

Where satan has taken advantage of us, show us how to reverse this, both in our personal lives and for our country. Show us how to take back our health, our finances, and anything else he has stolen. Continue to lead us as we do so for our nation, reversing what his diabolical plans have caused. You are well able to heal our land, and You have said America shall be saved. We believe this - and are laying hold of it! 

In this critical season, we pray for our nation’s government. Give us leaders who will honor You. Continue to awaken those who already know You, giving them a greater desire to know You more. Lead them as they war against evil in the Middle East, and cause the end result of all that is occurring in that region to be an epic revival. Work all of the evil and all that takes place for Your good. These things we pray in Yeshua’s name. Amen. 

Our decree:

We are growing in our ability to be led by the Spirit, decreasing satan’s ability to take advantage of us.

Today’s post was adapted from a chapter in my book, Intercessory Prayer, published by Baker Books. 

Click on the link below to watch the full video.

https://youtu.be/IeCuNvKvtcs

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1. Ethelbert W. Bullinger, A Critical Lexicon and Concordance to the English and Greek New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1975), p. 400.

2. Spiros Zodhiates, Hebrew-Greek Key Study Bible–New American Standard (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 1984: revised edition, 1990), p. 1797.

3. Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary (Iowa Falls, IA: Word Bible Publishers, 1992), p. 1173.

4. James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), ref. no. 4122.

5. Bullinger, A Critical Lexicon and Concordance, p. 28.

6. Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, ref. no. 1465.