Feed the River A friend of mine, Kenny Price, had a significant dream about me a couple of weeks ago. I believe it has an important message for us: “You (Dutch), Ken Malone, and Greg Hood were holding a meeting. Before the meeting started Ken and Greg told you it was time for you to “feed the river.” So the three of you walked down to the river. “You and Ceci walked away from them to sit by the river together. You guys were just relaxing and Ceci had her head on your shoulder enjoying the river. You guys seemed like it was the best day ever. “After a while, Ken and Greg said to you again that it was time to ‘feed the river.’ They brought you some buckets they had put things in with which to feed the river. You stepped into the river and began walking through the river; every once in a while you dropped a bucket into the water. You just kept walking, dropping buckets into the river, and you never ran out of buckets. “As you walked, you passed areas where camps were set up and people were fishing. When you walked by them they would shout, ‘Thanks, Dutch, for feeding the river. We are going to catch some big ones.’ “When you reached the stopping point, you stepped out and re-joined Ceci, Ken, and Greg. All of you walked back to the meeting location. When you arrived you said, ‘Now we can begin the meeting.’” As I pondered the meaning of this dream, I kept wondering what I was “feeding” or putting into the river? Searching the Scriptures for items put into water or rivers I was reminded of 2 Kings 2:19-22. I believe there may be further revelation and instruction from this dream, but I am confident this is one of the revelations Holy Spirit wanted to bring me. The passage reads: “Then the men of the city said to Elisha, ‘Behold now, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water is bad and the land is unfruitful.’ He said, ‘Bring me a new jar, and put salt in it.’ So they brought it to him. He went out to the spring of water and threw salt in it and said, ‘Thus says the Lord, “I have purified these waters; there shall not be from there death or unfruitfulness any longer.” So the waters have been purified to this day, according to the word of Elisha which he spoke.” The location of this water was Jericho. Though it was not a river but a spring, I believe the meaning is still appropriate and pertains to this dream. Jericho was one of the places Elijah had established a school of the prophets. We are told that the land/area itself was pleasant, but it soon became apparent that the water was bad. It contained something that brought “death” to the land making it unfruitful. Another translation of unfruitful in the passage could be “barrenness.” “Most scholars believe this was the result of a curse Joshua had pronounced on Jericho in Joshua 6:26. ‘Then Joshua made them take an oath at that time, saying, “Cursed before the Lord is the man who rises up and builds this city Jericho; with the loss of his firstborn he shall lay its foundation, and with the loss of his youngest son he shall set up its gates.”’ This curse had actually been fulfilled in 1 Kings 16:34, in the life of a man named Hiel. And it was obviously still operating. What is interesting is that even though this water and city had been cursed because of sin and idolatry, God was still willing to lift the curse, heal the water and restore the land. This is indicative of the heart of God to redeem and restore. We know He takes no pleasure in the judgment of the wicked (Ezekiel 33:11). And just as He has done for us through Christ, removing the curse of sin in order to give us the blessing of redemption, God‘s heart is always to restore (2 Peter 3:9). I believe wholeheartedly God is saying there are places in the earth that are currently under curses because of sin and idolatry, which He wants to cleanse, heal and redeem. And what did Elisha use to break the curse and heal the region? Salt - salt from a “new” vessel. Jesus said WE are the salt (Matthew 5:13). He has made us “new creations in Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:17) and placed within us the purifying and preserving power symbolized by the salt. We, His people, have the power to heal. I believe God is saying we must “throw ourselves” into cursed cities and nations through prayer and curse-breaking decrees. He wants to send his forgiveness and healing to them, just as He did Jericho. He also did so in Nineveh. We must stop cursing ungodly cities or regions through our words, and begin releasing the redemptive power of God into them. “Feed the river” - heal the cursed waters of the earth. In Genesis 9:25 God said, “Cursed be Canaan.” Yet in the twelfth chapter of Genesis, God spoke of Canaan as the promised land of blessing to Abraham. This is a powerful picture of that which has been under a curse becoming blessed. We believers are also a picture of this. God, through the cross, has transformed us from being cursed to receiving blessing (Galatians 3:15). If you live in a city that has become known for its evil, violence, murder, etc., begin to “throw” words of life into it. Be the salt it needs. Speak words of healing. Let’s pray for them now. Pray with me: Father, You love to forgive, heal the oppressed and redeem the lost. You sent Your Son to us when we were still Your enemies. We thank You for Your heart to transform curses into blessings. Please forgive us for speaking curses over people and places. Forgive us for pronouncing destruction on them. Give us Your gracious heart to redeem. We speak life now into strongholds of idolatry and evil. We ask You to remove poison, barrenness, and curses. Heal the Ninevah’s of the earth, the Sodom‘s, the Jerichos. We feed the springs of water now with words of life: Be healed. Be transformed. And we boldly agree with You and Your prophetic revelations regarding the earth at this time. U-turns are coming. What the enemy has planned will boomerang on him. America shall be saved. Revival is coming to the nations of the earth. A billion or more souls will come to Jesus. People will be set free, healed, and delivered by the blood of Jesus Christ. We decree it in His name now. Amen. Our decree: We decree that the blood of Jesus is stronger than the curse of sin. Click on the link below to watch the full video.

Pray for America’s Judges “Pray for all men with all forms of prayers and requests as you intercede with intense passion. And pray for every political leader and representative, so that we would be able to live tranquil, undisturbed lives, as we worship the awe-inspiring God with pure hearts. It is pleasing to our Savior-God to pray for them. He longs for everyone to embrace His life and return to the full knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:1-4 TPT) When writing the New Testament, Paul makes it clear to us that we are to pray for our leaders, spiritual and governmental. There is no one who needs prayer more than the nine justices who have been appointed by our American Presidents to judge right from wrong and interpret the U.S. Constitution. There are other judges, besides those nine, who have been elected and appointed to these offices in each of our 50 states. They are there to listen, use the wisdom they have gained through study and interpretation of law, and make rulings. Many of these rulings affect each one of us. Therefore, it’s crucial that we pray for them, asking God to speak to and through them. This is what our good friend Quin Sherrer shares with us: “There are hundreds of good, honest men and women who serve in our nation as judges—people with integrity who make just decisions. We bless, applaud, and thank them. Sadly, some judges make dangerously wrong ones. “In 2 Chronicles we read about King Jehoshaphat who wanted good judges. When he returned safely to his house in Jerusalem after a battle, he set judges throughout all the fortified cities of Judah. City by city. “He told them, ‘Consider carefully what you do, because you are not judging for mere mortals but for the LORD, who is with you whenever you give a verdict. Now let the fear of the LORD be on you. Judge carefully, for with the LORD our God there is no injustice or partiality or bribery.’ (2 Chronicles 19: 6-7 NIV) “Judeo-Christian beliefs that our early settlers brought with them helped to form the foundation of our system of laws. Later in 1789, the U.S. Supreme Court was ‘ordained and established’ under Article III of the U.S. Constitution. There were six original justices. Today we have nine. “When there is a vacancy on the Supreme Court, a new justice is appointed by the U.S. President and confirmed by the Senate. He or she holds the office for life or retirement. “Today we have two court systems in the United States: (1) the Supreme Court and the lower federal courts, and (2) the state courts. Federal judges, who act on some of the most significant issues affecting the American people, have wide authority and discretion in the cases over which they preside. 1 “‘As the Supreme Court is the highest court in the land, all decisions and outcomes are final and a case that goes to the Supreme Court must first pass through several other courts… [It] has the power to investigate, question and overturn cases that were decided in lower courts. [It] can also judge the actions of federal, state, and local governments. If the Supreme Court feels that another area of government is acting unconstitutionally, they may investigate.’ 2 “At the Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C. you will see ‘Equal Justice Under Law’ written above the main entrance. Engraved in stone above the Chief Justice’s seat is a display of the Ten Commandments. When the Marshal announces the beginning of each court session, he ends his speech with, ‘God save the United States and this Honorable court.’ 3 “Thousands of judges across our nation need our prayers. When government agencies attempt to strip away our freedoms, even blatantly acting against our Constitution, we must cry out. And we pray that judges will make just decisions, not unjust ones. That righteousness—not evil—will prevail in our nation. “We must especially continue to pray for the Supreme Court justices whose final decisions affect so many of us—we, the people—and even the unborn.” One of our most conservative Supreme Court Justices serving us today is Justice Clarence Thomas. Justice Thomas is 73 and has served us since 1991 when he was appointed to the Court by President George H.W. Bush. This past Friday, Justice Thomas was admitted to a Washington hospital after experiencing flu-like symptoms. He does not have Covid, but was diagnosed with an infection and is being treated with intravenous antibiotics. He is responding to the treatment and hopefully will be discharged soon. 4 Today, let’s pray for Justice Thomas and the other judges who are in positions of leadership and authority. Pray with me: Thank You, Lord, that our Founders established three branches of government to ensure there would be a balance of powers. We pray for Supreme Court justices, and for the thousands of judges serving across America in federal, state, county, and municipal courts. May they not be swayed by prejudice, political opinion, or malicious outside influences. Lord, as our courts come into alignment with Your will, also cause needed changes to be established in all levels of our correctional system. We ask for the salvation of those on the bench who don’t know You, and for Sauls to be transformed to Pauls. Thank You for awakening believers to pray for these reforms to happen, and to vote accordingly. May all forces of evil in our judicial and correctional systems be abolished, in Jesus’ name, Amen. 5 Our decree: We decree that a visitation from Yahweh is coming to the judicial branch of our U.S. government. U.S. Supreme Court Justices: Chief Justice John Roberts, Samuel Alito, Steven Breyer (has announced retirement but will serve until his replacement is decided), Brett Kavanaugh, Elena Kagan, Clarence Thomas, Sonia Sotomayor, Neil Gorsuch, Amy Coney Barrett. Today’s post was contributed by Quin Sherrer. You can find out more about Quin here. Click on the link below to watch the full video. _______________________________ 1. https://www.reference.com/world-view/duties-supreme-court 2. Ibid 3. William J. Federer, America’s God and Country, (FAME Publishing, 1996), 595. 4. https://www.newsmax.com/us/clarence-thomas-infection-hospital-washington/2022/03/20/id/1062082/ 5. Quin Sherrer and Ruthanne Garlock, Warfare Prayers for Women, (Bloomington, MN: Chosen, 2020), 238.

Boomerangs God often used allegorical pictures in Scripture to present a truth or concept. From referring to Christ as a lamb or His Word as a seed and sword, Holy Spirit frequently used the physical realm to picture spiritual truths. He still does so today and recently gave my brother, Tim, an interesting word regarding boomerangs and highways. I believe you will be encouraged by the following word. “We are in days of shaking and change. Hebrews 12 tells us that everything which can be shaken will be shaken. It also says we are part of a Kingdom that cannot be shaken. The shaking will set believers free to be the true New Testament church - an Ekklesia that rules and reigns with our King. “Holy Spirit gave me a dream a couple of weeks ago in which I saw a large division of angels. The angels were wearing breastplates and helmets made of silver. Throughout scripture, silver represents redemption, truth, and the purchasing of a slave’s freedom. In the book of Leviticus, a slave’s freedom was purchased with silver; the price for males was fifty shekels and for women, thirty. Interestingly, this sheds light on why Jesus was sold for thirty pieces of silver. He wasn’t redeeming Himself; He was redeeming His bride. I knew this dream was about truth, freedom, and redemption. “In this dream, the angels were throwing something towards certain nations, cities and regions. They were also doing so toward what appeared to be power stations with electric grids and gas, and power plants. I knew these places represented evil - there was a gray shadow surrounding them as if they were in a dark cloud. The angels were throwing something at these places, causing freedom to be experienced and truth to be revealed. In the dream I was trying to see what was being thrown, but could never see it. I awakened not knowing what the angels had been throwing. “Upon awakening I began to pray in the Spirit and ask for revelation. Holy Spirit’s response was, ‘They were throwing boomerangs. You are moving into days of things boomeranging back on My enemies.’ A prophetic word was then downloaded to me by Holy Spirit. “The Lord says, ‘A Boomerang effect is being caused by My angels upon strategies of darkness, just as My Ekklesia has asked. Evil plots, plans, and schemes of dark government will boomerang back on My enemies. Efforts that were meant to destroy My plans will boomerang on those opposing Me. Plans of destruction will come back upon them. And the King’s redemption shall be seen. “The Lord of Hosts decrees that in these days angels, in alignment with declarations of the King’s Ekklesia, are activating these boomerang strategies upon goat nations, cities and governments. Divine reversals are now being released. Release the angels with your decrees, says the Lord. There will be reversals of powers, influence and authority. Arrogant leaders anointed by hell will experience My supernatural reversals of their plans. Dictators anointed by hell will see their empires reversed. Billionaires anointed by hell to finance iniquity will experience humiliating reversals of their wealth. Their evil, the Lord says, will boomerang on them. “Those who initiated systems of evil to oppose Me will experience this boomerang. A boomeranging effect is proclaimed by Me upon media propaganda systems. Their reversal is planned and in process, says the Lord. A boomeranging is declared against humanistic education systems, lawless ideologies, and their underground systems. I see their plans clearly and a reversal is planned. My angels are deployed to defeat them. Release My angels with your decrees. “You will see visible, public displays of undeniable reversals. My heirs will rejoice, as what was meant to harm them turns for good. I can, I have and I will stand for them. I can, I have, I will cause My Ekklesia to prevail. I can, I have, I will anoint history makers. I can, I have, I will anoint new leaders. I can, I have, I will change history. I can, I have, I will pour out My Spirit and shake hell. Reversals are now being released and hell will not stop this.’ “There is much that needs to change in our nation and God keeps promising that He is going to change it. As I pondered this, Holy Spirit reminded me of another vision I received a while back, which I believe is connecting to its divine moment; it also confirms this dream. In this vision, I was traveling an interstate highway named The American Way. I had the sense that it was a well known, well-traveled highway. This highway led to Washington D.C., but did not continue through it, ending outside the city at a bypass which encircled it. The American Way highway ended at and connected to this bypass. I then noticed big green signs common to all interstates; all of them read the same: ‘U-turn This Exit.’ This interstate highway was obviously built to include many u-turn possibilities. “I then heard Holy Spirit say, ‘U-turns have been planned and are coming to the American way. New routes to destinations will now appear, rerouting people through “freedom states.” My highways will be followed to places of reset. My Kingdom government is entering certain states, influencing and reconnecting them to covenants. The covenant resets now entering these freedom states will cause u-turns in the national government.’ “As I contemplated and prayed about this vision, the Lord said, ‘U-turns are occuring and freedom states will produce change in D.C. I am shaking in order to bring change and reset covenants. Government and policies on Capitol Hill will turn; leaders will flip to My ways. I will turn some of their hearts as I did Saul of Tarsus. Yes, there are some “Sauls” in D.C. and in state capitals; they will become “Pauls.” U-turns are coming to systematic deep state corruption; leaders in their ranks will flip and stand against illegal shadow government. U-turns are coming to the education system. Systematic indoctrinations of evil will be shaken and destroyed. You will see u-turns at the Supreme Court. U-turns will come to long-standing laws that oppose Mine and, yes, a Saul will become a Paul at the Supreme Court. “The American Way will turn. Exit ramps of turnaround are in place. I am providing ways to turn around, just as My heirs have requested. This will cause turnarounds in other nations also, as covenant roots reconnect. The time has come, My plan is accelerating. U-turns have now begun; stand for their completion.’” Pray with me: Lord, we pray for this vision to come to pass. Let this highway of freedom and turnaround begin to roll through the states and surround Washington, D.C. “Bypass” the arrogant and those with evil agendas. “Bypass” those who choose not to go Your way. Through “freedom states,” activate Your plan. May it be activated throughout our nation. Give us u-turns on “the American way.” Shake everything that needs to be shaken. Accelerate the dreams, visions and plans You have provided for us. We pray that visible u-turns would be seen throughout the world. Turn Sauls into Pauls. We pray that activities will be changed by Your power. We come into agreement with heaven. We declare reversal to battle schemes coming back on the schemers. Overturn evil governments and demonized dictators. Release angels to throw the boomerangs. May they be thrown at cities, governments, and nations. Cause rebellious individuals to turn and reverse into alignment with Your will. Reverse evil plans, plots and schemes, in Jesus’ Name, Amen. Our decree: Reversals are now being released. Spiritual u-turns are coming. Click on the link below to watch the full video. Today’s post was contributed by my brother, Tim Sheets. You can learn more about Tim here.

Enforcing the Victory Yesterday I told you that the Hebrew word for intercession, paga, means literally “to meet.” This can be a meeting of people, the boundaries of two pieces of land, the earth and sky (the horizon) - it really doesn’t matter what the context is, the point is that two entities come together. We also said that intercession is birthed from our communing with our Father, God. We meet with Him in a relational sense and from that connection, other meetings are created. Not all meetings are pleasant, however. Some can actually be violent. Proverbs 17:12 tells us: Let a man meet a bear robbed of her cubs, rather than a fool in his folly. “Meet” is the Hebrew word paga. I’ve never met a she-bear in the wild with or without cubs, and hope I never do. But years ago a wise old woodsman, instructing me in the art of surviving bear encounters, gave me the following piece of wisdom: “Son, try to avoid them, if possible! But if you can’t and it’s a female you run into, don’t ever get between mama and her cubs. Because if you do, there’s fixin’ to be a meeting, and you’re gonna be on the receiving end!” Now, before I’m lynched for a contextual violation of Scripture, let me say I am not insinuating that this verse is talking about prayer. I am saying, however, that the word for “meet” is the Hebrew word translated “intercession,” paga. Other Hebrew words could have been used, but this one was chosen partly because it often has a very violent connotation. In fact, paga is frequently a battlefield term (for examples, see Judges 8:21; 15:12; 1 Samuel 22:17-18; 2 Samuel 1:15; 1 Kings 2:25-46). “Meetings” can be unpleasant! Some can be downright ugly, such as the one satan had with Jesus at Calvary. Satan had come between God and His “cubs.” He ought not to have done that! Satan’s worst nightmare came true when, with 4000 years of pent-up fury, Jesus met him at Calvary. The earth rocked, and I do mean literally, with the force of the battle (see Matthew 27:51). The very sun grew dark as the war raged (see v. 45). At the moment of what satan thought was his greatest triumph, he and all his forces heard the most terrifying sound they had ever heard: God’s laugh of derision (see Psalm 2:4)! The laughter was followed by the voice of the Son of man crying with a loud voice, “Tetelestai.” This Greek word is translated “It is finished” in John 19:30. Please don’t think Jesus was talking about death when He spoke that word. No way! As we mentioned in a post a week or so ago, tetelestai means to fully accomplish something or bring it to its completed state (1), just as the word “finished” would imply. However, it was also the word stamped on invoices in that day meaning “paid in full.”(2) Christ was quoting from Psalm 22:31 when He chose this statement. Three of His seven sayings on the cross come from this psalm. The Hebrew word He quoted from this verse is asah. He may have actually been speaking Hebrew, using this very word, even though John recorded it in Greek. The word means, among other things, “to create.”(3) It is used in Genesis, for example, when God created the earth. I believe that not only was Christ saying, “The debt is paid in full,” He was also saying, “Come forth, new creation!” No wonder the earth shook, the sun reappeared, the centurion was terrified (see Matthew 27:54) and Old Testament saints were resurrected (see Matthew 27:52-53). Don’t tell me God doesn’t have a flare for the dramatic. The Cross defines drama. And yes, behind the scenes it was violent. Captives were rescued (see 1 Peter 3:19; 4:6; Isaiah 61:1), bruises were inflicted (see Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24), keys were taken, authority was transferred (see Matthew 28:18). An interesting word is used in 1 John 3:8 that adds insight to what happened at the Cross. The verse reads, “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil” (KJV). “Destroy” is the Greek word luo, which has both legal and physical meanings. Understanding its full definition will greatly enhance our knowledge of what Jesus did to satan and his works. The legal meaning of luo is (1) to pronounce or determine that something or someone is no longer bound; (2) to dissolve or void a contract or anything that legally binds.(4) Jesus came to dissolve the legal hold satan had over us and to pronounce that we were no longer bound by his works. He “voided the contract,” breaking satan’s dominion over us. The physical meaning of luo is to dissolve or melt, break, beat something to pieces or untie something that is bound.(5) In Acts 27:41, the boat Paul traveled on was broken into pieces (luo) by the force of the storm. In 2 Peter 3:10-12, we’re told that one day the elements of the earth will melt or dissolve (luo) from a great heat. Jesus not only delivered us legally, but He also made certain that the literal consequences of that deliverance were manifested: He brought healing, set captives free, lifted oppression and liberated those under demonic control. Our responsibility is to enforce this victory as we, too, meet the powers of darkness. It is interesting to know that Jesus used the same word, luo, to describe what we, the Church, are to do through spiritual warfare. Matthew 16:19 tells us, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” The word “loose” in this verse is luo. Now, the question is, “Did Christ luo the works of the devil (1 John 3:8) or do we luo the works of the devil (Matthew 16:19)? The answer is yes. Although Jesus fully accomplished the task of breaking the authority of satan and voiding his legal hold upon the human race, someone on earth must represent Him in that victory and enforce it. With this in mind and remembering that the Hebrew word for intercession, paga, means to meet, let’s state it this way: We, through prayers of intercession, meet the powers of darkness, enforcing the victory Christ accomplished when he met them at the Cross. My mindset changed dramatically in the context of “binding” and “loosing,” “wrestling” with principalities and powers, “pulling down strongholds” etc. when I began thinking of it as enforcing the victory of Calvary. Satan is a thief and a trespasser. The fact that he has no right (authority) to do something does not keep him from doing it. Only the authority of Christ, combined with the power of Holy Spirit, keeps/stops him from doing so. Both flow from/through us. In Christ’s name we release His authority, and Holy Spirit backs this up with His power. We must wield the sword of God’s Word, just as Jesus did, and bind demonic attacks against our bodies, families, homes, cities, and nations. Declaring promises of Scripture are not only to encourage and increase our faith; they are weapons. Let’s use these powerful, God-given tools. Pray with me: We declare over our bodies that “by His stripes, we are healed.” We declare over our minds that “we have the mind of Christ; that His blood cleanses us from all sin and unrighteousness.” We boldly agree with God’s Word that tells us “there is no more condemnation toward us for ANY sin we have committed, if it is under the blood of Jesus.” And we declare that “no weapon formed against us will prosper - NONE!” We declare over our nation that “America shall be saved.” We declare that “God’s destiny for America is that the gospel of the kingdom goes from these shores to every nation of the earth.” We declare that “Holy Spirit is manifesting the multifaceted wisdom of God to principalities and powers in the heavens through the Ekklesia.” We declare that “the gates of hell will not prosper against or overcome this Ekklesia.” And we declare that “the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and His Christ.” We declare that “God, His Father, has promised Him the nations of this earth as His inheritance.” We declare that “the Spirit of God will be poured out in Ukraine, that it is His will for all to be saved and none to perish.” We declare that “Christ is king over all the nations, and we release His kingdom rule and authority in Ukraine, to bring His will to pass.” We declare that “Christ’s family in heaven will consist of people from every tribe, tongue, and nation, that the revival beginning around the world will not be stopped.” We declare all of these things in the mighty name of Jesus. Our decree: We decree that the sword of the Spirit, the word of God, is more powerful than all the forces of the enemy. Portions of today’s post were taken from my book Intercessory Prayer. Click the link below to watch the full video: ________________________________ Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary (Iowa Falls, IA: Word Bible Publishers, 1992), p 1375 Ibid. William Wilson, Old Testament Word Studies (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1978), p 263. Spiros Zodhiates, Hebrew-Greek Key Study Bible–New American Standard (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 1984: revised edition, 1990), p 1583. Ibid.

God Meetings It is telling that the primary concept behind the Hebrew word for intercession (paga) is for two or more entities to meet or connect. The Hebrew language is a pictorial language. Rather than being a technical language like Greek, a Hebrew word paints a picture. Regarding paga, the picture is of two or more things coming together, thus, it is “a meeting.” This meeting can be between individuals, but includes anything coming together: people, sections of land (a boundary or border), the horizon (earth meeting sky) and any number of other things. Though paga is occasionally translated intercession, it is clear from the definition that it may have nothing whatsoever to do with prayer. It is also translated as meet, encounter, light or land upon, attack, fall upon (in battle), lay upon (a burden or load), strike (lightning), reaches to (a boundary), and more. Do you find it fascinating that the word for intercession in scripture pictures a meeting? I do. I find it very telling that God chose a word for prayer that, at its most basic concept, means to meet with Him. Not just petition Him, which we must do. Not first and foremost to represent Him, though we absolutely do this, as well. Not attack the enemy and his plans, though we are also called to involve ourselves in spiritual warfare. Nope. God says, “I want you to know that intercession is connecting with Me.” Prayer meetings are aptly named. On my journey of discovering what prayer and intercession are all about, the biggest breakthrough came when I realized it was first to be a time of connecting with God, communing with Him. A relationship first, a responsibility second. A friendship, not a job. God’s motive for creating us was to produce a family and friends, not workers. If more servants had been His motivation, He would have made more angels. Early in my prayer journey, I realized Abba was telling me, “Let’s visit, hang out. In the process, you can let Me know what you need/want; I’ll do the same. We’ll walk together, and work together. Co-laborers. You’ll work with Me, not for Me.” As we connect with God, meeting with Him creates other meetings. Connecting with God creates God-connections. While communing with Him, we then ask Him to meet with a friend, connect with a loved one, visit a nation or encounter our enemy. Meetings. As you pray for America, commune/dialogue with God about our nation; allow Him to share His heart with you. When You agree in prayer with me regarding Ukraine, ask Holy Spirit to share with you what He may need you to add to the prayers. Yes, Give Him 15 along with myself and others - the prayer of agreement is powerful and important - but don’t stop with 15. Give your Father and Friend time throughout the day. Walk with Him. Talk with Him. Think with Him. He wants you to know Him. At the end of his life, Paul, the apostle who wrote more of scripture than any other person, said he was endeavoring to “know” God (Philippians 3:10). One would think that if anyone knew Him, Paul definitely did. However, the Greek word he used in this verse (ginosko) has a threefold meeting, which explains fully what Paul was saying: Ginosko is a relational knowledge. It is not a generic knowledge, as in knowing about a place or person.This word suggests there is an intimate relationship with the object known. It is actually used of a man “knowing” a woman sexually. Paul was saying, “Even after all these years and all of this revelation, I want an even more intimate relationship with God.” Ginosko is a progressive knowledge. It does not start as a complete knowledge but grows as the relationship or learning progresses. Paul was stating, “Even though I know God, I want to know Him more.” Ginosko is an impactful knowledge. This type of knowing changes the knower; it impacts, affects, transforms. Paul realized that although he had been conformed to the image of Christ, he could become even more like Him. Get to know your Abba. If you will draw near to God, He will draw near to you (James 4:8). If you desire to meet with Him, He WILL meet with you. And through the connection, He will meet with other people and situations. He will. Let’s do it now. Pray with me: Father, it is a great pleasure to be with and commune with You. Thank You for wanting to be with us. We are thrilled that You wanted more sons and daughters. Thank You for wanting friendship with us. We meet with You now to satisfy Your longing, and ours. We love to be with You and we want to know You more. Unveil Yourself to us more and more; show us Your heart and ways. Reveal to us just how profound our partnership with You can be. Help us to understand that You want to meet/connect with people through us; that You want to invade situations through us; that You want to partner with us to change the world. Even now, we ask You to meet with those who don’t know You. [You may want to pause the video or pause in your reading and call out the name/s of family members or friends.] We ask You to encounter them. Cause Your Holy Spirit to hover around them with His holy presence until they are saturated with You. Create hunger in them. Remove the veil from their eyes so they can see You clearly. And Father, we pray regarding the Dobbs abortion case. Meet with the Supreme Court Justices, causing them to align their hearts and minds with Yours. Save those who do not know You. Break deception and darkness off of them. Encounter them, just as You did Saul when You transformed him into Paul. And reverse Roe versus Wade. We pray these things in Christ’s name, Amen. Our decree: We decree that our meetings with God are creating many meetings between Him and others. Click on the link below to watch the full video.

Do Our Prayers Really Matter? “The quest of Jesus Christ on the earth is greatly crippled by wrong notions of the sovereignty of God.” (Jack Hayford) I first heard Pastor Hayford say this 25 to 30 years ago and was greatly impacted. I have never forgotten it. The implications are serious and multi-faceted. The underlying premise is that, due to their concept of God’s sovereignty, many Christians believe God always gets what He wants and that His desire will always be accomplished, regardless of our actions. This belief controls most believers and is manifested in many ways, not the least of which is passivity and complacency. A read through the Bible and a tour of history easily dispels this erroneous belief. God’s will is never for satan to accomplish his stealing, killing, and destroying. Never. As believers, we have a part to play in God’s victories, turnarounds, and the working together of things for our good (Romans 8:28). They do not occur simply because He desires them to, nor do they occur for us just because we are Christians. Actions, prayers and decrees, faith, endurance, obedience, and more, are necessary in order for us to receive the fulfillment of God‘s will and promises. This is why satan tries to “wear down the saints” (Daniel 7:25) through discouragement, hope-deferred, confusion, and more. He cannot stop God…unless he stops us. He cannot defeat God but he can, at times, defeat us and thereby thwart God‘s will. So he tries to make us weary and cause us to lose heart (Galatians 6:9). He also endeavors to distract us through the cares of life, busyness and, as we said to begin this post, by giving us a false sense of assurance through a misunderstanding of God’s sovereignty. To be clear, God is sovereign. The word sovereignty, however, means all authority, not the control of all that happens. The American Constitution is sovereign in our nation but is only manifested when enforced and obeyed by honest and willing people. And so it is with God‘s sovereign will on earth. This brings me to two important exhortations for today’s post. First, I am exhorting and appealing to intercessors - do not grow weary and slack off in your prayers. I know praying and decreeing often over the same situations can be frustrating and even draining. I also realize that the fight of faith is most challenging in its enduring facet. But our prayers are transforming a nation and shaping history. The hard work will be worth all of the effort and sacrifice. Whatever you need to do to infuse fresh determination and commitment into your prayer life, do it! Speak with someone and allow them to encourage you. Read a motivating book. Spend time in God’s presence. Meet with some friends and pray over one another for strength and encouragement. Bind the devil. Kick a chair. Whatever it takes, do it! My second exhortation and appeal is to spiritual leaders around this nation. This is not a time for “business as usual.” It is not a time to “stay the course” of normality. No, we should not panic and react emotionally; but we must take action. Babies are still being killed on a daily basis, some AFTER their botched abortion; millions of yours and my tax dollars are paying for it. Kindergartners are being encouraged to change their gender and attempt to change their bodies - kindergartners! Parents are being prosecuted for trying to stop this. Leftists and socialists have made great progress in their attempt to take over our nation. Our history is being rewritten so that our future can be controlled. Because of this administration’s decisions, America is becoming weaker and weaker militarily. The deterrent of strength is gone. Evil dictators around the world no longer fear us. Only by the grace of God will the world survive another three years of weak leadership. Our economy is a mess, hanging by a thread. To say that things are precarious is truly an understatement. Inflation is out of control, spending is completely unbridled. I could say more, which I’m sure you know. My question is, if we believe in the power of prayer, why are not more churches and leaders praying? If you do not have time for 10, 15, 20-30 minutes of prayer for America and the world when you gather as a congregation, then you have fallen prey to the mindset Jack Hayford lamented. Do we really believe our sermons are more important than the prayer of agreement? Do we really believe that creating an atmosphere of fun and fellowship is more important than travailing over our situation, our future? Do we really believe that “inconveniencing” Christians with services that last more than an hour on a Sunday morning is asking too much? Sadly, for many, the answer to these questions is “yes.” I fear that we are fiddling while our nation burns. We have already reached the point where only a miraculous, divine intervention will save us. Leaders, make a statement to your people. Don’t preach this Sunday - pray! Have 5, 10, 15, 20 trusted people, ready with a one or two-minute prayer. Line them up, give them the microphone and let this be the sermon. Are things not yet to the point in America and the world that we shouldn’t change the schedule for some crisis intervention? Wouldn’t heartfelt tears combined with effectual fervent prayer be in order at this time? Some of those sitting in our pews have NEVER seen this type of prayer in action. Why? If we don’t wake up now, our alarm clock could be World War III. If we don’t take action now, another generation could be lost. Do not hang your hope on an imminent return of Christ. Occupy until He comes! Do not hang your hope on a false concept of the sovereignty of God. He is waiting for us to take action and partner with Him. Let’s do this. Finally, let me say that I know I am preaching primarily to the choir. You probably would not be reading and/or listening to these posts if you weren’t already praying. And I thank you. Please consider sending this post to someone who might be impacted by it. A friend. A family member. Your pastor. Help us spread this message. Thank you for considering this. America shall be saved…as we do our part. Pray with me: Father, we ask You to strengthen the praying church, the remnant that is carrying a heavy load right now. Break off of them any and all weariness and loss of passion. Infuse them with strength, energy, determination, and zeal. May Your zeal, Lord of Hosts, consume them. Give them hearts that will run through a troop and leap over a wall. Raise up warriors in this hour who will fight and fight and fight until they win. Awaken the churches of America to our critical need. Break off of us wrong theology. Remove complacency and false definitions of success. A growing congregation does not mean we are winning the war. Transferring church members so that we can see new faces and fill our pews is not changing nations. Give us pulpits that once again blaze with Your fire. Bring prayer back to prayerless churches. Touch our hearts at a deeper level. We must have Your intervention, and we cry out for this. We cry out for revival. We cry out for souls. We cry out for our nation to turn back to You. We cry out for the people in Ukraine. We cry out for the Afghanis. We cry out for the multitudes in the valley of decision. Take action, Almighty God! Release millions of angels to war for us and with us, Lord of Angel Armies! Give us breakthrough we pray, in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen. Our decree: We decree that the remnant will grow, heaven will hear our cry, and the battle will be turned at the gate. Click on the link below to watch the full video.

Praying for Our Children and Nations in Crisis As you probably know by now, my calling is primarily to America. As you also know by now, this does not mean I am indifferent to what happens elsewhere or that we should limit our prayers to only this nation. Therefore, in today’s post, we will pray for America, but we will also remember our friends in Ukraine and Afghanistan. Our Children Are Targets In the 60s, 70s, and 80s the American church had no vision for keeping God in the public arena. Some of this was simply a lack of good teaching in this area, but another reason was much teaching that Jesus was coming so soon that none of this would matter. We are told in Scripture to believe in and love the coming of the Lord to earth once again. But we are never told to stop discipling nations because we believe it is imminent. In the early 70s, I was actually counseled by spiritual leaders to not even waste my time with college. “Jesus is coming soon,” I was told, “none of that will matter.” He didn’t…and the church in America lost its voice and influence in our society. When the government told us we had no right to inject God and morality into education and we obeyed, a generation was then discipled in secularism (keep God and religion out of the public arena); humanism (man is his own god); relativism (there are no absolutes, truth is defined relative to the present situation); and even atheism. That generation is now ruling our nation. And we find ourselves desperately trying to bring a course correction, a correction that, if not successfully accomplished, will destroy America. In order to propagate their progress, the left is intensely continuing its work on discipling our children. We must fight against this with every weapon we have: righteous leaders, truth, and parental involvement. And we must continue to intercede for the great awakening/revival I speak of so often in these posts. Without the strength and momentum provided by a great outpouring of Holy Spirit, no amount of hard work will succeed. We are simply too far down the road of spiritual death and confusion. In short, it is not either/or, it is both/and - spiritual and civil forces working together to turn our nation around. An example of the left’s attempt to indoctrinate our children and promote their agenda is Governor DeSantis’ current opposition in Florida. The Washington Times shares: “Governor Ron DeSantis, who has made banishing the ‘woke’ agenda a top priority of his administration, is battling gay rights groups and one of Florida’s largest employers in his latest effort: banning sex education from early elementary classrooms. “Mr. DeSantis plans to sign the Parental Rights in Education bill which cleared Florida’s Republican-led Legislature last week in party-line votes after emotional debates in both chambers. “The legislation would prohibit schools from teaching about sexual orientation or sexual identity in kindergarten through third grade, or any other grade ‘in a manner not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate in accordance with state standards.’ “The legislation responds to parents’ complaints that schools are teaching children as young as 5 about transgenderism, homosexuality, and other matters related to sex and gender. “Critics of the bill have hijacked the narrative in mainstream media. They have relabeled the legislation the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill… “Mr. DeSantis is not bowing to public pressure. “He has vowed to sign the bill despite efforts from liberal groups and even Disney. Under pressure from employees and others, Disney executives protested the bill in a phone call with Mr. DeSantis. “‘The chance that I am going to back down from my commitment to students and back down from my commitment to parents’ rights simply because of fraudulent media narratives or pressure from woke corporations, the chances of that are zero,’ Mr. DeSantis told a crowd in Boca Raton on Thursday. “‘You have companies like Disney that are going to criticize parents’ rights, they’re going to criticize the fact that we don’t want transgenderism in kindergarten or in first-grade classrooms,’ Mr. DeSantis told the Boca Raton crowd. ‘If that’s the hill that they’re going to die on, then how do they possibly explain lining their pockets with their relationships with the Communist Party of China?’”(1) Amen! As we pray regarding these issues, we must also remember to pray for Ukraine and Afghanistan. As we have done recently, we are using the good information from our friends John Robb and Intercessors For America to help us pray: Regarding Ukraine - “Nadine Maenza, Chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), suggests Russia’s recent track record is troubling. “‘Russia is one of the worst violators of religious freedom in the world. Narratives that Putin supports Christian values are completely false,’ she tweeted on March 10. “One case in point for Maenza is Russia’s practices in the Crimea and Donbas regions that are occupied by Russia and its agents. In an interview on March 3 with FOX News, she said Russia uses ‘violations to suppress dissent and terrorize the population’ in those places. “The European Evangelical Alliance reports that many evangelical Christians and other groups are labeled as illegal extremists in Donbas — an area of eastern Ukraine overtaken by Russia-backed rebels. Churches have been seized and a Christian university is now occupied by soldiers. Thomas Bucher, general secretary of the Alliance, called Donbas ‘the area of Europe where the church suffers the most.’ “Of course, you need not look that far. In Russia itself, religious groups (except — for now anyway — the Russian Orthodox Church) are at risk. Rounds of purported anti-extremism measures have made life difficult for them. In fact, Russian authorities have been using anti-missionary laws to crack down on several minorities, particularly Protestant Christians and Muslims. They have faced fines and targeted harassment. “Ukraine has been a different story. Mindy Belz recently wrote in the Wall Street Journal, ‘In Ukraine, non-Orthodox Christians, along with Jews and Muslims, hold equal legal standing to the Orthodox majority.’ She notes that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is Jewish, and high-ranking government officials come from a variety of faith backgrounds. “However, that could change if Russian President Vladimir Putin’s latest aggression is successful. Belz points to comments by a former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine suggesting that the invasion could well extend the reach of policies already being executed in Donbas and Crimea.”(2) Our friend John Robb with Transformation Prayer Foundation updates us regarding Afghanistan : “Regarding Afghanistan - one humanitarian group involved in the desperately-needed food distributions there writes: ‘More than 60% of the population don't have enough to eat. Many children, in particular, are malnourished - up to three million according to the UN children's agency UNICEF. There are hardly any jobs, the economy has virtually collapsed, and the country is also suffering from drought. If more help from the outside doesn't arrive soon, it will have terrible repercussions for many in Afghanistan.’ Let’s continue to pray for rescue from the dire food situation and that further much needed help will arrive and be distributed smoothly and safely by humanitarian workers; for the replacement of radical government leaders with moderate ones; and for the protection of brothers and sisters in Christ still in the country.” Pray with me: Father, in the past we relinquished our influence in government, education, and our society in general. Rather than influencing, occupying, and discipling until You come, we neglected all of the above. We repent of this. We ask You to give us a supernatural reversal. Please give us righteous leaders with a biblical worldview in government. Give us the same in education and media. We thank You for the stand Governor DeSantis is making. Give him strength to endure, keep him strong. Help us remove these evil teachings from our classrooms. Send such a strong revival that our kids, parents, and educators alike have Your laws and ways written on their hearts. Cause truth to be so embedded in their hearts that it influences their reasoning and common sense. And give us spiritual leaders who will stand for truth. Awaken the church. Give backbones of steel to those who lead Your people, men and women emboldened to speak truth. Break passivity off of them, and beliefs that cause them to acquiesce. May they be ablaze with truth and holy fire. We pray also for our friends in Ukraine and Afghanistan. Work miracles to protect them. Comfort the hearts of families that are now separated, and that have lost loved ones. Enable relief organizations to get to those who need food, clothing, and shelter. Empower the believers there to boldly preach the gospel. Confirm Your word with signs and wonders. Use these evils to bring millions to Yourself - make satan pay! Release Your righteous judgments against evil and evildoers. We ask You for these things in the all-powerful name of Christ. Amen. Our decree: We decree that revival is coming to the nations of the earth and will NOT be stopped. Click on the link below to watch the full video. ________________________________- https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2022/mar/11/ron-desantis-takes-disney-gay-rights-groups-over-s/ https://ifapray.org/blog/imminent-risk-for-ukraine-faithful/

War With Covenant Last week I told you that I would prove to you David defeated Goliath on the strength of his history. That begins today. The first thing God tells us in the story is the location of the battle. “Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle; and they were gathered at Socoh which belongs to Judah, and they camped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim. Saul and the men of Israel were gathered and camped in the valley of Elah, and drew up in battle array to encounter the Philistines” (1 Samuel 17:1-2). I realize that doesn’t interest you. You’re like me: Come on, Holy Spirit, get to the good stuff: Goliath’s description; the drama of his taunts; the fear of the Israelites; David, the young sheepherder; the battle; off with the giant’s head. I skipped those two boring verses for the first 60 years of my life. And missed a nugget. This location was in the territory of Judah, which was the tribe David was part of. Holy Spirit was informing us, right from the start, that this land belonged to David and his tribe. It had been given to them by God generations ago. David had more than squatter’s rights to the property the giant was trying to claim; he had divine rights. If he followed God’s instructions, these first two verses of the story assure him of victory. The God who created and owns the earth (see Psalm 24:1) had the right to give it to whomever He pleased. And in history, He had given it to the tribe David belonged to. Battle over. Don’t think so? I’ll give you another reference that reinforces this truth. When Nehemiah was allowed by the Persian King Artaxerxes to return to Jerusalem in order to rebuild its walls, he faced great opposition. The locals, led by Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem, despised the Jews and were determined to stop them from building. When Nehemiah faced their threats and opposition, he stated his case for success in one verse: “I answered by saying, ‘The God of heaven will give us success. We, His servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it’” (Nehemiah 2:20, NIV, italics mine). “We have a historical, God-given right to this city,” Nehemiah declared. “You don’t. Therefore, we win, you lose.” Case closed. It is beyond doubt that God raised up America for His purposes. I will say more in the next chapter regarding our God-given history. For now, however, suffice it to say that He owns America, just as He does the entire earth; and in that right of ownership, He delegated stewardship of this nation to followers of Christ, believers who would partner with Him in His great cause of redeeming the world. Do not listen to the liars and revisionists that say otherwise, be they secularists or deceived Christian leaders. If the body of Christ in America ever fully grasps this revelation, the giants attempting to steal our nation have no chance. Uncircumcised Philistine David’s next “history weapon” can be seen in the fact that not once did he call Goliath by name. He referred to him only as the “uncircumcised Philistine.” What is that all about? Imagine two guys about to fight, perhaps in a bar or at a rugby match, who begin to shout insults at one another. Jed: “You’re ugly.” Jethro: “Your mama is ugly.” Jed: “You’re a wimp.” Jethro: “You couldn’t beat up a flea.” I know, these are a little weak. Not exactly Rambo-level insults but I’m trying to keep it clean here. And you get my point - insults and degrading salvos are flying back and forth. Then, one of them shouts at the other, sealing the deal with the ultimate insult: “Well, You’re UNCIRCUMCISED!” Huh? Didn’t see that one coming. As strange as this seems, there was actually an important reason for David’s choice of names. Circumcision symbolized covenant with God (Genesis 17:13). Since the days of Abraham, this had been the case. It was a requirement mandated by God, some believe, for health purposes. Circumcision served the added purpose, however, of picturing New Testament believers who would have the “flesh” of our hearts circumcised (see Romans 2:28-29). For our purposes in this story, however, what we must understand is that David was stating to the giant, “I’m in covenant with God; you’re not. Since those in covenant with one another share enemies, you’ll be fighting God, not just me. This battle won’t be decided by your size, experience, weaponry or strength. It was decided a long time ago when my Grand-daddy cut covenant with God, and I’m going to defeat you with my covenantal history. I win; you lose.” No wonder secularists want to steal America’s history with God! We shouldn’t be surprised that former President Obama once said we were not a Christian nation, contending that we were also a Muslim nation, a Hindu nation, an atheist nation, and so on.(1) Karl Marx once said, “The first battlefield is to rewrite history.”(2) The demons controlling Marx knew the importance and power of history. And, of course, demons today inspire anti-Christ forces in America to try and rewrite our history for the same reasons. As believers, we must stake our claim to the fact that God birthed America, and that He and our Founders made covenantal promises to one another. I’m not suggesting that God and those who came to these shores entered into a covenant on the same level as the old and new covenants in Scripture. There are different levels of covenants, however. The biblical word means “a compact, confederacy, league.”(3) The great Brown Driver-Briggs lexicon defines it not only as covenant, but as “an alliance (of friendship); an alliance (of marriage); a constitution; agreement.” The fact that our Founders covenanted with God when they came to this land is beyond dispute. Take time to read America’s Covenant With God by Dr. Eddie Hyatt, which makes this abundantly clear. Here is a link to that article. Do not underestimate the importance of this. God put into the hearts of our forefathers to come to this land. He did so to raise up a nation that would form an “alliance,” a “sacred “agreement” (the definitions of covenant) to partner with Him for the propagation of the gospel to all the earth, to be a city on a hill shining His light for all to see. Obviously, God’s intent was not for this to be accomplished through abusing First Nations people. Agreements, covenants, and purchases of the land could have taken place with them, just as William Penn did in what is now Pennsylvania.(4) His land and covenant is the “seed” of our nation (Penn’s words), not Washington, D.C. God’s plan is obviously for all races and ethnicities to share in the privilege of representing Him and enjoying the benefits that come with this. In spite of our failures such as those with Native Americans, however, God redeems, cleanses, and continues to use us, just as He did with Abraham. We must believe this, and do as David did: stake our claim to this land based on our alignment with God and His plans, purposes, and promises. That is what empowers us to take out giants. Politics won’t defeat them; money won’t, great plans and strategies won’t, and well-meaning leaders won’t. Covenant will! As we mentioned earlier, people aligned in covenant share resources and strengths; they also share enemies. If the Ekklesia in America face the giants of our day armed with the decrees that this land belongs to God (“The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof” - Psalm 24:1); that He Himself established our nation to represent Him; and that we now resist them in His name - we will defeat them! War with covenant! War with history! Pray with me: Father, we thank You for America’s history with You. We are humbled by the privilege of partnering with You in Your great cause. Thank You for cleansing and healing our unrighteous past. We acknowledge that we are in another season that finds us requiring Your mercy, forgiveness, and healing. The powers of darkness have determined to cripple, and ultimately stop, us from being a voice and light for You. A rebellious culture, enabled by a lukewarm church, has allowed them to make great progress. But today we grab hold of our covenant with You. We stand on the fact that You keep covenant and mercy to a thousand generations (Deuteronomy 7:9). We reach back into our history, declare our faith in You, and decree that we will once again be a light to the nations. We will once again be a strong voice of the gospel and of freedom to all the nations of the earth. On the other hand, the giants opposing You are in covenant with satan and his kingdom, whom You have defeated and stripped of his authority. So, in the authority of Your name, we decree that the giants of unrighteous government, false religion, pride, murder, and immorality will fall. They will no longer succeed in ruling this nation. Jesus will be exalted. Yahweh will be honored. Revival is here and coming. America shall be saved. Our decree: We decree that our covenant with Yahweh through the blood of Jesus Christ, and the covenant we made with Him as a nation, will defeat every giant of darkness in America. Tomorrow we will see more indications that David faced the giant through the power of history. Portions of today’s post were taken from my book Giants Will Fall. Click on the link below to watch today's full prayer. _______________________________ Obama, Barack. “‘Call to Renewal’ Keynote Address.” Washington, D.C., June 2006. www.obama.senate.gov Washington, Ellis. The Progressive Revolution: History of Liberal Fascism Through the Ages, Volume V, 2014-15 Writings. (Lanham, MD: Hamilton Books, 2017). p.219. Strong, James. The New Strong’s Expanded Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Red-Letter Edition. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2001). Reference no. 1285. https://www.historycentral.com/TheColonies/peenind.html

Heaven is Warring with Us An allegory is “a representation of an abstract or spiritual meaning through concrete or material forms; figurative treatment of one subject under the guise of another” (Dictionary.com). The use of a plow to break up hard or fallow ground in scripture is an example of this. Hosea 10:12 tells us: “Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till He comes and rains righteousness upon you.” (KJV) Intercessors “turn up” the soil of a heart or nation with their intercession. Our friend Gina Gholston was given a fascinating dream picturing this: “My daddy was a farmer and was country to the core, even using mules to plow his garden. I have watched him walk behind the plow as it turned up dirt, preparing the ground to receive seeds that would eventually yield a harvest. Dad taught me that there were different plows for different needs, one being a turning plow. This plow would dig deep. No rock or clod of clay could resist its strength as it moved through the ground exposing and uprooting. With the turning plow in use, nothing would hinder the planting and growth of the garden. “Last year God gave me a dream where I saw a giant turning plow sitting in front of the U.S. Capitol Building. The dream is too long and detailed to share in this post, but it can be read in its entirety in my book Dreams of Awakening. In this dream, God showed me hundreds of intercessors, who were ‘plowing’ across the nation. Some were holding the handle directing the plow and keeping it on course. Others were actually pulling the plow toward the West. The blade of this ‘turning’ plow dug deep, causing the ground to split open ahead of us like a ripe watermelon. The split went all the way to the West Coast, and beyond. We quickly realized the plow was breaking open and exposing an underground tunnel, where major demon activity had been secretly operating. As the tunnel was exposed, thousands of demons, armed with small daggers, began to boil out of the ground like a swarm of angry, vicious wasps in an attempt to defend their hiding place. But reinforcements were near. Along with the intercessors traveled a massive host of angels with huge swords. They were on assignment to accompany and fight alongside them. It was as if a war was taking place as they plowed. However, the plowing was almost effortless, and the hosts of Heaven were fighting for them, easily destroying the demons. “There are many more details to the dream I haven’t shared here but, in the end, the intercessors finished their assignment and ‘plowed’ across the entire United States. Upon their arrival at the West Coast shore, they turned to look back toward the East from where they had come expecting to see a huge mess. To their surprise, however, they saw that the nation was completely whole. In fact, they heard the land singing the old hymn, ‘It is well with my soul.’ “What we see happening in our nation today cannot be understood with only the natural mind; it is spiritual in nature. For years, evil agendas have been working undercover through covert means, in an ultimate attempt to remove God’s truth and extinguish the light of Christ in this nation. Principalities and hordes of demonic spirits have made relentless efforts to dismantle our righteous foundation and destroy God’s purposes. But their attempts will not succeed and hell’s agenda will fail! The ‘turning’ has begun. We have now moved into the fulfillment of the prophesied Great Awakening that will bring change to the spiritual, governmental, and social landscape of America. “Be assured that the awakening revival of which we speak is not a reaction on the part of God against what hell is doing, nor an attempt being made by Him in hopes of combating hell’s operations. God is in no way reacting to the evil in America; satan is not calling the shots. Holy Spirit is not spending His time and efforts putting out the devil’s rebellious and evil fires. The Awakening now unfolding was determined long before satan’s plans began. “God’s prophetic declaration in the Garden of Eden rings loudly in the ears of satan on a daily basis: ‘I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel,’ (Genesis 3:15). Jesus came, just as God said, and His finished work on the cross—His death, burial, and resurrection—was for the purpose of destroying the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). Ephesians 1:22 tells us that God has put all things under Jesus’ feet. Jesus is the head of the body, which is the church. As the body of Christ on earth, He has put all things under our feet. Paul declares that God is going to use our feet to crush satan (Romans 16:20). “Victory belongs to Jesus, and His victory has become our victory. God’s plan is moving forward, and as Christ’s ambassadors, we stand with confidence in our Savior and His assured victory. As the standing Ekklesia, we are putting pressure on satan, ‘bruising his head’ as a reminder of his eternal defeat. “Though it may have seemed for a time that satan’s plan was being successful, the truth is, his plan is actually unraveling. God’s people have found their ‘voice,’ and we are taking our place in a posture of prayer and obedience to God. The cover-up of satan’s agenda is being removed as God’s plan of the ages is unfolding: ‘And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,’ (Isaiah 40:5). The land is preparing its song of victory, ‘It is well with my soul,’ as the healing power of God is administered to bring things back into His order. “The time of turning has come! Keep plowing. Keep praying. Keep believing. God’s plan has been set in motion. Be assured of the good work that God began in His people and in America, He is faithful, able, and determined to complete it!” I’ve shared posts for the past two days about finishing our assignment to turn America. Let’s persevere! Pray with me: Father, we acknowledge and decree that You alone are God. America is one nation under You. Though the prophetic purposes of our nation seemed to have been fading into the shadows of an ungodly culture, Your eyes have searched and found within Your Ekklesia, hearts that are completely Yours. Through us, You will now show Yourself strong! With demonstrations of Your love and might, You will bring an undeniable awakening and awareness of Your presence that will bring change to the nation. As Your intercessors, we put our hand to the plow. We declare that every plot and scheme of the enemy is being uncovered, and the hosts of Heaven will be loosed on the earth to destroy every work of darkness. What has been sent by hell to discourage Your people and to stop Your plans for America will be overturned, and Your Glory will be revealed. Your verdict has been made and it cannot be overruled! We stand in faith and agreement with You now to declare that verdict: “America shall be saved!” In the name and authority of our victorious King Jesus, we pray! Amen! Our decree: America will be revived, healed, and rise as the nation God purposed her to be. God’s determined verdict has been made, and it cannot be overruled! The turning has begun! You can find out more about Gina Gholston here. Portions of today’s post were taken from her book Dreams of Awakening. Click on the link below to watch the full video.

Release Your Battle Cry Yesterday I spoke to you about the warrior nature of God. Though He is love, He is most certainly also a warrior. And Holy Spirit wants to awaken His warrior heart in us, the Ekklesia. As the Lion of Judah, Yeshua wants to roar from us. “The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter His voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the Lord will be the hope of His people, and the strength of the children of Israel.” (Joel 3:16; KJV) Holy Spirit gave my friend, Scott Reece, a powerful word regarding this: “There is an aligning among My lions that will usher in a new shift in the earth. Powers will shift, authority will shift and ungodly rulers will be unseated. “I am making room for those that are righteous to rule in the land. Angel armies have been assembled for the purposes of strategic warfare. They will usher in a wave of a godly generation that will hold the standard, even against the darkest nights. This is a generation unlike any other. The cry of My people in desperate times has activated a warfare strategy that will catch the enemy sleeping and off guard. The hallowed halls of men’s political achievements will be shaken to the core and those very halls will reverberate with a sound of worship and righteousness. “You will witness a breaking down of the political divide and see the establishment of a righteous government, a government that will demonstrate the very power of men and women holding a righteous scepter in their hands. You will see a governmental body that will actually stop and pray before a vote is held in order to ascertain My heart. The podium will be used for godly leaders crying out together in faith, as opposed to arguing, defending unrighteousness, offending My heavens, and shutting off the land from My purposes. “The foundation of this alignment will be laid by My apostles and prophets. The aligning will be a source of activation, release, and unity among my Ekklesia. Do not become distracted by the lying whimpers of the enemy. Do not become discouraged by divisive methodologies designed to deter you. “Set your heart in alignment with My word and My purposes. Align with those apostolic and prophetic voices I am raising up in the land. You will hear different roars with different anointings, but as they align, you will see clearly that I am in the midst of the roar and My voice is at the center. My Word is emerging as a new wine that is being poured out.” What a powerful and encouraging word. Holy Spirit is roaring through our prayers. The Bible speaks not only of God’s people roaring, but also of releasing a battle cry. Psalm 47 tells us: “O clap your hands, all peoples; Shout to God with the voice of joy. For the Lord Most High is to be feared, A great King over all the earth. He subdues peoples under us and nations under our feet…God has ascended with a shout, The Lord, with the sound of a trumpet.” (Psalm 47:1-3,5; NASB) Shout is the Hebrew word rua. The word describes a war cry, a shout of victory over one’s enemy on the battlefield. It was also used for “blowing” the shofar before a battle; one definition is “to split the ears with sound.” Mel Gibson’s rendition of William Wallace in Braveheart comes to mind: “FREEDOM!!!!!” The word is translated “sound the alarm” in Joel 2:1. In this context, it means “we’re going to war.” The passage in Psalm 47 tells us if we are willing to lift a rua and fight, God will begin to shout with us (verse 5): He “ascends with a shout.” And as God arises, His enemies are scattered (Psalm 68:1). They flee before Him! My point is quite simple: There is “a time for war and a time for peace” (Ecclesiastes 3:8; NASB). There is a time to shout, roar and FIGHT. And though the warfare I speak of is spiritual it must be no less intense. Our spiritual warfare, through prayer, will determine the eternal destiny of billions of people. Our battle is to relieve the suffering of millions. We must pray with passion, fervency, and faith. Perhaps you should consider finding a private place and raising your voice at the demonic assault in Ukraine. Consider going to your basement and rua-ing over your unsaved family member, a deceived friend, or a demonic government. A shout of war is just as terrifying to the ears of demons as it is to human soldiers on a battlefield. Don’t let your dignity silence your roar. When Jesus said “It is finished” (John 19.30) at the end of His time on the Cross, He did not quietly whisper those words, as is often thought. It was actually one word, and He shouted it! (Matthew 27:50) Nor was Christ referring to His death, as many think. Jesus shouted the word tetelestai if He chose to use the Greek word John gives us. However, He spoke both Greek and Hebrew, and was quoting from Psalm 22:31 when He made this announcement. If He actually used the Hebrew word from that verse, it would still have only been one word, asah. Either word would have been a declaration that Christ had finished the assignment given Him. The Greek word actually meant “to pay a debt in full.” The Hebrew word is also the word for “creating” something. Perhaps Jesus was announcing the new creation! We do know that when Christ made this declaration, the ground shook, rocks split and people were raised from the dead (Matthew 27:50-53). His words rent the heavens, shook the earth, and broke the power of death. Now He wants to speak through you. Declare His finished work over your situation. Decree His victory over the nations. Read Psalm 2 out loud over America, Ukraine, the Middle East. Shout “asah” over unsaved family members, your sick body, your checkbook. Release the roar! Pray with me: Father, thank You for Your encouraging word through Scott. Thank You for hearing and using our prayers. We are not just accomplishing a religious exercise when we intercede. To the contrary, it still works. You use our prayers to bring forth Your plans in the earth. And we know that at times this requires spiritual warfare. We must bind and loose (Matthew 16:18-19). We must wrestle; we must fight. And yet, we also know that when we do this, we are not defeating satan, we are enforcing his defeat at Calvary. Jesus paid the debt for our freedom in full. He delivered us from the authority of darkness, and we now enforce this victory in His name. We release healing in our bodies. We break deception off of those blinded by sin. We release the winds of revival around the world. We declare that even though satan is on a rampage to steal, kill and destroy, the power of Holy Spirit is coming to the nations of the earth with a massive revival. We release all of this in Jesus’ name. Amen. Our decree: We decree that Holy Spirit power is released from the roar of Christ’s Ekklesia. Click on the link below to watch the full video.

It Still Works...Even at the North Pole We have been talking about impacting the invisible realm of the spirit, in order to bring about change in the visible, natural realm. When Christ announced the creation of the church, His ekklesia on earth, He made it very clear that this church would need to understand how to release His governmental authority first and foremost in the spiritual realm - “heavenly places.” “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:18-19 NASB). Spiros Zodhiates, in his amazing Hebrew/Greek, Key Word Study Bible says, “A more accurate translation of verse 19 from the Greek is ‘And I will give thee the keys of the kingdom of the heavens. And whatever thou shalt bind on the earth shall be as having been bound in the heavens; and whatever thou shalt loose on the earth shall be as having been loosed in the heavens.’” The keys (authority) Christ said He would give us were obviously spiritual, not physical. This, of course, means the binding, loosing, and overcoming of the gates of hell would all happen in the invisible, spiritual realm, as well. We, the church, must win our victories first in these “heavenly places.” Then we can reap the fruit on earth. This is why we appeal to heaven; it releases power in the heavens, to give us victory on earth. Some are given unique prayer assignments. The following is an example of an unusual assignment in order to release breakthrough in the spirit. In 1998 John Halvorsen received an unusual assignment from the Lord. He heard it through Genesis 13:17: “Arise, walk the land, the length and the breadth of it, for I intend to give it to you.” Sensing this was God’s voice speaking to him, John began to walk - from the Canadian border to the Gulf of Mexico, praying for America every step of the way. He followed Highway 61, the Great River Road, asking God for a free flow of Holy Spirit’s river to flow across our nation, bringing a mighty revival. 1999 found him walking from the Pacific Ocean in Oregon to the Atlantic Ocean in Delaware. He prayed for American intercessors to hear the need for deeper prayer for our nation, sensing turbulent times were ahead. In the year 2000, John and his wife Sandy drove the perimeter of America. God had given him a scripture for each state. Along the way, they stopped in four particular cities to blow the shofar and call for the winds of revival to blow through America: Seattle, Los Angeles, Miami, and New York City. And the assignments haven’t ceased. In 2015, John heard the Lord direct him to take the Appeal to Heaven flag to the North and South Poles, making prophetic declarations from the ends of the earth. He reached the North Pole in 2016 and in 2017, the South Pole. I’ve seen photos of him there with violent winds blowing, as he planted The Appeal to Heaven flag in the frozen ground. John has also walked over 6,000 miles across Europe and Asia, from Portugal to the Chinese border, praying and declaring God’s word, asking that His presence would cover the land. His wife Sandy joined him on that adventure, just as she did on their first Prayer Walk America journey of 1998. As recently as 2019, John prayer walked 3200 miles from Los Angeles to Chicago, to New York City. Wow. Today, you will find John and Sandy once again, walking the land, answering God’s assignment for them. They are currently walking from Miami to Seattle, their fourth walk across our nation. John will cover about 3,500 miles, calling out to God, asking Him for a spiritual awakening to come to our great land. You can find out more about them at prayerwalkamerica.com or find them on Facebook: Prayer Walk America, An Appeal to Heaven. Keep your eyes peeled. I believe they are crossing the heartland right now. These are long journeys - some as long as nine months. Why are the Halvorsens convinced God has asked them to walk across America, and even Europe and Asia? They are convinced, as am I, that God desires to bring another great awakening - not just to America - but to the entire globe. So, you may say, if God desires for it to happen, why are they spending their time, money, and energy walking and praying. And they aren’t young ones - they are my age! But as I’ve been teaching you from Scripture, God’s will is not automatic. He desires to work through you and me, His people, as we cooperate and partner with Him, filling the bowls of heaven (Revelation 5:8) with our prayers and decrees, cooperating with Holy Spirit to bring an unprecedented move of God. Pray with me: Dear Lord, we thank You for courageous men and women like John and Sandy Halvorsen. They are not unlike Your friend from the desert, John the Baptist, who cried out to You from unusual places. We ask that You keep them safe and healthy. Send new friends along the way to help, bringing them food and provisions, and co-laboring with them as they proclaim Your Word and will across this great land. On this day, when all across America people continue to celebrate our nation’s birthday, we give thanks for our many freedoms. We partner with You, Lord, and cry out for a great move of Your Spirit to come to this land. God, mix our prayers with the prayers of our nation’s founders who made incredible sacrifices to see this land established. We are grateful for their vision and determination. Come, Lord, sweep across America with a fresh wind of Your Spirit. We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen. Our decree: We decree that America will once again fall in love with Jesus, and we pledge to do whatever it takes (even walk across America) to see it happen. Click below to watch the prayer.

Finish This! Yesterday we talked about a remnant of Israelites under the leadership of Zerubbabel (governor) and Joshua (high priest), returning to Jerusalem from decades of captivity in Babylon. Their first responsibility was to rebuild God’s Temple. King Cyrus had allowed them to return, and even helped raise the funds to do the rebuilding, as well as returning all the Temple’s articles of silver and gold, which Nebuchadnezzar had stolen – 54000 of them. This returning remnant rebuilt the foundation of the Temple and then held a massive celebration service. The celebrating was short-lived, however. Opposition came from neighboring people who hired anti-Yahweh lobbyists to spread rumors and spoil the king’s thinking. The remnant of Israel became fearful and discouraged (Ezra 4:4-5). Rather than trust God to sort things out and continue giving them favor, they stopped work on the Temple for 16 years! For 16 years all they had accomplished for God’s house, the Temple, was to pour a slab. Of course, during this time they had built their own homes and businesses. Finally, God had enough of their complacency and raised up a prophet, Haggai, to deliver His message to them: “On the first day of the sixth month of the second year in the reign of King Darius of Persia, God’s message was delivered by the prophet Haggai to the governor of Judah, Zerubbabel, and to the high priest, Joshua. God-of-the-Angel-Armies says: ‘The people procrastinate. They say this isn't the right time to rebuild My Temple, the Temple of God.’ 'Shortly after that, God said more and Haggai spoke it: ‘How is it that it's the "right time" for you to live in your fine homes while Mine is in ruins?’ "And then a little later, God-of-the-Angel-Armies spoke out yet again: ‘Take a good, hard look at your life. Think it over. You’ve spent a lot of money, but you haven’t much to show for it. You keep filling your plates, but you never get filled up. You keep drinking and drinking and drinking, but you are always thirsty. You put on layer after layer of clothes, but you can’t get warm.' That’s why God-of-the-Angel-Armies said: 'Take a good, hard look at your life. Think it over.’ "Then God said: ‘Here is what I want you to do: Climb into the hills and cut some timber. Bring it down and rebuild the Temple. Do it just for Me. Honor Me. You’ve had great ambitions for yourselves, but nothing has come of it. The little you have brought to My Temple, I've blown away - there was nothing to it. And why? Because while you have run around, caught up with taking care of your own houses, My home is in ruins. That’s why. Because of your stinginess. "And so I’ve given you a dry summer and a meager crop. I’ve matched your tight-fisted stinginess by decreeing a season of drought, drying up fields and hills, withering gardens and orchards, stunting vegetables, and fruit. Nothing—not man or woman, not animal or crop—is going to thrive.' "Then the governor, Zerubbabel , Joshua the high priest, and all the people with them listened, really listened, to the voice of their God. When God sent the prophet Haggai to them, they paid attention to him. In listening to Haggai, they honored God. Then Haggai, God’s messenger, preached God’s message to the people: 'I am with you!’” (Haggai 1:1-14; MSG) When the people responded appropriately to God’s words, He was quick to respond with grace and favor. It wasn’t really those in opposition to God that were His problem; He was able to deal with them. What He needed was a people of faith who would not bow to fear, discouragement or self-centeredness. When they were able to shake free from these things, God favored them once again and said, “I am with you! Let’s go!” A month later, Haggai prophesied again, "Tell Governor Zerubbabel, High Priest Joshua and all the people: ‘Is there anyone here who saw the Temple the way it used to be, all glorious? And what do you see now? Not much, right? So get to work, Zerubbabel! Get to work, Joshua, high priest! Get to work, all you people! Yes, get to work! For I am with you...Put into action the word I covenanted with you when you left Egypt. I’m living and breathing among you right now. Don’t be timid. Don’t hold back. Before you know it, I will shake up sky and earth, ocean and fields. And I’ll shake down all the godless nations. They’ll bring bushels of wealth and I will fill this Temple with splendor...I own the silver, I own the gold. This Temple is going to end up far better than it started out, a glorious beginning but an even more glorious finish: a place in which I will hand out wholeness and holiness.'” (Haggai 2:1-9; MSG) I have felt for quite some time that many in the church of America have grown weary in their prayers for revival and the turning around of our nation. Evil lobbyists, media opposition, inappropriate laws, intimidating government agencies, elections that don’t go our way, evil politicians - satan has used these and more to try and wear us down. Consequently, many have done just what these Israelites did - decided it must not be time for our turnaround and that, when God is ready, He’ll do it. God, however, needs for us to persevere in our faith and prayers. He does not want us to pull away from this holy assignment of turning our nation back to Him through a sweeping revival. We must not be intimidated. We must not bow to slander, threats or complacency. We must stay the course! I keep hearing the words of my friend and co-laborer, Don Lynch, who moved to heaven a couple weeks ago. I posted a portion of a message he recently gave where he prophesied the word of the Lord to the praying church, “You must finish this! Finish this! Finish this!” And so we must. We must finish this assignment of turning America back to God. We must pray and decree God’s words until revival is burning uncontrollably in America, and then around the world. We must let nothing – wars, threats, fear, discouragement, setbacks, unbelief – we must let nothing stop us. Finish this! Pray with me: Father, You have begun a good work in our nation. You have added apostles and prophets to the leadership of the church. You have raised up intercessors and a remnant of people who are determined to see revival in America. We are determined to see America turn back to You and accomplish all You have destined for her. We are determined to see righteousness in our government once again. We are determined to see the young generation of Americans come to know You. We are determined to see world-wide revival - at least a billion souls. We will not stop with a foundation. We will not yield to any opposition. We will not yield to fear, confusion, unbelief, discouragement, or selfishness. We will finish this! We WILL finish this! Raise up Haggai’s in our day with Your words. Stir the hearts of Your people. Stir up those whose hearts once burned with fire for revival and breakthrough, yet who now have settled for less. Stir up pastors who have chosen to settle for less than the fires of revival. Stir up intercessors who have allowed the fire to go out. Awaken us all to Your passion in this hour. May there be a roar of intercession that is released in this nation and the nations of the earth. We ask You, "Rend the heavens and come down!" We ask all of this in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen. Our decree: God is with us, and we will arise and build! Click on the link below to watch the full video.