(Before I share today’s post I want to issue a correction for yesterday‘s post. In paragraph four, I said that the word “covenant” is in the Declaration of Independence. Since I had referenced the Declaration of Independence already in the paragraph, one of my proofers assumed I was still talking about this document, and changed the word “declaration” to “Declaration of Independence.” I was not referring to that. I was referencing the statement made by Robert Hunt at Cape Henry in 1607. He used the word “covenant” in his declaration. I did not catch this late last night until I was actually recording the post, nor did my proofer. This is now corrected in the written post at GiveHim15.com.) THE TREE SHALL LIVE Yesterday I began discussing a significant dream given to our friend, Gina Gholston. Here is the dream again: “I dreamed I was with some prayer leaders, including Dutch Sheets. We walked through a field of tall grass and noticed a hill in front of us. This caught our attention because it was the only hill around us. The rest of the land was a level, grassy field. “On the top of the hill was a huge, very old, beautiful tree. We were so captivated by this tree that we decided to climb the hill to get a closer look. The tree was the only thing on the hill, and its canopy was so large that shade from it covered the entire hill. The ground around the tree was level, and the grass was tall and thick. “We were in awe of this beautiful tree, amazed at the size of the trunk and the massive expanse of its canopy. As we walked around the tree, looking up into the branches, someone tripped over what appeared to be a root protruding out of the ground. All of a sudden, these ‘roots’ appeared everywhere. Where there had been tall, thick grass, now there was no grass, and these ‘roots’ were laying all over the top of the ground. They had not been there when we first arrived. We were very puzzled by this, so I walked over and looked at one of them more closely. “As I did, I could see that the ‘root’ was moving. The movement had not been obvious until I looked more closely. I motioned for my friend to come to where I was standing, and whispered to her, ‘Watch this!’ We both could clearly see the ‘root’ was moving. “I walked over to Dutch and said, ‘These are not roots; they’re the backbones of demons. They are alive and are eating the root system of this beautiful tree.’ The demons didn’t realize we could see them, but their backbones were exposed and we could see their movements. “I then asked the prayer leaders, ‘What should we do about this?’ “Dutch replied, ‘I know what to do!’ He stepped away for a moment and then returned carrying a perfectly carved wooden staff. “Someone asked, ‘What is that?’ “I knew what he held and said, ‘This is a staff that has been carved from an old tamarisk tree. Tamarisks are evergreens.’ “Dutch nodded his head yes. He then handed the staff to me, and I walked over to one of the demon backbones. I struck it with the evergreen staff and, as I did, the demon vanished. I could physically hear the sound ‘poof;’ and it was gone. I began walking from ‘root’ to ‘root’ hitting them with the evergreen staff. I then looked at the other prayer leaders and noticed that they all now had staffs in their hands made from evergreens. They, too, were using the staffs to destroy the demons. Together, we shattered every demon and saved the tree.” End of dream. The large, beautiful tree high on the hill, surrounded by green grass, obviously represents America. Our nation has long been referred to as, “a city on a hill,” spoken of frequently by our nation’s founders and leaders. No less than 13 Presidents have used this phrase in referencing America. “‘A City upon a Hill’ is a phrase derived from the teaching of Salt and Light in Jesus's Sermon on the Mount (from Matthew 5:14). In a modern context, it is used in United States politics to refer to America acting as a "beacon of hope" for the world.(1) “This scripture was cited at the end of Puritan John Winthrop's lecture or treatise, ‘A Model of Christian Charity’ delivered on March 21, 1630, at Holyrood Church in Southampton before his first group of Massachusetts Bay colonists embarked on the ship Arbella to settle Boston.(2)(3) In quoting Matthew's Gospel (5:14) in which Jesus warns, ‘a city on a hill cannot be hid,’ Winthrop warned his fellow Puritans that their new community would be ‘as a city upon a hill, the eyes of all people are upon us,’ meaning, if the Puritans failed to uphold their covenant with God, then their sins and errors would be exposed for all the world to see: ‘So that if we shall deal falsely with our God in this work we have undertaken and so cause Him to withdraw His present help from us, we shall be made a story and a byword through the world.’”(4) Could any warning have been more poignant and more true? The green grass around the tree represents the blessing and prosperity of God (Psalm 23:2). America has been blessed and exalted for centuries under God’s favor and blessings. In the dream, however, the green pastures had already disappeared and the roots were now being destroyed. It doesn’t take an arborist to know that a tree can still look and seem healthy for some time, even when the roots have begun to die. America is on life-support. Our covenant roots are dying. No honest person can deny this truth. Many in our government are dishonest, much of our education system is a joke, our financial health is hanging by a thread, our first and most fundamental right - freedom of speech - is being stolen, we kill our babies, the family unit has been decimated, we don’t know male from female, college professors are stating that pedophilia is healthy, kindergartners are being taught that they can change their gender, our president is mentally challenged and the laughingstock of the world, our history is being revised, and the church - God’s remedy for these evils - has become weak and a subculture, rather than being salt and light. Sadly, the list could go on. To state that the grass is no longer green and the roots of the tree are dying is an understatement of monumental proportions. Demons, in the dream, previously hidden underground and thinking they were still hidden, could now be seen destroying the roots of this great tree. This is such an accurate and horrifying portrayal of what is occurring in America! Through sin, compromise, lies, and deception, demons are destroying America’s godly roots. People are being used, of course, but the real cause behind America’s demise is demonic. While we must work to stop the plans and attempts of those attempting to destroy our nation, these attempts will fail if we don’t deal with the spiritual, demonic source. In the dream, their activity was exposed. God has been and continues to expose the corruption and evil in America. Many leaders have been saying this would occur. When the 2020 election was not turned around as so many hoped, I (one of many) began sensing and saying, “This delay is to bring exposure of the evil at work in America.” I knew God would now reveal evil, corruption, lies, and devious intentions. I didn’t foresee the absolute stupidity that would also be revealed. I’m not trying to be insulting or mean-spirited. There simply is no other way to describe many of the mindsets and plans manifesting in America. Many people are revealing themselves to be fools. In the dream, government didn’t save the tree roots. They cannot do so. Once the demonic activity is destroyed, government can be reformed and then be part of rebuilding our nation. But only prayer can save the roots. Church activities and programs, great preaching and teaching, evangelism programs and Bible studies; government leaders, actions and programs, better laws; changes in our education system; an honest media; these are all needed but none of it can save America. Please hear me: only God, through the power of prayer, including spiritual warfare, can save America. We must have a resurrection! And then the staffs appeared in the dream. Tamarisk tree staffs. The tamarisk tree is an evergreen. I posted about this yesterday. Evergreens symbolize covenant, just as they did in the life of Abraham and other cultures. Washington placed an evergreen tree on the Appeal To Heaven flag. God could not be more clear. America must return to her covenant roots. The praying church must war by decreeing and declaring God’s covenantal purposes for us. When we say what God says it is a powerful weapon against the enemy. Our words carry spiritual power. Speak and declare His written word, of course. Nothing is more powerful than His words given to us in scripture. But also declare the declarations and decrees made by our early founders and leaders, as we have spoken about in the previous two posts. Teach them to your children. Pastors should preach about our godly roots and purpose as a nation! BOLDLY! And yes, godly government leaders should quote these statements about God and our purpose as a nation, about our dependence on Him, of His influence in our founding - every chance they get. This is one of the weapons that will release the power needed to overcome the demonic onslaught. We should fill the heavens over America with these decrees. Let’s do so now. Pray with me: America was raised up by God to be a city on a hill, a beacon of light to all nations. America was called to preach the gospel of the Kingdom to all nations of the earth. America is one nation, under God. We have put our trust in Him and no other. We have no king but Jesus. The “Laws of Nature and of Nature's God;” an appeal to the “Supreme Judge of the world;” “the Creator;” and “divine Providence” are all in our Declaration of Independence. We decree that, as a part of this legal document that birthed our nation, they remain true today. We declare them into the atmosphere of America! Leviticus 25:10 is on the Liberty Bell: “Proclaim liberty throughout the land to all the inhabitants thereof.” This verse, describing Christ as America’s jubilee Redeemer, rang out at our birth, announcing our faith and our destiny. We declare its message over America again today: Christ is our Redeemer! Proclaiming His message is our purpose! America is in covenant with God, He keeps covenant and mercy, and AMERICA SHALL BE SAVED! Click on the link below to watch the full video. ____________________________________ Squiers, A. (2018). The Politics of the Sacred in America: The Role of Civil Religion in Political Practice. New York: Springer. p. 62-63. ISBN 978-3-319-68870-1. Bremer, Francis, J., John Winthrop: America's Forgotten Founding Father, Oxford University Press, 2005, p. 171. Winthrop, John, The Journal of John Winthrop, 1630-1649, Harvard University Press, 1996, p.1 note 1. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_upon_a_Hill

The Evergreen Staff In Yesterday's post, I said that America is in covenant with God and we can use the power of covenant to defeat Satan’s plans and purposes. I also explained that there are different types and levels of covenant. Obviously, we as a nation do not have the same type of covenant with God that believers have through the blood of Jesus. The word for covenant in Scripture, however, has a much broader range of meaning than a blood covenant of this level. The Hebrew word for covenant is beriyth. It means “a compact, covenant, alliance, pledge, promise, treaty, agreement, league; a constitution, ordinance.” We can make covenant promises, agreements, and alliances with people which are binding in the sense of honor. We are bound by integrity and principle to keep our promise, our word. These promises are not a blood covenant but they must still be honored, at times even legally. A legal contract is a binding covenant. Homeowners make contracts - covenants - with other homeowners. They are not blood covenants but, nonetheless, they are binding. In the same sense, God sees promises He has made as covenantal. They are binding. He always keeps His word, honoring it above even His name (Psalm 138: 2). And we should consider our promises, agreements, and alliances with Him in the same way: they are covenantal. God does not have a blood covenant with America. Nor could there ever be an agreement with a nation that rises to the level of the covenant God made with people through the blood of Christ. But He HAS entered into a covenantal alliance with America. Our Founders made statements declaring we were a nation under His rule and that we existed for His purposes, not just our own. They formed a government under His rule and guidance, and declared their dependence on Him. Four times He is mentioned in the Declaration of Independence. They appealed to Him for freedom and liberty. They wrote about Him in the Constitution and asked for His guidance and help when writing it. They planted a cross on the beach at Cape Henry and dedicated this land to His purposes and plan; they actually used the word “covenant” in this decree. They placed a Scripture on the Liberty Bell. These founders and leaders in America were motivated by and led by God. He was speaking through Robert Hunt at Cape Henry. He inspired the words on the Liberty Bell. He guided them as they wrote the Declaration of Independence and Constitution. He formed this nation and gave our framers the wisdom and language to use. No other document was quoted more by our Founders than the Bible. God was pleased with the outcome. He accepted this alliance and has blessed America because of her partnership with Him. This is all covenantal in nature. The word confession in Scripture, homologia, means “say the same thing.” There is power when we speak His words, saying what He says. This certainly refers to Scripture, but it refers to more than just Scripture. It refers to personal promises and prophetic words given to us. Paul told Timothy to war with the prophetic words spoken over him (1 Timothy 1:18). The promises He makes to us, which are often connected to His purposes for us, as they were with Timothy, have power. He wants and needs for us to agree with Him and say it! When I speak of warring with the covenant America has with God, this is what I am referring to. I am saying we must agree with and declare the prophetic words of our founders. We must decree the promises they made to God. And we must acknowledge with our words the covenantal alliance they made with Him and He made with us. This is what it means to war with covenant. The Appeal To Heaven flag has an evergreen tree on it. The evergreen tree symbolizes covenant, going all the way back to Abraham in Genesis 21:33. Abraham planted a tamarisk tree, which is an evergreen, and called on Everlasting God. He was declaring his covenantal allegiance to God. In a dream given to me in 2007, I knocked out spiritual giants with a boxing glove imprinted with the word, “Evergreen.” Holy Spirit was showing me that one of the ways we would take out the spiritual giants ruling America was through the power of our covenant with Him. By speaking and declaring what He has said and planned for America, and by declaring our alliance with Him, we are warring with covenant. Recently, Holy Spirit gave a powerful dream to one of our friends, Gina Gholston, which pictures this in another way: “I dreamed I was with some prayer leaders, including Dutch Sheets. We walked through a field of tall grass and noticed a hill in front of us. This caught our attention because it was the only hill around us. The rest of the land was a level, grassy field. “On the top of the hill was a huge, very old, beautiful tree. We were so captivated by this tree that we decided to climb the hill to get a closer look. The tree was the only thing on the hill, and its canopy was so large that shade from it covered the entire hill. The ground around the tree was level, and the grass was tall and thick. “We were in awe of this beautiful tree, amazed at the size of the trunk and the massive expanse of its canopy. As we walked around the tree, looking up into the branches, someone tripped over what appeared to be a root protruding out of the ground. All of a sudden, these ‘roots’ appeared everywhere. Where there had been tall, thick grass, now there was no grass, and these ‘roots’ were laying all over the top of the ground. They had not been there when we first arrived. We were very puzzled by this, so I walked over and looked at one of them more closely. “As I did, I could see that the ‘root’ was moving. The movement had not been obvious until I looked more closely. I motioned for my friend to come to where I was standing, and whispered to her, ‘Watch this!’ We both could clearly see the ‘root’ was moving. “I walked over to Dutch and said, ‘These are not roots; they’re the backbones of demons. They are alive and are eating the root system of this beautiful tree.’ The demons didn’t realize we could see them, but their backbones were exposed and we could see their movements. “I then asked the prayer leaders, ‘What should we do about this?’ “Dutch replied, ‘I know what to do!’ He stepped away for a moment and then returned carrying a perfectly carved wooden staff. “Someone asked, ‘What is that?’ “I knew what he held and said, ‘This is a staff that has been carved from an old tamarisk tree. Tamarisks are evergreens.’ “Dutch nodded his head yes. He then handed the staff to me, and I walked over to one of the demon backbones. I struck it with the evergreen staff and, as I did, the demon vanished. I could physically hear the sound ‘poof;’ and it was gone. I began walking from ‘root’ to ‘root’ hitting them with the evergreen staff. I then looked at the other prayer leaders and noticed that they all now had staffs in their hands made from evergreens. They, too, were using the staffs to destroy the demons. Together, we shattered every demon and saved the tree.” End of dream. The tree represents America. I will say more about this dream in tomorrow’s post. Today, however, I just want to state the significance of the tamarisk evergreen tree staffs. Made of the same type evergreen Abraham used, the tamarisk tree, there can be no doubt that they represent covenant. As intercessors, it is by honoring and declaring our allegiance to God - our promises to Him, His promises to us, and our alliance with Him - that we will break the power of the demonic forces trying to destroy our nation. Let’s do so now, using the decrees we used yesterday. Prayer: We decree that America was founded by God, under an appeal to heaven, and that an appeal to heaven will give us a rebirth! We decree that we are a voice for Him to the ends of the earth, and the gospel of the kingdom will go forth from America to all people! We decree that we are a Christian nation, founded under Christ’s blood and rule, and that we have no king but Jesus! We decree that Yahweh is our Lawgiver, our Judge, and our King, and that our three branches of government were founded under this truth! (Isaiah 33:22) They will return to this! We decree we are a city on a hill, shining God’s light to all the earth, and that darkness will not win! We decree that God’s mercy over America endures forever, that His mercies are new every morning! We decree that He who began a good work in us will complete it, that God had a plan for our restoration before we even turned against Him! We decree that nothing can stop this turnaround because our trust is in God! This is even on our currency! We agree with it! We decree that God’s redeeming power is greater than satan’s deceiving lies, and that His truth will prevail! We decree that salvation belongs to God and that he loves to save, taking no pleasure in judgment! We decree that we are seated with Christ, and that satan is under our feet. We are far above all principalities, powers, and rulers of darkness! We decree that we are Christ’s Ekklesia/government on earth and that we have His keys of authority to bind and loose, open and close. We decree that no weapon formed against America, nor against the purposes of God in our generation, will prosper. We decree that America shall be saved!!! Click on the link below to watch to the full video.

The Power of Covenant I have pointed out in recent posts that the “Evergreen” boxing glove in the “Five Giants” dream (title: It’s Time to Put on the Gloves) represents covenant, and that this is what I believe the evergreen tree on the Appeal To Heaven flag represents. It certainly represented covenant in Abraham’s life, in the verse that pictures both gloves: Everlast and Evergreen (Genesis 21:33). I have said that we must war for America by drawing on the strength of and honoring our nation’s covenant with God. I’ve been feeling that I need to do a post explaining what I mean, and don’t mean by this. There are different types and levels of covenant. Most Christians use the word “covenant” only in reference to God’s covenant with Abraham and his offspring, or when referring to the New Covenant we enjoy through Christ. Because of this, many shy away from believing America is in a covenant relationship with God. The word for covenant in Scripture, however, has a much broader range of meaning. The Hebrew word is beriyth. It means “a compact, covenant, alliance, pledge, promise, treaty, agreement, league; a constitution, ordinance.” These usages can refer to an agreement between individuals, as in a marriage or a friendship. The word also refers to a covenant, contract, or alliance between nations. Israel even made a covenant with death (Isaiah 28:15, 18)! And, of course, it is used to describe covenants with God. Simply stated, a covenant is a sacred and binding agreement or promise between two or more parties. Obviously, there are different levels and strengths of covenants. In God’s eyes, a marriage covenant is obviously more binding than two friends promising to stick with one another. He always expects us to keep our word, but we do not become one with someone through a friendship covenant. The old and new covenants in scripture obviously rise to higher levels than most other covenants. Abraham’s covenant with God also rises above most others. The new covenant through Christ’s blood stands above all covenants. When I state that America is in covenant with, or has a covenant with God, I am NOT saying God entered into the type of covenant with us that He did Abraham. And I’m certainly not equating it to a covenant like unto what we enjoy with God through Christ. And I’m not implying that it is based on a blood sacrifice of some sort. I AM saying that early Pilgrims, settlers, and Founders in America entered into sacred alliances and agreements with God. They did so through prayers, promises, and written documents - including our founding documents, which made the agreements legally binding. Our Founders made sacred, covenantal promises to function under God’s government and care, to serve His purposes, and to honor Him. This was accepted by God because they based it on Christ’s sacrifice and the Scriptures. It was also accepted because God Himself inspired and motivated the actions! America absolutely has covenant agreements with God and covenant promises from God! He still honors them, and as we “intercessorily” declare them they are powerful. We can agree and decree with Hunt’s Cape Henry declaration that the gospel will go from these shores to all the nations of the earth. We can declare and decree with Congress that we are a nation under God. We can decree with Franklin and the Continental Congress that the God of providence founded us and will finish what He started. WE CAN TAKE OUT GIANTS WITH THESE DECLARATIONS! It is little wonder that satanic forces are trying to revise our history. Satan knows covenant roots are powerful. He knows God keeps covenant and mercy. He knows this “boxing glove” has power, a power he has no answer for. We must use this glove! Do not be distracted by the lies and indoctrination of the left. They will lose. God will win. They cannot steal our history unless we allow it, and we will not do so. Hold fast to it and use it in your prayers. Tomorrow we will look at another strong dream which references the strength of our covenantal roots. You won’t want to miss it. Pray with me: We decree that America was founded by God, under an appeal to heaven, and that an appeal to heaven will give us a rebirth! We decree that we are a voice for Him to the ends of the earth, and the gospel of the kingdom will go forth from America to all people! We decree that we are a Christian nation, founded under Christ’s blood and rule, and that we have no king but Jesus! We decree that Yahweh is our Lawgiver, our Judge, and our King, and that our three branches of government were founded under this truth! (Isaiah 33:22) They will return to this! We decree we are a city on a hill, shining God’s light to all the earth, and that darkness will not win! We decree that God’s mercy over America endures forever, that His mercies are new every morning! We decree that He who began a good work in us will complete it, that God had a plan for our restoration before we even turned against Him! We decree that nothing can stop this turnaround because our trust is in God! This is even on our currency! We agree with it! We decree that God’s redeeming power is greater than satan’s deceiving lies, and that His truth will prevail! We decree that salvation belongs to God and that he loves to save, taking no pleasure in judgment! We decree that we are seated with Christ, and that satan is under our feet. We are far above all principalities, powers, and rulers of darkness! We decree that we are Christ’s Ekklesia/government on earth and that we have His keys of authority to bind and loose, open and close. We decree that no weapon formed against America, nor against the purposes of God in our generation, will prosper. We decree that America shall be saved!!! Click on the link below to watch the full video.

God Is Turning Things Around America’s turnaround began years ago. God is way ahead of the times, seeing and declaring the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10). He is the only individual who doesn’t start at the beginning. God starts at the end, backs up to the beginning, and implements His plan. This means He is never caught by surprise or off-guard. It also means He knows how He will solve problems…before they even manifest! Yahweh is not taken back by the failures of people and nations, knowing they would occur beforehand. When He calls a person - or a nation - to a purpose, God realizes He will have to navigate through their mess-ups, just as He did with Abraham and the nation of Israel. According to Hebrews 11:3, God has already decreed the aligning and realigning of the ages; the correct translation is: “Through faith, we understand that the ages were aligned by the word [declarations] of God…” Before Adam’s fall, Jesus was the Lamb, slain from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8). That means the Incarnation, the Cross, and Christ’s Resurrection were planned before Adam’s fall ever occurred. I share this to assure you that God has a plan for America’s turnaround. He knew the failures and sins our nation would commit before we committed them, and has also declared our turnaround. Satan’s reactionary plans and schemes are no match for God’s omniscience and foreknowledge. This foreknowledge also means God is moving on many fronts, of course. While He is implementing His pre-planned works in America, He is doing so in other nations, in the church, and in individuals, preparing them for His plan. When all is ready, He shifts everything into a phase of convergence: ripe harvest fields; nations positioned; the church equipped; angels assigned. This is all seen in the book of Esther. The Jews’ very existence was threatened when wicked Haman, one of King Ahasuerus’ trusted officials, manipulated the king into issuing a decree for the annihilation of the Jews. Upon learning of Haman’s decree, Esther, a Jewish woman chosen by King Ahasuerus to be his queen, exposed Haman’s plan. She broke protocol to appeal to the king in a courageous attempt to protect her people. The king granted Esther’s request and, instead of the Jews, Haman was executed. The day after Haman’s decree was reversed, the Feast of Purim was inaugurated. The Hebrew word for turnaround is haphak: “to overturn, overthrow, turnaround, transform, be reversed.” The following verses from Esther 9 include this word: “…when the king’s command and edict were about to be executed, on the day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to gain the mastery over them, it was turned to the contrary so that the Jews themselves gained the mastery over those who hated them.” (v. 1) “Because on those days the Jews rid themselves of their enemies, and it was a month which was turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and rejoicing....” (v. 22) “But when it came to the king’s attention, he commanded by letter that his wicked scheme, which he had devised against the Jews, should return on his own head and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows.” (v. 25) The Message translation of Esther 9:25 uses a powerful analogy to convey the significance of what transpired: “But when Queen Esther intervened with the king, he gave written orders that the evil scheme that Haman had worked out should boomerang back on his own head.” God had planned ahead. Before Haman ever conceived his evil plan to destroy the Jews, God aligned people, events, and time. The book of Esther is an easy and interesting read - check it out. You will find that God orchestrated events, timing, the choosing of a queen, sleep patterns, favor to individuals, the uncovering of evil plans, rescues, and more. The end result was the saving of the nation and the furthering of God's plans on earth. I believe Holy Spirit is doing again this year what He did in Esther’s day. He is moving us into convergence and a time of divine reversals! This is a year of great turnaround, when God intervenes powerfully on behalf of His people, and the enemy is overthrown as his plans boomerang back on his own head! Of course, the Hebrew word haphak is not only found in the book of Esther, but throughout the scriptures. Deuteronomy 23:5 uses the word to describe the turning of Balaam’s curse over the Jewish people into a blessing. Jeremiah 31:13 and Isaiah 61:3 use the word in reference to turning mourning into joy. This season’s turnaround will occur for individuals, families, regions, and nations. Unrest will certainly continue and the scriptures assure us that evil will, as well. But great harvest will also occur and areas of unrest will give way to righteousness—even in the darkest regions. There will be awakening and revivals in places where they have never existed. We must recognize, however, that the Lord is inviting us to partner with Him in releasing these supernatural boomerangs into the earth. When King Ahasuerus extended his scepter over Esther’s life and favor was released, he invited her to write her own decree of victory. The decree was to be written in his name and sealed with his seal so that it could never be reversed. Likewise, the Lord has extended His scepter of grace and favor over us. He is inviting us to exercise His authority, by making reversal decrees concerning the very things satan has decreed over our lives in past seasons. Be it sickness, poverty, the pain of divorce, depression, or any other form of oppression, our decrees will reverse them! His word tells us: “You will also decree a thing and it will be established for you; and light will shine on your ways.” (Job 22:28) “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. See, I have appointed you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.” (Jeremiah 1:9-10) The Lord is inviting us to shift from merely petitioning Him, to also making decrees (official orders, edicts, or decisions), declarations (announcements or formal statements), and proclamations (the process of binding and loosing) as we are inspired by Holy Spirit to do so. The power of God’s decreed word is extraordinary! It releases His creativity, His salvation, and yes, His judgments! He rules through His words, and so must we. As the Lord causes the strategies of the enemy to be overthrown, He will also bring us into a season of victory, celebration, and rest. This rest does not imply the ceasing of activity, but a peaceful and joyful trust in the Lord. It is the place from which we derive renewed strength to move forward. This scriptural passage comes to mind: “He gives strength to the weary,
 and to him who lacks might He increases power.
 Though youths grow weary and tired,
 and vigorous young men stumble badly,
 yet those who wait for the Lord
 will gain new strength;
 they will mount up with wings like eagles,
 they will run and not get tired,
 they will walk and not become weary.” (Isaiah 40:29-31) These past 2 years have been years of great turmoil for many individuals, families, businesses, communities, ministries, and nations. As a result, hopelessness has set in, vision has been clouded, strategies have been wanting, and forward movement has been delayed. Yet, I concur with the prophets - this is a turnaround year! Regardless of how great was your hardship, betrayal, sickness or loss, I declare that this is your year of breakthrough! You will see a reversal of the enemy’s decrees and strategies enacted against you. Stand confidently upon the Lord’s promise of divine intervention; He has been working all things together for your good (Romans 8:28)! This year, God will cause light to break forth from darkness, turn curses into blessings, and mourning into joy. Through the adversity of the past, the Lord has been preparing you for the fulfillment of His promises over your life! And from a new place of celebration, victory, and rest, the Lord desires that you partner with Him to help facilitate a righteous turnaround in this nation. You were born for such a time as this! Pray with me: Father, we exalt You as Lord, not only of the nations, but also over time. You change the times and seasons, orchestrating events to align with Your purposes. We declare confidently that You are greater than the forces of evil on the earth, that Your wisdom is higher, and that Your abilities are without measure. We know that You have decreed the turnaround of America and how this will occur, and You have decreed a great outpouring of Your Spirit in our day. Just as You turned around Haman‘s attempt to destroy the Jewish nation, You will turn around satan‘s attempt to destroy Your purposes in our day, as well. We accept the Esther decree: we were born for such a time as this. Help us now to rise to our calling and assignment, partnering with You and Your great plan. We proclaim breakthrough in Your people, breakthrough in our nation, and breakthrough on the earth. Give us a turnaround in our government, courts, education, and media. Give us a reversal of Roe versus Wade. And we ask for this confidently, in Christ’s name, amen. Our decree: We decree that Haman will be hanged on his own gallows! Click on the link below to watch the full video.

We Are Made to Need Each Other Jim Hodges is Ceci’s and my spiritual father. We’re proud to be called a spiritual daughter and son of his, and of his incredible wife, Jean. For 40-plus years, they have modeled to us integrity, humility, the pursuit of wisdom and revelation, faithfulness, loyalty, consistency - and the list could certainly go on. When we are old (we are not there yet!) and they’re cheering us on from heaven’s grandstand, we’ll still be proud to call them “mom and dad.” Only God sees clearly all that flows spiritually from them to us. I am certain, however, that any success we’ve had is due in part to their influence and impartation to us. One of the couples we’ve been privileged to call a spiritual son and daughter is Will and Dehaviland Ford. They are amazing leaders in the body of Christ and make us proud to call them friends. Yes, friends. While the dynamics of relationships change - I don’t call Jim Hodges every week asking for advice - the bond and respect remain. My relationship with my earthly father transitioned from him being a provider, instructor, protector, sometimes disciplinarian, etc., to that of a friend. Still my dad, but also a friend. He no longer corrected me, and limited advice to when I sought it. But he was there when I needed him. Will recently commented on sonship, insights I feel are worth passing on. (Relax ladies, “sonship” is gender-neutral in Scripture. If I can be part of Christ’s bride, you can be a “son.”) Will said: “About 2 years ago, I was thinking to myself, ‘Ya know God, I’m in my 50’s now, and I’m sick of the “spiritual son” thing. When am I gonna be known as more of a peer with this person or that person? Advance me beyond their level so I can get out from under the “son” thing.’ “I then felt the Lord gently rebuking my pride by saying, ‘And even then, once you receive more, you’ll still be their spiritual son...a double portioned son but, nevertheless, still a son…’ “I learned a valuable lesson that day. First, not everyone God uses in your life is called to be a close spiritual father or mother to you. And, as far as those close relationships go, you don’t outgrow them. For example, while you outgrow diapers, shoes, coats and hats, you never outgrow natural parental relationships. They’ll always be your mother or father. And the same goes for some of the spiritual mothers and fathers in your life. Some (not all) spiritual mentoring relationships are meant to be a constant in your life, and you don’t ‘move on’ or ‘outgrow’ them based on your new authority, affluence or influence being greater or even less than those spiritual parents. Again, this doesn’t count for every spiritual mentoring relationship, but there are a few that do remain a constant in your life. “These are the spiritual parents who want their ceiling to be your floor. They don’t just rebuke and correct regarding sin, they also hold you accountable to the God-given dreams in your life. They pray for you. They empower you. They dream together with you. They know and understand God, and they know and understand you. Those relationships are few and far between, and are hard to come by. Do not take them for granted. “So, grow in God’s grace. Grow in His love and in Holy Spirit power. Outgrow pride. Outgrow selfish ambition. Outgrow the need to make a name for yourself. Outgrow spiritual immaturity. Outgrow small spiritual shoes so you can walk in new responsibility and authority. Outgrow spiritual milk, and feast on the meat of God’s word. “Grow deeper in God. And if you’re blessed to have them, grow deeper in relationship with those spiritual parents called to be a constant in your life. “Still a son, Will Ford.” For those not blessed to have a spiritual parent in your life, as I have been, don’t give up. Ask our heavenly Father to bring someone into your life that can fulfill this role. And work on developing the heart of a true spiritual son or daughter. Find someone more mature than you that you can serve, and do so in some way. Who knows what God may do with the relationship. And if you have walked with the Lord long enough to have a high level of spiritual maturity, determine to come alongside someone less mature and be a strength. Don’t major on titles - you don’t have to be called their “spiritual father” or “mother.” And don’t force it - just support, love and help them grow in their faith. And to all I would say, honor the godly relationships Holy Spirit has given you, both in the context of a strong, biblically based congregation and outside it, as well. Take friendships to a new level; bring a spiritual element into them. Pray together. Encourage them to hold you accountable in appropriate ways, and vice versa. Iron sharpens iron (Proverbs 27:17). We are made to need others. “In the summer of 1989, Mark Wellman, a paraplegic, gained national recognition by climbing the sheer granite face of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. On the seventh and final day of his climb, the headlines of The Fresno Bee read, ‘Showing a Will of Granite.’ Accompanying the headline was a photo of Wellman being carried on the shoulders of his climbing companion Mike Corbett. A subtitle said, ‘Paraplegic and partner prove no wall is too high to scale.’ “What many people did not know is that Mike Corbett scaled the face of El Capitan three times in order to help Mark Wellman pull himself up once.”(1) Someone you know needs a little help. Lend a hand. Pray with me: Father, we thank You for those You have brought into our lives to be a blessing to us. May we never take them for granted. Whether they be spiritual fathers and mothers, spiritual sons or daughters, natural family members or simply friends, we thank You for them. May we love and honor them the way we should. We pray today for those who are lonely and without the relationships they need in their lives. Please show them how to find suitable companions and friends. Heal and restore those who have suffered rejection; mend broken hearts. Be a father to the fatherless, a mother to the motherless, and a companion to the widow/widower. And most of all, we pray for those who do not know You as their heavenly Father. Lift the veil from their eyes that causes them to not see You clearly. Give them a revelation of who You really are. If they have never heard a clear explanation of You and Your Son, Jesus, please send someone to them who can do so. We ask this in Christ’s name, amen. Our decree: We will faithfully honor the godly relationships Holy Spirit has put in our lives. To find out more about Will Ford and his ministry/books, click here. Click on the link below to watch the full video. _________________________________ Edward K. Rowell, Fresh Illustrations for Preaching and Teaching (Grand Rapids, MI: Christianity Today, Inc., and Baker Books, 1997), p 203.

Stay Focused Proverbs 29:18 is a fairly well-known verse of scripture: “Where there is no vision, the people perish…” (KJV). This is an accurate translation, but incomplete. Like many Old Testament verses, it is impossible to glean the full meaning of this passage without a more complete understanding of the Hebrew words used. A good expanded translation could be, “Where there is no [chazown] prophetic revelation, regardless of the manner in which it is received - a dream, vision, revelation, prophecy, mental impression and more - people [para] become unrestrained, uninformed, uncovered (naked, exposed), unmotivated, disunited; they miss opportunities and can even perish.” Wow! As you can see, “vision” is a very limited meaning of the word, chazown; and if “vision” is used to translate it, it should definitely be “prophetic vision.” Please do not limit this verse to saying we need a plan or dream regarding our future. We certainly do need this, but vision must be influenced by Holy Spirit, making it a “prophetic” dream or plan. The prophetic - hearing from and being led by Holy Spirit - is crucial. If the prophetic is new to you, don’t be intimidated or confused by the subject. Of course, there is a perversion of the prophetic (witchcraft, fortune-telling, etc.), but where our relationship with God is concerned, being prophetic simply means receiving communication from Holy Spirit. This occurs in many ways, several of which I included in the amplification of the above verse: revelation, discernment, thoughts and impressions to our hearts and minds, dreams, visions, prophecy, and more. One does not have to be a prophet to be prophetic, any more than he or she has to be an evangelist to evangelize. All believers can and should be prophetic. Holy Spirit is our Helper, and He is a good communicator. Our intercession should always be laced with prophetic influence. We should always be asking Holy Spirit to help us pray. Of course, we look to scripture in order to discern God’s will, but even this usually requires Holy Spirit’s input. For example, we are told to pray for our government (1 Timothy 2:1-3). However, hearing from Holy Spirit regarding what issues need prayer the most is still required, and HOW to pray for them also requires His leading. I do not need a revelation to tell me to pray against abortion. God’s Word makes clear His position on this. But I do need Him to guide me as I pray, giving me insights on what needs to occur in order for this evil to end. Clearly, being led by the Spirit is crucial to spiritual success. Therefore, the beginning of my prayers regarding any matter is usually a series of questions, “Holy Spirit, how do I need to pray about this? Is there a verse of Scripture (or verses) I need to pray? Is this situation caused by demons or by natural circumstances? Do I need to petition You, Father, or use the “sword of the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:17) against demonic activity? Do I need the power of agreement in order to break through this in this situation? Is there something standing in the way of the answer to this prayer which needs to be revealed to me?” Etc. I was given a very strong prophetic word from my friend, Chuck Pierce, at the end of 2021 regarding prayer for our nation. I have alluded to it in other posts but want to state it very clearly here. He told me the first three months of 2022 are very, very critical…that we must rally those who follow us, making certain we press in diligently during this first quarter of the year. He feels that whether or not we do this will determine the future of our nation. I am taking this word very seriously, spending much time writing these posts and asking Holy Spirit what we need to pray. I am asking you to pray for me and other leaders that we hear clearly, and also to help spread the word regarding this admonition. And please pray diligently during this season. This word does not mean we haven’t already accomplished great breakthroughs in the spiritual realm. It doesn’t mean we aren’t hearing correctly when we say we are close to breakthrough and turnaround. It simply means we must not stumble before we reach the finish line; we must not let down our guard even though we are winning the fight. In the World Seers Series dream I shared a couple of weeks ago regarding defeating the spirit of Baal in our nation, it was the eighth inning of the final game and we were ahead - but the game was not over and the enemy had not given up. We had to hear from Holy Spirit for the strategy to implement, and persevere in doing so. We must finish well! Do not become distracted. One of satan‘s greatest skills is to distract us from what we should be focused on. Praying for the turning of our nation back to God should be at the top of our list right now. Obviously, a serious llness, the need for a job, or a family crisis would also be at the top of the list. But generally speaking, there is NOTHING more important right now than praying for America’s turnaround and great awakening, including prayer for our government. Don’t fall prey to the deception that says, “politics/government are evil and unspiritual, so leave them alone.” Yes, the political spirit is evil; but government is of God. In fact, He IS government (Isaiah 33:22). The only institution more important on earth than government is the family (both natural and spiritual). The two mandates God gave Adam and Eve in Genesis 1.26-28 were family (be fruitful and multiply) and government (rule, manage the earth). Any church that does not emphasize both is failing. EVERY church should evangelize and build strong families, of course. But EVERY church should also be teaching on and encouraging involvement in righteous government. To do otherwise is to ignore the Genesis mandate and invite evil to rule. Congregations and individual believers who do not involve themselves in this second commission have no right to complain about ANYTHING government does. Everything about our future well-being - and the well-being of our kids and grandkids - hinges on America's turnaround and a third great awakening taking place. Worldwide harvest, liberty and freedom, economic provision, social causes (such as human trafficking, poverty, hunger, racism, etc), disease, famine, and more, all hinge on what happens in America. If we collapse - and we will do so without the spiritual breakthrough we’re seeking - evil dictators under the control of wicked spirits, and evil regimes seeking world domination will take over. America is the tool God intends to use for the preservation of freedom around the world and to reap the great harvest He intends to bring in. Winning the spiritual war we are in currently, is no less critical than defeating the Nazis in the Second World War. We must win! I believe we will. Pray with me: Father, please bring revelation to the church of our responsibility to pray for Your turnaround in America. May the spirit of intercession come afresh and anew on us. May we see clearly where we are in history. And may we see just as clearly that we have what is needed to turn the tide. Awaken us, please! Speak to pastors and leaders, revealing where we are in our nation and also throughout the earth. Remove distractions from us, and veils of deception that cause us to feel everything is fine. Make it clear that we are in one of the most critical times in history. Help us to see that our individual congregations, our careers, our personal plans and dreams are not what is most important at this point in time. Please bring prophetic revelation, lest we miss our moment in history. In Your name we pray, Amen. Our decree: We decree that the 21st-century church will not miss her opportunity to help Yahweh save the world. Click on the link below to watch the full video.

The Keys of the Kingdom Today is 2/2/22, a great day for me to do a teaching on Isaiah 22:22: “Then I will put the key of the house of David on his shoulder; When he opens, no one will shut, When he shuts, no one will open.” (NASB) This verse has been used often by intercessors over the last several years, and rightfully so. However, like any scripture, we must know how it works in conjunction with other scriptures/biblical principles in order to use it successfully. Jesus said, “Ask and you shall receive,” (Matthew 7:7), yet everyone knows that not everyone who asks God for things receives them. Obviously, promises such as these are not arbitrary, given to us to use any time and for anything we choose. Other passages of scripture give us principles we must also understand and walk in, in order to receive answers to prayer. The same is true of Isaiah 22:22. Let’s look at this. The passage speaks of a man named Eliakim, who is about to replace Shebna as the royal steward in the reign of king Hezekiah of Judah. Shebna, filled with pride and selfish ambition, had been unfaithful to the king, using his authority for personal gain and notoriety. Because of this, his position was being given to Eliakim, who would now possess the keys to the king’s house. Like other passages of scripture, this verse has a double meaning. It speaks not only of Eliakim, but also pictures Christ. In the Bible, as well as in many cultures, shoulders symbolize governmental authority. Isaiah 9:6 speaks of the government of God’s Kingdom being on Christ’s shoulders. Keys speak of authority to open and close. Used together in this passage, it is easy to see how the verse could be used to describe Christ’s Kingdom authority. And indeed, the actual words of the verse are quoted regarding Him in Revelation 3:7. In Matthew 16:18-19, Christ delegated His Kingdom authority to the church (ekklesia), giving us His “keys.” “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.” (NASB) Ekklesia, translated “church” in this passage, was a governmental term, referring to a legislative body, as are the words “bind” and “loose.” They were judicial terms, referring to that which was legally binding, and to dissolving/releasing someone from that which was legally binding. There can be no doubt that the church (ekklesia) was being called to function in Christ’s Kingdom, governmental authority. As with all promises in scripture, this authority is not arbitrary, allowing us to demand and decree whatever we want. We represent Christ, carrying out His will and instructions, delivered to us by Holy Spirit. This is but one of the reasons prophetic gifts and anointings are so vital. We must discern the times and seasons (1 Chronicles 12:32), keeping in step with God’s timing. We must also discern His will and strategy in any given situation. Only then can we know how to release the authority we’ve been given. This is also why we must know God’s Word, basing all we do on the Scriptures. Combining the two - Word and Spirit - is essential to our success. For example, a government may be doing things that aren’t consistent with scripture. Does this mean we have authority to immediately bind or stop its leaders from doing what they’re doing? No. If satan has been given a legal right to operate through them - what Ephesians 4:27 calls giving “place” to the devil - that legal right must be removed before the activities of the unrighteous government can be stopped, using spiritual authority. The removal of this “place” or right for satan to operate is accomplished through repentance, whether by the government officials themselves, or through identificational repentance and cleansing. Nehemiah repented of Israel’s sin, as did Moses, Daniel and others. Ezekiel 22:30 instructs us to do this, also. When the sins of a nation are ongoing, however, this repentance and intercession can take time, even a considerable amount of time. When dealing with nations, God has to work with many people’s hearts and wills, turning them toward Him and to truth. When this has sufficiently occurred, He can heal and redeem. Holy Spirit uses the prayers of His people for all stages of this process, but only when sufficient cleansing has occurred can we successfully “bind” satan’s activity, close the door to him, and see complete breakthrough. Much identificational repentance has occurred for America. Over a span of 20 years or so, millions of believers have asked for forgiveness, grace and mercy. God has heard our prayers. Recently, the phase we have been involved in has been praying to expose and remove evil. Holy Spirit has led us in this way because He wants, not only to forgive America, but also to eradicate sin and evil. The first phase of this is exposure. Once this has been accomplished, we can begin to declare and decree removal, breakthrough and turnaround, which we are now doing. Decrees and declarations are simply saying what God says regarding a situation. We decree His Word, which is called a sword (Ephesians 6:17), and also agree with Him by declaring what Holy Spirit says to us prophetically. His words will never return to Him void, but will always accomplish what He has assigned them to do (Isaiah 55:11). Let’s do this now. Pray with me: Father, You have done much in the last several decades to turn the heart of a rebellious nation back to You. You have plowed deeply through prayers of repentance and humility. We have repented many times for the sins of this nation. We believe You are faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us. You have also been exposing evil. You’ve uncovered the motives and evil schemes of the wicked, and shown how foolish and depraved their plans are. We ask for this to continue. But we also step into our role as kingly intercessors, moving in the authority of Christ Jesus. He gave us His authority to speak for Him and release His will in the earth. He gave us keys to bind and loose, open and close. We do this now. We bind the powers of darkness that have been operating in America. We declare that the strongholds of death, murder, immorality, idolatry, humanism, atheism, and every other evil system are bound in Jesus’ name. We forbid them to continue their hold on America. We declare that revival is here and coming, our nation’s heart is turning, and millions of Americans will come to know You in this great revival. We also ask and believe for this to occur among the nations of the earth. The time is right, and we boldly ask You to do it. Amen. Our Decree: We decree that we have authority to open doors no one can close, and close doors no one can open. We close the door to evil forces controlling America, and open the door to the Spirit of light and truth. Click on the link below to watch the full video.

On December 10, 2021, we released a post regarding John and Sandy Halvorsen’s prayer journey across America (Prayer Walk America). They received many responses and were very encouraged. About 50 folks from the Seattle area came out to join them on December 11th as John completed the walk. They brought bells, balloons, flowers, food, and communion elements for all, blew shofars, worshipped, prophesied, prayed, and rejoiced with them as John stepped into the Pacific. Sandy says, “What a marvelous response it was and what a blessing they all were! Also, many folks sent funds into our ministry as a result of the GH15, and it looks as though it is enough to cover John’s expensive hospital bill with his bout with covid last February. Yea God! We thank you, thank you, thank you.” Friends, you are an incredible group of people! And thank you, by the way, for prayers for Ceci. Some have asked about her. She is improving but still appreciates your prayers. From a Siege to a Suddenly “When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly a noise like a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And tongues that looked like fire appeared to them, distributing themselves, and a tongue rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with different tongues, as the Spirit was giving them the ability to speak out.” Acts 2:1-4 (NASB) I have heard quite a few sermons over the years about God’s “suddenlies.” (I realize this is not a proper word; the correct wording would be “sudden occurrences,” but that wouldn’t be as catchy for the sermons.) The above passage describing Holy Spirit’s sudden outpouring on the Day of Pentecost is often given as an example. These sudden God-happenings are wonderful when they occur, unless, of course, they are judgments of some sort, as occurred at Sodom (Genesis 19). Paul’s Damascus Road conversion was a “suddenly” (Acts 9), as was Holy Spirit being poured out on the Gentiles (Acts 10). We could mention numerous others from scripture. A few years back, however, I was somewhat surprised when Holy Spirit spoke to me, playing on this word used in our sermonizing, and said, “Suddenlies are not really suddenlies.” (He does things like this to me!) After allowing me a few moments to untangle my brain, Holy Spirit gave me the revelation behind His statement. When we experience breakthroughs or acts of God which seem sudden - and the actions themselves can indeed take place suddenly - there have typically been prayer and faith “sieges” which caused them. As oxymoronic as it seems, ‘suddenlies’ are indeed, caused by sieges. Sieges, of course, are defined in part by “time”…as are reaping, investing, building, training, learning, and a host of other worthwhile endeavors. A sudden break in a dam is really “a crack left untreated over time.” A 5-minute Gold Medal ceremony might be better defined as a “Gallons of Sweat and Years of Sacrifice” presentation; a silo filled with grain in a relatively short time frame is actually “a farmer’s lack of sleep, calloused hands, and months of hard work” tower. I’m sure you get the point. What we call “suddenlies” are usually the last chapters of sieges; breakthroughs are typically the end result of fighting the good fight of faith, and answers to prayer are often the conclusion of a season of intercession. Some things can’t be rushed…and don’t come easily. In our generation, we have been programmed to expect quick results and easy procedures - microwaved lives. But always remember that the prepared-from-scratch meal tastes better and costs a whole lot more, than the microwaved sandwich at the local convenience store. Good things often take time to produce. I have seen breakthroughs occur after only hours of prayer, but more often than not I’ve experienced them after weeks, months, or years of praying and speaking God’s word into a situation. I’ve shared before in posts the testimony of the girl in a coma, whom I laid hands on and prayed over every week for at least an hour. I did this for a year before the “suddenly” finally occurred. It was worth the wait. You’ll be glad to know I’m not saying all of this because I feel we are a long way from the breakthroughs we’ve been seeking. On the contrary, I believe many enduring prayer and faith sieges are about to become “suddenlies.” Salvations, deliverances, healings, Holy Spirit outpourings, regional transformations, and more are about to break out. Many bowls of prayer are full (Revelation 5:8; 8:3), faith and endurance, efforts have prevailed, and numerous promises have met their appointed times (Galatians 6:9). Timing is often one of the determining factors when it comes to supernatural provision. One reason is that many personal breakthroughs are synchronized by God with what He is doing on a larger scale, as He did with Abraham and Sarah. Isaac was born when God’s plan on earth was ready for him. The healing of the man at Gate Beautiful was timed to confirm Christ was the now-risen Messiah. Your healing may manifest when God is ready to birth a healing ministry or gift in you. Or perhaps it will occur when it can produce more fruit as a sign and wonder - your miracle may not be only for you! It’s possible that your financial provision may manifest when you are mature enough to know what to do - or not do - with the money; or perhaps God is waiting until after the Kingdom endeavor Holy Spirit wants you to support is birthed. The reasons may vary, but I want to encourage you with a prophetic word: many promises are now intersecting their times. Prepare yourselves. Decree victory. Speak the Word diligently, both as a faith-builder, and a sword. Do this for yourself, your family, work, community, and nation. Your words release your faith, authority, and spiritual power. Speak life! Don’t allow the waiting season to steal your voice - it’s time for breakthrough. Bind every work of the enemy in your sphere of authority - all of them! When you do, he must stop (Matthew 16:18-19; James 4:7)! Loose those in your circle of relationships who are bound by demonic influence, addictions, and deception. The spirit of unveiling (this is the literal meaning of “revelation”) is invading the atmosphere, making it much more conducive for deliverances to occur. Boldly declare this. Where America and her restoration is concerned, we are moving into a season of breakthrough, also. God has been working through the prayers of the church, synchronizing many aspects of His plans, including the exposing of evil. The greatest shakings and exposures are still to come. Holy Spirit is going to undo 60 years of leftist, socialistic and humanistic ideology with one earth-shaking revival. Prayers and decrees must be offered, however, until the finish line is crossed. I cannot emphasize strongly enough that we must be faithful in this season, all the way to the end. Keep praying and believing - our “due season” is near (Galatians 6:9). Pray with me: Father, we draw on the fruit of the spirit called “perseverance” at this time. You told me through a prophet, Chuck Pierce, that we must be especially diligent in our prayers through the first quarter of this year. We intend to do so. We will gather to pray, be faithful in our personal prayer times and release a symphony of intercession across the land. Help us to spread the word regarding this. Remind us that when we have done what You instructed us, You will do as You said and heal our land. Persevering and waiting are not the goal, the breakthrough, the suddenly, is the goal. You said to us, “You have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised,” (Hebrews 10:36 NASB). We have endurance and we shall receive. We ask You for miracles and breakthroughs regarding our families, our health, our cities, and our nations. We are Caleb’s - we have persevered. Now, Lord, give us our mountain! Our decree: We decree that sieges are about to become “suddenlies!” Click on the link below to watch the full video.

Tell The Old Stories I am asked at times to do posts on specific subjects. They are usually worthy ideas and/or subjects, worth discussing and praying about. Some I do, others I don’t, for a variety of reasons: other subjects seem to scream a little louder at the time, not feeling qualified to address the subject, and others. Last week, however, I received an interesting request, which I feel is right. I was asked to redo a post from several months ago. It mentions the Appeal To Heaven book, so in that sense it is timely, but the main subject is the power and importance of history. I hope you enjoy it. In my book An Appeal to Heaven, I mention an important phrase spoken to me several years ago by Holy Spirit: “the synergy of the ages.” This phrase was shared with me during a season when Holy Spirit was emphasizing the importance of honoring past generations. In short, the synergy of the ages is multiplied power through generational agreement and honor. Scriptures clearly teach that the generations are linked, with both blessings and curses flowing from one generation to the next (see Deuteronomy 5:9, 7:9). Like it or not, Adam’s sin—and resulting sin nature—was, in fact, passed on to us. God sees the generational connection so literally that He routinely makes a promise to one generation, knowing it won’t be fulfilled until a future generation (see Hebrews 11:39-40)! Bloodlines are so connected spiritually that the tithe Abraham paid to Melchizedek was credited to his great-grandson, Levi: “...through Abraham even Levi...paid tithes,” (Hebrews 7:9). What my ancestors have done—my family history—affects me, and what I do impacts those who come after me. Put Yourself In The Storyline The power and importance of understanding this connection to history can be seen through a stirring dream given to Julie Meyer, an internationally known worship leader, and seasoned intercessor. Julie, in fact, gave me the word from Holy Spirit that resulted in Give Him 15 (see the April 19, 2021, Give Him 15 post for the whole story). As the dream began, Julie saw 7 ambulances lined up, each with lights flashing. Growing very concerned, she looked into the back of one of the ambulances and saw a non-responsive person on a gurney. Next to the patient was an attendant working feverishly to revive him. Julie immediately knew the attendant was an angel, who looked at her and said, “I can’t find a heartbeat.” She went from one ambulance to the next, finding the same scenario—patients on gurneys with angels attending them, trying to restart their hearts. Suddenly, one of the angels looked directly at Julie and confided, “It’s the intercessors.” Many intercessors have prayed years for revival, but revival hasn’t materialized, and some of them have experienced what Proverbs 13:12 refers to as “hope deferred.” And as this verse teaches, hope deferred has made their hearts sick. Traveling across America, I can attest to the truthfulness of the dream. As Julie’s dream continued, suddenly one of the angels shouted, “I found a heartbeat, but it’s very faint!” The other angels grew excited and inquired, “What did you do?” The first angel’s response was surprising. “Tell the old stories. When I started telling her stories of what God did in the past, her heart began to beat.” With that, these heavenly attendants began speaking to the intercessors about the First Great Awakening, the Second Great Awakening, and other Holy Spirit outpourings—right up through the healing revivals and tent meetings of the 1940s, 50s, and ’60s. As they did so, the hearts of all the intercessors started to beat again. At this point in the dream, an angel looked at Julie and instructed her, “Tell the old stories of what God has done in the past.” This was powerful to me. The angelic messenger then added instructions that stirred my heart even more: “Tell the intercessors to put themselves in the storyline, because the old stories are also their stories.” What a profound and intriguing thought. Who among us thinks this way? We should, however. God has one overarching plan for humankind; we’re all part of the same unfolding drama. Our generation’s role in history is simply another act of yesterday’s play; our battles are conflicts in one ongoing war. Every revival in history is but a sequel in Holy Spirit’s ongoing series of outpourings, and every soul saved enters the same spiritual family. Our stories, though many, are one. Put yourself in the storyline, because the old stories are actually your stories! Synergy, Not Segmentation For too long, we Christians—even those who are students of church history—have viewed accounts of past moves of God as, well, history. We love those old stories, but we certainly haven’t thought of them as something we can agree with in prayer, connect to, or draw power from. And we’ve certainly never thought of them as our stories. They are past tense, a dead history. I had never thought of Wesley and his Methodists as my movement. Finney’s awakening certainly hadn’t been my awakening, and William Seymour’s Azusa Street outpouring wasn’t claimed as mine. Most of us simply don’t think that way. Our shortsighted reasoning has stolen from us the synergy of the ages. We’ve not put ourselves in the storyline. Since we don’t typically align with past movements or agree with past prayers, this has all too often led to the segmentation of the ages, forcing each generation’s intercession and effort to stand on its own. And the results can be more devastating than that: God says that when generations disconnect, it creates a curse (Malachi 4:6). On the other hand, putting ourselves into God’s storyline - past, present and future - allows us to tap into the strength and life flowing from what He did years ago. We begin to understand the eternal purposes of God, not just the purposes we feel are for our present time. When we do this, He then can continue through our generation what He began with previous generations. And according to Hebrews 11:40, those who came before us, now watching from the balcony of Heaven, can finally see their promises fulfilled. Reinforced by Julie’s dream, this revelation opened my heart to many portions of the story we, as a generation, needed to identify with. History came alive. I knew we could insert ourselves into the storyline of Charles Finney, believing that city-changing revivals would be rekindled in our day. We could agree with the powerful prayers of Rees Howells for revivals that would shake nations. We could join the efforts of Martin Luther King, Jr., and see his dream of racial healing in America reach its intended goal. The great cloud of witnesses had finally become more than mere spectators and cheerleaders to me; they were an earlier leg of a relay race, waiting for someone to grasp their baton. This truth pierced my conscience. God began the process of connecting my heart and actions with those who had lived before me. My life began expanding, being defined not just by an eighty or ninety-year destiny, but also by an inter-generational purpose. I realized I was part of a historical chain, planned by God and built with human lives. “Back to the future” took on a new meaning: Like Elijah’s servant, Elisha, I would need to connect with the past in order to find my future. The power Elisha needed today was hidden in his yesterday (2 Kings 2:14- 15). Reaching back would not only bring added significance to my life, but also to the lives of those who had lived before me (Hebrews 11:39-40). And God’s love of relational connection would find fulfillment, causing Him to release an entirely new level of spiritual power—the synergy of the ages. Incredible. Putting Myself Into America’s Storyline I immediately began processing this revelation in the context of my calling to America. It was obviously relevant to praying for nations. I now could connect with America’s story more personally, joining my heart to the prayers and dreams of pilgrims, colonists, pioneers, and every other generation who helped write our story. Whatever the cost, I have determined to do my part in keeping the dream alive. Pray with me: Father, to our harm we have not understood the power of connecting with those who ran the race before us. The costly result is that each generation starts over in its pursuit of spiritual power and authority, rather than experiencing generational momentum. But revelation has come. And we understand how important it is to You that we honor, connect with and build on the efforts of those gone before us. Their stories are our stories. And this day, we put ourselves in the storyline, we agree with their decrees: “In God we trust!” “One nation under God.” “For the propagation of the gospel to all the nations of the earth.” We now understand why satan and his partners try to steal our history. They lie about it, distort it, and rewrite it. Satan tries to steal our history with You because he knows there is power in it - power in the destiny You gave us, power in the covenants and promises our founders made to You and You to them. But we agree with the great Winston Churchill, “The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is.”(1) And we pledge to You this day, we will war for - and with - our righteous history. Our Decree: We decree as the Ekklesia of Jesus Christ in America, we are now in the storyline. We are connected to the evangelism well of Cape Henry, the ringing of the Leviticus 25:10 Bell of Liberty in Philadelphia, and the Appeal To Heaven flag of 1776. With these and other weapons from our past, we WILL take out the giants trying to destroy this nation. Portions of today’s post came from my book Giants Will Fall. Click on the link below to watch the full video. _________________________________ https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/winston_churchill_129864

It’s Time to Put on the Gloves Yesterday, I began discussing a dream about me, given to a friend in 2007. The dream was a precursor to God introducing the Appeal To Heaven flag to me. Here is the dream: “In the dream, you were a boxer. You faced five giants in five rounds and knocked each of them out - one per round. You knocked each one out with one punch; and with each giant, you alternated fists. The first giant was floored with a right, the second with a left, back-and-forth you went until they were all down for the count. Five giants, five rounds, five punches, alternating fists. “‘After you knocked out the fifth giant,’ he continued, ‘you walked out of the ring and directly up to me. Holding up your gloved fists, you declared, “If you’re going to take out the giants in this season, you’re going to have to wear these two gloves.” One of the gloves had the word ‘Everlast’ on it; the other read ‘Evergreen.’” End of dream. In yesterday’s post, we discussed what Holy Spirit was saying through the boxing glove with “Everlast” on it. Today, reading from my book, An Appeal To Heaven, we will look at what He was saying through the word “Evergreen.” It was May, 2013, six years after receiving the boxing dream. I understood the meaning of “Everlast” glove, but the meaning of its counterpart, “Evergreen,” had evaded me so long it was now relegated to the Rarely-Ever-Think-About-It file in my brain. Not that I had ceased caring; it had just been so long that I rarely ever thought about it. That was about to change! In a message being delivered at an event by one of my spiritual sons, Will Ostan, he turned to me and said, “I believe the Lord has asked me to give a special gift to Papa Dutch. Before I give you the gift, however, I need to explain the history behind it. It’s a replica of a flag displayed by George Washington and America’s Founding Fathers. This flag was actually used before the Stars and Stripes existed. In some ways, it is the banner under which America was born,” he explained. “This flag has the phrase ‘An Appeal To Heaven’ across the top,” Will continued, “a phrase our Founders took from the writings of John Locke, a very influential English philosopher from the mid-1600s. Locke wrote a series of papers, ‘Natural Laws,’ stating that human rights originate with God, not government.” Locke made the case that when people have done everything humanly possible to experience those God-given rights and have failed to do so, there remains but one option: And where the body of the people or any single man, is deprived of their right, or is under the exercise of a power without right, and have no appeal on earth, then they have a liberty to appeal to heaven…(1) Will continued, “Locke’s phrase, ‘appeal to heaven,’ connotes that when all resources and the ability to attain justice on earth are exhausted, an appeal to earth's ultimate Judge is the final recourse. This concept would become a foundational philosophy in American society, used even in the Declaration of Independence.” Will went on to explain that George Washington and his contemporaries grabbed hold of this phrase in America’s cause for freedom from Britain’s tyranny. Having exhausted all peaceful possibilities of experiencing the liberty they so desired, the colonists realized their only hope for freedom was through war. Yet with Britain’s great military, weaponry, and wealth - contrasted by the colonist’s dire lack of these resources - any military attempt to break free from British rule was preposterous, even laughable. Laughable, that is, unless Almighty God intervened. The stance of the colonists was simple. Their right to freedom came from God; therefore, He would help them. “We will appeal to heaven!” they declared. And a flag was born. From the days of the Pilgrims, godly men and women have believed the Almighty was involved in the birth of our nation. They also felt that if a nation chose to partner with and honor God, it would experience His favor and blessing in extraordinary ways. Washington and the colonial dreamers agreed. They knew of the planting of the cross at Cape Henry in 1607, and the ensuing prayer meeting dedicating the land to God’s glory. They had read the Mayflower Compact of 1620, stating the voyage was made “for the glory of God, and advancement of the Christian faith…” (2) General George Washington, leader of the American revolution, obviously believed in this divine plan. He had the Appeal To Heaven flag designed. Then Washington commissioned several ships for the Revolutionary War efforts and, highlighting their dependence on providential help, each vessel was to fly the flag, also known as the Pine Tree flag. (3) The flag’s popularity spread and it was soon flying throughout the colonies, as well as being adopted as the flag for the Massachusetts State Navy. It became the symbol of these colonists’ unwavering spirit of liberty, as well as a clear statement of where they placed their faith. Will’s explanation of the “appeal to heaven” phrase and its connection to our past was very meaningful to me, but the impact was about to intensify. “Washington put an evergreen tree on this flag,” he continued, as he unfolded it and held it up for me to see. When I saw the Appeal To Heaven flag, the presence of the Lord engulfed me. And suddenly…I remembered the dream. A six-year wait was coming to an end, and a 250-year-old flag was about to be reborn. With a genuine sense of reverence and excitement I realized, I’ve just been given the other glove. So, what is the significance of the evergreen tree? Because evergreens continuously maintain green leaves or needles, depending on the type of tree, for millennia they have come to symbolize longevity, even eternity. At times, this symbolization of eternity was expanded to include an everlasting or lifelong commitment to a covenant. At the time of our nation’s founding, evergreens carried this significance within the Iroquois First Nations tribe. (In the book I document this well, including the tribe’s influence on our government.) Some historians believe that due to the Iroquois’ influence, the “covenantal” evergreen was placed on the Appeal To Heaven flag as a symbol of our nation’s covenant with God, and possibly of our Founders’ commitment to one another. This is consistent with the spirit of covenant they demonstrated when pledging “Our Lives, our Fortunes and our Sacred Honor” to one another and the cause. (4) Certainly, the Appeal To Heaven phrase on the flag supports this belief that the evergreen tree is also related to our alliance with and dependence upon God. As significant as the Iroquois connection is, however, the use of an evergreen tree to symbolize eternal fidelity toward covenant did not originate with them. The most important and weighty example of this symbolic use goes all the way back to Abraham and his covenant with Yahweh. Yesterday, we saw in Genesis 21:33 that Abraham called on Olam El, the Everlasting God. Everlast, remember, was on one of the boxing gloves in the dream. I had already made the connection to this verse about Abraham back in 2007 when the dream occurred. But you can imagine my shock when shortly after being presented the flag, I discovered that before calling on Everlast, Abraham planted an Evergreen! In this verse he wore both gloves! The entire meaning of the dream would be found in this verse regarding Abraham. Obviously, I had read this verse often enough to remember that Abraham planted a tamarisk tree before calling on Olam. I just didn’t know a tamarisk tree was an evergreen! Abraham planted an evergreen tree and called on Everlasting God. When I discovered this, I was astounded. Amazing. So, why did Abraham plant the evergreen tree? In his day, trees were sometimes planted as memorials, used to remind people and nations of significant events. When Abraham planted the evergreen tree, he was establishing a witness or memorial to his undying/forever covenant relationship with Everlasting God. The message was: “Olam has proven Himself faithful to His covenant with me time and time again. I now declare my faithfulness to Him. I will forever honor my covenant with Everlasting God.” Abraham‘s choice of an evergreen, the tamarisk tree, is also significant. Three significant facts, among several, are important: tamarisks are slow-growing, long-living, and when fully grown produce cool shade. In fact, because they grow so slowly, no one would plant a tamarisk tree for him or herself; he or she would never personally benefit from it. When planting this particular type of evergreen, Abraham was thinking of his descendants, making a powerful declaration to them for generations to come, “I am in covenant with Olam, and you will sit under the shade of my everlasting covenant with Him.” Wow! When we live in covenantal faithfulness to God, not only are we blessed but our children and grandchildren are, as well. This has certainly been the case with America. We have been extremely blessed by the God-connections of the generations before us. When the Holy Spirit used “Evergreen” in the boxing dream, then connected it to the flag under which America was born, He was pointing America back to our covenant with Him. If we would once again honor our promises to Yahweh, returning to the God of our fathers…if we would return to God‘s original purpose and plan for America, partnering with Him and His cause of redemption throughout the world…then the faithfulness of Everlasting God would be demonstrated to us, delivering us from the giants ravaging our land. This is now occurring! Put on the gloves and get in the ring. It’s time to once again, appeal to heaven! Pray with me: Father, just as our Founders placed an evergreen tree on the flag under which America was born, just as Abraham planted an evergreen tree when he called upon You, we honor our covenant with You. We stand in our intercessory role today and declare for the entire nation, “we are in covenant with God.” We have been raised up as a nation to represent You, to bless the nations of the earth, just as Abraham was. So we call upon the Everlasting God, who is bigger than all of our failures, and plant our covenant tree in the atmosphere of this nation - a flag waving in the wind - declaring, “America shall be saved!” Our decree: Just as America was born under a prayer movement, we shall be reborn under the same movement: an appeal to heaven. Today’s post was taken from my book An Appeal to Heaven. Click on the link below to watch the full video. _______________________________________ Winthrop, John. “A model of Christian Charity.” 1630 The Mayflower Compact. 1620. American Memory. “Col. Joseph Reed to Col. John Glover and Stephen Moylan.” October 20, 1775. The Library of Congress. Memory.loc.gov/mssp/mgw/mgw3b/001/08504.jpg The Declaration of Independence. July 4, 1776.

This Is Not a Fad - It’s a Movement At the end of 2013, I realized I was ending a 13-year spiritual journey. It started during a prayer and ended with a flag. An old and forgotten flag; forgotten by everyone, it seems, except God. He had evidently kept this banner in hiding for a couple of centuries, waiting in the wings of history until He was ready to re-introduce it. This flag now hangs in thousands of homes, prayer rooms, sanctuaries, government buildings, and even businesses. A church in Indiana made their own version - 15‘ x 30‘ - then made me one! Another congregation decorated the Christmas tree in their foyer with dozens of small flags. Thousands of people have small ones tucked in their Bibles, tacked to bulletin boards, or conspicuously sitting on their desks. Others display them as lapel pins, wear them emblazoned on shirts, show them off on bumper stickers, and at least one person has the flag tattooed on his arm! Governors display the flag, as do judges and members of Congress, and one was spotted in the U.S. Capitol. Another was recently flown over the Capitol of Arkansas. The other day I was surprised to even see one streaming behind an 18-wheeler; it has gone viral! The flag is associated with America’s founding, to be sure. It seems that God doesn’t intend it to be used by America alone, however. On this book’s cover, it can be seen flying in the Himalayas - the highest point on the planet - where it is raised above dozens of Buddhist prayer flags. It has flown on the plains of Nineveh (the place of the first region-transforming revival) the North and South Poles, in South Africa, Panama, and more recently in Cambodia where it was used in prayers against human trafficking. Who knows where it will turn up next?! This international use seems especially appropriate, given America’s God-given destiny of being a spiritual light to the nations. In times past, flags carried more weight than they do in our present day. Their symbolism was understood, from the color to the design, enabling a flag to tell a story or make a strong statement. Many flags are sacred - people swear allegiance to them and die to protect their honor. Banners, as they are also called, we’re often intended to make declarations. One early colonial American flag had a picture of a coiled snake with the accompanying phrase, “Don’t Tread On Me.” It was a warning to Great Britain: “Be careful; step on us, and we strike!” This journey of mine involves a different flag in America’s past, one that is especially relevant to our God-given purpose and destiny. Modern-day progressives, historical revisionists, liberal politicians, and humanistic professors scoff at the notion that America was established by God for a divine purpose. They also mock the assertion that our Founders believed in and honored this divine-human partnership. However, Yahweh, the God of the Bible, was indeed involved in America’s founding and He did so for His purposes. When General George Washington commissioned the Appeal to Heaven flag to fly over our naval ships in the Revolutionary War, little did he know that 240 years later, God would ordain that it fly again. This time around, however, it wouldn’t fly over a fledgling nation being born, but over the most powerful nation in the world being reborn. This rebirth isn’t literal, of course, but is a spiritual and moral renewal that will resurrect America’s God-given calling, purpose, and greatness. It must, indeed, be acknowledged that America’s populace is now filled with great apathy toward its history. It is also true that we are so ignorant of the ideals that shaped our identity as a nation that we have lost our national moorings. God’s intent is that history be more than information; the past can be an important anchor. Without this stabilizing force, however, America is now adrift in a sea of secular experientialism, blown about by the wanderings of our own fantasies and the delirium they create. Truly, America’s independence from God has left us spiritually and morally bankrupt. She is experiencing a continuous drift from greatness to mediocrity and, unfortunately, becoming increasingly irrelevant around the world. With such a dire diagnosis why, then, am I not hopeless? In the days of the flag’s genesis, the American colonists had no chance of winning a war with the world’s greatest empire, Great Britain. Yet, when those ill-prepared and poorly equipped revolutionaries appealed for assistance to the Giver of inalienable rights, the tide turned. When they agreed to come under God’s governance and honor His ways, He who “governs in the affairs of men,” as Ben Franklin stated at the Constitutional Convention, did just that. Affirming the Lord‘s governing intervention, Franklin also said, “All of us who were engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances of a superintending providence in our favor.” (1) Even some of our founders who were not strong Christians, such as Franklin, acknowledged God‘s providential hand in our victory. That same “superintending providence” is available today. In spite of our many flaws and numerous failures, God‘s hand has been, and remains, on America; of this I am sure. From the first man, Adam, to the Apostle Paul, history has proven that God uses imperfect people. The same is certainly true of nations. Though America is scarred and flawed, we still possess a divine purpose. Rest assured, the Sovereign who bestowed that purpose to America knows how to resurrect it. As you read this book, my prayer is that you will be awakened to hope. Hope is to the heart what seeds are to the earth. Without hope, life is sterile, unfruitful - dreams aren’t conceived and destinies aren’t realized. Hope is the starting line, the launch pad; it’s the seedbed from which faith springs up, and a creative force that keeps the soul dreaming. Without a doubt, the reemergence of this flag is intended by God to awaken hope. Let it be said of our generation that when a nation teetered on the edge of destruction, having lost the ancient path of truth, we answered the divine call to war for its restoration. Let it be said of us, as it was of our forefathers, that in the face of overwhelming odds we took our stand in the celestial courtroom, appealing to the Judge of all the earth for His saving grace, mercy, and sustaining power. Join the movement - appeal to heaven! Pray with me: Father, as surely as You raised up this nation, You will restore this nation. Our faith is not in our goodness or self-righteousness; it is in Your heart to redeem and restore. And it is in the blood of Jesus. Not only do You want to restore America, You want to use her to see many nations experience Your love and redeeming power. When our nation was formed our Founders appealed to You for justice and victory; they even put it on a flag and flew it over ships and battlefields. You have brought this flag to the forefront again, to use it as a reminder and a rallying cry. It reminds us that our hope is in You, and You alone. We appeal to You for the salvation of America. And we declare, in response to Your prophetic words and dreams regarding our nation, “America shall be saved!” We appeal to You for an unprecedented revival. We appeal to You for millions of salvations. We appeal for incredible deliverances to occur. We appeal for the healing of marriages. We appeal for our young generation to be introduced to You in extraordinary ways. We appeal to You for a changed government. We appeal to You to transform our education system. And we appeal to You for a worldwide revival that will save hundreds of millions of people spiritually, and even physically. And we ask and declare all of this in the wonderful name of Jesus, Amen. Our decree: We decree that the God who birthed America will now rebirth America. Today’s post was taken from my book An Appeal to Heaven. Click on the link below to watch the full video. Click here to buy your flag. _______________________________ Franklin, Benjamin, “Constitutional Convention Address on Prayer.” June 28, 1787. Philadelphia, PA.

Our Roots Are Alive Liberals in government, education, and media attempt to revise America’s history - except, of course, when it supports their cause. One of their most famous revisions is the “separation of church and state” myth, which they have dishonestly used for decades. The “wall of separation” phrase was used by Thomas Jefferson in a letter, not in the Constitution. He was assuring denominational leaders that our government would never be controlled by one religious group (as had been the case in England), nor would government have the right to control the church (as also occurred in Britain). NEVER was it implied by our founders that God and religion were to be prohibited from influencing government, education, or public life. Nor is it true that government money (which is really ours!) or public facilities were to be prevented from use by the church. These are all lies designed to remove the influence of God from our nation. It may surprise you that the man who wrote the phrase, “wall of separation”, (Thomas Jefferson) attended a church service in the Capitol 2 days later! (1) Numerous presidents and members of Congress attended church services there - for decades! - including John Quincy Adams, James Madison, Lincoln and others. Adams explained why he attended: “I consider it as one of my public duties - as a representative of the people - to give my attendance every Sunday morning when Divine service is performed in the Hall.”(2)The Rostrum of the House Speaker was used as the pulpit, and Congress purchased the hymnals! I realize you probably weren’t taught this in our public school system, which now propagandizes and revises history, but it is true. Actually, the Capitol was used for church services before ever being used by Congress. Approved December 4, 1800, by both the House and Senate, (3) services began before the entire Capitol was completed and Congress itself could move in. Jefferson, as Vice President at the time and therefore leader of the Senate, approved it on behalf of the Senate. He attended the services for years, throughout his time as Vice President and President, (4) had a designated seat, (5) and was so committed to it he even made the journey in inclement weather. (6) Services first began to be held in the north wing of the Capitol, moved to Statuary Hall as they grew in number, and eventually landed in the House Chamber. It was, in fact, the first official use of the Chamber on December 13, 1857, with as many as 2000 people in attendance! (7) Services were interdenominational, speakers were local pastors or the House and Senate Chaplains, (8) and included women (9) and blacks. (10) Some churches were actually allowed to use it as their meeting place until they procured other buildings. (11) And when needed, the Supreme Court Chamber, then in the Capitol building, was also used! (12,13) How ironic is that! Don’t allow the lies of politicians and educators to deceive you. Our Founders were God-honoring and God-fearing men and women and were guided by Judeo-Christian ethics. 106 of the first 108 colleges in America, including the Ivy League colleges, were Christian. We must never accept the efforts of the left to steal our godly roots. Pray and decree with me: Father, Nehemiah told Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem, those trying to stop him from rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, they had “no historical right” or “claim” to Jerusalem (Nehemiah 2:20; NIV and Expanded Bible). We echo those words today regarding those who want to transform America into a non-Christian nation: they have no covenantal, historical right to America. You, who own all the earth, raised up America for Your purposes. We stand in Your authority and decree that we forbid this to be stolen. And though we have previously lost ground in this spiritual war, You have told us America shall be saved. Your mercies endure forever, and we ask now for this never-ending mercy to be extended. We overthrow, in the all-powerful name of Jesus, the forces of darkness trying to disconnect America from her Christian roots. We declare that the systems and groups these forces are using will be unsuccessful in every way, and that many from within them will come to Christ. We declare with our Founders that America has “no King but Jesus,” and will serve no other gods. We declare that our roots are still alive and will once again bring forth the fruits Holy Spirit intends America to produce. We will experience a turnaround comparable to the great restorations of Israel. We declare that we will be a light and blessing to the nations of the earth. And we pray now for complete deliverance from the principalities and powers, led by Baal, who have orchestrated America’s spiritual decline. We ask You, Father, to do as You spoke in the World Seers Series dream and destroy the voice of Baal-Zephon in America. You began a concerted effort in 2007 to deliver us from this spirit and restore us to covenant with You, and we ask for this to now be brought to conclusion. Full victory. One hundred percent. Deliver us from Baal and his coworkers. We ask for victory in the Dobbs abortion case being decided now by the Supreme Court. We ask You to speak loudly and clearly to 5 or more Justices, motivating them to vote for the overturning of Roe versus Wade. End this hideous child-sacrifice system in America. And please heal all who experience grief, shame, and physical damage from having been involved. Prepare the church for our role when this law ends. May we be ready to take the unwanted children and give them loving homes and families. Bring about an amazing and unprecedented movement of adoption in America. Father, we thank You in advance for the great revival that is beginning. We thank You for millions of people coming to know You in this nation, and hundreds of millions around the world. We thank You for the incredible revival coming to the campuses of America and the world. Thank you for saving a generation from the strongholds of humanism, rebellion, drugs, immorality, gender confusion, and more. May they taste and see just how good You are. May they fall in love with Your Word and become acquainted with Your ways. We ask You to continue to transform the church. Mature us into the glorious church You spoke of in scripture. Build the Ekklesia You promised to build that cannot be overcome by the plans and government of hell. Bring revelation of our strength in You. Show us, the members of Your church, that we are more than conquerors, are overcomers, and can do all things You ask us to do through Your mighty power. We ask and decree all of this in the all-powerful name of Jesus. Amen. Click on the link below to watch the full video. ______________ William Parker Cutler and Julia Perkins Cutler, Life, Journal, and Correspondence of Rev. Manasseh Cutler (Cincinnati: Colin Robert Clarke & Co., 1888), Vol. II, p. 66, letter to Joseph Torrey, January 4, 1802. Cutler meant that Jefferson attended church on January 3, 1802, for the first time as President. Bishop Claggett’s letter of February 18, 1801, already revealed that as Vice-President, Jefferson went to church services in the House. John Quincy Adams, Memoirs, Vol. XI, p. 169, June 5, 1842. Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States (Washington: Gales and Seaton, 1853), p. 797, Sixth Congress, December 4, 1800. Smith, The First Forty Years, p. 13. Smith, The First Forty Years, p. 13. Cutler and Cutler, Life, Journal, and Correspondence, Vol. II, p. 119, in a letter to Dr. Joseph Torrey on January 3, 1803; see also his entry of December 26, 1802 (Vol. II, p. 114). William C. Allen (Architectural Historian of the Capitol), A History of the United States Capitol, A Chronicle of Design, Construction, and Politics (Washington, D. C.: Government Printing Office, 2001), p. 271. Smith, The First Forty Years, p. 15. Smith, The First Forty Years, p. 15. Henry Highland Garnet, Memorial Discourse (Philadelphia: Joseph M. Wilson, 1865), p. 73 Fundraising brochure, Charles B. Boynton. Washington, D.C.: November 1, 1867, Rare Book and Special Collections Division, Library of Congress; available at Library of Congress at https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/religion/rel06-2.html. Hutson, Religion and the Founding of the American Republic, p. 90. From the Library of Congress, at https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/religion/rel06-2.html.