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The “Communion” Revival There is absolutely no doubt that we are in the beginnings of revival in America, an outpouring of such proportions that it will be considered another Great Awakening. Many efforts have contributed to this: much prayer, worship gatherings, repentance, forgiveness, reconciliation, and more. America has obviously not been fully cleansed and transformed – sin still abounds – but cleansing and transformation are the results  of salvation and revival, not the causes.  Small acts of obedience have been essential; grassroots efforts that are often unseen by the masses combine in the spirit realm to become great waves of anointing and momentum. Occasionally, however, the Lord leads individuals to convene larger gatherings of believers. Lou Engle and The Call  come to mind, as does Washington for Jesus , A Million Women , and others.  One of the more unique, larger gatherings Holy Spirit has orchestrated was  Awaken the Dawn  in October of 2017. Fifty-eight tents lined the Washington Mall, filled with 24/7 worship led by 1700 worship teams. Yes, I said 1700. Fifty thousand people attended, and 4,000,000 watched and participated online! Many people were saved, including government officials, many more were healed, and statewide movements of prayer and revival were birthed in every state. This event truly was used to help birth a new day. Since 2017, Awaken the Dawn  has hosted 800 tent gatherings in capitals, campuses, and cities around the nation.  Holy Spirit has sovereignly led David Bradshaw and Awaken the Dawn  to host another gathering on the National Mall this upcoming October 9-12, called Communion America .  Though David and his ministry are hosting the week, it is truly a collaboration of several ministries, including ours. The power of unity and agreement will contribute to the release of incredible breakthroughs for our nation. Fifty tents, one for each state, will be filled with 24/7 worship, culminating in partaking of the Lord’s Table together. The sacrifice of Christ will be honored as millions of people there and throughout the nation take Communion together. Without question, this will further open the heavens over America. I will be there – consider joining me.  I realize many of you, due to jobs and other responsibilities, cannot attend every event of this nature. However, if it is possible, you should consider attending this gathering at least for a day. We are told in Scripture that three times a year, all men in Israel who could possibly do so were required to attend the major feasts in Jerusalem (Exodus 23:14-19). Joel 2:16 emphasizes gathering the nation to seek the Lord‘s restoration. These and other references emphasize the importance of God’s people coming together at times. The sacrifice and agreement that takes place accomplish things in the spirit that do not occur as we gather in our smaller gatherings. I can safely say that God has used various visits to Washington, D.C., to accomplish as much or more in my heart than any other activity. There is something about taking a stand in our nation’s capital – as both a citizen of heaven and of America – that is incredibly significant. My emotions have run the gamut when doing so, from overwhelming travail accompanied by many tears to exultant, powerful decrees. If you have never made such a pilgrimage, this would be a great time to do so. During my visits, not only have I been used, I have been marked . Nothing has done as much to solidify the revelation that this is MY country as have these visits to pray in Washington, D.C. Holy Spirit has told me many times while there, “Take ownership of this nation – it belongs to you.” Why Communion? The Lord has informed numerous leaders over the past few years that Communion would play a significant role in what He’s about to do. This is not a new phenomenon, by the way. The great Cane Ridge revival of the 1800s was born out of Communion. That great revival rocked our nation and birthed the Second Great Awakening. It is no exaggeration to say that Communion birthed an outpouring of the Holy Spirit that saved our nation.  Why would the Lord choose Communion to launch and be the focal point of an outpouring? The answer seems simple: nothing honors, calls attention to, and reminds us of the Lord‘s sacrifice and our salvation more than partaking of the Lord’s Table. Imagine the honor He will feel when millions of His family do it together in this gathering. And imagine the terror hell must feel when we do so! Nothing overcomes the powers of hell like the blood of Jesus. God’s decree of freedom for the human race was written with the blood of Jesus. It covers the Mercy Seat of heaven and unlocks God‘s mercy on earth. The book of Hebrews says that the blood of Christ “speaks!” (Hebrews 12:24). Indeed, it does. Loudly. I believe its message of freedom will reverberate in the heavens over our nation this October, as millions of us join together to honor its life-giving power.  Please get behind this effort in any and every way possible: your prayers, participation, and by spreading the word. You can also help with financial support, as these events cost a couple of million dollars. Perhaps you can sow a gift into this. Ceci and I will certainly be doing so. Check out the  link we are providing, which will explain the event more fully and tell you how you can support it. Pray with me: Father, we know You relate to people, not just as individuals, but as groups of people. Family units are blessed and cursed, as are cities and entire nations. Also nations, just like individuals, possess divine purposes and destinies. We know You raised up America to propagate the gospel of Jesus Christ to the ends of the Earth. And though we have rejected You and turned from this calling, in Your mercy You are restoring us. We declare that we will experience a great harvest, and also be used to reap an incredible harvest in other nations. Without a doubt, You have led David Bradshaw and Awaken the Dawn  to host this Communion gathering on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Now, we ask You to breathe Your life, favor, and blessing into it. Give it wind. Move upon the hearts of tens of thousands of people to attend, and millions more to participate online. We ask that through this event, Christ would take His rightful place in our nation. As we partake of the bread and wine that week, arise and scatter Your enemies. Give us great breakthrough in the heavens, shattering strongholds and lifting the veil of darkness off millions of people. Let the power released as we gather merge with the power released from millions of prayers and other significant events in our nation over the past 30+ years. Amalgamate and synchronize these into one huge explosive release of Your power. We ask for all the funds needed to accomplish this event. And we continue to pray for our government leaders. Today, we focus on the judicial system of America. This branch of our government is out of order and out of control. Many of those in it release injustice, not justice. Many judges, including Supreme Court justices, oppose You, disrespect Your Word and ways, violate our Constitution, and reject common sense. We ask You to stop this somehow! Bring Your redemption into rebellious elements of this branch of our government. Remove those who oppose You and give us righteous and wise judges who honor You.  Continue to give righteous leaders in the executive and legislative branches of our government wisdom and understanding, as they seek to transform America back to health. Pour out Your Spirit on our government – let history read that the government of America was impacted greatly by the Third Great Awakening. Change our government! Awaken it! Enlighten it! Return it to our righteous roots. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen. Our decree:  We decree that another great Communion revival has begun and will come to fullness in America. Visit this link  to find out more about the Communion America  event scheduled for October 9-12, 2025. Click on the link below to watch the full video.

God, Government, and the Church One of the fastest ways to create controversy is to mix the subjects of God, government, and the church. It is easy for me to see why the leftist and antichrist elements in our society don’t want God or His Word influencing government. It is inconceivable to me, however, that believers would fall prey to this error. The belief that we are to separate God and government is one of the greatest possible heresies. His influence is meant to permeate EVERY facet of life on Earth.  “Government” is the overseeing or management of an entity. Our English word comes from two Latin and Greek words, which mean “to steer a ship.” Governments are actually sometimes referred to as “ships of state.” AI provided me with the following definitions of government. “A government is the system or group of people responsible for making and enforcing rules, providing public services, and ensuring the overall organization and function of society. It’s the body that makes decisions and establishes policies that affect society, including economic activities and human rights.”              Who wouldn’t want God’s help with this?! Trying to steer ships of state through storms, currents, icebergs, and other dangers without the Creator’s guidance is like “the captain of a ship on a dark night who saw faint lights in the distance. He told his signalman to send the message: ‘Change your course 10 degrees south.’ “Immediately, he received the response: ‘Change your direction 10 degrees north.’ “The proud captain was angry that he was being challenged, so he sent a further message: ‘Change your course 10 degrees south. This is the captain speaking!’ “He received the response: ‘Change your direction 10 degrees north. I’m Seaman Third Class Jones.’ “The captain, thinking he would terrify this insubordinate sailor, wired a third message: ‘Change your direction 10 degrees south. I am a battleship.’ “The final reply came: ‘Change your course 10 degrees north. I am a lighthouse.” (1) In the Genesis creation, King Jesus prepared Earth, a planet in His Kingdom, to be the home of His future family. He then formed this family, beginning with Adam and Eve. Next, He assigned them, and their descendants, the responsibility of governing  or managing  their home, the earth, (Hebrew: radah  and mashal ) and delegated to them the authority needed to do so (Genesis 1:26-28; Psalm 8:6). As those with delegated authority, they were obviously to manage according to God’s will and ways - the principles under which His Kingdom operates.  This was all interrupted at the Fall. We humans lost our relationship with God and decided we could manage the earth without God’s help and guidance. We would just do as we pleased. Chaos ensued. The first son born to Adam and Eve, Cain, killed the second son, Abel (Genesis 4:8). By chapter 6 of Genesis, God said “the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent…was evil” (verse 5). The ship was sinking. The Repair But God had a plan for recovery. Jesus was incarnated – He became human – to restore us to God’s family, which all believers know. What is not as well known is that He also came to restore our assignment and authority to manage the earth. The first Adam had lost this, the last Adam recaptured and restored it (1 Corinthians 15:45; Matthew 28:18-20). Our authority to represent God’s Kingdom on earth now flows to us, not from our natural connection with the first Adam, but from our spiritual connection to Christ, the last Adam. This is why we operate “in His name.”  Through this delegated authority, Christ uses the church, His Ekklesia, to once again accomplish His Kingdom will and purposes here on earth (Matthew 16:18-19). When Jesus said He would build His Ekklesia/church, an Ekklesia was a governing body. How would this governing assignment be fulfilled? Not by force! Jesus was not saying we would “govern” or release His will by using physical force, but through spiritual authority and the implementation of His ways - the principles under which His Kingdom operates. To picture this, He said His Kingdom was like leaven, meaning that it permeates and influences all with which it comes into contact (Matthew 13:33). When we operate according to His Kingdom principles, He is steering the ship through us. The same is true when we offer biblical prayers and Spirit-led decrees. As I alluded to earlier, God’s divine influence should occur in every facet of life on earth. This especially includes government, with its incredible responsibility of “steering the ship.” God intended for ALL earthly government – whether in a home, a city, or a nation – to be an extension of HIS delegated authority, releasing HIS love, resulting in HIS righteousness, justice, and peace on the earth. The more influence God is given – the more a government aligns with His Word and Kingdom principles – the more peace, health, and justice are released into that jurisdiction. In the Scriptures, government leaders – not just spiritual leaders – were almost always involved in God’s saving and transforming of a people and nation. To contend that God would not want to influence government is not only heretical, it is absurd, even asinine. America’s Restoration It is impossible to overstate the significance of God being increasingly worshiped and honored by elements of our government. Worship and prayer are now occurring regularly in the White House and congressional offices. President Trump has invited God into the White House. He is attempting to restore not only America’s greatness, but also honor and restore America’s Christian heritage. Coming from the most powerful position in our nation, this is opening the door for even more righteous change in our nation. As all seeds do, the seeds of truth are multiplying after their kind. Spiritual hunger is begetting spiritual hunger, spiritual life is begetting spiritual life. This is flowing down to the nation. Revival has begun and will now multiply. As it does, it will provide the power and ability to also reform  laws and systems in accordance with God’s ways and Kingdom principles. We must pray for this to continue. Pray with me: Father, thank You for what You are doing in our nation. Our faith is certainly not in government; it is in You, the God of government. As You are honored in portions of our government, life and blessings are released. We see this beginning. And again, we thank You. We understand our responsibility to represent You and Your Kingdom in our land. We carry Your heart, we possess Your authority, and we are Your voice. We ask that You keep the church motivated to pray and be a voice for good in our nation. We ask that this manifest in government, education, families – and every facet of life in America. Multiply the harvest and empower the reformation. We pray for our leaders as they make decisions that steer the ship of America. Help them avoid mishaps and wrong turns. Give them the ability to rule righteously, honoring Your Word and ways. Through this, restore greatness to our land and make us a blessing to all the nations of the earth. In Jesus’ name, we pray, amen. Our decree:  We decree that the earth’s government is on Christ’s shoulders; He is our King (Isaiah 9:6-7). Click on the link below to watch the full video. Craig Brian Larson, Illustrations for Preaching and Teaching  (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1993), p. 134.

Notable Miracles that Bring Awakening, Part 2  We are continuing on the topic of notable miracles  today because I believe Holy Spirit is renewing our minds when it comes to the topic of miracles, signs and wonders—the supernatural demonstrations of Jesus’ Kingdom. These are not secondary matters that should be subjects of controversy, but essential, non-negotiable expressions of our faith. Tim’s book,   Angel Armies: God’s Supernatural Enforcers , is a timely and prophetic work that is reminding Jesus’s Ekklesia—you and me—of what time it is in the spirit. It’s time for us to see cities, regions, and entire geographies influenced by the Gospel.  The New Testament Ekklesia of the book of Acts (and the first several hundred years of church history) regularly practiced proclamation AND demonstration; it was not one without the other. Undeniable gospel demonstrations of power and miracles accompanied gospel words.  In the book, Tim shares: “Holy Spirit reminded the first Ekklesia of Christ’s words recorded in John 14:12: ‘ Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father .’ “Again, it’s one of the things Holy Spirit does. We are told He brings all things to our remembrance  [hupomimnesko] (1) . And no doubt, Peter and John remembered these words very clearly in the events that Luke captured in Acts chapter 3.  “As they approached the gate called Beautiful, Holy Spirit filled them with a surge of power and great boldness. Peter fastened his eyes on the lame beggar and said, ‘Look up here at us.’ And when he did, expecting to receive alms or a donation, Peter said, ‘I’m not giving you silver, and I’m not giving you gold. I’ve got something for you that money cannot buy. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk’ (see Acts 3:6). Then he grabbed his hands and pulled this man to his feet. Immediately, his feet and ankle bones received strength, and this man leaped and began to run, glorifying God throughout the temple.  “Muscles, bones, and ankles that had never been used instantly received strength. And beyond that, this 40-year-old man, who had never walked, received a miracle in his brain and nervous system; balance and coordination were supernaturally provided.  “When you’re born, you have to learn how to walk. Some who have been in accidents must relearn to walk. This man had never walked. But instantly, there was coordination between his spinal column and brain; signals were sent to muscles and ankles that had never operated, and strength was instantly given to atrophied muscles. People were astounded as they watched this lame man, whom they had passed by for years, jumping and running throughout the temple. Who wouldn’t be astounded?  “Amazingly, religious leaders, priests, and the Pharisees didn’t like it. Can you imagine that? They felt it would diminish their importance and influence, so they had Peter and John arrested for doing this. I mean, that’s hard to believe unless, of course, you live in our present times.  “The next day, Peter and John were brought before the council and asked whose authority they operated under to heal this man. Peter and John answered, ‘Jesus, the resurrected Lord, whom you guys crucified. We did it in His name.’ Through faith in His name, this man had been made whole.  “The leaders of the dead religion didn’t like that one bit, so they determined they were going to intimidate Peter and John. They persuaded the government to partner with them and issue a decree to Peter and John that said, ‘We forbid you to ever do this again, and do not even preach in the Name of Jesus.’ Peter and John replied, and I’m paraphrasing, ‘Go pound sand. You can’t intimidate us. We’ll do exactly what our King told us to do. We’ll not be silent. He told us to speak in His name, and He told us to do miracles in His name.’  “The Sanhedrin council got together, wondering what they could do about this. Acts 4:15-16 says:  ‘But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, saying, “What shall we do to these men? For, indeed, that a notable miracle has been done through them is evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it” (Acts 4:15-16 NKJV).’  ‘Saying, what are we to do with these men? For that an extraordinary miracle has been performed by (through) them is plain to all the residents of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it (Acts 4:16 AMPC).’  ‘What should we do with these men? Everyone in Jerusalem can clearly see that they’ve performed a notable sign and wonder —we can’t deny that (Acts 4:16 TPT).’  “In other words, ‘ It’s too obvious. We can’t deny this. We can’t bury it .’ And they had to let them go.  “Now, in another apostolic age and to other Ekklesias, Holy Spirit is once again saying to press into the miraculous healing realm, believing for notable miracles to occur in the Name of Jesus.  “The word ‘notable’   is the Greek word gnóstos, (2)  and it means known, great, knowable, recognizable, capable of being known. In other words, these are miracles that anyone can recognize as miracles: clear, visible, and great, coming only from God. ‘Only God’ power. ‘Only God’ possibilities. ‘Only God’ manifestations. ‘Only God’ workings. ‘Only God’ accomplishments. ‘Only God’ actions. ‘Only God’ deeds.  “In other words, notable miracles are miracles ‘only God’ can do, and everybody knows it.  God-actions on earth that can’t be denied. They are signs that say, ‘God did that.' A person running and jumping after being lame for 40 years is a notable sign. Holy Spirit is saying to us: ‘…you are now moving into days when notable miracles will increase through Kingdom Ekklesias. They are flowing into towns, cities, regions, states, nations, and religions. People will be forced to admit that God performed them.  ‘I want you to believe Me for supernatural power to come into your churches and lives. Believe Me for God-possibilities. Believe for God-actions to start being released around you. Believe for God-manifestations and deeds. Believe for God-accomplishments to flow through your life.’  “We must believe for notable miracles that grab the attention of the world ; notable miracles that prodigals can witness; signs and wonders that unbelievers can see. This will grab their attention, convincing them that Jesus is Lord. Raise your faith level. Believe that the same works, the same healing power, the same miracles Jesus performed, we shall do also, not through our power, but by the same Spirit, Holy Spirit, that raised Christ from the dead.  It is now time to follow the lead of Holy Spirit into supernatural times, supernatural manifestations of signs and wonders. It’s time to receive His anointings for signs, wonders, healings, and notable miracles.  Pray with me: Father, we raise our faith level to believe You for both proclamation AND demonstration of the gospel. As Your Word is preached with boldness, we ask You for notable miracles that will confirm the words being communicated. We thank You that the world will see a demonstration of Your miracle working power that is absolutely undeniable.   And although we have been speaking of Your supernatural power being released to work physical miracles, we also ask for it to be released in other ways. Release Your power to change and transform the thinking of people in our nation. Do so in order to change laws and systems, reforming our nation. Bring about breakthroughs in other nations, stopping violence and oppression. The youth revival has now begun – cause it to intensify and expand to all age groups in every nation.  Release Your power to stop any planned violence against those in our government. Deliver us from all evil plans to harm them. Stop violence in our land and thwart the plans of those who seek to divide us. All of this we ask in Christ’s name. Amen. Our decree: We declare that we are living in days of undeniable demonstrations of miraculous power that will capture the world’s attention, directing multitudes to Jesus.  Today’s post was taken from my brother’s book that was just released, entitled Angel Armies: God’s Supernatural Enforcers.  You can find it on Tim’s website  or Amazon. Click on the link below to watch the full video. James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), ref. no. 5279. Ibid, ref. no. 1110.

Notable Miracles that Bring Awakening! In my brother Tim’s new book, Angel Armies: God’s Supernatural Enforcers, he includes a chapter that references a phrase from Acts 4 where critics and persecutors of the gospel describe the miracle that took place in Acts 3 (the lame man who was healed at the gate named Beautiful). The religious critics commented, “What shall we do to these men? For, indeed, that a notable miracle has been done through them is evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it” (Acts 4:16 NKJV). This notable miracle clearly had a far-reaching impact. Notable miracles reveal the Father’s heart to bring wholeness and healing. They are needed in this hour because they can do what the greatest strategies fail to accomplish: break open cities, regions, and territories for the advancement of the gospel, igniting territorial awakening. In the book, Tim shares: “We must understand that we, the Ekklesia today, are to move in supernatural power. It is a part of the Father’s plan. The Ekklesia is supposed to flow in the supernatural power of Holy Spirit. “Sadly, much of the church has become stagnant because it has settled for the natural. But the remnant that has been prepared for our times, the remnant in the true church, the King’s Ekklesia, is refusing to settle for only the natural realm way of doing things. “The Lord has said prophetically that we are stepping into His most supernatural era…signs, wonders, miracles, and healings, and also what the Scriptures call notable healings or notable miracles. We must grow our faith now, daring to ask for the double portion. We are not going to change history without the supernatural. “In March of 2022, Holy Spirit gave me a prophetic word that I believe is amping up now for this era: ‘There will now be seen throughout the earth a functioning church in the midst of the world’s dysfunction. Multiplied grace is now being poured out. Bound souls will be set free. Captives in heart, delivered. Those blinded by sin and iniquity will be liberated from hell’s bondage as the revival of the ingathering now leaps ahead. ‘The generations in sync with My Angel Armies will be soaked in the fresh rains of Heaven and will now leap forward into great revival. It will be a movement that moves in power, passion, and purity. I will support it with signs, wonders, miracles, and notable miracles that are leaping forth into your region. Notable miracles are leaping into your capitals. Miracles are leaping into your households. The revival in the womb of my intercessors is now leaping. It’s leaping from the womb of those in travail. It is now time for the birthing of My Kingdom revival.’ “Kingdom revivals involve notable miracles. In Acts 3 and 4, shortly after the outpouring of Holy Spirit in Acts 2, Peter and John were going to the temple for the 3 o’clock prayer meeting. On their way, they had to pass through the temple gate that is called the Gate Beautiful, where a lame man sat begging for money. This man was 40 years old and had been unable to walk from birth. Every day, his family would bring him to this gate and lay him down so he could beg for money. That was his source of income. “Hundreds of thousands of people had walked by this man as he lay at the gate. Jesus Himself had passed by him many times. All the disciples had seen this man and walked past him. But on this day, Holy Spirit was emphasizing miracles to the Jerusalem Ekklesia. “Peter and John knew firsthand the miraculous healing power of Jesus. They were with Jesus when He had healed those unable to walk. They were standing beside Him when blind eyes were opened. Peter and John were also there when deaf ears were opened. They were there when leprosy and other skin diseases were healed, and the flesh on individuals became like that of a newborn baby or child. “They were there when a woman was healed of a blood disorder she had dealt with for 12 years. She had spent all of her money to see if a doctor could help her find a cure. Then one day, she heard that Jesus was coming by and hope began to rise inside of her. Twelve years of anguish and pain, but Jesus was coming by. She believed that if she could just touch the hem of His garment, she would be healed. She slipped through the crowd and touched His garment; when she did, Jesus said, ‘Who touched Me? Who touched Me?’ “Peter said, ‘Lord, there are hundreds of people. Many have touched You. We’re having to part the crowd to get You through. What do You mean?’ “Jesus said, ‘No, someone touched Me differently, pulling anointing from Me. I felt virtue leave My body.’ “Virtue is the Greek word for power. Dunamis is the actual word used here.(1) Jesus said, ‘Dunamis was pulled from Me.’ The same power, dunamis, that Holy Spirit later brought at Pentecost flowed from Christ, and instantly the woman was healed. Her pain was gone, and the blood disorder was cleansed. Peter and John witnessed that miracle. “The words Jesus spoke to His disciples the night of the last supper are also words to all believers. In John 14:12-14, He made what I believe is one of His most astounding statements. ‘I tell you this timeless truth: The person who follows me in faith, believing in me, will do the same mighty miracles that I do—even greater miracles than these because I go to be with my Father! For I will do whatever you ask me to do when you ask me in my name. And that is how the Son will show what the Father is really like and bring glory to him. Ask me anything in my name, and I will do it for you!’ (John 14:12-14 TPT) “If it is timeless, it is true today. The passage says ‘greater miracles,’ meaning greater in number, not greater in quality. Jesus did signs, wonders, and miracles in a relatively small area: Israel and its surrounding regions. But we are scattered throughout the entire world. We need far more, greater in number, signs, wonders, and miracles because of the size and the scope of our assignment into all the world.” Pray with me: Father, we recognize that demonstrations of Your Kingdom power through signs, wonders and notable miracles open territories to the Gospel. Miracles reveal that Christ is alive, He is working in the world, and the gospel is true. We recognize that being used to work miracles is not reserved for the spiritual elite or select few. All believers who follow Jesus in faith can be used to do the same mighty miracles He did, through the empowering of Holy Spirit. Lord, use our hands. Use our words. Overshadow us with Your Spirit as You did the Apostle Peter in Acts 5. Saturate us with Your glory as You did the Apostle Paul in Acts 19. And Father, we are reminded today that prophets have said we are entering a renaissance age. We ask for wisdom to be given to our government leaders as they work to bring about appropriate changes. As the tug-of-war occurs between those espousing leftist, globalist, antichrist ideals and those seeking to reform America back to biblical ideals, give favor and success to those aligning with You. Give us revival - millions of salvations, and reformation - a return to Your ways and plans. In Jesus’ name we ask, amen. Our decree: We declare that notable miracles are breaking out from the presence and glory of the Holy Spirit. These miracles will draw attention to Jesus, and open territories to receive the gospel. Today’s post was taken from my brother’s book that was just released, entitled Angel Armies: God’s Supernatural Enforcers. You can find it on Tim’s website or Amazon. Click on the link below to watch the full video. James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), ref. no. 1411.

The Choice “I’m gonna blow your doors off!”  My frustration could no longer be contained on this particular morning’s commute in 1988 to teach at Christ For The Nations Institute in Dallas, Texas. I was running late that day, and as was often the case, my three-year-old daughter, Sarah, was with me so she could attend the preschool classes. When we pulled out of our subdivision, we ended up behind an elderly man driving an old pickup truck at about 20 mph. After following him for about five minutes on a country road that offered no opportunity to pass, we finally turned onto a four-lane highway. By this time, I had totally lost my patience, and as I zoomed by his vehicle, I mumbled, “Man, I’m gonna blow your doors off!” Sarah was quiet for the next two or three miles, which I thought was rather unusual. Then, with great concern in her voice, she asked, “Daddy, why are you going to blow that man’s doors off?” While watching Sesame Street , she had recently heard the story of The Three Little Pigs  and the big bad wolf who blew their houses down. Now she was picturing me literally blowing the doors off this man’s truck! She had obviously been thinking about this nonstop since hearing my exclamation, and was rather alarmed and puzzled. Try explaining to a three-year-old why passing a person’s car is sometimes described as “blowing their doors off.“ Then, of course, she needed to know that I really didn’t dislike this elderly gentleman, just his driving.  After this enlightening experience, I realized I would need to be more careful about what I said around children. They are listening! We’ve been looking at Martha’s failure to listen to Christ as He taught in her home. Let’s take one more look at this powerful passage. There are still a couple more pearls hidden in it that are just too good to pass up. “Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word. But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.’ But the Lord answered and said to her,   ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things, but only a few things are necessary, really only one, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her"’ (Luke 10:38-42). The Lord made an important statement to Martha, telling her that only a few things are really necessary in life. So far, so good. Food, water, shelter from the elements, oxygen - the list of essentials really is short. Then, He dropped the bombshell: “Really only one.”  He had me, then He lost me. I’m ready to admit that many of my “essentials” in life really are not. Most are for comfort, pleasure, or personal satisfaction. But the seemingly absurd claim that only one thing in life is really necessary is rather hard to swallow. But Jesus said it, and we have to deal with it. Connecting the statement to Mary’s decision to sit at the Lord’s feet and listen to His words makes His meaning rather obvious. Here's my opinion of what Jesus meant by these words: “Martha, if you will truly connect with Me, everything else in life will fall into place. Order will be established; relationships will make sense; I’ll guide your steps into purpose and destiny; everything will work well if you’ll simply listen to Me. ” Astounding, incredible, wonderful, generous...and simple. Yet life gets complicated. The pace quickens, the to-do list grows, and the Martha side of our nature kicks in. The voice of the Master is then drowned out by the pace of life. When this occurs, and it will,  the solution is to return to the simple strategy of Mary: sit and listen.  The passage in Luke says that Mary “chose” the right activity. Most of us don’t believe, or we don’t take the time to consciously consider, that we always have the ability to choose the simple devotion demonstrated by Mary. But we do. Jesus then referred to Mary’s choice as “good.” That seems rather lame until the Greek word used is really understood. There are two Greek words that He could have used, agathos (1)  and kalos (2) . Kalos  means something is made well and looks good. It is even used for “beauty” or “handsome”; in our day, we use the phrase “good-looking.” Kalos can even include inner beauty or virtue. The word stops short, however, of suggesting practical usefulness. A good example of kalos  would be a beautiful picture - it looks good but has no practical use. When a word is needed, however, that adds the concept of usefulness or benefit, agathos  is chosen. To fully convey this aspect, agathos  is often translated “good works.” Essentially, kalos  is good looks, agathos  is good works. Jesus said Mary chose agathos . The irony of this is astounding. The person doing nothing was credited with doing the “good works,” not the person doing all the good works! That ain’t right, as we sometimes say. But it was, and it is. Christ was saying, “You look good, Martha, but your busyness won’t produce the good works you are looking for. Mary chose that which will enable her to truly do good works, and her fruit will remain.” We must always remember that it is Christ's life flowing through us that produces eternal fruit in others, not our abilities and self-chosen activities. I’m afraid all of us are seduced by this “good-looking” seductress of busyness once in a while. Jesus warned a group of believers in Scripture that this was happening to them. “You have a name that you are alive, but you are dead,”  He said to the church of Sardis (Revelation 3:1). To the casual observer, their works must have been impressive. But the Lord looks not at our outward appearance, but at the heart (see 1 Samuel 16:7). His message to the Sardis believers was, “You’re kalos , not agathos . Stop with all the busyness and choose the good part - Me.” Christ is the source of all that is good - destiny, fulfillment, well-being. He offers us access to an infinite fountain of blessing. But we must make choices each day that will steer us toward accomplishing the good works He prepared for us. Choose to drink from His living waters. May our hearts never be led astray from a simple, pure, and steadfast devotion to Christ. Pray with me: Father, we pray for Your kids, so many of whom have become kalos  motivated. Many have bought the lie that polish, size, buildings, and “a name that we were alive” define success. Many have become so “good” at it, they no longer even need Holy Spirit. Yet, as our churches grew, no positive changes occurred in the divorce rate, crime rate, deaths from drugs, homelessness, human trafficking, government, and other concerns. In fact, we lost ground in all of these areas. We have epitomized kalos . But this is changing! A “sit at His feet” movement is occurring; a “tired of religion” company of believers is emerging.  We are hungry for You!  And we will pass on our insatiable hunger to a dissatisfied and hungry generation, an “I’ve tried it all and nothing has satisfied” company, desperate for the real thing. They are ripe for agathos, and You won’t disappoint them! Our decree: We decree that the great rescue is beginning! Today’s post was taken from my book   The Pleasure of His Company , published by Baker Books. Click on the link below to watch the full video. “Strong’s Hebrew: 18. (agathos) -- Good, beneficial, virtuous.” Bible Hub, https://biblehub.com/greek/18.htm . May 12, 2025. “Strong’s Hebrew: 2570. (kalos) -- Good, beautiful, noble, excellent, honorable.” Bible Hub, https://biblehub.com/greek/2570.htm . May 12, 2025.

The Distractions  Yesterday , we looked at the biblical account of Mary and Martha, two sisters who entertained Jesus in their home. While Martha was distracted as she prepared Him a meal, Mary was seated at the Lord’s feet, hearing and understanding His words. The passage is so pregnant with revelation that it merits another look. “Now as they were traveling along, [Jesus] entered a certain village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. And she had a sister called Mary, who moreover was listening to the Lord’s word, seated at His feet. But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him, and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving along? Then tell her to help me.” But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only a few things are necessary, really only one, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her”  (Luke 10:38-42). I’ve already acknowledged my tendency toward Martha-ism. I am important, after all! Someone once gave me a double-billed cap - one pointing left, the other right - imprinted with the words, “I’m their leader. Which way did they go?” I still wear it proudly! How sadly appropriate is this cap. There was a time when I needed only two of me to accomplish all of the “urgent” and “important” things I’m “called” to do. Now, I need me in triplicate. And my Martha ministry is still growing - soon I'll need to be omnipresent! Jesus disagreed with this outlook on ministry. In a loving yet stern way, He told Martha she was “worried and bothered about so many things”  (v. 41). Not good, especially when we take a deeper look. “Worried” is merimnao (1) , which has in its root meaning the concept of dividing or separating something. It is revealing that worry is defined by a “divided” mind. When we’re worried about something, no matter how hard we try to focus on other things, a piece of our mind keeps being drawn back to our concern. Our mind, therefore, is described as being “divided”. Martha, it seems, had so much going on in her life that her mind was divided between many concerns; “so many things” was the phrase Jesus used. And like all of us at times, her balancing act wasn't working as well as she thought. She was “worried and bothered”. Martha was, in all likelihood, servant-motivated. She was probably one of those gifted people who can do several things at once, and was most likely a hard worker. In this instance, however, Mary had it right. Multitasking can be good, but not when Jesus is talking. The Lord appreciates hard work, and He knows that at times we are going to be very busy. But He also wants times when we're all His. Take the cap off and sit for a while. The word bothered  is also painfully revealing. It is the Greek word turbazo , which is derived from the Latin word turba , meaning “a crowd”. Webster says “disturb”, “perturb”, and “turbulent” are all derivatives of the same word. (2)   When life gets too crowded, we get disturbed . Perturbed comes next, followed by turbulence.  Like an airplane flying through a storm, our emotions bounce up and down, making us short-tempered and irritable. Our health suffers, as do our relationships. Martha was not only irritated at Mary, she was even a little miffed at Jesus. “Do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me,”  she grumbled. Barking out orders to God in accusatory language probably created just a little bit of turbulence in this room full of people! Mary wasn’t the problem, however, and Jesus certainly wasn’t. Martha simply needed to take her cap off, slow down, and listen. Her “crowded” mind couldn’t shut out all the noise. Many offices nowadays have ambient noise generators. They admit a constant but quiet sound, low enough so as not to be disturbing, yet loud enough to drown out other noises. They’re used in phone centers to drown out other voices, in counseling offices to provide privacy, and in various other businesses. Martha’s ambient noise generator was her service for Christ. Amazing, but true. Believe me, I understand. Her generator was the rattling of dishes, the banging of cupboards, and the clanging of utensils; my generator is the internal noise caused by travel, preaching and teaching, writing, correspondence, meetings, Give Him 15s, and more. All good, but not when they muffle the voice of the Master. Your ambient noise generator may be running a business, driving nails, keeping books, raising kids, social media, or even a hobby. It doesn’t matter what it is, just turn it off once in a while. Mary didn’t have one of those contraptions. She was mesmerized by His words. Her attitude was, “If He wants something to eat, He’d better stop talking. Because until He does, I’m not leaving this spot.” Why did Martha feel differently? Perhaps it was her personality, or could it be that Jesus had grown a little too familiar to her? Scholars agree that Jesus was very fond of Martha, Mary, and their brother, Lazarus, and stayed in their home when in the area. Had Martha heard Him enough that the excitement had worn off? Does this ever happen to us? In Christianity today, Philip Yancey writes: I remember my first visit to Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park. Rings of Japanese and German tourists surrounded the geyser, their video cameras trained like weapons on the famous hole in the ground. A large, digital clock stood beside the spot, predicting 24 minutes until the next eruption. My wife and I passed the countdown in the dining room of Old Faithful Inn overlooking the geyser. When the digital clock reached 1 minute, we, along with every other diner, left our seats and rushed to the window to see the big, wet event. I noticed that immediately, as if on signal, a crew of busboys and waiters descended on the tables to refill water glasses and clear away dirty dishes. When the geyser went off, we tourists oohed and aahed and clicked our cameras; a few spontaneously applauded. But, glancing back over my shoulder, I saw that not a single waiter or busboy - not even those who had finished their chores - looked out the huge window. Old Faithful, grown entirely too familiar, had lost its power to impress them . (3) I’m afraid this describes many Christians’ relationship with the one we call Faithful and True. We’ve known Him so long, become so accustomed to Him, well, you know... Don’t ever stop being impressed with Jesus! Get out of the kitchen once in a while. Slow down. STOP! Fight tenaciously for quality time at His feet and never lose your hunger for the pleasure of His company. Pray with me: Father, we thank You for desiring to communicate with us. But so often we let Your voice be drowned out by other noises. Help us to always remember what is most important - You. You are worthy of the highest affections of our hearts. The harsh yoke of busyness and heavy burden of over-activity, we remove now and lay them at Your feet. Holy Spirit, help us to continually break away from the bustle and shut out all the noise. Today, we choose to cease from striving, so that with singleness of heart, we can rest at Christ’s feet, and be washed in Your words and love. May busyness never crowd out of our lives precious opportunities to enjoy the pleasure of Your company. And Father, we want those now coming into the family to be born into a “presence” movement, an “I’ve tasted and I’ve seen” movement. May they be “Presence Junkies!” Addicted! Give us this type of revival!! We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen. Our decree: We decree that Jesus is building a church that will listen first, then do  exploits. Today’s post was taken from my book   The Pleasure of His Company , published by Baker Books. Click on the link below to watch the full video. “Strong’s Hebrew: 3309. (merimnaó) -- To be anxious, to worry, to care for.” Bible Hub, https://biblehub.com/greek/3309.htm . May 12, 2025. 2. The Consolidated Webster Encyclopedic Dictionary (Chicago: Consolidated Book Publishers, 1954), s.vv. “disturb,” “perturb,” “turbulent.” Philip Yancy, “What Surprised Jesus,” Christianity Today,   September 12, 1994, 88. Used by permission.

The Decision  “Now as they were traveling along, [Jesus] entered a certain village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. And she had a sister called Mary, who moreover was listening to the Lord’s word, seated at His feet. But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him, and said, ‘Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.’ But the Lord answered and said to her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only a few things are necessary, really only one, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”’  (Luke 10:38-42 NASB) This is one of my favorite passages of Scripture - and one of my least favorites. While it confirms the affections of my heart, it also convicts the decisions of my mind. I’m a Mary at heart, loving my quiet times and the moments when I find myself reveling in the Lord’s presence. At other times, however, life forces me into Martha mode, and I find myself trapped in the maze of a merciless schedule with seemingly no way out. Life is a constant balancing act, and too often the scales tip the wrong way. The most important things - God, family, and good health - are sometimes outweighed by the proverbial tyranny of the urgent. If we are not careful, the American Dream can become a nightmare.  This passage concerning Mary and Martha is loaded with helpful insights to aid us in overcoming this tendency. To find the nuggets, we must dig below the surface and do a few word studies, but I assure you, the treasure buried there is well worth the effort. Let’s begin with two Greek words used in the simple statement, “Mary...was listening to the Lord’s word.” “Listening” is akouo (1) , and has a broad range of meanings, depending on its context. It can mean simply “to hear,” but at times it carries the stronger meaning “to understand, hear with the ear of the mind; to hear effectively so as to perform what is spoken.”  “Word” is logos (2)   - Mary was listening to Christ’s logos.  This is not the normal   Greek term for spoken words (that is rhema ) (3) . Logos , which includes spoken words, has the added meaning of “connecting” or “linking” words in order to communicate thoughts and messages. Logos, therefore, embodies the logic that words are communicating - the meaning, message, or content. It’s easy to see the connection to our English word “logic,” which is indeed derived from logos . Mary was sitting quietly, listening intently to what Jesus was saying, and therefore was hearing more than mere words. She understood   the  message they were conveying. She was making the connection. Jesus’ words were penetrating her heart and mind, bringing knowledge, creating paradigms, and shaping beliefs. Martha, on the other hand, was busy working. She was so busy, in fact, that the Lord said she was “distracted” (perispao) (4) . The literal meaning of the Greek word used is much stronger than simply being distracted. In fact, the picture it communicates is brutal: “to drag around in circles.” Ouch! Busyness can indeed be a real drag. Okay, that was bad. But the point is important. Martha was more than just distracted. Her tendency toward busyness had gotten her life out of balance.  Ecclesiastes, the book of Scripture in which Solomon delineated his frustration with life, tells us, “God made us plain and simple, but we have made ourselves very complicated ” (Ecclesiastes 7:29 GNT). We allow life to get out of control and far too complex. We must de-complicate things. Paul said to the church at Corinth,  “But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ ” (2 Corinthians 11:3). While Mary was enjoying the simple pleasure of His company, Martha was allowing it to further complicate her life. Be like Mary - do some simplifying at His feet! There is an interesting word in the passage that adds tremendous insight to the Lord’s gentle but revealing correction to Martha. Jesus told her she was distracted by all her “preparations.” The word used here ( diakonia ) (5)  is also the Greek word for “ministry.” In the Scriptures, there is no distinction made between serving or ministering to someone in a general sense, or doing so in what we’ve come to call “the ministry.” As far as God is concerned, whether we’re serving a family member, a friend, or a congregation, we’re all ministers. (Tell your friends to start calling you reverend!) The words used by Holy Spirit in this passage were chosen carefully in order to convey a critical understanding:  No matter how important or noble our activities may be, including working for Him, they don’t trump time with Him. Nothing we could possibly do in life is more important than Christ, our first priority. His words provide us with equilibrium - they keep our lives balanced. They form the beliefs, understanding, and wisdom we can use to build our lives. They provide structure and strength.  If our foundations are not laid with the strengths and wisdom found in His words, they will crack under pressure. The Lord used this analogy with Joshua as he was about to take over Moses’ leadership role (see Joshua 1:1-9). What a daunting task! Yahweh told Joshua to carefully listen to His words and remember them, reminding Israel’s new leader that they would bring him success and prosperity.  The Lord then gave him an interesting command: “Do not tremble or be dismayed” (v. 9). “Dismayed” is translated from the Hebrew word chathath (6) , meaning “to break.” Hebrew scholar Spiros Zodhiates says, “The meaning ranges from a literal breaking to abstract destruction, to demoralization, and finally to panic.” He likens it to the concept we use nowadays of “cracking under stress.” (7)  God was telling Joshua to “chill out,” to not let the stress get to him. The Lord knew Joshua’s assignment would be difficult. Possessing the promised land would be more demanding than camping in the wilderness. The latter involved the stress of day-to-day life; the former would add to this the struggle of war. The pressures on Joshua would be extreme. How could he keep from cracking under stress, maintain freshness, and joy? The solution would be listening to ( akouo ) the words ( logos ) of God. For you and me, it will be the same.  No matter how hectic your life has become, slow down for a few minutes each day and listen to Him. Get off the treadmill of life and spend some quality time enjoying the pleasure of His company. Let nothing stop you. With childlike simplicity, hang out with God.  Young Tommy had been an unexpected “bonus child” to his parents, and he continued to surprise and delight his family with his spontaneous expressions of love. Shortly after he turned five, Tommy asked his mother, “How old were you when I was born?” Upon learning she had been thirty-six, he exclaimed, “What a shame!” A little puzzled, his mother asked him what he meant. Tommy’s reply: “Just think of all those years we didn’t know each other.” (8)  Take a lesson from Tommy. Don’t allow another day - let alone another year - go by without getting to know Him intimately.  Pray with me: Father, we repent for letting the busyness of life keep us from the most important thing - time spent with You. Jesus, we don’t want to be casual listeners; we want to sit at Your feet and listen as You speak. Be it a loud trumpet call or a gentle whisper, we want to hear and follow every leading of Your heart. Father, we ask for wisdom and revelation, that we may truly come to know You. Holy Spirit, help us to apply our hearts to understand the messages Abba conveys, such that they’ll penetrate and transform every part of us. Let our lives be founded upon the wisdom of Your Word.  Jesus, we choose to slow down and connect with You, heart to heart. Once again, let us enjoy the pleasure of Your company. Our decree: We declare that we will sit and listen to Christ, Abba, and Holy Spirit. Today’s post was taken from my book The Pleasure of His Company , published by Baker Books. Click on the link below to watch the full video. “Strong’s Hebrew: 191. (akouó) --  To hear, to listen, to understand.” Bible Hub, https://biblehub.com/greek/191.htm . May 12, 2025.  “Strong’s Hebrew: 3056. (logos) --  Word, speech, message, account, reason, doctrine.” https://biblehub.com/greek/3056.htm . May 12, 2025.  “Strong’s Hebrew: 4487. (rhéma) --  Word, saying, utterance, matter.” https://biblehub.com/greek/4487.htm . May 12, 2025.  “Strong’s Hebrew: 4049. (perispaó) --  To be distracted, to be pulled away, to be over-occupied.” https://biblehub.com/greek/4049.htm . May 12, 2025.  “Strong’s Hebrew: 1248. (diakonia) --  Service, ministry, office, relief, support.” https://biblehub.com/greek/1248.htm . May 12, 2025.  “Strong’s Hebrew: 2865. (chathath) --   To be shattered, dismayed, terrified, broken.” https://biblehub.com/hebrew/2865.htm . May 12, 2025.  Spiros Zodhiates, Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible: New American Standard (Chattanooga, TN: AMG, 1990), 1729. Adapted from Alice Collins, “All Those Years,” in Chicken Soup for the Mother’s Soul, ed. Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Jennifer Read Hawthorne, and Marci Shimoff (Deerfield Beach, FL: Health Communications, Inc., 1997), p. 20.

Make It Serve You I have shared posts on the subject of forgiveness for the previous two days  [ May 12  & May 13 ]. Today’s post reveals, to some extent, the sense of humor God has. A couple of years after insisting that I forgive a man I blamed for so much pain in my family, and giving me the grace to do so (read about it here), the Lord led me to Christ For the Nations Bible Institute in Dallas, Texas.   Shortly after arriving, to my complete surprise, I ran into the son of this man, who was also  there as a student. Tom (not his real name) happened to be in the cluster of 15 or 20 students who became my inner circle.   He was a few years younger than me and had no idea of the hatred I once held for his dad. I’m sure he was completely unaware of what had even taken place  a few years prior to this . Tom had gotten into drugs and alcohol while in high school and became horribly addicted. He had come to Christ and was attending the Bible institute to help firm up his walk with the Lord. I found it very encouraging that I could relate to him with no feelings of awkwardness or resentment. About six months into my time there, Tom had a bit of a relapse and used some recreational drugs, which was obviously against the strict policy of the Bible College. The school was not a rehabilitation center equipped to deal with drug addiction and rehabilitation, so they were very firm in their stance. To violate the policy meant dismissal, along with suggestions for finding a place more suited to helping them. Of course, if Holy Spirit led otherwise, they made exceptions. The Dean of Men, who would be making this decision and doling out the consequences, called me to his office. I knew him somewhat from some on-campus prayer meetings I had attended. He was quite strict regarding the school’s policies, He was also very prophetic. He prayed regarding situations of this nature, asking Holy Spirit to give him wisdom and guidance. I had no idea why he was summoning me to his office. He explained what happened with Tom, and spelled out the normal consequences for the offense. “I feel I am to give him another chance, however,” he stated. “I believe his heart is pure and repentant. He is a friend of yours, isn’t he?” he asked. “Yes,” I said, “he is a friend.” I felt truly spiritual being able to say that. Not that I was proud, you understand. My assumption was that the Dean was about to ask me if I thought it was a good idea to give Tom another chance. NOT! “I’ve seen you spending time in the prayer room,” he began. I was, indeed, attempting to become an intercessor. I certainly wasn’t an expert, but  was passionate. “I am willing to give Tom a second chance,” he said, “if you are willing to take him on as a personal assignment. You must accompany him to the prayer room every day and pray with him, teaching him to pray, and helping him get free from his addictions.” Did I mention that this Dean was very prophetic?! He knew nothing about my past with this young man’s father. Nothing! But had he ever heard from God! I said yes, and left the room dumbfounded. I’m not sure what my exact words to the Lord were when I left the dean’s office, but they were something like this: “Well, God, You sure do have a sense of humor.” “I do,”  He answered. “But I’m doing more than being humorous. I’m finishing the job. Drive the nail into the coffin of your past. Make satan pay. Overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21). You are free in your heart; now seal it with your actions.” I was able to  do this assignment. I led  this young man to the prayer room every day - actually, he had no choice - and prayed over him, as well as  making him pray, for an hour or so. Surprise, surprise! It worked…for both of us. We chased off his demons and buried my past pain. Only God. Tom became free and, as far as I know, was able to remain free. The word “overcome” in the verse above (Romans 12:21) is the Greek word  nikao . (1)  It means “to conquer, prevail, overcome; even legally - to win in a court of law.” It’s a wonderful word describing our God-infused ability to be overcomers in life. There is one place, however, where Holy Spirit evidently decided this word was not strong enough to describe the overcoming nature He has given us. Romans 8:37 tells us : “But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us,”  (NASB). The KJV says we are more than conquerors. As this revelation was breathed into Paul by Holy Spirit, so he could pass it on to us, Paul was overcome by the strength of what he was seeing. As he searched his mind for the correct word, he came up empty and finally had to take two words and make them one: hupernikao , translated above as “overwhelmingly conquer.” This Greek word is used nowhere else in the New Testament. The prefix  huper  means “overwhelmingly, over, beyond, exceedingly, excessively, more than.” Our English word, hyper, comes from this Greek word. Paul, overwhelmed with emotion and excitement, shouts with his pen, “We are hyperconquerors! We overwhelmingly conquer! Our ability to conquer is excessive, over the top!” Holy Spirit wants us to overwhelmingly conquer our past and anything else satan throws our way.   “Through Him who loved us,”  Paul goes on to say (Romans 8:37b). Everything God does is motivated by His heart of love. He’s a Giver, a Blesser, a Healer, a Destiny-provider. When He asks us to release, let go of past offenses, He is actually saying, “Here’s how I can get rid of your pain. Let me have it.”  Forgiveness, releasing the person who hurt you, is one of the ways God erases the negative side of the ledger. He moves your pain into the asset column, working it for your good, making it serve you! You can do this. Let it go! Pray with me: Father, we thank You for Your determination to heal, equip, and strengthen us for success. You have a plan for each of us and You are determined to accomplish it. We pray the prayer of the Psalmist,  “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way” (Psalm 139:23-24). (“Hurtful way” could be translated “way of pain.”) Reveal any pain in us that could hinder our destiny. We want clean hands and pure hearts. We pray now for our brothers and sisters who struggle with the pain of past experiences. Help them let go. Pour Your grace into them, enabling them to release it all to You. You are such a good Father, and You will release and heal them completely. And we pray that in the coming revival, we will be healing agents. We ask You that through our wholeness, we will produce wholeness. We can be the generation that heals our land of racism, division, and strife. Start in us, Your people, then anoint us to release Your healing. We ask this in Christ’s name. Amen. Our decree: We declare that we will walk in the wholeness of Christ and minister His wholeness to those in need. Click on the link below to watch the full video. “Strong ’ s Hebrew: 3528. (nikaó) -- To conquer, to overcome, to prevail, to gain victory.” Bible Hub, https://biblehub.com/greek/3528.htm . May 12, 2025.

The Power of Forgiveness Yesterday ,  I spoke with you about offenses and forgiveness. The New Testament word translated as “offense” actually came from animal traps. This word was the stick upon which a piece of raw meat was placed. When an animal reached for the meat, the trap was sprung, and they were captured. It is very revealing that the word for “offense” basically means to “take the bait.” This is also why it is called “picking up” an offense. Regarding forgiveness,  in yesterday’s post , we mentioned that the New Testament word means “to release.” A good translation of Luke 6:37 would be “Release, and you will be released.” When we release the person who has offended or wounded us, we can then be released from the bruises and pain they caused us. Releasing them releases us. We also said yesterday that forgiveness is a choice - a decision - not a feeling. My Testimony When I was 17 years old, my family went through a very difficult time. The Board of Directors of the church my father had planted removed him and took the home where we were living. The house had been given to our family, but for tax purposes, it was put in the church’s name. We were left penniless and homeless. I didn’t know at the time that they had removed my father because of immorality. Shortly thereafter, he divorced my mother and married the other woman. Our family was devastated once again. Circumstances had gone from bad to catastrophic.  I became bitter at Dad for his role in this, and at the church that abandoned my family, especially the chairman of the church board. I focused much of my anger upon him, an anger that soon became a bitter hatred. After all, he kicked us to the street. I said on several occasions that I could not kill this man, but I would rejoice if someone else did. Though it was irrational, I also became bitter at the church, in general. I associated my pain and my family’s disintegration with religion, and swore I would never darken the door of another church. Becoming very rebellious, I ran from God and turned to drugs and alcohol. God was incredibly patient. He protected me and, for two years, waited patiently for me to come to a point where I could respond to Him again. I returned to Him and have enjoyed a wonderful walk with God since that time. Around six months into my renewed walk with the Lord, He began dealing with me about my hatred for the man I had blamed for many of our problems. I heard Holy Spirit very clearly telling me I needed to forgive him. I did not angrily resist the Lord, but I did not believe I could ever truly do so. The bitterness I had against this man was so strong, I had no confidence whatsoever that I would be able to forgive him; I told the Lord this.  Holy Spirit was gentle with me, not condemning. His promptings always came as a gentle nudge deep in my heart. He was, however, insistent and persistent:  “You will have to do this if you want My best for you and to truly be free from all of the pain this caused.”  When my heart softened to the point that I was willing to try, Holy Spirit began teaching me how to do it. Some of what He taught me I shared in yesterday’s post . He revealed to me that I could have emotional feelings  of anger, hurt, etc., and still choose to forgive from my heart , overruling my emotions. As an example, He said, “You don’t like to get up early some days and go to work, but you do it anyway because it’s the right thing to do; it’s your responsibility . You don’t like to exercise, but you do it anyway because you know that you need to.” Then came the final blow, “Jesus did not want to go to the Cross, but He did so anyway, for the joy He knew it would produce later”   (Hebrews 12:2 ). “Choose to do this because it’s right, even though you don’t want to. Don’t allow your feelings to rule you. If you will make this choice and maintain the decision daily, I’ll be able to release you from all the pain, resentment, and hatred. Your responsibility is to let go; it’s My responsibility to heal your emotions and release you from every effect of this. Choose life!” Somehow, the dots connected in my thinking. I realized I could overrule my “feelings.” I didn’t have to “feel” like it, and I didn’t need any positive feelings toward this man. I simply needed to “release” him to God, trusting Him to do what was right. I did so daily, saying something along these lines (it’s important to say it), “I choose to release David [not his real name] from all he did to hurt my family.” Every time he came to mind, and unpleasant feelings began rising up inside of me, I would say it again, “I choose to release David from all he did to hurt my family.” Some days I had to do this multiple times. After a couple of weeks, he was rarely coming to my mind, and when he did, I felt less emotion. I continued this process. A week or two after that, he came to mind again, and I realized that I felt no pain or anger whatsoever. I was shocked! I knew God had released me from all the effects of what had occurred two years earlier. The Proof However, Holy Spirit wanted to show me that I was truly healed. One Sunday night, my mom and I were returning home from a church service and stopped at a local restaurant to grab a bite to eat. There were no tables available, and we were waiting for one when I noticed this particular man and his wife seated across the room. He noticed us at the same time. I also saw that he and his wife were seated at a table for four people, and two of the chairs were empty. He jumped to his feet and headed in our direction.  Well,  I thought to myself, he wants to say hello . I’m about to find out if this is real.  He wanted to do more than just say hello. “Would the two of you like to join us at our table?” he asked. “Sure,” said my mother, “that’s very kind of you.” I kept waiting for that angry, bitter feeling in the pit of my stomach that used to surface when I thought of him. I expected at least a few negative emotions. But there were none. I was not having to feign being nice to him while burying my anger and hatred. It was actually easy - it felt normal to treat him with kindness. I felt no pain whatsoever. I thanked the Lord for delivering me from my chains of bitterness. No, this man did not become my friend, but he was no longer my enemy. Friends, regardless of the level of your pain, who hurt you, or when it occurred,  God can and will do this for you. Let’s pray. Pray with me: Father, it is impossible to go through life and not have many opportunities to forgive. You said offenses will come. You did not tell us to forgive only if we felt like it; You simply said to do so. You never ask us to do anything You will not enable us to do. So we choose this day to honor Your word and obey it from our hearts, our spirits, regardless of how our emotions feel. As we obey what You have said, our emotions and feelings must come into alignment with the Word-based decision we make. They must…and they will. As we release, we will be released. Father, we ask for tremendous grace to everyone praying this prayer with us now. Give them the grace to forgive and release. Let a process of healing begin for those who have been abandoned, abused, rejected, betrayed, and wronged in any way. Release a strong revelation that forgiveness is a choice we can all make. May today mark a new beginning for them, and all the negative results of what they have suffered be reversed. Let this begin today. We ask that You heal bodies through this. Mend hurting hearts and minds. Tear down the walls we’ve built to protect our emotions. Cause victims to be victimized no longer. Let the abused go free. Release captives, mend broken hearts, and restore hope. We ask that today truly be a new beginning. And we ask it all in the name of the great healer, Jesus. Amen. Our decree: We declare that we will walk in forgiveness to all. Click on the link below to watch the full video.

It’s A Trap In Luke 17:1, Jesus tells us that offenses are inevitable; they WILL come. The Greek word for “offense” is skandalon . It is also translated as a “stumbling block,” a word or event which causes an individual to stumble or fall, figuratively speaking. This word is very fascinating.  Skandalon literally means “a trap-stick.” (1)  It was the trigger of a trap (usually made of wood) on which bait was placed; when the bait was taken by an animal, the trap was sprung. Skandalon  is also the Greek word from which we get our English word, scandal. When we, like an unsuspecting animal, take certain types of bait, we are trapped and often find ourselves in a scandalous situation. It also became the word for an “offense” since an offense results from “taking the bait” when wronged. Thus, the phrase, “pick up an offense.” When we have been wronged or mistreated, the key to remaining free from bitterness and lasting pain is to not pick up the offense - don’t take the bait. Jesus told us very clearly that we WILL be baited - offenses WILL come. We must not pick them up - they are traps! The bait used in an animal trap is food the creature finds appealing, something it desires to eat. How else could the trap actually be successful? Likewise, we pick up offenses because it is desirable; it feels good to pick it up. When treated poorly or unfairly, stolen from, spoken to harshly, abused, or mistreated, it is appealing to take the bait. We “deserve” to be angry, to feel resentful, to take up an offense. After all, they wronged us.  But it’s a trap! Years ago, in a certain part of Africa, monkeys were trapped by placing a banana in a jar that was tied to a tree or stake. The opening of the jar was just large enough for the monkey’s hand to fit through when open. However, when the hand was closed into a fist, it was too big to remove it. The monkey wanted the banana so badly that it would not let go of it, and consequently could not remove its hand. It was now trapped by its desire. If you have picked up an offense, if you have taken the bait, let go of it. It’s the only way to be free. If you hold on to it, you will become a captive to the effects of the wound, and to satan. Forgiveness - The Key to Freedom This brings us to the subject of forgiveness. Jesus told us in Luke 6:37 to forgive and we would be forgiven. In the prayer we call the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus again instructed us to forgive our debtors, or “those who trespass against us.”  The word forgive also means to release. “Release and you will be released,”  Luke 6:37 says. The key to being freed from the effects of being wronged - pain, fear, emotional walls, and more - is to release the person who hurt us. Let go of the banana. It may feel good to resent or hate the offending party, but it’s a trap. Here are three truths that will help you “let go.” Firstly, one of the biggest hindrances for those needing to forgive is a misconception of forgiveness itself. Most people tie it to their feelings. But forgiveness doesn’t come from our feelings or emotions. It is a decision we make based on truth, not how we feel. God did not intend for our feelings to lead or control us. They should not define us. Being angry at someone we love doesn’t mean we no longer love them. We may not “feel” the love at the moment - in our emotions we feel anger - but we still love the person. In the same way, forgiveness isn’t a feeling. We can make a genuine decision to forgive/release, while still feeling anger, hurt, pain, etc. We do so as an action of our will, based on truth - God said to do it. And if we maintain our decision, it allows God to work the process of releasing and healing us from the pain and hurt. Another hindrance to forgiveness is failing to realize that when doing so, we are not saying that the offending person did nothing wrong, or that they deserve  to be forgiven.. We are simply releasing them to God - He reserves the right to judge individuals. We are trusting Him to do what is right. Still, another hindrance to forgiving is the belief that if we have truly done so, we will then only have positive thoughts or feelings toward the offender. This is simply not true. There are people I have forgiven that I still do not trust or like as a person. Some are mean, unkind, and unrighteous. But I have chosen to forgive them, releasing them to God, though they will never be my friends. Roots of Bitterness When we pick up an offense, it will become a root of bitterness if not released. The fruit this bitter root produces is destructive: sickness, emotional disorders, anger, loss of joy, and a breach between us and God. It also spreads to others. Hebrews tells us that a root of bitterness in us defiles many.  “Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled” (Hebrews 12:15; KJV). The Greek word for “defiled” is also the word for a stain on clothing. When we become bitter, we stain others with our bitterness. We’ve all seen entire families separated through bitterness. How tragic. In tomorrow’s post, I will share the story of my hatred toward an individual, and God’s healing of my hardened heart. I truly hated this man and would have loved to see him destroyed. God, however, showed me I could release him, and would have to, to be released from my own chains. He will grace you to do the same. Pray with me: Father, we thank You for modeling love and forgiveness. While we were still sinners, You sent Your Son to die for us. Jesus, You forgave those who crucified You. We want Your forgiving nature to control us. We want to walk in love. We ask for grace now to do so. As You taught us to do, we choose to forgive those who have hurt us. We release them. As we do so, we believe it will release a healing process in us. Wounds will heal, sickness will leave, and emotions will no longer control us . We desire to forgive and release so You can forgive us (Mark 11:25).  And Lord, we know healed people heal people. Make us healers. Help us to spread healing love, not stain-causing bitterness. Heal our land of racial wounds, political division, and cultural divides. We want to see the accuser cast down in our nation. We bind spirits of division and strife, declaring their hold broken.  We desire to be ambassadors and examples of Your love and forgiveness toward others. Help us represent You well. We pray these things in Christ’s powerful name. Our decree: We decree that we will love and forgive as we have been loved and forgiven by God. Click on the link below to watch the full video. Spiros Zodhiates, Hebrew-Greek Key Study Bible - New American Standard  (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 1984; revised edition, 1990) p. 2274.

The Importance of Honoring Our Mothers  In America, on this upcoming Sunday, we will celebrate our Moms. Exodus 20:12 lists the fifth of the Ten Commandments: “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.”  Ephesians 6:2-3 echoes the commandment:  “Honor your father and mother (this is the first commandment with a promise), that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” An article on the website CompellingTruth.org  shares interesting insights on honoring our parents: “What does it mean to ‘honor’ one’s parents? In the Old Testament, the word translated honor is the Hebrew kabad.  It means to be heavy, weighty, rich, and glorious. In other words, our parents should be a significant priority in our lives. They should not be ignored or taken lightly. Our choices should take their needs and wishes into serious consideration. “The Greek word used for honor in Ephesians 6:2 is timao.  It means to determine the value of something; in this case, determining that the value is high. We should give our parents a high value, even higher than those in ministry (Mark 7:9-13), and treat them accordingly. “What, specifically, does this look like? Basically, we are to take every passage that describes how we should treat others and apply it to our parents. Love them with agape love (1 Corinthians 13:4-7). Treat them with the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Speak of them and to them with respect (Ephesians 4:29). Forgive them wholeheartedly (Matthew 18:21-22). And seek reconciliation when issues and misunderstandings get in the way (Matthew 18:15-17).” (1) Interesting thoughts. Our late friend, Quin Sherrer, shared some great insights a while back on honoring mothers, and on the history of this special day: “Did you notice that mother is singular in Mother’s Day? Special honor for YOUR special mom. You shower her with hugs and gifts. A phone call. Maybe even a meal out. “On Mother’s Day, you may honor your birth mom, an adoptive mom, foster mom, stepmom, grandmother, or even an aunt who ‘mothered’ you. Or perhaps you thank a special “spiritual” mom who taught and encouraged you in your Christian walk. I’m glad there is a day set aside nationally to pay tribute to them. History of Mother’s Day “In America, the ‘original’ Mother’s Day was observed in St. Andrews Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia, on May 10, 1908 - spearheaded by Anna Jarvis as a way of honoring the sacrifices mothers made for their children. (2) “On May 9, 1914, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed a national day to honor motherhood on the second Sunday of every May. In his first proclamation, he stated that ‘the holiday offered a chance to [publicly express] our love and reverence for the mothers of our country.’ He also saw it as a way to honor mothers who had lost sons during World War I. (3) “‘Therefore, I, Woodrow Wilson, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the said Joint Resolution, do hereby direct the government officials to display the United States flag on all government buildings and do invite the people of the United States to display the flag at their homes or other suitable places on the second Sunday in May as a public expression of our love and reverence for the mothers of our country.’ (4)  “Restaurants report it as their best day of the year. More phone calls are made on Mother’s Day than on any other day of the year. We do it to honor those women who loved us - and put up with us - all those years. We display flags, wear white carnations, buy gifts, and take mom out to eat.” (5)  “What about those of us who no longer have our precious moms with us? We can still remember and honor them by thanking God for their sacrifices, influence, and prayers. “Have you thought about sending a note of appreciation to a mom who influenced you? Maybe they counseled or prayed for you during a difficult season of your life? Or encouraged you in your career, or Christian journey? Perhaps someone else’s mom, who took time to care for you? Cards and phone calls can brighten their day and make them feel appreciated and special.” Signs of Motherhood I thought I would attempt to bring a few smiles to the moms joining me today. In the book Chicken Soup for the Mother’s Soul , Liane Kupferberg Carter shares an article listing several signs in moms that indicate what she refers to as “Advanced Mommydom.” (Don’t worry that you don’t understand some of these, guys. Just defer to the ladies.) Liane states: “You know you’ve crossed the threshold into advanced mommydom when: You count the sprinkles on each kid’s cupcake to make sure they’re equal. You hide in the bathroom to be alone. Your child throws up, and you catch it. You’ve mastered the art of placing large quantities of pancakes and eggs on a plate without anything touching. You hope ketchup is a vegetable because it’s the only one your child eats. You can’t bear the thought of your son’s first girlfriend. You find yourself cutting your husband’s sandwiches into unusual shapes. You fast-forward through the scene when the hunter shoots Bambi’s mother. You become a member of three aquariums because your kid loves sharks. You hear your mother’s voice coming out of your mouth when you say, “ Not  in your good clothes!” You stop criticizing the way your mother raised you. You use your own saliva to clean your child’s face. You say at least once a day, “I’m not cut out for this job,” but you know you wouldn’t trade it for anything.” (6) Honor a mother this week, especially this Sunday. You’ll be glad you did. Pray with me: Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of our mothers who brought us into this world. We are so grateful for them and the sacrifices they made to see us through our good seasons as well as our trying ones, challenging times as well as triumphant and joyous times. Show us creative ways to honor them. And help us teach our children and grandchildren how to bless the mothers and grandmothers who have gone before them, especially for those who left footsteps of faith for them to follow.  For the last couple of decades, it seems that we in America have failed to teach the important principle of honor. Whether it be our nation, its flag, our military, others who sacrifice for us, or even our fellow man in general, we have lost ground in this area. Help us to recover it. You told us to “in honor, prefer one another” (Romans 12:10) and give “honor to whom honor   is due”  (Romans 13:17). This is not an insignificant issue to You. And lastly, we honor You above all others. Thank You for Your love and blessings. And all of this we pray in the name of Your great Son and our Savior, Jesus. Amen.  Our decree: We declare that we will honor our parents, as God has instructed us to do.  Click on the link below to watch the full video. Www.Compellingtruths.org    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother’s_Day https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/woodrow-wilson-proclaims-the-first-mothers-day-holiday Ibid. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother’s_Day Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Jennifer Read Hawthorne, and Marci Shimoff, Chicken Soup for the Mother’s Soul (Deerfield Beach, FL: Health Communications, Inc.), pp. 135-137.

Our God Loves To Save! I want to follow yesterday’s post  with three encouraging facts regarding God’s desire to save the lost and restore prodigals. As you think and meditate on these truths, not only will they encourage you, but your faith will grow, causing your prayers to be more powerful. In later posts, we will teach specifically on how to pray for the unsaved. FACT #1: God Desires that Everyone Be Saved The beginning point of faith is to know God’s will - what He desires and has said. Regarding unbelievers, the Scriptures tell us He is  “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance”  (2 Peter 3:9 KJV). We don’t have to wonder about God’s desire or willingness regarding the lost; He could not have made His will any clearer. The Lord wants every person to believe upon Christ and be born again. FACT #2: God Is Able to Save He CAN deliver and save. “ Behold, the Lord’s hand is not so short that it cannot save” (Isaiah 59:1).  Not only is God willing to save the lost, He is capable of doing so. He has sufficient power and knows how to bend, shape, and change the perspective of unbelievers, bringing them to a revelation of Himself. Holy Spirit can break off every satanic stronghold and bring them to a knowledge of the truth. Allow the following story to encourage you: “While hitchhiking home, Roger Simms was picked up by an older gentleman in an expensive car. They talked about many things, including Mr. Hanover’s business in Chicago. Roger felt a strong compulsion to share his faith, but was apprehensive about witnessing to a wealthy businessman. Finally, nearing his destination, Roger spoke up. “‘Mr. Hanover, I want to share something very important with you.’  “He explained the way of salvation and asked if Mr. Hanover would like to receive Christ as his Savior. To Roger’s astonishment, the businessman pulled over to the side of the road, bowed his head, wept, and prayed the prayer of salvation. He thanked Roger, saying, ‘This is the greatest thing that has ever happened to me.’ “Five years later, while in Chicago on a business trip, Roger went to Hanover Enterprises. The receptionist told him it would be impossible to see Mr. Hanover, but Mrs. Hanover was available. A little disappointed, he followed her into an office. “After exchanging greetings, Roger explained how Mr. Hanover had kindly given him a ride years ago. Suddenly interested, Mrs. Hanover asked when this had happened. When Roger told her it was on May 7, five years earlier, she asked if anything unusual had happened during his ride. “Roger hesitated, wondering if giving his witness had been a source of contention. But, feeling the prompting of the Lord, he told her that he had shared the gospel message and that her husband had accepted the Lord into his heart. “She began sobbing uncontrollably. After a few minutes, she explained that she had thought her prayers for her husband’s salvation had not been answered. After leaving Roger at his destination, Mr. Hanover had died that day in a horrible head-on collision.” (1) God is faithful! He knows how to unlock people’s hearts, how to convince them of their need and Christ’s provision, and when the time is right for them to be presented with the opportunity. And this certainly does not have to occur in a house of worship. God knows when to orchestrate hitchhikers’ travel home; He can cause unbelievers to drive the right highway, at the right time, and can motivate them to pick up the “evangelist.” God knows what He is doing! Don’t miss the fact that Mrs. Hanover had been praying for her husband’s salvation. Our prayers release God’s power; never forget this. (I will teach on this later in this series.) FACT #3: Christ’s Very Name Is Savior Another faith-building truth is Christ’s very name. “And you shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). “Jesus” comes from the Hebrew word Yehoshua,  from which we also get Yeshua. Both names mean “Jehovah/Yahweh is salvation,” (2)  originating from yasha, which means “save”. (3) Christ is called Yeshua because He is the Savior. Think about that: Jesus chose to name Himself, “the Lord who saves.” He wanted no confusion, no ambiguity, no doubt as to His heart and desire. I like to imagine the conversation that may have occurred as the Godhead was planning our salvation: After discussing the unimaginable truth that Christ would have to become a human, suffer, and die to redeem us, the Father asks Christ: “What name shall we have people call you when you become human, Son? Most High? Creator? Omnipotent One? Everlasting God?…” Perhaps pausing to consider the question, the Lord simply replies, “Let’s not complicate it. I just want them to know I’m coming to save them from the Fall, from the curse of their sins. Just have them call me Jesus, Yeshua, ‘Yahweh who saves.’ In fact, let’s just shorten it to ‘Savior’”. And that’s what they did.  The angel said to the shepherds, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which shall be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11) “For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers” (1 Timothy 4:10). The Greek word for Savior adds further insight. It is soter,  meaning “a deliverer that is God.” (4) It comes from  sozo,  meaning “save, rescue, deliver, or make whole.” (5)  Whether it be Hebrew or Greek, Jesus proudly wears this name as His title! He loves to save! He WILL save your loved one, your friend, your neighbor! Charles Finney shared the following testimony of a father who came to a realization of the Lord’s intense desire to save his family: “I knew a father who was a good man, but who had misconceptions about the prayer of faith. His whole family of children had grown up, without one of them being converted. One day, his son grew ill and seemed ready to die. The father prayed, but the son grew worse and was sinking into the grave without hope. The father prayed until his anguish was unutterable. There seemed no prospect of his son surviving, so he poured out his soul as if he would not be denied. “Then, He received an assurance that not only would his son live, but he would be converted. God also assured him that not only this son, but his whole family would be saved. He came into the house and told his family his son would not die. They were astonished at him. ‘I tell you,’ he said, ‘he will not die. And no child of mine will ever die in his sins.’ Sure enough, the son lived, and the man’s children were all converted.” (6) Believe in the heart and power of the Savior! What He did for this father, He will do for you. Tomorrow, we will look at a few more passages of Scripture that will build our faith as we pray for unbelievers. Pray with me: Father, we pray today that faith will arise in the hearts of believers throughout the world. Awaken faith in them that You want to see people saved, and that You are well able  to do so. You are mighty to save. We pray today for those who don’t know You. We ask You to awaken unbelievers to their need of You, and to Your provision and love. We release Holy Spirit’s power to break every stronghold and frustrate every strategy satan is using to keep them deceived and bound. We loose them from all demonic control and all deception.  We prophesy to the wind of Holy Spirit: blow on the dry bones, giving them life (Ezekiel 37). Save and deliver them, in the name of Yeshua. Release Your power, revelation, and salvation. Send the appropriate believers to share with them. Pour out Your Spirit in homes, on campuses, in our churches – do it everywhere. We ask for this not just here in America, but around the world.  All of this we ask in Jesus’ name. Amen. Our decree: We decree that “the Lord who saves” is coming with another wave of revival to redeem a billion people here in America and around the world.  Today’s post is adapted from my book How to Pray for Lost Loved Ones, published by Baker Books.  Click on the link below to watch the full video. Alice Gray, Stories for the Heart  (Sisters, OR: Multnomah Publishers, 1996), pp. 225-257. James Strong,  The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), ref. no. 3091. Ibid. Ref. no. 3467. Ibid. Ref. no. 4990. Ibid. Ref. no. 4982. Charles G. Finney, How to Experience Revival  (New Kensington, PA: Whitaker House, 1984), p. 58.