Becoming God’s Ekklesia I’ve watched the Lord over the last five to ten years bringing an understanding to the Church that a building is not the church. When He said, “On this rock, I will build my church,” He was not talking about a building or a 501(c)(3) on the corner. He also wasn’t talking about a congregation or a meeting. The word for “church” here is “ekklesia” or “legislature”. To the Greeks, when the people of the city were called to the city gates to vote on issues, that was the ekklesia. The Supreme Court of Greece was the ekklesia. The Romans took that concept and when they conquered a region, they sent an ekklesia in to rule. God never planned for us to build buildings or congregations, though we need those things. He was saying, “I am going to establish My government on earth.” “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” (Matthew 16:18; NIV) Give Him 15 minutes in prayer: We are going to get this, Church! You are God’s Ekklesia. Ask God for this revelation to become your reality. Go to the entrance points of your home and declare that you are God’s legislative authority in your home. Drive to the entrance points of your city and declare that you are God’s governing authority in your city. You can do this at the “gates” of your neighborhood, your business, and anywhere else God shows you to go. You are standing on the soil of your state and nation. Declare it there, as well. Get ready to decree the decrees of the Lord from this increased place of understanding. A prayer you can pray: Father, I am going to get this! Grant me grace to receive this revelation. It’s time for the Church to BE the Ekklesia, Your legislative body in the earth. At these doors of my home, I decree that I am the legislative authority here. As I go to the entrance points of my city, I declare that I am the legislative authority over my city. I will take responsibility to legislate Your will here, Lord. I will do the same as You lead me regarding my state and this nation. Give me decrees to decree in partnership with You, Jesus. Amen. Today’s decree: The gates of Hades will not overcome the Ekklesia of God!

Legislating In the Earth On His Behalf There are times that all I feel I can do in intercession for this nation is ask for mercy; petition the Father. That is my priestly role. This past election was all about mercy. “Mercy, mercy, mercy, mercy, mercy, mercy!” My prayer for that election was, “God, give us mercy!” There are other times when I am not asking. He just tells me what He wants and says, “I need My Ekklesia, My legislative body on the earth that I’ve given My keys of authority to, to bind and loose, to open and close, to forbid and allow. I don’t want you to ask Me. I need a prophetic voice now to speak for Me from heaven and say, ‘In the Name of Jesus, NO!’ ‘In the Name of the Lord, YES.’ ‘In the Name of Jesus, you are found out and captured.’ ‘In the Name of the Lord, you don’t get to sit in that seat anymore!’” “I will give you the keys (authority) of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind [forbid, declare to be improper and unlawful] on earth will have [already] been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose [permit, declare lawful] on earth will have [already] been loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 16:19; AMP) Give Him 15 minutes in prayer: Ask the Lord, as an act of petition, for mercy over one area for your personal life and over one area over the life of a loved one or friend. Petition Him for mercy over a current national issue. Take the keys of the Kingdom and in the authority He gave you in Matthew 16:19, bind and loose, declare what is improper and unlawful or what is permitted and lawful, on His behalf over a personal issue. Remember, He is waiting for you to prophetically use the authority He has given you. Use the Word, if you are afraid to be presumptuous. But, trust that you do hear His voice. Bind and loose over a national issue. This is the essence of spiritual warfare. A prayer you can pray: Follow the instructions above today. Today’s decree: I decree that I will be Your prophetic authority in the earth in accordance with Matthew 16:19! I will use the authority You have given me to declare what is improper and unlawful or what is permitted and lawful on the earth and it shall be so in heaven!

From Priestly to Kingly Intercession – Part 2 We are part of the new Melchizedek order. Melchizedek was one of the most unique pictures of Christ in the Old Testament. What made him unique was that he was a king and a priest. In our kingly role or assignment to rule with Christ, our intercession does not go toward the Lord, it goes toward the earth realm. It is speaking for Him and releasing His rule to the earth. This is how we express our kingly intercessory role. “From Zion the Lord will extend your royal power. ‘Rule over your enemies,’ he says. On the day you fight your enemies, your people will volunteer. Like the dew of early morning your young men will come to you on the sacred hills. The Lord made a solemn promise and will not take it back: ‘You will be a priest forever in the priestly order of Melchizedek.’ The Lord is at your right side; when he becomes angry, he will defeat kings.” (Psalm 110:2-5; GNT) Give Him 15 minutes in prayer: Kingly intercession demands humility and a close walk with the King of Kings, so that you can hear His instructions clearly. Draw close and worship Him. Kings decree and declare. Decree a thing and it shall be. Ask the Lord for a decree to decree. Kings go to war. Take up the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, for a specific situation and declare it with authority. “See” that foe of the cross defeated, be it infirmity, hate, deception, manipulation, lying, witchcraft, addiction, etc. Keep exercising your kingly intercessory role, Ekklesia! Enough of us praying like this can mean rapid, synergistic, forward momentum for God’s Kingdom. A prayer you can pray: Father, I humble myself before You in worship, sincerely desiring a closer walk with You. King of Kings, I want to lay my head on Your breast and hear Your heartbeat. Whisper Your plans to me. Tell me what Kingly decrees You want made in the earth and I will make them! Show me the scripture to use as the “Sword of the Lord” until infirmity, hate, deception, manipulation, lying, witchcraft, addiction, etc, are defeated in this nation. Help me to speak forth with kingly authority. Rally the Body of Christ to exercise the fullness of their priestly and kingly roles in intercession, Jesus. Amen. Today’s decree: The Lord is at our right side; when He becomes angry, He will defeat kings as the Ekklesia learns to operate in kingly intercession!

From Priestly to Kingly Intercession – Part 1 I heard the Lord speak to me perhaps twenty years ago and He said, “You will fully shift the government of America when the praying Church shifts from priestly intercession, only, to kingly intercession, as well.” So, I studied what that would mean. Priestly intercession is when we make petitions, and our prayers ascend vertically toward the Lord. It is representing the needs of man to God. For example, “Father, would You…” Our worship is also priestly. It ascends like incense before the Lord. However, we are also kings. We are part of a royal priesthood. “And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” (Revelation 1:6; KJV) Give Him 15 minutes in prayer: Worship the King of Kings. Let your worship rise as incense before Him. Take a position for priestly intercession. Kneel or bow as a humble servant of the Most High God. Intercede for the needs of those you know and love. Pray for the President, etc., as the Lord leads. Represent men to God in your prayers. See your prayers rise up before the throne of grace. Remember this type of intercession as we shift to kingly intercession tomorrow. A prayer you can pray: Father, I worship You! May my worship be as sweet incense rising up to You. (Worship Him for a bit.) As I now bow before You, I humble myself and ask that You would hear the petitions I bring to You as an intercessor. I bring the needs of my family and friends. I pray for my President and others You may lay on my heart today. Each is in need of grace, Lord, for (name the many needs of these you are interceding for.) Thank you for showing me clearly the difference between priestly and kingly intercession. Help me remember today’s prayer time, so I can know how to operate in both forms of intercession, Jesus, even as You do. Amen. Today’s decree: I will intercede at times as a priest before my God and at other times as a king decreeing His Will in the earth!

Flashpoint in History I strongly feel that we are at a flashpoint in history. God is releasing vision, faith, and a greater measure of grace for turning the tide of complacency and decadence concerning America’s Godly heritage and great destiny. If we, the Church, partner with God’s heart in this critical hour, I believe we will experience a Third Great Awakening and become a light to the nations once again. “And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ.” (Philippians 1:9-11; NASB) Give Him 15 minutes in prayer: A flashpoint is the moment something smoldering bursts into flame. Ask God to cause Your heart to burst into flame for Him! Ask Him to break complacency and decadence off of His Church in a moment! Thank Jesus for the fresh outpouring of vision, faith and grace that is occurring more and more now. Pray that this nation will once again be a light unto the nations, as a city set upon a hill lighting the way to Him! A prayer you can pray: Jesus, we thank you that prayers are increasing and revival moves of God are starting in various places in the nation. You are moving once again! We ask for increased momentum, as You line our hearts up with Yours, until we reach that flashpoint of outpouring where everything changes! There’s no going back from there! Increase our love for You and others. Increase our vision, our faith and grant us great, great grace to live in a Third Great Awakening! Amen! Today’s decree: God is increasing the momentum of revival in the land and we are fast approaching the flashpoint of the beginning of a Third Great Awakening!

Hitting the Mark in Governmental Intercession I have been to Washington, D.C., many times to pray. One of those times, I was meeting with a leader in Congress. I had formed a good relationship with him and he would fill me in on what was happening there in our government and other things to pray about. This particular day he had a very important committee meeting to attend and he invited me to come with him. It was a meeting where a pro-life group was trying to get a bill through the committee. So, I went with him. The atmosphere was tense. The majority in the committee at the time was pro-choice. It got so tense that the Chairman slammed his gavel down and said they were going to cancel the meeting. Everyone just started to get up and leave, until it was just me and my friend. He invited me to stay in the room and pray for a while all by myself. I hadn’t planned to be there, so I asked the Lord what He wanted me to do. He said, “I’m tired of the man who leads this and I want you to fire him. Decree that he is no longer allowed to sit in that seat.” I continued to seek Him, until I was sure I was not being presumptuous. Then, I pointed at the Chairman’s seat and said, “You, sir, have offended God and you are not allowed to sit in that seat anymore. Somebody else is going to take your place.” Two weeks later there was a sudden change, exactly as the Lord had led me to decree. “You will also declare a thing, and it will be established for you; so light will shine on your ways.” (Job 22:28; NKJV) Give Him 15 minutes in prayer: Ask the Lord to increase your authority and accuracy in governmental intercession. Pray that you would ask Holy Spirit how you should pray. Don’t just jump right in. Repent of any time you have prayed out of emotion and not sought Him and His direction first. Worship Him. Desire Him. Draw close and lean in to hear Him. A prayer you can pray: Father, keep teaching us how to pray governmentally. We know we can’t just decree whatever we want. We have to be led by Holy Spirit. You know when it’s time. You know what You can do, will do, etc. However, at Your leading, we will make decrees in accordance with Your Will. Keep us from praying for our own will to be done, or any other presumptuous prayer. We repent of praying out of emotion, instead of carefully seeking Your perfect will. We long to partner with You and effect Your changes governmentally, Jesus. Amen. Today’s decree: We decree that the Church will operate in governmental intercession as led by Holy Spirit.

Operating in Governmental Intercession On the 50-state tour that Chuck Pierce and I did in 2003, I was up speaking. The prophetic was stirred up in Chuck and he prophesied that if we would pray right then, Saddam Hussein would be found within a week. He was shocked at the words that just came out of his mouth! We commanded the witchcraft that was hiding Saddam to be broken. Then, we prayed over a young man in uniform that happened to be in the congregation that evening, as a representative of the military that Chuck believed would uncover Saddam’s hiding place. He was from the 4th Infantry Division of the U. S. Army. Before the week was out, Saddam Hussein was found in a hole in the ground by the 4th U. S. Infantry Division.1 This is governmental intercession. “Indeed, the Sovereign Lord never does anything until he reveals his plans to his servants the prophets.” (Amos 3:7; NLT) Give Him 15 minutes in prayer: 1 Corinthians 14:1 encourages the Church to earnestly desire spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. So, ask the Lord to increase your ability to hear His voice, so that you can prophesy what You hear Him say! Ask God for increased faith to prophesy, as it says in Romans 12:6. You’ll need this gift for governmental intercession. There are many things that need placed in order in this nation and in the nations. Ask the Lord what is on His heart. Ask Him what to prophetically decree, declare, bind and loose. A prayer you can pray: Father, I thank you for the spiritual gifts you give the Church, so we can enforce the victory of the cross and expand Your Kingdom in the earth. Prophecy is a critical gift, according to Your Word. I want this gift. I want to prophesy more than I ever have before. I want to know what You want to do about things in the earth. Then, I want to carry out Your will, decreeing, declaring, binding and loosing, until Your purposes are accomplished. I want to see answers to our prayers in the newspapers! Thank you, Jesus! Amen. Today’s decree: I decree that the Body of Christ will desire to prophesy and we will see miracle answers in the media as we intercede governmentally as we use that gift! 1 Operation Red Dawn.

The Sound of Liberty “Proclaim Liberty Throughout the Land Unto All the Inhabitants thereof” is the message on America’s Liberty Bell. No one currently living has heard this bell ring, but it has rung out in the past. It has rung to notify the new nation’s citizens of the reading of the original Declaration of Independence. It has rung to call our original constitutionalists to their lawmaking meetings. It has been the symbol of freedom and national unity from the Revolutionary War through the Civil War until today. It has been freedom’s symbol for the abolition of slavery and to rally women to vote. It may be a silent bell today, but it shouts to the glory of God, as the inscription declared upon it, proclaiming our nation’s liberty, is from the Holy Word of God. “Set this year apart as holy, a time to proclaim freedom throughout the land for all who live there.” (Leviticus 25:10; NLT) Give Him 15 minutes in prayer: Decree Leviticus 25:10 over America and proclaim this a year of holiness unto the Lord and a year of religious freedom! The Liberty Bell rang for significant reasons. Declare the bell is ringing for religious freedom. Declare it ringing for racial reconciliation. Declare it ringing for justice for the unborn. Keep going – add your own reasons to ring the Liberty Bell! A prayer you can pray: Lord, I decree that this year is set apart as holy and it is a time to proclaim freedom throughout the land to all those who live here in America! Thank you that You gave our nation a symbol of freedom in the form of the Liberty Bell. It cannot ring in the natural, but I ring it out over this nation in the spirit. I ring it over life for the unborn! I ring it for racial reconciliation! I ring it for religious freedom and for the ending of the lie of the separation of church and state! I will declare many things free as I spiritually ring the bell of liberty over it! In Jesus’ name, amen. Today’s decree: I decree that this is a year of liberty in America!

Korea – Holy Ghost Wind Tunnel On a recent trip to Korea, I saw the Korean Peninsula as a “wind tunnel” through which Holy Spirit would blow from the South to what is now North Korea, and into all of Asia. “I am going to release an explosion of grace over Korea,” Holy Spirit declared. Acts 17:26 states that God determines the boundaries of nations. We decreed, therefore, that the man-made boundary between North & South Korea would be removed and the rebirth/rebuilding/restoration of all Korea would happen so amazingly fast that it would be a sign and wonder to the world. We then prayed and opened the door for the Korean Peninsula to be a wind tunnel through which the wind of God would blow, starting from the south, sweeping through the north, and then into all of Asia, as God had previously shown me. “From one man He made every nation of men, to inhabit the whole earth; and He determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their lands.” (Acts 17:26; BSB) Give Him 15 minutes in prayer: Praise God and stir up your holy faith, because you are about to join in decreeing the shifting of the nations of North and South Korea. Find a map of S. Korea and imagine it as a wind tunnel to N. Korea and the rest of Asia. Shout in agreement with Holy Spirit, “It is time! It is time! It is time! Grace, grace, grace!” Decree that God is resetting the boundaries of North and South Korea to the boundaries He has set for them. Declare that they shall be one again, even as God has determined they would be! Prophecy, “Wind of God, blow! Make Korea Your wind tunnel of revival and reformation in Asia!” A prayer you can pray: Oh, we praise You, Lord! We worship You and stir ourselves up in our most holy faith, so that we might decree with authority the things You are doing in Korea right now. You are going to move quickly to make North and South Korea one. You have determined the boundaries of that nation. You have determined the purpose of that nation. We agree with You and decree that Korea shall be the wind tunnel of revival and reformation to all of Asia, Jesus! Amen. Today’s decree: Korea shall become a wind tunnel of Holy Ghost movement and change to all of Asia!

Freedom Comes at a Steep Cost “Do you know what price the signers of that parchment paid for their patriotism, the devotion to principle? John Hancock of Massachusetts was one of the wealthiest men who came to Philadelphia. Later, as he stood outside Boston and watched the enemy sweep by, he said, ‘Burn, Boston, though it makes John Hancock a beggar.’ “Altogether, of the 56 men who signed our great Declaration, 5 were taken prisoner, 12 had their homes sacked, 2 lost their sons, 9 died in the war itself. Those men knew what they were doing. In the final stirring words of the Declaration, they pledged to one another ‘our lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.’ And when liberty was at stake, they were willing to pay the price.”1 “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.” (Philippians 3:8; ESV) Give Him 15 minutes in prayer: Our founding fathers counted the cost to live free. We must do the same to live free in Christ. Stop and think about this. Are we willing today to pay the price or pray the price to develop the nation we want to live in—one that is found pleasing to the Lord? Talk to the Lord about this. Ask the Lord to supernaturally create the unity in the body of Christ that is needed and the strategies needed to become a nation that honors God. Commit to be a nation-changer. A prayer you can pray: Lord, thank you that You gave us the example of the Apostle Paul to show us there is Kingdom business that is worth giving up everything for to see it come to pass. And there is nation-building business worth it, as well. Give me a determination to work together with You and to pray unceasingly to see national transformation that honors You. Bless the Church with the necessary unity. I am here, Lord, use me! In Jesus’ Name, amen. Today’s decree: If I will be free, there will be a cost and I am determined to pay it rather than live in bondage to sin or to man! 1 Remarks of Gerald R. Ford on the National Bicentennial in Philadelphia, PA on July 4, 1776. www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov. July 4, 2016.

Decree God’s Kingdom Will Into The Earth We are bold to pray, “Thy Kingdom come!” When the disciples asked Jesus how they should pray, Jesus said, “Well, I’m here now. The King of the Kingdom has come to reverse the Fall and reestablish My Kingdom rule in the earth. So, ask for My Kingdom rule to come on earth as it is in heaven. I’m going to give you the keys to that Kingdom, and as My Ekklesia, you are going to bring My Kingdom rule into situations for Me.” The Greek text there say, “Demand it!” “Pray along these lines: ‘Our Father in heaven, we honor your holy name. We ask that your kingdom will come now. May your will be done here on earth, just as it is in heaven.’” (Matthew 6:9-10; TLB) Give Him 15 minutes in prayer: Call for God’s Kingdom Will to invade the White House. May God’s heart and mind permeate our nation’s leadership, so decisions made are in alignment with God’s Will. Decree that God’s Kingdom Will will be done in the situation with North Korea. Pray that their ICBM capabilities will be thwarted. Declare that the expansion of God’s Kingdom throughout the earth cannot be stopped. Indeed, declare the way is open and no one can stop it, not even the demons of hell! Do you have a personal situation that needs God’s Kingdom Will applied? Get up and demand it now! A prayer you can pray: Lord, we say, “Kingdom rule invade the situations our nation is currently facing!” We release for the King His Kingdom rule and influence into situations in our government. Lord, may Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. We command Your Will to be done in our government and in our relationships with other nations. This nation will turn back to its Judeo-Christian roots. One will affect the other. As this nation turns back to God, our government will turn back to You and this will ultimately affect the spread of the Gospel to the nations of the earth. Thank You, Jesus. Amen. Today’s decree: God’s Kingdom rule will come to planet earth in this season and the Gospel will continue to be preached around the world!

Celebrating the Best That America Is! “We understand that a nation is more than just a geography. A nation is the sum of its citizens, their hopes, their dreams, their values, and their prayers. America is a land rich with history and culture, and filled with people of courage, kindness, and strength. And though we have many stories we all share at home, the one thing we do share is one beautiful destiny.  And whether we are black or brown or white, we all bleed the same red blood. We all salute the same great American flag. And we are all made by the same Almighty God.” (President Donald J. Trump)1 “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Galatians 5:13-14; NIV) Give Him 15 minutes in prayer: Thank the Lord for the freedom we enjoy here in America at the cost of so many lives given for that freedom. Before you go and picnic, party, and set off fireworks, pray for the families of those whose loved ones paid the ultimate price so you could enjoy that freedom today. Think about all the things you do each day that shout “I live in a free nation!” Thank God for each and every one! Now, do the same for those things that are unique about the United States. What a gift of a nation God has given us! A prayer you can pray: Father, freedom is precious and its cost is great. The cost for our nation’s freedom certainly has been. I thank you, God, for that freedom, but I also pray for those who have felt the pain of the loss of loved ones whose blood bought that freedom for me and my family. Comfort them, Lord. Thank you for reminding me to let my first thoughts today, as I get ready to celebrate Independence Day, be for those who have suffered loss for America’s freedom and for those who mourn. I live in a free nation! (Thank the Lord for all you personally have and do that shows this. Then, think about what freedom looks like in this nation and thank Him for that.) Thank you, Jesus, for the freedom we celebrate today! Amen. Today’s decree: I decree that I will not use my freedom to indulge the flesh, but to love and serve others, making Jesus known to them, and to expand the Kingdom of God in my realms of influence. 1 Remarks by President Trump at the Faith and Freedom Coalition’s Road to Majority Conference, June 8, 2017