Introduction As you probably saw last week, we made a few temporary adjustments to the 15s. Ceci had hip replacement surgery last Tuesday, and I’m playing nurse. She is recovering well and appreciates your prayers. Today’s post is from our friend Gina Gholston. Gina reminds us to pause and remember what God has done for us, then share these experiences with others, believing God’s power will be released as we do. I know you will enjoy it. Her title is: ___________________________________________________________________ Aim for the Glory I recently spoke at a conference where the theme was “Miracles, Signs, Wonders.” As I was praying about the meeting, the Lord said to me, “Miracles, signs, and wonders are not just a theme; they’re a calling! I have called believers to work with Me as I work through them in power to make My glory known.”   Our efforts in the past season have not been in vain; much has been accomplished. And yet we will do more–the revealing of God’s glory is part of His plan for us. I once asked the Lord, “Where are we on Your timeline, and what do we do now?” Among other things, He said, “I am giving the church a space of time to advance with the demonstration of My power. Aim for the glory!  To see, to know, to experience, and to show My glory must be the goal of everything you do.”   I believe we are still in that space of time, and the manifested glory of God must continue to be our aim. It’s time for the awakening we have entered to advance to another level. As we do, the demonstration of God’s glory will spark an awareness of Him that can come no other way.   The fourth chapter of Acts gives us a picture of this. At that time, the church was just being launched. They had recently experienced the baptism of the Holy Spirit, empowering them to be effective witnesses for Him. There was great opportunity, but there was also great resistance and persecution. It was a critical point on God’s timeline, and they understood that their purpose in this time was to make Jesus known. So, their prayer was not “Lord, hide us from the persecution.” Their prayer was:  “God, give us boldness to speak Your Word by stretching forth Your hand to heal and that signs and wonders would be done in the name of Jesus”  (see Acts 4:29, 30). When they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken and they were filled once more with the Holy Spirit. The demonstration of God’s power gave them boldness to speak the Word, and the resulting miracles produced undeniable evidence of Jesus’ reality.   This must be our prayer, as well! We have come to an urgent point on the timeline of God’s plan, and He has given us this window to advance His Kingdom purposes. I believe the moment we are moving into will be marked by evidence of His revealed power and glory.   God once said to Me, “I am about to show My strength and demonstrate My power in and through a people whose hearts are fully dependent and focused on Me! The world WILL see and know that I am God as I send My people forth with the light and covering of My Glory! This is the time to rise and shine, and the dark world will respond to My Light!”   God has also been speaking to me recently about the church laying “memorial stones” by telling stories of our experiences with Him, enabling others to hear of His glory and power. We find this concept in Joshua, chapter four. As they were crossing the Jordan River into God’s next phase, Joshua instructed twelve men, one from each tribe, to gather stones from the river and use them to build a memorial. It would serve as a lasting reminder for the following generations of God’s miraculous intervention.   We, too, are moving into a new phase on God’s timeline, and He is saying, “Before you go forward, take this moment to remember what I have done to get you here. Remember what you have seen and experienced, and tell your stories, so that others will hear of My power and know that I am God.”   One of the most valuable treasures we have access to as born-again believers is not only the intellectual knowledge of God, but experiential knowledge. Intellectual knowledge is beneficial, but when it is grounded in experience, rather than mere words, it becomes much more powerful and compelling. Experience is a powerful witness. It cannot be dismissed as mere speculation, supposition, or assumption; it is undeniable knowledge gained by personal experience and observation. And when we talk about the Lord on the basis of our experiences with Him, our words become much more effective.   Many in our generation desperately need to be shown God’s power. He has made us His witnesses to declare and give them evidence of His reality. Regardless of how small or grand we may consider our testimonies, every experience with God is a treasure that gives us knowledge of Who He is. It is a knowledge that has been written on our lives by the Author Himself, allowing us to see, feel, and experience the demonstration of His love, power, and reality. When shared, these testimonies have the ability to convince others that He is real and His power is great, available to all.    We must reveal God to this generation by allowing Him to work through us to demonstrate His power, and also by sharing our testimonies. We must be bold to talk about His mighty works that we have seen and experienced. Tell your stories to your family; share your testimonies with those to whom the Lord may lead you.  One way we can do this is to use our social media platforms, sharing testimonies of how God has worked in and through our lives. Let’s lift up Jesus and make Him known. The world around us may not understand when we talk about the Ekklesia making decrees or engaging in prophetic assignments. But they understand when we share the testimonies of how Jesus healed us, provided for us, and helped us in our times of need. Where we’ve been on our journey could be where they are now, and our testimonies of the overcoming power of the Lord Jesus may be just what they need to shine light on their path and give them hope.  Pray with me: Father, thank You for every experience You have given us, marking our lives and developing in us an unshakeable faith in You. Through those experiences, You have established for us a testimony of the reality of who You are. We ask that You would refresh us with the remembrance of the power and goodness You have shown to us. We ask that You would give us wisdom to confidently and effectively share those testimonies with others. Let our words become an unavoidable light that pierces the darkness. Bring freedom to many as the testimony of Jesus prophesies of His hope, love, and overcoming power. Grant us boldness to speak Your Word by stretching forth Your hand to heal, and let signs and wonders be done in the name of Your holy Son, Jesus! Amen!   Our decree: We declare that we will not be silent, but will boldly share God’s hope and love everywhere we go.   Today’s post was shared by Gina Gholston and taken from her new book, Along the Journey.  You can find out more about Gina at GinaGholston.com . Click on the link below to watch the full video.

Introduction As I stated yesterday, we are making a few adjustments to the GH15s for the next few days. Ceci had hip replacement surgery on Tuesday, and I’m playing nurse. She continues to do well, and prayers for her recovery are appreciated. I have asked some trusted friends to write the posts for these few days, individuals who have done so in the past.  Today’s outstanding post is from Kelsey Bohlender, Executive Director of Zoe’s House, a God-birthed and Spirit-led adoption agency. Kelsey also co-pastors with her husband, Randy, and is a seasoned intercessor. Her passion for life and corresponding actions for promoting life have made her a strong voice for the most significant cause in America. Kelsey’s title is “Advancing the Culture of Life.”  Here’s Kelsey.  Advancing the Culture of Life My name is Kelsey Bohender. I’m the executive director of Zoe’s House Adoption Agency in Kansas City. I am honored to bring you today’s Give Him 15. Today, I bring you an update on abortion since Roe v. Wade was overturned—and a call to action for the body of Christ. When the Dobbs decision returned abortion policy to the states, we rejoiced. Roe v. Wade was dead. We knew some states would cling to abortion, but we hoped others would drive numbers down. Yet three years later, abortions haven’t decreased—they’ve shifted. Our strategy for life must follow. Informed intercession is critical. When our prayers align with action, they become “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen” brought into reality. My husband, Randy, and I launched Zoe’s House ten years ago as part of our response to the culture of death that had taken root in the forty years following Roe v. Wade. As an adoptive family, we believed we could champion life by raising awareness and helping other families adopt. Our vision was also to treat expectant mothers with dignity and the love of Jesus. We saw adoption as a prophetic witness to the day Roe would fall – and it still is. Adoption remains a powerful answer to abortion, a living testimony that life is always the better way. While adoption stands as light in the darkness, the landscape has changed. The Guttmacher Institute estimates 1,038,000 abortions in 2024 – the highest in recent years. Though twelve states enacted total bans after Roe’s reversal, national abortion rates have actually increased. How? The truth is, abortion hasn’t ended; it’s shifted to regional hubs, drawing women from states where it’s restricted. In Kansas, which chose to protect the “right” to abort, nearly 16,000 out-of-state residents came to the Sunflower State for an abortion last year. North Carolina and New Mexico saw similar trends; Illinois nearly doubled that, performing over 35,000 abortions for women from other states. Roe may be gone, but abortion has concentrated into epicenters – bigger clinics, busier schedules, and a steady stream of women traveling in. Meanwhile, medication abortions are surging through telehealth and online pill orders. With both travel and medication abortions rising, the battlefield has changed – and when it changes, so must our strategy. This is why strategic intercession and targeted action matter more than ever. Intercessors speak the language of battle, so hear this: a “beachhead” is a foothold wrested from enemy hands, a place where the tide begins to turn. It is not the war’s end, but it is sacred ground, claimed and held, from which the next great advance will rise. Stand firm. Strengthen the lines. From here, light breaks through. As Isaiah 58 promises, “If you spend yourselves on behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.”  This is the promise for God’s people who stand for the vulnerable – light in dark places, victory on contested ground. For the pro-life movement, adoption has always been a crucial beachhead — a strategic foothold where conviction becomes undeniable action. Adoption doesn’t end abortion, but it ignites a movement to defend the value of a child, protect the sanctity of a mother, and celebrate the beauty of a family. Zoe’s House is one such beachhead. From the ground gained over the past ten years, we have been able to launch in multiple directions, advancing the cause of life. Families who open their hearts to babies and children through the spirit of adoption also become a beachhead on the pro-life front. Like Isaiah’s parents, they said yes to this precious, non-verbal, autistic 2-year-old boy with no hesitation when his birthmother decided that she wanted a family for him who could care for his needs. Isaiah spoke his first words as he became a part of their family, and his birthmom receives regular updates in this open adoption. It’s a beautiful story. The courage and compassion of this family give them equity in the fight for life. In the Church, Isaiah and his birthmom are not statistics; each life is sacred with a future worth fighting for. We should never be content with merely saving a heartbeat, but invest in the futures of these children and in the dignity of their mothers. Ground is not held simply by caring for children. In the pro-life movement, holding ground means valuing the futures of both child and mother. Some women, when they choose life instead of abortion, do so out of deep love for their child and a desire for a better future. Others may not yet have that vision for their child—but they still need to know that their own life is worth investing in. The Church must see both. This means asking hope-filled questions: “What could your life look like five years from now? What would it take to get there?”  It means walking alongside her with real help – healthcare, job training, education, safe housing – so that her life, too, can flourish. This is where conviction becomes action, where life advocacy becomes life provision. When the Church champions both the child and the mother, it stands firm against the tide of cultural opposition, holding ground so that hopelessness cannot sweep them away. And from this foothold, we move forward – not only to prevent death, but to provide life in all its fullness. The pro-life mission continues long after a child’s first cry. If adoption of babies is a beachhead in the fight for life, then stepping into foster care is advancing that line. Across our nation, thousands of children in foster care are waiting not just for shelter, but for stability, belonging, and love. Over 36,000 of these children are legally free for adoption right now. Many have been moved from place to place, carrying their lives in a trash bag, wondering if anyone sees them. Stepping into adoption from foster care means claiming new territory where the enemy has sown abandonment, neglect, and despair, and replacing it with safety, healing, and hope. Every home opened, every heart willing to mentor, every church that wraps around foster families - these are forward movements in the campaign for life. We have the opportunity to expand the foothold we’ve gained, not only defending the unborn but also in defending the born who are still waiting for a permanent seat at a family table. When the Church steps into foster care, the mission of life becomes complete. We move from simply saving lives to transforming them. The battle for life is fought wherever children are protected, mothers are cherished, and families are made whole. From the womb to the foster home, from the prayer closet to the frontlines, this is the campaign for life. We’ve prayed for abortion to end, for children to be safe, for families restored, and Jesus is raising up churches to be the answer. Not everyone can adopt, but every believer can serve; be a surrogate aunt or uncle, driver, babysitter, or cook, wrapping around families so they thrive. Informed prayer strikes with precision, and tangible steps bring those prayers to life. As Isaiah 58 reminds us, when we champion the vulnerable and fatherless, His light breaks through, healing quickly appears, and the glory of the Lord will be our rear guard. Darkness cannot stand.  We are not bystanders in this story – we are the ones who plant the flag of hope, hold the ground, and press the advance until every child thrives, every mother flourishes, and every family is whole.  If you have further questions about adoption, please visit our website at zoeshouseadoptions.com . And if you’d like to see a snapshot of children in foster care who are legally free for adoption and waiting for families, go to adoptuskids.org . Look at them, and let their faces be more than images, let them be a call to action. Pray with me: Father of the fatherless and defender of the vulnerable: We thank You for the gift of life and the dignity You give to every person. Grant us clear minds to discern the times, courageous hearts to do what is right, and generous hands to carry the burdens of real families. Strengthen weary parents, protect waiting children, empower women to give life, and make our churches places of refuge and belonging. Forgive us for words without deeds, and teach us to love with compassion, honoring the vulnerable and carrying the load together. May every child find a home, every story find hope, and may our lives reflect Your steadfast love. In Jesus’ name, Amen. You can learn more about Kelsey Bohlender and how you may contribute to this ministry at zoeshouseadoptions.com . Click on the link below to watch the full video.

Introduction As I mentioned yesterday, we are making a few adjustments to the GH15s for the remainder of this week and early next week. Ceci had hip replacement surgery on Tuesday, and I’m playing nurse. She is doing well, and prayers for her speedy recovery are appreciated. I have asked some trusted friends to write the posts for these few days, individuals who have done so in the past. Today’s post from Larry Sparks is OUTSTANDING.  Larry is a bestselling author, the publisher of Destiny Image, and an anointed revivalist. He is confirming that revival has begun, and we should claim it for our family and city. His title is: “Claim the Rain.”  Here’s Larry. ___________________________________________________________________ Claim the Rain There is an end-time alarm clock going off in the spirit right now. When you hear or see the Holy Spirit moving somewhere, that is your prophetic invitation to claim the rain of revival for yourself. End-Times Context and Promise Zechariah 10:1 provides a striking prophetic instruction: “Ask for rain in the time of rain.” This Scripture gives us a model for how to respond when we see or hear reports of revival. Sadly, many believers have been conditioned to associate end-times language with doom and disaster—especially the warnings Jesus outlines in Matthew 24. But recently, while helping a community navigate end-times concerns, the Lord dropped a phrase into my spirit that recalibrated everything: “Matthew 24 is the context. Joel 2 is the promise. Claim the promise. Claim the rain.” Yes, Matthew 24 describes the shaking—wars and rumors of war, earthquakes, famines, deception. But Jesus didn’t invite us to claim  those events; He was giving us context for the age in which we’d be sent. Joel 2, however—later quoted by Peter on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2—is the divine promise for that very hour: “In the last days, I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh. Your sons and daughters shall prophesy…” (Acts 2:17) This is what we’re called to claim —an outpouring of the Holy Spirit on all people, especially the sons and daughters who are part of God’s prophetic end-time agenda. And in this present moment, I’ve never been more convinced that we’re beginning to see that promise unfold. Lightning Struck in Dublin, Ireland… Everything shifted for me personally at a church in Dublin, Ireland, in May of 2024. The church met—of all places—in a boxing ring. I was ministering alongside my dear friend, Tommy Evans, in a spiritually charged atmosphere. There was energetic worship, hopefully solid preaching, and then an unexpected call to respond. We felt prompted to invite all those 30 years and younger to come forward. They began to gather on the platform. What happened next can only be described as a divine interruption. The lightning of God struck.  As we began to pray, some fell under the power of God. Others crumpled to their knees in tears. Many lay prostrate on the boxing ring floor, overcome by the weighty presence of the Holy Spirit. All across the auditorium, families prayed together, embraced one another, and turned their seats into sacred altars of encounter. From that moment on, we’ve seen an intensification of Holy Spirit activity—across generations, across nations. And here’s what’s so encouraging: the most explosive outpourings are happening in places many have written off as too hard, too dark, or too secular—nations and territories labeled as spiritual graveyards. Evidently, the Holy Spirit did not receive that memo. If you go into a territory with the Gospel and the Glory —the bold proclamation of truth coupled with the tangible demonstration of God’s power—no stronghold can stand. No region is unreachable. So when people ask me, “Larry, where are the revival hotspots?”  I can now say confidently: Southern California. The Pacific Northwest. New England. Ireland. The United Kingdom.  These are places I minister regularly, and we are witnessing an overwhelming spiritual hunger rising alongside unmistakable outpourings of the Holy Spirit. And this is not just anecdotal. Look at the data—begin with what’s happening in the United Kingdom. The “new atheism” movement failed to deliver purpose to a generation, and now, we are seeing young people turning to the church in record numbers. Revival is real—and it’s measurable. Showers and Storms So what exactly is happening? Jennie Allen—bestselling author and founder of the IF: Gathering—has been at the forefront of a university campus awakening movement called UNITE US , alongside Jonathan Pokluda and Tonya Prewett. Recently, she had a conversation with Pastor Greg Laurie, who hosted a massive evangelistic crusade in Southern California where approximately 45,000 people attended and around 6,500 made professions of faith in Christ. Laurie’s insights struck me. As Jennie recounted what the Lord was doing, Laurie—himself a leader in the Jesus People Movement—said it sounded just like that historic revival. He described a pattern: First, there are scattered rain showers. People hear of revival breaking out here and there, at this place and that place. Then, it simply starts to rain. Moves of God start erupting everywhere. But his last statement is what caused my heart to burn. Then… it starts to storm . Laurie was not speaking of some kind of storm of destruction, but a storm of revival outpouring where the move of God becomes an unstoppable territorial awakening that ushers multitudes into the Kingdom of God and produces cultural transformation.   I believe we are entering that final stage. The showers are turning to storms. And not storms of destruction, but storms of divine visitation. Watchmen of Revival As I continue to travel, I’ve made it my mission to be a watchman of revival . And I want to encourage you to do the same. Now, when we hear the term “watchman,” we often think of someone looking out for threats—demons, darkness, and deception. And yes, we must be alert and discerning. But I believe the Lord is raising up a different kind of watchman in this hour: Watchmen who are God-preoccupied, not devil-obsessed. Watchmen who are alert to what the Spirit is doing , not just what the enemy is scheming. These are men and women who have set their hearts to seek and recognize the movement of God wherever it manifests. Right now, I pray that kind of anointing over you. May you be like Elijah in 1 Kings 18:44, who, in the midst of a long drought, celebrated the small cloud “the size of a man’s hand”  as if it were already a downpour. Celebrate the cloud. Claim the rain. Celebrate the little signs of breakthrough in your life—the smallest shift in your marriage, the prodigal child asking a provoking spiritual question, a glimmer of healing in your body. In a microwave, fast-food culture, we’re trained to expect instant, massive results. But heaven celebrates the seed  as much as the harvest.  It’s Time to Claim the Rain The rain is falling. We’re not waiting for God to move—He already is. So the question is: Will you claim it? When you hear about revival in California, New England, Ireland, or across your social media feed, don’t just cheer it on— lay hold of it in faith.  If it’s raining anywhere, it can rain everywhere.  Because Joel 2 wasn’t just a local promise—it was a global one. The last days’ outpouring is not reserved for special people in special places. It’s for all flesh . It’s for your family. It’s for your city. It’s for your church. So lift your eyes. Bend your ear. Tune your heart. The Holy Spirit is moving. He’s pouring out His Spirit. Ask for rain in the time of rain. And don’t just ask—claim it. For additional practical teaching on how you position yourself to experience personal revival, please download my free e-book, Outpouring,  at larrysparksministries.com/claimtherain Pray with me: Father, Your great end-times promise is Holy Spirit outpouring. We will not be afraid of the shaking, of chaos, of world events and news headlines. Those things will not move us. We are aware of them, but unafraid because our eyes are on what You are doing. We build our lives on the outpouring of the Spirit that will impact all flesh.  We believe that this outpouring is bringing in an unprecedented harvest of youth and young adults. Even those who were considered the “hard to reach” ones–those who were under the influence of atheism, secularism, and the occult–we see a shift taking place where their resistance is turning into hunger. Lord, as we see genuine moves of Your Spirit breaking out across the Earth, we continue to wildly celebrate what You are doing, while we continue to boldly cry out and contend for the fullness of everything You desire to pour out, in Jesus’ Name.  Our decree: We decree that we are watchmen of revival, with eyes trained to see what the Holy Spirit is doing, so we can pray into His movement and partner with His activity in our everyday lives.  About Larry Sparks Larry Sparks has spent over two decades in ministry, igniting hunger for the Holy Spirit and calling the Church into revival and awakening. A Master of Divinity graduate from Regent University and mentee of Pentecostal historian Dr. Vinson Synan, he served as publisher of Destiny Image for 13 years. Today, Larry travels globally—preaching, teaching, and sounding a prophetic call for the Church to return to Book of Acts -level prayer, presence, and power. He is the bestselling author of Pentecostal Fire and serves on the Apostolic Council of Prophetic Elders, led by Cindy Jacobs. He lives in Texas with his wife and daughter.  Link to Free E-book, Outpouring : https://larrysparksministries.com/claimtherain Click on the link below to watch the full video. References: About historic Harvest Crusade in July 2025 https://churchleaders.com/news/515524-greg-laurie-harvest-crusade-crowd-fire-marshal-altar-call.html Jennie Allen message, What Do You Want More Than God? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KoH0GxUpVtk&t=251s Bible Society 2025 Quiet Revival  Metrics and Data for the United Kingdom  https://www.biblesociety.org.uk/research/quiet-revival

Introduction We are making a few adjustments to the GH15s for the remainder of this week and early next week. Ceci had hip replacement surgery yesterday, and I’m playing nurse. Her surgery went well; prayers for her speedy recovery are appreciated. I have asked some trusted friends to write the posts for these few days, individuals who have done so in the past. What they have generated is OUTSTANDING.  I’ll be reading most of them, and a couple of guests are reading the posts themselves. Today’s stirring post is from bestselling author and prayer leader Cheryl Sacks. Since it’s time for schools and colleges to start again, we have asked Cheryl to inform and encourage us on how we can transform our schools. Cheryl’s title is:  ___________________________________________________________________ When God Was Removed from Our Schools: The Battle is Real—But We’ve Seen Him Turn the Tide! It was June 1962. Twenty-five second-graders bow their heads in a New York classroom: “Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence upon Thee, and we beg Thy blessings upon us, our parents, our teachers, and our Country.” It’s the last time that prayer will be spoken in an American public school. (1) In that moment, something foundational shifted. A daily reminder of our dependence on God was silenced. The moral compass that had quietly shaped hearts and guided choices was taken out of the hands of the next generation. At first, the changes seemed small. We removed prayer. Then the Ten Commandments. Then God altogether. Since that time, we’ve seen the unimaginable: Parents removed from school board meetings for opposing pornographic books. (2) Drag shows for kindergartners. (3) Teachers fired for stating biological facts. (4) Children are chemically castrated and surgically mutilated (5) —at times with teachers or counselors encouraging the transitions—while parents are kept in the dark. (6) A mother addressing the school board confronted a male member wearing lipstick and his late wife’s clothes—this is the confusion shaping policies for our children. (7) The Crisis Is Deeper Than We Think An invisible war is raging for the hearts and minds of the next generation. Just last week, I read about a murder plot devised by fifth-graders (two boys and two girls) to take the life of an autistic boy. One student was to bring the knife, another to fake a suicide note, and one to serve as a scout while the stabbing took place. The autistic boy thought these were his friends. (8) Are you weeping yet? When God is removed, the devil fills the void. Good is evil. Evil is good. Lord, have mercy! What’s happening in our schools is alarming. Once beacons of academic learning, places of safety, friendship, and good citizenship, they are anything but that today. And it’s not just gender confusion and moral issues. Across America, students are falling through the cracks academically. As an educator, I’ve seen this firsthand. A fifth grader sits quietly at his desk, eyes downcast—not because he doesn’t care, but because he can’t read the words on the page. A teacher stares at an empty desk, one of dozens in a classroom where nearly half the students didn’t show up. The bell rings, but fear has kept many at home. This is more than a local issue—it is a national crisis with serious consequences. Nearly two-thirds of graduating high school seniors cannot read proficiently, (9) and nearly three-fourths lack proficient math skills. (10) Many don’t feel safe enough to come to school. Across America, one in three students is chronically absent, and in some districts it’s far worse—over 60 percent at a Harlem elementary school, (11) 60 percent in D.C. high schools, (12) and 50 percent in parts of Washington State’s Highline School District. (13) And it’s not only academics. Suicide, depression, and anxiety are surging among students. Teachers, overwhelmed and under-supported, are leaving in record numbers. But We Are Not Without Hope It’s easy to feel overwhelmed, but we are not powerless. The battle for our schools is real—but we’ve seen God turn the tide! And He can do it again. I’ve seen with my own eyes what happens when God is invited back into a school. I’ve watched hopelessness lift, fear give way to peace, and entire communities begin to believe again. What once seemed impossible suddenly becomes a testimony to His power. Take one Arizona high school, for example. It had been labeled an “F” school, plagued with drugs, violence, and despair. One to three students a month were overdosing. But then believers began to intercede. They prayerwalked the campus and held all-night prayer vigils, crying out for God to move. And He did. The overdoses stopped. The spiritual atmosphere began to shift. Within a year, the school skyrocketed from an “F” to an “A” School of Excellence. The following year, it was ranked an “A+” school and named by U.S. News & World Report  as one of the best high schools in America. When God is invited in, everything changes! Transformation Is Possible I’ve also seen God move in schools so broken that even their leaders couldn’t imagine a turnaround. When we asked one Arizona high school principal about the greatest need his school faced, he responded, “That’s an easy question to answer. There’s no hope here!”  The school was underfunded, short on teachers, and overrun with behavioral issues. Fights were breaking out on campus daily. The sports fields were in disrepair. The facilities were crumbling. I’ll never forget the student athlete who held up his cleats. The bottom was falling off—barely held together by masking tape provided by the front office. It was a picture of what was happening not just to this student, but to the entire school. We knew something had to change. So, we started to pray. We began to walk the campus and intercede. We held an all-night prayer vigil. We asked God to intervene—and He did. The Arizona Cardinals got wind of the school’s need and donated cleats, jerseys, and gear they no longer needed. NBA Cares provided $150,000 in furnishings and funded renovations. The Phoenix Suns showed up with a $200,000 check to hire more teachers. But the biggest miracle wasn’t the money. Teachers reported no more fights on campus. One wrote on social media: “The entire atmosphere of our school has changed.” This is the power of a praying community.  A Call to Action Today, this same kind of transformation is needed in schools across the nation. Whether you’re a parent, grandparent, teacher, student, or just someone who cares—we encourage you to adopt your local schools and commit to prayerwalking, prayerdriving, or interceding from home. The results speak for themselves: Academic performance rises—failing schools turn around. Drug use, suicide, and violence decrease. Fear gives way to peace and hope. Students discover identity and purpose. Parents speak up and take action to demand change. Here’s how you can join this movement: Adopt a school near you and commit to prayerwalking or prayerdriving it this fall. Start a prayer cluster—a few friends, your church group, your family—to pray for your schools. Pray from wherever you are. Even if you can’t leave your house, your prayers still carry power. You can view the map to see where others are praying across the nation and sign up to pray for schools in your area at   prayerforschools.com . I am convinced that no student, no school is too broken to be transformed when God’s people pray! Pray with me: Father, we stand before You on behalf of the schools of our nation. We repent for allowing You to be removed from our classrooms, hallways, and culture. Forgive us for yielding ground to darkness. We dedicate every school in America—public, private, charter, homeschool, and every college and university—to You. We consecrate each campus as holy ground where Your presence is welcome and Your purposes prevail. In the authority of Jesus Christ, we release the light of Christ into every classroom, the truth of Your Word into every curriculum. Send a mighty revival to our campuses, O Lord, and save our children. We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen. Our decree: We decree that God’s plumbline of unshakable truth is set again in America’s schools. We declare that classrooms are restored as places of learning and moral strength—violence driven out by peace, confusion shattered by clarity, despair overwhelmed by hope. We decree that teachers instruct with God-given wisdom, parents lead with courage, and students rise in bold faith to live for Christ. What the enemy meant for evil, God is turning for good. America’s children are taught of the Lord, and great is their peace (Isaiah 54:13). Cheryl Sacks  is the author of multiple bestselling books, including   Reclaim a Generation: 21 Days of Prayer for Schools , and   Fire on the Family Altar , a guide to igniting revival in your home and nation. You can learn more about Cheryl and her husband Hal’s work at   bridgebuilders.net . Click on the link below to watch the full video. Engel v. Vitale , 370 U.S. 421 (1962), accessed February 14, 2025,   https://constitutioncenter.org/the-constitution/supreme-court-case-library/engel-v-vitale . Parent Challenges Explicit Library Books, Escorted Out of Frederick School Board Meeting , The Winchester Gazette , January 23, 2025,   https://thewinchestergazette.com/articles/news/parent-challenges-explicit-library-books-escorted-out-of-frederick-school-board-meeting/ . The American Mind . “What I Saw at Drag Queen Story Hour.” Accessed July 1, 2025.   https://americanmind.org/features/the-revolt-of-the-kids/what-i-saw-at-drag-queen-story-hour . Vision Radio. “Professor Fired for Stating Biological Fact.” Accessed July 1, 2025.   https://vision.org.au/read/articles/professor-fired-for-stating-biological-fact . Sam Levin, “Sixteen U.S. States Sue White House Over Healthcare Access for Transgender Youth ,” The Guardian,  August 1, 2025,   https://theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/01/states-sue-trump-administration-transgender-youth-healthcare . Shaun Boyd, “Colorado Parents Sue Over Law and School Policy Regarding Transgender Students, CBS News , August 9, 2024.   https://cbsnews.com/colorado/news/colorado-parents-sue-state-law-school-policy-regarding-transgender-students . Melissa Fine, “‘Meow!’ Mom dresses up, declares ‘I am a cat’ to protest trans school board member who wears dead wife’s clothing in front of students,” BizPac Review , December 15, 2022,   https://bizpacreview.com/2022/12/15/meow-mom-dresses-up-declares-i-am-a-cat-to-protest-trans-school-board-member-who-wears-dead-wifes-clothing-in-front-of-students-1317209 . Micaela Marshall, “Surprise Family Speaks Out After 5th-Grade Classmates Plotted Son’s Murder,” Arizona’s Family , August 4, 2025,   https://azfamily.com/2025/08/04/exclusive-surprise-family-speaks-out-after-5th-grade-classmates-plotted-sons-murder . U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, NAEP Reading: National Achievement-Level Results, Grade 12 (2019) ,   https://nationsreportcard.gov/reading/nation/achievement/?grade=12 . Declines in Math Readiness Underscore the Urgency of Math Awareness, The 74 Million, April 5, 2023   https://the74million.org/article/declines-in-math-readiness-underscore-the-urgency-of-math-awareness . Chronic absenteeism remains high in Harlem Elementary Schools, Newsday, Columbia News Service, November 22, 2024   https://newsday.com/news/region-state/elementary-school-attendance-h37821 . D.C. Schools Have a Stubbornly High Absenteeism Problem , Axios Washington D.C. , March 7, 2024, reporting that 60 percent of D.C. high school students were chronically absent last school year,   https://axios.com/local/washington-dc/2024/03/07/high-school-student-absences . Angela King, “Washington Schools Grapple with One of the Highest Chronic Absenteeism Rates,” KUOW , February 17, 2023,   https://kuow.org/stories/washington-schools-grapple-with-one-of-the-highest-chronic-absenteeism-rates-in-the-country .

Picture the Promise Trump’s Meeting with European Leaders I have an encouraging and insightful teaching from my brother, Tim, for today’s post. However, first I feel I must address the meeting that occurred yesterday with President Trump, President Zelenskyy of Ukraine, and other major leaders in Europe.  Somewhere in the neighborhood of 1 million people have been killed in the Russia/Ukraine war over the last three years. These are staggering numbers. Also, it is estimated that upwards of 20,000 children have been kidnapped and taken to Russia in order to reeducate and indoctrinate them. Putin is a very cruel and evil man.  After yesterday’s meeting, there seemed to be guarded optimism that a peace deal is possible. President Trump called Putin after discussing security guarantees for Ukraine with the European leaders. “I called President Putin, and began the arrangements for a meeting, at a location to be determined, between President Putin and President Zelenskyy,” the President wrote on Truth Social. “After that meeting takes place, we will have a Trilat, which would be the two Presidents, plus myself,” Trump said, calling it a positive “early step for a war that has been going on for almost four years.” Trump placed the call to Putin after the discussions at the White House with the European leaders, “which ended in a further meeting in the Oval Office. During the meeting we discussed Security Guarantees for Ukraine, which guarantees would be provided by the various European Countries, with a coordination with the United States of America,” Trump wrote. We must continue to pray fervently for these ongoing talks, asking God to bring a peaceful end to this horrible war. Tim’s Message In Ephesians 1:18 (NKJV), Paul prays that the eyes of our understanding would be enlightened. “Enlightened” comes from the Greek word photizō , meaning to light up or give light, thus to enlighten. (1)  You can see the similarity to our English word “photo,” and both words do indeed originate from the same root word, phos , meaning light. It’s easy to see the connectedness of these terms: photos are produced by literal light entering through a camera’s shutter, burning an image onto a negative; enlightenment occurs as figurative light enters the mind, bringing understanding.  To assist us in our faith, Holy Spirit will sometimes inspire a “photo” or picture in our hearts and minds. These images serve as faith reminders and igniters that help us declare and confess God’s promises; they give focus to our faith. They allow us to “see” and meditate on God’s promises. Faith is a function of the spirit, but the mind must also be renewed and brought into agreement with His Word. The two must be in harmony. If not, the mind will hinder the process; we can’t be picturing the opposite of what our faith is believing for. Thus, Holy Spirit will often prompt an image to serve as a spiritual photograph, helping us in this process. In Joshua 6, we see a powerful example of the Lord inspiring a picture of a promise fulfilled. Forty years after leaving Egypt, Israel was finally on the verge of stepping into their promised inheritance. Their journey had required an enduring faith. Now, standing before them was Jericho, the first city they would encounter after crossing the Jordan River. It could not be avoided, but had to be taken. Jericho, however, was no ordinary city. As one of the most fortified strongholds of its time, its walls stood 54 feet high and 24 feet thick, broad enough for two chariots to ride side by side on the tops. Its defenders were seasoned warriors, men of valor. Joshua, having spied out the land years before, knew firsthand just how formidable Jericho was. Now he stood on a hillside, looking down on the city, seeking direction from the Lord and wondering how such an impenetrable place could be conquered. At that moment, the Lord appeared to Joshua dressed as a warrior, with a drawn sword. Joshua asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” The Lord didn’t answer the question directly. Instead, He gave a declaration. Joshua 6:1–2 (NKJV) tells us: “ Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, and none came in. And the Lord said to Joshua, ‘ See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor.” God didn’t say, “Look at Jericho.”  He said, “See, I have given it into your hand.”  That’s a key difference. God didn’t want Joshua to focus on the natural circumstances. He was calling him to see with the eyes of faith. The Hebrew word for “see” is raah , which means to see, both literally and figuratively–to perceive, to envision, to gaze upon in the mind, even to dream. (2)  God was telling Joshua: “ Picture Jericho already in your hands. Envision it as done. See it as conquered.” The word “hand” is also significant. In Hebrew, it is yad,  which can also be figurative, used for holding power and authority. (3)  God was saying, “ See Jericho already under your power and authority.”  Regarding this verse, in the footnotes of The Passion Translation, it says: “Faith will see ‘what is still unseen’ (Hebrews 11:1). God gave Joshua a promise upon which to rest his faith.” This was not about natural sight; it was about supernatural vision, a photo, if you will. Joshua was told to see  the promise as fulfilled before it physically happened. Picture the walls down, the enemy scattered, and the victory won! As he aligned his vision with God’s promise, his faith was assisted and activated.  This is a tremendously helpful principle for us: See the promise fulfilled! God often gives us a picture, not in the natural but in our spirit, that becomes a photograph of the promise. Romans 4:17 (AMP) says that God “ calls into being that which does not exist.”  In other words, He speaks about things that don’t yet exist in the natural realm as if they already do, knowing His words have the power to bring them into reality. This is the essence of faith. Hebrews 11:1 tells us faith is the substance of things we hope for, the evidence of things not yet seen in the natural realm. Some translations of this verse refer to faith as the title deed, the proof of ownership before the promise is visible naturally. Even when nothing appears to have changed in the natural, faith gives substance to what we hope for. It allows us to speak and act as though the promise already belongs to us. How can we talk about things that don’t yet exist? How do we describe what we haven’t seen? By seeing with spiritual eyes that have been renewed and trained by the Word of God, picturing what our faith is producing. See your faith working. Envision the promise fulfilled. Picture yourself walking in healing, freedom, provision, and victory. Meditate on it. Daydream about it. Gaze upon it in your heart until it becomes more real to you than what your natural eyes see. Align your heart, mind, and mouth with God’s Word. Agree with His truth. When you see the promise clearly, you can decree it boldly, and your faith is positioned to grow and produce. Take a spiritual snapshot of your breakthrough, your healing, your deliverance, your answered prayer, and keep it before your eyes, your faith photo. Let that become a photo that encourages your faith.  Pray with me: Lord, help us see a picture of the promise fulfilled within us, sparking faith. Give us divine photographs, enlightened visions of inheritance, healing, provision, and power. Let us “see” healing and provision flowing. Let us “see” victory and breakthrough, our Jerichos falling before us  We will see it, and we will say it. Cause our faith to rise above all opposition, enabling us to thrive in the realm of the unseen. Teach us, Holy Spirit, to picture the change, declare the promise, and walk in the power of Your anointing. And Father, we continue to ask You to take action from heaven regarding the war in Ukraine. The toll in human lives has been unimaginable. Give NATO leaders and President Zelenskyy wisdom to know how to deal with Putin. Show them where to be firm and unyielding, and where to yield. Keep them united. And do something to move Putin. His heart is hard and wicked, but overrule him. Cause him to back off. Then, remove this evil man from rule. And we ask Your help in freeing the 20,000 kidnapped children.  In Jesus’ name, amen.  Our decree:   We declare that our faith is activated, and we can see our promise fulfilled. Healing, deliverance, and victory are ours now in Jesus’ Name! Today’s post was contributed by my brother, Tim Sheets. You can learn more about Tim Sheets here . 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. 5461. Ibid., ref. no. 7200. Ibid., ref. no. 3027.

Rowing Together: Healing the Nations “But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”  (Mark 10:43-45, NASB, 1995) Doulos and Latris There are several New Testament words for “servant” or “minister,” each with different nuances of meaning. I will mention five of them today. I have found in my studies that these five form an interesting and important progression.  The first two are doulos  and  latris.  A doulos  was a bond-slave, owned by another. (1)  Paul often referred to himself as a bond-slave or bond-servant of Jesus Christ (Romans 1:1, etc.). Yes, God owns us. This is true by the right of creation, but also because we are bought with a price by the blood of Jesus (1 Corinthians 6:20; 7:23). As Lord, He can require us to do anything He wants. In the early days of the Charismatic Movement, we frequently sang the song, “He is Lord.” And He is. Latris,  however, from the verb latreuo,  means to serve, not out of compulsion, but by choice. (2)  A parent serves his or her family by providing for and caring for them – not as a slave, but from the motivation of love. This is  latreuo . Romans 12:1 in the King James Translation tells us to present our bodies as a living sacrifice to God, as it is our “reasonable service.”  Other versions of Scripture translate the phrase differently, and appropriately so, saying this is our  “reasonable service of worship.”  They do this because the word here is latreuo , not doulos.  We are not being told to present our bodies to God as a living sacrifice because we are His slaves, but rather because we are in a relationship with Him and want to please Him. We do it as worshippers.  God’s heart is not to relate to us as slaves “owned” by Him, but to do so as His family and friends. Jesus said in John 15:14-15: “You are My friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, because all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.” Our Lord wants us to serve Him from a heart of love and worship, based on relationship. When we move into this type of relationship with God, we become His co-laborers, working together with Him. We embrace the great commission as a co-mission. Our hearts have become one with His, and we want what He wants. We’re members of Abba’s household of faith, His family. This motivation changes everything. Yes, Paul certainly referred to himself as the Lord’s bond-slave, but he also said the love of God constrained him; this was his motivation (2 Corinthians 5:14). As we pray and work toward the great harvest that is beginning, we must establish that we will obey God fully. But we must also fully realize that we are His partners, friends, and kids. As the Head of the church and King of the Kingdom, He gives directions, but He delights in involving us in the process. Diakonos The last three words used for “servant” or “minister” change the focus. Whereas the first two define our service and relationship with God, the last three involve us serving or ministering to other people. We are still doing it as unto the Lord, but the direct benefit is to humankind. The third word is diakonos,  which simply means “to serve, minister, attend or wait on,” as in a “waiter” serving tables. We also get the English word “deacon” from this Greek word. (3)  In Acts chapter 6, it is used for both the apostles’ “ministries” (Acts 6:4) and the deacons’ “ministries” (Acts 6:2). One group served natural food to the widows; the other served spiritual food to the entire church. Same word–both were servants. Diakonia/diakonos  simply means to serve another, regardless of the purpose. We are ALL called to ministry or service for Christ, regardless of whether it is on a platform, in an office building, or at home. We have all been given gifts from God; serving that gift to benefit others is diakonia. (4)  Huperetes The fourth word is huperetes,  meaning “a subordinate or an attendant,” as well as a servant. (5)  Interestingly, it is used in Acts 13:36 to describe David in his role as King of Israel. One would not typically think of describing a king as a subordinate, attendant, or servant. The verse says David ”served” God’s purpose in his generation. While governing the people, he was doing so as God’s servant.  But there is another little-known meaning of huperetes . The word comes from two Greek words meaning “under” and “rower.” An underrower in that day was one who, in synchronization with others, rowed a boat or small ship. The key to their success was the synergy produced when they rowed together, simultaneously.   Thirty people who take turns rowing produce only the strength of one, thirty different times. But thirty individuals rowing simultaneously create a synergistic force that can propel a small ship. This is why they often sang when rowing; it kept them in a cadence, rowing together to create a greater thrust.  God’s goal is for groups in His church of “diakonoses”  – servant ministers -- to connect relationally and row together ( huperetes ). They must not quarrel over who calls the cadence or what song they sing; instead, they must have Kingdom-minded hearts to move the boat forward: “Give me an oar and let me row.” When this is happening, we can accomplish number five.  Therapon The last word for a servant is therapon . This word, while meaning “servant, attendant, or minister,” includes doing so to cure  and heal! (6)  (Matthew 4:23-24). We get the English words “therapy” and “therapist” from this Greek word. When God has people submitted to His Lordship ( doulos ), who love and want to partner with Him ( latris ), by ministering to others the gift He gave them ( diakonos ), and do so in harmony and agreement with others ( huperetes ), they become His healing force in the earth ( therapon )!  This is what we are doing when we intercede together for God’s purposes to be accomplished and released on earth. We become a force of God’s life, healing, and restorative power to save, deliver, and heal. Let’s do so now. Pray with me: Father, Jesus demonstrated true ministry – servanthood – as He went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed by satan (Acts 10:38). He came, not to be served, but to serve and give His life for many (Matthew 20:28). David, a king, was called a servant. Your apostles were called servants. We ask for great revelation to invade the church regarding our call to servanthood. And we ask for our hearts to be moved upon by Holy Spirit, bringing us passionate desires to connect, to work together. We ask that denominations, movements, leaders, and all believers would be moved on to produce this level of agreement. Convict us, the church, of judging one another, criticizing, causing, and/or honoring divisions. Show us the religiosity and pride that motivates this divisive spirit and replace it with a spirit of love and cooperation. And we ask for connections—millions of them. Build prayer connections, enabling us to fulfill the assignments you’ve given. We ask that EVERY nation have a STRONG prayer covering by the Ekklesia. Return our nations to You and send the greatest awakening the earth has ever experienced. In Christ’s name, amen. Our decree: We decree that Spirit-led connections are occurring, causing great unity and power to manifest in our land. 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. 1401. Ibid., ref. no. 3000. Ibid., ref. no. 1249. Ibid., ref. no. 1248. Ibid., ref. no. 5257. Ibid., ref. no. 2324.

Pray for the Trump and Putin Meeting Today  We live in interesting times. Those on the Left are demonstrating against Trump and the National Guard who are attempting to make Washington, D.C. safer and cleaner. They contend that DC is already safe and that crime isn’t a problem. Chuck Schumer says he feels perfectly safe walking around the Capitol area. He, of course, has his armed Secret Service detail all around him. Proverbs 18:1-2 comes to mind: “Unfriendly people care only about themselves; they lash out at common sense. Fools have no interest in understanding; they only want to air their own opinions.” (New Living Translation) Then there are the Democratic legislators in Texas who have walked off the job, protesting what they consider to be gerrymandering by the Republicans (redrawing Congressional districts in order to obtain more seats for a political party). Apart from the fact that abandoning their legislative jobs is illegal, the Dems did so by fleeing the state and hiding in Illinois, one of the most Democrat-gerrymandered states in the nation! “Let’s protest gerrymandering by fleeing to some of our gerrymandering friends!” One can’t help but wonder who thought that was a good idea.  Meanwhile, “villain Trump” is off to Alaska today, attempting to stop another war. The Left doesn’t like this, either – someone else should end the war in Ukraine! As I have stated before, it appears TDS (Trump Derangement Syndrome) is real and growing much more destructive.  It doesn’t matter to most of us who gets the credit for ending the war in Ukraine; we would just like for the incredible suffering and loss of life to end. It seems that the economic pressure Trump has been placing on Russia is having an effect; Putin has requested a meeting with him. No one knows if the meeting will be productive - the tensions between Russia and Ukraine are great, and they seem to be pretty far apart with their demands – but it is worth a try. Though Putin’s brutal attack against Ukraine cannot be justified, the situation is a little more complicated than most of us Americans understand. The animosity between Ukraine and Russia has deep historical roots that stretch way back beyond the two modern states, similar to the millennia-old conflicts throughout the Middle East. Layers of rule, painful memories, and strategic interests have built a long-running tension. Here is a brief historical review based on my research, which perhaps will help us pray more intelligently. In medieval and early modern times, what is now Ukraine and Russia shared a significant amount of culture and political intermingling. Over the centuries, this changed.  The 19th and early 20th centuries saw an intensification of conflicting ideals. A Ukrainian national awakening challenged foreign dominance. World War I and the collapse of empires opened a brief window for Ukrainian independence, but an ensuing civil war and foreign interventions left Ukraine fragmented and under Soviet control by 1922. Under the Soviet Union era, the central government exercised tight and sometimes brutal political and economic control. One of the many negative outcomes in Ukraine was the famine-genocide in 1932–33 under Stalin (known as the Holodomor). This became an enduring and painful symbol of Soviet oppression for Ukraine. At least 3.5 million Ukrainians died, and some say it was closer to 7 million. World War II also added to the complexity and tensions, with postwar borders further entrenching Moscow’s authority over Ukrainian life. Fast-forward to the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Ukraine declared independence, seeking Europe-oriented reforms and security assurances. Moscow’s reluctance to relinquish influence and Kyiv’s desire to assert sovereignty led to friction over security guarantees, energy supplies, and the status of Crimea. (Crimea is the southeast portion of Ukraine on the Black Sea.) The 2004 and 2014 uprisings in Ukraine (the Orange Revolution and the Maidan protests) crystallized a push toward European integration and further away from Moscow’s sphere of influence. Then came Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea and the resulting war in eastern Ukraine, followed by the broader invasion in 2022, which is what the world is now dealing with. Russia attempted to justify its actions, framing them as 1) protecting ethnic Russians and Russian speakers, and 2) countering NATO expansion. Ukraine frames them as illegal aggression and attacks against its sovereignty, which, of course, they are. The conflict has revived debates about history, painful interactions, security interests, and centuries of competing narratives.  Although Putin is a violent and, I believe, evil man, let’s pray that he will agree to end this war and the suffering of millions of people. Let’s pray that Zelinsky and the Ukrainian people can move beyond the pain and devastation of Russia’s current aggression and, for the sake of saving many lives, be willing to negotiate a peace deal. Doing so won’t be easy when Russia is demanding some of their territory and has dealt them such pain and suffering. I’m not sure ANY peace deal will be “fair” to the Ukrainians, but the other two options may indeed be worse: their complete annihilation by Russia, or other nations entering the conflict and causing a Third World War. There may be other options I am not aware of, but the situation is certainly very complicated. Trump is a skillful negotiator. Let’s pray that God gives him wisdom and great insight as he meets with Putin. Pray with me: Father, President Trump has certainly come into the Kingdom at a precarious time in history. We believe that You have shaped and prepared him for such a time as this. Please amplify the skills You have given him and use his gifts to bring forth a breakthrough for the Ukrainian and Russian people. Give him and his team strategies that produce the outcome needed at this time. We pray that You would help the Ukrainian and Russian people recover from the incredible devastation they have suffered for these past few years. Many, many lives have been lost to both nations, and incredible damage has occurred to numerous cities and thousands of homes. War is so horrible. Use this challenging time to draw people to You, as has happened many times in history. We ask that You save millions of Ukrainians and Russians. And Father, we ask for wisdom for our government officials as they work to end crime and violence in our nation. America is reaping the fruit of great rebellion, but in Your mercy, please send an awakening and a reforming of our nation. Bring this current youth revival to greater levels very quickly, and we ask for this especially in inner cities and neighborhoods. At times, the strongholds seem insurmountable. But this is not true! You CAN save a generation, and we are asking for this. Rain down revival, we pray. All of these things we ask in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen. Click on the link below to watch the full video.

Experiencing the “Abundant Life” Jesus Promised In yesterday’s post , we talked about an important Greek word used in the New Testament in the context of prayer. The word is dei , which means “that which is necessary, even binding, as in a legal sense; that which is right, proper or necessary in the nature of a case; that which is prescribed by law, duty, custom, etc.; from a sense of duty, one must.” (1)  This word is used in Luke 18:1 to tell us prayer is absolutely necessary ( dei ) in order to overcome in life. Another important passage using this word is Matthew 16:18-19: “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” “Bind” ( deo ) is a different form of this same word. Jesus, King of the Kingdom of heaven, is referencing the spiritual authority He would give His Ekklesia (the church) to carry out His will on earth. An Ekklesia, of course, was a legislative assembly. The footnote in the Passion Translation makes this clear:  “This is not a religious term at all, but a political and governmental term that is used many times in classical Greek for a group of people who have been summoned and gathered together to govern the affairs of a city. For Jesus to use this term means He is giving the keys of governmental authority in His kingdom to the church.” The meaning of deo, the word for bind (2)  in verse 19, is consistent with this legal spiritual authority Christ gave His Ekklesia. Deo  speaks of rulings that are “legally binding;” they must be honored. This is why some translations, including the Passion Translation, use the word “forbid” to translate deo . The Amplified Bible uses the words “forbid, declare to be improper and unlawful.” We have the right to forbid demonic powers from interfering in our lives and in the spheres of authority God has delegated to us.  We can also do so in broader areas of shared authority, such as natural government. The fact that government is a “shared” authority means that the will and authority of others come into play. This is why it takes longer and requires the prayers of more people to shift governments through prayer. Nevertheless, we have the authority to bind or forbid the powers of darkness from affecting us and our family. And the corporate body of Christ has authority to bind and forbid demonic powers from ruling their nation. There is still another important and fascinating verse regarding prayer that uses the word dei . Romans 8:26 makes the point that we don’t always know how to pray as we “ought” ( dei ). The verse is stating that we don’t always know what is “legally right or necessary” spiritually speaking, in order to see some situations change. For example, we may not be aware of all the spiritual strongholds that control an individual for whom we are praying. We may not be aware of the “legal” ground the person has given to evil spirits, giving demons the “right” to operate. We may not know whether it is a demonic spirit controlling a person or their own fleshly appetites. When praying for a person’s healing, the sickness is at times caused by an evil spirit. (Matthew 17:18 and others). If this is the case, we would need to pray differently. When praying for our government, we obviously don’t know all of the details of how to pray; we don’t know “what is necessary, right or proper in the nature of the case” ( dei ).  This wonderful passage in Romans 8 says Holy Spirit will help us overcome this weakness by praying through us. He alerts us to pray, gives us insight as we pray, brings Scriptures to mind and releases revelation regarding the situation. His supernatural help is what causes the working together of all things for our good, mentioned in verse 28. In her book Prophetic Intercession , Barbara Wentroble shares the following testimony of Holy Spirit’s help: “My mother-in-law was sitting in her living room at 9:30 AM. Suddenly, she felt a sensation of fear, accompanied by an urgency to pray for her son (my husband), Dale. “After asking the Lord to reveal to her how to pray, she felt a deep impression that Dale was in danger. She prayed for several minutes and then felt the ‘burden’ lift. Later that night, she called our home to ask Dale what he had been doing at 9:30 in the morning. ‘Oh, that’s easy,’ he replied. ‘I remember because I looked at my watch. Another man was talking to me while we were standing out in the plant at work. There had been some remodeling in the plant over the past several weeks, and we were discussing the progress. All of a sudden, I felt an urgency to move from the place where we were standing. We quickly moved to another spot about 20 feet away. Just as quickly as we moved, a large steel beam fell from the ceiling and landed in that very spot where I had been standing.’” (3) That is Holy Spirit help when, apart from Him, we wouldn’t know that prayer was needed, or what was necessary in the prayer. In summary, Jesus said it is required of us, it is absolutely necessary ( dei ), that we always pray and not lose heart (Luke 18:1). He said we have authority to enforce what is legally right ( dei ), spiritually speaking (Matthew 16:18-19). And He told us that when we did not know what was legally right ( dei ), spiritually speaking, Holy Spirit would help us (Romans 8:26-28). These are just a few of the ways we experience the abundant life He promised (John 10:10). Pray with me: Father, You told us to pray and never lose heart. You delivered us from the authority of darkness, translated us into the Kingdom of Christ (Colossians 1:13), and told us we could forbid satan and his demonic forces from influencing our lives. We can stop him from causing us harm, stealing from us, and hindering our success in life. And You told us that Holy Spirit was always available to help us in our prayers.  Therefore, in the name and authority of Jesus: We forbid demonic attacks against our families from succeeding.  We forbid diseases caused by demonic forces from affecting our bodies. We forbid demonic forces from stealing our finances. We forbid spirits of fear from overcoming us in our minds. We forbid powers of darkness from controlling our government.  We forbid spirits of murder from taking over our streets. We forbid spirits of division from continuing to divide races in our nation.  We forbid spirits of perversion and confusion from overtaking the children of America.  (These are simply a few examples of things to pray. Let Holy Spirit lead you.) We ask, Father, that You would increase revelation in the church regarding the authority given to us in Christ. We ask that the Ekklesia be taken to her highest level of functioning in Christ’s authority as we represent Him on earth. And again, all of this we do and ask for in His name. Amen. 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. 1163. Ibid., ref. no. 1210. Barbara Wentroble, Prophetic Intercession  (Ventura, CA: Regal Books, 1999), pp. 68-69.

Be Courageous…And Pray! Today, I want to mention a very important Greek word from the New Testament, along with a couple of references where it is used. The word is “dei,”   which means “that which is necessary, even binding, as in a legal sense; that which is right, proper, or necessary in the nature of a case; that which is prescribed by law, duty, custom, etc.; from a sense of duty, one must.” (1) From these definitions, it is easy to see the strong meaning of the word. Dei  does not indicate a suggestion  or that something might perhaps be a good idea . To the contrary, it carries the weight of duty or legality. The very literal Wuest translation of the New Testament typically uses the phrases “that which is right and proper” and “that which is necessary in the nature of the case” to translate the word. With this in mind, let’s look at two passages where it is used. The first one will demonstrate the strength of the word; the latter uses it in the context of prayer. In Luke chapter 13, Jesus healed a lady on the Sabbath who had a crooked back, bent over for 18 years; the condition was caused by a demonic spirit (verses 10-12). However, practicing medicine was considered work, and the Pharisees lumped healing in with practicing medicine. Therefore, as ridiculous as it seems, the Pharisees considered it a violation of Sabbath laws to heal on that day! Upon seeing this miracle performed, the synagogue official became indignant, saying to the people gathered, “Six days there are during which it is right and proper [dei] to accomplish things. In them therefore you should come and be healed and not on the day of the Sabbath” (verse 14, Wuest translation). Unimaginable. “It’s against our laws to heal on the Sabbath,” he protested. No wonder Jesus couldn’t tolerate the Pharisees and religiosity of His day. Christ‘s response to the official was first to point out the hypocrisy of this law, reminding him that they took care of their animals on the Sabbath. Then He turned the tables on the official, using his own word “dei” to win the argument. “And this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan bound, just think of it, eighteen years, was it not a necessity in the nature of the case [dei] that she be released from this binding restriction on the Sabbath?” (Verse 16, Wuest translation).  Follow Christ’s logic. He first pointed out that this woman was “a daughter of Abraham.”  As such, she had a covenantal right to healing:  “I am Jehovah Rapha, the Lord your Healer”  God had said to Israel in Exodus 15:26. Later, He said,  “You shall serve the Lord your God, and He will bless your bread and your water; and I will remove sickness from your midst”  (Exodus 23:25). Healing was her covenantal right. Then He continued: “Since she has the legal, covenantal right to healing and I am here as Jehovah Rapha, the initiator and fulfiller of that covenant, it is legally binding (dei) that I heal her. I must. Your religious legalism says I must NOT; the legality of covenant says I MUST.” Checkmate! Now, with this understanding of the strength of this word, dei,  let’s look at another reference. Jesus used the word again in Luke 18:1:  “And He spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought (dei) always to pray, and not to faint.” He then shared the parable of the unrighteous judge and widow.  When we use the word “ought” in conversation, we are typically suggesting that something be done or stating that it might be a good idea. That is NOT what Jesus was doing! Prayer is more than a suggestion, a possible good idea. He was saying that it is necessary, right, proper, even legally binding (dei) , that we pray, asking the Father for what we need. We MUST! Wuest again confirms this, stating in the verse that it is a “necessity.”  Elsewhere, Jesus said that even though God knows our needs before we ask (Matthew 6:8), we still must ask (verses 11-13). James 4:2 goes so far as to tell us one of the reasons we don’t receive what we need is simply because we don’t ask. Prayer isn’t optional! And the last part of the verse in Luke 18:1 is also significant: “don’t faint.”  A better translation in today’s language would be  “don’t lose heart.”  Some translations tell us not to lose our courage. Don’t be faint-hearted or lose your courage. Instead, pray! When Joshua began his assignment to lead Israel, three times God commanded him to be courageous (Joshua 1:6, 7, 9)! As challenging as it is to hear, courage is a choice. God has placed within us an innate ability to overcome and be courageous. He has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). We must draw on this overcoming nature and refuse to let fear conquer us. When times get tough, be courageous… and pray! When the bad report comes in, be courageous… and pray! When the storm rages and it seems you will not survive, be courageous…and pray! When your nation turns away from God and toward evil, be courageous…and pray! Anchor yourself to faith in God as your Father and believe that He will come through for you. You MUST! Pray with me: Father, You told us to always pray and not lose heart. You commanded Joshua in his battles to possess the land, to be strong and courageous. We, too, must be strong and courageous as we possess our nation. We declare our faith that You have given us a spirit of power, love, and a disciplined mind; the spirit of fear is not part of our inheritance.  In the spirit of Luke 18:1, we ask You to forgive and heal our land. We ask You to heal the division and hatred, replacing them with brotherly love. We ask for a continued purging in our government, cleansing it from evil and corruption. Weaken those in our government who resist You and Your righteousness, removing their influence; strengthen those who walk in integrity and truth. We ask that the spirit of violence and crime be broken off our nation. Send revival to the youth of America (and the world), with a power the world has never before seen. Awaken the Ekklesia here and around the world to the authority You have given us, and cause her to burn with fires of revival. Uncontainable fire! And we agree in prayer for our brothers and sisters who are struggling with loss, sickness, lack, emotional pain, and discouragement. Cause the spirit of faith to arise in them, overcoming the spirit of fear. Help them to choose courage, to fan the flames of hope and faith, and to pray! Where there is confusion, awaken the soundness of mind. Where there is discouragement, cause hope to arise. Where there is pain, replace it with healing power. We stand with and for them today, in the mighty name of Jesus. Our decree: We declare that we will always pray, and we will not faint. 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. 1163.

It’s Just Common Sense I am often reminded of Thomas Paine’s 1776 pamphlet, “Common Sense,” when thinking about today’s battle to restore America. This writing was so compelling that George Washington required all of his troops to read it as they faced the challenges of being outmanned, outgunned, and undersupplied. No doubt about it, Paine’s pamphlet was a key part of motivating America’s patriots to fight for freedom.  Paine’s choice of this title was as deliberate as the arguments inside it. The phrase was designed to frame the question of independence as something obvious, universal, and within reach of every reader—not reserved for scholars and politicians. By naming his work “Common Sense”, Paine signaled that he would demonstrate to ordinary people that the case for breaking with Britain rested on practical judgment and shared human experience, not on aristocratic theory.  The title revealed that the pamphlet was a voice for a broad audience. Paine wrote in plain language, deliberately avoiding the high-brow jargon of political essays. He wanted farmers, tradesmen, artisans, and laborers to grasp his arguments without wading through numerous footnotes or Latin phrases. The choice of “Common Sense” promised clarity and the kind of reasoning that anyone, regardless of education, could recognize as reasonable. By appealing to the “common” logic of his readers, Paine bypassed the elites and framed independence as a decision rooted in everyday practicality. The phrase also implied shared ideals. “Common sense” referred to the practical knowledge a community relied on to govern itself in ordinary life. Paine adopted this notion to contend that the colonies’ separation from Britain was not a radical leap but a logical conclusion grounded in the mutual interests and rights of the people. If a monarchy and hereditary rule, as Great Britain preached, seemed contrary to ordinary experience, then rejecting them became, in Paine’s view, common sense. In this way, the title invited readers to view independence as a natural consequence of the basic principles of liberty and self-government. The title also reflected Paine’s target audience. “Common Sense” was addressed directly to the mainstream inhabitants of America, not to the academic community and cultural elite. Paine’s plan was to mobilize opinion by presenting simple, provocative arguments in direct language, often posing questions that exposed the inconsistencies of British rule and the benefits of republican self-government. If the reasons for independence felt like common sense, then resistance to it would appear as stubborn resistance to practical truth.  Finally, the title helped inaugurate a new political culture. The pamphlet helped foster a growing American identity around the notion that governance should be grounded in consent and common welfare rather than inherited authority. The term “Common Sense” thus carried with it a promise: that all could grasp political truth, and that the American dream would be explained in terms that any person could understand and act upon. It was a strategic declaration that the decision to sever ties with Britain rested on the clear, shared judgments of ordinary people. Common Sense Today Here we are again needing common sense to save us. Oppressed by cultural elites, woke idiocy, and anti-biblical Marxists, the value of common sense is on the rise in America. Americans are sometimes gullible, definitely uninformed, and, sadly, entirely too self-absorbed. But they love their freedom, and most of them possess “good ole common sense.” They will tolerate bureaucratic and woke nonsense for a while, but their tolerance level is eventually reached, and they demand a return to sanity.  Enter Donald Trump.  I just listened to his press conference, where he announced that he and his team are taking over law enforcement in Washington, D.C., at least for the time being. He spoke of the rampant violence, filth, graffiti, disrepair, homeless camps, out-of-control crime, etc. I couldn’t help but think of Paine’s pamphlet as I listened to him, for all that Trump said was simple common sense. Here are some highlights of his statement, not in direct quotes, but generally speaking: We are taking back our nation from the thugs and criminals. We will clean up and repair our nation’s capital, making it something we can be proud of.  We will remove the graffiti; those who deface the city and its monuments will be held accountable and face jail time until they have served their entire sentence. We will make our capital city safe again, so that US families can visit without fearing for their lives. Spit in the face of a cop and they will now hit you, rather than be forced to stand and take it. We will use whatever force is required to accomplish this, including the military if necessary. Commit a crime and you will not be back on the street in a few hours through cashless bail. You will go to jail. We will now listen to the culturally elite talk about how horrible these things are, while the rest of us shout a hearty “Amen.” One of the more entertaining parts of the press conference was watching Pete Hegseth stand just behind and to the right of the President, trying not to smile at some of Trump’s comments. Patriots like Hegseth enjoy good ole patriotic common sense.  Most of Trump’s statements at his rallies were also simply common-sense-based declarations: We are going to function like every other nation and have controlled borders. We will deport those who have come here illegally, beginning with criminals, gang members, rapists, murderers, and those with terrorist ties. We will demand fair and equitable trade in our dealings with other nations. Countries we protect across the ocean are going to start paying their fair share. We are going to stop calling girls, “boys” and boys, “girls.” And we will stop mutilating their bodies. We will stop arresting concerned parents who attend school board meetings because they don’t want their kindergarten children taught how to be drag queens.  We will strengthen our military. We will lower taxes and cut out waste in government. Common sense. Pray with me: Father, Your Word speaks of those who profess to be wise, but are actually fools (Romans 1:22). America has its share of these. It also says,  “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil” (Isaiah 5:20). Romans 1 also speaks of suppressing the truth and allowing darkness to overtake foolish hearts (verses 18 and 21). Rejecting You and silencing one’s conscience makes people become fools. America has allowed many incompetent individuals to sit in positions of government and education. In Your mercy, please continue removing them. Give us more plainspoken purveyors of truth and common sense. Continue to awaken the American people to the nonsensical positions of those who oppose You and the laws of nature. Cause them to continue to rise up and demand that truth rule our nation. Give support to leaders like Trump, his team, Michael Johnson, and other government leaders who are standing for our Constitution, our heritage, and Your ways. We ask You to rescue the many youth in America who are out of control and angry in our inner cities. They have been misled, deceived, and left to their own ways. Save them before it is too late for them. Give strategies to those attempting to reach them, and send the fire of revival to the inner cities of America. Pour out Your Spirit in our schools. Please send the greatest revival to the young people of America that has ever taken place. And we pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen. Our decree: We decree that Americans are being awakened to truth and the teachings of Scripture once again. Click on the link below to watch the full video.

“Heaven Shall Never Abandon Us” Sandy Fitzgerald, writing for Newsmax, points out that a third of the District Judges in Washington, D.C., five of the 15, had never served as a Judge before being appointed by Obama and Biden, and were also born in other nations. (One of the five has only been a U.S. citizen since 2019.) Let that sink in: five of the rogue judges dictating policies that affect our entire nation had never served as a judge in any capacity before being appointed to some of the most powerful judgeships in America. They are: “Judge Tanya Chutkan, born in Kingston, Jamaica. She came to the U.S. in 1979…In addition to overseeing the legal challenge to the Department of Government Efficiency's [DOGE] work to slash government spending, she has presided over cases involving Trump, including overseeing his criminal trial in connection with the 2020 presidential election. “Judge Amit P. Mehta, appointed by Obama, was born in Patan, India…He is to oversee four Jan. 6 civil cases against Trump. “Judge Ana Cecilia Reyes, nominated in 2021, was born in Uruguay and grew up in Louisville, Kentucky…and is the first openly LGBTQ Hispanic woman to be appointed to the court. She presided over an objection to an executive order from Trump that declared ‘gender dysphoria’ as inconsistent with standards for troop readiness, blocking the order through a preliminary injunction.  “Judge Amir Hatem Mahdy Ali, another Biden appointee, is the first Muslim and Arab American to serve on the D.C. District Court. He was born and raised in Canada to Egyptian parents and became a U.S. citizen in 2019…He has written about Trump’s 2017 executive order restricting travel to the United States from seven predominantly Muslim countries, stating that ‘prejudice and intolerance’ were ‘the very hallmark of [Trump’s] campaign against Muslims.’ In more recent actions, Ali restored $2 billion in spending to foreign nonprofit contractors by the U.S. Agency for International Development [USAID] that had been on pause for 90 days. “Judge Sparkle Sooknanan was Biden’s final appointee and was sworn in on Jan. 2, 2025…Last week, Sooknanan ordered Democrat Susan Grundmann to be reinstated to the Federal Labor Relations Authority, keeping a Democratic majority on the board.” (1) These are just a few examples of the way in which the Left has worked diligently to shape America’s judicial system according to liberal, leftist agendas. Who needs Congress to pass laws? Just appoint the right judge, and they can legislate from the bench and even override the President elected by the majority of Americans. The appointment of liberal judges and the election of left-leaning district attorneys in numerous blue cities has led to horrendous violence and crime. The recent mob attack in Cincinnati, Ohio, is just one case in point. Tens of thousands of people are leaving beautiful California, having given up on changing the state back to a place of common sense and law and order. The same is true with New York. The problems go all the way to the top. Certain opinions of Supreme Court justices on the left have been criticized as ridiculous, even laughable, based on the Constitution and precedent. And regarding corruption at the High Court, does anyone in their right mind actually believe the ludicrous assertion that the leaker of the Dobbs decision reversing Roe versus Wade cannot be found?! Please! The good news is – and yes, there is good news – people in America are rising up and demanding change regarding the un-American, leftist, dishonest, and stupid ideals being forced upon them. And a remnant of the church is praying. America was birthed by appealing to heaven, and America is being saved by appealing to heaven.  Samuel Adams, known by Bostonians as the father of the American Revolution, has become one of my favorite Founding Fathers. In September 1777, the war for independence was not going well. The British were in control of New York, Washington’s troops were suffering from deprivation and fatigue. “The number of delegates present at Congress had dwindled to a mere twenty from the fifty-six members who had signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Those remaining gathered for a private meeting in York to question whether there was any hope of success.” (2) Sam Adams rose to speak, comparing the American revolutionaries to the Israelites who had left the slavery of Egypt. According to Exodus, chapter 13, God guided them in the wilderness with a “pillar of cloud by day” and a “pillar of fire by night.” In his address, Adams demonstrated his faith and patriotism stating: “Let us awaken then, and evince a different spirit, a spirit that shall inspire the people with confidence in themselves and in us, a spirit that will encourage them to persevere in this glorious struggle, until their rights and liberties shall be established on a rock. We have proclaimed to the world our determination ‘to die freemen, rather than to live slaves.’ We have appealed to heaven for the justice of our cause, and in heaven we have placed our trust. Numerous have been the manifestations of God’s providence in sustaining us. In the gloomy period of adversity, we have had ‘our cloud by day and pillar of fire by night.’ We have been reduced to distress, and the arm of Omnipotence has raised us up. Let us still rely in humble confidence on Him who is mighty to save. Good tidings will soon arrive. Heaven shall never abandon us while we act worthy of its aid and protection.” (3) Keep praying, church, we have Scripture and history on our side. Heaven shall never abandon us. Pray with me: Father, sin and rebellion often lead to depravity and insanity. America now has depraved judges and legislators who want to see babies killed, children mutilated, Your Word mocked, Your marriage covenant defiled, and common sense outlawed. Many  “became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools”  (Romans 1:21-22). We have sown the wind and are reaping the whirlwind (Hosea 8:7). And yet, You are rich in mercy (Ephesians 2:4), and love to redeem.  We approach You now based on the redemptive properties of the blood of Jesus. In the greatest story ever told, our Creator has become our Redeemer. We ask that His blood continue to cleanse our nation from sin, its resulting depravity, and the curse of insanity. Cleanse our hearts and heal our minds. Restore us to You, and thereby to truth and life. As founder Samuel Adams referenced, we ask You for the cloud by day and pillar of fire by night (Exodus 13:21). Bring Your glory and fire to our three branches of government, releasing these guiding forces in the White House, the halls of Congress, and the Supreme Court. Flow down from these “heads” to every facet of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of our government. “We have appealed to heaven for the justice of our cause, and in heaven we have placed our trust.” (4)  We will not doubt, and we will not stop until our nation is ablaze with revival and being reformed by truth. And in Jesus’ name we seal this. Amen. Our decree: We decree that the appeals to heaven will not stop, and they will not fail. Click on the link below to watch the full video. https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/federalist-us-judges-district-of-columbia/2025/03/26/id   Sample text for Samuel Adams : a life / Ira Stoll.   Ibid. Ibid.

Help Us Write History in Washington, D.C. Exodus 23:14-17: “Three times a year, you shall celebrate a feast to Me. You shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread; for seven days you are to eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, at the appointed time in the month Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt. And none shall appear before Me empty-handed. Also, you shall observe the Feast of the Harvest of the first fruits of your labors from what you sow in the field; also, the Feast of the Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in the fruit of your labors from the field. Three times a year, all your males shall appear before the Lord God.” Deuteronomy 16:16: “Three times in a year, all your males shall appear before the Lord your God in the place which He chooses, at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Booths, and they shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed.” God understands that we must relate to others on different levels. In Israel, they identified with one another as families, cities, tribes, and as a nation. God realized that the closeness and commitment to one another would decrease as the number of people increased. One of the ways He ensured that Israel would maintain its national identity, while immersed in living life with family, community, and tribe, was this requirement for all of the men (13 years old and upward) to go to Jerusalem three times a year for major feasts. This practice helped keep them all connected both spiritually and nationally. These journeys were time-consuming and required sacrifice, but they were necessary to remind all of Israel that they were part of something bigger than themselves. Who doesn’t realize how easy it is to get caught up in our own world of family, friends, challenges, and activities?  The principle behind this requirement in Israel is appropriate for us in the body of Christ today. Though we are members of different congregations, streams and “tribes,” we are part of one spiritual nation; we must never fail to remember and honor this. It is inappropriate to think we can isolate ourselves from other tribes and spiritual families. Our union in Christ is far more important than our differences and preferences. God loves and demands unity, and those who divide brothers are an abomination to Him (Proverbs 6:16-19).  There is another occurrence in Scripture mentioned in the books of Numbers and Joshua, which demonstrates the importance of our corporate identity in God’s family and the importance of working together. Joshua 1:12–18 reads: “To the Reubenites and to the Gadites and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, Joshua said, ‘ Remember the word which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, saying, “The Lord your God gives you rest and will give you this land.” Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle shall remain in the land which Moses gave you beyond the Jordan, but you shall cross before your brothers in battle array, all your valiant warriors, and shall help them, until the Lord gives your brothers rest, as He gives you, and they also possess the land which the Lord your God is giving them. Then you shall return to your own land, and possess that which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise.’ “ They answered Joshua, saying, ‘All that you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. Just as we obeyed Moses in all things, so we will obey you; only may the Lord your God be with you as He was with Moses. Anyone who rebels against your command and does not obey your words in all that you command him, shall be put to death; only be strong and courageous.”’ These verses refer back to an account in Numbers 32. Three tribes, Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh, had requested that Moses give their inheritances to them before Joshua and the entire nation conquered Canaan. They had found land on the other side of the Jordan River that suited their livestock well, and asked that this land be given to them as an inheritance. Moses agreed – as long as they temporarily left their ranches and homes to fight for the other tribes when it was time for Israel to possess Canaan. It was “all for one and one for all” as far as the inheritance of Israel was concerned. Failure to honor this agreement was punishable by death! Regardless of how settled they were on their farms and ranches, how comfortable they had become in their homes with their families, when the time came to fight, the men would have to pack up, grab their weapons, and fight for their brothers and sisters. Although it was 40 years before the time came for the remaining tribes to possess their land, Joshua – and God – had not forgotten the agreement. Joshua brought it up immediately in chapter one of the book bearing his name, and these three tribes honored their commitment. How different things would be if the body of Christ thought this way today. If we realized that we could not honor only our tribe’s identity or celebrate only our congregation’s success, but possessed hearts willing to sacrifice and battle for the success of our brothers and sisters, how different things would be. If we realized it was required of us to war for the entire nation, not just for our home and family, how different things would be. Obviously, some causes and battles are local, but others rise to the level of national importance.  As we war for the soul of America – for her revival, restoration, and reset – much of that must be done at the local level. But there are some battles that require all of the tribes to fight as one. This is why God, at times, leads individuals to host significant national  gatherings or release national  prayer alerts. And when we honor these calls to national prayer, victories flow down to all. A very significant national gathering will take place in Washington, D.C., on October 9-12. It is simply called Communion America ,   referencing our faith in the blood of Jesus, and the belief that no person, no religious or political organization, and no human strategy can save America. The journey of salvation we are on is a journey back to our faith in Christ and our relationship with God through His blood: “What can wash away my sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. ” (1) So, throughout the day on Thursday and Friday, we will gather in 50 tents – one for each state -- and worship. In the evenings, we will all gather together, worshiping and praying for our nation. On Saturday, October 11, a table of communion will be set up the length of the Washington Mall, and we will humbly partake of the covenant meal together, asking God to cleanse our nation with the blood of Jesus…and send the greatest of revivals.  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.” You should consider joining host David Bradshaw, Lou Engle, me, and other leaders, helping us write this new chapter of America’s history. All for one, and one for all! 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 America up 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 worship and 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 You would use this event to take Your 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. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen. Our decree:  We decree that another great Communion Revival has begun and will come to fullness in America. Link to give: Awaken the Dawn Click on the link below to watch the full video. https://hymnary.org/text/what_can_wash_away_my_sin