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“Deceivers Who Teach Clever Lies” Many spiritual leaders have been silenced by their caution of not being influenced by a political spirit. In their desire to stay out of politics,  they stay out of  policies. Consequently, those who should have the loudest voices regarding the moral issues of our day are largely silent, allowing the political spirit they despise to win. Ironic, isn’t it? I, too, have worked diligently over the years to avoid being overtaken by a political spirit. Though none of us are perfect, I have never allowed the deciding issue on any cause to be a political party. I vote and speak out based on which policy and or candidate aligns most closely with my biblical values. Avoiding a political spirit does not mean we must muzzle ourselves on issues or against what those in a particular political party are doing. Ephesians 4:15 tells us to “speak the truth in love.”  Refusing to speak the truth is NOT love. The previous verse tells us why we MUST speak truth:  “And then our immaturity will end! And we will not be easily shaken by trouble, nor led astray by novel teachings or by false doctrines of deceivers who teach clever lies” (Ephesians 4:14). With this in mind, I must say that many in the Democratic Party have become anti-Christ and anti-American: a turn toward Marxism and socialism; an acceptance of globalism and its demand for loss of national identity and freedom; an opposition to biblical ideals and morality, accompanied by a dishonor - if not hatred - of God; an insatiable lust for power and wealth; these and more have defiled the party to a point of moral decay and deception perhaps beyond repair. Intellectual ideas and debate will not reform this party, for much of the decay is heart-related. Transformation must always precede reformation.  Democrats’ “sanctuary city” policies, meaning they will not turn a criminal over to ICE for deportation, have caused multiple murders and rapes around the nation. They would rather protect criminal illegal aliens than protect American citizens. Their latest victim was 18-year-old Sheridan Gorman, a student at Loyola University in Chicago, who was shot and killed by Biden’s illegal alien, Jose Medina-Medina.  Medina was allowed into our nation by Biden in 2023, arrested shortly thereafter for shoplifting, and released back onto the street by Democrat policies, enabling him to kill this innocent young lady. It took Illinois Governor Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Johnson four days before they were shamed into making a lame statement. Why? They don’t care. The potential of votes to keep them in power is more important than this young lady’s life. This is also why Democrats fight so desperately against the SAVE Act and to defund ICE. Chicago alderwoman Maria Hadden blamed the shooting on the young students being at the “wrong place” at the “wrong time.” “Gorman’s family said in a statement that they were ‘gravely disappointed by the policies and failures that allowed this individual to remain in a position to commit this crime.’  “‘When systems fail — whether through release decisions, lack of coordination, or unwillingness to act — the consequences are not abstract. They are real,’ the family said in a statement. ‘And in our case, they are permanent. This case must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of both state and federal law. There can be no gaps, no shortcuts, and no second chances that put others at risk. Accountability must be complete.’ “An attorney representing Gorman’s family also released a statement, saying in part, ‘Sheridan was 18. She had her entire life ahead of her - her education, her future, her family, the countless lives she would have touched. All of that was taken in a moment, and there is no way to repair that loss.’” (1) Tragedies such as these continue to repeat themselves, yet the policies that allow them remain. The possibility of 20 million votes is just too much to lose. Regarding another Democrat policy, the refusal to fund DHS, conservative political commentator Benny Johnson says: “I spoke with over a dozen TSA agents today. None of them have been paid in 2 months. Here’s what they told me: ‘I had to sell my car to pay my mortgage.’ ‘I work 12-hour shifts and don’t see my kids. Now I can’t even afford to buy my family dinner.’ ‘I’m going to have to quit this month and find another job.’ ‘My wife had to go back to work.’ ‘I can’t afford basic groceries.’ ‘I have no more savings left.’ ‘This makes no sense. ICE is funded through 2030. Democrats are just punishing us.’ “One thing became clear after today: Democrats targeting TSA is morally depraved. It hurts passengers and law enforcement alike. Politicians should NOT be able to destroy innocent people’s lives to score cheap political theater points. Democrats are evil for this. They just want to see Americans suffer to protect illegals and illegal voting.” (2) I do not consider allowing illegal entry into our nation, murdering innocent young girls, and destroying the livelihoods of hard-working Americans as political issues. They are moral issues caused by unprincipled, power-hungry, and immoral politicians.  What can be done about this injustice when so many Americans seem to be blinded to it, kept in the dark by a lying media? I remind you of the words of John Locke, echoed by George Washington on a flag:  “And where the body of the people or any single man, is deprived of their right, or is under the exercise of a power without right, and has no appeal on earth, then they have a liberty to appeal to heaven…” (3) Only God’s power, released through a third great awakening, can save and transform our nation. Only appealing to heaven can produce this. Let’s appeal for it now.   Pray with me: Father, John Locke considered You the ultimate arbiter of justice. We agree with this; Your Word tells us justice is one of the foundations of Your throne. We here in America have given evil and corruption a foothold. This is now so entrenched that we could never eradicate it without Your supernatural help. We have repented, and now we appeal to heaven. We appeal to You for our third great awakening, which will remove unrighteousness and corruption in our government. This revival will restore truth, conscience, integrity, and honor for You and Your ways. We ask that this awakening intensifies and quickly removes evil indoctrination from our schools, replacing it with true learning, common sense, respect, and integrity. We ask that our corrupted media be totally exposed and lose its credibility. Awaken the American people to their lies and distorted reporting. And awaken the church. Give spiritual leaders in America both the desire and moral strength to stand  for  truth and against  evil. Help them see that speaking out on important issues of life and morality, even in the context of government, is not politics. Help the American church reclaim its voice once again and become the pillar of truth You need her to be. We appeal for these things in Jesus’ name. Amen. Our decree: As ambassadors of Christ, we will speak the truth in love, protecting Americans from “deceivers who teach clever lies.”  ( Ephesians 4:14-15) Click on the link below to watch the full video. https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/us-news/sheridan-gormans-family-releases-statement-after-her-shocking-murder-gravely-disappointed-by-101774341175854.html   https://www.instagram.com/p/DWRMaknAAC2/?igsh=MTNra2tvd2R0cnQ5bA%3D%3D  Information collected from an Instagram post by @bennyjohnson 3/24/2026. Laslett, Peter. “Right of Revolution: John Locke, Second Treatise, pp. 149, 155, 168, 207--10, 220--31, 240--43.” Electronic resources from the University of Chicago Press Books Division ,   https://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/documents/v1ch3s2.html . Accessed 2 February 2021.

Appealing to Heaven: Making A Difference In yesterday’s post , I talked about the Appeal To Heaven flag. America’s Founders believed so much in the power of prayer that they commissioned a flag to fly throughout the nation during the War of Independence as a reminder. And they believed that God answered their prayers, giving them victory. The great preacher Charles Spurgeon is credited as saying, “…prayer moves the hand that moves the world.” (1) Does a sovereign, all-powerful God really need our involvement to accomplish His will on earth? Is prayer really necessary? Most people in America, including pastors, do not believe prayer is truly necessary in order for God to accomplish His purposes on earth. One need only attend a typical church service to know this. If pastors believed prayer impacted nations and shaped history, they would make time for it in their services…more than just over the offerings, messages, and the dismissal of the saints.  No sincere and caring person - which I believe most pastors are - would refuse to do something they believed could change nations and make the world better, safer, more peaceful, etc. They don’t give time in their services for prayer because they don’t actually believe it accomplishes anything other than connecting people to God devotionally, which people can do at home. Contrary to Christ’s wishes, the vast majority of churches are anything but houses of prayer (see Isaiah 56:7; Matthew 21:13; Mark 11:17; Luke 19:46). My purpose today, however, is not to convince you that prayer causes the hand of God to move. You most likely believe that, or you wouldn’t be reading or listening to my posts. It is simply to remind you of this and to encourage you that your prayers are making a difference. Nations are being impacted, lives are changing, and eternal destinies are being shaped because you are praying. Our appeals to heaven bring revival, release healing, and produce breakthroughs. Strongholds come down when we pray. I agree with E. M. Bounds when he said: “God shapes the world by prayer. The more praying there is in the world, the better the world will be, the mightier the forces against evil... The prayers of God’s saints are the capital stock of heaven by which God carries on His great work upon earth. God conditions the very life and prosperity of His cause on prayer.” (2) Though God is sovereign and all-powerful, Scripture clearly tells us that He limited Himself, concerning the affairs of earth, to working through human beings. Is this not the story woven throughout the Scriptures: God and humans, for better or worse, doing it together? God needing faithful men and women?  God needing a nation through whom to bring the Messiah into the world? God needing prophets? God needing judges? God needing a human Messiah? God needing human hands to heal, human voices to speak, and human feet to go? Doesn’t He need us to ask and decree for His Kingdom to come, His will to be done (see Matthew 6:10)? Surely He wouldn’t want us to waste our time asking for something that was going to happen anyway, would He? Didn’t He tell us to ask for our daily bread (see Matthew 6:11)? And yet, He knows our needs before we even ask. Didn’t He tell us to ask that laborers be sent into the harvest (see Matthew 9:38)? But, doesn’t the Lord of the harvest want that more than we do? Didn’t Paul say, “Pray for us that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be glorified” (2 Thessalonians 3:1)? Wasn’t God already planning to do this? Are not these things God’s will? Why, then, are we supposed to ask Him for something He already wants to do if it’s not that our asking somehow releases Him to do it? In 606 BC, Israel had been taken captive by another nation because of its sin. Jeremiah had prophesied the timing and duration of this. Years later, in Daniel 9, we’re told that while reading the prophet Jeremiah, Daniel realized it was time for Israel’s captivity to end. Jeremiah had not only prophesied the captivity, of which Daniel was a part, but also its duration: 70 years. At this point, Daniel did something very different from what most of us would do. When we receive a promise of revival, deliverance, healing, restoration, etc., we tend to passively wait for its fulfillment— but not Daniel. He knew better. Somehow, he knew God needed his involvement, as he said, “So I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes” (Daniel 9:3). God heard his prayers, and the restoration occurred.  Paul E. Billhelmer said:  “Daniel evidently realized that intercession had a part to play in bringing the prophecy to pass. God had made the prophecy. When it was time for its fulfillment, He did not fulfill it arbitrarily outside of His program of prayer. He sought for a man upon whose heart He could lay a burden of intercession.... As always, God made the decision in heaven. A man was called upon to enforce that decision on earth through intercession and faith.” (3) The late C. Peter Wagner agreed with this when he stated: “We must understand that our sovereign God has, for His own reasons, so designed this world that much of what is truly His will He makes contingent on the attitudes and actions of human beings. He allows humans to make decisions that can influence history....” (4) Never forget, friend: appeals to heaven change the earth. Pray with me: Father, we thank You for the progress being made to defeat evil here in America and around the world. You are using many people to accomplish these things, including President Trump, but we give You the glory. You are empowering their efforts. We ask for continued favor upon the efforts of the righteous, and failure to those who promote evil and violence. Although we know there is much more change needed, thank You for answering prayers regarding the Presidency, Congress, and judicial system of America. We ask for these breakthroughs to continue. We also thank You for the victories in the Middle East. We ask for the total destruction of “the prince of Persia’s” control over the region ( Daniel 10 ), and the greatest revival in the region’s history. Bring freedom to the people of Iran and release a great revival there, but also use them to facilitate revival throughout the entire Middle East. And we continue to ask for revival in America. Give great strategy and favor, especially to those working to produce revival among the youth and young adults of our nation. Cause the revival that has begun among this age group to continue and multiply exponentially. Raise them up as the greatest army of reformers the world has ever seen. Once again, we thank You for all the breakthroughs we are seeing and ask that this continue. And we ask all of this in Yeshua’s name, amen. Our decree: We decree that appealing to heaven is the believer’s right and America’s heritage. Today’s post was adapted from one of the chapters in my book, Intercessory Prayer, published by Baker Books. Click on the link below to watch the full video. https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/559908-prayer-bends-the-omnipotence-of-heaven-to-your-desire-prayer   Paul E. Billheimer, Destined for the Throne  (Fort Washington, PA: Christian Literature Crusade, 1975), p. 51. Ibid., p. 107. C. Peter Wagner, Confronting the Powers  (Ventura, CA: Regal Books, 1996), p. 242.

A Flag Reborn I was first introduced to the Appeal to Heaven flag in May of 2013. I was the Executive Director of a Bible College, and it was my responsibility to choose the commencement speaker. I chose one of my spiritual sons, not because he’s a great preacher, but because he isn’t a preacher at all! Will Ostan is a military man, a JAG attorney (at the time, now retired) for a branch of our Special Forces. I chose a soldier as our commencement speaker because I wanted our graduates to know they did not have to be pastors or preachers to be used by God. At the end of his commencement address, however, Will threw me a bit of a curve. “I believe the Lord has asked me to give a special gift to Papa Dutch,” he said. I wasn’t sure I liked this, not wanting the emphasis to shift from the graduates to me. But he had the microphone - what could I do but trust him? “Before I give you the gift,” he said, “I need to explain the history behind it. It’s a replica of a flag displayed by George Washington and America’s Founding Fathers. This flag was actually used before the Stars and Stripes existed. In many ways, it is the banner under which America was born,” he explained. This fact does nothing to dishonor “Old Glory” - I display her proudly and still tear up during the Pledge of Allegiance. Nonetheless, the symbolism of this earlier flag is extremely important. “This banner has the phrase ‘An Appeal To Heaven’ across the top,” he continued, “a phrase our Founders took from the writings of John Locke, an influential English philosopher from the mid-1600s. Locke wrote a series of papers on ‘Natural Laws,’ stating that human rights originated with God, not with government.” (1) Locke made the case that when people had done everything humanly possible to experience those God-given rights and failed in doing so, there remained an option: “And where the body of the people or any single man, is deprived of their right, or is under the exercise of a power without right, and have no appeal on earth, then they have a liberty to appeal to heaven…” (2) Will continued, “Locke’s phrase, ‘appeal to heaven,’ connotes that when all resources and the ability to attain justice on earth are exhausted, an appeal to earth’s ultimate Judge is the final recourse. This concept would become a foundational philosophy in American society, alluded to even in the Declaration of Independence.” (3) George Washington and his contemporaries used the appeal-to-heaven phrase in America’s cause for freedom from Britain’s tyranny. Having exhausted all other avenues to experience the liberty they so desired, the colonists realized their only hope for freedom was in declaring complete independence from Britain. Yet with Britain’s great military, weaponry, and wealth, contrasted by the colonists’ dire lack of these resources, any military attempt to break free from British rule was preposterous, even laughable. Laughable, that is, unless Almighty God intervened. The stance of the colonists was simple; their right to freedom came from God; He would help them. “We will appeal to heaven!” they declared. And a flag was born. From the days of the pilgrims, godly men and women have believed Almighty God was involved in the birth of our nation. They also felt that if a nation chose to partner with and honor God, it would experience His favor and blessing in extraordinary ways. Washington and the colonial dreamers agreed. They believed the Sovereign was, indeed, birthing “a city [nation] set on a hill that can’t be hidden...a light to the world,” (Matthew 5:14). They no doubt knew of John Winthrop, a leader of the Puritans’ Massachusetts Bay Colony, using this verse in his 1630 speech on board the Arbella  to describe what he believed God wanted to build in America. (4) They knew of the planting of the cross at Cape Henry in 1607, and of the ensuing prayer meeting dedicating the land to God’s glory. They had read the Mayflower Compact of 1620, stating the voyage was made “for the glory of God, and advancement of the Christian faith….” (5) Would God honor these events and prayers? Even more importantly, was He inspiring these actions? Was America God’s dream as well as theirs? They believed the answer to these questions was a resounding “YES.”  The pilgrims absolutely believed America had a God-given destiny, and our Founding Fathers did, as well. Throughout our history, America’s presidents and leaders have also reiterated this belief. John F. Kennedy referenced Matthew 5:14 and Winthrop’s famous speech, as did Ronald Reagan and more than a dozen other U.S. Presidents. (6) Though modern-day revisionists try to rewrite and remove this from our history, the truth will always silence their lies. General George Washington, leader of the American Revolution, obviously believed in this divine plan. He commissioned several ships for the Revolutionary War efforts and, highlighting their dependence on providential help, each vessel was to fly under the Appeal to Heaven banner, also known as the Pine Tree Flag. (7) The flag’s popularity spread and was soon flying throughout the colonies, as well as being adopted as the flag of the Massachusetts state Navy. It became the symbol of these colonists’ unwavering spirit of liberty, as well as a clear statement of where they placed their faith. Do you find it enlightening, as I do, that America was born under a banner of prayer? And that 230 years later, God would bring that dusty old banner out of hiding in order to serve as a stark reminder that our strength alone did not birth this nation? We were birthed by the hand of God. And we were born not just for our personal blessing and freedom; we were created to represent Christ throughout the world. In our now spiritually weakened state, America’s only hope is to appeal to Him again. Just as we were no match for the military power controlling us in that day, in our own strength, we are no match for the spiritual powers controlling us now. But that which birthed us then is rebirthing us now: an appeal to heaven. Pray with me: Father, the way in which You raised America up as a voice in the earth is indeed remarkable. You did so knowing You would need her to be a trumpet of the gospel to the ends of the earth.  It is incredibly significant that we were born under a movement of prayer, that it was through appealing to You that our freedom was produced. And now You have brought this flag, the Appeal To Heaven flag, out of retirement. We hear what You are saying through this, and we are appealing again. As we do, we are confident You will once again free us from oppression. America shall be saved. And so, Lord, we appeal to You for revival in America. We pray for Your church, the Ekklesia, to rise to the glorious level You speak of in Scripture: a worthy bride for You and an expression of Your authority in the earth. Make us an Ekklesia that the gates of hell cannot prevail against. And we know that Your Ekklesia, the church, isn’t a building, but rather is Your people. We are Your church everywhere we go. So we pray for Your church in the White House, in Congress, and on the Bench. Use them mightily in these government buildings. Remind them that You are with them always, and they represent You in all they do. Give them wisdom, understanding, and Your strong anointing to accomplish Your will. All these appeals we make in Jesus’ mighty name. Amen.  Our decree: We decree that the appeal to heaven will be heard...and will succeed! Portions of today’s devotional were taken from my book   An Appeal to Heaven  and can also be found in our Volume 1 devotional, Give Him 15: An Appeal to Heaven . You can find both books on our website: DutchSheets.org . Click on the link below to watch the full video. Laslett, Peter. “Right of Revolution: John Locke, Second Treatise, pp. 149, 155, 168, 207--10, 220--31, 240--43.” Electronic resources from the University of Chicago Press Books Division , https://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/documents/v1ch3s2.html . Accessed 2 February 2021. Ibid. “Declaration of Independence: A Transcription | National Archives.” National Archives , 8 June 2022, https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript . Accessed 2 August 2022. John, Winthrop. A Model of Christianity . Sermon. 1630. Bradford, William. "Of Plymouth Plantation."  Manuscript: 1630-1650. Van Engen, Abram C. Van Engen. City on a Hill: A History of American Exceptionalism . Yale University Press, 2020. Report of the Proceedings of the Society of the Army of the Tennessee at the Thirtieth Meeting, Held at Toledo, Ohio, October 26-17, 1898 . F. W. Freeman, 1899, p. 80.

Don’t Fear the Storms I enjoy studying biblical words because of the added insight I receive from the different nuances of meaning. The Hebrew language, with its pictorial style, paints many rich pictures. With a technical approach, the Greeks used to brag that they could say more in one word than other languages could in an entire sentence. Humorous, but sometimes true. Without a doubt, God determined that these two languages would give us the Scriptures. There is another reason I like to look up the original words used in a passage of Scripture, however. Some Bible versions often use the same English word to translate different Hebrew or Greek words, which can sometimes be misleading. For example, the King James Version uses the word “time” to translate both chronos (1) and kairos, (2)  words now known to many of you. However, the differences in their meanings are vitally important. Chronos  refers to general or chronological time; kairos means strategic or opportune time. The importance of knowing which word is used in a given subject is immeasurable. From the time of planting seed until harvesting the fruit is  chronos ; harvest time is kairos . If you’re a farmer, you’d better know the difference! Fear is another subject with which this translation problem occurs. There are actually three Greek words in the New Testament that are all sometimes translated “fear,” two of which I mentioned yesterday : phobos,  meaning terror, dread, alarm, etc., (3)  and deilia,  meaning timidity, intimidation, or insecurity. (4)  I’ll say more about these two momentarily.  The third word for fear is  eulabeia (5)  which means “reverential fear or awe.” This word is used when speaking of “the fear of the Lord” (Hebrews 5:7; 12:28). It’s easy to see the importance of knowing which of these three Greek words is used in a passage: we should revere and honor God, but we should not have a phobia of Him; nor should we be insecure regarding our relationship with Him.  Yesterday  I emphasized the word  deilia,  used in 2 Timothy 1:7, where Paul told his spiritual son, Timothy,  “For God has not given us a spirit of deilia , but of power and love and discipline.”  Timothy faced criticism and attacks from individuals while serving in the very difficult assignment of leading the church in Ephesus. Though some translations use the word “fear” in this verse, Paul wasn’t challenging him to not be “afraid.” That wasn’t the type of fear Timothy was struggling with. Paul was telling this spiritual son not to be timid or insecure. In other words, “Timothy, be bold, and believe in the gifts God has given you. Don’t accept the intimidation.” A fascinating passage in the New Testament pictures the two different fears of harm (phobos ) and timidity ( deilia ) working together to paralyze and torment the disciples. In Mark 4:35-41, Jesus and the disciples were crossing the Sea of Galilee when a violent storm arose. From a natural perspective, it seemed they would not make it safely through this storm. Jesus, surprisingly, was sleeping through the horrific wind and waves. In great fear, the disciples awakened Jesus, and said,  “Don’t you care that we’re about to perish?!”  (v. 38). Jesus got up and addressed the storm with the command, “Peace, be still” (v. 39). Amazingly, the storm ended. Then Jesus asked the disciples what seemed like a preposterous question, “Why are you afraid?”  (v. 40). I think I know why the disciples were afraid, don’t you? Some of these men were experienced fishermen who had made a living on this lake. When they determined that this storm was so strong, naturally speaking, that they weren’t going to survive it, you can believe it was true. Christ’s question makes more sense, however, when you realize Jesus did not actually ask them why they were afraid (phobos ). He asked them why they were timid or insecure ( deilia ). Christ was telling the disciples that they could  have - and should  have - done just what He had done: rebuke the storm! They should have resisted their natural fear, which produced intimidation, and acted in faith. Boldness was needed at that moment, not timidity. This storm was a demonic strategy to harm them. Jesus had already told the disciples,  “We are going to the other side,” (Mark 4:35).   He knew the Gadarene demoniac's deliverance awaited on the other side of the lake (Mark 5), whose deliverance and testimony would impact the entire region of Decapolis (v. 20). Though the disciples didn’t know this, they could have acted on Christ’s declaration and done as He eventually did: rebuke the storm. I am certainly not saying that this would have been easy. Nor am I arrogantly contending that I would have acted differently from the disciples. I am simply pointing out the lesson and truth Jesus was teaching them: My promises supersede natural laws. When you have a promise or directions from Me, believe   them . Resist all fear and intimidation, and act boldly on what I say. God has told us, “America shall be saved.” He has said that a billion-soul harvest is coming to the earth in our generation. Satan has created storms - terrorist regimes, political unrest, ideological divisions, and more - in his attempt to keep us from getting to the other side of our promise. Don’t fear the storms and don’t be intimidated. Although we can’t simply rebuke these types of storms and immediately stop them, through our prayers and decrees, we can keep them from accomplishing satan’s purposes. Believe what God has said and bind the attempts of the powers of darkness to stop God’s plans. Pray with me: Father, this season is fearful and intimidating for many people. Some are tempted to retreat or, worse yet, abandon their faith in Your promises. Some of us, like the disciples, are terrified of the storms. Others, like the fearful spies Moses sent to Canaan, have decided that the giants of our day are just too large. We pray that You would show the church today, as You did our brother, Timothy, that deep within us is the strength to overcome; that satan is an intimidator who wants us to think we are grasshoppers when facing giants and storms. But You desire to give us hearts like Caleb. You said we are more than conquerors - we have more than enough strength in us to overcome (Romans 8:37). So today we speak to our personal storms and say, “Be still! Stop! We will not listen to you, we will not run from you, and you will not destroy us.” And we say regarding our nation: “We are well able to possess the land, and we will do so. We are on God’s timetable, and all of satan’s attacks will simply be used for our benefit” (Romans 8:28). Our times are in Your hand, Lord. (Psalm 31:15). Everything You have promised, You will do–our future is secure in You.  Our decree: We determine that we will rebuke the storms, boldly declaring God’s Word, and will not be intimidated. 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. 5550. Ibid., ref. no. 2540 .  Ibid., ref. no. 5401. Ibid., ref. no. 1167. Ibid., ref. no. 2124.

Harvest in the Middle East I am quite certain that God is intent on reaping a great spiritual harvest in many nations over the next few years. This has already begun, but will increase exponentially. I am also quite certain that satan is determined to stop this harvest, in part, through ungodly governments. Leaders in China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, and other nations throughout the earth are influenced by principalities and powers. As well as wanting to stop the coming harvest, satan‘s kingdom has profound hatred for Israel and America. This hatred is likely because these two nations have played such significant roles in redeeming the world from satan’s control: Israel gave the world Yeshua, the Savior; and America was raised up to preach the good news of Christ’s salvation and Kingdom. Satan’s Goals In an attempt to oppose God’s great outpouring and harvest, satan is, among other things, attempting to do the following: Distract the church from seeing and working toward this harvest season, and Create such chaos on earth that it becomes difficult to reach people and nations with the gospel. (We, the church, must make certain that we do NOT fall prey to the distraction; if we stay focused, God will deal with number two, making sure the chaos is unsuccessful.) The third goal of the enemy, and one which often goes undetected, is to foster hatred and animosity between nationalities/people groups, including in the hearts of Christians. This, too, is designed to fight the great ingathering of souls. We must not fall into this trap. It is appropriate, of course, to hate evil (Romans 12:9). Terrorist groups around the world should be destroyed, and evil rulers should be brought to justice whenever possible. It is necessary to destroy the evil regime in Iran, just as it was necessary for the Allies to destroy the Nazis in World War II. The perpetrators of evil throughout the world must always be dealt with ruthlessly, depriving them of their ability to harm others. The only deterrent to their evil is to demonstrate that we are more powerful than them; peace comes through strength. However, in this season, we must be very careful to direct our anger and rage at the perpetrators, not the people of Russia, China, North Korea, and predominantly Muslim nations throughout the world. Specifically, we must not make Iranians, Syrians, the Lebanese, and Palestinians the objects of our anger and disdain. This is very important. Many people in these nations only want peace and freedom; some are actually our brothers and sisters in the faith. Millions of them who do not yet know the Lord will become part of our spiritual family one day. I’m confident that the Middle East will be a large part of the coming great harvest; perhaps the largest. Iran is currently experiencing the greatest harvest of any nation on earth. We must be careful not to allow satan, through terrorists and evil leaders, to turn our hearts against the people there.  I don’t need to remind you that Jesus loves the people of these nations as much as He does you and me. Christ said, “For God so loved the WORLD that He gave His only son…” (John 3:16). Yahweh loves the entire world - all of it - and Jesus died to save them all. Ishmael Most people in the Middle East are descendants of Ishmael, Abraham’s son through Hagar. I become concerned when I hear Christians speak evil and condescendingly of Ishmael, including and especially in sermons. I feel that many Christians have a subconscious, if not conscious, disdain for Ishmael and his descendants. However, God did not hate Ishmael; He loved him! Ishmael’s name actually means “God hears.” (1) Yahweh cared for him and his mother, Hagar, rescuing them when they became outcasts (Genesis 21:19). He also gave them promises regarding their future (Genesis 21:17-21). Remember, it was not Hagar’s idea to have a child through Abraham; it was Sarah’s, and Abraham agreed to it (Genesis 16:1-4). Yes, Isaac was the son through whom Yahweh had determined to bring the Messiah, and He refused to renege on that decision. However, God did not - and does not - hate Ishmael or his descendants. He loves them. Though I support destroying the evil regime in Iran, I know it is inevitable in a war such as this that innocents will suffer and die. My heart breaks over this. Some of the absolute best humans I have ever known are from the Middle East. And I know them well, having even pastored some of them for a season. These believers are lovers of Yahweh, followers of Yeshua, and minister for Him selflessly throughout the Middle East. They feed the poor, clothe the naked, provide for the homeless, educate children, care for the sick and diseased, and frankly, live a more pure expression of Christ than most American-born Christians I know. I have preached in the churches of Jordanian believers who pay a great price for their love of Christ, far more than any American Christian I know. At the risk of imprisonment, they are reaching other Jordanian Muslims for Christ, as well as Muslims from other nations.  Thousands of Syrian, Afghan, Iranian, and other Middle Eastern believers, as well as African Christians in Muslim nations, are martyred for their faith every year. And remember, many of them were once Muslims - Muslims that Jesus loved enough to die for, just as He did you and me. I abhor terrorism, antisemitism, and all racism. I want justice administered to those who rape, kill, torture, and oppress, regardless of where they are. But I do not hate the nations they come from, and certainly not their nationality. I love the people in all the Middle Eastern nations, and want to reach them with the gospel. I refuse to allow satan and his cohorts to succeed in causing hatred and delaying God’s great harvest. In Conclusion Pray not only for Israel, but for the salvation of Muslims in the Middle East! Pray that the prince of Persia does not succeed in turning the region into a river of blood. Pray that China and Russia do not succeed in creating further unrest around the world. Pray that innocent lives are protected during the current violence and war. Pray that God uses the evil in Iran to open the eyes of millions of people. Pray that many visions and dreams revealing Christ would occur. Pray for the believers there - for strength, protection, and that great signs and wonders will take place through them, confirming the gospel. Pray that many laborers are sent into those harvest fields, and pray for their protection. Pray that the Prince of Peace, the Giver of life and blessing, pours out His Spirit in full measure. In fact, let’s pray these very things now. Pray with me: Father, we ask for the salvation of a billion souls in the Middle East. We ask for the salvation of Jews…and of Muslims. We pray that China, Russia, Iran, and evil principalities such as the prince of Persia do not succeed in turning the region into a river of blood. We ask that innocent lives be protected during the current violence and war. We ask that You open the eyes of millions of people to the gospel. Give many visions and dreams, release great signs and wonders to confirm the gospel. We ask that many anointed laborers be sent into the harvest fields of the Middle East, and we pray for their protection. We pray that the Prince of Peace, the Giver of life and blessing, pours out His Spirit in unprecedented measure. And we pray for the body of Christ here in America. We ask that the church be alert and protected from the demonic strategy to harden our hearts toward people in other nations. Cause this to fail. We ask You to awaken in us Your love and compassion for all people, from every nation. And do what You do so well, Yahweh - turn evil back on the head of the serpent. Make him pay! In Yeshua’s name we pray, amen.  Our decree: The Scriptures state that God will make known His wisdom to principalities and powers through the Ekklesia (Ephesians 3:10). We agree with this declaration and call forth the fulfillment in the world today. 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.  3458.

Introduction Tomorrow is Saint Patrick’s Day. Most people have very little knowledge of this venerated man, born as Maewyn Succat. For many people, tomorrow will simply be a day to wear some green, drink some green beer, and party a little. But there is a rich history behind the story of this man.  Saint Patrick is known as the patron saint of Ireland, and tomorrow, March 17, is the anniversary of his death. It is worth noting that the Irish people, not the Catholic church, were the ones to declare Patrick a saint. Today our friend, Larry Tomzcak, tells us more about this incredible man and why he is celebrated. More than just history, Patrick’s life gives us timeless lessons we can emulate. The title of today’s post is: 1500 Years Later: St Patrick’s Amazing Story If you engage people in conversation about Saint Patrick, you may find them having whiplash when you tell them the real story versus the folklore. It’s a great way to segway into possibly sharing your personal testimony and the gospel! Did you know these factoids? Patrick was not Irish. As a young man he had no interest in God. He never drove out any snakes because there were none in Ireland. His use of a shamrock to teach the Trinity is cute for children, but it’s just a myth. There is no such thing as a leprechaun. [No offense intended to you Celtics fans.] Patrick didn’t drink Guinness beer, because it didn’t exist. Now, I’m not a party pooper. I enjoy a celebration, but I enjoy it even more when I understand what’s legitimate and what’s legend. With St. Patrick’s Day and let’s get beyond all the blarney - the green, the parades, parties with Irish stew and toasts to the “luck of the Irish,” - and focus on an incredible man of God who transformed a nation through the proclamation of the gospel and the planting of churches. The Real Story of St. Patrick Years ago when I ministered in Ireland, I recall the descent of the plane and how absolutely awestruck I was as I beheld for the first time the Emerald Isle. This deep green countryside is the picture conjured up in the hearts and minds of tens of thousands of Irish celebrants who annually dye the Chicago River green for St. Patrick’s Day. And in celebrations throughout America, this special feast day is a sign of spring, bringing welcome relief after the cold of winter. But what’s really behind this day and the man we honor? After all, he died over 1,500 years ago on March 17, 461. Patrick was born in Britain in A.D. 390. He was raised in a Christian family, but his interest in God was almost nonexistent. He also was illiterate. Teens are often apt to wander, and Patrick certainly did, reaping the consequences. At the age of 16, he was kidnapped by thugs and taken hostage on a ship to Ireland. Imagine the trauma and grief his parents experienced while praying for God’s miraculous intervention and the return of their son.  For six agonizing years, he was trapped as a slave, working as a shepherd on hills where he tended the sheep. He was alone. He was scared. In desperation he began to cry out to God to rescue him from his plight. Picture your teenage son or daughter on that hillside, trembling and fearful for their very life. Yet God was at work in Patrick’s soul (just as he is in your wayward son or daughter!). In his classic Confession, he painfully wrote, “I would pray constantly during the daylight hours” until finally God broke through and revealed Himself in a dream. And He specifically said the following to this young, lost soul: “Your hunger is rewarded. You are going home. Look, your ship is ready.” Patrick Departs Risking his life but pierced to the core by the call of God on his life, Patrick journeyed some 200 miles to the Irish coast! He bravely boarded a ship that was going to Britain, and he knew instinctively God was taking him back home. This young man returned to his family, transformed by the grace of God (wouldn’t it be great to see this homecoming captured on video?). In time, he even entered a Christian training center, a monastery, to pursue the calling to full-time vocational ministry as a Catholic priest. Patrick excelled in his understanding of the Scriptures, and his character impacted his superiors and peers. Eventually, they affirmed him in becoming an overseer/bishop in the church. Patrick Returns Three decades after his initial abduction, Patrick sensed God stirring his heart. The Holy Spirit was directing him to go back to the pagan land of Ireland to evangelize the people mired in deception and darkness. Patrick recorded his sentiments as he wrote, “I am ready to be murdered, betrayed, enslaved— whatever may come my way!” May his courage ignite something in our hearts to reject silence and cowardice in the face of our cultural attacks today. May this man’s bravery inspire us to speak the truth in love regarding homosexuality, militant Islam, dishonesty, fornication (living together or casual sex), adultery, and compromising “Christians” yielding to pornography and a host of carnal indulgences in our day. Incredible Spiritual Awakening As Patrick crisscrossed the countryside, God blessed him mightily. Tens of thousands of Irish were converted and hundreds of churches were established! Thomas Cahill writes in his book, “How the Irish Saved Civilization,” that through Patrick's courageous leadership, this warrior  populace of Ireland “laid down the swords of battle, flung away the knives of sacrifice, and cast away their chains of slavery.” Fifteen hundred years after Patrick lived, let’s follow this world-changer in lifestyle evangelism!  “When Irish eyes are smiling, ‘tis like a morn in spring. In the lilt of Irish laughter, you can hear the angels sing.” (1) Pray with me: Father, thank You for the selfless lives of men and women gone before us. They laid a track for us to run on, advancing the Kingdom of Heaven farther into Your decreed purposes. You tell us in Hebrews 11:39-40 that these giants of faith are not complete without us, that we play a role in finishing what they began. May we be found faithful. We remember today that as believers our citizenship in heaven transcends all others. We celebrate our brothers and sisters everywhere, from Ireland to Australia, Iran to Canada. Give us hearts like Patrick, who was willing to risk everything to see Your Kingdom advance. Most of us will never have the notoriety he achieved, but we can all bear precious fruit as we participate in Your great cause.  We ask you to pour out your spirit once again in Ireland. Do the same in Iran and the entire Middle East. Shock the world with the revival that takes place there. But we know the outpouring of Your Holy Spirit in this hour will not be limited to the Middle East. Many nations will experience this revival. So we ask for this, partnering with You in redeeming the world. Thank You for this honor. And in Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. Our decree: We will grab the baton handed to us by past heroes of faith, laying aside every encumbrance, and running with endurance the race set before us (Hebrews 12:1). Click on the link below to watch the full video. Today’s post was contributed by Larry Tomczak. We encourage you to visit his website ( LarryTomczak.com ) for free videos, podcasts, books, and other valuable resources. ​​ Larry Tomczak is a best-selling author of 10 books, a cultural commentator of 50 years, Intercessors for America board member, and a public policy advisor with the Liberty Counsel. Go to   www.larrytomczak.com  to watch 30 amazing, free on demand, brief videos done by some of America’s top leaders to confidently address today’s tough issues. https://www.irish-song-lyrics.com/When_Irish_Eyes_Smiling.shtml

Fan the Flames! “I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline”  (2 Timothy 1:6-7; NASB). Paul had assigned his spiritual son, Timothy, to lead the Ekklesia (the church) in Ephesus. Timothy was a young man at the time, 30-ish. This assignment would have been difficult for anyone, but to a young 30-year-old, it was very challenging.  With a population of several hundred thousand people, Ephesus was the capital of a Roman province in Asia and was considered the fourth greatest city in the world, after Rome, Alexandria in Egypt, and Antioch of Syria. Called ‘the mother city of Asia,’ it was a significant center of trade, with major roads connecting Ephesus to all the other significant cities in Asia Minor.  Ephesus was known for its amphitheater, the largest in the world, designed to hold up to 50,000 spectators. It was also the location of the great temple of Artemis, also called Diana, built in 550 BC. This temple was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World…Much of the Ephesian industry was related to this temple, generating millions of dollars by today’s standards. Craftsmen sold shrines and household images of the goddess that worshipers could take with them on long journeys. The Ephesians were very proud of their religious heritage (Acts 19:35).” (1) Ephesus became Paul’s headquarters for two years after he planted a church there (Acts 19:10). A short time later, he assigned Timothy the responsibility of overseeing this Ekklesia. It was not one building or congregation, as we would picture it today, but included the entire body of Christ in the city, which likely met in homes.  In the book of Revelation, written in AD 96, thirty years after his letter to Timothy, Jesus commended the Ephesians church for several things: their hard work, perseverance, rejection of false teaching, endurance, and hatred of sin (Revelation  2:2-3). He also rebuked them, however, saying, “You have left your first love”  (Revelation 2:4). The believers at Ephesus, struggling beneath the weight of a godless and immoral culture, had maintained commendable outward religious activities, but internally they had lost their passion for Christ.   It is easy to see how intimidating it could be for a young man in his early 30s to be charged with overseeing this major work in such an influential, but very ungodly, city. It was obviously very difficult and was taking a toll on this young man. Persecution, false teachers, the city being an international hub of sorcery and witchcraft, great immorality, strife in the church - exacerbated by disrespect from older men because of his young age - these pressures and more were wearing Timothy down. He was discouraged, intimidated, and even struggling to release his God-given gifts.   Paul knew he was about to leave earth for heaven. He also knew, however, that as Timothy’s spiritual father, the young leader needed a word from him before he departed. Thus, a second epistle/letter was written to Timothy - the last letter Paul would write before his martyrdom.  Paul begins by affirming his love for Timothy as a spiritual son and speaks a blessing of grace, mercy, and peace to him (v. 2). Paul then assures Timothy that he is praying diligently for him - night and day (v. 3). Then he states his confidence in Timothy: “I know the faith that is in you, imparted from your grandmother and mother, and also the gift I imparted to you through the laying on of my hands” (v. 5-6). Paul was encouraging Timothy and telling him, “You can do this!” Then this wise, apostolic spiritual father became much stronger in his exhortation. “Now, I’m instructing you, Timothy, to stir up  (KJV), kindle afresh (NAS) the gift I put in you!”  (v. 6). Notice: God would not do this for him, nor would Paul. Timothy would have to stir up his gifts! The Greek word used for “stir up,” anazopureo , (2)  is challenging to translate. Only used this one time in the New Testament, it is compounded of 3 different Greek words. Ana (3)  means “again;” zo (4)  is a shortened version of zoe , the life of God, and pureo (5)  is from pur , meaning “fire or lightning.” Paul was essentially telling Timothy, “I know the gifts that are in you, because I put them there by the power of Holy Spirit. Now I need for you to rise up in faith and fan the flame, blow on the embers. Get the life flowing and the fire burning again!” This is a very strong exhortation.  Also, and this is important, the verb tense of this compound word indicates continuous or repeated action: “You will need to do this repeatedly, continuously, Timothy. One time won’t be adequate. I need you to really press into this! With the faith in you, speak life and fire into your gifts. Make them come alive and burn with passion. YOU must do this! God’s unequaled power ( dunamis ), (6)  His unconditional love ( agape ), (7) and discipline ( sophronismos ) (8) were also given to you. Now YOU get those forces working in you again (v.7).  Paul does one more thing in these opening remarks; he reminds Timothy of what he had NOT been given: “God has not given us a spirit of timidity”  (v. 7). Though some translations say “fear” instead of “timidity,” the Greek word is deilia , (9)  not phobos. (10)  Phobos would mean a phobia type of fear, such as a fear of harm. Paul knew Timothy wasn’t dealing with that kind of fear, but with deilia  - intimidation, timidity, insecurity, the fear of man.  “Satan is intimidating you, son,” Paul was saying, “He is telling you you’re too young, you don’t have faith, your gifts aren’t adequate for this job, the warfare is too great…These accusations have brought intimidation and timidity, eroding your confidence and causing your fire and passion to wane. You’re not walking in the power of God’s life in you. But these accusations are all lies. You are NOT weak, timid, or insecure. You’re strong! Gifted! Full of faith! And well able to do this.” This Is A Word For Us As God’s prayer army, His Ekklesia throughout the world, we are facing great challenges: war, great evil, incompetent and lying political leaders, abhorrent immorality, and much more. We in America are facing incredible challenges regarding these and other issues. We could easily become discouraged and intimidated, just as Timothy did, doubting our ability to accomplish God’s purposes.  My goal today is to make sure this doesn’t happen. We ARE called, equipped, empowered, and anointed for such a time as this. Engage your passion and fan the flames of Holy Spirit fire in you! Command them to burn! Speak to the life of God in you and command it to rise up! Stir yourself up in your Holy faith! Reject every demonic lie trying to convince you that the giants are too big! We are well able to take back America and see revival around the world! Pray with me: Father, we pray for the refreshing wind of heaven to blow on Your Ekklesia, the church. Re-fill us with Holy Spirit. Give us tenacious hearts and minds in this challenging season, motivating us to fan the flames of passion within. Remind us of who we are, that we are filled with Your glorious life. Remind us that we have been called for such a time as this. Remind us that we are more than conquerors through You and Your love, and that Holy Spirit, the Greater One, lives within to help and lead us. Remind us that we can do all things through the exalted Christ indwelling us. Remind us of Your heart to redeem and restore. Remind us that satan was defeated, and that redemption is finished. We agree together and break off of the church all fear, intimidation, lethargy, complacency, and lukewarmness. We fan the flames of passion and faith, and declare together that we are well able to accomplish Your purposes! The name of Jesus seals this! Our decree: We decree that all intimidation is broken off of the Ekklesia, the fire of Holy Spirit is burning, and that the spirit of faith is prevailing. Click on the link below to watch the full video. https://www.gotquestions.org/Ephesus-in-the-Bible.html James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible  (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), ref. No. 329. Ibid. Ref. no. 303. Ibid. Ref. no. 2222. Ibid. Ref. no. 4442. Ibid. Ref. no. 1411. Ibid. Ref. no. 26. Ibid. Ref. no. 4995. Ibid. Ref. no. 1167. Ibid. Ref. no. 5401.

Receiving Yahweh’s “Revelation-Secrets” “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6; KJV) Perhaps no one has demonstrated the truth of these verses more than George Washington Carver (1864-1943). Born into slavery and poverty, Carver later became an agricultural chemist of international fame, and amazed the world with his accomplishments. He discovered hundreds of uses for the peanut, soybean, pecan and sweet potato. This revolutionized the economy of the South since these crops replenished the soil, which had become depleted through years of cotton growth. Carver’s discoveries from the peanut (over 300), the sweet potato (over 118), as well as from the soybean, etc., included cosmetics, face powder, lotion, shaving cream, vinegar, cold cream, printer’s ink, salad oil, rubbing oil, instant coffee, leather stains from mahogany to blue, synthetic tapioca and egg yolk, flour, paints, non-toxic colors (from which crayons were eventually created). George Washington Carver’s notoriety eventually became so great that he was visited at Tuskegee Institute by national and international leaders, such as Vice-President Calvin Coolidge, and President Franklin D. Roosevelt. He became a confidant and advisor to leaders and scientists from all over the world, ranging from Thomas Edison to Mahatma Gandhi. (Edison had also offered him a position with a six-figure income, but Carver turned it down). The Secret of His Success When asked how he accomplished his achievements, Carver stated words from our opening verses: “The secret of my success? It is simple. It is found in the Bible, ‘In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths.’” (Proverbs 3:6) Carver again gave God the credit for his accomplishments when, in the summer of 1920, the Young Men’s Christian Association of Blue Ridge, North Carolina, invited him to speak at their summer school for the southern states. While there, Carver stated: “Years ago I went into my laboratory and said, ‘Dear Mr. Creator, please tell me what the universe was made for?’ “The Great Creator answered, ‘You want to know too much for that little mind of yours. Ask for something more your size, little man.’ “Then I asked. ‘Please, Mr. Creator, tell me what man was made for?’ “Again the Great Creator replied, ‘You are still asking too much. Cut down on the extent and improve the intent.’ “So then I asked, ‘Please, Mr. Creator, will you tell me why the peanut was made?’ “…And then the Great Creator taught me to take the peanut apart and put it together again. And out of the process have come forth all these products!” Before Congress In 1921, George Washington Carver accepted the invitation to address the United States Senate Ways and Means Committee in Washington, D.C., concerning the potential uses of the peanut and other new crops to improve the economy of the South. Initially given only ten minutes to speak, he instantly enthralled the committee so much that the Chairman said, “Go ahead Brother. Your time is unlimited!” Carver spoke for one hour and forty-five minutes. At the end of his address, the Chairman of the Committee asked: “Dr. Carver, how did you learn all of these things?’ Carver answered: “From an old book.” “What book?” asked the Senator. Carver replied, “The Bible.” The Senator inquired, "Does the Bible tell about peanuts? “No, Sir” Dr. Carver replied, “But it tells about the God who made the peanut. I asked Him to show me what to do with the peanut, and He did.” God’s Little Workshop George Washington Carver named his laboratory God's Little Workshop and never took any scientific textbooks into it; he merely asked God how to perform his experiments. Carver would lock the door behind him when he went into his laboratory, stating that: “Only alone can I draw close enough to God to discover His secrets." God’s Co-Worker When speaking at the Tuskegee Institute in 1928, Carver was asked to share some of his insights about God. Here are some excerpts:  “When I read in the Scriptures, ‘In Him we live and move and have our being,’ (Acts 17:28) I knew what the writer meant. Never since have I been without this consciousness of the Creator speaking to me...The out of doors has been to me more and more a great cathedral in which God could be continuously spoken to and heard from.... “Man, who needed a purpose, a mission, to keep him alive, had one. He could be...God's co-worker.... “My purpose alone must be God’s purpose - to increase the welfare and happiness of His people…Human need is really a great spiritual vacuum which God seeks to fill...With one hand in the hand of a fellow man in need and the other in the hand of Christ, He could get across the vacuum and I became an agent. Then the passage, ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me,’ (Philippians 4:13) came to have real meaning. “As I worked on projects which fulfilled a real human need forces were working through me which amazed me. I would often go to sleep with an apparently insoluble problem. When I woke the answer was there. “Why, then, should we who believe in Christ be so surprised at what God can do with a willing man in a laboratory?” We should all take a lesson from this humble man who learned to commune with his Creator and serve his fellow man. How different the world would be! Pray with me: Father, thank You for the life of George Washington Carver. He demonstrated to us the wisdom of a life fully dependent on You. Please help us walk in humility, acknowledging our insufficiency to live life without Your guidance. Yet, we can do all things through Christ’s strength and ability, as Dr Carver stated. You tell us in Psalm 25:14: “There’s a private place reserved for the devoted lovers of Yahweh, where they sit near Him and receive the revelation-secrets of his promises.” (TPT‬‬) We want to do this.  When America’s Founders struggled to write our Constitution, they eventually acknowledged that their wisdom was inadequate; they needed Your help. They appealed to You, the God who gave them liberty, and You gave them wisdom and understanding. We pray that legislators in Washington today would come to this realization. Strip them of their pride. Remind them of the words of Ben Franklin at that Continental Congress, “‘except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it’  (Psalm 127:1)… that without his concurring aid, we shall succeed in this political building, no better than the builders of Babel.” We ask for leaders who know and believe this. Give our President and his cabinet, our legislators, and our judges this understanding. Remove those who refuse to acknowledge You. Restore our nation to You, we pray. All of this we ask in the holy name of Jesus.  Our decree: We will acknowledge God in all of our ways and He will direct our paths! (Portions of today’s post was adapted from America’s God and Country, Encyclopedia of Quotations , by William Federer.) Click on the link below to watch the full video.

Without Delay Early Friday morning,  the day before the war in Iran began [February 27, 2026], the Lord gave our friend, Gina Gholston, a fascinating, encouraging, and important dream. She actually sent it to me that Friday. Gina is no stranger to regular Give Him 15 followers, and we occasionally post her articles. She is a trusted prophet, teacher, and author. Her dream speaks of the impact our prayers are having and of strategic changes they are producing. Our appeals are accomplishing much. Here is the dream: “I dreamed that I was with a large group of people, inside a building, walking down a long hallway. Everything in this hallway - floors, ceiling, walls, etc. - was solid white. At the end of the hallway was a man waiting for us, dressed totally in white, even wearing white gloves. “When we approached him, he extended to us a solid red card, maybe 12”x12”. Written in white letters on the red card were the words ‘prayers and intercession.’ I reached out my left hand (palm facing upward), and he placed the card on my palm. I then placed my right hand (palm down) across the top of the card. I held the card in the same position as the man led us up a long, solid-white stairway. “At the top of the stairway, we came to another long hallway extending as far as the eye could see, with doors on both sides the entire length of the hallway. Once again, everything was white. In the center of the floor, just a few feet in front of us, was a box-like pedestal, maybe three feet tall. “Standing next to the pedestal was another man dressed completely in white. I walked up to the pedestal, and the man motioned for me to insert the red card into a slot located at the top. I put the card into the box, and all the doors instantly opened. People came through some of the open doors, and ‘things’ I couldn’t clearly see came out of other open doors. I am not sure what the ‘things’ were. “The man then said to us, ‘Intercession has gone to another level, and your fervent prayers and intercession are unlocking things and people - replacements and additions. Now, without delay, people and things will be replaced, and people and things will be added, for the fulfillment of purposes God has set for this time.’ “After he spoke those words, other angels immediately came and removed the people and ‘things,’ taking them to their rightful positions. “The man in white then said again, ‘Without delay.’ Then he added, ‘Do not mourn what is replaced, and do not reject what is added. God is at work! He has worked to guide you in your prayers and intercession, and He will work to carry out His intended fulfillment of the prayers and intercession.’” End of Dream My Thoughts Regarding the Dream The hallway speaks of transition; the white speaks of purity - what is transpiring is righteous, pure. The men dressed in white are angels, sent to instruct and assist us. And the color red symbolizes the blood of Jesus, which produces redemption and purity. The words in white (“prayers and intercession”) on the red card indicate that our prayers are releasing the cleansing, redeeming, transforming power of Christ’s blood. Isaiah 1:18 tells us, “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”  Going to the second floor indicates that our prayers have matured to another level, as the angel confirmed, opening doors and creating the changes about to occur. The coming changes have to do with people and “things.” Gina was intentionally given no hint of what the “things” might be. They are most likely events or circumstances - we often hear the phrase, “things are about to change.” The angel stated that people and things are about to be removed and replaced, then added the words “without delay.” He then assured us that God’s purposes will be accomplished.  The heavenly messenger then repeated, as if to emphasize it, that this would begin “without delay,” adding that we were not to mourn what is replaced or reject what is added. “God is at work,” he assured us. The dream is clear and very encouraging: our prayers are being used by God to create great change; it will happen quickly; we are not to fear it or reject it; and the purposes of God are being accomplished. There is no doubt in my mind that some of this refers to what is occurring in the Middle East. Keep praying in faith, friends, with the assurance that our appeals are not in vain.  “The effectual, fervent prayers of the righteous avail much!”  (James 5:16). Remember that our prayers are not frantic efforts to persuade God to move. Rather, they are responses  to His promptings and leadings, partnering with Him to accomplish His desires. The angel in the dream actually emphasized that God has been guiding us in our intercession. As I end today’s post, I remind you that the book of Revelation tells us our prayers are stored in golden bowls in heaven (Revelation 5:8). They are precious to the Lord and create a pleasant fragrance before Him. At the appropriate time, God pours them onto the earth where they release His great power: “And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand. And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake” (Revelation 8:3-5). We are partnering with God…to change things on earth. Pray with me: Father, I thank You for the amazing army of intercessors You have raised up around the world. This company of kingdom-minded individuals is being used by You to establish Your purposes on the Earth. Thank You for their pure hearts and motives, pictured by the white colors in this dream. Encourage and strengthen them today. Let them know how much You appreciate them. We also thank You for the angels who assist us. Thank You for dispatching them to give us messages and carry out Your assignments. We know there are millions of prayers stored in the golden bowls in heaven, bringing a sweet fragrance to You. This dream tells us You are now pouring out some of those prayers to bring about great change. We will do as You said and not reject or mourn the changes. We trust You. Bring forth Your purposes throughout the earth. And bring forth the great harvest of souls. We appeal to You for these things in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen. Our decree: We will continue to fill the bowls of prayer in heaven, ensuring that God has the cooperation He needs from us. Click on the link below to watch the full video. You can find out more about Gina at GinaGholston.com .

Remarkable Progress President Trump is on his way to being one of the most consequential presidents in U.S. history. He and his team are changing the landscape of America and the world for the better. I often find myself reminding people in the Christian world that President Trump’s policies, not his language and personality, are what make him the President we need. I don’t want that statement to be interpreted as criticism of the President’s character or personality, just a factual reminder. Frankly, I basically ignore the personalities of government officials and look at their actions. (I have seen some pretty lousy government officials over the years with appealing personalities.) Based on the current war with Iran, I have heard a few Trump supporters question his honesty, reminding people that he campaigned on not getting America into more unwise and unnecessary wars. “Has he changed in this regard?” they ask. I don’t believe he has. My GH15 posts this week make my position clear: I support the President and Israel regarding what is being done in Iran.  Today, I’m going to share some accomplishments by Trump and his team to demonstrate that he is keeping his promises and striving to make America (and the world) better and safer. Here are a few of the Trump Administration’s accomplishments in their first year, most of them taken from “365 Wins in 365 Days.” (1)  And some of them are observations I have made.  Spiritually and Morally  America is turning around spiritually. President Trump is very God-honoring. He allows and promotes regular prayer and worship in the White House and begins cabinet meetings with prayer. He established the White House Faith Office to protect Americans’ religious liberty. On May 17, 2026, he plans to hold an event at the Lincoln Memorial to re-dedicate America as “One Nation Under God.”  President Trump has removed woke policies and teachings from our schools and universities, and made the fact that there are only two sexes the official policy of the U.S. government. He officially began the process of closing the Department of Education and returning education to the states. He is pro-life, and pardoned pro-life Americans wrongly targeted by the Biden administration. (In his first term he gave us the justices that overturned Roe v Wade.) He has ended federal funding for chemical and surgical gender procedures for minors through executive action and regulatory enforcement, working to end these harmful procedures for minors at health systems across the country. He ordered U.S. strikes against ISIS leadership in Nigeria in order to protect Christian communities. Safety and Protection America is safer. President Trump has closed our borders to illegals and is deporting millions of those who entered our nation illegally. He has all but stopped the flow of illegal drugs from coming across, including the abominable fentanyl. He dismantled Tren de Aragua, MS-13, and other transnational gang-related criminal networks, and has designated more than 10 major Latin American cartels as terrorist organizations.  He and his team have delivered the largest one-year decline in homicides in U.S. history, while overseeing a 25% decrease in the number of on-duty law enforcement officer deaths. He has captured a record number of criminals on the FBI’s Most Wanted list within one year – outpacing the number captured under Biden in four years.  He barred COVID-19 vaccine mandates for our children in schools that receive federal funding, and is cleaning up America’s poisonous foods.  Economically America is more prosperous. President Trump has brought $18-$20 trillion in new investments to America and reestablished fair trade for Americans worldwide. He is exposing and ending fraud to the tune of billions of taxpayer dollars. Some estimates are as high as half a trillion a year. He has tamed inflation to 2.4%, down from its highest in a generation during Biden’s presidency. He has begun allowing oil drilling and coal mining, and has ended Biden’s foolish bans on fossil fuels. He has ended the waste of billions of dollars on unwise Green Energy subsidies. The American economy is roaring back and will continue to do so despite the unavoidable hiccups caused by the war in Iran.  Militarily America is stronger. Trump and his administration have restored and exceeded necessary military recruitment and strengthened our military. They have removed DEI policies from the military and barred transgender individuals from enlisting in our armed forces. They’ve fired disloyal, woke, and unpatriotic military officials. Trump supports our troops…and our veterans. He has revoked more than 100 security clearances of deep state actors responsible for weaponizing and politicizing intelligence, including: Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Alvin Bragg, Jake Sullivan, Hillary Clinton, Leticia James, Liz Cheney, John Bolton, Adam Kinzinger, Anthony Blinken, James Clapper, and Fiona Hill. Internationally America is stronger on the world front. Trump has ended 8 wars around the world and secured an agreement from NATO member nations to raise their defense spending from 2% to 5% of their GDP. (Most of them weren’t even spending the required 2%, but were simply allowing the U.S. to foot the bill.) He has built friendships with most Middle Eastern nations, creating alliances that most believed were completely impossible. He has essentially taken back the Panama Canal, which had more or less fallen into the hands of China. He ended the evil regime in Venezuela, taking the unelected dictator from his bed… and the oil from Russia and China. He blew up Iran’s bunkers that contained most of its nuclear capabilities. He has greatly crippled China and Russia’s strengths and economies, and made America the world’s respected leader again. This president, who took a bullet for all of us and stood to his feet, shouting “fight, fight, fight“; who has endured 10 years of evil lies and false accusations against him; who has experienced 2 ridiculous and unfounded impeachments; who has personally spent hundreds of millions of dollars fighting unjust lawfair; and who works for free, taking no salary, can be trusted. He says what he means and means what he says. He is working tirelessly and bringing America back at an unbelievable pace. Please pray for this president and his team.  Pray with me: Thank You, Father, for the turnaround that has begun in America. You have given us a president who is unencumbered by political ambitions and isn’t indebted to a political party. He is bold, decisive, fearless, and honors You. You have given him a capable team, and they are making a remarkable impact around the globe. It is obvious that You are helping them.  We ask for this to continue. We ask You to give him and his team wise strategies and noble plans. Keep them focused, strong, humble, and lion-hearted. When they pray and worship together, flood the room with Your presence. Teach them Your ways, and give them a love for Your Word. We ask for success for our and Israel’s militaries in Iran. Overthrow the evil powers in that nation that steal, kill, and destroy. We ask for protection over innocents, and over our soldiers. And most of all, we pray that millions of people in the Middle East come to You. Break the hold of radical Islam in that region and bring the revelation of Yeshua and His salvation. We pray all of this in Yeshua’s name, amen. Our decree:  We decree that He who has begun a good work in America and around the world, will finish it! Click on the link below to watch the full video. https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2026/01/365-wins-in-365-days-president-trumps-return-marks-new-era-of-success-prosperity/

Using Our God-Given Authority Yesterday , I shared some thoughts regarding spiritual warfare. While we are not to become distracted or preoccupied with satan or his demons, they do exist and must be resisted at times. The Bible tells us that: We are in a very real spiritual war (see 2 Corinthians 10:4; 1 Timothy 1:18). We are soldiers in this war (see Ps. 110:2-3; 2 Timothy 2:3-4).  We are to “wrestle” against all levels of the kingdom of darkness (see Ephesians 6:12). We are to “resist the devil” (which would in most situations be his demons) and he will flee from us (see James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:9). We are to “tread” on satan and his demons (i.e., exercise authority over them—see Luke 10:19; Romans 16:20). We are to cast out demons (see Mark 16:17). We have the authority to “bind” (forbid) and “loose” (permit) when dealing with the agents and gates of hell (see Matthew 16:19). We have powerful weapons designed to overcome the kingdom of darkness (see 2 Corinthians 10:4; Ephesians 6:10-20). Regarding binding and loosing, the book I mentioned yesterday  by Jack Hayford,   Prayer Is Invading the Impossible , gives an enlightening amplification of Matthew 18:18-19, based on the technical aspects of the Greek wording. Dr. Hayford’s translation makes clear that WE must go on the offense: “Whatever you may at any time encounter (of hell’s counsels which I’m declaring my church shall prevail against), you will then face a decision as to whether you will or won’t bind it. What transpires will be conditional upon your response. If you do personally and consciously involve yourself in the act of binding the issue on earth, you will discover that at that future moment when you do, that it has already been bound in heaven!” (1) Wow! The words  bind and loose  could be translated as “forbid” and “release.” The Greek words are actually legal terms, as in legally binding, or the opposite - being released from that which legally binds. The Lord is saying He has given us legal authority, spiritually speaking, to stop satan’s attacks and release individuals from his control. God doesn’t give us detailed formulas for doing so. He is not into formulas in any area of biblical truth. He prioritizes relationship, and gives us principles to apply as the Holy Spirit leads us. He alone knows exactly what is needed in each situation. Sometimes we simply give biblical commands, releasing the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17); other times we are led to worship (2 Chronicles 20:1-30), fast (Mark 9:29), or even clap and shout (Psalms 47:1).  In spiritual warfare, the point is not so much how we wrestle, but that we wrestle - bind, loose, and/or wield the sword - and do so as Holy Spirit leads us. We must go on the offensive and aggressively deal with the forces of darkness whenever necessary. The word “against” is used five times in Ephesians 6 to describe our spiritual warfare. The Greek word is pros, which is a strengthened form of  pro. We get the English word “pro/professional” from it. These Greek words mean “in front of,” (2)  or “superior to.” We use the concept when referring to professional athletes. A pro athlete is one who is “in front of” or “superior to” others. The words also have the connotation of stepping forward and facing toward something or someone. (3)  Paul is using the symbolism in this Ephesians passage of a wrestler stepping forward and facing his opponent. God is saying to us in these verses, “Step forward and face the kingdom of darkness. Wear the armor I have provided and overcome them.” The following remarkable story tells of two powerful intercessors stepping forward to face demonic powers. John G. Lake, a missionary to South Africa in the first half of the 20th century, relates the story of a fever epidemic that struck a portion of South Africa in a single night. The devastation was such that in one month, a fourth of the entire population of that region died. There were not enough caskets to meet the need, and people were being buried in blankets, so great was the devastation. Lake tells of a powerful intercessor who began to pray. For days— all day long and into the night—he stationed himself under a tree and prayed against the plague. Several times, Lake asked the man, “Are you getting through?” He would reply, “Not yet.” But one day he said to Lake, “I feel today that if I had just a little help in faith, my spirit would go through.” Lake got on his knees and joined the man in prayer. What happened next is amazing. Here it is in Lake’s own words: “As we prayed, the Spirit of the Lord overwhelmed our souls, and presently I found myself, not kneeling under the tree, but moving gradually away from the tree....My eyes gradually opened, and I witnessed such a scene as I never witnessed before - a multitude of demons like a flock of sheep! The Spirit had come upon the other man also, and he rushed ahead of me, rebuking that army of demons, and they were driven back to hell, or the place from whence they came. Beloved, the next morning when I awoke, that epidemic of fever was gone. (4) We have authority; we must learn to use it! Pray with me: Father, You have given us all of the authority we need to triumph over every spiritual attack against us. So often we lose by default, failing to use this authority and  “the weapons of our warfare” which You said are “mighty to pull down strongholds”  (2 Corinthians 10:3–5). Jesus, who has all authority in heaven and on earth, has given us the right to use His name. Increase our understanding of this authority. Open  “the eyes of our understanding”  and give us  “the spirit of wisdom and revelation”  (Ephesians 1: 17–18).  We pray for our family members today, forbidding the enemy to blind them to truth, oppress them with disease, deceive them with lies, and rob them of their destinies. We ask You, Father, to save, heal, and deliver them.  And for our nation, we bind every plan to harm our president, our legislative leaders, and justices on the Court. We bind demonic strategies to influence President Trump and other leaders as they make decisions regarding the Middle East. We ask You, God, to lead and direct them. And we pray that You would break the deadlock occurring regarding the funding of DHS. Protect our nation, we pray, against terrorism. Dismantle the evil regime in Iran; remove it completely and give peace to Israel and the Middle East. And pour out Your Spirit there. All of these things we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.  Our decree: We declare that our God-given weapons are mighty to pull down strongholds of darkness. (2 Corinthians 10:3-5) Today’s post was adapted from a chapter in my book, Intercessory Prayer , published by Baker Books.  Click on the link below to watch the full video. Jack W. Hayford, Prayer Is Invading the Impossible  (South Plainfield, NJ: Logos International, 1977; revised edition, Bridge Publishing), p. 45, 1977 edition. Geoffrey W Bromiley, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament Abridged  (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1985, p. 935. James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), ref. no. 6960. Gordon Lindsay, The New John G. Lake Sermons  (Dallas: Christ for the Nations, Inc., 1979), pp. 29-30.

Giving Satan No Advantage Our ignorance of satan and his tactics, as well as how to deal with them, is sometimes costly. Second Corinthians 2:11 tells us, “In order that no advantage be taken of us by satan; for we are not ignorant of his schemes.”  The context is forgiveness - harboring unforgiveness allows satan to take advantage of us - but a general principle is also revealed in this verse. Let’s dig a little deeper.  Ignorance   The word “ignorant” is the Greek word  agnoeo . It means “without knowledge or understanding of.” (1)  Our English word “agnostic” is derived from it. Technically, an agnostic is not a person who is unsure if he or she believes in God, though we use the word this way. Actually, an agnostic is simply a person without knowledge or understanding of any given subject. We also get the word “ignore” from the same root. In this verse, we’re encouraged not to ignore or be an agnostic - without understanding - where satan’s actions are concerned. Thoughts, Plans, and Schemes “Schemes” is the Greek word noema . It literally means “thought” or “a product of the mind.” (2)  The verse is essentially saying, "Don’t be without understanding of the way satan thinks.” Noema  is also used for “plans, schemes, plots, devices” because these things are products of our minds and thoughts. For greater insight, let’s insert all of these definitions into the verse: “Don’t be without understanding of the way your enemy thinks and operates - of his plans, plots, schemes, and devices.” (By the way, there is more than just a warning or admonition here. There is also a hidden promise: If God tells us not to be ignorant of satan’s schemes, He is obviously willing to alert us to them.  Taking Advantage Of The verse then reveals to us the results of being unaware of satan’s schemes: he’ll take “advantage” of us. The word is pleonekteo , a compound word meaning literally “to have or hold the greater portion.” (3)  It is easy to see why this word is also translated as “covet.”  It also means “overreach.” (4)  Overreach means to get the better of someone, usually through trickery or cunning. Consistent with this, pleonekteo is also translated “make a gain.” Bullinger says it means “to make a prey of, to defraud.” (5)  Satan takes advantage of, preys on, and makes a lot of gains on us when we are unaware of his attacks, schemes, and ways.  The Results Let’s put all these definitions together: “To the degree we are ignorant of the way our adversary thinks and operates - of his plans, plots, schemes and devices - to that degree he will prey on us, gain on us, defraud us of what is ours, and have or hold the greater portion.”  Not good! The greater portion of what? Whatever! Our minds, homes, marriages, families, communities, income, government, nation, and more. Jesus said he  “Comes to steal, kill, and destroy”  (John 10:10).  In the 1960’s, the church in America was  ignorant , without understanding regarding what satan was plotting  and planning , and he obtained the greater portion  of our schools. The same could be said of our government. In the 70’s, he schemed  and planned through our legal system and laid the groundwork for killing 65 million babies in the womb. All of this occurred because many in the church were unaware  of his plans.  We must listen and be led by Holy Spirit if we are to successfully defeat the schemes of the enemy. The Bible refers to Holy Spirit as “The spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord”  (Isaiah 11:2). He functioned in these ways for Jesus as His “Helper” (John 14:26). Jesus was “led” by Holy Spirit (Luke 4:1), and anointed by Him (Acts10:38).  Then Christ told us He would send us the same Helper He had while on earth: the Holy Spirit (John 14:16,26; 15:26; 16:7). But satan has effectively worked to erode the influence of Holy Spirit in the American church. I’ve seen statistics showing that over 50% of evangelicals don’t believe in a literal Holy Spirit. They believe He is just symbolic, a way of picturing God’s presence. This is beyond ridiculous! We cannot expect to overcome satan without our heavenly Helper! If Jesus needed Him, so do we!!! We will never be perfect in our hearing of Holy Spirit’s alerts, but we can and are growing in this regard. Even Paul failed at times, saying in 1 Thessalonians 2:18 that he was taken advantage of more than once by satan in the battle over spreading the gospel:  “For we wanted to come to you - I, Paul, more than once - and yet satan thwarted us.”  Thwarted comes from a word meaning “to cut off.” (6)  Who hasn’t been cut off in traffic? Well, satan “cut off” Paul en route to Thessalonica. We know this great apostle won more battles than he lost, but he wasn’t perfect, and occasionally Satan succeeded in thwarting his plans.  Please notice that it doesn't say “God changed His mind” about where Paul was to go. The verse clearly says satan hindered him . Those who would have us think satan can do nothing except what God allows, and therefore we can just ignore him, should reread 2 Corinthians 2:11 and this verse in Thessalonians. God doesn’t ignore the devil, and neither should we. And satan certainly does a lot of things God doesn’t “allow” him to do. The only sense in which it can be said that God allows everything that happens on earth is that He created the laws and principles governing the earth - sowing and reaping, cause and effect, the free will of humans, etc. We, however, implement these principles and determine much of what we reap and experience.  We are growing in our ability to hear God’s voice and walk in His ways. We are becoming increasingly led by Holy Spirit, and taking back what satan has stolen from us. The Ekklesia is becoming the overcoming church Jesus spoke of in Matthew 16, and the fruit of this is being seen in the earth. Jesus will have what He said He would have, including a glorious church. Pray with me: Father, it is not Your will that satan takes advantage of us. Never. We thank You for giving us Holy Spirit to help us and alert us to the attacks and schemes of the devil. Remind us that Holy Spirit is always with us to lead, guide, counsel, and give understanding. And remind us to listen. Where satan has taken advantage of us, show us how to reverse this, both in our personal lives and for our country. Show us how to take back our health, our finances, and anything else he has stolen. Continue to lead us as we do so for our nation, reversing what his diabolical plans have caused. You are well able to heal our land, and You have said America shall be saved. We believe this - and are laying hold of it!  In this critical season, we pray for our nation’s government. Give us leaders who will honor You. Continue to awaken those who already know You, giving them a greater desire to know You more. Lead them as they war against evil in the Middle East, and cause the end result of all that is occurring in that region to be an epic revival. Work all of the evil and all that takes place for Your good. These things we pray in Yeshua’s name. Amen.  Our decree: We are growing in our ability to be led by the Spirit, decreasing satan’s ability to take advantage of us. Today’s post was adapted from a chapter in my book, Intercessory Prayer , published by Baker Books.  Click on the link below to watch the full video. Ethelbert W. Bullinger, A Critical Lexicon and Concordance to the English and Greek New Testament  (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1975), p. 400. Spiros Zodhiates, Hebrew-Greek Key Study Bible–New American Standard  (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 1984: revised edition, 1990), p. 1797. Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary  (Iowa Falls, IA: Word Bible Publishers, 1992), p. 1173. James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), ref. no. 4122. Bullinger, A Critical Lexicon and Concordance,  p. 28. Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible , ref. no. 1465.