Grace to Love and Pray Demonic spirits influence the thinking of individuals to keep them from understanding the gospel. Second Corinthians 4:3-4 tells us: “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they will not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (NASB). Our prayers play a role in removing this veil. It is also true that satan and his demonic spirits work to influence the minds of entire groups of people, shaping their beliefs and cultures. This is accomplished in various ways, including past experiences, corporate sins, teachings and indoctrination, immorality, idolatry, and more. Satan’s goal is to keep people from believing on Christ for salvation and a relationship with God as their Father. Jesus came to remove the deception, open their eyes, and restore them to the Father. We, the church, have been assigned the responsibility of partnering with Him in this task. Again, prayer is one of the ways we do so. The Bible teaches that faith in Christ’s substitutional sacrifice is the only way to be saved and restored to the Father (John 14:6). Many people and cultures try to find Him through other beliefs and methods. Our love for them motivates us to pray and work toward their enlightenment and redemption. Many Muslims from various nations will receive revelation and be saved in the coming revival. This is something I long to see. Some of those who come to Christ will doubtlessly be those who are currently terrorists. That isn’t quite as easy for me to embrace. Walking in God’s love toward those who do evil is difficult. But the Bible promotes both justice and forgiveness; hatred of evil, and love for our enemies. Only God can perfectly balance these seeming paradoxes. We must ask for His ability and grace to honor them. As believers and followers of Christ, we don’t get the option of picking and choosing which of His commands we want to obey. I confess to my own struggle with this at times. Could I become a missionary to those who killed my spouse, as Elizabeth Elliot did, and lead them to Christ? I’m not sure. “Her first husband, Jim Elliot, was killed in 1956 while attempting to make missionary contact with the Auca people (now known as Huaorani; also rendered as Waorani or Waodani) of eastern Ecuador. She later spent two years as a missionary to the tribe members who killed her husband.”(1) That’s some amazing grace, isn’t it? Could I pray, with heartfelt sincerity, the prayer of the church’s first martyr Stephen, as the stones were tearing his flesh, breaking his bones, and ending his life: “Lord, do not hold this sin against them”? (Acts 7:60). I would like to say I could, but I’m not sure. I AM certain, however, that Stephen’s love and prayer were used to win one of his murderers to Christ, and that this person became perhaps the greatest leader Christendom has ever had. Saul of Tarsus, later an apostle renamed Paul, participated in Stephen’s martyrdom: “When they had driven [Stephen] out of the city, they began stoning him; and the witnesses laid aside their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul… Now Saul approved of putting Stephen to death. [The Passion Translation says Saul was an ‘accomplice’ and ‘participated in his execution.’] And on that day, a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except for the apostles…But Saul began ravaging the church, entering house after house; and he would drag away men and women and put them in prison.” (Acts 7:58; 8:1, 3; NASB) I prefer to forget that part of Paul’s life. But, like it or not, he was a murderer and led the persecution of Christians. In Galatians 1:13, Paul said he did so “beyond measure,” trying to “destroy” the church. In 1 Timothy 1:13, he referred to himself in this former life as a “persecutor” and “violent aggressor” against the church. And Acts 9:1 references him as “breathing threats and murder” to the church, dragging them to Jerusalem “in shackles.” Like it or not, Paul was once a merciless, violent murderer of Christians. And yet, God loved him and preserved his calling as an apostle - which he had from birth! (Galatians 1:15) I feel the need to once again remind us as we pray against evil and for the destruction of terrorist organizations, that we not harden our hearts against Muslims, or any nationality, including Palestinians, Iranians, Lebanese, and other nationalities who originate from nations harboring terrorists. This is in no way a subtle suggestion that Hamas should not be destroyed. They and all other terrorist organizations need to be destroyed. We must stand with Israel against terrorists, and all anti-Semitism must be confronted and stopped. But we must also love the people of the region, and pray for revelation to be given to them, resulting in their salvation. Likewise, we must not harden our hearts against deceived students protesting and rioting on the campuses of America. Yes, it angers me. Yes, we should condemn their actions. Yes, we must have zero tolerance for anti-Semitism or violence. Yes, we should prosecute those who break laws, destroy property, or harm others. But we must also love and pray for the salvation of these students. We can love people without excusing their actions. Remember, the goal of the violence against Israel on October 7th, perpetrated by satan and the prince of Persia (Iran) was to foster more hatred among people and nations, and start a major war. Iran (behind the attack) knew Israel would have to respond by destroying Hamas, and they knew that would result in the deaths of many Palestinians. They do not care. Iran’s goal of generating further hatred of Israel, causing a larger scale war that might destroy Israel, perhaps even America (maybe regional or even World War 3), outweighs any number of Palestinian casualties. They and Hamas use them as shields! Satan’s goal is all of these outcomes, plus the added and ultimate goal of stopping God’s coming harvest. Holy Spirit has a plan to stop satan’s schemes from succeeding. Our prayers are part of His plan. We must love and pray for all the people of the Middle East, and pray against satan’s goals. As part of facilitating this, prayer leader Cindy Jacobs of Generals International, is issuing a call to pray and fast (as led) for 21 days, beginning November 11 and ending December 1. Here is a portion of Cindy’s alert: “Rick and Patricia Ridings of Succat Hallel in Jerusalem gave a word of warning over 15 years ago that satan was going to try and start WW3 through a regional conflict or war. With the aligning of Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea, possible escalation globally is real and potentially imminent. Iran is close to gaining nuclear capabilities and these global alliances being formed could produce deadly consequences. “Therefore, we are calling for 21 days of prayer and fasting, beginning Saturday, 11/11/23, through 12/1/23. “In praying against WWIII: Pray that the coalition between Iran, Russia, China, and North Korea will not become a successful war engine. Pray that Taiwan, South Korea, Vietnam, Japan, the Philippines, Malaysia, and surrounding nations be protected. Pray for the overthrow of wicked governments and terrorist organizations. Pray that other nations will not align with these rogue nations by funding them. “May the Lord respond swiftly to our intercession to avert a third world war, give us more time to reap a great harvest of souls, and be glorified in the nations of the earth!” You can see the entirety of Cindy’s Operation Psalm 91 alert at Generals.org. Let’s join forces and pray that this diabolical attack on Israel not lead to a larger war, and not be used to affect the coming harvest. Pray with me: Father, we know through Your word that You always have strategies to defeat satan. You have also been reminding us of this over and over through encouraging words and dreams. Satan has never taken You by surprise. There is a great amount of prayer on earth at this time in history, more than there has ever been. We believe You are using this prayer to stop the plans of the powers of darkness, thwarting their attempts to devastate the entire earth and delay Your great harvest. Stop Iran and its allies. End the reign of the prince of Persia. Throughout history You have used turmoil and calamity to awaken people. People and nations open doors to satan’s activity, but You are famous for taking what he means for evil, and using it for good. We’re asking for this now. Use the shaking to awaken prodigal America. Use it to open the eyes of millions of Muslims and those of other faiths to Yeshua. And use these salvations to awaken Israel, bringing a great harvest there (Romans 10:19). Give us the grace we need to love our enemies and pray for them. And we thank You for leading us to anoint, cover, and anchor our nation. Thank You for stirring millions to pray, even sisters and brothers in other nations. Thank You for exposing the evil in our government and society, revealing the shocking levels of corruption, hypocrisy, selfishness, greed, incompetence, cruelty, and depravity. Thank You for using this to humble us, though we know the process isn’t finished. We trust Your heart and mercy enough to say, “Finish it.” All this we pray in the name of Jesus, amen. Our decree: We decree that He who has begun a good work in us will finish it. Click on the link below to watch the full video. You can find out more about Cindy Jacobs and Generals of Intercession at Generals.org. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elisabeth_Elliot

Hold The Line Our friend and seasoned prophet, Jane Hamon, released the following word in February of 2021. I realize it was for then, but I am confident the word is also for now. It will encourage you during this time as the unrest here in America and elsewhere increases. We have said the following before, but it is good to be reminded once again: we cannot judge what God is doing primarily by what we see around us. As we shared in yesterday’s post, Holy Spirit is doing much behind the scenes and under the surface to expose and prepare the earth for what He has planned. Jane begins… “We are now in a very important time of spiritual engagement, prayer, and contending over God’s destiny and purpose for the United States and other nations in the earth. Romans 13:11 exhorts us to ‘know the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep.’ The Spirit of God is awakening watchmen and intercessors to watch and pray as never before. Riots and Riot Police “On February 2, 2021, I awakened from a dream in which I saw American cities seemingly being overrun by violent rioters in a dark night. Cities were on fire, massive destruction and anarchy were taking place. The rioters were lawless and demonized; in fact, their actions were totally inspired by the demons. A strong, demonic force thought they were in control. (I do not believe this was a reference to the riots that occurred last year in some American cities, but was instead a glimpse into the spirit realm regarding demonic activity currently at work.) “In the dream, there was a force present which I recognized as riot police. I knew this was actually the Ekklesia who had been assigned to restore order and peace in the nation. They were standing shoulder to shoulder as far as the eye could see, with shields locked and full riot gear on, which I realized was modernized spiritual armor (see Ephesians 6:11-17). They did not have a sword in their hands, for the sword was in their mouths. Jane continues, “Initially, I was uncomfortable with the imagery of riot police because of well-publicized instances when they’ve been accused of political repression against honest dissent. However, the job description of riot police is to control unruly crowds, maintain public order, discourage criminality, and protect people and property. When this is understood, the imagery is appropriate for our current season of contending as the Ekklesia. “In my dream, I saw a large angel with a megaphone intermittently shouting, ‘Hold the Line.’ When he stated this, the Ekklesia would march forward two thundering steps, shields locked, pressing back against evil. They were advancing even though every kind of evil was swirling around them. As they marched, they released a sound of war (Hu-ah!), and light came from their mouths, blinding the enemy! ‘Hold the Line’ rang out again, and once more, the Ekklesia marched forward, pushing back evil. The gates of hell could not prevail, and evil would not be stronger than God’s church. “The sound the Ekklesia’s boots made resonated in the heavens, and I realized the armies of heaven were marching with them. (Like the four lepers who said, ‘Why sit we here until we die,’ and got up to go to the enemy’s camp. God caused the sounds of angel armies to march with them, terrifying their foe.) In the dream, this sound caused the demons to scream in agony and panic as they realized they were not just dealing with humans (the church), God’s army on earth; they were also being confronted with the armies in heaven. Two armies advancing; two armies taking authority and dominion in the earth; two armies bringing God’s kingdom into the land; two armies pushing back against the very gates of hell. “I believe the Lord is saying to His Ekklesia, ‘My people, do not be afraid of the night! The night does not belong to evil. I OWN THE NIGHT! The night only coaxes wickedness out of their hiding places, then when the light is turned on there is no place to run. The night precedes the dawning of the new day. For you are living in the manifestation of Isaiah 60 where it seems darkness is covering the earth and deep darkness and deception cover the people, BUT I, the Lord, am rising on you! And My glory will be seen on you! THEN nations (even this nation) will come to your light and kings and leaders to the brightness of your rising!’ (see Isaiah 60:1-3) “And the Lord is declaring to His Ekklesia, ‘You may feel that you are living in a day in which evil has prevailed. However, I say to you, I am up to something! Did I not say that I would cause evil and corruption to be uncovered? Did I not say there would be days of chaos and confusion ahead? Did I not say I would expose hidden plans and demonic schemes?’ The Lord says, ‘Did you think it would be easy or look peaceful? Ha! Do I need to remind you that the greatest victories come after the greatest battles?’ “Psalms 2:1, 4 declares, ‘Why do the nations rage and the people plot a vain thing? God sits in the heavens and laughs!’ The Lord says, ‘I assure you I have a plan for America. I assure you I have heard your prayers. I assure you that I am a God of righteousness and justice, and I will have MY WAY.’ “You may feel you’re at the Red Sea and Pharoah’s armies are pursuing. You may even feel trapped and that your plight is hopeless. But the Lord says, ‘I have a plan! I am up to something that no one has seen before. I am going to move in a way that is beyond the natural; it is supernatural.’ “So, HOLD THE LINE, EKKLESIA!!! It is a time to advance even in the midst of darkness. Hold the line through prayer and prophetic decrees. Hold the line with worship that opens the heavens. Hold the line for your own personal peace, joy, and faith. Hold the line for justice, truth, and righteousness. Hold the line for the coming revival and awakening. Hold the line for the destiny of your nation. “Shake off the weariness and break out of grief and disappointment! Rise up as warriors, empowered by Holy Spirit, and take your land. Our victory has never been closer, but we must press through the night to the dawning of our new day.” Pray With Me: Father, we are thankful that You have a covenant plan for America, and the light of Your glory is shining brightly into the darkness. We thank You that America’s greatest days are ahead as Your Ekklesia rises up and takes its place of authority in our land. We set our eyes on You, knowing You are up to something supernatural that will usher in the greatest spiritual awakening in the history of the earth. Lord, give us eyes to see what You are doing. Give us ears to hear what You are saying. Give us courageous hearts that stand ready to hold the line for righteousness, justice, and truth. Give us the spirit of wisdom and revelation so we can push back evil, restore divine order, secure peace, and see Your kingdom advance. We continue to stand against the prince of Persia. We decree that the blood of Jesus at Calvary delivered the Middle East from his authority. We declare over them that the light of revelation is coming, and their eyes will be opened to see who Yeshua is and believe in Him. We decree that the violence this spirit has propagated will not succeed in stopping the coming harvest. And we declare that the shaking in the Middle East and here in America, will produce what God has determined, not what satan intended. We also continue our prayers for our government here in America, Father. We ask You for favor to those who rule well, and failure to those who do not. We pray especially for Speaker Johnson that he and those close to him would be given divine wisdom and protection. We pray this also for President Trump. Continue to expose the injustice against him and cause it to fail. We ask for continued exposure of corruption throughout our government, and that the shaking removes it at all levels. We thank You that America is anointed with the oil of Holy Spirit at every border in every state, and that we are anchored to our purpose, destiny, and covenant with You. You are restoring us; we will not fear, we will not waver. We will stand. In Christ’s authority, we pray, amen. Our decree: We decree the Ekklesia is arising in unity, with shields locked and a sound of victory in our mouths. The gates of hell will not prevail against us, and America shall be saved! We will hold the line and advance the kingdom. Click on the link today to watch the full video. You can find out more about Jane Hamon at TomAndJaneHamon.com.

“As I Uncover, You Must Stand” The shaking that has begun will intensify and could shake your faith if you are not anchored in what God has said - both in His Word and through the prophets. God’s heart is to use this season to cleanse, restore, and reset America, not destroy us. Do not fear; instead, partner with Him during the shaking, calling forth His purposes and binding all demonic attempts to steal, kill, and destroy. Hold fast to the fact that our states and nation are anchored, surrounded by angels, anointed with the oil of Holy Spirit, and connected to our destiny/foreword. Resist unbelief. Our Need Today, I listened as Senator Ted Cruz of Texas related some of his experiences with Border Patrol agents at our Southern border. It was hard to listen to some of what he said. He spoke of seeing terrified young girls (14-15 years old) being brought across the border by men claiming to be the girls’ fathers or uncles. These children were obviously being trafficked. When this same scenario occurred under Trump‘s presidency, Border Patrol would immediately perform a DNA test to see if the man was truly related to the child. According to Senator Cruz, Biden and his open border administration stopped this testing immediately upon taking office. The agents are frustrated and angry, knowing there is nothing they can do to stop the trafficking of these girls. Biden (those who control him) and Mayorkas do not look for ways to close the border, which they could do immediately if they so desired; they look for ways to keep it open. The evil at our borders is not because those in charge are not stupid; they are intentional in their actions. According to Cruz, the Democrats in Congress know this is happening, just as they know the Fentanyl allowed in with illegals is killing over 100,000 Americans each year. Just as a point of reference, that’s over thirty 9/11s, in terms of the number being killed. (Just under 3000 people were killed on 9/11). But, hey, those future votes are what matter most. That, and for all those polite “Never Trumpers”, the fact that Biden doesn’t send mean tweets. The Border Patrol agents aren’t the only ones angry over the actions of this corrupt administration; many Americans are. Count me as one of them. Love, at times, demands anger. If what this administration is doing - at the border, to babies, to kids, to divide us, and to weaken our nation in many other ways - doesn’t anger you, then your indifference and hardened heart is most certainly part of the problem. The fact that millions of Americans, including many in the church, do not allow facts such as these to concern them; the fact that many still vote for those who perpetrate these things; the fact that those who don’t vote for them remain uninvolved and voiceless; the fact that even many pastors still won’t make a stand are all signs of America’s moral weakness and its disease of self-centeredness. Not one pastor in ten will take time in their service this weekend to pray concerning these things, let alone preach a message exposing it in order to awaken the body of Christ. Many other things will doubtlessly be more important. The level of America’s sin, rebellion from God, evil in government, complacency, and apathy in the church have all combined to make the coming shaking necessary. Yahweh intends to honor His covenant with America and the prayers offered for her restoration. That covenant mandates discipline and correction when we become so deceived and corrupted that nothing else can turn us back to God and our calling. God is not behind the evil taking place in the Middle East - it is caused by satan and his prince of Persia (Iran) - but He is going to use it to shake down evil there and in America. In the midst of it, remember that God isn’t the author of destruction and violence, but He will use it to accomplish good (Romans 8:28). A Prophecy Prayer leader Dr. Kathryn Holcombe released the following prophecy regarding this shaking and God’s plan to use it redemptively: “I am uncovering the evils that have permeated throughout your land, evils that rule and are trying to overthrow My rule. As I uncover, there will be things that surprise you, but know that I am aware of the hidden, under-the-surface network trying to hold onto this land. As I uncover, you must stand, assured that I know more than you; and in My knowledge, I will pull cords that are holding the underground structure in place. Stand in those moments; I will move quickly. The evil has to be revealed. “And do not lose faith. Disappointment will attempt to reattach, but as you trust Me, I will dismantle, untie, that which is holding great wickedness within your nation. I will have this land, My land. And as My people stand with Me, I will not disappoint. “There are those masking their real motives, some you cannot and do not see. But I see and will pick them off, removing their voices and power. I know you have identified many whose actions are evident to you, but some have masked their true hearts - for years. I will allow it no longer. “In the days ahead, I am shifting many nations; this nation will lead the move, but this is for MY glory. It is the hour that a greater portion of My glory must be seen. It will draw many who are standing in the balance. Gates of deep darkness are being unlocked throughout the earth. The work at hand is so much deeper than can be seen. As you trust Me, I will make clear My work, and it will never be voided. This work in your nation is at hand, for I am lining up the nations. The days ahead will be days of My power and presence. “Now, stand and collaborate with Me, even when you wonder and question. Be careful not to misinterpret, speaking as if all the events are from the hand of your enemy. But attach your faith, even in your questioning. Some things that I am about to do will look strange at the moment, but I am performing what must be done to reveal and break the stronghold of satan in your land. “Have faith and stand with Me. Praise Me in the midst of these days, for great victory is about to break forth before your very eyes.”(1) The shaking is coming; the shaking is necessary; and the shaking will be used to save us! Stay in faith! Stay engaged! And stay focused on Him! Let’s pray. Pray with me: Father, we thank You for Your heart to cleanse, heal, and restore America. We thank You for Your heart to save people here and around the world. You will reap this great harvest; You will not be stopped. We will trust You throughout the cleansing process and will be ready to launch fully into the reaping process. We thank You for exposing the evil in our nation, especially in our government and its agencies. The depravity is astounding. We are glad You said You were going to go deep and expose that which we had no idea was even there. Shake down all that is not pure, and enable us to rebuild appropriately. We thank You that while You are cleansing, You are also preparing for this harvest here in America and among the nations. And You told us to ask for the rain of revival when we discern it is the opportune time for it. (Zechariah 10:1). We are asking. We ask for the tearing down of the principality of Persia’s hold over Iran and billions of people in the Middle East. End his reign. We bind his influence in the name of Jesus. We declare that his attempt to thwart the harvest in that region through this war and his attempt to wipe out Israel and America will both fail. We also declare that all unrest and violence he has caused there and throughout the world will be used to bring about God‘s purposes, not satan’s. We pray and decree these things in Jesus' name. Amen. Our decree: We decree that the cleansing of the Father will go deep into the heart of America, exposing and shaking all that must be shaken down. Click on the link below to watch the full video. _____________________________ Dr. Kathryn Holcomb, Breakthrough Church, Tulsa, Oklahoma.

He Did Not Quit! In Ezra 3, the Israelites were attempting to see Jerusalem restored. The first step was rebuilding the Temple. After the successful laying of the foundation, there was a great celebration - they poured a slab and threw a party. However, their enemies regrouped very quickly, organizing an intimidation and slander campaign, including the hiring of lobbyists. Ezra 4:4-5 says, “Then the people of the land discouraged the people of Judah, and frightened them from building and hired counselors against them to frustrate their counsel all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.” This succeeded in stopping the rebuilding process; the delay lasted 16 years! Their diabolical scheming had worked. God had to raise up two prophets, Haggai and Zechariah, to motivate the Israelites to restart the work. We must take a lesson from this. We’re deceiving ourselves if we think the enemies of Christ in America, backed by demonic powers, will give up in their attempt to take over this nation. Ultimate victory over their efforts will not occur until a great awakening turns the hearts of tens of millions of Americans. This will happen, but we are not there yet. Not only must we pray for revival, but there is still much work to be done on the practical side. One of the most important areas is regarding the abortion issue. Dobbs did not make abortion illegal but simply sent the decision to the states to do as they choose. Some have put strict limitations on abortion, while others continue to murder babies. The reversing of Roe was absolutely critical to the turning of our nation; God holds nations accountable for the decisions of their leaders. America, as a whole, has fed Baal and Molech the blood of innocent babies for 50 years. That national curse is now broken. We must turn our prayers to the states. Tomorrow, November 7, “Issue 1 is on the ballot in Ohio. This proposed constitutional amendment would place legal abortion in Ohio’s state constitution. “One of the key arguments made by pro-lifers in opposition to Issue 1 is that it would jeopardize many popular pro-life protections currently in place and specifically Ohio’s pro-life parental-involvement law. Indeed, if voters approve Issue 1, pro-lifers argue, judges could strike down Ohio’s parental consent law, and minor girls would be able to obtain abortions without parental permission. “Ohio media outlets that have covered Issue 1 have made a concerted effort to downplay these concerns raised by pro-lifers. In their coverage of Issue 1’s impact on parental rights, Ohio media outlets typically interview various professors at Ohio law schools who say that pro-life concerns about parental rights are overblown. These law professors argue that Ohio’s pro-life parental involvement law is safe regardless of what happens on Election Day. (1) This is absolutely not true. We must pray that this proposed evil amendment fails. Some say perhaps as many as 18 other states are watching this vote carefully, to follow with amendments of their own if this passes. Let’s stop it! Another often overlooked tragedy surrounding the abortion issue is the number of women who are coerced into an abortion. Lila Rose, founder and president of Live Action, released the following statement: “Ohio voters will soon make a decision of whether to add expansive language to their state constitution that will target preborn children for death and leave women in dangerous and vulnerable situations to be pressured and coerced into abortions. If passed, Issue 1 in Ohio will open the floodgates to abortion up until the moment of birth and strip the rights of parents to know if their minor child is at risk of being coerced into a dangerous abortion procedure. Issue 1 is really empowering a brutal abortion industry and irresponsible jerks who use women for sex and then pressure them to end the lives of their own children. “…the abortion lobby doesn’t care about [women’s] well-being; they are merely making it easier for women to be coerced into a horrific decision that will affect them for the rest of their lives. “Recently released data illustrates the pervasive nature of abortion coercion. A total of 67% of women described their abortions as either ‘accepted but inconsistent with their values and preferences’ (43%) or ‘unwanted or coerced’ (24%). I call on Ohio voters to reject Issue 1, to save the lives of the youngest children of Ohio, to truly empower women with life-affirming care instead, and to stop abortion coercion.” (2) We must persevere in our prayers and finish this battle for life. George Mueller, a great intercessor, evangelist, and orphanage builder in the 1800s, knew how to “hang in there.” One example of his persistence in prayer is related by Dick Eastman in his book, No Easy Road. He quotes Mueller as saying: “‘The great point is never to give up until the answer comes. I have been praying for sixty-three years and eight months for one man’s conversion. He is not saved yet, but he will be. How can it be otherwise . . . I am praying.’ The day came when Mueller’s friend did indeed receive Christ. It did not come until Mueller’s casket was lowered into the ground. There, near an open grave, this friend gave his heart to God. Prayers of perseverance had won another battle. Mueller’s success may be summarized in four powerful words: He did not quit.” (3) We, on the other hand, have mastered the art of one-liners in prayer and think if we give God a two-hour service once a week, we’re fairly spiritual. “Easy does it” might be good advice in some situations, but for most of life, including prayer, easy doesn’t do it. “A pilot, early in a flight, went to the back of the plane to check on the reason for a warning light. The problem was a door ajar, which flew open as he approached it. The pilot was immediately sucked from the aircraft. “The co-pilot, seeing by his panel that a door was open, turned back toward the airport immediately and radioed for a helicopter to search the area. ‘I believe I have a pilot sucked from the plane,’ he said. After landing the plane, everyone was astonished to find the pilot holding on to the rung of a ladder, which he had miraculously managed to grab. He had held on for 15 minutes and, still more amazing, had managed to keep his head from hitting the runway during the landing, though it was only six inches away! “Upon finding the pilot, they had to pry his fingers from the ladder.”(4) There’s some perseverance! Anyone long associated with the church of America over the last 50 years knows that our failures have not resulted from a lack of information or provision. They have resulted from a failure of heart and spirit. Thankfully, this is changing, and YOU are the reason why. Pray with me: Father, just as Christ persevered in the garden and on the Cross, we persevere in laying hold of what His sacrifice provided for us. He broke the back of death, hell, and the grave. He disarmed principalities and powers, making an open display of His victory over them. He canceled the certificate of debt against us and made us His co-heirs. Through our Lord’s broken body and shed blood, we ask for forgiveness and cleansing from the sin of abortion. We ask for a resurrection of America’s corporate conscience to the evil of this sin. Awaken and transform our nation's thinking. Heal those who have been wounded by abortion. We declare over the death culture in America: you will end. We declare over the abortion industry: the power of the blood of Jesus will end your wicked hold on America. And we declare over America: Christ’s blood on the Mercy Seat is cleansing you of this wickedness. We thank You, Jesus, for Your cleansing blood. Let the laws of the land shift toward life at both the federal and the state levels. We ask that You defeat this Issue 1 and not allow it to become an amendment to the state of Ohio’s constitution. Let government funding for abortion be completely cut off. Cause women to think about the life within them and not just their own lives. Convict men for supporting a partner’s “decision” to pay for abortions and for even threatening their partners into aborting their children. Abortion must end in America! Give us another victory tomorrow! In Jesus’ Name, we ask. Amen. Today’s decree: We decree that abortion will end in America! Click on the link below to watch the full video. https://www.lifenews.com/2023/11/01/issue-1-would-endanger-parental-rights-on-abortion-and-sex-changes-vote-no/ https://www.lifenews.com/2023/11/01/new-ad-slams-ohio-issue-1-women-will-be-pressured-into-abortions/ Dick Eastman, No Easy Road (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1971), p. 96-97. Craig Brian Larson, Illustrations for Preaching and Teaching (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books 1993), pp. 97-98.

We Must Pray for Our Leaders The smear campaign by the dishonest and vicious left began immediately against House Speaker Michael Johnson. This is typical. When one who loves the Lord and has a truly biblical worldview gains influence, the progressive left rises up with dishonest attempts to slander and discredit them. This is compounded when the person believes God partnered with our Founding Fathers to birth America. This opposition comes from the same group that fights for the right to mutilate children, believing adolescents are mature enough to make such a misguided life decision. These individuals also believe they have the right to groom our kids using perverted books and drag queens - from kindergarten onward - while parents who object should be investigated by government agencies as possible terrorists; some even believe the children should be taken from the parents who oppose these evils. Ironic, isn’t it: parents who agree with the left have the parental right to mutilate their child, but parents who believe Scripture don’t have the parental right to stop the mutilation, speak against this evil or the grooming, or even know what is being taught in schools! This is madness. Those who demand this level of control over us are those who accuse Bible-believing conservatives of wanting to dictate how everyone else lives. It has been appropriately pointed out that what they accuse others of is usually what they are doing themselves. The left wants complete control of America, and that control will mean there is NO influence from God or His Word anywhere in American life except in houses of worship once a week. And be assured, if they achieve their goals, they will eventually dictate what can and can’t be said there, as well - including Scripture. This is already happening in Canada and England, and if not stopped now, is “coming to a city near you.” We sincerely love and pray for the salvation of those on the left, but this does not mean we shouldn’t oppose their plans. I am urging every church in America that believes in the power of prayer to pray for Speaker Johnson and other God-honoring leaders EVERY time you gather. We cannot continue to send godly leaders off to the war zone of Washington, D.C., and not pray fervently and faithfully for them. Only God can protect their lives, families, and reputations; only He can provide the necessary wisdom, understanding, and favor to give them success. Please ask Him for this!!! Jesus said, “My house shall be called the house of prayer” (Matthew 21:13). Pastors, please make the one you lead a fulfillment of this passage! Speaker Johnson has said that he loves Psalm 37, calling it his “life’s passage.”(1) This great Psalm could be used as an effective prayer guide for him and other leaders. Here are a few of its verses: “Do not get upset because of evildoers; do not be envious of wrongdoers. For they will wither quickly like the grass, and decay like the green plants. Trust in the Lord and do good; Live in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He will do it. He will bring out your righteousness as the light, And your judgment as the noonday.” (Psalm 37 1-6; NASB) “The steps of a man are established by the Lord, and He delights in his way. When he falls, he will not be hurled down, Because the Lord is the One who holds his hand.” (Verses 22-24; NASB) “But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; He is their strength in time of trouble. The Lord helps them and rescues them; He rescues them from the wicked and saves them because they take refuge in Him.” (Verses 38-40; NASB) The Attack on Trump Have you ever seen or heard of any government official attacked and hated as much as Donald Trump? Why is this? Is the vitriol of the left rooted in a passion for justice, as they assert? Hillary Clinton, the Bidens, “Russia collusion” liars, fraudulently obtained FISA warrants, the refusal to prosecute many violent crimes, the refusal to follow our laws at the border, and much more, prove the persecution of Trump is not based on a passion for justice. Is the hatred of Trump perhaps because of immorality in his past? Based on the lifestyles of the left, that assertion is laughable. The progressive left hates Trump because his policies - and his determination to implement them - threaten their plans to completely transform America away from our roots and toward other ideals. These ideals need a weakened America (economy, military, education, Marxist ideology, borders, social division and unrest, moral decay, etc.), fewer individual rights (free speech, right to bear arms, religious beliefs, parental rights, voter integrity, limited government), and corruption in government. When outsider Trump was elected, the momentum of the progressive left was interrupted for possibly the first time in 60 or more years. Trump became a genuine threat to the swamp and its disgusting creatures - in both parties. I don’t believe he had any idea what he was stepping into. How could he have known? None of us knew its depth, breadth, and length. Truth doesn’t matter to the D.C. swamp, nor does the God of truth. Lives don’t matter, nor does the suffering of people. The only thing that matters to the swamp system is power and control. This system fears Donald Trump like Superman fears kryptonite. If he succeeds, they lose their power. And he now has their playbook, which makes him an even greater threat. He also knows their intentions and the lengths to which they’ll go to accomplish them. If you love the America you once knew and want that America for your children and grandchildren, you should pray for President Trump. The more they attack him, the more convinced I become that he is their greatest threat. Let’s pray for him, Speaker Johnson, and our nation, using Psalm 37 as a guide. Pray with me: Father, You told us not to envy or be upset by evildoers. They and their influence will wither and decay like grass under the heat of Your justice. We ask You to address the slander and false accusations against President Trump and Speaker Johnson. Do this also for those who have worked for and with Trump. Expose the hidden motives of corrupt prosecutors and judges. Dismantle their attacks and remove them from power. Help these men stand strong, cultivate faithfulness, and delight themselves in You. As they do so, “Bring out your righteousness as the light, and your judgment as the noonday” sun. Establish their steps. We declare over each of them that “When he falls, he will not be hurled down, because the Lord is the One who holds his hand.” You hold them up, Lord. Even when they make mistakes, keep them from falling and failing. You say their salvation is from You, Lord; You are their strength in times of trouble, helping them. You said You would rescue them from the wicked when they take refuge in You. Shield them from the attacks, vindicate them, and use them to help restore America. We pray this as well for all the righteous leaders in D.C. who fight for truth and stand for Your ways. We pray again for the Middle East. End the suffering and violence caused by the powers of darkness. Free the people from this influence and from the hatred of Jews. Please protect the innocent throughout the region and save many. In closing, we declare once again today that revival is here now. We no longer have to say it is coming; we can say it is here. Give Your people boldness to take action and move into this. Stir them. Cause them to stir themselves up in their faith and gifts. We release power, conviction, strength, and life into the nation now. Wind, blow. Breath, come. River, flow. We ask for and release these things in Jesus’ name. Amen. Our decree: We decree that God is sustaining and giving success to the leaders in our nation who stand with Him. Click on the link below to watch the full video. https://www.dailysignal.com/2023/11/02/this-is-speaker-mike-johnsons-favorite-bible-passage/

Yesterday, I told you that I would be sharing a dream with you today. I’m not. I am deferring to Ceci, who insisted that I needed to share the story of when the Appeal to Heaven flag was first presented to me. In that chapter of my book, An Appeal to Heaven, I include some of the flag’s history. She felt that the dream which I will share tomorrow would have much more meaning after hearing this, especially to those who may be new to the story. A Flag Reborn My discovery of the Appeal to Heaven flag occurred in May of 2013. I was at the graduation ceremony of Christ For the Nations Institute. As the Executive Director at the time, 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 is a military man, a JAG attorney (at the time; now retired) for a branch of our Special Forces with the rank of Major. I chose a soldier as our commencement speaker because I wanted our graduates to know they did not have to be a pastor or preacher in order to minister for 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 move 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 (the original version didn’t have the word “An”), “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 but one option: “And where the body of the people or any single man, is deprived of their right, or is under the exercise of a power without right, and have no appeal on earth, then they have a liberty to appeal to heaven…” (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, used 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 peaceful possibilities of experiencing the liberty they so desired, the colonists realized their only hope for freedom was through war. Yet with Britain’s great military, weaponry, and wealth, contrasted by the colonist’s dire lack of these resources, any military attempt to break free from British rule was preposterous, even laughable. Laughable, that is, unless Almighty God intervened. The stance of the colonists was simple; their right to freedom came from God; 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 His 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, not just theirs? They believed the answer to these questions was, “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 numerous other U.S. Presidents.(6) Though modern-day revisionists try to rewrite and remove this from our history, the truth will always trump 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 popularity of the flag 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 interesting, 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 around the world. In our now spiritually weakened state, America must appeal 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. Only that which birthed us then can rebirth us now: an appeal to heaven. Pray with me: Father, the way You raised America up as a voice in the earth is indeed remarkable. You did so knowing You would use her to be a trumpet of the gospel to the ends of the earth. We are humbled and inspired by this. We are deeply impacted by the knowledge that we were born under a movement of prayer, that it truly was through appealing to You that our freedom was produced. Just as You have brought this flag, the Appeal To Heaven flag, out of hiding, we pledge to You that we will appeal once again. And we believe You will once again free us from oppression, this time from within. Overthrow the evil trying to destroy our heritage and destiny. Overthrow those who defile our children and promote perversion We bind these efforts in the name of Jesus! Just as our Founders placed in the Declaration of Independence, we are “appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions.” And so, Lord, we ask You to bring revival to 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 the gates of hell cannot prevail against, just as You said. We call this forth in the name of Jesus, and decree that America shall be saved! We ask and declare this in the name of the Lord Himself, Jesus Christ...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.(8) 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. Sheets, Dutch. An Appeal to Heaven. Dutch Sheets Ministries, 2015, pp. 41-46.

From Revolt to Revival I sense a very strong anointing on today’s post. Please focus with me. In August of 2019, our friend Steven Springer released a prophetic word, which we posted on Give Him 15. The word proved to be very accurate. I believe it pertained to the season we were moving into, not just that year. He saw the young generation rioting due to racial conflicts, both here in America and in other nations, which certainly occurred. Here is Steven’s word: “In a vision, I saw an increase of rioting across the earth. A generation is trying to find its voice and identity. “Our young people are in internal turmoil, confused and being tossed to and fro by many winds. They really don’t know what to think because it seems everyone - from educators to the media to celebrities - is telling them what to think and how to feel. “Our ancient foe, the devil, the dragon, is behind all of this. Things are about to come to a violent tipping point. The young want to see societal injustices righted but don’t always know how to generate this. Therefore, they are going to attempt to bring change in their own strength and might. “Racial conflicts are not over yet, but I see HOPE on the horizon! Hope in the midst of the struggle. Some kind of war is going to bring unity to our nation again. The revelation of 2 Chronicles 7:14-15 will be understood by the majority of believers in Christ, not just leaders and intercessors!” (End of Steven’s word.) The unrest and rioting are indeed amping up again, and we are probably seeing the beginning of the war Steven spoke of. He said at the time that he believed the war could even be on our soil. We may very well find ourselves fighting a “war” of sorts with terrorists in America. Many are certainly here. If we are drug into the war in the Middle East, which Iran seems at times to be goading us into, they will give the go-ahead to their terrorist allies here. If this occurs, remember that we are anchored. I sense that today, however, Holy Spirit wants us to focus specifically on the young generation. They truly are currently engaging in world events, some teetering on violence. Satan will stoke this, as Steven said. He did the same thing in the 1960s and 70s. Riots occurred all over the country, especially on college campuses, due to the Vietnam War, but also a disillusionment over the government in general, racism, and what they perceived as hypocrisy in their parents’ generation. In their youthful zeal, often with a lack of wisdom, they fought for what they perceived as justice. Many of them also threw out many babies with the bath water, rejecting past standards of morality, Christian and biblical roots, other societal norms, capitalism, and more. Rebellion ruled, lives were lost, campuses and government buildings were destroyed, drugs were prevalent, and the sexual revolution was born, resulting in millions of abortions, the destruction of the family unit, and a plague of sexual diseases. God had an answer for this disillusionment and unrest in the Jesus People Movement. Millions were saved. The entire nation was impacted. Had the church understood the following two things at a higher level, we could likely have sustained and increased the momentum of this revival/awakening, rather than eventually losing it altogether: Christ’s command for the Ekklesia to disciple nations in Matthew 28:18-20 including the importance of influencing all the pillars/mountains of culture with His Kingdom principles. At that time, the church focused only on Christ’s great commission of Mark 16:15-18, seeing people saved and delivered. The danger of being so convinced Christ was returning within the next few years that there was no need to plan for the future. Many, myself included, were taught that we didn’t need to attend college or even concern ourselves with societal institutions such as government or the education system because Jesus was coming any day, and none of this would matter. We majored on the “Blessed hope” (Titus 2:13) but overlooked the “Occupy until I come” (Luke 19:13). Jesus didn’t come when we expected, and tragically, we had given control of the nation to the kingdom of spiritual darkness. The cost has been immeasurable. We’re about to get a second chance. Disillusionment and a search for identity among the young generation have come again, as has the unrest. We must now pray diligently for them, calling for God’s answer. He is going to send another great revival to rescue another angry, broken, and disillusioned generation. We are the conduit He will use, and it starts with our prayers. Let’s do so now. Pray with me: Father, let the spirit of adoption overtake the spirit of anarchy! You are the One with the answers. You are our Savior and our God. You’re for us, and You are the God who saves us! You’re also He who ties the dragon up in knots - He is no match for You. We know this, so we call for Your intervention! We call for You to right the wrongs in our nation and the world by Your Spirit and Your Word. We bind the demonic influence on the young generation in our world today and release the strategy of heaven to reverse the effects of this influence. We ask that You would drop strategies from heaven into believers throughout the earth, enabling us to see violence, hatred, injustice, and division reversed. Show us the strategies needed to defeat the dragon. We want to join YOUR justice movement. We pray that You open the windows of heaven, releasing all elements of revival into the earth: an empowered gospel, bold and anointed evangelists, conviction of sin, dreams, visions, salvations, signs and wonders, deliverances, renewal of hearts, passion for You, love for Your Word, and love for our fellow man. Awaken the church to the revelation that the anointing for this revival is here NOW! Jolt pastors and leaders everywhere with this enlightenment; open their eyes! Give them the boldness to announce and decree it, to commission their followers into it. And WE decree it NOW into the earth: Revival is here! Revival is now! Miracles are here! Freedom is here! Fire is here! The wind is here! The shaking has begun, as has the reset! The wells are open! The new wine is ready! The eagles are flying! The arrows have fallen! We will no longer wait, saying that revival is coming. We have moved into the fullness of time - now we reap! We prophesy to the winds Ezekiel saw: COME! Blow on the dry bones! Heal them! Restore them! Breathe life into them! We prophesy to the dry, dead bones: Live! Breathe again! Be healed of confusion! Be healed of your identity crisis! Be healed of disillusionment! Hope again! Be healed of addictions! Be healed of sexual diseases! Be healed of rejection, the wounds of fatherlessness! We prophesy to the church: Awaken! Be stirred! Be hungry! Be thirsty! Drink! Be filled with Holy Spirit! Be on fire! Be passionate! Move in power! Heal the sick! Raise the dead! Cast out demons! Be the church!!!!! All this we ask and declare in Jesus’ name! Our decree: We decree that revival is here and will not be stopped! Click on the link below to watch the full video. You can find out more about Steven Springer at GlobalPresence.com.

We will be taking communion together at the end of today's post. Passion Week - Good Friday Good Friday, called this because of an ancient usage of the word “good” as a synonym for holy. (In the same way as the Holy Bible at times is called the “Good Book.”) Holy Friday, indeed. From Gethsemane, Messiah was led to a mock trial, after which He was beaten mercilessly with a cat-o-nine-tails. This procedure was so brutal that some recipients didn’t survive it. The leather cords, tipped with sharp metal, tore at the flesh of the victim, ripping off pieces of flesh. The beating with its nine cords, delivered 39 times, made a total of 351 lashes. This was barbaric and brutal, not only lacerating the back, but wrapping around to the front of the victim’s body, including the face. It is hard to describe this lashing without being too graphic for most readers. The depiction of the horrific damage in The Passion movie is no exaggeration. Suffice it to say that when finished, the victim was often unrecognizable. The soldiers also beat Christ with their fists and spat on His face. To mock Him as “the King of the Jews,” a crown made of thorns was placed on His head and pressed into His skin, causing great pain and more loss of blood. When the ordeal was finished, Messiah was so mangled and covered with spittle and blood that He literally was unrecognizable. Isaiah said, “Many people were shocked [astonished; appalled] when they saw him. His appearance was so damaged [disfigured; marred] He did not look like a man; His form was so changed they could barely tell He was human” (Isaiah 52:14 The Expanded Bible). The added punishments and torture, much more than the average victim of crucifixion was afflicted with, can only be explained as the fury of hell, trying to snuff out the life of the Son of God. Yeshua received this for you and me. Isaiah 53:5 and 1 Peter 2:24 tell us it was through this beating that we can be healed. Place your faith in this today. Receive healing by placing your faith in His substitutionary sacrifice. Christ was then led to His crucifixion. There are several prophetic references or pictures in the Old Testament pointing to the Cross. One passage of extreme importance is Deuteronomy 21: 22-23, which references one who experienced death by hanging on a tree as being “cursed.” It is abundantly clear from Galatians 3:13 that this verse refers to Jesus hanging on the “tree,” taking our curse. “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.’” Yeshua’s crucifixion took place at Golgotha, “the place of the skull.” God, centuries before, had ordained that this would be the place and, with stones and erosion, carved the international symbol of death onto the hillside. This also was the location of Isaac’s interrupted sacrifice (Genesis 22), which pictured the Cross. Like Isaac, we were spared, and God Himself provided the sacrifice. “Then Abraham looked up [lifted his eyes] and saw a male sheep [ram] caught in a bush by its horns. So Abraham went and took the sheep, offering it as a whole burnt offering to God, and his son was saved [in the place of his son]. So Abraham named that place The Lord Provides [or Sees; Hebrew: Yahweh Yireh]. Even today, people say, ‘On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided [or seen]’” (Genesis 22:13-14; The Expanded Bible). In this chosen place, high on a hill so all could see the Passover Lamb bearing our shame, God provided the sacrifice for our sins. Jesus carried His own Cross, though He was able to carry it only part of the way. It was actually the crossbeam that He carried. When He arrived at the place of crucifixion, He was first tied and nailed with spikes to this crosspiece, which contained a hole in the center, enabling it to slide down onto the upright post. After a victim was tied and nailed to this portion, it was lifted and placed onto the top of the upright section, whereupon it would fall down and slam into place. This is often when dislocations would occur in the crucified person, as the crosspiece slammed down. And indeed, we know this occurred with Christ, as was prophesied of Him in Psalm 22:14. The sliding down of the crosspiece is also why the spikes were placed at the bottom of the hands where they joined the wrist; this placement would sustain more weight. It’s also why the victim was tied to the crossbeam. If they were not secured in this way, they would often be torn loose. Yeshua hung on the Cross for six hours in this emaciated state. While there, He spoke seven times. Time does not permit me to comment on each of them, but they are all significant. Halfway through the ordeal, at noon, the sun disappeared, and the sky grew dark (Luke 23:44-45). This was a fulfillment of Amos 8: 9-10: “‘It will come about in that day,’ declares the Lord God, ‘That I will make the sun go down at noon and make the earth dark in broad daylight. Then I will turn your festivals into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation, and I will bring sackcloth on everyone’s loins, And baldness on every head. And I will make it like a time of mourning for an only son, And the end of it will be like a bitter day.’” Surely this is a prophetic picture of the Light of the World being snuffed out for us. It was at the end of the 3 hours that Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46-47; Mark 15:34) He was quoting from Psalm 22, which is a detailed prophecy of the Cross. Christ was crying out in anguish because, for the first time in all of eternity, He was experiencing separation from His Father. It is also the only record we have of Him addressing God as anything other than Father. Christ had taken our sins upon Himself (2 Corinthians 5:21; Isaiah 53.5). Most scholars agree that when this occurred, He bore our separation from the Father, who could no longer look upon Him. Though Jesus no doubt knew this would occur, the actual experience was more than He could endure, and cried out in anguish. It is worth noting that Christ never cried out during the beatings, scourging, thorns, spikes, or dislocations - only when this separation occurred from His Father, as He bore our sin. Finally, it was enough. The price had been paid. Christ made His final two statements. The first, “It is finished,” I have written of before in the GH15 posts. This was not a statement referencing His death, but a loud declaration by Christ, also a quote from Psalm 22 (verse 31). This decree was one word in Greek (tetelestai) and also in the Hebrew of Psalm 22 (asah). Using the literal meaning of these words, Christ was declaring that He had fully accomplished His assignment, paid our debt in full, and was bringing forth the new creation! Yeshua then released His spirit to the Father. Death did not take Him, He “yielded up His Spirit” (Matthew 27:50). It was 3 o’clock in the afternoon. The priests in the Temple were performing their customary duties when, at the very moment Jesus yielded up His Spirit, the veil in the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51; Mark 15:38; Luke 23:45). The purpose of this veil had been to separate everyone from the Holy of Holies, the dwelling place of God on earth. With this symbolic act, God was declaring that the separation caused by our sin was gone, and we could now enter His presence once again! Why don’t you spend some time with Him today? He would like that. Pray with me: Thank You, Father, for the Cross. Thank You for sending Christ to be our substitute. Thank You for placing our sins upon Him in order to bring us back into Your family. Thank You for allowing the lashes, the wounds, the crown of thorns, and the separation. And thank You, Jesus, for Your heart of humility and love. You are the Son of Man and Son of God. And through our faith in You, You have made us sons and daughters of the Most High. We are so grateful. Now, by faith, we appropriate all of the cleansing power of Your shed blood, and the healing virtue that flows from every wound You suffered. By Your stripes, we are healed! And as we prayed yesterday, we do again today: for the glory of Your name and the pleasure of Your heart, send revival to earth. Save a billion or more people in this great revival. Your Father promised You the nations of the earth as Your inheritance - reap them now. And in remembrance of You and what You did for us on Calvary, we partake of the Communion Table. We take the bread, which was Your body, broken for us - a price paid so we could have eternal life. We take the cup, a representation of your blood, spilled for us, the price paid for our redemption from sin. We give you thanks today, Jesus. We give you thanks. Our decree: We decree that the Lamb who was slain has overcome and will forever reign as King of kings and Lord of lords. Click on the link below to watch the full video.

Reformation Day Today’s date is significant in history. While many celebrate Halloween, some will be celebrating a far more important day in history, Reformation Day. Many believers give it little or no thought, most actually do not even know of its existence, but it is a monumental day in history. Ligonier.org says of this day, “Martin Luther’s nailing of his Ninety-Five Theses to the church door on October 31, 1517, provoked a debate that culminated finally in what we now call the Protestant Reformation. “…This law student turned Augustinian monk became the center of a great controversy after his theses were copied and distributed throughout Europe. Initially protesting the pope’s attempt to sell salvation, Luther’s study of Scripture soon led him to oppose the church of Rome on issues including the primacy of the Bible over church tradition and the means by which we are found righteous in the sight of God. “Luther recaptured the biblical view of the priesthood of all believers, showing all people that their work had purpose and dignity because in it they can serve their Creator.(1) Significant indeed. GotQuestions.org Says “The impact of Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation has been enormous on global Christianity. In contrast to the extra-biblical traditions and works-based practices of Roman Catholicism, Luther called the Church back to the good news of salvation by grace alone through faith alone (Ephesians 2:8-9). “Luther believed the Word of God was the supreme authority for the Christian faith, rather than tradition or papal decrees. In the process of bringing the Scriptures to the common person, Luther translated the Bible into German, published numerous books and sermons of biblical teachings, and composed numerous hymns based on biblical themes. Many of his hymns are still sung today.”(2) In their article, 15 Reasons to Celebrate Reformation Day, jusclassical.com states that “The Reformation bridged the gap between sacred and secular and thus created a pride in doing one’s work. The Reformers recognized that all that one does, including the daily mundane tasks, can be and should be done for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). Every vocation is important, not just church jobs. “The true teachings of the Bible freed people by breaking down class distinctions (such as the fallacy that church jobs are better than secular jobs) and by putting a final nail in the coffin of feudalism in Europe. “Also, knowing that all things are for God’s glory, a door opened for using one’s gifts in all kinds of ways: business and vocational pursuits, economic opportunities, inventions. “In pursuing God’s exaltation, people want to work hard for God’s glory in whatever they do, hence the Protestant work ethic was born.”(3) It would be impossible to overstate the impact of the Great Reformation, not only on Christianity, but the entire world. The revelation of the priesthood of all believers meant that we no longer had to connect with God through another person; our High Priest, Jesus Christ, was our only go-between. Salvation by grace through faith meant that we no longer had to work our way to heaven, obeying religious systems and the traditions of men. Both of these doctrinal shifts freed us to have a personal relationship with God as our Father, allowing us to draw near with full assurance of faith (Hebrews 10:22). Our prayers could now be offered “boldly” to “Our Father, who art in heaven…” (Hebrews 4:16; Matthew 6:9). We could worship the Father in spirit and truth, knowing that He was actually seeking such worshippers (John 4:23). We could actually read the scriptures for ourselves, feeding on them as our daily bread (Matthew 4:4; 6:11). The Great Reformation changed everything, and continues to do so. It unlocked the door of revelation to believers, allowing us to hear from Holy Spirit personally (Ephesians 1:17-18). We now know we can actually be led by the Spirit, not a go-between (Romans 8:14). Our once fallen souls can now connect to the One we were made to know and love (Song of Songs 3:1-2). Take some time today and celebrate these blessings. Thank your heavenly Father for the Great Reformation, then ask Him to reform our nation, bringing another great revival of historic proportions. And ask Him to spread this great awakening to the entire earth. Let’s ask for this now. Pray with me: Father, we thank You for Jesus, our great High Priest. We come directly to You today through Him alone, approaching Your throne of grace boldly. Thank You for His mediation and advocacy, and for restoring us to Your family. As Your sons and daughters, entrusted with Christ’s authority, we partake now of His priestly ministry of intercession, asking on behalf of others. Send revival to our land. Deliver, save, and draw many to You in this season, showing them Your heart and nature, enabling them to find the fulfillment that can only come from You. Deliver them from lying teachings and philosophies of men, from deceptions regarding who they really are and what they were made to be. Bring an explosion of truth in our homes, schools, and institutions, freeing people from addictions, perversions, wounds, and all that controls them. And do this in other nations as well. Open the eyes of the masses who worship other gods and follow teachings that do not lead to You. Send the light of revelation You spoke of in Isaiah and elsewhere. Break the power of principalities in the Middle East. End the violence quickly, bringing down these spirits and releasing a great revival. Spare millions of innocent lives from the destruction that the kingdom of darkness desires to bring. Turn the tables on them quickly. We ask all of these things in the name of Yeshua. Amen. Our decree: We declare that Jesus is our Savior, High Priest, and King. He has bestowed upon us His priestly and kingly role, and we will walk in the fullness of this calling. Click on the link below to watch the full video. https://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/what-reformation-day-all-about https://www.gotquestions.org/Reformation-Day.html https://jusclassical.com/15-reasons-celebrate-reformation-day/

No Apologies Here are a few quotes to stir your patriotism, and hopefully, to fan the flames of prayer as you begin your week: “The highest glory of the American Revolution was this: it connected in one indissoluble bond the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity.” (John Quincy Adams, July 4, 1821)(1) “Why is it that, next to the birthday of the Savior of the World, your most joyous and most venerated festival returns on this day? [July 4th]. Is it not that, in the chain of human events, the birthday of the nation is indissolubly linked with the birthday of the Savior? That it forms a leading event in the Progress of the Gospel dispensation? Is it not that the Declaration of Independence first organized the social compact on the foundation of the Redeemer's mission upon earth?” (John Quincy Adams 7/4/1837)(2) “We have this day restored the Sovereign, to Whom all men are to be obedient. He reigns in heaven, and from the rising to the setting of the sun, let His Kingdom come.” (Samuel Adams, at the signing of the Declaration of Independence.)(3) Quotes like these give hemorrhoids to the progressives and revisionists on the left, who are trying to steal America’s heritage and destiny. Our Founders knew the birth of America was orchestrated by God - not just for our benefit, but His as well. Satan certainly knows this, which is why he motivates groups such as these to try and transform us into a godless, secularist nation. They were making great progress in their diabolical plans until true patriots and the Ekklesia began to wake up. “Patriot” comes from the Greek word for father, pater. True patriots, as I have said in the past, are those who respect and embrace the vision of the fathers. Those who refuse to do so are not true patriots. (That will annoy those on the Left, as well.) Thomas Paine, author of Common Sense, which inspired the colonists during the early days of our War of Independence, made this profound statement: “The cause of America is in a great measure the cause of all mankind.”(4) Though he was speaking of natural liberty, not of the preaching of the gospel, his words were true in the spiritual sense, as well. Paine was far more prophetic than he knew. The cause of America is the cause of all mankind because it is the cause of Christ and His redeeming gospel. Yes, we Americans have defiled God’s plan at times throughout our history, polluting it with selfish ambition and greed. That, however, does not change His plan. It simply means we must be restored to it, revived in heart and mind, reconstituted in purpose. And this is occurring. The praying church is rising to the occasion in this season, just as Esther, Deborah, David, Joshua, Caleb, Nehemiah, Haggai, and many others did in Israel’s history. They served God’s purpose in their generation (Acts 13:36). It is our turn. And we will do so, just as did our Founders, the spiritual warriors of the First and Second Great Awakenings, Lincoln and his generation, and the selfless heroes of two World Wars. We have answered the call, and now we will persevere. Because we are partnering with the Supreme Owner and Ruler of the Earth, we will not fail. America shall be saved because God has said this is His will, and He has found a willing people. The harvest of the ages will be reaped because the Father promised it to His Son, and His Son has raised up a church the gates of hell cannot prevail against. This is all guaranteed through the victory of the Cross, the covenant established there through the shedding of Christ’s blood, and His overseeing of it (Hebrews 7:22). We, the Church, are now enforcers of this victory, and we will do so. We will not be intimidated by any shaking, nor any uprising of demonic forces here and around the world. We can endure the course correction because we, like Christ, are looking at the joy set before us (Hebrews 12:2). We will not be intimidated by unprincipled and corrupt politicians, judges, dictators, or armies. We are more than conquerors and know that we cannot be separated from the love of Christ (Romans 8:37-39). We do not fear any evil, including death (Psalm 23:4). I am reminded often in this season of another Common Sense statement from Paine. He began the writing with this: “These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives everything its value.”(5) Yes, these are trying times, but we are not “summer soldiers” or “sunshine patriots.” We are sons and daughters of the Most High God, constrained by His heart and committed to His cause. America plays a significant role in this cause; therefore, just as our Founders, we are committed to her destiny and have pledged everything to the cause. We have knelt with Hunt at Cape Henry’s cross, embracing the covenant he declared and committing our lives to its fulfillment. In our hearts, we have signed the Declaration, knowing with Adams that “In the chain of human events, the birthday of the nation is indissolubly linked with the birthday of the Savior. That it forms a leading event in the progress of the Gospel dispensation.”(6) Make no apologies for your patriotism. Grab the baton of the Fathers and press on. Make no apologies for passionate prayer regarding America’s restoration. It is Christ’s cause that motivates us, not selfish desires. Continue to pray fervently and faithfully. Everyday! Align with those who do; ignore the naysayers. Pray for leaders who are laboring to see America recover. Pray for our new Speaker of the House, and for others in Congress who fight corruption and war for truth. Pray that all evil is exposed. Pray for President Trump - NEVER have I seen such hatred and evil attacks against an American leader. It is demonically inspired, due to his determination to end the control of globalists, leftists, and corrupt politicians in America. Pray for him, for the exposure of the wickedness, and a cleansing of our judicial system. Ask God to shake the evil from it. And pray for a GREAT spiritual awakening - in the church, and among the unsaved! And DO NOT fear anything that develops over the next few weeks and months! We are anchored!!! Pray with me: Father, we thank You for this nation of America. We are jealous for Your Kingdom purposes here and around the world - we’re all in. Make us the trumpet You intended us to be, blasting the Jubilee message of the Cross to all the world. Change all that is needed to fully restore this and take it to the next level - every leader, every institution, the church, and the people. Awaken and reform. We pray for President Trump. Keep him strong as he stands against the evil persecution he endures. We pray also for deliverance to those who have stood with him as they are unrighteously attacked. Deliver them from evil. Turn the tables on the darkness and vindicate the righteous. Encourage him. Do not let evil wear him down. We pray for our leaders in Congress as they investigate and uncover corruption. Lead them, give them wisdom, and protect them. We thank You for Speaker Johnson and his excellence, integrity, intellect, and heart for You. Sustain him. Lead and guide him daily. Protect him, his family, and staff. Give him boldness and tenacity, meekness and humility. May he have the anointing of Jeremiah to “root out, pull down, destroy, throw down, build and plant” (Jeremiah 1:10). Give him and his allies in Congress Your wisdom and understanding. Give them favor. And we pray for a spiritual harvest of millions in the Middle East. We pray for mercy to the innocent and a minimal loss of life. We ask You to dethrone the prince of Persia and all of his allies, ending the violence and destruction. Turn the tables on them, ending their terror. End the plans of other evil leaders around the world to steal, kill, destroy, rule unrighteously, and stop Your great harvest. Show Yourself strong against them! We stand for these things, asking and believing for them in the name of Jesus. Amen. Our decree: We decree that God is delivering us from evil and that His Kingdom will advance in this hour. Click on the link below to watch the full video. William Federer, America’s God and Country, FAME Publishing Inc., 1994, p. 18. Ibid. Ibid, p. 23. https://oll.libertyfund.org/page/1776-paine-common-sense-pamphlet https://www.ushistory.org/paine/crisis/c-01.htm William Federer, America’s God and Country, FAME Publishing Inc., 1994, p. 18.

Answered Prayer for House Speaker We have been praying much for the right person to become the Speaker of the House. This is such an important position; not only are they second in line to the U.S. presidency, but the Speaker controls so much of what takes place in Congress. God has given us a miracle in the election of Congressman Michael Johnson to this position; he is a godly man, raised up for such a time as this. I do not know him, but have several friends who do, and who attest to his qualifications, integrity, and heart for the Lord. I was with a group of several hundred people in Texas this week, and through God’s sovereign orchestration, we were praying fervently for Congressman Johnson while the vote was taking place. Many others also prayed diligently for him, as the following encouraging article by our friend, Cynthia Dunbar, demonstrates. Cynthia serves as a board member for our friends at Intercessors For America, who first released the article. Cynthia shares: God at Work in the Speaker Race “The Enemy is a defeated foe. He holds no cards. The only way he can hold any sway is to deceive. This has always been his strategy. Even from his first attack on humanity, his strategy has been to convey to us that he holds some coveted gift that God has not already bestowed. In short, his tactic is to try to convince the Bride that God is holding out on us, that there is still something we must receive only from him, the enemy. Well, that was a lie then (because mankind was already like God, as we were created in the image of God), and it is a lie now. Satan has nothing. All authority has been given to Christ Jesus, and we, as joint heirs with Him, need to finally realize this and begin walking in the victory Christ has purchased for us. We need to be living and moving and having our very being in the resurrected Christ — not anxiously pleading for God to still move on our behalf. This, I am convinced, is what it means for us to finally be manifested as the sons of God for which all creation is groaning. "So, why the lengthy theological reminder? Because far too often, I see the enemy getting us to take our eyes off Christ and the completed works of the Cross, placing them onto the chaos of the circumstances that surround us. By thus causing us to shift our gaze, he can begin spinning a false narrative. He is the father of lies, after all; that is what he does: lie. But, to quote a beautiful hymn: “… the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.” It is time for the church to realize that we are operating - not to gain victory, but from a place of victory — victory in Jesus. And He watches over His Word to perform it. In this testimony that I share with you, we see that He is indeed watching over the promise that the effectual, fervent prayer of the righteous does avail much. The good news of the gospel is that we are righteous, as Christ has taken away our filthy rags and replaced them with His righteousness (see 2 Corinthians 5:21). “On Saturday, October 21, 2023, I was sitting alone in prayer. I was praying very generically for the world and for our nation. Out of nowhere, the Lord spoke very clearly to me the following: ‘“Pray boldness over Congressman Michael Johnson in this season. Pray that he may walk in strength tempered in grace, that he may boldly speak forth truth, and that his words will be a beacon of hope to the nation.’ “I then called a friend, a solid Christian who is congressional district director for another congressman, and told her what I had heard. She informed me that Rep. Johnson’s name was not even being considered for Speaker, and she was curious as to why I was praying this specifically over him. I told her simply: ‘Because the Lord has told me to pray for him.’ She then agreed to pray along with me. “Fast-forward to Wednesday afternoon. I received a call from this same friend with whom I had prayed Saturday. She was in tears as she told me that the vote to elect Congressman Michael Johnson as the next speaker of the House of Representatives had been UNANIMOUS within the party! “She then explained to me what few would understand, but which intercessors need to know: Given the climate in the House of Representatives right now, a unanimous vote was humanly impossible. This vote was a miracle and an answer to prayer! “She thanked me for being obedient to reach out to her on Saturday, as that had prompted her to pray too and also to share my message with others on Capitol Hill. Rep. Johnson has even stated personally that he had been praying, and even though he had never considered running, on Saturday, the Lord made it clear to him that he was to run. “This is the essence of Intercessors For America. God inspires/prompts/leads us to pray in accordance with His will, and then He allows us the joy and privilege of witnessing His miraculous answers to the prayers He has prompted. He could do it all without us, but instead, He chooses to use us. And sometimes, His action is conditioned on the prayers of His saints in response to His prompting. “God gave me a prophetic prayer, and now we see that the effectual, fervent prayers of the righteous did avail much. We have witnessed firsthand the promise of Haggai 2 that God’s shaking serves as a blessing to remove many who are in power, to replace them with those He has chosen, who bear His signet ring of authority. “I pray that this testimony encourages you. “GOD IS STILL ANOINTING AND PLACING PEOPLE IN POSITIONS OF INFLUENCE FOR OUR GOOD! “Undeniably, the power of intercession played an integral part in this entire situation. What seemed like a situation of chaos and confusion was, in fact, an orchestrated means of God’s manifesting HIS sovereignty and authority on this earth. “I hope that you will share this testimony widely as an encouragement to all intercessors. Also, I want to encourage us all to continue praying what God said to pray, because Johnson’s election as Speaker is not the end of the story. God gave us the prayer points: Johnson will need to be bold, walk in strength, be tempered in grace, and be equipped to speak forth words of hope over our nation. By praying as God has directed us, may we see this new Speaker of the House empowered by the Holy Spirit to stay the course. “I hope this blesses you as much as it has me. God is moving, and we have a hope that must not be ashamed!” One More Thing Before I pray for the Speaker, I want to mention one more thing. I know some of you saw me last night on Flashpoint with my friend, Gene Bailey. Kevin Sorbo was also on, promoting his new movie, Miracle In East Texas, which opens this Sunday and Monday (October 29-30). It’s based on a true story and sounds absolutely AMAZING. Please take your family and friends to see it. Hollywood does not like these wholesome movies from outside their control. Those who control the movie industry actually make it very hard for them to be shown. The only way for Christian-based films to succeed is through word-of-mouth promotion, and for those of us who want wholesome entertainment to support them by attending. Go see this movie. Take your kids. Let’s get behind it. Pray with me: Father, thank You for this miracle in the House. I also believe You are thanking those who prayed, as Your Spirit has led us. Many in the body of Christ are becoming aware that You want to partner with Your kids, working in and through us to accomplish Your purposes. Please increase this revelation! We ask now for wisdom and revelation to be given to Speaker Johnson. Lead him in this important role, guiding his decisions and actions. Keep him free from unnecessary distractions and inappropriate influences. Surround him with the right people - staff, advisors, and those who will faithfully pray for him. Give him great grace to lead in this very turbulent time, and great boldness. You have prepared him; we know You will now lead him. May he be a beacon of hope for America. We pray for protection over him, his family, and his staff. Raise up many to pray for him. Surround him with angels and Your holy presence. May he walk in great peace, enabling him to be led by Holy Spirit, the mind of Christ, and Your heart. Teach him more and more Your ways; make him a modern-day Joseph, Daniel. We ask for these things in Jesus’ name. Amen. Our decree: We decree once again, with great assurance and bold faith: America shall be saved! Click on the link below to watch the full video. Today’s post was contributed by Cynthia Dunbar and Intercessors For America. Mrs. Dunbar is an attorney, an author, a constitutional scholar, a professor of government, a former law professor, and an IFA board member.Dunbar has been extensively involved in governmental relations and public policy regarding education and curriculum. You can find out more about her at DunbarForAmerica.com.

Prime the Pump I want to encourage you today with a word from Gina Gholston. In the midst of war and devastation, we must keep our eyes focused on what God is doing. His plans have not changed; His Spirit will be poured out in abundance. Be encouraged! Gina shares: “I dreamed that a friend and I were driving to a church in Texas. Along the way, I began to notice that beside every church we passed was a tall, wooden structure standing over an oil well. These were like those wooden, tower-like structures situated over oil wells that you see in old movies. “We finally arrived at a small church and went inside to find a packed house. On the platform, there were pastors and church leaders. One of the pastors noticed I was there and motioned me to the front. We made our way to the platform, and one of the leaders began to address the crowd. With his voice quivering, he said, ‘We are here tonight to pray for oil. America has such a deficit of oil, and we are crying out to God to give us oil. It’s urgent, and we must join our voices and pray!’ The atmosphere was one of uncertainty and even a feeling of despair and hopelessness. “After some time, we all went outside to the wooden structure beside the church. When we got outside, an even larger crowd of people had gathered. The same leader announced once again, ‘We are gathered here to pray for oil.’ “I then stepped up and said, ‘But we already have oil! We just have to release it!’ “Some in the crowd began to shout, ‘Yes!’ And at that time, several of us began to jump into the deep hole in the ground beneath the wooden structure! When we did, a geyser of clear oil came bursting up. It was as if we, who knew we had oil, had jumped into the hole as a way to ‘prime the pump.’ “As the geyser burst forth, it launched us out of the hole, and we landed back on our feet. When we did, several lines of people came from all directions. Thousands of people were in those lines, stretching as far as the eye could see. In an instant, they had somehow heard there was fresh oil, and they were coming from everywhere to get it. “Then I announced, ‘If you don’t have oil, come and receive it. If you do have oil, come and be refreshed, then go and release it to others!’ As they came, we were ‘sending’ them out from there to take the oil and release it everywhere they went. (End of dream.) “We HAVE oil! In Zechariah 4:6, the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel was that God has made available a continuous supply of oil. He made known through this Scripture that the work we are called to do in fulfilling His purposes cannot be done by human might or power alone, but by His Spirit, of whom the oil is a symbol. Through salvation in Jesus Christ, God has given us access to a spiritual inheritance that is exceeding, abundantly above all that we could ever ask or even think to imagine! (see Ephesians 3:20). “Yet, being unaware of our inheritance, many are given to anxiety, as though they are in this life without hope. They pray, but many of the prayers are prayed from a position of fear and uncertainty. A lack of knowledge of what we have inherited through Christ has left many crying out to God for that which has already been given! We must break the power of hope deferred. The power to break hope deferred is found in the revelation and confident persuasion of who Christ is, who we are in Him, and what we have in Him. This revelation comes through the knowledge of the Word of God, which informs us of the rich spiritual inheritance our Heavenly Father has bequeathed to us as His heirs! “Praise God, the awareness of our spiritual inheritance is being awakened in many believers. More and more, we are witnessing heirs of God who are tired of living in unnecessary spiritual poverty. The realization of the valuable inheritance we have received is causing a stirring within us, reigniting an uncompromised pursuit for the restoration of what has been lost. It is provoking an undaunted resolve to see the power of God fully released to flow with even greater intensity and demonstration in our times. And we are crying out as did Habakkuk: ‘God, we’ve heard what our ancestors have said about You. We are convinced of Your power, and we are making a sincere appeal to You. Do among us what You did among them. Work among us as You worked among them’ (Habakkuk 3:2, paraphrased). “There is a company of enlightened believers jumping into the well of inheritance to prime the pump, releasing the unhindered flow of oil once again. And it’s flowing! The wells are being uncapped, and we are now beginning to see another surge of glory. The oil of the Spirit is once again filling the church and spreading to those who are not willing to stay uninformed, hidden, and helpless! We are ‘all in,’ and we are giving Jesus our sincere ‘Yes!’ With honor and in the fear of the Lord, we are determined to receive the fullness of our spiritual inheritance. We will experience the fullness of His intentions for our generation and pass along the evidence of this rich inheritance to those yet to come. “The aware heirs are receiving and advancing with the knowledge and demonstrated evidence of all God has made available to us, and through us. The reality of Christ’s love and power can and will be made known, producing change. The power deficit will be eradicated by the voltage of undeniable Holy Ghost potency, and the parched ground will be saturated by the unblocked flow of the life-changing oil of God’s glory. “The geyser is erupting! An undeniable wave of transforming glory is beginning to be released! The flow has begun and cannot be stopped or contained.” Pray with me: Father, through Christ, we have been given access to everything we will ever need—exceeding abundantly above all that we could ever ask or think. All that You are and have has been extended to Your born-again heirs! Teach us to use and release the power that has been given to us by the Holy Spirit! Saturate us afresh with His oil! May we all give You our uncompromised, “Yes!” And may our “yes” be accompanied by complete obedience that springs from complete trust in You! May our submission to You allow Your anointing to flow out of us with unavoidable waves of Your glory, impacting the world around us! And Father, we ask for this oil of Holy Spirit to erupt in the Middle East. Release it all over the region. Let the river of living water flow in that desert region. Save and fill Muslims, and awaken Jews to Yeshua as their Messiah. Work to quickly end the bloodshed, dethroning the powers of darkness ruling the region. We break their hold through the blood of Christ. We ask all of this in His name. Amen. Our decree: The awakened heirs are jumping into the well of our spiritual inheritance, priming the pump, and releasing the oil of Holy Spirit power! Another surge of the transforming glory of God has begun! Click on the link below to watch the full video. Today’s post was contributed by our friend Gina Gholston. You can find out more about Gina at GinaGholstonMinistries.org.