Modern-Day Heroes Needed

From Dutch Sheets:

This month of July is incredibly significant. God is doing much. I have heard of at least four major prayer journeys to DC and elsewhere over the weekend, which Holy Spirit led others to do independently from one another. Some have sent us pictures from their prayer assignments. This is all so obviously orchestrated by Holy Spirit, which makes it incredibly encouraging. We must continue to persevere.

After my assignment in Washington, DC, on Thursday of last week, I went to Boston to be with my friends, Jon and Jolene Hamil, at Faneuil Hall. This gathering, like DC, was very powerful and timely. Faneuil Hall is referred to as the “Cradle of Liberty.” It was there where founder Samuel Adams and others met to give impassioned speeches, appealing to New Englanders to fight for liberty. The building reeks of history; when there, I can feel it oozing from the floors and walls. Without question, in the 1700s, the world was changed from Faneuil Hall. In our era, God has led many back to this important place in order to tap into the synergy of the ages and re-stake claim to our nation. I have spoken there four times in the last dozen or so years. Preaching with pictures and busts of Sam Adams, Patrick Henry, George Washington, and other patriots staring at you is daunting and humbling, to say the least.

Last night for a couple of hours, I watched a TV series regarding the American Revolution. It was very moving. Thousands of patriots paid a horrible price for the freedom we enjoy and to further the God-given destiny of our nation. We must never let this be stolen. I cried as I heard a phrase from Emerson’s poem, Concord Hymn. The poem is considered a classic, but the phrase that overwhelmed me speaks of the “Spirit, that made those heroes dare to die, and leave their children free.” (1)

Those heroes indeed possessed incredible hearts and spirits, and they gave everything - including their very lives - to purchase the freedoms we enjoy. Yet, the price they paid forever changed the world. Their ranks consisted not only of fully grown men, but also young teenage boys and girls, women, and, yes, freed slaves.

Whether it be teenager Sybil Ludington’s 40-mile midnight ride to help gather militiamen for a battle in Danbury, Connecticut, or Betty Zane’s heroic dash to retrieve gunpowder for the fighting men around her, there were many heroes.

Nancy Hart is another example. “Standing six feet tall, the red-headed and muscular Hart made an imposing figure for those who dared to cross her. Her fearlessness prompted Cherokee neighbors to call her ‘Wahatche,’ which meant ‘war woman.’ This nickname would prove appropriate as the Revolution moved into the Georgia backcountry, and Hart became a staunch defender of the Patriot cause…

“As the Revolution moved into the Southern colonies, Nancy played an important role fighting against Tories in the Georgia backcountry. Hart succeeded in outsmarting British opponents on multiple occasions, frequently disguising herself as a ‘crazy man’ and wandering through British camps to procure information for the Patriots. When one of Hart’s children discovered a British soldier spying on the Hart home, Nancy doused the man with boiling water that she was using to make soap before tying him up and turning him over to Patriot forces…

“Though Hart gained recognition after the war for a variety of exploits, one of the most popular stories involved her capture of several British soldiers. According to local legend, six British soldiers entered the Hart home to question Nancy about assisting a Patriot in escaping from the Redcoats. The soldiers then demanded that Nancy feed them, and displaying unusual hospitality, Nancy agreed to host them, providing a fair share of food and drink. With help from her 12-year-old daughter, Sukey, Hart succeeded in discreetly removing several of the soldiers’ muskets from the stack they had formed in the corner of the room. Hart had passed two of the firearms to Sukey through a gap in the wall before the soldiers noticed. Hart instructed the soldiers to remain where they were, and when one of them rose to approach her, she shot him dead and wounded one of the others before taking the remaining four men hostage. Sukey ran to inform Benjamin [her husband], who returned to the cabin. After debating whether to shoot the remaining men or hang them, the Harts and their neighbors decided to hang the soldiers from a nearby tree. The story became a local legend after the war, and variations of the tale have continued to circulate since then. In 1912, a railroad company’s archaeological excavation of the land near Hart’s cabin unearthed six skeletons, suggesting that some version of [the story] was true.” (2)

I encourage you to pick up freedom’s baton; it has been handed to our generation, but we must each do our part. Though our weapons are spiritual, not physical - and the battle is, as well - it is no less real and important. If you see the spiritual war for America’s future as only about money, possessions, and physical well-being, you are missing heaven’s point of view. This spiritual battle is regarding the eternities of hundreds of millions of people around the world. America was raised up to take the gospel of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth. That…is what we must contend for.

I encourage you again, as I did in Monday’s post, to move out from the prayer closet occasionally, and do some onsite praying. Ask Holy Spirit to show you, your prayer group, or even your congregation where He needs you to pray. It may be your neighborhood, a school (after hours), your city or state government headquarters, a historic site, or perhaps a trip to DC. Be wise, obey laws and respect other people, but consider doing this. I’ve been on some prayer journeys that have changed my life!

And one other thing: Pastors, I urge you never to let a service take place where prayer for government, your city, and the coming revival does not take place. Real prayer! - not just a perfunctory mention. Take some time and pray! Ask a trusted leader or two, or perhaps some kids to lead in prayer for a couple of minutes. Doing this regularly will help you build your church into a house of prayer, as Jesus declared it to be (Matthew 21:13).

I also challenge pastors and leaders to pray over the children before this new school year begins. It’s important that we are diligent in keeping them covered with prayer, and also teach them about the armor of God, placing it around them each day (Ephesians 6:10-18).

Let’s all do our part to continue the prayer siege in America. We are winning…because appealing to heaven still works!

Pray with me:

Father, thank You for the awakening that has occurred in the Ekklesia. Incredible amounts of revelation have been poured out on us over the past 40-50 years. “Yet, still our ancient foe, doth seek to work us woe; his craft and power are great, and armed with cruel hate” [taken from A Mighty Fortress (3)]. He works consistently to counteract us. But we declare that he will lose.

We ask You for a heightened level of alertness and discernment for Your church. We are grateful for increases of prophetic revelation - dreams, visions, prophecies, and Spirit-led direction for our prayers. But we ask for more…from glory to glory, faith to faith, and strength to strength. You overcame satan; as Your body, we will enforce Your victory. Send Your people out into their world to release Your Kingdom authority.

We continue to ask for the release of Your battering rams into the spirit of Baal’s defenses in Washington, DC, especially at the White House. We ask for warring angels to implement these battering rams. You have exposed Baal, now you are expelling him. We declare by faith that we will have a Spirit-filled, Spirit-led person in the Oval Office, one who openly welcomes You in on a daily basis. Give us anointed worship and 24-hour prayer in the White House. Take over, Lord! We boldly ask for these things in Christ’s name.

Our decree:

We decree that when we die, we will leave our children free, and America will continue exporting the gospel of Jesus Christ around the world.

1. https://www.preaching.com/articles/preacher-get-it-right/
2. https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/301222-you-and-i-have-a-rendezvous-with-destiny-we-will
3. https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/63389/roosevelts-man-arena