Gen. Patton on Prayer

"There are three ways that men get what they want; by planning, by working, and by praying. Any great military operation takes careful planning or thinking. Then you must have well-trained troops to carry it out: that's the working. But between the plan and the operation, there is always an unknown. That unknown spells defeat or victory, success or failure. It is the reaction of the actors to the ordeal when it actually comes. Some people call that getting the breaks; I call it God. God has His part or margin in everything; that's where prayer comes in."

~ George S. Patton

Year of the Open Door

 

"If I Pray Enough, Maybe God Will Do This"

 Some of the passages in Scripture from which we have long taken our "marching orders" for How Prayer Works are actually translated poorly. We know SO much more about the original Greek than we did 400 years ago. 

Here's Brother Dutch Sheets to explain the root words from the Greek (it's NOT boring; trust me!) and how they don't always mean what we've thought they meant. :)

Seven Suggestions for Delightful Holiday Gatherings

 

My Prayer Mentor, Ike

From Dutch Sheets:

Last Friday (11/10/2023), I had the great honor of participating in Intercessors For America’s 50th Anniversary Celebration. No ministry has done more to generate prayer for America than this great ministry. As I pondered IFA’s role in my life, one of my fondest memories was my early years of learning to pray at Christ For the Nations Institute (CFNI) in 1977.

Each student was required to participate in an outreach or serving ministry on a weekly basis. My initial choice was Intercessory Prayer, not because I was an intercessor or knew much about the subject. Truth be known, I could barely pronounce it. But I wanted to learn more about prayer, so I enrolled. Our prayer guide each week was a bulletin provided by a ministry I had never heard of. Yep, Intercessors For America. One sheet of paper, front and back, with timely issues and government leaders listed for prayer. Thus began my prayer journey.

I’ll say more about my message at the IFA anniversary celebration in a moment. But first, I want to honor another link in the chain of my introduction to prayer at CFNI (Christ For the Nations Institute). I’ve always felt one of the best ways to learn something new or improve at it, was by watching and emulating someone better than me. Of the 1200 students at CFNI, I chose Immanuel Ike, a student from Africa, complete with tribal markings - three scars on each cheek. I believe Ike, as we called him, was Nigerian. When Ike prayed, the room shook. I think he was fire incarnate.

During the last six weeks of the school year, students were encouraged to gather for prayer in the main auditorium, an hour before chapel. This wasn’t united, corporate prayer; it was a time for us to seek God individually in an atmosphere fueled by 2-300 hungry, passionate people also pursuing Him. We were encouraged to come up on the large platform, and/or scatter throughout the auditorium - on our feet, knees, faces, or walking - it didn’t matter the position. I chose the platform, kneeling at one of the chairs right behind the piano…because that’s where Ike was.

I prayed for an hour each morning, with one eye closed, one open, watching and listening to Ike. When he bound, I bound; when Ike loosed, I loosed. Soon after beginning, he would grab the side of his chair and begin rocking back and forth. I, too, held on and rocked. Ike would start in English, shift into his African dialect, then “machine gun” his prayers in tongues - I think. Maybe it was his African dialect on steroids. All I know is that Ike had now lost all connection to earth and its earthlings; we no longer existed. Tears. Groans. Pleadings. Decrees. Worship. Ike was in heaven’s throne room, then traveling the planet with Holy Spirit, tearing down strongholds and birthing Kingdom realities.

And I was riding his coattails!

What is it they say? Often, more is caught than taught. My prayers were mostly, “Lord, give me at least some of what this man carries.” I think I received a small degree of Ike’s mantle. “Wherever you are today, Ike, thank you.”

My heart and world also expanded through the influence of other guest ministries that came through CFNI every week. Literally. That was the plan: every week, a different ministry/person taught all students in a united session at 11AM, Monday through Friday. They, Ike, and prayer ministries like IFA taught me to move beyond my own needs, not praying only to generate money for school bills, rent, clothes, etc. They challenged me to transcend caring only for my own ministry and future success. For the first time in my life, I found myself praying for nations and travailing for souls. I called out the names of Senators, Representatives, Judges, laws, bills, and court cases. I began to realize I was called to more than personal success, something bigger than a congregation or a traveling ministry of my own. I was invited into the realm of an eternal Kingdom with a worldwide cause.

Somehow, my heart grew and expanded. I take no credit. It was the influence of others, of great teaching, of exposure to different ministries and organizations every week; it was an atmosphere of passionate worship, prayer, and faith - every day. And Ike, of course. I’ve never looked back.

The cheetah survives on the African plains by running down its prey. The big cat can sprint seventy miles per hour. But the cheetah cannot sustain that pace for long. Within its long, sleek body is a disproportionately small heart, which causes the cheetah to tire quickly. Unless the cheetah catches its prey in the first flurry, it must abandon the chase.

Far too often, Christians seem to have the cheetah’s approach to prayer. We start fast and with great energy. We are robust and have unmeasured faith. But lacking the heart for a sustained effort, we falter before we finish the job. We don’t need more speed or emotion; we need more staying power, which only comes from a bigger prayer heart.

Last Friday, I thanked IFA for their large prayer heart. Fifty years of prayer for America, and they’re only getting stronger! Incredible. And I thanked them for helping me pray more effectively…for 46 of my years.

I concluded my message by mentioning Rees Howells, an intercessor with a large prayer heart. In 1924, Howells launched the Bible College of Wales, which always had an emphasis on prayer. During WW2, however, Holy Spirit burdened Rees’ heart to intercede at even greater levels for the Allies, and for the deliverance of the world from Hitler’s Third Reich. Every day, anywhere from 5-10 hours, sometimes more, Rees and the students labored in prayer over the war. He challenged the students to not allow the soldiers at the Front to labor more than them. Rees Howells and his 100 students no doubt played a huge role in saving the world from Hitler’s demonic assault. (You can read more about the life of Rees Howells in the book Rees Howells, Intercessor.)

God is looking for intercessors now who will accept the call to save the world from today’s demonic leaders. Like Hitler, they are possessed by powers of darkness and want to rule the earth. If we join forces with big-hearted prayer ministries like IFA, we can prevail. I know many of you who follow Give Him 15 also have hearts that will never quit praying.

Thank you! Lock arms with others at this time and determine that we will not quit, we will not falter, and we will not fail until we see the earth in full-fledged revival. We have put our hand to the plow, and we will not look back. Victory is ours through Christ, and we will see it come to pass.

Pray with me:

Father, it is appropriate that we honor ministries like Intercessors For America and people like Rees Howells and my friend Ike. All of our successes are built, in part, on the work of others. We ask for Your blessings on them in abundance. For those still here with us, multiply their effectiveness, anointing, and provision. For others, like Rees Howells, well, tell them we said thanks.

Today, we ask You for bigger prayer hearts. We want hearts so expansive that they embrace Your worldwide Kingdom efforts, and run prayer’s race without growing weary. We pledge to persevere in prayer for a worldwide harvest. We will continue to lay hold by faith of a restored America. We will never stop representing You as Your Ekklesia, enforcing Your victory on earth.

We do that now over the Middle East. We pull down the thrones of iniquity over that region in Yeshua’s name. This is the hour of deliverance for millions there. This is the season of their entrance into the King’s family, their day of salvation. We declare over them that the veil is lifting, and the spirit of revelation is invading the territory. We loose them from their darkness and deception, their oppression and bondage. Signs and wonders are manifesting; powerful evangelists are being raised up and anointed with the level of power Stephen, Phillip, Paul, Peter, and others demonstrated in the book of Acts. We decree revival there now. And we do all this in the name that guarantees victory, Jesus.

Our decree:

We decree that Christ’s large prayer heart is being imparted to His Ekklesia. We will not faint.

Click on the link below to watch the full video.

https://youtu.be/Es7elKygBMM

If you would like to learn more about Intercessors for America, visit IFApray.org. You can learn more about Christ For The Nations by going to CFNI.org.

                    Copyright © 2023 Dutch Sheets Ministries, All rights reserved.

Keys to Praying for the Lost

From Dutch Sheets Ministries:

After yesterday's post on praying for prodigals, I felt I should follow it with this teaching.

“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 might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (2 Corinthians 4:3-4; NASB)

“We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ. And after you have become fully obedient, we will punish everyone who remains disobedient.” (2 Corinthians 10:3-6; NLT)

Second Corinthians 10:4 tells us we have been given spiritual weapons, empowered by God, with which to demolish “strongholds” in people. The root word is echo, which means “to hold.” The form of the word used here, ochuroma, means “to hold strongly,”(1) thus, a stronghold. It is also the word for a castle, fortress, or prison.

A foxhole or trench is hastily dug in a time of war to hold (echo) a position. I once toured a castle atop a mountain in Salzburg, Austria. From this impregnable fortress, someone had ruled the entire territory. That…is a stronghold! (Ochuroma).

According to this word used in 2 Corinthians 10:4, unbelievers are prisoners, captives. This verse also tells us we have God-empowered weapons that can demolish these prisons.

Verse five of 2 Corinthians 10 breaks down the stronghold into three distinct components, informing us of exactly what we must destroy with our spiritual weapons. This information is vital.

The first portion of the stronghold mentioned is “human reasoning.” The Greek word (logismos) is not referring to individual thoughts, but to beliefs, reasonings, wisdom, logic.(2) Our English word “logic” is actually derived from this Greek root. Logismoi (plural) are the mindsets (opinions, beliefs, etc) we have NOW, resulting from the teaching, training, information, experiences, etc, we have received in the PAST. Before Adam’s sin, which was passed on to all of us, he and Eve procured their wisdom, logic, and beliefs from their Creator, God. We would have, as well, had the Fall not occurred. However, James 3:15 tells us unredeemed humans’ wisdom now originates from earthly knowledge, our human souls (intellect and emotions), and demonic influence.

“Houston, we have a problem.”

“Okay,” you might say, “but when an individual hears the truth, including the gospel, how do these logismoi veil or blind them from truly seeing, understanding, and believing?” It has to do with the way our human minds function. When information comes to us it is first filtered through our subconscious mind or memory, the home of our logismoi, our opinion center. This is involuntary, automatic, and occurs in a fraction of a second, before it even gets to the conscious mind where we then process it. Think about that! We already have an opinion before we even think about the information - yes, we’re opinionated! This means that when people hear the gospel, before they even have time to process it, the information is filtered through this subconscious mind. Unbelievers don’t hear a pure version of the gospel; they hear it after it has been filtered through what they already believe!

For example, on an outreach to Mardi Gras a friend and I shared the gospel with a young girl who, as it turned out, had been horribly abused in the past. “God is love,” we told her. “He loves you so much He sent His Son to die for you.”

She was not impressed. This wounded soul heard not only what we said, she also heard something else - from deep within, buried in her memory center. “Really?” She asked. “If He is love, why did He allow me to be so abused? Doesn’t seem like a loving God to me.” From the pain, her mind had formed a logismos - a belief - part of the stronghold now controlling her. Someone will need to intercede for her, tearing down this prison.

When praying for the unsaved, ask Holy Spirit to show you the logismoi, the beliefs that control them, blinding them to the gospel. As He does, war against them, declaring, “In the name of the Jesus I tear down the stronghold of . . .” Then ask God to replace it with truth. Do this daily, it will likely take time.

The second portion of the stronghold mentioned in 2 Corinthians 10:5 is pride, “proud obstacles.” The KJV uses “high thing” to translate the Greek word hupsoma, which is actually the same root word for “Most High” God! One leading lexicon defines hupsoma as “all pride that rises up.”(3) This is a reference to the root of pride that came to the entire human race when Adam and Eve bought satan‘s lie that they could “be like God,” (Genesis 3:5). This had been Lucifer’s downfall, attempting to elevate himself as the Most High. He passed the same temptation on to our fore-parents, and when they bought the lie, his fallen nature was passed on, as well. Humankind now elevates “self” and its knowledge above God and His Word.

We cannot change an unbeliever's nature; only the new birth can do this. We can, however, release the power of Holy Spirit to them, which will counter this dark root with revelation, the light of truth. His power and light are well able to do this, causing their proud heart to bow the knee to Christ’s Lordship.

With this in mind, look at verse 5 again, this time from The Living Bible:

“These weapons can break down every proud argument against God and every wall that can be built to keep men from finding Him. With these weapons I can capture rebels and bring them back to God, and change them into men whose hearts’ desire is obedience to Christ.”

What a promise!

Regarding the third element comprising strongholds, the Lord tells us we can “take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.” The word “thought” is noema, which also means plans, schemes, or plots.(4) It refers to spontaneous thoughts and temptations satan uses to control people, as well as to the ongoing schemes and plans he uses. God says we can stop these attacks! In our intercession for unbelievers, we must declare that none of satan’s plans to hold them captive will prosper. Bind his schemes and thoughts according to Matthew 16:18-19. Shield the person from satan’s lies and temptations; close the door to these things.

Mary Smith of Maple Valley, Washington, had been praying for her brother, John, to be saved for approximately 12 years, with no results. Like most people, she prayed general prayers such as “Lord, come into his life,” or “Lord, reveal Yourself to him.” Mary didn’t realize there were other biblical instructions on how to pray for John.

Her brother had major problems, including drugs, depression, and extreme anger. Early in 1995, Mary participated in a class I taught where I related these and other principles regarding praying for the lost. Mary shared them with her husband and their children, then they all began implementing them for John. Specifically, they prayed the following:

• That God would lift the veil off his mind, bringing revelation and enlightenment
• That Holy Spirit would hover over him and protect him
• That godly people would be placed in his pathway each day
• That everything exalting itself against the knowledge of God, specifically pride and rebellion, would be destroyed
• That all ungodly thought patterns (logismoi), would be destroyed
• That satan was bound from holding John captive through wicked thoughts and lies
• That the armor of God would be placed on him

After two weeks of praying in this way, John overdosed on drugs. While in the hospital, “the Lord met him in a powerful way,” Mary said. “He cried out to God. The veil was definitely lifted and he received a revelation of God. He now understands the Word and responds to it. Confusion is gone! John separated himself from the world and his former friends. He is now pursuing God and Christian relationships. His focus is on pleasing God, knowing Him more, and is even considering one day being a missionary.”

We have been given authority! We can turn unbelievers “from darkness to light and from the dominion of satan to God” (Acts 26:18). We are called to enforce and make effectual the freedom Christ procured. The unbeliever cannot war for his or herself; they cannot and will not overcome their internal prison of darkness - but we can do so for them! We must take our divinely powerful weapons and fight. The powers of darkness will resist, but “Do not be afraid of them; remember the Lord who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses” (Nehemiah 4:14).

Pray with me:

Father, we thank You for Your heart to save. Thank You for loving us, even when we are still rebellious. Thank You for the Cross. Thank You for sending Jesus to redeem us. Thank You for Holy Spirit‘s work of making this sacrifice understood.

We pray for prodigals and others who do not know You, that the revelation of Christ and His provision would be made real to them. We bind every belief system and thought pattern that blinds them to truth and deceives them. We release Holy Spirit’s power to overcome the root of pride in them, that which entered the human race at the fall. Cause them to bow their knee to Christ and His Lordship.

We also ask that Holy Spirit’s power be released to their minds and hearts, drawing them to You. Send the right people to them, and separate them from those who are being used to influence them wrongly. We ask You for these things in Jesus' name, and we thank You for the answer. Amen.

Our decree:

We declare that every stronghold in the life of those we pray for will be torn down by the power of Holy Spirit and the Word of God.

1. James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), ref. no. 3794.

2. Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary, p. 923.

3. Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon, p. 851.

4. James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), ref. no. 3540.

Copyright © 2023 Dutch Sheets Ministries, All rights reserved.

This Week's Prayer

This week’s topics to pray for:

• Maintaining our freedoms as they were established in our Constitution, and courage for patriots to stand firm for these liberties
• Wisdom and revelation to understand and value how God designed the genders
• Protection from COVID-19 variants and godly response to the potential rollout of new mandates
• The integrity of the upcoming 2022 midterm elections
• Financial support of universities that teach biblical truths.

This week’s prayer of agreement:

Heavenly Father, we humbly petition You on behalf of America and all believers. We call forth a spiritual awakening in this country now—for the people to awaken from their slumber and come alive to You and to the Spirit of Truth! America shall be saved!

We thank You, for the weapons of our warfare are mighty to the pulling down of strongholds. You have promised us strength as we faithfully seek You and Your Word, and we call upon that now! We thank You for godly wisdom and discernment in identifying and taking our stand against the enemy’s schemes. We thank You for Your grace, which enables us to boldly walk in the authority You have given us—the authority to tread over all the power of the enemy without any harm or danger coming upon us.

Lord, we thank You for the gift of Your Word and the guidance it gives us in every circumstance of life. In You, we have the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith! In Jesus' name, amen!

Scripture references:
Romans 13:11, 15:4; Ephesians 1:17-18; 1 John 4:6, 5:4; 2 Chronicles 16:9; 1 Peter 5:8; Luke 10:19

Enforcing the Victory

From Dutch Sheets:

The Hebrew word for intercession, paga, means literally “to meet.” This can be a meeting of people, the boundaries of two pieces of land, the earth and sky (the horizon) - it really doesn’t matter what the context is, the point is that two entities come together. We also said that intercession is birthed from our communing with our Father, God. We meet with Him in a relational sense and from that connection, other meetings are created.

Not all meetings are pleasant, however. Some can actually be violent. Proverbs 17:12 tells us: Let a man meet a bear robbed of her cubs, rather than a fool in his folly. “Meet” is the Hebrew word paga.

I’ve never met a she-bear in the wild with or without cubs, and hope I never do. But years ago a wise old woodsman, instructing me in the art of surviving bear encounters, gave me the following piece of wisdom: “Son, try to avoid them, if possible! But if you can’t and it’s a female you run into, don’t ever get between mama and her cubs. Because if you do, there’s fixin’ to be a meeting, and you’re gonna be on the receiving end!”

Now, before I’m lynched for a contextual violation of Scripture, let me say I am not insinuating that this verse is talking about prayer. I am saying, however, that the word for “meet” is the Hebrew word translated “intercession,” paga. Other Hebrew words could have been used, but this one was chosen partly because it often has a very violent connotation. In fact, paga is frequently a battlefield term (for examples, see Judges 8:21; 15:12; 1 Samuel 22:17-18; 2 Samuel 1:15; 1 Kings 2:25-46).

“Meetings” can be unpleasant! Some can be downright ugly, such as the one satan had with Jesus at Calvary. Satan had come between God and His “cubs.” He ought not to have done that! Satan’s worst nightmare came true when, with 4000 years of pent-up fury, Jesus met him at Calvary. The earth rocked, and I do mean literally, with the force of the battle (see Matthew 27:51). The very sun grew dark as the war raged (see v. 45). At the moment of what satan thought was his greatest triumph, he and all his forces heard the most terrifying sound they had ever heard: God’s laugh of derision (see Psalm 2:4)!

The laughter was followed by the voice of the Son of man crying with a loud voice, “Tetelestai.” This Greek word is translated “It is finished” in John 19:30. Please don’t think Jesus was talking about death when He spoke that word. No way! As we mentioned in a post a week or so ago, tetelestai means to fully accomplish something or bring it to its completed state (1), just as the word “finished” would imply. However, it was also the word stamped on invoices in that day meaning “paid in full.”(2)

Christ was quoting from Psalm 22:31 when He chose this statement. Three of His seven sayings on the cross come from this psalm. The Hebrew word He quoted from this verse is asah. He may have actually been speaking Hebrew, using this very word, even though John recorded it in Greek. The word means, among other things, “to create.”(3) It is used in Genesis, for example, when God created the earth. I believe that not only was Christ saying, “The debt is paid in full,” He was also saying, “Come forth, new creation!” No wonder the earth shook, the sun reappeared, the centurion was terrified (see Matthew 27:54) and Old Testament saints were resurrected (see Matthew 27:52-53). Don’t tell me God doesn’t have a flare for the dramatic. The Cross defines drama.

And yes, behind the scenes it was violent. Captives were rescued (see 1 Peter 3:19; 4:6; Isaiah 61:1), bruises were inflicted (see Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24), keys were taken, authority was transferred (see Matthew 28:18).

An interesting word is used in 1 John 3:8 that adds insight to what happened at the Cross. The verse reads, “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil” (KJV). “Destroy” is the Greek word luo, which has both legal and physical meanings. Understanding its full definition will greatly enhance our knowledge of what Jesus did to satan and his works.

The legal meaning of luo is (1) to pronounce or determine that something or someone is no longer bound; (2) to dissolve or void a contract or anything that legally binds.(4) Jesus came to dissolve the legal hold satan had over us and to pronounce that we were no longer bound by his works. He “voided the contract,” breaking satan’s dominion over us.

The physical meaning of luo is to dissolve or melt, break, beat something to pieces or untie something that is bound.(5) In Acts 27:41, the boat Paul traveled on was broken into pieces (luo) by the force of the storm. In 2 Peter 3:10-12, we’re told that one day the elements of the earth will melt or dissolve (luo) from a great heat. Jesus not only delivered us legally, but He also made certain that the literal consequences of that deliverance were manifested: He brought healing, set captives free, lifted oppression and liberated those under demonic control.

Our responsibility is to enforce this victory as we, too, meet the powers of darkness. It is interesting to know that Jesus used the same word, luo, to describe what we, the Church, are to do through spiritual warfare. Matthew 16:19 tells us, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” The word “loose” in this verse is luo.

Now, the question is, “Did Christ luo the works of the devil (1 John 3:8) or do we luo the works of the devil (Matthew 16:19)? The answer is yes. Although Jesus fully accomplished the task of breaking the authority of satan and voiding his legal hold upon the human race, someone on earth must represent Him in that victory and enforce it.

With this in mind and remembering that the Hebrew word for intercession, paga, means to meet, let’s state it this way:

We, through prayers of intercession, meet the powers of darkness, enforcing the victory Christ accomplished when he met them at the Cross.

My mindset changed dramatically in the context of “binding” and “loosing,” “wrestling” with principalities and powers, “pulling down strongholds” etc. when I began thinking of it as enforcing the victory of Calvary. Satan is a thief and a trespasser. The fact that he has no right (authority) to do something does not keep him from doing it. Only the authority of Christ, combined with the power of Holy Spirit, keeps/stops him from doing so. Both flow from/through us. In Christ’s name we release His authority, and Holy Spirit backs this up with His power.

We must wield the sword of God’s Word, just as Jesus did, and bind demonic attacks against our bodies, families, homes, cities, and nations. Declaring promises of Scripture are not only to encourage and increase our faith; they are weapons. Let’s use these powerful, God-given tools.

Pray with me:

We declare over our bodies that “by His stripes, we are healed.” We declare over our minds that “we have the mind of Christ; that His blood cleanses us from all sin and unrighteousness.” We boldly agree with God’s Word that tells us “there is no more condemnation toward us for ANY sin we have committed, if it is under the blood of Jesus.” And we declare that “no weapon formed against us will prosper - NONE!”

We declare over our nation that “America shall be saved.” We declare that “God’s destiny for America is that the gospel of the kingdom goes from these shores to every nation of the earth.” We declare that “Holy Spirit is manifesting the multifaceted wisdom of God to principalities and powers in the heavens through the Ekklesia.” We declare that “the gates of hell will not prosper against or overcome this Ekklesia.”

And we declare that “the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and His Christ.” We declare that “God, His Father, has promised Him the nations of this earth as His inheritance.” We declare that “the Spirit of God will be poured out in Ukraine, that it is His will for all to be saved and none to perish.” We declare that “Christ is king over all the nations, and we release His kingdom rule and authority in Ukraine, to bring His will to pass.” We declare that “Christ’s family in heaven will consist of people from every tribe, tongue, and nation, that the revival beginning around the world will not be stopped.”

We declare all of these things in the mighty name of Jesus.

Our decree:

We decree that the sword of the Spirit, the word of God, is more powerful than all the forces of the enemy.

The Invasion of Ukraine

On the evening of February 23, 2022, the lives of millions of Ukrainian citizens were changed as Russia began a calculated takeover of that nation. Now the Baltic states are nervous they may be next. (1) It’s a scary time to be in that region of the world. We must pray for the Ukrainians, asking for God’s grace and mercy as they make challenging decisions regarding their safety. The situation there is volatile and unpredictable. We must not forget them.

It is not always easy to know how to pray for situations like the invasion of Ukraine. God cannot always stop evil from occurring, whether it be rape, murder, hunger, or war. It is not a power issue - of course God is all-powerful. It is a matter of allowing humans the privilege of a free will. When the human race became defiled at Adam’s fall, evil entered the world. One day it will end. For now, it exists.

Since God works on earth through people, not independently of them, dealing with evil requires human participation and cooperation with God and His laws. He uses righteous authority, laws, and government to suppress evil. At times, these restraining authorities must use force. However, stopping evil regimes that have gained power and control can take time - again, because God uses people.

All this to say it is not possible to simply pray a good prayer/s and end what is occurring in Ukraine. Does this mean we don’t pray? Of course not. We ask God to intervene in whatever ways He can, as quickly as He can. We pray for comfort to those suffering. We pray for other countries and leaders to make wise decisions that will mitigate the suffering and stop the evil. We pray for people to come to Christ - God uses tragedies such as this to reach people.

We also continue to pray for America’s complete turnaround. What occurs here affects the world. Secretary of State under President Trump, Mike Pompeo, said in an article regarding Ukraine, “This invasion was by no means inevitable. We in the Trump administration knew it was Putin‘s aim to establish Russian dominance and influence over all the old Soviet bloc countries, including in Ukraine. We were able to keep an invasion like this one from occurring by establishing a model of deterrence, not just with respect to Russia, but with anyone who threatened to harm or undermine our interests.” (2)

Pompeo went on to say, “[the Biden administration] failed because sanctions are just one tool for executing effective diplomacy and establishing deterrence, yet the Biden administration has acted as if they are sufficient as a reactionary strategy. They are not; deterrence must be multifaceted - military force projection, American energy dominance, allied resolve, and clear, concise dialogue and expectations.

“In the Trump administration, we incorporated all these factors into our strategy of diplomacy and deterrence, yet the Biden administration has allowed each to slowly erode with feckless, muddled responses to Russian aggression that have neither projected strength nor imposed costs on our adversaries. They have stopped speaking in the one language Putin understands: strength.

“President Biden has been weak toward Putin, unstable and unclear - he doesn’t understand what is at stake in the fight against Russia and doesn’t know that it takes strength to defend America and keep us out of war.

“America has been weak and unclear with our adversaries when the world needed it to be at its strongest and most clear. Our adversaries have noted the Biden administration‘s failure to act with resolve in Afghanistan, in the face of Chinese aggression, and now in response to Russian aggression in Ukraine….[China], the ayatollahs in Iran, will each see these failures of American leadership as a green light for them to execute their sinister designs to disrupt peace and make war. This will make the world far less safe for all people, including Americans.” (3)

President Trump’s policies were good. Though he was framed, lied about, (4) and opposed by evil people for 4 years, he still did much to strengthen and turn America in the right direction. Now, with Biden’s predictable policies and mistakes, Europe faces its greatest crisis since WWII, and madmen around the world are emboldened. They see this as their window of opportunity to take over as much of the world as possible.

We must pray!

We will pray for Ukraine and the Baltic States, just as we do Afghanistan. We will continue to pray for America’s turnaround and Third Great Awakening. Changed hearts will turn America back to God, which will allow Him to heal our land. We pray that in the meantime God helps us minimize the damage the left can do here and abroad. And we’ll pray for Congress to turn from being controlled by liberals and leftists this November, for women and men with biblical worldviews and values to take their positions. And we will pray for mercy and great grace to be poured out.

Pray with me:

Father, we ask for Your mercy to be manifested for the people in Ukraine and the Baltic States. We ask You to cause alliances and actions that will minimize violence and destruction. We pray that evil doers will be exposed and judged for their wickedness. We ask You to cause them to be hung on their own gallows. We pray that those who don’t know You will come to know You through the difficult times they experience. Bring revival to eastern Europe.

We pray for our government to make wise decisions. Cause them to think clearly. May they not fall into the traps and strategies of evil leaders. Give NATO leaders wise strategies and sound decisions.

We believe You will somehow use all of this to bring forth the great harvest You’re planning. Amp it up quickly, we pray. Redeeming God, bring a tidal wave of glory into the earth. We ask for this in Christ’s name. Amen.

Our decree:

We decree that evil will ultimately fail, love will win.

https://www.foxnews.com/media/russian-invasion-ukraine-baltic-states-very-scared-hadley

https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/bidens-approach-ukraine-russia-wrong-start-mike-pompeo?cmpid=prn_newsstand

Ibid.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/clinton-campaign-paid-infiltrate-trump-tower-white-house-servers

Copyright © 2022 Dutch Sheets Ministries, All rights reserved.

The Value of the Secret Place

From Dutch Sheets:

“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty” (Psalm 91:1). The secret place is a dwelling place. Go there daily and you can “abide” in Yahweh’s protective shadow. The secret to a victorious life is an abiding life. Don’t settle for religion - enjoy spending time with Abba. My niece, Rachel Shafer, shares a powerful word and fitting pre-Thanksgiving testimony regarding the importance and benefit of living in the secret place. Rachel says:

“Recently, Holy Spirit whispered to me, ‘Don’t forsake the value of the secret place.’ I was instantly gripped in my heart and began pondering the statement.

“One of the meanings of value is ‘the regard, importance, worth, or usefulness of something.’ It also means ‘to consider (someone or something) to be important or beneficial; to have a high opinion of.’ (1)

“The word forsake means ‘to abandon, renounce or give up.’ (2)

“Holy Spirit was urging me to remember the importance and benefits of the secret place, to value its worth in my life. What an awesome reminder for us as we continue navigating these challenging times.

“In the New Testament, Jesus instructs us to go to a quiet place, a secret place, a room with the door shut when we pray (Matthew 6:6). He set an example for this by often going away from His followers to spend time alone with God. In Matthew 14, Jesus received the terrible news that King Herod had ordered the beheading of John the Baptist. Upon hearing this, verse 13 in The Message version says ‘He slipped away by boat to an out-of-the-way place by Himself.’

“Faced with tragic, heartbreaking news, Jesus knew He needed to get away to be alone with His Father. If we want to be infused with strength, grace, peace, hope - we need a secret place.”

I (Dutch) cannot begin to recount the many “secret place” encounters I’ve had with my Father, with Christ and with Holy Spirit. The infusion of strength and confidence that comes from it is indescribable. Philippians 4:13 (AMP) says: “I can do all things [which He has called me to do] through Him who strengthens and empowers me [to fulfill His purpose—I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency; I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace.]”

Rachel continues, “The secret place causes us to become more aware of God’s presence. And in His presence we stop focusing on our problems, and begin seeing His answers; we gain His perspective. We see as He sees and can begin to say what He says. In other words, the secret place enables us to approach our situation with wisdom from above.

“Several years ago, I walked through one of the darkest moments of my life. Our youngest son, Jaidin, was having a surgery related to his cleft palate. The days after the surgery were a whirlwind of one thing after another going wrong. Jaidin couldn’t breathe on his own and had to be intubated. He could no longer walk, or even sit up on his own. He couldn’t swallow and was being fed through a feeding tube.

“No one knew why. Doctors could not figure out why this was happening. It was heartbreaking. Jaidin was sad, mad and frustrated. And we were too. Finally, on the 11th day I woke up with words ringing in my heart, ‘Jesus’ blood never fails me.’ Later that day we received MRI results. The first words out of the neurologist’s mouth were, ‘This is not the news I had hoped to share with you today.’ The MRI showed that Jaidin had a lesion on his brain where the nerves were located that control swallowing and affect strength and balance. This gave us answers, but definitely not the answers we were expecting or wanted!

“The doctors continued talking, telling us Jaidin might never regain his swallow or the complete function of his left side. They showed us pictures and explained different scenarios. At one point, I was feeling completely overwhelmed - it was information overload. I put my hand up and said, ‘I need you all to stop.’

“I ran out of the room down the hallway sobbing. I had to gather my thoughts and emotions. I knew that I needed secret place time with Jesus. I needed a higher perspective. I sat on a small couch in Jaidin’s hospital room, crying and praying.

“It was in those moments I remembered I had awakened that morning with the words, ‘Jesus’ blood never fails me.’ His blood always speaks a better word (see Hebrews 12:24). Was I to think differently now that we had the MRI results?

“No! The hope I have in Jesus is an anchor to my soul. I allowed Jesus to minister to my heart and Holy Spirit was able to encourage and comfort me - from the secret place. I had taken a few moments to get into His presence right there in that little hospital room.

Jesus’ blood didn’t fail me and Jaidin recovered FULLY!

“I value the secret place experience I had during that time. My prayer for each of you is that you will build a history of secret place experiences, encounters that will teach, change, shape, and empower you with God-breathed words you can speak into situations and times of testing. Also, that you would value the secret place reward of His presence.”

Pray with me:

Father, we honor You today, setting our hearts, souls and gaze upon You. We value our time with You, Lord. We know You desire to speak to us every day—guiding us in spirit and in truth. As we listen to You and obey Your Word, we can enjoy an abundant life. You invited us to come boldly to Your throne of grace to find help any time we have a need. We cherish those times with You. It is then that we recognize You as Abba, Papa.

We know that our Abba is also the all-powerful, living God. We decree Your power into our situations and circumstances. Break into lives. Transform and restore broken hearts, souls and minds. Heal bodies, homes, and nations. We put our circumstances and times into Your hands, knowing that You hold the power to turn them all for our good.

We will pursue you, Abba. We’re after Your heart. May Your will be done in our lives, our regions and all across this land. America shall be saved; revival is coming to the earth! Amen.

Our Decree:

We will not forsake the value of the secret place. We are a people pursuing the presence of the King.

Today’s post was contributed by Rachel Shafer. 

Copyright © 2021 Dutch Sheets Ministries, All rights reserved.

We ARE the Church

I am often asked how to institute a prayer ministry in a small group or congregation. Actually, I feel a congregation is to BE a prayer ministry—a house of prayer. Isn’t that what Jesus clearly said in Matthew 21:13:

And He said to them, “My dwelling place [“house”; KJV] will be known as a house of prayer, but you have made it into a hangout for thieves!” (TPT)

Jesus was quoting from Isaiah 56:7:

‘I will welcome you into My holy mountain and make you joyful in My house of prayer. I will accept every sacrifice and offering that you place on My altar, for My house of worship will be known as a house of prayer for all people.’” (TPT)

The “house” of God is no longer a building, a temple made with hands. We, the children of God, are now His house, temple or dwelling place. Our spirits are the new Holy of Holies. (The word “temple” in 1 Corinthians 6:19 is the Greek word naos, reserved for the Holy of Holies, not the entire temple.) Each of us individually is God’s temple, of course - Holy Spirit indwells each of us. Yet, in another sense, we are one “living stone” of His overall temple, His corporate house, the church. No one of us can house or represent Christ the way all of us can. However, regardless of whether referencing a person or a congregation, people are God’s “house”, NOT the building in which they meet.

The same misconception is often believed when referring to “the church” - it, too, is often considered a building. This is horrible theology and devastating in its ramifications. The church is a people, never a building. Ligonier is a ministry dedicated to making the truths of God’s Word clearly known, a discipleship ministry. In their Tabletalk online magazine, they point out that:

“When Jesus says, ‘I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it’ (Matthew 16:18), the Greek word for ‘church’ is ekklēsia. In all 114 instances that the New Testament uses this word, it designates a people, or an assembly of people, responding to the call of God in Christ. It sometimes refers to the whole people of God and other times to a local congregation (Ephesians 5:27; 1 Thessalonians 1:1). In the New Testament, ekklēsia always designates a people, never the place where they meet.”(1) (Italic mine)

The point is very simple: whether speaking of one person, a small group in a home or office, or a larger formalized congregation, people are God’s “church” and “house” - NOT buildings. And Jesus said His house - His people - would be houses of prayer.

When Ceci and I had a congregation in Colorado Springs, we, as well as our staff, worked hard to instill this into the mindset of our congregants. We instituted prayer into everything we did. Actually, our services were largely worship and prayer meetings. We spent a significant amount of time praying for the nation, and we prayed for many other things on the heart of the Father.

Each department was encouraged to ensure that intercession was a primary part of everything they did. From our children and youth to our men and women, our home fellowships and prophetic ministries, we were a praying company. Some prayer meetings were based on topics, such as covering every aspect of our city in prayer. Others targeted individuals: we had a prayer meeting to call in our prodigals, another for government leaders, soaking prayer for individuals, and physical healing prayer times were also conducted regularly. Many people across the city came to receive ministry; we never considered our house of prayer ministries to be only for those calling us their home congregation and we never proselyted others when they came. We also initiated many national prayer calls to prayer and coordinated many prayer journeys, sometimes taking as many as 70 people.

There are a few people I consider experts in developing houses of prayer. Cheryl Sacks, a prayer leader in Phoenix, AZ, wrote The Prayer Saturated Church. Alvin Vander Griend, who calls himself a prayer evangelist, wrote The Praying Church Sourcebook. And Terry Tekyl has given us several books on prayer, including Blueprint for the House of Prayer. All of these are excellent sources for you in learning how to form a group into a house of prayer. There are others, but these are a few to help you.

Let’s look at some things these leaders tell us about making your gathering a house of prayer:

Cheryl Sacks

“If Jesus were to visit your congregation next Sunday and given complete freedom to conduct the service, what do you think He would do? I’m not sure what would happen, but most likely our agenda would be flying out the window.

“At least once, Jesus did visit a ‘gathering’ and take over the service. Matthew 21:16 contains this memorable story of Jesus, in righteous anger, running the money changers out of the temple.

“In this passage, we discover the progressive steps for building a house of prayer. The first thing Jesus did was cleanse the temple of impure motives and activities, making it a house of purity.

“Next, Jesus reminded us of His Father’s words, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer.’ Isaiah talks about those who will come to the house of prayer. It’s a place where the broken, the foreigner, the eunuch can come and worship. This is a place where all will find acceptance. A congregation doesn’t get to this place unless hearts are changed. That’s one thing that happens when we pray.

“Prayer and worship are all about focusing on the Lord. When we open ourselves up to Him, He will clean us up, fill us up with His nature, and send us out to change the world. We’ll see salvations, miracles, liberal giving to the poor, and Christ-like living.”(9)

Alvin Vander Griend

[Allan provides some practical advice to increase prayer in our corporate gatherings.]

“Prayer and worship belong together. From the beginning call to worship, to the benediction, [conversation should be occurring] between God and His people. Prayer is the most direct way to acknowledge that God is present in worship. We speak directly to God and listen for His voice in response.”

Vander Griend recommends the following as some of the ways to incorporate prayer into a worship service:

• “Plan a brief prayer meeting before the service.
• “Incorporate prayer throughout the worship service.
• “Ask different people to participate in leading prayer throughout the service.
• “Encourage members’ spontaneous participation in prayer during the worship.
• “Encourage the congregants to pray silently while the Word is preached.
• “Ask everyone to pray aloud at the same time on a specific request or topic of prayer.
• “Make an altar call and ministry time a regular part of your worship service.

Our corporate gatherings should become “houses of prayer” for all nations. We must incorporate prayer strategies in our gatherings. We should teach our congregants to pray and make sure everything we do is covered by prayer. Let’s obey Christ - becoming presence-filled congregations and gatherings, ekklesias, exalting Jesus and making Him known in the earth.

“And so you are no longer called outcasts and wanderers but citizens with God’s people, members of God’s holy family, and residents of His household. You are being built on a solid foundation: the message of the prophets and the voices of God’s chosen emissaries with Jesus, the Anointed Himself, the precious cornerstone. In Him you are being built together, creating a sacred dwelling place among you where God can live in the Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:19-20 and 22; The VOICE)

Pray with me:

Father, forgive us for ignoring or redefining what You wanted when we come together. You are looking for intimacy with us, and ekklesias operating as houses of prayer. We often look for support networks, places to fellowship or gatherings that teach us how to be good Christians. We’ve missed the mark. Remind us to gather for the primary purpose of connecting with You, exalting Your name, hearing Your voice, and interceding from Your heart.

Holy Spirit, You are hovering over the church today, rebirthing something ancient, which will be new once again. You’re creating fresh interaction between the church and Yourself. As we move into the Third Great Awakening, intercession will go to new levels. We will see Your life explode in the church, gifts poured out and anointings released for the cause of the great harvest.

We pray and release this in Jesus’ Name! Amen.

Today’s decree:

The church IS becoming a house of prayer, just as Jesus commanded.

Copyright © 2021 Dutch Sheets Ministries, All rights reserved.

Funny Prayer About Getting Old

 

Operating in the Invisible Realm

I am going to do several posts this week on the importance of understanding and operating in the realm of the spirit. The Scriptures often refer to this realm as “heavenly places” or “the heavens.” Much of it will be taken from my book, Authority In Prayer, one of my best books on prayer.

I never do a post just to sell products. My staff, however, has asked me to mention a unique book, Praying for the Impossible. A while back, my publisher combined two of my best selling books, Intercessory Prayer and Authority In Prayer, into one binding. In other words, it is a set of two books, bound as one. This has now been discontinued, and they offered us a significant discount on those they had left. We want to pass much of the discount on to you. If you would like this presentation - two books in one - you can order it through our product department on my website while they last. If you already have these books, this would be a great gift to someone you want to introduce to a deeper understanding of prayer.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places. And raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus, so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

This sounds like one uninterrupted passage of Scripture, doesn’t it? It is actually 5 separate verses from Ephesians 1:3, 1:20, 2:6, 3:10, 6:12. I became fascinated one day as I read these verses consecutively, with none of the in-between sections. When I saw how well they flowed together, I realized they really do provide a continuity of thought. In summary, they tell us we have been given everything we need in order to operate in heavenly places; Christ has been given all authority in this realm; we have been seated there with Him in that position of authority; through us, from our position there with Christ, God intends to deal with the kingdom of darkness; finally, the last verse describes the evil kingdom, listing its various components.

What are “heavenly places”? This is not referring to heaven, God’s home, but to the invisible atmosphere all around us. We must understand this relatively unknown dimension in order to fully partner with God and experience the fullness of His blessing. It is the unseen realm of the spirit - invisible yet real, hidden yet very active. Much of what happens on earth is influenced by it; certainly anything of eternal significance or regulating the destinies of people and nations is influenced from it. Most people, including Christians, give little thought to an unseen world governing the one we see. Many, especially in cultures that emphasize higher education and intellectualism, are actually cynical of this dimension’s existence. But the Bible is filled with descriptions and accounts of it - in fact, this is actually the story of Scripture. Apart from the invisible realm, there is no God, Satan, angels, demons, fall of humankind, birth of Christ, redemption through the Cross, miracles, or resurrection of the dead. Yet again, surprisingly, most American Christians live their lives without weighing how much this realm affects us, let alone how we can influence it.

Consider the following significant statement: the more we learn to function in the invisible spiritual realm, recognizing and applying its governing principles, the more we can partner with God, positively impact our world, avoid the snares and influence of the evil one, and enjoy the blessings of our salvation.(1) As I meditated on the Ephesians verses, God began revealing to me that I was not conscious enough of this realm. It was not a new subject to me. I have comprehended it for many years and realized that we can influence it through our prayers and actions. But Holy Spirit began revealing to me that even so, I was not as cognizant of this dimension as I needed to be.

I saw clearly that if I was to be as effective as was possible in changing situations on earth, I had to understand more fully how this heavenly realm affected them. Also, I needed a greater understanding of how I could influence the invisible world. And, hopefully, do all of this without becoming weird!

The more I meditated on this spiritual realm, the more I realized it is the Bible’s major theme - two invisible kingdoms warring for control of the world. If we could see what takes place around us in this dimension, we would no doubt see a great clashing of kingdoms - angelic and demonic forces engaged in phenomenal warfare. I don’t know exactly what it looks like, but I know it is occuring. The following vivid account of the unseen gives us a glimpse:

When the attendant of the man of God had risen early and gone out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was circling the city. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” And the Lord opened the servant's eyes, and he saw; and behold the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed to the Lord and said, “Strike these people with blindness, I pray.” So He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha. (2 Kings 6:15-18, NASB)

The invisible forces were there all along - it was just that Elisha’s servant could not see them initially. And so it is with us. We live in a world filled with constant and tremendous angelic and demonic activity. Our natural eyes, however, cannot perceive it.

It amazes me how many Christians, though they claim to believe the Bible and would say they believe in these “heavenly places,” still have a problem consciously relating to it. Many, for example, take issue with any form of prayer dealing with demons, angels, or invisible strongholds.

The world, of course - those who do not profess to be Christians - has an even greater problem acknowledging the invisible spiritual realm. The very suggestion of an invisible sphere influencing the visible world elicits immediate skepticism (or mockery) and often an inference that anyone who believes in this realm is not in touch with reality.

What a boost for the devil’s activities!

At some point, however, if we are going to be truly effective in prayer, we must acknowledge, understand and learn to influence the spiritual realm. We must move beyond our fear of criticism and agree with Scripture. Jesus is our example, and He frequently dealt with the invisible. He was aware of it and consistently engaged unseen entities, stirring up demonic opposition everywhere He went.

The early church in Acts did so as well, confronting forces of darkness and dealing with them when appropriate. We are inconsistent if we confess to be Bible-believing followers of Christ and yet refuse to acknowledge and deal with the invisible kingdom of darkness. Failure in this area has rendered us largely impotent.

Pray with me:

Father, teach us more about the spiritual realm. Give us understanding of how to impact this dimension and extend Your kingdom influence into it. We ask for greater revelation of how to release the victory of Christ into the earth, changing nations, cities and people. Make us more conscious of the invisible realm where much of what happens on earth is determined.

We pray that anointed teachers will be raised up to skillfully teach on the subject. Please awaken them to the need for this so that we can influence this realm with balance, skill, and accuracy. And please break off of the church all hesitancy of engaging with this spiritual realm.

And as we do so often here, we ask You for, and thank You in advance, for sending the greatest awakening/revival that has ever occurred to the nations of the earth. We are asking for entire cultures and people groups to be swept into Your family. We are asking You to break off of them the control of principalities and evil spirits, freeing them to see truth and receive Your love and provision. And we ask all of this in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.

Our decree:

We boldly declare that the spirit of wisdom and revelation is being released into the church at the highest level possible.

____________________________

1. Dutch Sheets and Chuck Pierce, Releasing the Prophetic Destiny of a Nation, (Shippensburg, PA: Destiny Image, 2005) pp 75-76.

Copyright © 2021 Dutch Sheets Ministries, All rights reserved.

Juneteenth and the Synergy of the Ages

Juneteenth and the Synergy of the Ages

In this Give Him 15, I want to commemorate Juneteenth, a new federal holiday, which is celebrated tomorrow, June 19th. Slavery officially ended in the United States with the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863. However, slaves in Texas didn’t learn they were free until June 19th 1865 - more than 2 1/2 years later. This day became known as Juneteenth. It was initially only celebrated in Texas, but is now being recognized around the country. You can learn more about Juneteenth here.

I asked my friend, Will Ford, to share regarding this important day in American history:

“The ending of slavery and the celebration of Juneteenth are rooted in the power of intercession. Prayer changed our nation and led to revival and transformation.

“Slaves were often forbidden to pray, and if caught doing so were sometimes beaten. Nevertheless, many slaves, in spite of the danger and because of their love for Jesus, prayed anyway. My slave ancestors used a cast iron kettle pot as an acoustic means of concealing the sound of their voices. As I detail in my book, ,THE DREAM KING, they would invert the pot, lay it on the ground and prop it up with 3 or 4 rocks around the edges. They then prostrated themselves on the ground and put their mouths to the opening between the ground and the kettle. Thus, it was used to muffle their voices as they prayed. This pot also became a reminder of the prayer bowls in heaven, where God collects our prayers (Revelation 5:8).

“Years ago, I began to wonder if there were similar stories passed down in other African American families, so my curiosity led me to do research. Over the past 20 years, I’ve combed through thousands of slave narratives at the Library of Congress. I learned this testimony of secret prayer meetings wasn’t just in my family’s slave history, and neither was their method of concealing their prayers. I found hundreds of written examples from Christian, African American slaves who used wash pots, barrels, and kettles to muffle their voices as they prayed.

“Albert J. Raboteau, professor of religion at Princeton University, confirms this. ‘The most common device for preserving secrecy was an iron pot usually placed in the middle of the cabin floor or at the doorstep, then slightly propped up to hold the sound of the praying and singing from escaping. A variation was to pray or sing softly with heads together around the kettle to deaden the sound.’

“Many accounts mentioned how a secret code song was used to alert them of the secret prayer meetings at night. The song was called Steal Away To Jesus. Sometimes they sang and prayed all night.

“In his slave narrative, Peter Randolph revealed how slaves also concealed prayer meetings by building temporary tabernacles, called ‘brush harbors’ or ‘hush harbors.’ In the dark of night, those first to the selected spot bent the boughs of trees in the direction of the prayer meeting, and those following behind were guided by them to the prayer meeting. After arriving in the desired location, they often soaked quilts with water, which were used to build four walls around them. This created a tabernacle. The wet blankets helped to deaden the sound as they prayed.

“The beauty is that prayers offered in secret, in wet-blanket tabernacles and muffled under cast-iron kettles, filled golden prayer bowls in heaven. It’s exciting to think that our prayers are stored in the same place. Note that in Revelation 5:8, ‘bowls’ is plural. We don’t know how many bowls hold our prayers, but it’s very likely that each of us has his or her bowl in Heaven. God stores our prayers in them for use at the proper time. At the right time, He tips them and pours out powerful answers.”


This part of American history is not taught in schools. Though recorded in our archives, these stories are only now being retold because of the research Will is doing. He is helping us understand our history is a spiritual one, not just one composed of secular events and decisions. It is a history grown also from the prayers of the saints.

Psalm 78:2-4 and other scriptures encourage us to search out and share the history we have in the Lord: “I will teach you hidden lessons from our past - stories we have heard and known, stories our ancestors handed down to us. We will not hide these truths from our children; we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord, about his power and his mighty wonders,” (NLT). Without the fullness of our Christian heritage being known, godless men and women will try to reconstruct a history leaving God out of the picture. This revisionist history leaves us soul-less and divided, hopeless, and without a moral compass or purpose.


Will continues:

“Imagine, one day, in response to the prayers of our enslaved forefathers, God tipped over the prayer bowls in heaven and changed society. Quiet but fervent prayers for freedom, offered underneath kettles, joined with the prayers and sermons of the first and second Great Awakenings bringing deliverance. One of the little-known revivalists who became a voice for the voiceless was John Girardeau in Charleston, South Carolina. A white pastor and a rising star in the Presbyterian church, Girardeau also had a heart for the lost, especially enslaved African Americans. In the summer of 1857, at the Anson Street Presbyterian Church in Charleston, South Carolina, Girardeau called his congregation of 48 slaves and 12 whites to pray for revival. They prayed for many months.1

“One evening, while in prayer with the congregation, Girardeau said he ‘felt as if a surge of electricity’ struck his head and filled his entire being. He looked up and saw those praying with him shaking, trembling, and in tears. Their cries became more fervent as they continued praying with tears for the souls of their lost neighbors and loved ones. Revival came to the entire city of Charleston! One church gained 400 new members in just 3 or 4 days! 2

“This move of Holy Spirit lasted for eight weeks of nightly meetings and impacted all of Charleston. Crowds of 1,500 to 2,000 of every background gathered from across the city. Free African Americans, the enslaved, and whites of every strata of society were impacted. Girardeau’s church grew from 60 people to 2,000 Sunday morning attendees. 3

The Presbyterian church decided to ride the wave of enthusiasm, and initiated evangelism and prayer campaigns up and down the east coast. Eventually, they started one in New York City on Fulton Street at a Dutch Reformed church building, asking a young businessman who had been impacted by the revival in Charleston to head up the effort. Jeremiah Lanphier began a noon-day prayer meeting for businessmen. His first prayer meeting of six people soon turned into hundreds. Within weeks, 5,000 were coming to prayer! Eventually, over a million people across the country would give their lives to Christ and participate in these noon, business prayer meetings. 4

“This revival of prayer not only resulted in a harvest of millions of souls, but also societal transformation. Because of the new ethnic diversity in the congregations in Charleston, many people became voices for their brothers and sisters who were still enslaved there and throughout the South. This change of heart over slavery was an answer to prayer for those bound in chains. Incredibly, historians record the first shot of the Civil War came from Fort Sumter in Charleston, S.C. I believe, with many others, that the first shot of the Civil War actually came from the prayer meeting on Anson Street. Ultimately, on June 19, 1865, two years after slaves were freed through the Emancipation Proclamation, freedom for all enslaved came to the streets of Galveston, Texas.

“The questions for us now are, ‘Which prayer meeting will be the “first shot” to end our division today? Who will fill the prayer bowls in heaven for those “spiritually” enslaved? Who will “steal away to Jesus” today, in order to shift and shape tomorrow?’”


Pray with me [prayer by Will Ford]:

Father, the prayers of our forefathers ring in eternity, actively working even today to shape our nation’s future. You have not forgotten the prayers of Robert Hunt, who planted a cross at Jamestown and dedicated this land to You. You are still acting on the prayers of our governmental forefathers and great revivalists in history. Your heart holds dear, as well, the sacrificial prayers of our country’s former enslaved believers.

Today, we’re gathering stones and building another altar to You for our future. Release a new fire of revival for this generation and beyond. Heal hearts, minds, emotions and relationships. Make the church in America of one heart, mind, spirit and purpose in Christ Jesus. Pour out Your Holy Spirit on us and through us.

Manifest Your holy presence across this land as You did in revivals of old. Birther of nations, You are able to rebirth this land. You can draw the lost, and You can also end systemic poverty and reverse Roe v. Wade. You can end human trafficking, senseless violence, and gang warfare. You can unravel global agendas and give Your people solutions to societal ills.

You are looking for a new generation of people who will drop their agendas, come together and believe! We want to be part of extending a storyline in America that brings healing instead of hurt, blessing instead of curses. Make it so! Amen.


Today’s decree:

The sacrifice of prayer by former enslaved citizens is still honored in Heaven. We decree that the prayers we pray today will mingle with theirs, lighting the fires of revival and transforming America’s future!



Learn more about Will Ford ,here.

Click below to watch prayer.https://youtu.be/IAnw8iahRPU

___________________________________
,https://romans1015.com/1857-anson-street-revival/
Ibid.
Ibid.

,https://www.smithworks.org/revival/1857.html

~ Dutch Sheets

The Undistracted

Several years ago when my daughter, Hannah, was only three or four, I was enjoying a great Broncos playoff game. Did you catch that? Not just a game - a Broncos playoff game. I had a great fire in the fireplace, had kicked back in my football recliner, and was into the game. Hannah had no understanding of football and couldn’t have cared less about the game.

She plopped down in my lap and, as girls do, began jabbering about something. She wasn’t talking about anything terribly important - at least I didn't think it was all that important. But I was listening. Well, sort of. I was actually dividing my attention between her commentary and the exploits of John Elway. This is real devotion to my daughter, I thought. Sharing my football time with her childish jabbering. A Broncos playoff football, at that. What a great dad I am.

I was doing the typical distracted listening routine, an “uh-huh” here, an “ohhh” there, with a smile or two and a head nod thrown in for added effect. Sure, I was missing a play here or there, but, hey, that’s just the price of devotion.

Hannah has always been very perceptive. And, of course, she has the distinctive female trait of wanting men in her life to really listen. I don’t know when that particular gene kicks in for women, but it obviously comes at an earlier age than I thought. After a few minutes of my divided attention, Hannah had finally had enough.

“Dad,” she said rather sternly, as she placed one index finger on each cheek and turned my face directly toward her. “Look me in the eye and listen.”

Women manifest these things at a young age!

I looked her in the eye and listened. That, my friend, is undistracted devotion.


Paul uses these two words, “undistracted devotion,” in 1 Corinthians 7:35, speaking of our commitment to the Lord. The phrase actually comes from one Greek word, euprosedros. Prosedros, by itself, means “to sit forward or toward” someone or something. Imagine a person sitting in the presence of someone they are completely enamored with, leaning toward them in order to hear every word. The prefix eu means “well,” intensifying the concept to mean “sitting well toward”; thus, the translation “undistracted devotion.” In our culture today we sometimes use a similar phrase, “sitting on the edge of my seat.” Obviously, we mean by this that we are fully captivated by someone or something.

Hannah wanted me to “sit well toward” her, giving her some face time. She wanted to know that she, not the Broncos, was number one. And she was. At that moment my favorite color wasn’t orange; it was brown, the color of her eyes.

God would like some face time with you. He knows you’re busy and can’t live like a monk, giving yourself to non-stop worship and meditation. He’s aware that you have responsibilities: work, school, family and more. He doesn’t want all of your time; He does, however, wants some undistracted time. It’s a matter of having the right priorities.

I have found that priorities are heart related. What means the most to me is what I prioritize. If we find ourselves uninterested in the pleasure of God’s company, the place to start is with repentance. We should ask God to forgive us of indifference toward Him, and to awaken passion in us. Then begin spending quality time with Him. As we do, hunger for His presence will increase and we will look forward to those times.

As King Solomon was about to begin his reign over Israel, he prayed a prayer God couldn’t resist. “So give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge these great people of Yours?” (1 Kings 3:9). The phrase “an understanding heart” should actually be translated “a hearing heart.” The translators struggle with the concept of a “hearing” heart, so they don’t word it this way. But the Hebrew word is shama, and it does mean “to hear.” Solomon asked for a hearing heart.

Hearts can hear, but only when they’re undistracted. In times past, before we had refrigerators, people used ice houses to preserve food. These buildings had thick walls and were well insulated. In winter, large chunks of ice were taken from the lakes, ponds, or streams and laid on the floor, then covered with a thick layer of sawdust to insulate it. This made a great “refrigerator.”

One day a gentleman lost an expensive watch in the icehouse. Due to the thickness of the sawdust, all efforts to find it failed. Others looked, also in vain. Finally, a small boy slipped into the icehouse when no one was around and promptly found the valuable watch.

Surprised, the man asked the boy how he had so easily and quickly found the valuable timepiece.

“I closed the door, lay down on the floor, and was very quiet,” replied the lad. “Pretty soon I heard it ticking.”1


The problem isn’t God’s refusal to speak but our inability - or refusal - to get quiet enough to hear. Silencing the soul is a learned art. The psalmist David spoke of this. “Surely I have composed and quieted my soul; like a weaned child rests against his mother” (Psalm 131:2). When we quiet the soul, we can hear His voice in our hearts.

Several years ago I was preparing to speak at a conference in Canada. As I spoke with the Lord about the service, I heard Him speak. It wasn’t loud, and it certainly wasn’t audible. It was a gentle voice in my heart, almost like the ticking of a watch: “Japan is heavy on My heart today.”

I was surprised. I knew it was God – I certainly wasn’t thinking about Japan – and the way He said it surprised me. It had never occurred to me that a particular place might be on God’s heart more than others at any given time. I suppose I just assumed every place was equally on God’s heart all the time.

“I must have a breakthrough there,” He continued. “Rather than speak in your session today, would you give the time to prayer for a breakthrough in Japan?”

I was stunned. God didn’t demand that I do this; He asked if I would! It was almost as if I was hearing the longing of His heart, not words from His mouth. I was deeply moved that He would allow me into His thoughts.

“Of course I will, Lord,” was my quick and heartfelt response.

As I shared with the gathering what I had heard, several dozen people in the audience began speaking. They shouted from their seats that they were from Japan! We invited them to the ministry area up front and prayed for them and their nation. It was a very special time. The conference attendees were still praying for them an hour later when I left for the airport. A few weeks after this I received an email from someone in Japan thanking me for this time of intercession. Someone had taken a recording of the session to Japan, and it was circulated throughout many Japanese churches. The email spoke of the great encouragement the prayers provided and testified to breakthroughs they had received since then. God is amazing.

And He still speaks to those who will listen.


Slow down a little and let God into your world. If you do, He’ll allow you into His. He will find the pleasure of your undistracted devotion, and you will experience the pleasure of hearing His heart.

Look Him in the eyes and listen.

Pray with me:

Father, thank You for Your undivided attentiveness toward us. Pleasures are provoked within Your heart when we choose not just to glance back, but to gaze?

In repentance we come before You today, for letting ourselves lose interest in the pleasure of Your company. Forgive us for our indifference. Awaken passion for Your presence, and guide us in resetting our priorities.

Holy Spirit, teach us the art of waiting with undivided hearts. You are worthy of our undistracted devotion, where we sit on the edge of our seats, listening intently for every word, every intonation of Your voice.

Like Solomon, we ask for hearing hearts, hearts that can hear Yours. What could possibly be more important? We commit ourselves to slowing down, looking into Your eyes and listening. We want…the pleasure of Your company.

In Christ’s name we pray...Amen.

Today’s post was taken from my book The Pleasure of His Company. ~ Dutch Sheets

Watch the video here:https://youtu.be/FzjPGfoTUCo


1. Edward K. Rowell, Fresh Illustrations for Preaching and Teaching (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1997), p 93.

National Day of Prayer 2021

America’s National Day of Prayer is a national treasure. Our nation has known from its foundations we must call on the Name of the Lord to remain secure in His protection and blessing. 

President George Washington said, “It is impossible to rightly govern a nation without God and the Bible.”

When challenged as to the Christian roots of America, many believers like to quote President John Adams, who boldly stated, “We recognize no sovereign but God, and no king but Jesus!”

U.S. President Andrew Jackson, president from 1829 to 1837, made a humble appeal to heaven which clearly revealed the heart of early America: “Finally, it is my most fervent prayer to that Almighty Being before whom I now stand, and who has kept us in His hands from the infancy of our Republic unto the present day, that He will so overrule all my intentions and actions and inspire the hearts of my fellow-citizens that we may be preserved from dangers of all kinds and continue forever a united and happy people.”

America’s history reveals that this presidential acknowledgement of God did not stop as we moved into the modern age. President John F. Kennedy sought the blessing of the Lord on our nation at the National Day of Prayer in 1962. He asked the Lord to bless “our homes, that this integral unit of society may nurture our youth and give to them the needed faith in God, in our Nation, and in their future; our citizens, that they may increase in the desire to promote mercy and justice, peace and freedom, good will and brotherhood; our Nation, that each new achievement may add to our heritage of faith.”

In 1983 at the National Day of Prayer in Washington, D.C., President Ronald Reagan reminded the nation of its need of and reliance on God. He proclaimed, “From General Washington’s struggle at Valley Forge to the present, this Nation has fervently sought and received divine guidance as it pursued the course of history. This occasion provides our Nation with an opportunity to further recognize the source of our blessings, and to seek His help for the challenges we face today and in the future.”

Last year’s National Day of Prayer was held during COVID-19 lockdowns. While a nation struggled, President Donald J. Trump reminded our country of God’s faithfulness and commitment to us. He declared, “In every part of our country, we’ve seen the grace of God through the love and devotion of our fellow citizens as scripture assures us, ‘The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save.’ Think of that. ‘The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save’”6 (Zephaniah 3:17; ESV).

So today, we celebrate another National Day of Prayer. We turn to the Lord, humble ourselves, repent of our personal and national sin, and pray together in unity, asking Him to heal our land, just as we have since America’s beginning.

“The National Day of Prayer is a vital part of our heritage. Since the first call to prayer in 1775, when the Continental Congress asked the colonies to pray for wisdom in forming a nation, the call to prayer has continued through our history, including President Lincoln’s proclamation of a day of ‘humiliation, fasting, and prayer’ in 1863. In 1952, a joint resolution by Congress, signed by President Truman, declared an annual national day of prayer. In 1988, the law was amended and signed by President Reagan, permanently setting the day as the first Thursday of every May. Each year, the president signs a proclamation, encouraging all Americans to pray on this day. Last year, all 50 state governors plus the governors of several U.S. territories signed similar proclamations.

“The National Day of Prayer has great significance for us as a nation as it enables us to recall and to teach the way in which our founding fathers sought the wisdom of God when faced with critical decisions. It stands as a call for us to humbly come before God, seeking His guidance for our leaders and His grace upon us as a people. The unanimous passage of the bill establishing the National Day of Prayer as an annual event, signifies that prayer is as important to our nation today as it was in the beginning.”

The theme for this year’s National Day of Prayer is Love, Life, and Liberty. NDP Task Force President Kathy Branzell explains the decision to choose this theme for 2021:

“First and foremost, people need to hear the message and experience the love of our Lord Jesus Christ. All have sinned and fall short, but God’s arm is not short, and we have been sent to show and share His message of LOVE, LIFE, and LIBERTY.

“Before God even spoke, ‘Let there be…,’ He loved you and me. God is LOVE. We are surrounded by the hurting, hopeless, and helpless who have never experienced the love of God. God designed and defines love, real love; unconditional, authentic love that sent His Son to pay our sin-debt in full so that we could believe in Him and have everlasting, abundant LIFE.

“Whether it is an unborn child, the homeless or hungry, orphans and widows, or others who are vulnerable, all need compassion. Everyone needs to know that they were lovingly created by God. He loved them so much He put His image in them and authored their value and purpose, which no person can take away from them. As followers of Jesus, we must share this message of love and life, so all can come to repentance. May none perish, but all know liberty and freedom from the stain and shame of sin. God alone is our judge and in Christ alone, we experience authentic, eternal LIBERTY.

Take the time to pray for America today. You may still have time to find a prayer gathering in your area, where you can gather with other believers to intercede for the nation. Click here to see what’s near you. If you prefer, there are many prayer calls you can participate in. You can find the official National Day of Prayer call-in information here. 

Let’s make this year’s National Day of Prayer a defining moment in America. We are facing many national challenges, but we also have great prophetic promises from the Lord. We are a nation He loves. As we proclaim together He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords over this country, let us also ask Him to pour His love out on all flesh. Let’s ask Him to save the lost, heal the sick, and set every captive free. Let us exalt the Name of Jesus over this land, and proclaim that “Everyone who calls on the Name of the Lord shall be saved” (Acts 2:21; Romans 10:13).

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound.” (Isaiah 61:1; ESV)

Pray with me:

Lord, we are humbled and blessed at the grace and love You have shown the United States of America. We know there has been much repentance for this nation. We have repented for abortion, for slavery, and for our actions with the First Nation’s people, breaking covenant with them time and again. There have been other national sins. But as we repent, the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin and unrighteousness. Forgive us and restore us completely to Your plan and purpose.  

It is time for Your Church in America to arise. The Ekklesia here is going to be everything You said we would be. We will function in power, might, and glory as You fill us with Your love, great faith, and uncompromising boldness. Today, we honor our covenant with You. We embrace You, Lord. We will make You known in America – let the full manifestation of Your Kingdom be seen. We declare that this is a nation whose God is the Lord. We worship You over America.

And let the fullness of Christ and the Gospel of the Kingdom be spread to all nations by Your Ekklesia in America. 

Amen.

Our decree:

America is a nation whose God is the Lord. He gives us Love, Life, and Liberty!

Copyright © 2021 Dutch Sheets Ministries, All rights reserved.