40,000 REVIVAL PRAYER GROUPS SPRING UP AS TAIWAN’S CHRISTIANS FACE WAR

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Source: CBN News

China’s sabre-rattling has been escalating for months. “Tensions are peaking. Beijing’s belligerence is once again making Taipei jittery,” said a report from WION News. China’s military recently released a video showing what simulated attacks on Taiwan would look like. “A war here in Taiwan would have catastrophic economic consequences not just for this island, but for the whole world,” warned SkyNews London in a report from Taipei. The tiny island off the mainland coast is now facing almost daily Chinese military harassment. “Taiwan is beefing up its military and training with new U.S. weapons,” reported CBS News, as its military prepares for possible full-scale war. “To be clear, we do not seek conflict or confrontation, but we will not flinch in the face of bullying or coercion,” said a defiant U.S. Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin. While the war drums grow louder by day, Taiwan’s Christians are taking to their knees by night.”The united prayers and fasting prayers of the churches in Taiwan are much more than ever before. It’s an unprecedented prayer movement,” Brian Lu, pastor of Shekinah House of Bread of Life in Taipei, told CBN News.

All across this island, people are meeting every day, 24 hours a day, to pray for revival, unity, repentance, and protection over their land. “I believe something so simple is starting to have such a huge impact upon people in the church and also the people around the church,” said Gordon Huang, a prominent church leader. Huang pastors one of Taiwan’s most well-known congregations. His church sits atop the iconic landmark known as Taipei 101 in the heart of the capital city. He fears war with China is coming and wants Christians to be ready. “I think one thing for sure is that people are going to be so shaken and people will want to hear the Gospel. Are you ready or are you going to be on the run yourself?” Huang told CBN News. That theme of shaking gripped Don Young two years ago. “I had heard from the Lord: ‘Time is short, the hour is urgent, it’s time to pray’,” he recalls. In May of 2021, Pastor Young says the Lord spoke to him and gave him a word that there was going to be a shaking coming to this nation. He brought that message to the church leaders of the island and that gave birth to a prayer movement that has since swept across Taiwan.

The Revival Prayer Group or RPG movement began, made up of a handful of people in groups taking turns around the clock to pray for Taiwan. “Prayer is the only way that you can get through anything shaking,” said Young who now works with the Georgia-based College of Prayer International. “Jesus said everything by prayer. He did nothing apart from prayer. Before it was just kind of a moment with God, we all have them, but now it was shaping up to become a movement for God. There’s a huge difference between a moment and a movement.” “Because RPG has two or three people in a group, so if one day a war happens and there are no physical buildings that people can meet in, we can still pray in small groups so the church will not be affected,” said Pastor Lu. Peter Yang has pastored and planted churches in Taiwan since 1978 and says he’s never seen the kind of unity now on display. Churches across denominational lines have been joining the initiative.

“What’s happening today is so rare,” said Rev. Yang who leads the Taiwan Christian Alliance. “Every day, every week, I join pastors from other churches, other denominations, and we pray for our cities, for our nation for other countries. It’s amazing, it’s clearly God’s doing. Unity will be the legacy of this movement.”

More than 40,000 Revival Prayer Groups have sprouted up, with members of China’s underground church movement also taking part. Each group has about 5 members, so that brings the current total to roughly 200,000 participants. “We want to have 300,000 RPG groups where we also unite with churches in China, coming together, all the leaders and members, on both sides, so we can pray with the goal of impacting China as well,” said Yang. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year sent a chill across this island nation of 23 million people with many drawing comparisons between Putin’s obsession with taking over Ukraine and Xi Jinping’s determination to “annex” Taiwan.

Many fear war can erupt here with little notice and it’s prompting some to search for peace amid constant threats from Beijing. “Many people came and joined RPG because they heard testimonies of how God is answering prayer, so you have a lot of unbelieving people joining RPG and as they open their mouths and pray, they experience the Lord so they are coming to the Lord as well,” said Pastor Huang. CBN News spoke with church leaders who said a potential Taiwan-China war would be like David facing down Goliath, bringing untold devastation and loss of life. They believe prayer can make the difference between war and peace.  “We ask churches around the world to pray for this most dangerous place in the world today so that God’s peace can come upon cross-strait relations,” said Pastor Lu. “Ethnic Chinese should not kill one another, but instead, we should together fulfill the end-time missions’ movement, to bring the Gospel back to Jerusalem.”

This is just another end-times sign and it is great to see that Taiwanese Christians recognize it and are responding to it.

WHY YOU SHOULD BELIEVE AND TRUST JESUS CHRIST

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This is the prayer Jesus prayed to His Heavenly Father knowing He would be tortured and crucified the following day.

I would urge you to carefully read what it says and means considering the following: 1. In the context of Jesus’ life on Earth as recorded by His disciples, 2. His disciples all gave up their lives rather than deny the truth of Jesus Christ and His Word. 3. Jesus changed the world dramatically, B.C. and A.D., as many nations accepted the Judaeo Christian worldview, 4. The fact that there are over 300 prophecies by Old Testament prophets of Jesus’ first coming to Earth that were fulfilled to the letter. 5. There are more than 1,000 prophecies of Jesus’ second coming to Earth and I would suggest that they will be fulfilled exactly as the prophecies of Jesus’ first coming were fulfilled. Many have already been fulfilled, particularly one major one – the re-establishment of the nation of Israel in 1948. Biblical prophecies tell us that Jesus will return with the glorified Saints to rescue the nation of Israel at the prophesied battle of Armageddon. Prior to 1948 Israel as a nation did not exist. In the second century AD, the Romans crushed the revolt of Shimon Bar Kokhba (132 AD) during which Jerusalem and Judea were regained and the land of Judea was renamed Palaestina in an attempt to minimize Jewish identification with the land.

JESUS HIGH PRIESTLY PRAYER

“Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.
“I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake, I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.
“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.” John 17:1-26

You have to be blinded by the evil one if you cannot see the truth of these wonderful words. The truth about the one who spoke them and the truth of our Heavenly Father to whom Jesus spoke this prayer. What a wonderful God we have. How awesome it is that He loves us to the extent that He does.

WHAT ARE GOD’S REQUIREMENTS FOR ANSWERED PRAYER?

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This is the answer I got from ChatGPT.

The concept of God’s requirements for answered prayer varies among different religious traditions and interpretations. While it is important to note that beliefs and teachings may differ, I can provide you with a general understanding based on common religious perspectives.

  1. Faith and Trust: Many religious traditions emphasize the importance of having faith and trust in God when praying. Believers are encouraged to approach God with sincerity, confidence, and a genuine belief that their prayers will be heard and answered.
  2. Alignment with God’s Will: It is often believed that prayers are more likely to be answered when they align with God’s will or divine plan. This means that praying for things that are in accordance with God’s teachings, values, and purposes may have a higher chance of being granted.
  3. Righteousness and Moral Living: Some religious traditions teach that living a righteous and moral life increases the likelihood of prayers being answered. It is believed that being in a state of harmony with God’s commandments and living according to ethical principles can positively influence the outcome of one’s prayers.
  4. Persistence and Patience: Persistence and patience are often regarded as virtues when it comes to prayer. It is believed that consistent and persevering prayer, coupled with patience and trust in God’s timing, can enhance the chances of prayers being answered.
  5. Forgiveness and Compassion: Many religious teachings emphasize the importance of forgiveness and compassion. It is often suggested that harboring resentment or holding grudges can hinder the effectiveness of prayer. Being forgiving, compassionate, and demonstrating love towards others is seen as favorable when approaching God in prayer.
  6. Humility: Approaching God with humility is another common requirement for answered prayer. Acknowledging one’s dependence on God, recognizing one’s limitations, and expressing gratitude can create an environment conducive to receiving answers to prayer.
  7. Relationship and Personal Connection: Building a personal relationship with the divine is often considered crucial in prayer. Nurturing an ongoing connection with God through regular communication, worship, and spiritual practices can deepen one’s relationship and potentially increase the likelihood of prayers being answered.

It’s important to note that these requirements for answered prayer may vary based on different religious beliefs and individual interpretations. Understanding the specific teachings and doctrines of your own faith tradition will provide a more precise understanding of the requirements for answered prayer within that particular context.

User

I then qualified my question as follows: I should have said the Christian’s God of the Bible. What does He require?

Answer from Chat GPT

In Christian belief, there are several principles and conditions often emphasized for effective prayer and receiving answers from God. Here are some key requirements as outlined in the Bible:

  1. Faith: Faith is a central element in Christian prayer. Jesus, in the Gospels, often emphasized the importance of faith when approaching God in prayer. For example, in Mark 11:24 (ESV), Jesus says, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”
  2. Alignment with God’s Will: It’s important to pray in accordance with God’s will. This concept is stated in 1 John 5:14 (ESV): “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.”
  3. Repentance and Forgiveness: Jesus taught the importance of forgiveness and repentance in prayer. In the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13), Jesus includes the line “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” This implies a connection between receiving forgiveness and extending it to others.
  4. Persistence: Jesus encouraged persistence in prayer. In Luke 18:1-8, he told the parable of the persistent widow to illustrate the importance of not giving up in prayer.
  5. Righteousness and Obedience: Living a righteous and obedient life is important for effective prayer. In 1 John 3:22 (ESV), it says, “and whatever we ask we receive from him because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.”
  6. Asking in Jesus’ Name: Jesus taught his disciples to pray in his name. This is mentioned in passages like John 14:13-14 (ESV): “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.”
  7. Thanksgiving and Gratitude: Gratitude is important in Christian prayer. Philippians 4:6 (ESV) advises, “Do not be anxious about anything,
  8. Trusting in God’s Timing: Trusting that God knows the best timing for answering prayers is crucial. This is highlighted in passages like Ecclesiastes 3:1 (ESV), “For everything, there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven.”
  9. Love and Compassion: Demonstrating love and compassion towards others is linked to effective prayer. In Matthew 5:23-24 (ESV), Jesus instructs, “So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First, be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”
  10. Fasting and Prayer: Fasting is sometimes recommended as a means to intensify one’s prayer life. Jesus spoke about this in Matthew 6:16-18 (ESV), though it’s important to note that it should be done with sincerity and not for show.
  11. These principles are based on Christian teachings as outlined in the Bible, but interpretations may vary among different Christian denominations and individual believers. It’s always advisable to consult with a trusted spiritual leader or source within your specific Christian tradition for personalized guidance.

I was amazed at the speed of the response and the accuracy of the information. It was immediate, as soon as I had finished submitting the question the response came.

The Book of Daniel is largely end-times prophecies, note what Daniel was told about the time of the end; “knowledge shall increase“.

“But you Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.” Daniel 12:4

We are living in the prophesied end times: artificial intelligence and robotics are just two of the end times signs. It is not the technology that is the problem, God provided that and our ability to use it. It is what we do with it, that is the problem. Digital currency is the next step governments will take to restrict our freedom and it is just one more step to the prophesied end times, Mark of the Beast.

“Also, it (Antichrist) causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name.” Revelation 13:16-17

GOD ANSWERS PRAYER

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Jesus makes it plain that forgiveness is an essential requirement of all prayers. He also makes it abundantly clear that He will respond to all prayers of believers that are operating in obedience to God’s will, which will be the Holy Spirit’s leading.

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.” Mark 11:24-25

First, go and be reconciled to them” (Matthew 5:23-24). They may not forgive you, of course; they may reject your attempt or react with renewed anger over what you did, but then it becomes their problem, not yours. You will have done everything you could to let them know you regret what happened, and that you want their forgiveness.

Paul makes it clear that God answers humble prayers given with thanksgiving. We can also then be confident that the peace of God will “guard our hearts and minds“.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

See what David has to say about prayer. He loves God because He knows God responds to his prayers. Note what David says about calling on God as long as he lives. Also, note David differentiates between his body and soul.

“I love the LORD because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy. Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.” Psalms 116:1-2

“The LORD preserves the simple; when I was brought low, He saved me. Return, O my soul, to your rest;
for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.” Psalms 116:6-7

“For you have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.” Psalms 56:13

“For you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling; I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living.” Psalms 116:8-9

I love the following Scripture on prayer, it tells us so much 1. Rejoice always, 2. Pray without ceasing in all circumstances, 3. When we do, rejoice, be thankful, and pray we are in the will of God, 4. Do not quench the Holt Spirit within you, 5. Do not despise prophecies (there are about 2000 prophecies of Jesus’ second coming), 6. Test everything, be Bereans, 7. Hold fast to what is good and reject the rest.

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-21

GOD LOVES HIS CHILDREN TO BE THANKFUL

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Our thankfulness glorifies God and makes Him joyful:

“The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one who orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of God!” Psalms 50:23

Puritan John Boys echoed the sentiment of the psalmist: “As the Lord loveth a cheerful giver, so likewise a cheerful thanksgiver.” But God isn’t the only one affected when we give thanks.

A. W. Tozer wrote, “Gratitude is an offering precious in the sight of God, and it is one that the poorest of us can make and be not poorer but richer for having made it.”

In Choosing Gratitude, Nancy Leigh DeMoss writes, “True gratitude, Christian gratitude, doesn’t exist in a vacuum; it has an Object.”

Psalm 138:1-8 How to Have a Thankful Heart

Check out Psalm 138:1-8 for reasons why you should have a thankful heart

God gives us hundreds of reasons to be grateful every hour— ask Him to make you aware of His gracious provisions surrounding you. The Holy Spirit will oblige. He is your counsellor and teacher. Developing the habit and discipline of gratitude results in greater praise to God and greater joy for ourselves.

When life’s tough, we can be grateful that God is with us in our suffering, that He’s using it for our good, and that He promises to end it once and for all.

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-21

Randy Alcorn reported on this study in his article on Thankfulness on the Patheos blog: Psychologists asked undergraduates to complete a survey that included a happiness scale and measures of thankfulness. Over six weeks, the participants wrote down, once a week, five things they were grateful for. This practice had a dramatic effect on their happiness score. The study concluded, “Students who regularly expressed gratitude showed increases in well-being throughout the study.”

Likewise secular books on happiness document gratitude’s role in making people happier. But cultivating gratitude proves difficult for people whose worldview leaves them with nobody to thank! Yes, they can thank someone for loaning them a car or being their teacher. But whom can they thank for sunshine, air to breathe, the capacity to work, and enjoy pleasure? People who don’t believe that a sovereign God is at work through the kindness of others must thank their “lucky stars,” random circumstances, or—at best—other people. Since people are small when compared to God, the object of their gratitude is small, shrinking their capacity for happiness.

God’s common grace offers unbelievers a degree of happiness that’s greatly enhanced through thankfulness. As Christ-followers, however, we find gratitude multiplied when we return it to God, the ultimate and primary source of all goodness.

I suggest you keep a Holy Spirit journal (HSJ) as He is your counsellor, teacher, and comforter. He produces the fruit of the Spirit in your life (Galatians 5:22, all nine) and also provides the spiritual gifts for ministry (1 Corinthians 12:4-11, all nine). You might also want to keep a section of the HSJ to record daily, God’s evident goodness around you. You’ll find that in time, you’ll see more and more gifts from Him—not because there are more, but because you’re finally seeing what has been there all along.

God, we know from Biblical prophecies that Jesus second coming to earth, this time to restore righteousness is not too far distant but may we not wait until we see you, Lord Jesus, for our every breath to be filled with gratitude for your saving work on The Cross, the continuing work of the Holy Spirit in our lives along with every other gift you made it possible for the Father to provide. May our hearts overflow with gratitude each day!

PRAYER IMPROVES MENTAL HEALTH

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Dr. Josh Packard, executive director of Springtide Research Institute, told Faithwire about his extensive research into 13-to-25-year-olds, noting studies have long found “religion is good for you.” “Faith and spirituality are good for you,” Packard said. “If you’re a person who believes in some kind of higher power and has a connection to that higher power, you’re generally flourishing more than your peers.”

“Those who pray more tend to be flourishing more in all areas, including their mental health.” Packard’s comments are particularly stunning when America faces an “epidemic of mental health crises among young people.” Meanwhile, there’s also a massive rise in the proportion of “nones” who no longer affiliate with a specific faith or religion.

This data showing increased wellness among the faithful is particularly pertinent in the midst of these dynamics, pointing to a potential solution to cultural conundrums. Packard said there are lessons in Springtide Research Institute’s findings that can inform the culture and churches alike, especially in an era in which faith is being downplayed or diminished. “Young people would be better off if more of them had a connection to something bigger than themselves,” he said. “But also, I think a lot of religious institutions and leaders would do well to take mental health into account so that faith and belief could be appropriately part of somebody’s overall approach to health.” While young people might not be aligning with Christianity at rates they once were, Packard said many still see themselves as spiritual, and more than half pray.

While the separation from biblical truth is undoubtedly troubling for Christians, these realities show at least openness to a higher power. And that intrigue could lead to receptive Gospel introductions. “We see lots of desire from Gen Z to embark on these conversations and explorations of meaning and purpose and, ‘Why am I here on this Earth?’” he said. “So, the desire hasn’t gone away. The exploration hasn’t gone away.” As Faithwire has extensively reported, countless surveys and studies show the benefits of faith. Recent research has found Christians are exceptional at giving, fare better in relationships, church attendees are happier and more content, and churchgoers have better mental health.

Can I suggest you also take a look at my other posts on prayer: Praying Effective Prayers. December 7th, 2022, What Does Prayer Do? October 22nd, 2022, Prayer Connects You to the Source of Life. September 27th, 2022, Pray, Pray, Pray. March 27th, 2022, Praying and Meditating on Scripture Will Improve Your Health. March 14th, 2022. Other posts of possible interest could be Do You Want Greater Hope and Resilience? April 26th, 2022, Young People Religion is Good for You. November 13th, 2022.

PROPHETIC PRAYER DIRECTION FOR 2023

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Rick Ridings heads up Succat Hallel, 24-hour worship and prayer in Jerusalem.

Succat Hallel (Hebrew for Tent of Praise) is a dynamic community of worshippers and intercessors from five continents drawn together to stand as watchmen on the walls of Jerusalem.

The Lord brought Rick & Patricia Ridings to Jerusalem in 1999 to birth Succat Hallel. It began in their living room in February 2000 and grew into watches in various locations. In November 2004, the Lord opened the door for Succat Hallel to relocate to a beautiful facility overlooking Mount Zion and the Old City of Jerusalem. Since then they have been crying out day and night 24/7 – until He makes Jerusalem a praise in all the earth.

I met Rick Ridings at an ICCC Conference in Jerusalem in 2018. He was one of the keynote speakers. He made a number of prophecies at the conference that have subsequently come to pass so I feel confident about posting his prophetic prayer direction for 2023.

PROPHETIC PRAYER DIRECTION FOR 2023

A keyword I am hearing for this next season is “contend”. The Webster dictionary: struggle to surmount (a difficulty). The key scripture is Matthew 11:12:

“And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has been treated violently, and violent men take it by force.” Matthew 11:12 [NASB]

We must contend to wait upon the Lord in praise and worship and to do only what He is leading us to do. This is not a season where we can afford to move in reaction to what the enemy is doing, or out of our emotions. We must be serious about inquiring of the Lord, doing only what He is leading us to do, and in His timing and ways. Only that which is born of God will overcome the world.

In times of financial shakings, we must not be led by finances, but truly lean into the Lord as our Source. He will release the resources for what is truly His Kingdom’s work. But the resources will increasingly be cut off from that which promotes men’s kingdoms rather than His Kingdom.

We must contend for the destiny of children and youth.

As we train and release children and youth into becoming worshippers, they will not be stolen by the enemy, but will instead plunder the enemy.

Where this becomes a priority, there are children and youth who will move in signs and wonders. There will be children and youth used in mighty ways to evangelize.

They will lead the way in demonstrations of the Kingdom of God in public places with healings and deliverance from demons. But they will be protected as they have a foundation of regular worship, and they are overseen by true spiritual fathers and mothers.

We must contend to “turn back the battle at the gates” of government, high-tech, media, and education.

This is a season where: “He will be a spirit of justice to the one who sits in judgment, a source of strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.” Isaiah 28:6 [NIV]

There will be some major victories in certain nations that have had a widespread 2 Chronicles-7:14 prayer movement, such as what recently happened in Kenya. In Kenya, during August and September 2022, both the chairman of the electoral commission and the Supreme Court publicly admitted they had been harassed and intimidated by forces trying to get them to overturn the election of a strong Christian president, but that they stood fast for truth and justice.

We must contend for more of this in Africa. And that Africa will arise into a new season of many “sheep nations” emerging, and certain nations becoming models of nation-building.

In other nations, there will be the need for patience and perseverance. Of a kind exhibited by those who prayed for so many years for the reversal of the “Roe vs. Wade” liberalization of abortion by the Supreme Court of the USA.

We must contend to not allow the enemy to escalate regional conflicts into a premature World War III.

Many years ago, I shared that the Lord had shown me that, when the harvest started to break through in some of the most difficult nations (such as Iran and Afghanistan), the enemy would try, as he succeeded in doing in World War I, to stop a major missions-and-harvest movement by inciting a world war.

But I felt the prayer movement could receive the “Rees Howells” mantle and anointing to intercept this strategy of the enemy.

We must contend that the Chinese Communist Party will not be allowed to succeed in military or economic global domination.

The Lord gave Patricia (my wife) a key understanding in Isaiah 26:20,21-27:1 that after a time of many “hiding in their rooms” (which could be applied to the COVID restrictions), the Lord would expose the shedding of innocent blood (as has happened in many nations).

Then in Isaiah 27:1, it says: “On that day the Lord will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, with His fierce and great and mighty sword, Even Leviathan the twisted serpent; And He will kill the dragon who lives in the sea.” Isaiah 27:1 [NASB]

We believe that a key strategy to contend against this dragon spirit is to pray that the sword of the Lord is released to cut and bring division between those influenced by the dragon spirit in the leadership of the CCP. Thus thwarting the plans of that demonic principality.

We must contend for the crumbling of ancient religious strongholds, and for a great harvest in the region from the Pacific islands back to Jerusalem.

I received visions in 2014 of a great underwater activity near the international dateline, releasing a tsunami of glory and harvest, shaking and crumbling ancient strongholds, such as the demonic powers behind ancestor worship, idolatry, Shintoism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam.

I sensed it was not yet time then. But on January 15th, 2022, I received a strong confirmation that now is the time when there was an underwater volcanic eruption near the international dateline.

Scientists have said it was so powerful that it needed a new “ultra classification”; that it released a tsunami that reached the Atlantic and the Mediterranean; that it released “Lamb Waves” circling the globe and sound waves that sounded like a bell rung three times around the globe; and that it shook the atmosphere even unto outer space.

We must contend, as is written in Isaiah 60, for the acceleration of His light and glory arising over Jerusalem during a time when “thick darkness” is being released in the nations.

This is a time to contend that there be places of “open heavens” in Jerusalem where righteous world leaders can receive wisdom from the Lord; where Israel will receive great financial wealth from the seas; where business alliances will strengthen with the Arabian Peninsula.

But with such a move in that region, even Saudis will bring not only wealth but also praise to the God of Israel in Jerusalem. For a great Aliyah of Jews returning from the West; and for blessings to come upon nations aligning with the Lord’s plans and purposes for Israel.

May we all stay in the place of worship, rise above the circumstances resulting from shakings, and see from His perspective where we are seated in heavenly places in the Messiah Jesus. May we hear His voice of how to contend and take territory for His Kingdom and glory as His unshakable Kingdom emerges in the continuing shakings.

DIVINE APPOINTMENTS

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One of the reasons I believe God is in control of all events that occur in His world is the number of divine appointments He arranges for me when I go on missionary trips. Now, when I go on trips I expect that God has gone before me to make sure the right people are sitting next to me. My trip to Kenya, Tanzania, and Rwanda in April/May of this year is a good example. I had ten airplane trips and two long bus trips and on every occasion, the person I sat next to was a ministry opportunity. It was mind-blowing. I gave away five of my books and am corresponding still with two of the connections made. As well, in Kenya, I stayed two nights at the Ark Guest House (owned by the Anglican Church) in Nairobi. At breakfast, I was joined by an Anglican minister who was in Nairobi for a conference with about 70 other Anglican ministers. He was taken by the fact that I had come all the way from Australia to put on a training session for leaders of the Kenya House Church Movement in Migori County. He sought me out at dinner the same evening and asked me if I was prepared to pray for him. What was missing from his and I expect many other Anglican church ministries was a belief in the work of the Holy Spirit in believers’ lives. We ended up going back to his room where I prayed for him and his ministry. He is one of the contacts with whom I still communicate.

Matt Augee who works in a ministry to veterans in the USA supplied this remarkable story about a divine appointment. 

“I had a God encounter a week ago at a veteran’s memorial monument when I was meeting a family to plan the celebration of life for the veteran they had recently lost. I felt God prompted me to go early and I arrived 25 minutes early, just in time to be there when a young woman walked in with her head down and face hidden and sat down at one of the memorials etched bricks in the ground and kept touching it and quietly sobbing and speaking without any sound. I watched her for a little bit and I instinctively felt that I needed to talk to her and that she was suicidal.

My service dog went over to her and sat down next to her and leaned on her. That opened up the opportunity for me to talk to her. She had lost all hope and she came to say goodbye to her grandfather who had raised her and died five years earlier. She came to say goodbye to him and then to take her own life right there. If I had not arrived early I would have come across a dead woman right there at the memorial. I asked her some questions and if she was open to talking about spiritual things and she was. I was able to pray for her and to get her help from our staff which gave her hope. She has subsequently, texted us to let us know that she’s doing better but she’s going to need a lot of care and follow-up. I’m just grateful that I was in the right place at the right time and ready to talk with her and give her hope in Jesus.”

The big question for all of us is are we available for Gods use and expectant on all occasions?

The story of the divine appointment given by Matt Augee was taken from the article “May God Open Our Eyes to the Needy People Who Surround Us” by Randy Alcorn on December 16th, 2022 – http://www.patheos.com.

PRAYING EFFECTIVE PRAYERS

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The following excellent article on prayer is taken from “Your circumstances are not guidance” by Duncan Edward Pile which appeared in http://www.patheos.com on August 29, 2022. Heed Duncan’s advice it will change your life.

How do you know if your circumstances are from God? The church of my youth taught that if you prayed about something and gave the outcome into God’s hands, saying ‘thy will be done’, whatever happened would be God’s will.

If a person asked God for a blessing, the failure of that blessing to arrive would be interpreted by the spiritual leaders of my youth as an answer to prayer, the answer being ‘no’. This approach is not in line with the teachings of Jesus.

‘Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name…ask and you will receive, that your joy may be full.’ John 16:22-24

As well as filling us with joy at the goodness of God, receiving from him also brings the Father glory.

‘And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.’ John 14:13,

If receiving from God brings him glory and fills us with joy, why would we be wary of expecting it?

One of the ways in which I am most richly assured of the loving nature of God is in specific answers to specific prayers. I believe the Christian life can be a journey into increasing discernment, powerful prayer, and the direct intervention of God through the leading and might of the Holy Spirit. That has certainly been my story. The Lord guides us, leads us, and is faithful. He wants to get involved in the details and circumstances of our lives.

Increasing answers to prayer

For me, the key to seeing prayers answered is to discern the will of God before you make a request. The Holy Spirit involves us in bringing his will to pass, leading our prayers, and filling us with the authority to speak powerful, effective words. We are his hands and feet, his church. God does not bypass his children in order to make his will manifest.

“The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.” James 5:16-18,

The will of God is enacted through the prayers and actions of those who walk closely with the Holy Spirit and follow his leading.

Jesus taught his disciples how to pray, and his instruction carried none of the fatalism I see in so much of the Evangelical movement, which seems to pray as if tossing a coin into a wishing well, singing ‘Ke sera sera, whatever will be will be.’

Jesus told his disciples to pray ‘Thy will be done, on Earth as in Heaven.’ Or in other words, we pray that God’s will be as perfectly and completely performed here on Earth (in our lives and circumstances) as it is in Heaven, where the Lord reigns supreme. The powerful prayer of a person in tune with the Lord starts with discerning God’s will, embodying the emotion and power of the Holy Spirit as he pours might through us, and giving voice to what we feel and perceive.

Once we learn to follow his leading we can pray in power, and that Spirit-led prayer is incredibly effective, cutting through resistance and genuinely changing things on a practical level. I have seen extraordinary answers to prayer throughout my adult life, praying in exactly this way. I’ve known intercessory prayer where the emotions of God flood through me and I’m left huddled and groaning, crying out with the compassion of God. I’ve smashed through resistance and barriers in the Spirit, going to battle on someone else’s behalf. The same is true of every person I know who walks closely with the Holy Spirit. We lend him our bodies, emotions, and voices, and pray as led. We are spiritual beings, praying Spirit-led prayers.

The enemy of faith

The difference between habitually answered and unanswered prayer is a life of faith versus a life of uncertainty.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.” James 1:5-8

The instruction to believe and not doubt is not about mental discipline. To free ourselves from instability, double-mindedness, and spiritual ineffectiveness, we must have a clear, singular belief that God is good. He is not the author of suffering.

“Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” James 1:16-17,

God does not change. His intentions towards us don’t shift. He is the author of love, joy, and peace, and is committed to bringing each of us to a place of genuine wholeness. Naturally, this is a lifelong quest, but it is essential to understand the trajectory, and that our ultimate destiny is glory. ,

“And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:18

“But as it is written, what no eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9,

Once we’ve established a heartfelt belief in God’s unrelenting goodness towards us, and his commitment to bless our lives, we are ready to ask for the gifts and blessings he promises in his word. When our hearts and minds are singular, we are ready to receive.

To recap – the two key ingredients to praying in the will of God (and seeing that will come to pass) are knowing the goodness of God and learning to be led by the Spirit. To pray without the knowledge of God’s unchanging love is to build a house without a foundation; to pray without the knowledge of God’s will through the Holy Spirit is to waste oxygen. To pray ‘thy will be done’, while considering that might express itself through either blessing or suffering, is to be utterly deceived. To pray in the Spirit, led and empowered by God, and standing on the sure foundation of a knowledge of his unchanging goodness and compassion towards us, is to enter the miraculous. The person who prays in this way lives a life of effectiveness, influence, and spiritual power.

I return to the teachings I was offered in my youth. Praying for something and ‘offering it to God’ is no guarantee of an outcome God desires. It is in fact, a guarantee of unanswered prayer because such a prayer is riddled with uncertainty and doubt. That person will receive nothing from the Lord.

Progressive Christianity is no closer to the truth of this than the most conservative, Calvinistic congregation, in my opinion. From what I read here on Patheos (and elsewhere), they too are in the business of keeping the Holy Spirit at a distance and offering weak apologetics for unanswered prayers.

I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but for me, this remains the greatest blind spot in the ongoing Evangelical/Progressive debate. Both groups minimise the power of the Christian life, reducing the role of the Holy Spirit and embracing Christian fatalism. I pray that our hearts will be turned to the Lord and that we have the humility to accept that the life of faith is lived in the tangible power of the Spirit, who leads us in discernible ways and leads us to prayers that transform the world around us.

Lead us, Lord, I pray. Humble us, Lord, I ask. Bring us back to the spiritual power and authority all believers are called to. Amen.

YOUNG PEOPLE: RELIGION IS GOOD FOR YOU

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I published the results of this research under the post – GOD LOVES YOU, DO YOU LOVE GOD? with a different message but this post is aimed at young people with the message on the CBN video.

Dr. Josh Packard, executive director of Springtide Research Institute, told CBN’s Faithwire about his extensive research into 13-to-25-year-olds, noting studies have long found “religion is good for you.”

“Faith and spirituality are good for you,” Packard said. “If you’re a person who believes in some kind of higher power and has a connection to that higher power, you’re generally flourishing more than your peers.”

He continued, “Those who pray more tend to be flourishing more in all areas, including their mental health.”

Packard’s comments are particularly stunning when America faces an “epidemic of mental health [crises] among young people.” Meanwhile, there’s also a massive rise in the proportion of “nones” who no longer affiliate with a specific faith or religion.

Data pointing to increased wellness among the faithful is particularly pertinent in the midst of these dynamics, pointing to a potential solution to cultural conundrums.

Packard said there are lessons in Springtide Research Institute’s findings that can inform the culture and churches alike, especially in an era in which faith is being downplayed or diminished.

“Young people would be … better off if more of them had a connection to something bigger than themselves,” he said. “But also, I think a lot of religious institutions and leaders would do well to take mental health into account, so that like faith and belief could be appropriately part of somebody’s overall approach to health.”

While young people might not be aligning with Christianity at rates they once were, Packard said many still see themselves as spiritual, and more than half pray.

While the separation from biblical truth is undoubtedly troubling for Christians, these realities show at least openness to a higher power. And that intrigue could lead to receptive Gospel introductions.

“We see lots of desire from Gen Z to embark on these conversations and explorations of meaning and purpose and, ‘Why am I here on this Earth?’” he said. “So, the desire hasn’t gone away. The exploration hasn’t gone away.”

As Faithwire has extensively reported, countless surveys and studies show the benefits of faith.

Recent research has found Christians are exceptional at giving, fare better in relationships, church attendees are happier and more content, and churchgoers have better mental health. Read more about these findings.