I am taking a summer break to finish a couple of projects. So, see you soon.
Monthly Archives: July 2018
Prayers for America (7/19/2018)
Jesus said that in the last days, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.”
It’s easy for us to look at His words and only think of China or Russia or another nation fighting America, but there is also another meaning. The Greek word ethnos is translated into our English word nation in most translations, but ethnos also means people groups.
People groups could be blacks and whites, Democrats and Republicans, NRA members and anti-gun groups, LGBTs and straights, Christians and Muslims, and more. The possibilities are endless.
My prayer today:
Lord, raise up peacemakers in America who love You and also will love their neighbors, even though they may disagree with them on certain issues.
What do you think and has the Lord spoken to you today?
Join with me on Thursdays to fast and pray for America.
Filed under America, Christianity, Fasting, Kingdom of God, Prayer, Prophecy, spiritual warfare
Prayers for Israel (7/17/2018)
The Apostle Paul made a statement about his Jewish brethren that has always given me the shakes:
With Christ as my witness, I speak with utter truthfulness. My conscience and the Holy Spirit confirm it. My heart is filled with bitter sorrow and unending grief for my people, my Jewish brothers and sisters. I would be willing to be forever cursed—cut off from Christ!—if that would save them. (Romans 9:1-3 NLT)
The Apostle Paul was willing to give up his eternal salvation and take his Jewish brethren’s place in Hell if that would provide salvation for them. This is the same love Christ had for Israel.
My love for Israel hasn’t reached that level yet, but if I want to be an intercessor for the nation, it’s the level my love needs to attain.
My prayer today:
Lord, give me Your love for Israel, no matter what it may cost me.
What do you think and has the Lord spoken to you today?
Join with me on Tuesdays to fast and pray for Israel and Jerusalem.
What’re Your Plans for 300 Years from Now? (Part 5)
Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” (Genesis 1:26)
From the beginning, God’s plan was that Adam, and all of mankind after him, would rule and reign on earth. But Adam threw a wrench into God’s plans by sinning and handing over his position of earthly rulership to Satan.
Then, in the fullness of time, God sent His Son to redeem mankind at the cross. So, after the Son of God’s death, resurrection, and ascension, there are now sons of God on the earth once again.
But something is missing. What is it?
For He has not put the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels. (Hebrews 2:5)
At creation, God placed mankind under an angelic form of government. His angels were supposed to serve and minister to mankind, but because of Adam’s sin, Satan and his demonic angels became our adversaries. Now, Satan and his demonic horde sit in the governmental positions created by God as principalities, powers, rulers of darkness of this age, and spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places ruling over mankind.
Even though the church has authority to make known the wisdom of God to the demonic governing powers in the heavenly places, we haven’t really walked in that authority as yet. Hopefully, we will soon do that.
But even so, Satan’s angelic government will not be overthrown until after the great tribulation and Jesus returns to earth.
Here’s an important fact to remember: God never rescinded His words about mankind having dominion on earth. Thus, it’s still His plan for us, not under an angelic government, but under the Son of Man – Jesus Christ our Lord and King.
What must we do to prepare ourselves to rule and reign with Christ?
(Continued in Part 6…but if you want to read all of the parts to date, you can go here.)
Filed under America, Christianity, End-Times, Kingdom of God, Prepping, Prophecy, spiritual warfare
Prayers for our Children (Conclusion)
Grace, Grace, Grace
Maybe some of you will read this book, follow its advice, pray a few prayers, and see instant miracles in your children’s lives. If so, praise the Lord. And if you write me, I will praise the Lord with you, but I may even drive to your home and shake your hand. You see, I prayed for over fifteen years for my son, daughter-in-law, and my daughter.
But paraphrasing a statement by the late Rev. R. W. Schambach: “Sink or swim, live or die, I will not let go of God’s promises until God moves in my children’s and grandchildren’s lives because all I need is a little faith in God.”
This is the persistent type of determination we must have when we pray for our children and grandchildren. Period.
My prayer for parents:
Lord, help us to remember when we pray for our children to walk in their divine destinies that it will not be accomplished by our might or our power, but it will be done by Your Spirit. Remind us, Lord, that we can speak to the mountains in our children’s lives and these obstacles will become plains for our children to walk on and when the chief cornerstone −Jesus Christ −takes His place in their lives, we will shout, “Grace, grace, God’s amazing grace.” (Based on Zechariah 4:6-7)
(The above is an excerpt from Praying for the Frozen Chosen: Our Children by Larry Nevenhoven, © 2016, Amazon eBook)
Filed under America, Children, Christianity, Kingdom of God, Prayer, spiritual warfare, Writing
Prayers for our Children (Part 7)
A Testimony of Victory
My daughter Susan and I struggled with our relationship after my salvation in 1985. She watched her parents undergo first a separation, and then a divorce. To her, my newfound Christianity caused nothing but pain for our family.
She traveled to Ames, Iowa, after her second year of college for a weekend visit with me. I looked forward to showing off my beautiful daughter to friends and enjoying her company, but she was sick most of the weekend. She said it was due to a bad tooth.
When I drove her back to Ottumwa on that Sunday, she curled up with a blanket and fell asleep in my Ford pickup. I used the quiet time to pray softly in tongues, asking the Lord for an answer about her sickness. The Holy Spirit eventually spoke to my heart: “Susan is very sick. Tell her mom to take her to the doctor right away tomorrow morning.”
I related the Holy Spirit’s exact words to Susan’s mom.
The doctor admitted Susan into the University of Iowa Hospital in Iowa City the next morning. Her mom phoned and said she needed surgery to remove some kind of growth. I notified the Des Moines Vineyard Church, where I attended at the time, so as many people as possible were praying for her.
The physician delayed her surgery for a week because she had a fever. I continued painting houses in Ames while fasting and praying for her.
My prayers were not vanilla flavored ones like: “O Lord, if Thou art not busy next Tuesday, could Thou stop by the hospital and touch Susan. Thy will be done in this matter. Amen.”
Baloney! This was my daughter −not a roast beef dinner needing some pastoral sounding words prayed over it before being eaten. The same God who told me about her sickness was the same One who could heal her with just one word. His power remained the same yesterday, today, and forever. As His son, I had a right to burst into His presence and ask for Susan to be healed.
I prayed prayers like this: “Lord, heal my daughter Susan. You’ve given numerous promises to me about her life, none of which have happened yet. You saw this sickness when You gave those promises to me so I know the sickness has not taken You by surprise. The Bible states You are not a liar and I believe those words. Heal her now and fulfill all of Your promises for her life.”
I bombarded heaven day and night for my daughter. I continually asked the Lord to give me a word from His mouth so I could use it as a sword of the Spirit to battle in spiritual warfare. The Lord did not speak to me right away, but I kept pursuing Him like the woman did the unjust judge.
On the night before the scheduled surgery, I drove my pickup truck to Iowa City. I stayed overnight in one of the hospital’s waiting rooms, sitting in a recliner with a blanket covering me. The Holy Spirit whispered to my heart as I sat there with my Bible: “Isaiah 54:17.”
This was my sword of the Spirit.
I began praying: “No weapon that is formed against Susan shall prosper, and every tongue that accuses Susan in judgment I condemn in Jesus’ name. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their vindication is from the Lord.”
I prayed all night and even though at times, I drifted off to sleep, my mouth went back to praying as soon as I woke up. I continued in this manner until 7 a.m. when I spent time in thanksgiving, praise, and worship. Waiting in His presence, not speaking a word, I had a vision of a Christian bookstore in Iowa City and felt an urgency to drive there. Did I know why? I had no clue.
This was 1995 and neither Google maps nor GPS were available as yet. So, I checked for a Christian bookstore using the old-fashioned way: a phone book. Looking at the stores in the area, I chose the one that felt the best to my spirit.
I drove there and walked in the door at 9:05 a.m. A pretty young girl with long hair stood behind the counter.
“May I help you?” she asked with a smile.
“The Lord sent me here, but I don’t know why yet.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
My prophetic gift kicked into gear at that moment.
“The Lord doesn’t want you to listen to your parents and others who are telling you to go to Bible school. The Lord wants to train you in His own way for your calling. Listen to His voice and not to other people on this particular matter,” I said.
Her hands covered her mouth and tears flooded her eyes.
“I felt this was what the Lord wanted me to do, but my parents and pastor insisted I was wrong. I asked the Lord to make Himself clear on what I should do. Thanks.”
We chatted a bit, hugged each other, and I left.
Later that afternoon, I walked alongside Susan as she laid on a bed being wheeled into surgery. A nurse stopped me at the doors.
“You can’t go any farther,” she said, pointing at the red line on the floor.
I nodded and stood there with tears streaming down my face. My daughter was going into surgery and I wanted to be with her. I turned around, headed to the waiting room, and sat with my parents and Susan’s mom. My eyes closed almost immediately and I fell asleep.
Five hours later, Susan returned to her room. The surgeon removed a noncancerous cyst, the size of two 2-liter bottles of soda from her abdomen and her appendix.
Susan continued to have a fever after her surgery, which frustrated her. Her doctor refused to allow her to go home until the fever dropped into the normal range. She phoned me one afternoon.
“Dad, will you pray I can go home tomorrow?”
“Okay,” I said, “you’ll go home tomorrow.”
Susan went home the next day, eighteen days after first entering the hospital. Her recovery took many weeks.
(Excerpt from The Hunt for Larry Who by Larry Nevenhoven, ©2014, Amazon eBook)
This testimony is a short compilation of all the chapters in this book. It’s not that I’m so unique or special because all believers can do this for their own children. But at the same time, I must admit there is a price for us parents to pay. It comes down to whether or not we want to pay it. You see, we must be willing to seek the Lord with all of our heart and follow Him in the same manner.
I believe most of us will say, “Yes, Lord.”
(The above is an excerpt from Praying for the Frozen Chosen: Our Children by Larry Nevenhoven, © 2016, Amazon eBook)
(Continued in Part 8)
Filed under America, Children, Christianity, Gifts of the Spirit, Kingdom of God, Prayer, Prophecy, spiritual warfare
Prayers for America (7/12/2018)
My wife and I recently visited San Francisco for the first time. It’s easy to see why the city appeals to so many people with its various neighborhoods, parks, and all of its historic sights. What a city!
BUT it’s just as easy to see the many problems the city is suffering from right now. The solutions to these problems probably will not end in win/win compromises for everyone.
On Wednesday, a new mayor, London Breed, was sworn into office. She is the first African-American female to head the city.
My prayer today:
Lord, I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to London Breed, the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him, having the eyes of her heart enlightened, that she may know what is the hope to which He has called her, what are the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power toward us who believe. (Based on Ephesians 1:17-19)
What do you think and has the Lord spoken to you today?
Join with me on Thursdays to fast and pray for America.
Filed under America, Christianity, Fasting, Kingdom of God, Prayer, spiritual warfare, Uncategorized
Praying for Our Children (Part 7)
Let’s say Carol and I need a Special Widget for an important business project, which must be done right away. All of our money and resources are tied up in the project. So, we need to finish it as quickly as possible.
We jump in our Honda and search all over Temecula, but Best Buy, Staples, Home Depot, and all the other stores have no Special Widgets on hand. We then decide to check Amazon.com and there is one in stock. We purchase it with our VISA Card and have it sent by FedEx. An email from Amazon confirms our order and also gives us a tracking number from FedEx to follow the Special Widget’s delivery route online.
The next day, a friend asks if we have found a Special Widget as yet. “Yes, we have purchased one. It’s on the way,” we answer with big smiles on our faces.
“Are you sure?” the friend asks, raising both eyebrows.
“Yes,” we reply, without any doubts in our minds.
How can we be so sure the Special Widget will arrive at our home?
Carol and I trust the reputations of Amazon and FedEx. The two corporations have a long history of carrying out what they promise to do. Plus, we have guarantees to back up our trust in an email confirmation and a tracking number.
The above Special Widget story is a perfect analogy to show how God answers our prayers.
First, who has the better reputation −Amazon, FedEx, or God?
The answer is obvious for us believers: God.
He never lies, never fails, never sleeps, is omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent, and has all of heaven backing His commands. And guess what? God created Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, and Frederick W. Smith, founder of FedEx. So, obviously, God is not overwhelmed by the intricacies of the marketplace or anything at all.
Second, when did Carol and I own the Special Widget in the above story?
As soon as we purchased it from Amazon with our VISA Card, we owned it. It was ours before it ever showed up at our home.
Okay, when do we receive (or own) the answers to our prayers?
For this reason I am telling you, whatever things you ask for in prayer [in accordance with God’s will], believe [with confident trust] that you have received them, and they will be givento you. (Mark 11:24 Amplified Version)
In much the same way as ordering the Special Widget from Amazon, we must believe by faith that God has answered our prayers as soon as we pray them. It doesn’t matter that we don’t see the answers with our natural eyes because we must have faith the answers are on the way, just like we trusted the Special Widget was on its way via FedEx.
Third, Amazon sent us a confirmation email and FedEx gave us a tracking number. Because of these two guarantees, we felt safe in trusting them.
What about God?
Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality—faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses]. (Hebrews 11:1 Amplified Version)
Faith in God that He will answer our prayers is our confirmation from the Lord.
Okay, faith may not always seem as tangible as an email confirmation and a tracking number, but here’s something we can do to make it more concrete for us.
Because our Father in heaven is a covenant-making God, we can make a covenant with Him. His covenants with Adam, Noah, Moses, David, and Jesus are written down in the Bible and still in force today. The word “covenant” means pledge or legal agreement between two parties, in this case God and man.
Here’s what I often do:
I write down my prayers for my children and others in a special notebook. For example, let’s say I have prayed for my daughter to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire. I write down her name, the date of the prayer, and Matthew 3:11, the verse where the baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire is mentioned. This becomes a written covenant between God and me.
From the moment I write it down, I no longer ask God to baptize my daughter in the Holy Spirit and fire, but instead I thank Him for doing it. You see, the prayer was answered when I prayed it.
I flip through my notebook often each week, thanking the Lord for answering my prayers for my children and others.
If doubt ever hits me about my prayers, I open my notebook and point to the date and scripture, reminding God of our covenant.
This works!
Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.(Colossians 4:2)
(The above is an excerpt from Praying for the Frozen Chosen: Our Children by Larry Nevenhoven, © 2016, Amazon eBook)
(Continued in Part 7)
Filed under Children, Christianity, Faith, Gifts of the Spirit, Kingdom of God, Prayer, Prophecy, spiritual warfare, Writing
Prayers for Israel (7/10/2018)
For Zion’s sake I will not hold My peace,
And for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest,
Until her righteousness goes forth as brightness,
And her salvation as a lamp that burns.
2 The Gentiles shall see your righteousness,
And all kings your glory.
You shall be called by a new name,
Which the mouth of the Lord will name.
3 You shall also be a crown of glory
In the hand of the Lord,
And a royal diadem
In the hand of your God.
4 You shall no longer be termed Forsaken,
Nor shall your land any more be termed Desolate;
But you shall be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah;
For the Lord delights in you.. (Isaiah 62:1-4)
My prayer today:
Lord, set watchmen on Jerusalem’s walls who will never hold their peace day or night and will continue to speak Your name and give You no rest until Jerusalem is the object of praise in the whole earth. (Based on Isaiah 62:6-7)
What do you think and has the Lord spoken to you today?
Join with me on Tuesdays to fast and pray for Israel and Jerusalem.
Filed under America, Christianity, Fasting, Israel, Jerusalem, Prayer, Prophecy, spiritual warfare
What’re Your Plans for 300 Years from Now? ( Part 4)
Did the thief who died on the cross next to Jesus, and who asked to be remembered by our Lord, receive the same eternal rewards as the Apostle Paul? If your answer is “maybe” or “I don’t know,” then let’s see what we can learn from the Bible.
But without faith it is impossible to [walk with God and] please Him, for whoever comes [near] to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He rewards those who [earnestly and diligently] seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6 Amplified Bible)
Whether it was the thief on the cross or me on the bathroom floor or anyone else, salvation is a one-time act that secures our entrance into the Kingdom of God. But we are no more than little babies, standing at the starting line, when we are saved. None of us are born again in one moment and then walk straight into maturity the next. It’s a process —
But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. (Romans 6:22)
Sanctification is the life-long process between salvation and our death (or glorification). It’s a day-by-day, step-by-step journey of consecrating ourselves to our Lord Jesus Christ and being purified by the Holy Spirit.
How are we sanctified?
By prayer. By studying His Word. By grace. By faith. By the Holy Spirit. By staying faithful in trials. And more. It basically comes down to following the Apostle Paul’s words —
Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13-14)
If the Apostle Paul had to keep pressing forward in his quest of being all he could be in Christ, then shouldn’t we do the same?
I am not belittling last second or deathbed salvations because spending eternity in heaven is far, far, far better than being tormented forever in Hell. But those of us who can choose to fight the good fight, finish the race, and keep the faith all the way to our last breaths, I believe we should go for it! Why not, right?
Why is endurance so important?
(Continued in Part 5…but if you want to read all of the parts to date, you can go here.)
Filed under America, Christianity, End-Times, Eternal rewards, Judgment, Prayer, Prophecy
Larry Who 
