Category Archives: Fasting

First, I listened to a radio program a few years ago when a former Army Sergeant talked about IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) in the Iraqi War. The IEDs were planted on roads and then usually set off by a cellphone when a Humvee drove over them. IEDs killed hundreds of American soldiers during the war.

“I can tell you how to stop IEDs,” said an Iraqi to the Sergeant.

“Really? How?”

“All you have to do is tie an Iraqi kid to the grill of each Humvee. IEDs will no longer be a problem for you.”

The Sergeant shook his head. “That won’t work. We won’t fight like that.”

“Sadly, IEDs will continue to be a problem for you,” said the Iraqi citizen.

Then, last week’s Inside Israel had an eye-opening testimony from a wounded Israeli soldier in the Gaza conflict:

            “We went into Shuja’iya, to discover and destroy the Hamas’terrorist tunnels…The Hamas fighters started sending towards us 13- and 14-year-old Palestinian children, running at us, wearing explosive-laden suicide-bomber belts. Those children were death-trapped, and became human bombs…We were trained to fight adult soldiers or any other skilled adults, enabling us to defend our families and countrymen.  But this?  We had no other option but, in self-defense, to shoot them at as far a range from us as we could, before the adult that sent them used his mobile phone to detonate the belts, and kill us.”

Whoa Nellie! We don’t think like they do.

This has been coming to me over and over again over the last few weeks about how we believers don’t think like our enemies think. And because of that, we Americans are prisoners of the kingdom of darkness. Hey! We’re at war, with lives at stake. How we pray and act may determine what happens in our cities and regions in the near future.

But first of all, we need to change our thinking.

Today, I prayed:

Lord, help us American believers in our battle against the kingdom of darkness so that Satan does not outsmart us. Help us, Lord, to be familiar with Satan’s plans and schemes. (Based on 2 Corinthians 2:11)

What do you think and has the Lord talked to you today?

Join with me on Fridays to fast and pray for prisoners, according to Hebrews 13:3.

(Just to let you know: I will be taking a vacation from my blog

until after Labor Day. See you then.)

In the early 1990’s, I attended a three-day regional Full Gospel Businessmen’s meeting. One of the speakers was a well-known evangelist from the West Coast.

“Would you like to hear some good news?” asked the evangelist during his message.

The audience said a collective, “Yes.”

“I have recently met the tailor who designs most of Michael Jackson’s clothing. The tailor has just given his life to the Lord and is now hoping to witness to Michael about Jesus.”

The evangelist paused for a moment so we could grasp the depth of his words.

“Can you imagine the impact that Michael Jackson could have on the kids of America if he gave his life to Jesus?” asked the evangelist.

Everyone oohed and aahed at his words.

We American believers love stars. The bigger, the better.

Okay, how many big-name stars have given their lives to Jesus and then became Christian leaders that had a big impact on their generations?

There have been some, such as Billy Sunday, Dr. Albert Schweitzer, and a few others, but to be honest, not many have ever made the transition. Why?

Big-name movie, sports, and other stars have the same problems we all do with the stripping process the Lord puts us through. All of us want to hang onto the cares of the world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things. This chokes His word and His anointing for our lives.

Today, I prayed:

Lord, I pray that You raise up new Christian leaders in America, who like Moses choose to be mistreated with the least of Your believers rather than enjoy the fleeting pleasures of the world and who consider the reproach of Christ greater than the treasures of the world because these leaders are looking to Your rewards. (Based on Hebrews 11:24-26)

What do you think and has the Lord spoken to you today?

Join with me on Tuesdays to fast and pray for America.

The first time I heard the term “religious nut” was in the 1950’s when my mom spit those words out of her mouth.

It happened when we shopped at Meiners’ Grocery Store in Forreston, Illinois. Mom picked a few items off the shelves and carried them up to the checkout. Lillian Meiners, the cashier, attempted to talk about the Lord to Mom while totaling the purchases on the cash register. It was a one-sided conversation with Mom saying nothing.

“She’s a religious nut!” Mom proclaimed as we walked to our 1955 Pontiac, parked outside the door.

From that day forward, Lillian Meiners personified a religious nut to me. I would often see her and when I did, Mom’s words popped into my mind. Lillian never knew my true feelings about her. It was one of those inner character assassinations I never spoke aloud to anyone.

Lillian’s name was filed on a forgotten corner shelf of my mind until late 1985. It would still be there covered with layers of dust and cobwebs except for the question I asked the Lord one morning during prayer.

“Jesus, why did you save me?”

A clear voice whispered to my heart.

“Because of Lillian Meiners’ prayers for you.”

His words shocked me, but a few years later, I talked with her pastor, Rev. Orin Graff. He told me Lillian was a diligent prayer warrior for kids who attended the local Bible Camp, which I did for five years.

(Excerpt from my memoir, The Hunt for Larry Who, Amazon eBook, Copyright © 2014 by Larry Nevenhoven)

Today, I prayed:

Lord, I pray that You raise up an army of religious nuts that no longer utter decent, delicate prayers, but rather pray till hell feels its ponderous strokes, till the iron gates of difficulty are opened, till the mountains of obstacles are removed, till the mists are exhaled and the clouds are lifted, and the sunshine of a cloudless day brightens America once again. (Based on a quote by E. M. Bounds)

What do you think and has the Lord spoken to you today?

Join with me on Tuesdays to fast and pray for America.

King Saul had reigned over Israel for two years. Then, his son, Jonathan, defeated the Philistines at Geba, causing the Philistines to muster a large army of thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen and troops to face Israel at Michmash.

The men of Israel looked at the strength of the Philistines. Many turned and ran away in fear, hiding in caves and fleeing across the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead.

The prophet Samuel had told King Saul to wait seven days and not do anything until the prophet arrived in the camp of Israel to offer sacrifices to the Lord.

The waiting on God and watching his army dwindle day by day finally overwhelmed King Saul. He decided to take the matter into his own hands.  “Bring the burnt offering here to me, and the peace offerings,” said Saul.

As soon as the sacrifices were offered, Samuel showed up. “What have you done?” asked Samuel.

King Saul offered his list of excuses to the prophet, but failed to mention one important point:

“You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you…” (1 Samuel 13:13 NLT)

His failure to obey God caused King Saul’s royal lineage to be aborted forever. Thus, God raised up David, who was a man “after God’s own heart.”

Today, I prayed:

Lord, I pray that You raise up leaders in America who are willing to do all of Your will for their generations and who will overcome Satan by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimonies, not loving their lives even when faced with death. (Based on Acts 13:36 and Revelation 12:11)

What do you think and has the Lord spoken to you today?

Join with me on Tuesdays to fast and pray for America.

Do you think the Roman soldiers stationed in Jerusalem held the Jews in high regard? Most likely not. What do you think the Roman soldiers called the Jews? Probably some of the most vile names ever imagined by humans.

After all, the Romans were the elite conquerors of the world. Their pagan gods helped them to win victory after victory while the God of Israel allowed His chosen people to live in servitude. Thus, how could the Romans think highly of the Jews?

How many times does scripture say that Jesus rebuked the Roman soldiers for their attitudes? Never, not even once. In fact, Jesus said:

And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. (Matthew 5:41)

Roman Law allowed their soldiers to force Jewish men to carry their equipment or dispatches for one mile. It did not matter how unreasonable the demands or how inconvenient it might have been for the men, Jews had to submit. The Jews obviously hated this law.

So, can you imagine what the Jews thought when Jesus stated that people ought to not only submit to the law, but to even do more than what was required of them?

What if the Lord asked us to love every Liberal, every Conservative, every white person, every black person, every Arab, every whatever, even though they reviled and scorned us, and then to go even beyond that for them?

Today, I prayed:

Lord, help us American believers to love our enemies, bless those who curse us, do good to those who hate us, and pray for those who spitefully use us and persecute us, so we are known as sons and daughters of our heavenly Father. (Based on Matthew 5:44-45)

What do you think and has the Lord spoken to you today?

Join with me on Tuesdays to fast and pray for America.