Category Archives: Gifts of the Spirit

Thursday’s Prayers for America (4/2/2015)

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Jesus looked at the Word believers in His day – the Pharisees – and said, “When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red;’ and in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times.” (Matthew 16:2-3)

Looking at the riots that happened in Ferguson, the uproar from the religious freedom law passed in Indiana, and the general lack of character displayed by America’s political leaders, shouldn’t we understand something by now? God is not working like He did in past times because, for the most part, He is not using government leaders to deliver us from our problems.

We need to hear a new word from heaven now!

Today, I prayed:

Lord, forgive us American believers for holding onto our traditions and old ways, hoping to breathe life into dead bones that will never be raised from their graves. Help us to hear what the Spirit is saying to the American churches for today. (Based in part on Revelation 2:7)

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

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

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Filed under America, Christianity, Church, Fasting, Gifts of the Spirit, Kingdom of God, Prayer, Prophecy, spiritual warfare

The Rumors of Larry’s Death Were Not Greatly Exaggerated (Part 9)

(Click on photo to enlarge)

(Click on photo to enlarge)

From the articles I have read, most of today’s authors follow fairly rigid disciplines and begin writing at a set hour. Each has a certain amount of words they hope to write for the day. The number of words falls generally in the 1000 to 2000 words range.

Since, I did not know any better when the Lord told me to write, I set my early goals at 1200 words per day. This worked out to about four or five pages of new material per day.

Yet, I remember many, many days when I would bang away on the computer for a couple of hours and maybe had 650 words done, but then realized something was missing. Sadly, that something was the presence of the Holy Spirit. I would then end up deleting every word I wrote.

It  would be great to pretend that I am a quick learner, but the truth is that it took months and months for me to learn this process for myself. I now sit down and if the presence of the Holy Spirit isn’t there, I don’t write.

Just so you know, I do not claim to write straight from the mouth of the Lord…oh I wish I did! But I do claim that His presence needs to be there to comfort and encourage me as I write. 

Okay, a few days ago, I came up with what I think was an inspired opening for the next Luke and Cat Stoner novel. And almost 700 words later, the book was on its way. I saw the characters coming to life, where they lived, and a little bit of what would happen in the early stages. It was so exciting that I now fall asleep thinking about the story.

So, the other day, I sought the presence of the Lord and this is my latest writing:

 

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Yep, we’re talking about what looks like another major detour in my publishing career. What’s new, huh?

Who ever thought that I would end up attempting to start a Noontime Prayer Meeting For Geezers?

(Continued in Part 10)

 

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Thursday’s Prayers for America (3/26/2015)

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We Americans love superstars, big names, and flashy heroes who model their greatness at all times because the rest of us feel so common and live such ordinary lives.

But the truth is that if we have given our lives to Christ, we are royal sons and daughters of an awesome King who created the world and owns everything. We are more than conquerors, are living stones, members of a chosen generation, part of a royal priesthood, members of His holy nation, and heirs of all things through Jesus Christ. And besides that, we have open access to the Father and His throne at all times.

In God’s eyes, we are the superstars on earth because we said “yes” to Jesus and His grace.

Today, I prayed:

Lord, I pray that You open our American eyes to who You are in us so that we do the works You did and greater works because You went to the Father. (Based in part on John 14:12)

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

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

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Filed under Christianity, Church, Fasting, Gifts of the Spirit, Kingdom of God, Prayer, Prophecy, spiritual warfare, Uncategorized

Tuesday’s Prayers for Prisoners (3/24/2015)

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Each Tuesday, I pray and fast for the nations of Asia, where 4.4 billion people live. 

Why Asia?

1. 85.4% of world’s unevangelized people live in Asia. (Unevangelized means they may have heard the gospel but have no understanding on how to respond.)

2. The world’s three largest non-Christian religions – Muslim, Hindu, and Buddhists – are based in Asia.

3. Of the 37 countries of the world that are less than 10% Christian, 32 are in Asia. Of the 14 countries, that are less than 2% Christian, 12 are in Asia.

4. 85-90% of unreached people live in Asia. (Unreached means that they have never heard the name of Jesus.) (Operation World: The Definitive Prayer Guide to Every Nation)

Numerous books have been written on why we Christians are unsuccessful in praying for the sick. Unforgiveness, lack of faith, sin, rebellion, and other excuses are offered, but the number one reason is seldom mentioned. You see, we read books on healing, attend seminars on healing, listen to healing tapes, but we seldom pray for the sick. Period.

“So what if you pray for a hundred sick people, with ninety-eight dying and only two people having healing miracules. Thank God for the two. Keep on laying your hands on the sick until heaven realizes how determined you are to heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons.” (John Wimber)

Remember: Maybe only 2% of your prayers will end up with healing miracles at first, but I guarantee that 100% of your non prayers will result in zero miracles.

Today, I prayed:

Lord, I pray that You raise up believers in India, Nepal, and all of Asia who actually believe signs of healing, deliverance, raising the dead, and casting out demons will accompany them just because You said so…and that’s good enough for them to obey Your word. (Based on Mark 16:17-18)

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

Click on to see MyGFA site.

Click on to see MyGFA site.

 

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Filed under 10/40 Window, Christianity, Church, Fasting, Gifts of the Spirit, Kingdom of God, Prayer, Prophecy, spiritual warfare

Thursday’s Prayers for America (3/12/2015

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Those who planned ahead of time for a hurricane did not plan for a disaster; they planned for minor inconveniences…Plans must be based on worst-case scenarios… (Lt. General Russell Honore)

Have you ever gone through a terrible circumstance and wished you would have listened to those who warned you ahead of time? You felt terrible and wanted to smack yourself for being so hardheaded and not paying attention. Yet, it was too late and you suffered for your irresponsibility.

There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you. (James 2:13 NLT)

Memorize this scripture and then live it. Give to the poor and the helpless now. Be merciful to your neighbors and everyone now. Don’t wait! Begin now.

Why?

Because terrible tragedies and calamities may soon be common occurrences in America. Many lives may be wrecked and destroyed. And who knows? Maybe you and your family will be in the path of one of the disasters. So, plan for the worst-case scenarios by being merciful now.

Today, I prayed:

Lord, I pray that we Americans hear what the Holy Spirit is saying to the churches by focusing our attention on giving to the poor and the helpless. So that, in the day of trouble, You will honor our acts of mercy by delivering us and protecting us and keeping us alive and even blessing us. (Based on Revelation 2:7 and Psalm 41:1-3)

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

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

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Filed under Christianity, Church, Fasting, Gifts of the Spirit, Kingdom of God, Prayer, Prophecy, spiritual warfare

To Listen or Not to Listen to Prophecy…That’s The Question (Part 8)

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If the Apostle Paul walked into most of today’s churches, he wouldn’t wait for the service to start, he would rush to the pastors, elders, and deacons and ask, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” 

The leaders might hem and haw, explaining their beliefs and theological insights on the Holy Spirit.

Paul would shake his head at their words. “Do you prophesy? Do you speak in tongues?” he would ask, with his dark eyes blazing.

Maybe you disagree.

Okay, did you know Paul spent one to five months planting each church in such cities as Pisidian Antioch, Iconic, Lystra, Derbe, Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea? Then he left them alone without pastors or leaders for a long time, as much as two years.

Now remember:

Fifty percent of Paul’s converts were slaves.

There were no Bibles and few had even one Old Testament scroll.

90% of the converts were illiterate.

95% could not write.

Average life expectancy for a male was 45 years of age and for a female 38. (The Untold Story of the New Testament Church by Frank Viola.

Yet, the gospel that Paul and Barnabas preached to these new converts that were once heathen and miserable Gentiles, was enough for them to love each other and evangelize their neighbors without any outside help.

How did Paul accomplish this feat?

Pursue love, and desire earnestly the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. (1 Corinthians 14:1)

The Apostle Paul made sure the spiritual gifts were working in the believers for each church. It was through the Holy Spirit and the spiritual gifts, especially prophecy, that Christ came to life in their midst.

So, do we really want to turn our cities upside down for Jesus?

If so, maybe we should rethink prophecy and the spiritual gifts. It worked for the Apostle Paul in Pisidian Antioch, Iconic, Lystra, Derbe, Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea.

And I believe it will work today in our cities, too.

(Conclusion)

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To Listen or Not to Listen to Prophecy…That’s the Question (Part 7)

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In the late 1980’s, I attended a large meeting where Dr. Bill Hamon taught on prophecy. He had a unique way to encourage people to prophesy. “I want everyone to pair up with someone you don’t know,” he said, waiting for everyone to follow his directions.

The lady sitting next to me agreed to be my partner.

“Okay,” said Hamon, “I want each of the pair to give a personal prophecy to the other person. I will wait until everyone is done.”

My partner’s eyes were the size of pie plates. “I prophesy. What about you?” I asked.

She shook her head. “No. Why don’t you go first?” she whispered.

I prayed and prophesied to her. “Your words were just what I needed. Thanks.”

“Okay, now you prophesy to me,” I said.

Again, she shook her head. “I’ve never prophesied and never have thought about doing it.”

“We need to be obedient. If you make a mistake, I won’t tell anyone. So, just open your mouth and prophesy.”

She looked around and shrugged her shoulders. “Why not?” she said. Then, she spoke a long prophecy to me, which answered some important questions for my life.

“Wow! That was awesome,” I said.

“I can’t wait to pray and prophesy to other people,” she replied.

The best way to encourage people to prophesy is to have them speak personal prophecies to other people. This can be done in a small group, a church, or just two people sitting alone somewhere.

All you have to remember is that you are obeying:

Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. (1 Corinthians 14:1)

Will all be able to prophesy? Probably not, but if all give an honest effort, there will be numerous surprised believers speaking words of prophecy who will be encouraged to prophesy even more in the future.

Why is there such an emphasis on prophecy for today’s believers?

(Continued in Part 8) 

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Filed under Christianity, Church, Gifts of the Spirit, Prayer, Prophecy

Second Chances for Women?

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I attended a meeting as a young Christian where a prophet ministered for the evening. He pointed to me and asked me to come up front during the service. There, he gave a glorious prophecy for my life.

After the meeting, a woman in her late sixties walked up to me. “I used to get prophecies just like yours,” she said.

“Oh, really?” I replied.

“Yes, I wrote them all down in a spiral notebook.”

“What happened to them?”

“Oh,” she said, “I still have them and am waiting for the Lord to bring them to pass.”

The lady died a couple of years later. And as far as I know, none of the prophecies ever happened in her life.

Now, assuming the prophecies were accurate ones, it’s easy to think what she should have done. Maybe prayed more, fasted more, studied more, fought spiritual warfare more, and done more of whatever she needed to do so that the prophecies would have come to pass in her life.

Yet, the truth is that her husband was unfaithful, which resulted in a bitter divorce. She and her whole family attended a Pentecostal holiness church in which men were in charge and women sat in submission and kept quiet. She had no encouragement from the male leadership and no place to minister. At best, she could have been a Sunday School teacher at the church.

To even think she could have left her church, turned her back on her family, friends, and teachings she learned over a lifetime is a tall mountain for a woman, especially a divorced one, to climb. Thus, the prophetic words for her life died with her.

Okay, we’re in a new day!

I believe the Lord is about to release a powerful move of the Holy Spirit to set His AnnasLoises, and Eunices free so that they can fulfill the callings on their lives. He has heard the cries of these older woman and has seen their lifetimes of spiritual bondage. Now, He will move on their behalves.

Fear, which has been the major roadblock for these fifty-five years and older women, will be canceled out by the Holy Spirit so that these women can make their decisions based on faith, rather than in fear. Female apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers will be released to equip and build up the body of Christ.

Some of these women will serve in their callings for only six months and others for one, two, three, five, ten, or more years, but all will know the satisfaction of serving Jesus at their highest levels before walking into heaven and hearing the Lord say to them, “Well done good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Master.

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Thursday’s Prayers for America on Tuesday (3/3/2015)

electionsmeter.com

electionsmeter.com

At that time Michael, the archangel who stands guard over Israel, will arise. Then there will be a time of anguish greater than any since nations first came into existence. But at that time every one of your people whose name is written in the book will be rescued. (Daniel 12:1) 

Like all nations, Israel is imperfect and flawed, but no other nation in the history of the world has so many promises and a divine destiny written in the Bible like Israel does. America doesn’t. England doesn’t. Russia doesn’t. Only Israel has such unique promises spoken by the Creator for His chosen people: the Jews.

Now, if you believe the Bible is truly God’s Word, then you only have one choice: to stand with Israel. Otherwise, you may find yourself fighting against God, which I guarantee will be a losing position for you.

Today, I prayed:

Lord, I pray that we Americans bless Israel and also that we pray for the peace of Jerusalem so that our nation will prosper in the future. (Based on Genesis 12:3 and Psalm 122:6)

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

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

Click on to see MyGFA site.

Click on to see MyGFA site.

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Filed under Christianity, Church, Fasting, Gifts of the Spirit, Israel, Jerusalem, Kingdom of God, Prayer, Prophecy, spiritual warfare

What’s Our First Response? (Part 2)

Untergang der Titanic ("Sinking of the Titanic") by Willy Stöwer, 1912

Untergang der Titanic (“Sinking of the Titanic”) by Willy Stöwer, 1912

When I wrote Part 1, my thinking was that the answer to the question – What’s my first response – would be to pray. But after reading the comments on Part 1 and upon further reflection, prayer may not be the best answer for us at the precise moment that calamity ambushes our lives.

Why?

Let’s say, our ship is rapidly sinking in the midst of the ocean or a tsunami is staring us in the face or an epic earthquake strikes our homes, are we really going to take the time to pray? Probably not. Every second may be the difference between living and dying. We will need to react without thinking.

How can we do that?

“It is better to live ready than to get ready!” (Smith Wigglesworth)

To Wigglesworth, living ready meant spending time with the Lord and His Spirit in prayer and studying the Word on a daily basis. Wigglesworth then expected the Holy Spirit to lead him in every situation – expected or unexpected.

Is this scriptural?

One day soon afterward Jesus went up on a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night. (Luke 6:12 NLT)

The next few verses reveal that Jesus called all of His followers together for a meeting. There He chose twelve men to be His inner group or apostles. Now, do you really think He interviewed the whole group to find the best men? No, of course not. Jesus lived ready and was the Son of God. The Holy Spirit then led Him to choose Peter, Andrew, John, James, and the rest of the apostles.

What about us believers?

For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. (Romans 8:14)

The secret to being led by the Holy Spirit is to follow Jesus’ example, and in the words of Smith Wigglesworth, “living ready at all times.” To do this, we need to spend time in prayer and study the Bible on a regular basis.

So, what is my answer to the question: “What’s my first response?”

I don’t know right now, but I will know at the time because I live ready and expect the Holy Spirit to lead me if calamity strikes. As for now, I will walk in peace, trusting the One who can see my future before it happens.

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