Tiffany Ann Lewis: Desperate for Jesus - Rip the Roof Off Your Faith

This is a great word from Tiffany Ann Lewis. I believe that this topic is burning on the heart of God for the Church to grab a hold of in this hour. I based my teaching this last Saturday on this and much of my intercession is surrounded around this.

Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven you." Mark 2:3-5

As I was coming home from church the Lord asked me, "Tiffany, are you in it to win it?" My first thought was, "Of course, Lord." Yet I quickly realized that my actions often betray that answer. Sadly, there are many times that I don't push past my comfort level in simple obedience much less go to this extreme and rip the roof off of something so I can get to Jesus. As I pondered the question the Lord asked me, I wondered just how desperate for Jesus I really was.

These guys were desperate for Jesus! Nothing was going to hold them back. Let's get a picture of this scene in our mind so we can really grasp it. In that day, a typical house would have had a flat roof with stairs or a ladder going up to the roof on the outside. This is most likely how they all got up on the roof. The roof itself was probably made of wooden beams with a mixture of mortar, tar, ashes, and sand spread over it and rolled hard. Grass would grow in the crevices, and on the houses of the poor in the country it wasn't uncommon to see goats on the roof eating the grass. Because Luke's account of the same event mentions that they let him down through the tiles (see Luke 5:19), we know that the roof also had tiles in it for added security. Therefore, not only did they have to dig through the grass and earth, but they also had to pry up the tiles.

Can you imagine what the inhabitants inside must have been thinking? Dirt and debris was probably falling all over them; they must have been like, What the heck...? Nevertheless, unconcerned about the damage they were doing to a house that wasn't even their own, unconcerned about what anyone thought about them, this group ripped the roof off the house to get to Jesus!

It's Time! It's Time to Rip the Roof Off Our Faith and Get to Jesus

What about the poor woman that had an issue of blood for twelve years? She was so desperate for Jesus she pushed through every obstacle in her way to get to the feet of Jesus. She was broke, she was sick, and she was an outcast. However, though she was probably physically and emotionally exhausted after many years of bleeding, she said to herself, "If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well" (Matthew 9:21).

Beloved, this is very important for us to catch today. She didn't say to herself, "I doubt anything will happen. Why bother, I've already tried everything... it's no use." This woman spoke what she believed deep inside herself, which was that she would be made well if she could just touch the hem of His garment. Scripture teaches us that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth will speak and that we will eat the fruit of our words (see Luke 6:45 and Proverbs 18:21).

This woman ripped the roof off her faith and pressed into Jesus, and He knew it. Although there was a large crowd pressing in around Him, He felt a type of touch that made Him stop and say, "Who touched Me?" (Luke 8:45). Mind you, this wasn't your typical touch; Jesus was surrounded by a crowd pressing in to get close to Him, much like what we see with modern day celebrities. Jesus experienced a touch that was different than the others. He felt a touch of faith that was so desperate for Him that it pushed through everything that stood in its way and reached out to take a hold of the hem of His garment.

And from the days of John the Baptist until now the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. Matthew 11:12

Although the text here is difficult to understand, I don't believe Jesus is saying that the throne that God is sitting on is under attack. I believe He is telling us that the Kingdom of God, which He desires to set up among/within men is under attack. God's Kingdom here on earth consists of healing in our bodies, prosperity in our finances, blessings in our lives, peace in our minds, joy in our hearts, as well as signs and wonders following all Believers.

God is trying to penetrate our atmosphere with His goodness, but at the same time His Kingdom is under attack. The enemy is trying to steal our joy, our peace, our prosperity, our healing, and all of our blessings, as well as keep us defeated and discouraged. Sometimes it's just easier to quit when we have tried and tried before. However, with a passionate expectation of the miraculous we will violently press into the Kingdom that God desires to set up here on earth just as it is in Heaven.

The Violent Take it By Force

In Greek, "take it by force" speaks of men and women who, filled with holy zeal, press in to obtain a blessing. The Greek word is harpazo (pronounced har-pa'-zo; Strong's #726). Harpazo means: to seize, to carry off by force, or to eagerly seize claim of something for one's self. Regarding harpazo, we don't see this earnestness (which seems almost violent) only in the two portions of Scripture we just looked at, it's all throughout the Bible. To overlook this truth may cause us to become passive people of faith. This will ultimately limit the ministry of God's Kingdom in our lives and the lives of our loved ones who we are praying and believing for.

This is why God asked me on the way home from church if I was in it to win it. You see, that night I felt the Lord calling me forward for prayer but I didn't respond. I was on the worship team playing keyboard and hadn't ever discussed with the leader if it would be okay to just leave my post and stop playing in order to go for prayer. Looking back now it seems so silly. I know the answer would have been a whole-hearted "yes" but at that moment my mind raced with all kinds of thoughts, and those thoughts caused my feet to stay planted where they were instead of moving out in my desperation for Jesus.

Selah...

That's not who I want to be as a Believer. I want to be a person who would rip the roof off of a house to get to my Lord. I want to be a person who would abandon her reputation, ignoring the crowd around me to get to the feet of Jesus. Can you identify?

What does all this mean? To me, being desperate for Jesus is about pushing past whatever barrier is in your way. We all have barriers in our life of one type or another – barriers of fear, barriers of doubt, barriers of embarrassment, etc. – but I believe with everything inside of me that if we can breakthrough our barriers to get to Jesus we will get our breakthrough.

I'm not saying that I know what that looks like; all I'm saying is that it's time to let nothing hold us back. It's time to rip the roof off our faith and get to the feet of Jesus. You know the desperate situation in your own life. You also know the stirring in your heart and what God has asked you to do. God is faithful, and with every situation He has a solution.

I suppose it can be anything. It could be ripping the roof off your physical comfort and wake you up hours before you need to go to work just to spend time with the Lord. It could be ripping the roof off your yearnings and begin to fast for a freedom. It could be ripping the roof off your reasoning and making a phone call even though every thought in your head tells you not to. Or it could be to rip the roof off your emotions, and push through the eyes of onlookers, and respond to a message you just heard and get to the altar even though nobody else is moving.

No matter if it's big or it's little in your eyes, beloved, it's time to rip the roof off our faith. It's time to desperately press into the Kingdom of God and refuse to stop until we get to the feet of Jesus. Lord help us... Amen and Amen.

Tiffany Ann Lewis
Dancing with the Flame of the Lord Ministries
Email: tiffanyann@tiffanyannlewis.com

Rejoicing in Trials

Trials are a part of the Christian life that none of us look forward to. But it is through trials that God demonstrates His grace and faithfulness. It is also through trials that we receive the rewards of an overcomer as outlined in Revelation in the letters to the churches. A trial or testing will always proceed a promotion in the spirit. Before we step into a new level of authority there will be a time of proving. A lot of times these trials or testings will take the form of spiritual attacks.

I have gotten to the point in my spiritual journey when I view a trial or attack as merely a prerequisite to breakthrough. When the opposition grows fierce I start to ask the Lord what He is bringing me into. One example of this is in the life of Christ. Jesus went into the desert and prayed for forty days. At the end of this fast Satan came to Him to tempt Him. Satan was trying to destroy Christ so that He would not achieve His destiny. Our enemy seeks to destroy us so that we will not live out what God has for us. He will often try to tempt us with what is to be our eventual destiny and dominion.

Christ's destiny was to go to the cross, be resurrected after three days, and break the curse of sin. Through Christ's death, the authority over the kingdoms of this world were restored back to God. Satan had temporary dominion because of the sin of Adam. What did Satan do but tempt Christ with the kingdoms of this world if He would just bow down. Christ was offered a short cut to His destiny. Christ was destined to rule over all the kingdoms of the earth. Satan was offering Him a different throne than His promised one and would have deprived the world of its atoning sacrifice. Christ proved Himself worthy by passing this final test. When Jesus left the desert He was launched into His public ministry. 

In the same way we will be tested and given the chance to prove ourselves before God launches us into our ministry. God will allow the enemy to come in and attempt to destroy us for He desires to see us victorious. I love the story of Job. Satan came before God to accuse the brethren and God asked him if he had considered Job. God knew how righteous Job was and it was a point of pleasure for Him. God allowed Satan to test Job because He knew that Job would remain faithful through all of the testing. God was delighted in Job and God was glorified in it.

In the same way when we go through trials and testing God is looking upon us with delight. His name is glorified and His grace and mercy is demonstrated when we go through the testing victorious. Christ sits upon the throne and intercedes on our behalf and the Holy Spirit intercedes through us with the words that our mind can not express. I can see God filled with pleasure when we emerge victorious. I can see Him looking upon our accuser and saying "have you seen her?" "Have you seen my servant?" "You tried to destroy him and cut off his destiny but he remained faithful." 

Take joy in your trials for God is glorified in them. Much of them are used to cultivate us and to mold and shape us. Even if they have no benefit to us in this life we can rejoice for they allow us to enter into the fellowship of Christ's sufferings. Take joy, my brothers and sisters! We have the victory in Jesus who is calling us into the rewards of an overcomer.

Stop Cursing! Blessing is so much more powerful!

We, as Christians, underestimate the power of the tongue. Scripture tells us that our words have the power to bring life and death. Scripture says that what we bind on earth will be bound in heaven and what we loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Jesus cursed the fig tree and it withered and died. But we are so careless with our words and what we say. How many times have we said things such as "he will never be healed" or "I will always have this disease."

How can we expect for God to heal us when we accept our current condition. I can't expect God to heal my knees if I declare over myself that I have bad knees just as my father does. This is accepting my condition. Or what about when we declare things about people's spiritual condition? I had someone tell me, when I was a teenager and pushing my boundaries, that I didn't have discernment and needed to listen to her as she did have the gift of discernment. Those words remained stuck in my spirit for years until I was in college and started going to a church where my gift of discernment was recognized and I finally started to listen to it. I now move in the discernment of spirits as one of my primary giftings as I was able to break off that curse that had been carelessly spoken over me in a time of frustration.

I have caught myself doing the same thing but not to people's faces. How many times have I said "that person isn't prophetic" as a reason why they shouldn't be on a ministry team. I have started to change my language. I will say something like "I don't think they are ready for a prophetic team as I don't see that as a gift of theirs." I'm not declaring things over them. And I've had to repent for times when I've said things like "that person doesn't have a prophetic bone in their body" out of frustration over the misguided individual who is more miss than hit when it comes to prophecy.

We also do this kind of dismissive curse with entire ministries and even cities. A biblical example of this is the expression "what good can come out of Nazareth?" that was so prevalent during the days of Jesus. How many times do we dismiss entire denominations as being inconsequential in the Kingdom of God because we disagree with their theology? One dear person in my life asked me why would God send me to do ministry in a "cesspool" like Hollywood. When we declare these kinds of things we shouldn't be surprised when thats all we see.

When we speak condemnation over a region, organization, ministry, or person we should expect to see more of that come forth. What would we see if instead we spoke blessing? Make a covenant with God to speak life and not death. Ask God to show you His heart so that you can speak that instead. For example, God has called Hollywood to be a beacon of purity and hope to the nations. The enemy has hijacked this calling but we can remind God of His heart for Hollywood just as Moses did before God when He was angry against the nation of Israel. When we speak blessing into the atmosphere our words will shift the attitudes of God's people and even the lost.

Christians are known as people who are quick to condemn and slow to love. This is a tragedy. We can fix this if we make a covenant to speak the heart of God and not speak out of frustration. Don't speak anything that you don't want to come true. Speak as you would wish for things to be. If God's people, especially those of us who consider ourselves prophetic, started to live our lives this way then we would see a radical shift in how the world views the Church. We would see a healing a division and a new unity within the body. We would see a greater Kingdom expression and a greater measure of freedom with God's people.

We have the power to speak life and we have the power to speak death. What will you choose to speak?

Rick Joyner: Words of Knowledge Bring Awe and Wonder of the Lord

 The following is a brief testimony and teaching about words of knowledge. I don't often post other people's words on this blog but felt led to post this one. Recently, God has been having me move a lot more in words of knowledge. They can be used greatly to bring healing and faith to the body of Christ. Let us all press in for what God has for us.



The word of knowledge that I was given, which is my personal favorite, seemed very strange to me when I received it. I actually resisted sharing it. In a meeting, we were praying for a couple and their fourteen-year-old daughter. I heard the Spirit say, "Tell the daughter that she is not an accident." Immediately, I thought about how embarrassing this would be for the daughter and her parents, who were standing in front of the whole congregation for prayer. I assumed she must have been one of the "surprise" children, but I did not want to embarrass the little girl or her parents. Then the Spirit said, "Do it." When I did, both the daughter and the parents burst into tears and were almost wailing. Concerned that I had insulted them terribly, I asked what this meant to them. They said that their daughter had been the product of a rape, and had found out, and felt that she was not even supposed to be alive.
This family was new to the church, and knew I could not have known this. That one word instantly healed a major wound in their family. The little girl left thinking that God did know her, and that she was "not an accident," but that God loved her and He had a purpose for her. The parents left deeply touched by how God had so personally cared about them and that they could rejoice in the victory of this whole situation. The Lord obviously did not intend for the rape, but He is so good that He would use even this terrible thing to bring forth good. I was just an observer to this, but it changed me too, because it was a whole new level of seeing just how wonderful our God is.
Because people come from all over the world to our local church to be ministered to by our prophetic teams, we hear things like this frequently. In fact, they are now so common, they are expected. I think this is normal Christianity. It was what the Apostle Paul said about prophecy – how if an unbeliever came, the secrets of his heart would be exposed and he would fall on his face, declaring that God is certainly among us (I Corinthians 14:24-25). Constant awe and wonder at the great things the Lord is doing, which cannot be credited to men, are normal New Testament Church life.
If prophetic gifts are being awakened in you, this is more valuable than any earthly treasure, as everything from God should be. As we are told in I Corinthians 14:1, "Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy." Cultivate your gifts. Get around others who are growing in them. Go to prophetic conferences where many others will be gathering and the interchange can be extremely helpful. We usually have at least two conferences a year where you not only see the gifts demonstrated, but you can be a part of the ministry teams and receive practical experience. Now many other ministries are also hosting such conferences, which are being used to stir up the gifts in people. In the times to come, the most valuable gift anyone will have is knowing God's voice.
Rick Joyner
MorningStar Ministries
Email: info@morningstarministries.org
Rick Joyner is the founder and executive director of MorningStar Ministries and Heritage International Ministries and is the Senior Pastor of MorningStar Fellowship Church. He is the author of more than forty books, including The Final Quest, A Prophetic History, and Church History. He is also the president of The OAK Initiative, an interdenominational movement that is mobilizing thousands of Christians to be engaged in the great issues of our times, being the salt and light that they are called to be. Rick and his wife, Julie, have five children: Anna, Aaryn, Amber, Ben, and Sam.

The Safety of Being on the Frontlines

We are actually safer from the attacks of the enemy when we are moving within our destiny. A lie, that many Christians buy into, is that when we are doing the Lord's work we are opening ourselves up to greater attacks. This is only partially true. The enemy reserves his greatest attacks to those with the largest callings within the Kingdom. He doesn't need to attack and torment those who pose him no threat. But if the Lord calls you to the front lines then you are actually safer there than if you remain in a place that seems safe.

The story of David and Bathsheba is an example of this. 2 Samuel 11 starts out with the following account:

In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. And they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose from his couch and was walking on the roof of the king's house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful. 

David was avoiding his calling and destiny as both a king and a man of war. The season demanded for him to be out waging war on the front lines but he remained safely at home. Because he was in the place of safety and leisure he opened himself up to this attack. I'm sure that David justified his staying home. He was king- he deserved some rest and relaxation. He had spent much of his life waging war and doing battle. One year didn't make a huge difference- in fact his generals were leading the Israelite armies as well as he could and were having great success against his enemies. David might have used the excuse that he was better off at home playing the role of a psalmist than off on the front lines as a warrior king.


We use lots of excuses to avoid being where God is calling us to be. Sometimes those who are closest to us will be the ones who tell us that it is too dangerous. For example, my family believes that I have no business ministering in Hollywood and fear that the temptations of immorality will be too much for me to handle. But David had given into the desires of the flesh by staying at home and when he got from his afternoon nap and saw this beautiful naked woman, the flesh that he had already given into, took over.


Bathsheba had just finished her period and was going through her ritual cleansing when David saw her. She had probably thought that she was safe from prying eyes since David was supposed to be off to battle (where her husband was). We all know the rest of the story, about a month or two later Bathsheba realized that she was pregnant, David tried to cover it up by ordering Uriah home for some rest and relaxation hoping that he would lay with his wife and later think the baby was his. But Uriah was a man of honor who refused to enjoy the pleasures of home while his men were on the battlefield and spent the night with the palace guard. David panicked and did the only thing left to try to cover up his sin from the nation, he made sure that Uriah would be killed in battle.


This sin resulted in judgement against the house of David. If David had gone to battle that year as he should have then David would have never had the heartbreak of his beloved son Absalom rebelling against him (2. Sam 12:10) and the eventual division of his kingdom. When we are moving within the will of God there is a covering of protection that is removed when we choose to operate outside of His perfect will.


But God is a god of love and redemption. What is amazing with this story is that Solomon was birthed from the marriage of David and Bathsheba. Solomon, the wisest man who has ever lived, was chosen by God to bear the seed of Abraham and carry the lineage of David. The very kingly and priestly lineage that God chose to utilize to bear the Messiah. God redeemed the greatest sin that David ever committed and used it to bring salvation to the entire world. The wisdom literature of the Old Testament was largely written by Solomon and the nations of Solomon's day learned about the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob through him. Solomon was a marvel of his time, built an incredible temple to house the visible manifestation of God's glory on this earth, and introduced God's truth to kings and queens throughout the earth.


Do not dwell on past mistakes- God can and will redeem them. But let us learn from the mistakes of David. There is a grace of protection that is only there when we are truly positioned within the perfect will of God. Recently I have been the recipient of this grace. The wrath of the enemy has been directed against me and I have felt him trying to destroy me and cut me off from my destiny. But these attacks fell to the ground even though I was powerless to resist them. Why was this? I am positioned where God has called me. If I was not within the will of God then I would have fallen in some way. 


Keep yourself within the Lord. Remain in Him. Allow yourself to pray in tongues when you are at your weakest and don't know how to pray. When you are weak and don't think you can resist the traps of the enemy allow the Holy Spirit to intercede for you. When you pray in tongues He who is within you is praying those things that you are too weak to pray. He is making those utterances that you want to but don't know how because the obstacle in front of you looks so big. He who is faithful will provide an escape. Keep yourself where God has placed you. Don't run from the frontlines just because the battle rages. If that is where God has placed you then you are actually safer there. Don't run from your destiny because the battle seems bigger than anything else. Keep your gaze upon what glimpse of Jesus that you have and your circumstances will grow smaller and smaller as your view of Jesus grows. 

April Newsletter

Matthew Prewett

Missionary to Hollywood, Los Angeles, CA

PO Box 3693

Hollywood, CA 90078

Email: matthewprewett(at)gmail.com

April 2012 Newsletter

This past month:

            March was one of the most action packed months I have had in my spiritual life. It was a crazy time both in my personal and ministry life. God has been showing me a lot of things and I have been doing a lot of writing which is awesome.

            One key event this past month was the launch of our Destiny Night service. It is a time of worship, teaching, and personal ministry through prophecy and prayer. Each week God has brought random people who have never been to our house of prayer and just “happened” to walk in during that time. There have been some powerful times of ministry as God has used me to release prophetic words of healing and equipping into their lives. I love prophesying over people I haven’t met before as there isn’t room for manipulation and they know it’s God when you know details about them and their life.

            TheCry Hollywood took place in the middle of March. It was a time where intercessors from across the world came to pray for Hollywood. We firmly believe that a shift took place in the spiritual environment over that weekend. There are so many testimonies already coming out but one came from a pastor who had left the auditorium to go to the bathroom and came across two men in the lobby weeping. When he asked them what was going on they shared that they were actors in the porn industry, were convicted as we prayed and repented for pornography and the sex trade, and did not know what they were going to do. This is just one testimony. Many who attended felt strengthened in their walk and that they have a greater understanding of their role in the industry of arts and entertainment. It was an encouragement to me to see how many on fire Christians are serving the Lord within the industry and see it as their mission field. Many of these are incredibly anointed in the Spirit and have found great success in the industry as well.

           

April Happenings:

            This month I am starting to write a book based upon the life of Anna and how her life is a model for an end-time prayer movement that will usher in Christ’s second coming. I hope to have a rough draft done by the end of April.

            I am also in the planning stages for several other books and am praying about taking a ministry trip across the US in late May and early June.

           

Prayer Needs:

            I appreciate all of your prayers. I have felt them as the end of March had intense warfare yet I had such a supernatural grace to overcome. Be praying for all my activities and for the LA Riot 20^th year anniversary on April 29^th. Pray that it will be a time of built bridges and reconciliation.

           

Financial Needs:

            Continue to pray for financial provision. God has been good but I need continued provision especially if I choose to take this cross-country ministry trip and other prayer journeys.

            Contact me for ways that you can partner with me. 

April: A month of reprieve, rest, and advancement

The month of March was a time to receive marching orders and God was giving His people directions for these next few months. You can read my post about the month of March and how it was a preparation right here. During the last week or two of March I became aware of a vicious attack by the enemy against the people of God. I experienced it along with a number of other prophetic people I know. It was an attack to not just distract but to destroy. It was an attack so severe, that if we had chosen to succumb, it would have been devastating physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I remember at one point feeling so entrapped that I was willing to give into this temptation. I was standing there ready to give in and all I could do was pray in tongues as I was moving towards giving in to the devices of the enemy. It was the grace of God, and the Holy Spirit interceding through me, that shifted the atmosphere around me and gave me the ability to escape.

I share this because I realize that it was not just an attack against me but was a strategy that the enemy was using against those who posed a threat to him. It was an attack of desperation. The enemy knows that the Kingdom of God is arising in power. The enemy knows that as God's people arise, in authority, that it will mean the advancing of light and the vanquishing of darkness. I have had incredible attacks before. When I was ministering at Cal State Fullerton I experienced three attempts on my life within a 5 month period. But this was more vicious and more desperate than anything I have experienced before. I saw it as a confirmation of what God is bringing us into.

But the month of April brought instant relief. This attack is over. I have been able to rest and rejuvenate my body. For the last week of March I could barely eat. I remember realizing on Friday that I hadn't had a real meal in 2-3 days (what was weird is that I wasn't hungry). The first two days of April were spent doing nothing but eating and sleeping. I asked the Lord what all of this meant and this is what I am sensing in the Spirit.

The last two weeks of March was a time of testing. It was a time where God showed that He would be triumphant over the strategies of Satan. The enemy wanted to abort and destroy the destinies of God's people but God demonstrated that His Spirit and His Grace would stand between His people and the wrath of the enemy. God was also demonstrating that it is Him working through us that enables us to overcome. Our righteousness is through the power of His blood and resurrection. This gives us a spirit of humility which will keep us grounded in Him.

The first week, and to a lesser degree the second week, of April is a time of rest. It is a time to strengthen ourselves and allow the Spirit to minister to us. After Jesus went into the wilderness for 40 days, and was tempted by Satan, the angels came and ministered to Him. Allow the Spirit to move in you. Do not allow the enemy to use guilt against you. You are an overcomer. It doesn't matter that the enemy brought you to the very edge where you gazed upon what he was enticing you with.

The Lord has brought us reprieve from these attacks. We now have an authority over them that we didn't previously have. Ask God to show you this authority. The enemy attacks us with our destiny. Do you have a call to preach purity? The enemy will attack you in that area. Do you have a call to foster unity within the body? The enemy will attack with division and rebellious thoughts towards leaders. When you win a battle you gain an authority in that area. And even though it may not feel like victory, as you barely resisted, it was in fact a victory.

As we enter into the middle of April we are going to see a realignment within the created order. Watch God as He gives us some visible signs of renewal in the natural. It is going to be a season of freedom as the weightiness of the past two months are going to melt away. Pray against fear as it will be one of the main areas where the enemy is going to work this month. Guard against isolation. There is good isolation (and many of us were in that secret place during this past month) but then there is bad isolation. Press inward towards God and utilize the strategies that He has given you during the past month.

When you are moving in your destiny and calling there is a grace for protection. Do not allow fear of attack keep you from doing the work that God has given you. In fact, when you shrink back when you should be moving forward you can open yourself up to the attacks of the enemy. David would have never fallen into sexual sin with Bathsheba had he been on the battlefield as he was supposed to be (which is a topic for an upcoming blog post). Positioning is key to this season. Press onward and grab a hold of the destiny that God has for you. Press onward and hold onto the strategies that He has given you. Do not allow disqualification to come near you. Surround yourselves with those who will speak truth and destiny into your life and remove yourself from those who speak condemnation.

As we move forward in the month of April we will receive greater clarity. As we move forward, with the strategies and plans that we have received, we will take back the ground that the enemy has stolen from us years ago. As we retake our calling and destiny we will move into a higher plane and gain a greater vantage point. This will position us to move into the authority that God has for us. He has been releasing promotion and greater authority since the beginning of this year but we are going to see a dramatic shift in the spirit realm, with ramifications in the natural, happen in June through September of this year. We will feel the shift starting in mid to late May building into a crescendo in late July. In August and September there are going to be dramatic signs and wonders as we exercise this authority. Even those who are not sensitive to the things of the Spirit will take notice at that time.

I leave you with this charge, do not allow the failures of yesterday to hold you back from the victories of tomorrow. God desires you to have the heart of an overcomer. Jesus came and died so that you might have the fullness of victory. Jesus is the greatest intercessor and He gazes down upon you from the throne of heaven and intercedes for you to be victorious in all things. The Holy Spirit lives in us to give us guidance and to work through us even when we are at our weakest. Press forward and believe that the grace of God is more powerful than anything on this earth. There is no sin, no failing, no mistake that is so big that it can't be canceled and covered by the blood of the Lamb. Grab ahold of everything that God has for you. Press onward towards the goal for which Christ has called us heavenward and lock your eyes with His loving and passionate gaze.

Praying for Obama

We are commanded in scripture to pray for our leaders. Too often we ignore this command. When we attempt to obey it is usually with impure hearts. Praying against our leaders is not the same as praying for them. This is particularly seen with much of the evangelical church towards democrat presidents. Yes, I disagree with Obama's politics as they are antithetical to mine. As a conservative, who is wary of big government, I am scared of someone with such socialist leanings as Obama (the socialist party of America gave him higher marks in the US Senate than they did to self professed socialist Sen. Sanders). I am truly alarmed of where I believe Obama wants to take this country.

However, this should not change how we pray for our leaders. Prayers that curse Obama or speak condemnation are not what God intended when He commanded us to pray for those in authority. The scripture says to make "petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may live a peaceful and quiet life." (1 Timothy 2:1-2). Note that we are to make intercession for all those in authority. It doesn't say to thank God for the righteous leaders and to pray that unrighteous leaders to be removed quickly. I remember hearing some Christians say that Psalm 109:8 should be our prayer for Obama: "May his days be few; may another take his office." This is not praying for our leaders and will not result in a peaceful or quiet life. Those of us who have prayed condemnation and cursed our leaders need to repent for this.

I do want to draw a distinction between praying for our leaders and praying for elections. Those of us who live under democratic forms of governments have the additional responsibility of praying that men and women of righteousness will be elected to political office. I spend a significant part of my intercessory prayer time praying for the upcoming elections and that the cause of life will be advanced through them. At the same time I pray for the current leaders of our country, including Obama.

We must ask God to see our leaders as He sees them. I firmly believe that Obama has a calling in the Kingdom and that he would receive a powerful anointing if he simply submitted himself to God. I don't know if Obama is a Christian or not. He professes to be and I have heard that while he is a weak Christian he does have a heart that is hungry. I do know that he is one who seeks out spiritual guidance. Obama spent time in prayer with his pastor before his decisions to run for state senate, US senate, and then the presidency. We must pray that God would fill Obama with His Spirit. Whether Obama gets re-elected or not does not change this prayer. We must pray that Obama will submit fully to God and receive the fullness that God has for him.

We must thank God for the blessing that Obama is to this nation. We must thank God that he seeks to be a man of character and that he is one who follows his convictions. He is a family man who is devoted to wife and children. He is a man who cares deeply for the Arab peoples and for our image abroad. He has a deep compassion for the disenfranchised in society. Some might disagree with the way these convictions effect his policy decisions but we can respect the person. We must pray blessing upon Obama- we are commanded to speak thanksgiving. So let us bless that which should be blessed. And we can proclaim what we wish to see. I ask that the Lord would fill Obama with His Spirit and that He would transform Obama's heart with love and justice for the unborn.

Blessing is more powerful than cursing. We must break agreement with the curses that have been spoken. Judgement belongs to the Lord. Our leaders, Obama included, will have to answer to God for their policy decisions. We will have to answer to God on how we yield our right to vote and our responsibility as prayer warriors. Think of how Obama would be if he was filled with God's Spirit. That is God's heart for him. God desires for all men to come to Him and to live out their created destiny. I believe that God has called Obama to be a Moses for his people and for the millions of unborn babies. It is our responsibility to pray forth the will of God. As Christians we must be better custodians of our duty to stand in the gap as priestly intercessors for this nation. If we prayed for our leaders daily, and blessed them as we are commanded to, I believe we would see a dramatic shift in the politics of our nation. Corruption and injustice would become the exception and not the rule. Let us have faith in the power of God and in the power of His commandments.