These are times when we all could use a little encouragement. Recently some good cheer came to me all the way from an old friend leaning over the balcony of heaven!
The Bible speaks of a great crowd of faithful witnesses in heaven, watching us, hovering over us like a cloud (Hebrews 12:1). Many of these faithful witnesses have prayed for us through the ages. Both Old and New Testament saints like Abraham, Moses, and Isaiah, apostles like John and Peter. Many are still praying for us in heaven now. Like my dear friend Anna (not her real name).
Heavenly vision
In a vision I saw a balcony area in heaven crowded with saints. Leaning over the railing, my friend Anna was gazing down at me, smiling. She was waving a white lace-trimmed handkerchief, perhaps trying to stand out from the crowd and so get my attention–which she did.
She did not speak to me in words. But I believe she was encouraging me to persevere through these difficult times. Keep on praying and believing for better days ahead. Keep the faith. Heaven is praying with us. God will send Revival to America. America shall be saved. God’s Kingdom will come. His will will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Just as we have prayed.
Synergy of the ages
God calls it the synergy of the ages. Synergy combines the prayers of all the saints, resulting in a huge multiplication of power–much greater than the sum of all our individual prayers. Synergy works in the natural physical world, when the compounding of two chemicals, for example, results in something greater than the two chemicals separately. The results can be explosive.
The same is true with our prayers. God combines all the prayers of all the saints through the ages. Their prayers and our prayers are not lost or forgotten. They do not float away or wear out after we speak them. They ascend to heaven, gathering in heavenly golden incense bowls (Revelation 5:8). Mixed together, our prayers multiply in dynamic power, ready to explode upon the earth.
And when the time is right, God instructs the angels to pour out the answers we have been waiting for. His will is done on the earth as it is in heaven. The Lord ministers real heavenly justice. He punishes evil. He raises up the good. He restores order out of chaos. He gives beauty for ashes. Restoring broken dreams and broken hearts. Extravagant blessings flow like water as He pours out His LOVE on earth. Healings and miracles overflow. Rivers upon the dry grounds.
In its time, it will come. Keep the faith. Pray on. Heaven is praying with us. Synergy is happening. Overflow is downloading from heaven. All of heaven celebrates.
May the God of hope grant you all joy and peace in believing that by the power of the Holy Spirit of God you do abound in hope–joyful expectation that what God says He will do. (Romans 15:13)
There has never been a better time for you to show off your God-given smile than right now–especially now in these messy Covid virus times. The flimsy masks we are told to wear may give you a false sense of security. You may feel that you are being protective of others. But these masks can be actually hurting more than helping.
While the N-95 and surgical grade masks do help safeguard health care workers and food service workers, those flimsy pieces of cloth most of us wear offer little to no protection from sickness. Instead, they offer the illusion of safety where there is none. The tiny particles of the virus can easily penetrate homemade masks. (https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2020/04/commentary-masks-all-covid-19-not-based-sound-data)
Let the sick stay home. And let the healthy come outside and breathe the fresh air- -a gift from God. Be real. Sunshine is good for you.
Hiding behind a mask, on the other hand, can make people suspicious of you. Masks make people afraid. We become fearful of going too near someone to offer a helping hand or a friendly word of greeting or encouragement. We avoid looking at people directly in the eye. We can become locked in a self-imposed prison of isolation and discouragement. People with hearing difficulties (over a billion people worldwide) can be blocked from communicating and understanding, as the masks muffle the wearer’s voice and do not allow for lip reading.
Spread the joy
The world needs to see your smile and hear your voice! Even if you don’t feel like it, smile anyway. Your own joy will increase. It’s a proven fact that smiles boost endorphins, relieve stress, help you relax, and lower your blood pressure. Smiles may even lengthen your life.
Smiles increase your joy and the joy of those around you. When you unmask your beautiful smile, people feel valued, that they are worth the effort you made to smile at them. And they see you as more attractive, sincere, reliable and friendly. People respond to your smile with smiles of their own! It’s contagious. You have heard that the virus is contagious. But smiling is even more contagious!
Face it. When someone looks at you and flashes a genuine smile, it is hard not to smile back. We increase each other’s happiness.
We all feel better.
Pandemic of fear
By contrast, heavy-handed government regulations are tearing up people’s lives. The cure has become worse than the disease. Many businesses have been forced to close down, many have failed, throwing millions of Americans out of work, destroying dreams and futures. The financial and emotional stress of being unable to provide for their families, together with forced confinement at home, have caused alarming increases in domestic violence and child abuse. All this non-stop togetherness has brought out the worst in some people. Tempers have flared, and there are fewer ways to escape. Local shelters for victims are maxed out. The rates of depression and suicide are climbing. Alcohol and drug addictions have killed many more. As the stay-at-home measures continue to stretch out into months in some locales, people are losing hope. Lives are being lost at home. And especially in nursing homes in some states, where the inmates are locked down in solitary confinement, unable to visit one another or even see family members. Some patients are forced to die alone.
People should be free to choose how they want to live and die. Their quality of life may be more important to them than their length of life. How many of the so-called Covid deaths were actually the result of depression, loneliness and hopelessness caused by forced isolation?
Protection you can trust
So if masks are not the answer, how do we protect ourselves from a virus, Covid or otherwise? We put our trust in God and His word.
The Lord alone makes you dwell in safety. (Psalm 4:8)
God wants you healthy.
Beloved, I wish above all things that you prosper and be in good health. (3 John 2)
He has supplied healing for you in the Blood of Jesus.
By Jesus’ wounds we have been healed. (1 Peter 2:24)
The promise of protection is for all believers, but especially for those who trust in the Lord and say so.
No evil shall befall you. Neither shall any plague come near your dwelling. (Psalm 91:10)
And if you do get sick, ask a believer to come and pray for you.
These signs shall accompany those who believe…they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover. (Mark 16:17-18)
Time to believe again. And say so. Whom are you believing? Where have you placed your confidence? America’s national motto says “In God we trust.” Do you trust government bureaucrats with their dismal false prophecies, which seek to stretch out the so-called pandemic for years? Or do you put your trust in the Word of God, which is unchangeable, filled with life and healing power?
Jesus is our Savior, Healer, Protector. Not a small piece of cloth you cover your face with.
Free to choose
Most states are seeing the number of new cases steadily decreasing. All fifty states are beginning to open up. States like Georgia and South Carolina that have completely reopened have not seen any meaningful increase in virus statistics. The predictions of catastrophe have been defeated. Praise the Lord.
For most of us, whether you choose to wear a mask is optional. But if your employer or city mayor insists that you wear a mask, you may choose to comply. And no one should fault you for that. Certainly keeping your job, if you have one, is an important factor to consider. However, for those of us who are healthy and choose not to wear a mask, do not condemn us. Or arrest us. Instead, smile with us. Smiling can be infectious. And we will all feel better.
An American businessman I know was returning to his hotel in a foreign city one night. Exiting his taxi, Paul (not his real name) was suddenly confronted by a menacing gang of some eight young toughs. They came at him out of the shadows brandishing metal pipes and knives. Looking for a quick escape, Paul glanced behind him and saw a dark giant looming over him. Suddenly the gang saw the same fearsome being! They panicked, dropped their weapons, and fled in terror!
Paul turned back to thank the stranger who had saved his life. But he saw no one there. A huge angel had miraculously appeared out of the dark to his rescue and then just as quickly vanished from sight. God had briefly revealed the angel’s powerful presence in order to scare away the bad guys.
Shaken but secure, Paul thanked God for his divine rescue. God was answering his prayers, and those of his family, for his protection.
When your enemies appear to be coming at you with overwhelming force, remember the Lord God Almighty is with you. Seen or unseen, Jesus is Lord of heaven’s armies. He is mighty to save. His giant warring angels are ready to rescue you. Be prayed up each day before you venture out. Take time to call on the Lord, and He will sustain you. Whatever your situation, He will never leave you nor forsake you.
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress,
My God. In Him I will trust.”
Psalm 91:1-2 (NKJV)
Seeing through eyes of faith
The Bible relates many dramatic stories of angels seen and unseen coming to the aid of God’s people. The prophet Elisha woke up one morning to find his city surrounded by an enemy army seeking to kill him (2 Kings 6:14-17) . His servant was in a panic. But not Elisha. He was a man of prayer, who lived close to God. Elisha saw through eyes of faith. He trusted in God’s protection.
“Do not fear, for more are those who are with us than those are with them.” Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, that he may see.” God lifted the veil to the spiritual realm, revealing a much larger force of angels, horses and chariots of fire appearing on the mountains above them. No physical battle was necessary. The angels threw the enemy army into such confusion that they went home peacefully and never again bothered Elisha or his people.
2020 vision—truth revealed
Looking around us in this new year 2020, we see dangers threatening us on many fronts. The evil forces against us, our families, our leaders, our nation and our God–can appear enormous. But as God’s precious children, we must look beyond what others see, beyond what the media are reporting. Looking through eyes of faith, we see our God is more than enough for every battle. We are victorious in Him. That is God’s truth.
We don’t focus our attention on what is seen but on what is unseen.
For what is seen is temporary, but the unseen realm is eternal.
2 Corinthians 4:18 (TPT)
We are never alone. God surrounds us with His glorious presence to strengthen and protect us. Jesus is Lord of heaven’s armies. He is mighty to save.
When you see yourself as small, weak and defenseless, the enemy will see you that way too. Time to put on your God-given lenses. See the situation accurately from God’s perspective. Remember Whose you are. You are not alone. You and God make up a mighty majority, which no enemy can withstand. Enemies of danger, violence, fear and doubt, sickness and lack, quake at the Name of Jesus.
Submit yourself to God and the evil one must flee, for we resist him in the Name of Jesus. Tell the enemy to go. See him flee in terror. He is so afraid of you.
Safe and secure
Put on your 2020 vision glasses. And see things clearly now. There is more going on here than we can see with our natural eyes. The Lord Jesus and His angels are everywhere protecting America, protecting God’s children. Together you and God are more than enough to win.
Share your own story of breakthrough…
Do you have a dramatic story of heavenly intervention in your own life? Have you experienced supernatural grace that rescued you from peril? Perhaps God healed you from an incurable disease. He warned you to miss a plane that later crashed. Or he chased a burglar out of your house. Whatever your story, we invite you to share it with our readers, to inspire others with 2020 vision and raise our expectations to see God’s glory in our own lives. Go to the Comment page to share your story. And thanks! We look forward to hearing from you.
Have you received gifts from God that are gathering dust, some forgotten, some still waiting to be opened? Time to bring them out, dust them off, let them shine for Jesus. The apostle Paul mentions many spiritual gifts available to us as believers. Among the most valuable gifts is a heavenly prayer language from the Holy Spirit.
Have you heard of the mystery of praying in tongues and wondered if it is for you? Wonder no more. Praying in a new supernatural language is for all Christian believers. Paul bragged that he spoke in tongues more than anyone else. He encouraged every Christian to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit and exercise their spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 14:5). He urged us all to pray both in our native language and our supernatural language.
So if you are a believer, God has a language gift for you. Praying in the Spirit will elevate and empower your life. Bad habits and sin you may have struggled with will fall off you. Praying in the Spirit will change the lives of those you pray for. Praying in the Spirit can literally bring God’s kingdom to earth.
Praying perfect prayers
The Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what prayers to offer nor in what way to offer them. But the Spirit Himself pleads for us in yearnings that can find no words; and the Searcher of hearts knows what the Spirit’s meaning is, because His intercessions for God’s people are in harmony with God’s will. (Romans 8:26-27)
According to the Bible, praying in a God-given language ministers peace to us. It makes us strong. It recharges our spiritual batteries (Jude 20). God encourages us and gives us rest. Praying in the Spirit means you are praying perfect prayers, because they are from God’s own heart. He gives you the words and the heart to pray them. These heaven-sent prayers will build up your faith and trust in God. You will become able to hear God’s voice more clearly. So He can warn you of trouble before it happens and shield you from danger. As you pray, He will use you in new and miraculous ways. You will see God use your prayers to bring His kingdom here on this earth.
Opening my gifts
All of this was unknown to me when I first received the baptism of the Holy Spirit at my first healing prayer meeting over 25 years ago. I honestly did not know what that baptism was or what value it might have for me. The speakers that night, Charles and Frances Hunter, simply invited those of us without the baptism to come on down front. So we did. (We had already been baptized into the family of God, we were Christians, but this was to be a second filling of the Holy Spirit). As we praised the Lord together, we asked the Lord to fill us with His Spirit. We heard our speech change from English to many new languages, unfamiliar to us. The Holy Spirit filled us with supernatural joy. Our worship rose to a whole new level. We even sang heavenly new songs in our various languages.
The Hunters encouraged us to continue praying in our new languages for at least 30 minutes each day. Frankly, I did not have sufficient fluency in my new language to continue for more than just a few minutes. I did not understand what I was saying or why. After a few months of wondering what the point was, and with no answers, I decided to put my new language on hold.
About a year later, I discovered some excellent teaching tapes by Gloria Copeland, Walking in the Spirit, which explained the gift of praying in tongues in terms I could relate to. With Gloria’s detailed Biblical teaching and the help of the Holy Spirit, I committed to praying in my new language for an hour each day–stipulating that He would have to give me the ability to do so. I sure could not do it on my own. It was one of the most important decisions I have ever made. With the gift of speaking in tongues, I have become both stronger and more peaceful at the same time. I have fended off numerous demonic attacks. I have prayed beyond my own personal knowledge to accomplish miracles in Jesus’ Name. Many people have been saved, healed and delivered through these prayers. My family and I have been protected each day. The Lord has shared His wisdom and His point of view on many different subjects. He has headed off problems before they happened. My faith has soared.
Has life been trouble-free these last 25-plus years? No way. But with God’s help and His Spirit-led prayers, I have come out of every difficulty victorious every time. Thanks be to God!
Ask and receive your refreshing
So if you would like to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, together with His spiritual gifts, pray along with me now. And if you have already received the baptism, ask God for a fresh refilling of His Spirit. Then dust off your spiritual gifts and put them to work for Jesus. To God be the glory.
“If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” But this He spoke of the Spirit whom those who believed in Him were to receive. (John 7:37-38)
Are you thirsty for more of God? Do you long to know and serve Him better (Mark 16:17-18)? Come to Jesus now. Ask Him in faith to fill you with His Spirit, expecting to receive. Receive His gifts by faith, just as you received your salvation by faith. Then thank Him and praise Him.
Say: Father God, I am Your child. I love You and am thirsty for more of You in my life. I want to know You and serve You better. I come to You, Jesus, thirsty, asking You to baptize me with Your Holy Spirit. Fill me to overflowing with rivers of living water. To Your glory, Lord. I believe I receive now. Thank You, Lord, for your gifts. Thank you for baptizing me in Your Holy Spirit! Thank You for my new heavenly prayer language.
Open your mouth and let the praises of God come forth. Pray with your understanding and pray beyond your understanding. Allow the Holy Spirit to pray through you to bring heaven down to earth. The Holy Spirit wants to pray His perfect prayers through you.
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As many victims of Hurricane Harvey struggled to recover last week, the Lord gave me an encouraging dream. America shall be great again.
In the dream, President Donald Trump was visiting the flood victims in their water-filled homes. Everything appeared lost. The people were mourning. As the President reached out to help someone, the presidential red cap, emblazoned with the Make America Great Again slogan, fell into the murky water. But someone quickly rescued the hat and hung it up to dry. Certainly Donald Trump could have got himself another cap. But this cap was special. It was the cap he wore visiting the people hit so hard by hurricane floods. It was a symbol of victory.
The Lord went on to explain…
“Hurricane Harvey cannot keep America down. She will be great again. Donald Trump will make America great again. The waters cannot overflow his dream…God’s dream for America. America will be great again. Watch and see. The best is about to be for America and Trump. Watch and see. America shall be saved. Jesus is Lord.
“Love will prevail in America again. Love will overcome a mountain of evil. Drain the swamp. Evil stands out, exposed.
“Make America great again. Pray it in. I LOVE you. I LOVE Trump. I LOVE his heart for America. A man after My own heart. I LOVE America. America the beautiful is about to be reborn. Beauty is the best evidence of a spirit of love. I know…love anyway. The bestis about to come. Keep the faith. I LOVE you.”
Pray with me for America…
Father God, forgive us, forgive America for all our sins and shortcomings. Forgive us for hatred, division and quarreling, forgive us for abortions and believing false evidence appearing real. Forgive us for turning away from you, the Father of our country. Make us bold to speak the truth. Make us beautiful to love one another unconditionally. Give us wise godly leaders who will seek and follow Your ways. We return to You God, the Father of our country. Have mercy on us, Your people. Deliver us from evil. Unite us. Heal us. Recover us. Make America great again. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen.
Everywhere people are searching for peace. Amidst the din of quarreling and confusion, fanned by the media, we are assaulted by bitterness and anxiety on every side. There is little peace in America or in Washington, D.C. And there is precious little peace in people’s hearts.
Let peace reign.
How do we find peace amidst the clamor? The apostle Paul urged us to pray.
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will keep your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)
Jesus is our peace. In fact, before leaving this earth, He gave us His own heavenly peace. He did not want us to fear or worry.
“My peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27)
As children of God, His peace belongs to us. It is His free gift to us. Only God’s peace will dispel fear and worry, giving us quietness and confidence to go forward.
Our peace is heavenly, of divine origin, not earthly. Our peace certainly does not come from our circumstances. Peace does not mean that all our circumstances are rosy and everything is going our way. Our peace comes from our close personal relationship with our Lord Jesus. We know Jesus LOVES us and takes good care of us. We choose to trust Him always.
Our peace is not the absence of trouble. Our peace is security in the midst of turmoil. We are trusting God at all times to take care of us. The Lord alone makes us dwell in safety (Psalm 4:8). He is our provider, our protector, our good Shepherd. Read Psalm 23. He does all things well. He always has our good in mind. We have everything we need.
God’s peace is not a warm fuzzy feeling you hope to get when all your problems are solved. In fact, peace is not a feeling or an emotion. Feelings are changeable and unreliable. We cannot afford to allow our feelings to control us. We must be led by the Spirit of God. He is the Spirit of Peace.
The kingdom of God is righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17).
Our peace is not the lack of problems, but the God given ability to rise above ourproblems. We can be calm and confident no matter what is going on around us. We can pray to God and ask His wisdom in overcoming our problems. He will show us what to do. He will make the way for us where there seems to be no way. Next, we surrender all our problems to God and thank Him that He is answering our prayers. We leave our troubles safely in His hands. Then we rest in His peace, knowing He is meeting our every need.
God’s peace is a strong spiritual force that transcends fear and trouble. Against the tide of this world that tries to overwhelm us, Jesus gives us peace and victory.
Jesus is our Prince of peace. Release your problems and worries to Him. Leave them there at His feet. Receive His peace. And rise above your circumstances.
Jesus, You are my Prince of peace. Please fix these problems for me, Lord. Give me wisdom to overcome. Show me what to do. I surrender all my problems to You. Thank You for taking them from me. Thank You for Your peace, which surpasses human understanding. I rise above my circumstances and rest in Your heavenly peace. May Your peace reign in my heart and all across America, in Jesus’ Name.
Adapted from the upcoming book Living in the Glory by Patricia Morris, copyright 2017. All rights reserved.
I have peeked into paradise. Heaven has come alive to me.
My recent invitation to go home with Jesus has opened my eyes to the reality of heaven in new ways. (See my earlier blogs on my near-death experience.) A spiritual place has now become very real to me. Scriptures have new meaning.
Heaven is more than a hope or a promise. It is real. It is our forever home. And God is expecting us soon….
Heaven is our home. God called me “home” to heaven. That means I belong there. It is not a new or scary foreign place. As Christians, we are God’s children, treasured members of His family. We will feel right at home in heaven when we get there.
For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come. (Hebrews 13-14)
Jesus calls us home. You won’t find Buddha or Mohammed up in heaven calling you home. Jesus is Lord of heaven and earth, the Most High God, our Savior forever. He will call us home at the right time.
We are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. (Philippians 3:20)
The welcome mat is out. Heaven is expecting us. Jesus has prepared a special place for us there. He has done what we could not do for ourselves. He has made the way for us to enter in freely. He has paid the price in full, giving His life as a ransom for us. He has awarded us His own perfect right standing with God. We are holy to the Lord.
“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in Me. There is more than enough room in My Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with Me where I am.” (John 14:1-3)
There is no fear in going home. Fear has no place in heaven. Only peace and love. Heaven’s peace is like a magnet, drawing us in. When our time comes, we will gladly leave the chaos and fears of earth behind us, to be caught up in the arms of Jesus, our Prince of peace.
Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. (2 Cor 5:8)
Heaven is closer than you think. Heaven is not some faraway place. It is right around the corner.My own encounter with heaven came suddenly, unexpectedly, on a trip to the dentist’s office. Your time could come suddenly, unexpectedly–on a routine trip to work or the grocery store. You could be called home tonight…or tomorrow. Jesus could return for us at any time. We do not know the future or how much time we have left on this earth. Be ready, prayed up and set to go!
“So you too must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of My return.” (Matthew 25:13)
Everyone is invited. God invites everyone to make heaven their home. But many have ignored or refused their invitation. You have to RSVP. You have to say yes! It is your decision, your choice. It does not matter where you have been or what you have done or what has been done to you. Just accept right now your invitation to join the family of God. Choose Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord, the Boss of your life. His arms are open wide to you now. Come home to the family of God.
See how very much our Father LOVES us, for He calls us His children. And that is what we are! (John 3:1)
Jesus is the way. There are not many roads to heaven. Just one. Surrender your life to Jesus Christ. Receive His BIG LOVE.Receive His grace and blessings.
“I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but through Me.” (John 14:6)
Sounds like heaven 