More than two people would likely have died during the Texas church shooting this past Sunday, Dec. 29, had deacon Jack Wilson not shot the gunman as quickly as he did.

The horrific event was over in six seconds, but that was enough time for the shooter, 43-year-old Keith Thomas Kinnunen, to kill two people: 64-year-old Anton “Tony” Wallace and 67-year-old Richard White. Both victims were on the security team at West Freeway Church of Christ.

Wilson, who serves as head of security at the church, gives God the credit for being able to take down the shooter so quickly.

“I just want to thank all who have sent their prayers and comments on the events of today,” he wrote on Facebook. “The events at West Freeway Church of Christ put me in a position that I would hope no one would have to be in, but evil exists and I had to take out an active shooter in church. I’m thankful to GOD that I have been blessed with the ability and desire to serve him in the role of head of security at the church. I am very sad in the loss of two dear friends and brothers in CHRIST, but evil does exist in this world and I and other members are not going to allow evil to succeed. Please pray for all the members and their families at this time.”

Wilson says Kinnunen was disguised in a fake beard, a wig and a toboggan. He felt something about the gentleman was suspicious, especially since Kinnunen seemed to be hiding his left hand until he began shooting.

Wilson is a strong supporter of the Second Amendment and of President Donald Trump. He also is running for county commissioner of Hood County, according to his Facebook page.

His training as a firearms instructor and former deputy sheriff came in handy, he says:

“My training says if I see a weapon, especially in that scenario, because that is my job. I am the deacon in charge of security at the church. And the people on the security team, we have spent numerous hours training and working on just this kind of scenario, hoping it never happens.”

The church’s pastor, Britt Farmer, says Kinnunen had visited the church before that morning.

“I had seen him,” he says. “I had visited with him. I had given him food. I had offered him food at other occasions that he had been to our building.”

Kinnunen had been reportedly homeless for some time before the shooting occurred. He was arrested and convicted multiple times in the past 10 years on various charges, including misdemeanor deadly conduct and misdemeanor theft.

Kinnunen’s younger brother, Joel, used to live with him on the streets. Joel died by suicide in 2009. Sunday, Dec. 29, was reportedly his birthday, according to Kinnunen’s sister, Amy.

Farmer says the attack “destroys his heart” and says the two men who died that day left a great legacy, which happened to be the topic of his sermon that morning.

Many of you know my testimony. My husband ran off, leaving our then 2-year-old baby and me behind. Just months later, I was falsely accused of a crime I didn’t commit and landed in jail. Through that experience, I found Jesus and also discovered the first steps of my prophetic destiny.

In this video, I share some encouragement for you as you step into 2020. It’s time for you to walk in your prophetic purpose and destiny.

According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the word anoint means “to smear or rub with oil.”

Oil essentially represents the anointing, and the words are often used interchangeably in Scripture and other Christian discourse. In biblical times, oil was poured upon the heads of sheep to prevent insects from attacking. They would set up camp around or on the head and migrate to places around its ears and/or nostrils. Once in, these insects (lice and ticks) burrow deep into the sheep’s brain, killing it over time.

In response to this, shepherds would pour a substance, commonly a mixture of olive oil, on the top of the sheep’s head. It would eventually run down its ears making them too slippery for the bugs to cling on to. As it was for sheep in the natural, so should it be that the spiritual oil upon your life covers you to the point that whenever demons try to latch on to you, they slip off!

It Always Begins at the Top

Notice that the oil was poured on the sheep’s head. The anointing always begins at the top (head) and flows down as Psalm 133:2 (NIV) alludes to with Israel’s high priest, Aaron:

“It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robe.”

The devil’s first target is always the head (your mind). If he’s able to infiltrate the brain, he can secure the body. This is the reason that our thoughts should be covered (concealed) and not always revealed.

Some people say that the devil cannot read our minds. In my studies, I’ve never encountered any Scripture to support this theory. They assume he doesn’t know what’s going on in our minds. To be on the safe side, we must actively guard our thought lives. We can accomplish this by meditating on the things the Lord commands us to.

“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise” (Phil. 4:8, NLT).

According to Scripture, the secret to Samson’s strength was closely guarded information, because if it fell into the wrong hands, it would mean his utter defeat. We should do likewise in relation to ourselves. As with Jesus Christ, there are times when we are required to refrain from divulging the source of our breakthroughs or miracles or, in other words, the oil upon our lives.

Conceal the Oil Until the Appointed Time

Jesus used parables to conceal His original messages for those who couldn’t handle the truth. The anointing we may or may not carry comes directly from the Lord. He is the giver of the oil. This oil is specific to each of us, none being identical to the other. One may require an anointing for breakthrough, another for healing and another for revival. Every anointing has a precise purpose and function.

Satan is not omniscient (all-knowing) like God. Therefore, Satan is not privy to all the Lord knows. There are some things about you the Lord will not allow Satan to see. In some cases, it could be the oil that’s upon your life.

The enemy may have witnessed the anointing for a millennium, but God has a fresh, new anointing for each proceeding generation of believers. The devil is unable to accurately predict every new wave of the Spirit. He may assume, but he doesn’t always know with assurance. The enemy may get a revelation of the oil, but it’s usually after its utilization. As it says in Ecclesiastes 3:1, there is a season (period of time) for everything, even the revelation that makes its home within the anointing.

The Oil Is the Key to Unlocking Various Royal Domains in the Kingdom

For every realm (royal domain or kingdom), there is a revelation. In order to receive it, you must live in the kingdom and not outside it. There are royal domains in the Spirit for which certain types of oil are specifically designed. Royal domains include, but are not limited to: revelations regarding healing, deliverance, prophecy, discernment and so on.

Access is being granted due to the oil on our lives that comes from the daily trials and tribulations germane to citizens of the kingdom. Enduring hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ increases not only your anointing, but also your chance for admission to royal domains. By entering this domain, there will be a realization of your effectiveness as it relates to your kingdom assignment from God. The oil is the proverbial key to that certain area of the kingdom.

Our anointing gives us access, but our spoken words can delay or deny entry. Sometimes we divulge things the Lord doesn’t want us to say. It may be the wrong time or season to speak it. When “Delilahs” (people who disclose your confidences in order to harm you) obtain the secret to your anointing, they may reveal it to your enemy. Once they know its architecture or structure, they’re armed with information on how to deny access.

James 5:16 admonishes us to confess our faults to one another, but that doesn’t include exposing the secrets of our effectiveness (oil). I’m in no way saying that you’re not to share information that will assist others in heading in the direction of their destinies. I am saying that you must prayerfully consider whom you are sharing the infrastructure or inner workings of your anointing with. For instance, does your effectiveness increase when you pray or are in a powerful prayer-filled environment? Does your anointing begin to flow when there are strong gifts of prophecy at work, or when people are getting delivered? If you know the environment or atmosphere in which your oil starts to flow, you must be careful and prayerful about revealing this to people who are being used by Satan. If the enemy gets a hold of this info, he’ll do everything in his power to stop it.

In the case of Samson, he revealed his secret to the wrong person, and it led to his ineffectiveness and demise.

God has not called you tell everybody everything about your life. There are people who lie in wait just to capture your conversations and compile them together, in order to find out things you haven’t openly shared. These individuals are really representatives sent by the enemy to discover just what propels your effectiveness. Once discovered, demonic strategies are devised to try to stop the mandate of God upon your life from being fulfilled.

With Samson, he used Delilah. What or whom will he use with you?

Wrong Association Makes the Oil Vulnerable

Here’s another perspective to consider: the company we keep. True friends and covenant partners are not sly and out to sabotage us. Delilah revealed her mission several times over, but Samson stayed in her company. It may not be so much about whether you conceal the truth and avoid being so honest as it is about fleeing the scene as Joseph did with Potiphar’s wife. (See Gen. 39:1-10.)

If you are always on defense with the people around you, you may be around the wrong people. Guarding the anointing may have a lot to do with guarding your inner circle.

When Samson exposed his weakness to his love, he was captured and his eyes were gouged out. The enemy desires strip the oil from you, then blind you so that you are unable to locate it again. All this was the result of stupidity on Samson’s part, and trusting a person who evidently meant to harm him.

Once people show you who they are, believe them! Delilah, through her actions, showed her deviant motivations. While Samson was blinded by eros (romantic love), she was cheating on him with mammon (wealth). Samson’s enemies promised to pay Delilah if she could obtain the secret of his anointing.

Revealing his secret hurt more than it helped. In reality, it caused betrayal, loss of vison and eventually redemption. Ultimately, the revealing of his secret to Delilah put Samson in position to kill his enemies, but it also cost him his life.

7 Secrets to Guarding Your Anointing

1. Don’t allow your oil to get tainted by prostitution (see Judg. 16:1). As Samson went in to the harlot, his enemies were made aware of it. When we’re in sin, the devil broadcasts it spiritually and naturally. Sin will taint your anointing (effectiveness). Guard your anointing by abstaining from the very appearance of evil. If you do fall into sin, true repentance to God will absolve you of your transgression and bring you into right standing with the Lord. It will be as if the sin was never committed at all.
2. Don’t ever allow your anointing to replace your intelligence. Sometimes we become so reliant on our oil that it trumps our intellect. When we get saved, it shouldn’t dumb us down. It should “smarten” us up! The oil will never totally replace the intellect that comes from being in relationship with Jesus Christ, the anointed one.
3. Keep your head anointed. Remember the sheep previously referred to? The oil that was poured upon their heads kept the insects from getting into their brains. It’s the same with us. The enemy desires to infiltrate our minds because once he gets in our heads, our bodies follow. By staying “oily,” demonic infiltration is less likely.
4. Don’t share the secret to your anointing with everyone. Not everyone is saved and even if they are, they may not be for you. There are some people in the body whom you should not share the secret of your oil with, because they will use it for your demise. Remember, David stated in Psalm 41:9 (NIV): “Even my close friend, someone I trusted, one who shared my bread, has turned against me.”
5. Don’t allow human love to cause you to reveal something God told you to keep secret. Love can blind you. This is exactly what happened to Samson—literally! Don’t allow pillow talk to cause you to reveal the secret of your oil. The devil will use your appetite to entrap you and lead you to give away to dogs that which is holy.
6. When the truth is shared outside of kairos (God’s time), it can negatively affect chronos (chronological time). Just because it is the truth doesn’t necessarily mean that it should be shared. It’s prudent to wait on the Lord’s permission before releasing the secret of your anointing to anyone.
7. Don’t reveal the secret of your oil because it may cost you your vision. After Samson revealed that his anointing was in his hair and Delilah had it cut off, his enemies came in and blinded him. But Samson was first blinded spiritually. He didn’t see or discern the true nature of Delilah. What happened to him in the natural first happened in the spirit. Don’t suffer the same fate. We must perceive in the Spirit to avoid calamity in the natural. {eoa}

Dr. John S. Veal is the senior pastor/prophet of Enduring Faith Christian Center and the CEO of John Veal Ministries. Dr. Veal is a highly sought-after conference speaker due to his uncanny prophetic accuracy, humor, candor and unconventional preaching style. He has traveled the nations, presenting myriad prophetic trainings and ministry. He currently resides in Chicago, Illinois, with his wife, Elisa, and their three children.

2020 will be a year of greater manifestation of the divine justice of God. In encounters with Jesus and dreams, the Lord has been speaking to me about His justice. I have been seeing the word “justice” and a gavel of the Lord’s divine justice coming down on the earth and in the lives of believers.

The Lord showed me injustices that had taken many different forms, but something stood out to me. The biggest injustices that many people are facing have been coming in opposition against some of the greatest promises God has released. Many of these injustices have been happening for a very long time and/or happened a long time ago, and some have happened recently, and people are still living under the ramifications and effects of those injustices. They are hindering God’s people from moving forward—especially from running with strength, joy and peace into 2020.

The Lord showed me that His gavel of justice is coming down. It’s not a “maybe.” The Lord is going to demonstrate to you and through you what His power and divine justice look like.

In my dream the other night, I saw the Lord lifting shame off His people. These injustices that many of God’s people have faced have brought such discouragement, shame, pain and heartache to the lives of believers, but the Lord is bringing healing; He is bringing breakthrough and recompense.

“Gaze upon Him, join your life with His, and joy will come. Your faces will glisten with glory. You’ll never wear that shame-face again” (Ps. 34:5, TPT).

The divine justice of God is going to be demonstrated in the lives of individuals, cities and nations. It is time for many believers and the world to see what the divine justice of God looks like (Isa. 61:8).

You Have Been Dealing With Spiritual Opposition

As I pondered this before the Lord I heard Him say, “It is the enemy that My people are dealing with. It is spiritual opposition.”

I then began to see many of God’s people trying to “work things out” or make sense of these injustices in the natural; even trying to look for ways to fix the injustices in the natural. There’s nothing wrong with working in the natural, but if we are trying to fight a spiritual battle with natural means, we will not find victory. I heard the Lord say that this must be dealt with in the spirit because it’s a spiritual issue.

Not only is the Lord going to bring forth His divine justice and breakthrough for you, He is also breaking forth within you. He is releasing in you a roar of divine justice that says, “I will not settle for anything less than what the Word of God promises to Me!”

This really is the era of bold and ferocious faith. I want to encourage you to sow your strength and sow your efforts into your secret place with the Lord; He will continue to show you what is actually happening in the Spirit.

Divine Partnership

The Lord showed me there has been a “misdiagnosis” in the lives of many believers where they have thought, “This is the reason for the injustice.” But the Lord is actually going to show you what is really going on in the Spirit behind this injustice. And when you see the spiritual opposition and the assignment and why the assignment is there, you are going to release a great roar of faith and victory—a roar that will not allow the enemy to take your land.

The Lord wants you to see His power and His strength. He wants you to see how He is going to take things down for you, but He is also wanting you to see your authority in Him to use the Word of God. He wants you to use strategies He releases to you in the secret place to dismantle in the Spirit what is coming against you.

This is the era of understanding the divine partnership between God and man—what it means to partner with Jesus, to see the Holy Spirit move upon your faith, a faith that is rooted in what He has spoken. Then, you’ll see Him do the miraculous.

2020: A Year of Major Favor

In the last days of 2019 and into 2020 you are going to see this declaration of the Lord over these injustices: “The matter is settled.”

I then heard the Lord say, “Ruled in your favor.” You are going to step into the inheritance, promise and provision that the Lord has for you. Anything that was taken will be handed back sevenfold. Whatever was broken will be restored. Whatever was hurt will be healed. You will inherit and occupy the land as you partner with Him and stand.

2020 will be a year of major increase in favor. Much of the battle and opposition that many of you are fighting is happening because of the favor God is going to increase over your life, and because of the assignments that God has for you in 2020. The Lord is breaking you free from these injustices because you cannot run in 2020 and in all He has for you while you are held to these things. You are going to move into the greatest healing, deliverance and freedom of your life thus far.

You need to hear this today: 2020 isn’t just another year. It is a year that is completely different from any other year that you have walked in. This is the beginning of a new era for you. All hell has broken loose over the promises God has given you because 2020 will be a year where everything changes. Everything will be affected by you stepping into your God-given destiny.

In the fires you have faced and the Goliaths you have stood before in 2019 your heart has been prepared. Character and humility have been forged by the hand of the Lord in the trials you have endured. God has taught you much and forged you as you have surrendered to Him and moved in obedience to His Word.

The Lord spoke again: “I am rolling out the red carpet of restoration and redemption.”

Not only will He roll out a red carpet of favor, but He will also roll out restoration and redemption. Through the favor that God is placing upon you, you will walk in some of the greatest restoration and redemption of your life.

He Is Weaving Dreams Into Being

The Lord showed me that many people have been heading toward the end of 2019 and into 2020 with hope deferred. This is not your portion and this is not how you will remain.

“When hope’s dream seems to drag on and on, the delay can be depressing. But when at last your dream comes true, life’s sweetness will satisfy your soul” (Prov. 13:12).

I heard the Lord say, “I am weaving dreams into being; they are about to begin.”

In the last days of 2019 and into 2020 and beyond, you are going to see the Lord begin to weave into being the dreams that He has given you.

When He spoke this, what struck me in the spirit was the sense that He isn’t just weaving one dream into being. He is weaving multiple dreams into being. He is weaving dreams He’s already given you, which you know about, but He will add more. As He does this, do not push them aside, thinking, “But the first dream I have hasn’t come to pass yet; how can I dream about another?” Be intentional to thank the Lord and store it with intentionality in your heart, pondering it like Mary. Ponder these dreams while trusting the Lord, no matter what your heart or emotions scream. Be intentional to sit at the feet of Jesus and ask Him to speak into these places.

2020 and Beyond—a Year to Tend Many Vineyards

I had a vision and I saw many of God’s people who have been faithful with the vineyards that He has given them. They have stewarded with purity, integrity and humility. It doesn’t mean they’ve gotten everything right, dotting all their “i’s” and crossing all their “t’s,” but their heart position and place of intimacy with Jesus has been one of purity, integrity, humility and obedience. There will be a tending of many vineyards coming to the faithful in 2020 and beyond.

In my vision, I saw these faithful ones tending many vineyards, and they were singing with such joy, having the time of their lives. The Lord then showed me that in 2019 they have had much trouble and opposition while tending the vineyards. It has been such hard work and a time of “push through,” but they have continued to tend with obedience and faithfulness to the Lord, following His voice and ways.

The Lord spoke over them:

The hard toiling is coming to an end. Your faithfulness and obedience to Me have brought you into a place of great reward and increase. Now I shall entrust you with much. The enemy attempted to ruin your vineyard in which I had you place your hands, but you remained. Well done! The season has now changed and I am moving you into a place of tending many vineyards with greater empowerment of My Spirit, ease, joy, peace and favor. You shall know abundance in these vineyards like you have never known before.

You are now moving into the vineyards of harvest and the vineyards of increase. You may have felt like you were in a famine in the tending of the last vineyards because of how hard it has been, but now in this major shift that is taking place, the vineyards you have been toiling will suddenly come to life with greater abundance and fruitfulness in exponential increase, and you will move into new vineyards you never even imagined. This is the era where My people will see how faithfulness to Me and My voice in purity is rewarded. {eoa}

Lana Vawser is an active member of the Australian Prophetic Council and releases prophetic words for the body of Christ and nations, and is featured regularly on The Elijah List and in Charisma Magazine. She is also an itinerant preacher and revivalist who is traveling regularly with her family, seeing powerful moves of God. Lana has a strong, prophetic voice and has a heart to see the body of Christ develop deep intimacy with Jesus and actively hear His voice each day. She also has a heart to see people set free and walk in all that Jesus has purchased for them as they carry Christ into their world each day, awakened to His nature and who they are in Him.

While we may not know what the new decade holds, we are confident of who holds it. So on this New Year’s Eve, it seems very fitting to be pre-prayered for the future.

Join Me as We Pray Together

Lord of eternity,

You are the great I Am … the same yesterday, today and forever.

As we approach the new decade, our apprehension is overcome by our expectation. Could it be that we are truly approaching the end of human history as we have known it? In the next 10 years, will we experience the beginning of Your kingdom on earth? Are we soon to hear the trumpet blow, and the loud voice of the archangel calling us home? The intense yearning in our hearts cries, “Yes. Please. Let it be so.”

God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. You rule over the nations. You are the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. While no one can understand Your ways, we are confident that You have a plan and are working it out for our good and Your glory (Rom. 8:28).

Yet we honestly confess: when Christ-followers are persecuted to the death; when gunmen open fire in churches; when religious leaders are not safe in their own homes; when floods, tornadoes and storms ravage our land; when derogatory expletives and vicious name-calling replace respectful debate and disagreement; when our political leaders put their own interests before the people’s; when our business leaders lie; when our spiritual leaders contradict Your Word; when our social leaders divide; when our allies become our enemies and our enemies become our allies—what’s going on? Where are You?

We are tempted to think You are … distracted … disengaged … disinterested.

Inattentive … inactive …impotent.

Outmaneuvered …outmoded … outclassed.

Unable … unaffected … or even unaware of our fear, our helplessness, our confusion, our outrage. Why do You seem so small while our problems, disasters and enemies seem so large? Help us to regain our focus.

God of our fathers. Lord of the nations. You are the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. No one can understand Your ways. We turn to You. We return to You. Now. “Are You not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in Your hand, and no one can withstand You” (2 Chron. 20:6b, NIV).

Did You not establish us as one nation under God? Have we not pledged, “In God We Trust”? But now we find ourselves constantly bombarded with the shrill voices of those who demand we distance ourselves from You; that You are just one of many gods, if you are a god at all; that we cannot risk offending each other by calling on Your name. We hear the enemy insinuating that You are “not fixing this” because You can’t fix this. Our faith is being assaulted.

Our spirits rise up within us and seek to throw off the smothering cloak of spiritual oppression and political correctness. We shout Your Name. You are Yahweh. Jehovah—the personal God. The great I AM—the eternal God. The All-mighty—the powerful God. You are Jesus. Savior. Immanuel. God with us, never to leave or forsake us. Your power has not been diluted or depleted over the ages. You are just as powerful, just as much in authority as You were in Creation, in the deliverance of Your people from Egypt and in the parting of the Red Sea. You are the one who sends down the fire (2 Chron. 7:1). Who fells the giants (1 Sam. 17:1-50). Who makes wars to cease (Ps. 46:9). Who raises the dead! (2 Kings 4:1-37; Luke 7:11-16; 8:40-42, 49-56; Eph. 1:17-21).

As we look ahead into the new year and even further ahead into the new decade, we choose to place our trust in You. If “…the kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord” (Ps. 2:2, BSB), we trust in You. If “… the earth gives way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging” (Ps. 46:2-2, NIV), we trust in You. Though “nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall’ (Ps. 46:6a) we in trust You. When “the wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright” (Ps. 37:14), we trust in You. We trust You. We trust You!

We are told we can worship You in our own churches, but we cannot bring You into the marketplace or the workplace; into the State House or the school house; onto the battlefield or the football field; into the courtroom or the back room or the bedroom. As though the God of gods can be contained, boxed in, restricted, bound, hidden. We laugh at such foolishness and exalt You as the Most High God who strides the winds of the earth. The clouds are the dust of Your feet (Nah. 1:3). The heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain You (2 Chron. 6:18). How much less any local church building? We invite You to have Your way in our lives. In our city. In our state. In our nation. In our world.

Now arise, O Lord God. Look on us, Your people who are called by Your name. Listen to us, as we cry out to You on behalf of our nation. Do not reject us. Have pity on us.

We feel the encroaching evil. “See, darkness covers the earth, and thick darkness is over the peoples” (Isa. 60:2, NIV). Darkness and gloom are descending. Those who hate us are infiltrating us. Those who are dedicated to destroying us are all around us. Are You at the head of this army? Is this the beginning of the Day of the Lord? Have we tried Your patience and crossed the line into Your judgment? Are You holding us accountable for our sin and rebellion and defiance, for our profanity and blasphemy and idolatry? “You alone … are to be feared. Who can stand before you when you are angry?” (Ps. 76:7). Are You?

Light of the world. “Arise, shine” Your light into the darkness of our own hearts (Isa. 60:1). Most Holy God. You are righteous. You always do the right thing. We have done wrong. Your light reveals we are covered with shame because we know better. We have had generations of blessing and prosperity, yet we have refused to thank You and instead give ourselves credit for what has come from Your hand. We have agreed with those who contradict Your Word. We have turned away from Your truth and believed lies. We have treated life casually. We have destroyed our environment selfishly. We have passed by the needy uncaringly. We have demanded entitlements defiantly. We have not listened to those who have warned us of the consequences of drifting from You. Because we don’t know You, we don’t know ourselves, and wallow in the uncertain twilight of gender nonbinary confusion.

And now, as we look into what has been dubbed the Roaring ’20s, we come face to face with a mess. What can be done to save us from ourselves? Even as the question reverberates in our minds, the answer is given: The solution to our spiritual and moral meltdown—to the restoration of the crumbling foundation of our nation—is not politics, nor the economy, nor health care, nor welfare or immigration reforms, nor free higher education, nor the court system, nor corporate or Wall Street regulation. You are the answer. You are the solution. Yet instead of turning to You, we seem to be turning farther and farther away from You. But not now. Now we turn back. We turn around. We return to You. We run to You. We cling to You. We plead with You …

Turn to us! Draw near to us! (James 4:8). If You do not help us, we will be defenseless. If You do not protect us, we will be exposed to danger. If You do not deliver us from evil, we will be overcome by it. If You do not have plans to give us hope and a future, we will slide into the past tense as a nation (Jer. 29:11-13). Into oblivion.

Father of all mercies. You have said that our land is a land that You, the Lord our God, cares for; that Your eyes are continually on it from the beginning of the year to its end (Deut. 11:11). As You look on our nation from this day forward, from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2020, we ask for what we know we don’t deserve. We ask for Your blessing. Please…

—Bless our national and local primaries and elections. Raise up men and women who will lead us back to You. Raise up another Asa, who was fully committed to the Lord all his life (2 Chron. 15:1-17). Raise up another Jehoshaphat who did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. (2 Chron. 29:4-20:32). Raise up another Josiah who renewed the covenant of his people with You—”to follow the Lord and keep His commands. … As long as he lived, they did not fail to follow the Lord” (2 Chron. 34:1-33). Raise up leaders of moral and spiritual integrity who have a strong faith and a healthy reverence for You and therefore the wisdom to make right decisions. Put Your choice in the Oval Office.

—Bless our homeland security teams. Give them eyes to see the bad guys, ears to hear the evil chatter, minds to understand the tweets and codes and the will to act before the enemy does. Protect us from evil.

—Bless our policemen and firemen, our armed forces and Border Patrol—all those who risk their lives to keep us safe. Restore to them the respect they deserve. Protect their lives and their families. Bring to the light of justice any corruption and abuse so that we can trust those in uniform. Guard those who guard us.

—Bless our judges and prosecutors. Cause them to serve faithfully and wholeheartedly, remembering that they are accountable to You (2 Chron. 19:8-11). Punish those who do wrong. Encourage those who do right.

You are the fountainhead from whom all blessings flow. The list of our needs and our requests is endless. Please. Bless our doctors. Our lawyers. Our bankers. Our teachers. Our commissioners. Our farmers.

—Bless our preachers and seminary professors. Like Ezra of old, stir their hearts to be devoted to You first, then to the study and the preaching of Your Word (Ezra 7:10). When they preach or teach, compel them to preach the Word, not books about the Word. Motivate them with holy fear of standing before the judgment seat of Christ to give an account for the way they have impacted others by their words and by their deeds. Remove those whose lives are out of sync with their lips. Raise up a generation of spiritual leaders that You approve of as workmen who do not need to be ashamed because they correctly handle the word of truth (2 Tim. 2:15, 4:1-2). Fill them to overflowing with Your Spirit.

—And Father God. Please. Bless our families. The unloving spirits of infidelity, dishonesty, treachery, hypocrisy, immorality, pornography and adultery are sweeping through our homes. The enemy seems to be attacking us on every level, on every front. A vast army of evil seems to have been unleashed against the home. Especially the homes and families of Christ-followers. “We have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon You” (2 Chron. 20:12). We plead for Your divine protection. We plead for Your divine wisdom to counter the attacks so that our families are strengthened in their relationship with You. Be the center of our homes.

—Lord of love, we pray for You to bless our enemies. Yes, we do. Open their ears to the Truth. Open their minds to understand the Gospel. Open their hearts to long for Your love. Draw them to Yourself as moths are drawn to a flame. Your Light is stronger than their darkness. Bring them into the Light. Save them for all eternity. BUT if they reject You, we ask that You turn them on each other. Distract them. Destroy them. Prevent them from continuing to attack and persecute the righteous.

—Lastly, God our Father, bless us. Bless me. Make me into a vessel of honor, an instrument “… for special purposes, made holy, useful to our Master and prepared to do any good work” (2 Tim. 2:21b). I know the night is coming when work for You will cease (John 9:4). Give me the strength and health to redeem the time. Use me now for Your kingdom and Your glory. Open my lips to boldly and fearlessly make known the gospel (Eph. 6:19): the Good News of redemption for the past; hope for the future; joy for the present regardless of circumstances; love that is unconditional, boundless and eternal (Eph. 3:14-19) found at the cross. Open my lips to just give Jesus to a world that is increasingly desperate. Use me as an ambassador of peace on earth by first leading people into a right relationship with You, then with each other. When the world around me unravels, help me to stand strong on my faith in You. And when people see me standing strong, help them to see You.

And now, God of grace, as we pre-prayer for the New Year, we ask, bottom line, that You send down Your Holy Spirit in fullness. Ignite the fire of revival in our own hearts. Protect us. Defend us. Comfort us. Empower us. Equip us as we put on the full armor of God so we can stand against the devil’s schemes, so that when the day of evil comes, we may be able to stand our ground, taking up the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God—and pray.

With this in mind, we remain self-controlled and alert while we keep on praying until we prevail in prayer (Eph. 6:10-18, 1 Pet. 4:7). And we keep on watching expectantly. Are the Roaring ’20s the decade of Your return? We fervently hope so! Even so, come, Lord Jesus (Rev. 22:20).

For the glory of Your great name—Jesus, Amen. {eoa}

Anne Graham Lotz, second child of Billy and Ruth Graham, is the founder of AnGeL Ministries and former chairman for the National Day of Prayer Task Force. She has authored 15 books, including her new release, Jesus in Me: Experiencing the Holy Spirit as a Constant Companion.

This article originally appeared at .

Nigeria’s government on Friday condemned extremists linked to the Islamic State group after a video circulated of 11 hostages, most of them Christians, being executed. They were thought to be killed on Christmas Day.

President Muhammadu Buhari said in a statement he was “profoundly saddened and shocked by the death of innocent hostages in the hands of remorseless, godless, callous gangs of mass murderers that have given Islam a bad name through their atrocities.”

The extremist group, which calls itself the Islamic State West Africa Province, said the captives were executed as revenge for the killing of Islamic State group leaders in Iraq and Syria in October. The video was circulated Thursday.

Buhari urged Nigerians not to allow the killings to divide them along religious lines, saying “these agents of darkness are enemies of our common humanity.”

The extremists who abducted the victims in November are believed to be part of a group that split from the Boko Haram insurgency in northeastern Nigeria and pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group. {eoa}

The Associated Press

How well can you discern fact from fiction concerning the birth of Jesus? There are lots of details assumed about the story that can’t actually be proven by Scripture. Watch this video to learn more about Mary and Joseph’s experiences in the inn with baby Jesus.

Just as we read in Luke 18:11 where a Pharisee prays to God with lots of pride, saying he’s better than other sinners, radio personality and author Brant Hansen says people have a tendency to compare themselves to others and suggest they’re better than they really are. He says 90% of people in prison even say they’re better than the average person. Yet this self-righteousness is opposed to the teachings of Jesus.

“The No. 1 motivator of human behavior that I can find is guilt avoidance, and we’re not wanting to encounter the truth about ourselves,” Hansen says. “[But] once we do and we find out this is all of us and God’s paid the price for it—He still loves us—where can we go from here? It’s actually something we can handle, and it’s actually freeing because it takes a lot of that weight of defending myself constantly.”

For more encouragement on embracing your identity in Jesus and being honest about who you really are, watch the entire interview here.

With more than 12 million U.S. children being obese, and millions more being malnourished, the need to address this topic has never been greater. Caffeine, soft drinks and junk food are fueling the disease epidemic.

Yet we pray for God to heal rather than ask for His help with the self-discipline to change harmful habits. What’s wrong with this picture? “There are multitudes of diseases which have their origin in fullness, and might have their end in fasting.”

The myth that fasting is bad for you is unfounded and has been disproved numerous times. Be careful when getting counsel from those who profit from that advice or from those who know little about how the body heals itself. I vividly recall the story of a man who had colon surgery yet may not have needed it had he just changed his diet. The hospital even fed him a greasy sloppy joe after he awoke from surgery. A lack of wisdom has been our downfall. (For more about how the physical affects the spiritual, search for “The Doctrine of Man (Sin & the Curse)” at .)

It’s been estimated that nearly 75% of U.S. clinical trials in medicine are paid for by private companies that benefit. For example, “Statins are good for you”—paid for by pharmaceutical companies that make them. Or “Take this drug to feel better”—never mind the fact that side effects include internal bleeding, seizures and panic attacks. Or “Eat this children’s cereal”—just ignore the harmful GMOs, food coloring, additives, preservatives and toxins.

America, wake up! You are what you eat. Fasting doesn’t kill us; overconsumption and consuming empty food does. Companies are often driven by revenue, but no one profits from fasting except the faster. Processed food is cheap and convenient. It often contains stimulating and addictive ingredients and flavor-enhancing chemicals. When was the last time you saw an advertisement for broccoli, blueberries or kale?

Disease is often a problem of toxicity created by what we consume, ingest or breathe—and fasting is the detox solution. Granted, spiritual health and wholeness are the goals when fasting, but the physical benefits are worthwhile. Dr. J.H. Tilden said, “After fifty-five years of sojourning in the wilderness of medical therapeutics, I am forced to declare … that fasting is the only reliable, specific, therapeutic eliminant known to man.”

Dr. Joel Fuhrman noted, “The body’s wondrous ability to [self-digest] and destroy needless tissue such as fat, tumors, blood vessel plaque, and other nonessential and diseased tissues, while conserving essential tissues, gives the fast the ability to restore … youth to the system.” Most research on cancer and fasting supports the healing process as well. For example, the goal of chemotherapy is to stop or slow the growth of cancer cells, but it’s been said that the body has a natural, God-given way to do this without harming the healthy cells—fasting. Fasting is not a panacea; it simply provides an environment for healing.

Dr. Yuri Nikolayev, a psychiatrist at the University of Moscow, treated schizophrenics with water fasts for 25 to 30 days. This was followed by eating healthy foods for 30 days. About 70% of his patients remained free from symptoms for the duration of the six-year study. The health benefits of fasting are incredible.

Did you know that type 2 diabetes is nearly eliminated with proper diet when you stop fueling the disease and fast? It doesn’t have to be a progressive disease. There is hope if you starve the fuel source and incorporate fasting. The reason you may find it nearly impossible to fast is because you might be withdrawing from poisons and addictive substances. Therefore, begin by eliminating junk food and educate yourself by reading the recommended resources. Seek medical support and consultation if need be, but keep in mind that most are not supportive of fasting simply because they are trained to ease the pain rather than eliminate the problem.

Drugs don’t often cure the underlying problem, and they are toxic. Granted, there may be a time for certain medications, but they should be the last resort, not the first. For example, antibiotics wipe out harmful bacteria as well as good bacteria, and some antibiotics can even be harmful.

For instance, check out the side effects on WebMD for Ciprofloxacin (Cipro). It even has black box warnings, the strictest labeling requirements the FDA can mandate for prescription drugs. Not only is it prescribed, it’s overprescribed and given to kids and the elderly. Yes, all antibiotics have side effects, but doesn’t that tell us something? If the underlying problem of poor health isn’t dealt with, illness will return with vengeance. This is why many are chronically sick—they are always medicating and never healing.

Now that you’re motivated to fast, I want to offer two helpful resources. First, here is a recent message on fasting that will help answer many questions. I also want to recommend my book, Feasting and Fasting: What Works, What Doesn’t, and Why. This link has free download options. While there, download my brand-new book, HELP! I’m Addicted. {eoa}

Shane Idleman is the founder and lead pastor of Westside Christian Fellowship in Southern California. More can be found at , and free downloads of his books are available at . Visit him on Facebook and subscribe to his new podcast.

The key components of creative prayer are:

Passion – Immersion – Revelation – Creativity

I am passionate to release God’s wisdom and creativity in area after area of my life. I have discovered the best way to prepare for His revelation is to immerse myself in Scriptures concerning the topic at hand and to read books by others who have pursued the topic. I experiment myself while using two-way journaling to ask God to show me the insights I need to master the experience.

I go to sleep pondering the things I am learning, and as I lie in bed, I ask the Holy Spirit to grant me insight and revelation as I sleep. I am aware that my spirit stays awake all night and works on whatever I ask it to (Song of Sol. 5:2).

When I wake up in the morning, I tune to flow and release the creative flow from my spirit. My heart downloads the revelation it received during the night. When the flow is done, my devotional time is over and I go on with other activities of the day, knowing I will repeat the same steps each day until full revelation, mastery, and true knowledge on the topic are mine. This creative time may include God helping me interpret dreams from the night or I may feel impressed to investigate Scripture in depth. It is all good. I follow the Spirit’s flow wherever it takes me.

I LOVE this experience as it allows me to receive life-transforming insights from my heavenly Father. I experience knowledge, wisdom and insight beyond my natural abilities, for God is revealing the secrets of the universe to my heart.

Larry Page, founder of Google, had a dream when he was a 22-year-old Stanford college student. In the dream, he was downloading the entire internet onto his home computer, and he was carefully examining the linkages which made this feat possible. He awoke, and spent a couple of hours writing down the connections he saw in his dream. He then spent the next year working this out and perfecting the links, and this became the algorithm for the first version of Google’s amazing search engine, which much of the world now uses. This has made Google the wealthiest company in the world today and Larry Page one of the wealthiest people.

Handel’s Messiah containing the Hallelujah Chorus was written in 1712. Handel tells that he heard the music of heaven as a flow within him, and spent 24 days feverishly writing the 259-page musical score which he concluded with this note, “To God alone the glory.” He declared that “he saw all heaven before him.” Handel was experiencing throne room worship, and put into musical score what he was seeing and hearing. Handel released the worship of heaven on earth, and the work still stands 300 years later.

George Washington Carver was a prominent American scientist and inventor in the early 1900s. Carver developed hundreds of products using the peanut, sweet potatoes and soybeans. He would awaken in the mornings with creative ideas of new projects and innovations. His inventions came from flow. Here are a few of Carver’s quotes:

Anything will give up its secrets if you love it enough.

I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in.

Reading about nature is fine, but if a person walks in the woods and listens carefully, he can learn more than what is in books, for they speak with the voice of God.

No books ever go into my laboratory. The thing I am to do and the way are revealed to me the moment I am inspired to create something new. Without God to draw aside the curtain, I would be helpless. Only alone can I draw close enough to God to discover His secrets.

The Periodic Table of Elements was received through a dream. Dmitri Mendeleev was obsessed with finding a logical way to organize the chemical elements. It had been preying on his mind for months. In 1869 he wrote the elements’ names on cards – one element on each card. He then wrote the properties of every element on its own card. He saw that atomic weight was important in some way, but he could not find a pattern. Convinced that he was close to discovering something significant, Mendeleev moved the cards about for many hours until finally he fell asleep at his desk. When he awoke, he found that his heart had done his work for him! He later wrote: “I saw in a dream a table where all the elements fell into place as required. Awakening, I immediately wrote it down on a piece of paper.” That chart, the Periodic Table, now hangs on the walls of science classrooms the world over.

The discovery of Insulin was received through a dream. Canadian physician, Frederick Banting had a dream that led to a breakthrough in diabetes research; the discovery of Insulin. “Awakening from a dream One night, he wrote down the following words: “Tie up the duct of the pancreas of a dog. Wait for a few weeks until the glands shrivel up. Then cut it out, wash it out and filter precipitation.” This procedure led him to discover “INSULIN.” “Healing beyond the body”- Larry Dossey, M.D.

Discovering how to hear God’s voice – I had focused intensely for months on seeking to discover how to hear God’s voice. Then, one morning, I was awakened by a loud voice, as God said, “Get up, I am going to teach to you hear My voice.” Over the next several hours, God showed me the four keys of hearing His voice from Habakkuk 2:1-2, which transformed my life and the lives of millions we have shared them with.

Discovering how to live naturally supernatural – I had spent months searching out every verse on being in Christ and having Christ in me. Finally the revelation was ready to spring forth. For three days I closed my eyes and typed from flow and the result was the book, Naturally Supernatural, which has set thousands free from the strivings of the flesh.

Each morning when I awaken, I tune to flow and receive words of love and encouragement from my Heavenly Father, as well as blogs or a section to a developing book. Our 50 books are examples of God’s creative flow at work in and through me.

An entrepreneur would be receiving ideas for creating wealth. An artist would receive artwork, a musician, music, etc.

How You Can Release Divine Creativity Easily and Daily

Passion – God’s anointing rides on the waves of His love and passion (Matt. 14:14). No love, no anointing! Have a love and passion for the area that is before you to master. Choose to receive and release God’s love concerning the area. Be passionate to master this area by the grace of God! Defeat is not an option! You will not quit until He has shown you the keys.

Immersion – Immerse yourself thoroughly in the topic, filling your heart and mind with data. Read, ponder, meditate and ask questions knowing that when you seek Him with all your heart you will find Him (Deut. 4:29; Jn. 16:24, Jas. 1:5).

Revelation – Continually ask God for revelation and insight. Posture your heart for revelation as you drift off to sleep by asking God the question you are seeking to resolve. Make sure your heart is clear and ready to receive by processing any negative emotions before drifting off to sleep. You prefer not making your heart spend dream time guiding you out of an emotional pit, but rather, to work on releasing new creative revelations for you.

Creativity – When you awaken, tune to flow and release, downloading from your spirit the insights it has gleaned during the night. Sometimes I have soft soaking music on, and sometimes I don’t. Don’t go to emails, or busy work, but instead use this valuable time to release divine creativity. I often revise several times, always staying tuned to flow, until my heart feels the music, and a deep inner knowing says “we got it!”

God will grant you revelatory gifts which bless you and humanity. Release His creativity!

Mark virkler and his wife, Patti, are founders and directors of Communion with God Ministries () and Christian Leadership University (). This article originally appeared at .