When health concerns caused Laura Adams to retire in 2019, she knew God still wanted her to use her time and resources to be a blessing to others. When she saw her community suffering as the pandemic dragged on during 2020, she felt the Lord call her to provide tangible hope.

“The Lord put a fire in me to help them in way I possibly could,” she says in a recent The 700 Club interview.

“I have seen clear evidence across the board where my money has impacted and made a difference,” she says of her generous partnership with CBN News.

That’s why when the Lord told her to increase her giving to 60%, she obeyed without hesitation. “Why shouldn’t we bank on an organization that has the resources to make miracles happen in the name of the Lord?” Watch the rest of her testimony here.

In an age when every voice is given equal space online, and every cause is celebrated even if it contradicts another, it’s not shocking to see hundreds of skirmishes in our nation’s ongoing culture war.

Still, it was surprising that the nation’s second-largest newspaper, USA Today, turned over its platform to an opinion writer to mainstream anti-Christian hate by calling for the cancellation of a Christian service at AT&T Stadium in July. The screed, given the provocative title, “Don’t use Dallas Cowboy’s name, AT&T Stadium to Mainstream Anti-Trans Hate,” was even more surprising to me because the editorial targeted a former Los Angeles police officer (Compton, to be exact) and chairman of a men’s movement called Promise Keepers. And what provoked the torrent of hate unleashed on Christians in this editorial? The audacity of Promise Keepers and Harrison for calling on men to come to AT&T Stadium to become better men, better husbands, better fathers and better members of their churches and communities.

I was taken aback that anyone could interpret this as spreading “anti-trans hate.” I’m not Ken Harrison, the one organizing the event. But I am one of the speakers, and nowhere in my speech did I intend to spread hatred or to attack anyone. I’m a follower of Jesus Christ, and as a follower, my purpose is to help, heal, minister, love and in essence, live as close to the model Jesus gave as I possibly can.

Jesus, in his real, true historical life accepted everyone. He was loved by leaders, day laborers, businesspeople, prostitutes, thieves, the sick and destitute. He touched the leper. He calmed the frightened. He elevated women. He embraced the foreign-born.

Jesus wasn’t very popular, though, with the moneychangers that he threw out of the temple, but he became very popular with cheating tax collectors who, after one encounter with Jesus, repaid what they’d stolen.

And that, really, is the issue some people have with Jesus. Meeting Jesus usually does change a person. And sometimes when people change, they stop being what everyone around them wants them to be.

Still, the message of Jesus is to love and care for others. So I wonder why a sports team should be pressured to close its doors to men who want to learn to be more authentically “manly” by conforming to the image of the greatest man that ever lived.

And keep in mind, Promise Keepers is paying rent and filling hotel rooms during an economically difficult time for everyone in the event and hospitality industries. Promise Keepers isn’t looking for an endorsement, just a place to gather and worship.

Promise Keepers is a time-tested movement that has met in sports stadiums for years. It was started by Coach Bill McCartney after he won the NCAA football championship with the Colorado Buffaloes in 1990. Coach McCartney prepared his championship team by asking each player, “What are you going to do on the field today?” Then he held them accountable to see their job was done.

He took that same methodology on the road, cramming tens of thousands of men into dozens of stadiums throughout the 1990s and asking men the same thing, “What are you going to do?” Guest speakers helped men identify the answer that was right for them and inspired them to hold to their decision.

This is exactly what men need today and exactly what will happen in AT&T stadium. Coming out of the 2020 lockdown with its skyrocketing rates of divorce, child and spousal abuse, joblessness and hopelessness, it’s about time we take a hard look at ourselves.

It’s no wonder that Ken Harrison asked, “Where are the Christian men?” Yes, where are they? I don’t know if the whole crowd that assembles will even be Christian. It might be that some guys just realize it’s time to see what all this Jesus stuff is about.

It’s funny that Harrison was quoted as saying that Christian men today are being pressured to “sit down, be silent, and be passive” because that’s what the op-ed criticizing Ken wanted him and the tens of thousands of other men attending the event to do. But that’s not what Jesus did, and his followers shouldn’t either.

Harrison was also quoted as saying, “Christian men are not standing up for what’s right.” There’s no doubt about that. Christian men are, in short, sinning. When a man comes home from a Promise Keepers event and stops neglecting his wife or cutting corners at work and instead accepts responsibility and pays more attention to his kids than the television, there’s not a person around who is mad that he went. Anyone who witnessed that change of heart would want the men in their lives to attend the next one.

Harrison reportedly said that our society went from homosexual marriage all the way to men dressing as women and playing on women’s sports teams. No one can dispute that. People can only dispute whether it is fair. Everyone can give an opinion, and people from Ken Harrison to Bruce ‘Caitlyn’ Jenner, a trans athlete, are all entitled to state that they don’t believe men should compete in women’s sports.

Men will come to the July event and bring their opinions with them. They’ll come from all political parties, philosophical persuasions, socioeconomic strata and ethnic backgrounds. No one is excluded. Everyone is welcome.

Harrison has raised money to bring in underserved men. He’s asked me to give half my speech in Spanish so the quarter of the population who understands it is well-served.

I stand with Ken Harrison. It’s about time to raise a standard for men, to inspire them to make good decisions and provide the motivation to stick with them. That’s what Ken Harrison is talking about doing in AT&T stadium.

Let’s not discourage a bunch of guys from getting together to inspire each other to stop harming themselves and others, to turn away from wrongdoing and get motivated to care for their neighbors, starting in their own homes and communities.

Isn’t that what the world needs right now? {eoa}

Rev. Dr. Samuel Rodriguez is president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, executive producer of Breakthrough with 20th Century Fox and a bestselling author. CNN and FOX News have called him “the leader of the Hispanic Evangelical movement” and TIME magazine nominated him among the 100 most influential leaders in America. His newest book is From Survive to Thrive.

Read articles like this one and other Spirit-led content in our new platform, CHARISMA PLUS.

I recently sat across my computer screen from Sara, a lovely woman in her 20’s, who was attending a virtual eating disorder support group I was leading. She spoke slowly and softly, gaining confidence as she opened up and shared her story. Both her mother and her grandmother have eating disorders, and she was told that every day she needs to go to God and ask for His forgiveness for having one as well. This pattern had kept her so trapped in guilt and shame, that in all the time before coming to this group it had never before occurred to her to simply ask God for help.

In our weekly time together, I relentlessly and lovingly reminded the group that it is not a sin to have an eating disorder. It is not any more of a sin to be sick with a mental illness than it is to have cancer. Yet our culture doesn’t always see it that way, and neither does the church.

For countless men and women that I have sat with, separating sin from illness allows the light switch of hope and recovery to turn on and often elicits incredible change and healing almost instantaneously.

While I believe it is pivotal to separate sin from sickness, I also believe that repentance is vital to our spiritual, emotional, mental and physical well-being. I know whole-heartedly that all have fallen short of the glory of God —and we are all in need of God’s mercy and forgiveness.

When I think back to my own recovery, there were countless sin patterns that showed up as a part of my struggle with an eating disorder. I was in a massive web of self-deception, idolizing and demonizing my body and its size, abusing my health and lying to those who loved me.

When I finally sought treatment, I was met with unbelievable compassion and grace. I was not told to focus on the behaviors that resulted from my illness, instead I was told to look to the healer and the places in my past and my heart that needed untangling. I was encouraged to seek clinical treatment and to consider trying medication along with nutrition to help balance my brain chemistry. I was told that I was not alone in my struggle, and that there was more freedom—and a more full life—available to me.

Though I was not yet a Christian, my early recovery happened at a Christian support group I stumbled upon called New ID. There in that warehouse building in uptown Charlotte, North Carolina, I was told that God loved me just as I was, eating disorder and all. I learned that eating disorders aren’t a choice, and aren’t rooted in vanity. While I made choices that got me tangled in the web of my eating disorder, this group helped me understand that people don’t consciously choose to have an eating disorder, that they are result of genetics and environmental factors. Above all else, I was taught that because of the glorious truth of Jesus’ death and resurrection there was unmerited grace available to me. That grace spurred incredible change in me and allowed me to begin the healing process, which included both seeking and granting forgiveness and surrendering my life and body to God fully.

Mental health struggles are rampant, and disastrously misunderstood by the world—and even more sadly, by the church today. Too many of us are told that if we muster up enough faith or spend more time in prayer, our struggles will melt away and somehow our feelings will catch up with the truth in our minds. All too often, the guilt we feel when this isn’t the case keeps us trapped in our pain and shame spirals.

As Rick Warren aptly reminds us, “We need to remove the stigma of mental illness. It’s not a sin to be sick, and the church should be saying that more than anybody else.”

Too many of the clients I see at Rock Recovery have been deeply harmed by well-intentioned church leaders that are so focused on the sin patterns they were experiencing as a result of their illness that they couldn’t show compassion to the soul suffering in front of them. All too often, issues of depression, anxiety, addiction, eating disorders and even bipolar disorder have been labeled as issues that result from a lack of faith brought on by the individual. People are frequently told to repent, pray and turn from the behavior with little support, tools or guidance. For matters related to mental illness, this is not an appropriate or helpful response.

We have the power to be a community that changes that and provides those who are struggling with a safe place to land and belong. This mental health awareness month, I want to invite all of us, especially those in the church, to check our own bias and stigma around mental health and to approach those who struggle with the same mix of truth and grace that God extends to us. {eoa}

Christie Dondero Bettwy is the executive director for Rock Recovery, a nonprofit that helps people overcome disordered eating by combining clinical and community care. She is an active speaker and shares her story with organizations and media outlets across the country to spread the message that freedom from disordered eating is possible. Christie lives in Washington, D.C., with her husband, Ryan, who serves as a pastor at their church in Northern Virginia.

Read articles like this one and other Spirit-led content in our new platform, CHARISMA PLUS.

Colton Dixon first came on the music scene when he was crowned “fan favorite” on Season 11 on American Idol. He had great success with his first album A Messenger in 2013, which made chart history by earning “the biggest first-week sales by a new solo Christian artist.” In 2014 he launched another album, Anchor, which also won awards. Identity, his third album, was launched in 2017. He received two Dove Awards for “Rock/Contemporary Album” and “Recorded Music Packaging” and received a pair of K-Love Fan Award nominations in the category of “Male Artist of the Year.”

Even with all his success, he was released from his record label in 2017, which began a three-year test of his faith. Dixon shares the irony of his last album being titled Identity and then the struggle that ensued regarding his need to determine where his true identity came from—music, a record contract or God.

“The lies of the enemy told me I was not good enough for a record label, but a comment from my wife, Annie, made all the difference and turned everything around.” What began as a setback turned into a setup for something greater. “The devil is a liar, and I had to learn to take all my thoughts captive,” Dixon shares.

God is doing amazing things through Dixon today. Listen to how this setup for something greater increased his faith, impacted his music and shifted his desire for more from the audience to wanting to serve them. When our identity is in Christ, then we are free to be all that He has created us to be.

Listen to this incredible, inspiring interview on Living in the Light with Dr. Kristi Lemley on the Charisma Podcast Network. To view Colton Dixon’s touring schedule, go to coltondixon.com. {eoa}

Read articles like this one and other Spirit-led content in our new platform, CHARISMA PLUS.

Do you struggle with not knowing how or what to pray? Have you made your requests known to God, yet you still haven’t received any answers? In the latest episode of the Flawed & Free podcast on the Charisma Podcast Network, How to Pray the Right Way, I partner with the Holy Spirit to teach you about the kingdom principle of prayer to ensure you are hitting a bullseye in the spiritual realm. I break down, line by line, the model prayer found in Matthew 6:5-13, where Jesus Himself tells us exactly how we as believers should pray. Join your faith with the kingdom of heaven and learn how to pray the right way to receive the answers God is patiently waiting to share with you!

For more guidance on growing in your relationship with God, learning to hear his voice and maintaining your purity while waiting on your God-ordained spouse, be sure to check out some of our other podcast episodes and subscribe so you never miss future content. I dive deeper into these topics and leave listeners with encouragement, fresh revelation from the Holy Spirit and wisdom to help you on your journey to freedom with Flawed & Free. {eoa}

Tyna Jalieba, CEO and founder of Flawed and Free, is the warrior princess who hosts the Flawed and Free podcast on Charisma Podcast Network. Tyna has spent almost 20 years as a registered nurse and five years as a family nurse practitioner and now utilizes those gifts in discipleship and kingdom building through healing and deliverance. As a spiritual warfare strategist, prophetic intercessor and deliverance minister, the Lord allows Tyna to steward and support the servants of God to free them from the flaws of their past into the freedom of their future.

Read articles like this one and other Spirit-led content in our new platform, CHARISMA PLUS.

Fear is “false evidence appearing real.” Though this is often true, there are times we are and should be afraid, such as when a lion is breathing down our necks!

God designed a built-in mechanism for those times called the fight-or-flight response, also known as the acute stress response. This is the response our body has when we are afraid, whether it is a real or perceived fear. Our bodies will release hormones to help us deal with the issue or to run away to safety.

We will feel our hearts racing, our breathing increase and blood rushing to our limbs. The blood flows from our veins to our extremities to get us out of danger. When this happens, we aren’t thinking; we are just getting out of the situation … and fast! Then we return to normal.

God’s Fear Solution

The evil one, though, thrives on messing up our lives by throwing in irrational fears. Even though these may be all in our minds, they still seem real to us. Even in these types of feelings, God has a solution.

In 2 Timothy 1:7 (AMP), tells us: “God did not give us a spirit of timidity or cowardice or fear, but He has given us a spirit of power and of love and of sound judgment and personal discipline, abilities that result in a calm, well-balanced mind and self-control.”

Fear can take many forms, but God tells us that fear did not come from Him. Still, He knows we will have fear, so He gives us tools to overcome fear.

The Spiritual Package

He gives us is a spirit that encompasses four things: power, love, sound judgment and personal discipline. That, my friends, is an action-packed combination!

We think of power as physical strength, like the ability to run fast enough to get away from an attacker. Power includes the ability to change your own mind and thoughts.

He has the power to help us understand whether we need to be afraid or not. This is the power over fear, and it is ours as a gift from God.

Love is even stronger than power. It was God’s love that translated us from a destiny bound for an eternity in a very dark and endless place to one filled with the light and abundance of God. Nothing is stronger than God’s love. It is endless. It is measureless. It will continue, even when we thumb our noses at God. His love will never give up, under any circumstance. God’s love is resident within us. We just have to call upon it.

Using Solid Thinking

Sound judgment gives us the capacity to assess situations, individuals, circumstances and life events and draw sound conclusions. It is the ability to evaluate a problem objectively and with a clear mind, to calculate risks and benefits in order to make an informed decision.

It means we can analyze what is happening and react appropriately. Many times we are afraid of making a wrong decision. This is why God incorporates sound judgment in this spiritual package.

Personal discipline is a tricky one for sure. This word seems to put the burden on us. The dictionary says this means that we have the control to motivate ourselves, stay on track and do what is right. It’s the ability to control our feelings and overcome our weaknesses. It’s that great ability to pursue what we know is right, despite temptations to abandon it.

All of this is so we can master the kinds of irrational fears that keep us in a bound in the evil one’s straitjacket of fear. The all-encompassing, fear-defeating spirit that God gives us imparts abilities that result in a calm, well-balanced mind and self-control.

Abilities God Gives Us

We need the power to change our crazy thoughts. We need to focus on love as the greatest strength and motivator. We need to have sound judgment instead of being moved by the whims of those around us or our own emotional involvement in the situation.

Then we have to have self-control. It’s part of the fruit of the Spirit and is a sign that we belong to Jesus. We can’t allow our selfish wants and desires to lead us. So to have self-control, we must be Spirit-lead.

This is allowing the Holy Spirit to lead our physical bodies. This type of Spirit-led self-control helps us resist temptation and do what we know God wants us to do. Spirit-led self-control must guide every decision we make.

The Enemy’s Weapon

Our enemy uses our fears as a way to keep us from God’s best. He wants to keep us in a constant state of irrational fear and chronic stress because he wants us defeated. Fear is the weapon he uses the most, but we usually don’t recognize it until it has us totally bound in a stronghold.

The evil one is constantly whispering in our ears. He entices us with thoughts like, “Eat this to feel better.” Then in the next breath, he says, “You’re a failure. You’ll never amount to anything. You might as well just eat everything in sight.”

Where is our spirit of power, love, sound judgment and personal discipline? Where did our calm and well-balanced mind and self-control go? The spirit God gave us is still there. We chose fear instead. It’s so much easier to give in to our addiction than to fight, to just lay down and die.

Straitjacket of Fear

This week, I was reminded what God told me about this stronghold of fear the enemy tries to keep us in.

God said:

“Many of My people want to give up. They say, ‘I might as well throw in the towel. This journey is too much.’ But I say, ‘You are made stronger with each difficult step you take. It’s the only way to create muscle.’

“Sure, you could just give up. That’s the easy way. You could stop trying to make a difference, find that solution, figure out your problem, roll over and play dead, but then fear wins.

“Fear is a liar. Fear tells you to give up. Fear stops your forward motion. Fear keeps you in bondage.

“Fear doesn’t want you to change, transform and become better. Fear wants to kill, steal and destroy any progress you have made.

“Fear wants you stuck in bondage to your addictions. Fear loves it when you are in a straitjacket stronghold doing exactly what the evil one wishes.

“Are you there right now? Are you a robot of fear’s demands? Are you eating, drinking, smoking, spending, watching, reading, raging, screaming exactly what fear tells you to? This will only drive you deeper into bondage.

“Listen to Me, My Child, fear would tell you that you are of no value. Fear would tell you that you are worthless. Fear would say what you do doesn’t matter. Fear would tell you that you are and always will be a failure.”

Love’s Benefits

“Love tells you that you are priceless. Love moves you forward to success and worth. Love says, ‘You are Mine, and you matter.’ Love tells you that you are are a success, and you have a hope and a future.

“You, My Child, have been chosen for the exact place you are in right now. You are in the right place at just the right time.

“If you defy the enemy’s words by refusing to do what he tells you to do, you will see there is a way out of whatever has you bound.

“You can take off the straitjacket of fear that says, ‘You are stuck in your addictions. You’ll never amount to anything.’ That’s the voice of the liar that is burying you a little more each day.

“Stop. Just stop, and choose love. Choose life. Choose surrendering all that you are to love’s design rather than fear’s clutches.

“Choose vitality rather than complicity to the voice of fear.

“Choose the energy I give you, which isn’t born out of exhaustion or self-effort, but the pure beauty of just reclining and resting in Me.

“Choose love, life, surrender, vitality and energy. These are My gifts to you.

“When you choose to rest in Me, these gifts are being strengthened in you. It’s in resting in and relying on Me that fear loses and love wins.”

For more on this topic, check out the Straitjacket of Fear on Sweet Grace for Your Journey podcast on Charisma Podcast Network or wherever you listen to podcasts.

This article first appeared on teresashieldsparker.com. {eoa}

Teresa Shields Parker is the author of six books and two study guides, including her No. 1 bestseller, Sweet Grace: How I Lost 250 Pounds. Her sixth book, Sweet Surrender: Breaking Strongholds, is live on Amazon. She blogs at teresashieldsparker.com. She is also a Christian weight loss coach (check out her coaching group at Overcomers Academy) and speaker. Don’t miss her podcast, Sweet Grace for Your Journey, available on CPN.

Read articles like this one and other Spirit-led content in our new platform, CHARISMA PLUS.

Former Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., has been a successful businessman, congressman, senator, head of the Heritage Foundation, chairman of the Conservative Partnership Institute and somewhere in between it all, an author.

While he has written nonfiction policy and faith books in the past, his newest release, Satan’s Dare, takes on the devil himself in a day and age when it seems out of fashion to even speak of evil.

The novel is based essentially on the first chapter of Job where Satan “dares” God and says, “Has Job feared God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out Your hand now, and touch all that he has, and he will curse You to Your face” (Job 1:9-11).

“I have spent my life in business and politics, but now see our greatest need is not political reform or new leadership or new political strategies, but a return to the foundations of an America that was dedicated to Judeo-Christian values,” says DeMint.

DeMint says the two forces of politics and faith go together. “All of Western civilization is based on the Bible, and no matter how much we may try to cancel the past, the problem we are facing today is simply trying to move forward without God.”

Satan’s Dare traces the story of two Christian men who suffer great tragedies. One abandons his faith and becomes a world-famous atheist. The other man wrestles with God but clings to his faith.

DeMint cleverly uses the format of a novel to explain in simple terms the fundamentals of Scripture, faith and the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. The characters conclude the death and resurrection of Jesus are not only the basis for faith but the foundation for civilization itself.

“This is a great book to take to the beach this summer, give to a son or daughter going off to college, a friend at work asking questions and searching for the Lord, a politician you know who has gotten away from his or her faith,” DeMint believes. “But most of all, [it is] a book for all to read to realize the mercy of God and His love are the key to our faith.”

In the end, the world-famous atheist experiences the love of a believer and comes back to God.

Josh McDowell, the famous Christian apologist says in his review of the book, “There is more truth in this novel than just about any nonfiction book I’ve read. I recommend Satan’s Dare to every person who wants to strengthen their faith in God and to every person who is searching for truth.”

Sounding much more like a preacher than a well-known former senator and high-profile Washington figure, DeMint says, “I am concerned the church, in particular church leaders, have lost their courage. This is a time when we need men and women of courage to be fighting for our country and for our faith. It is my prayer that Satan’s Dare will give Christians more confidence in their faith and help restore the courage we so desperately need at this critical moment for our country. If we can defend the fundamentals of our faith, we will give Christians more confidence to stand strong for the values that make America great.” {eoa}

Amir George directs The World Helpline at theworldhelpline.org.

Read articles like this one and other Spirit-led content in our new platform, CHARISMA PLUS.

Have you, like me, ever wondered what exactly is a religious spirit? Does the Bible tell us anything particular about it? How does this spirit operate? Why should we care about what it is and how it affects our churches and leaders?

In the story of the woman who washed the feet of Jesus with her hair, we encounter a religious spirit accusing Jesus of spiritual blindness and dismissing His authority. In other encounters, this spirit incites murder against Jesus and those who follow Him.

In this riveting conversation about the religious spirit, my guest and good friend, Rabbi Eric Walker, answers our questions and uncovers this demonically inspired mode of operation that seeks to stop a move of the Spirit of God. You’ve got to listen to this episode of Move Forward with Dr. Kim Maas on the Charisma Podcast Network.

I believe God is preparing the church to receive a harvest of souls. These new believers will need discipleship and training in the things of the Lord. If a religious spirit is in operation, these new believers could be taken advantage of, spiritually abused and led astray by blind guides, or leaders overtaken by a religious spirit. On the other hand, if we have defied a religious spirit, cleansed our houses with worship and lead by the fullness of the Spirit, these new believers will thrive and grow, becoming strong in the Lord. Join me in this important conversation on Move Forward with Dr. Kim Maas. You will be so glad you did!

Also, you won’t want to miss out on two recent Move Forward with Dr Kim Mass episodes. Listen to my interview with Candice Mishkin, the founder and CEO of LoveBrave, who was miraculously healed and delivered from a 20-year addiction to drugs. She now travels the world to set captives free from every kind of demonic bondage. The other interview is with Jo Moody. Jo Moody is the founder and CEO of Agape Fighters, as well as the author of Minute by Minute which covers her near-death experience and miraculous healing of 14.5 years of debilitating nerve pain.

Move Forward with Dr. Kim Maas, on the Charisma Podcast Network, empowers you to move you forward in the call of God for your life, your career and your ministry through prophetic insight, practical teaching and powerful conversations with influential leaders. Be sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode. {eoa}

Read articles like this one and other Spirit-led content in our new platform, CHARISMA PLUS.

God’s presence changes everything. This is the tagline of the Presence Pioneers podcast, but it’s more than a slogan for me.

The summer after my high school graduation, I found myself on a dirty youth camp floor in eastern North Carolina. I was overcome by the power of the Holy Spirit and laid there for hours encountering God’s love. It was an extended time of worship after the messages, with a young worship leader in the corner singing simple love songs to Jesus with an acoustic guitar.

This experience changed my life. In those hours, God began to set me free from insecurity, confront my selfish ambitions and lead me into my ministry calling. I had a vision of God inviting me into His lap and revealing His love to my heart. His perfect love began to cast out my fears.

I was a singer-songwriter who wanted to be a famous rock star, but God began to show me that He gave me those musical gifts to worship Him and minister to His heart. He told me that I was called to be like King David. I was called to lead worship, yes, but I was also called to somehow “carry” His presence into my city just as David brought the ark of the covenant into Jerusalem.

This life-changing encounter shifted the trajectory of my life. I came home and began to seek the Lord in private prayer, Bible reading and worship. But I was also burning to have my friends and peers experience the same transformative presence of God that I had known at camp. This yearning initially led to a series of Friday night worship nights, and I have now been leading day-and-night worship and prayer ministries for nearly 20 years. I have seen consistently the simple truth that worship brings God’s presence, and God’s presence changes lives, cities and nations.

This is the theme of my brand new book, David’s Tabernacle: How God’s Presence Changes Everything. In Episode 73 of the Presence Pioneers podcast on the Charisma Podcast Network, I share more about my summer camp encounter, including some unbelievably supernatural smells and sounds that I experienced! {eoa}

Matthew Lilley is an author, worship leader, intercessor and Bible teacher with a passion for God’s presence, extravagant worship and prayer and a desire to see cities transformed by Jesus. In 2004 he founded Presence Pioneers to help fulfill his calling to connect, equip and plant presence-centered Christian communities. He has helped launch two houses of prayer in North Carolina and has also served in national leadership roles in worship and prayer movements such as Burn 24-7 and Awaken the Dawn.

Read articles like this one and other Spirit-led content in our new platform, CHARISMA PLUS.