Israeli security forces on Sunday seized a massive shipment of military-grade gloves en route to the Hamas terror group in Gaza.

Israel’s Ministry of Defense stated Monday that its security inspectors foiled an attempt to smuggle thousands of pairs of military tactical gloves into the Gaza Strip via the Kerem Shalom Crossing.

The gloves were concealed in a consignment of clothing.

Israel suspects that the gloves were intended for use by the Hamas terrorist organization.

The truck carrying the consignment and all its contents were impounded and transferred to a special joint anti-smuggling team.

“Attempts to smuggle military equipment into Gaza are part of the daily struggle, conducted largely out of the public view, waged by the very best inspectors,” said Kerem Shalom Director Ami Shaked. “We are continuing our anti-smuggling efforts around the clock in order to ensure that only approved and coordinated goods—that do not aid terrorist elements—enter Gaza.”

Gaza Coordination and Liaison Office Head Col. Faris Atila charged Hamas with repeatedly trying to “exploit Israel’s civilian policy for its own ends at the expense of the civilian population in Gaza.”

He vowed to “continue to frustrate and thwart the abuse of our civilian policy for terrorist goals and the needs of the Hamas terrorist organization.”

The Shin Bet (Israel’s Security Agency) and the Crossings Authority, together with the IDF’s Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), Israeli Police and the Tax Authority, continue to fight persistent attempts to smuggle contraband into the Gaza Strip.

The Crossings Authority thwarted 1,226 attempts to smuggle contraband into Gaza in 2016, a 165 percent increase from 2015.

Smuggling attempts have increased each year since Operation Protective Edge in the summer of 2014.

Many of these smuggling operations have employed imaginative methods, including by sea and via Israel’s postal service. These attempts include the smuggling of everything from gun scopes to entire trucks.

Examples of items seized during thwarted smuggling attempts include drones and small UAVs, security cameras, dismantled vehicle parts, 4X4 engines and tires, lasers, rappelling equipment, professional-grade diving equipment to be used by Hamas’ commandos, communications equipment, car batteries, military clothing, dual-use fiberglass employed in terror-tunnel building, liquid polyester and adhesive material used for rocket building, spiral welding, aluminum and iron pipes, water pumps used for terror tunnels, metal pellets, steel rods and more materials used in the various stages of rocket and mortar production. {eoa}

This article originally appeared at .

Mark Wahlberg knows he has a spotted past, but he considers Boogie Nights to be one of the worst films he’s done—and he’s asked the Lord to forgive him.

 “I just always hope that God is a movie fan and also forgiving, because I’ve made some poor choices in my past,” Wahlberg said recently. “… Boogie Nights is up there at the top of the list.”

The 1997 film chronicles a young man’s role in the pornography industry.

Wahlberg, a devout Catholic, previously said his faith is “the most important part of my life. I don’t try to push it on anybody and I don’t try to hide it.”

He told Square Mile: “I pray every day and try to go to church every day. My faith in God is what makes me a better man. It’s the most important part of my life. I pray that I will live up to my intention to be the best husband and father than I can be. I never would have been able to change my life and have the success and love that I have in my world today without my faith.”

Wahlberg was recently named Hollywood’s highest-paid actor.

Dr. Robert Jeffress, pastor of First Baptist Dallas, releases the following statement in response to a question posed to White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders at Tuesday’s press briefing, accusing Jeffress of being “viciously anti-Catholic.”

Newsweek reported Jeffress said Catholicism is a “cult-like pagan religion” and the success of the religion is due to “the genius of Satan.”

Jeffress vehemently disputes that.

“It’s no accident that the liberal media started this line of attack after I appeared on Lou Dobbs Tonight in support of President Trump and General Kelly against the unwarranted attacks being made on them by Congresswoman Frederica Wilson.

“I am delighted though, to reiterate what I’ve said many times when people ask me if Catholics are going to be in heaven or are Baptists going to be in heaven: Nobody goes to heaven in a group—it’s one by one, based on our relationship with Christ. And I can tell you this: there will be millions of Catholics in heaven who have trusted in Christ for their salvation.

“I love my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ who are Catholic. I work with them often on issues of religious liberty and the pro-life movement. I walk alongside Catholic priests in pro-life demonstrations. As recently as this past Sunday, I welcomed Sean Hannity to First Baptist to discuss his journey of faith.

“In the past, I’ve noted that there were theological aberrations in the Catholic church that needed to be corrected. But there have been aberrations in the Baptist church that need to be corrected as well.”

Popular talk show host Sean Hannity, a Catholic himself, who spoke in Jeffress’ church Sunday, defended Jeffress against the false charge of being anti-Catholic:

“Dr. Jeffress is a personal friend and colleague. Over the many times that I have had him on my radio and TV shows, we have agreed on the fact that we are Christians. We believed in our Lord, Jesus Christ, and how we pray to him, in whatever way, denomination or format is not important; the fact that we pray is what matters. I was raised a Catholic, I was even an altar boy and attended seminary, and I can tell you that Dr. Jeffress has expressed to me both privately and publicly that he agrees Catholics are Christians.

As the story goes, during the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln was asked if God was on his side. He replied, “Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right.”

What about us? When it comes to the pressing social and moral and cultural and spiritual issues of our day, are we on God’s side?

It’s easy to be partisan and to live in an echo chamber of affirmation. It’s easy to preach to the choir and be invigorated by the choir’s hearty “Amen.” But are we really searching out these issues? Are we allowing our views to be challenged? Can we even articulate the arguments of those who differ with us? Are we seeking God’s perfect perspective? If not, what makes us so sure?

People on the other side of the political or social or racial or cultural or religious aisle are also dogmatic and convinced. They are sure that they are right and we are wrong, and they too have their comfortable echo chambers. What makes us so sure that they are the ones in error? How much critical thought have we given to our positions?

We already know how most of the major media players will respond the moment we hear the latest political news. The response will be as partisan as it is predictable, to the point that the news commentary often sounds more like a parody than honest reporting.

We know how CNN will see things, and we know how FOX will see things. We know what Huffington Post will highlight and what Breitbart will highlight. But will anyone be impartial? Will anyone be dispassionate? Will anyone allow truth and facts to be the arbiter rather than partisan politics to rule the day?

When “my side” acts poorly, am I willing to admit it? When “my position” is exposed as faulty, am I willing to address the problems? When “my guy” does wrong, am I willing to acknowledge it? Or, to the contrary, will I defend my side and my position and my guy even to the point of embarrassment? Will I demonstrate integrity, or will I simply play the game?

In the aftermath of Sen. Jeff Flake’s attack on President Trump from the Senate floor, coupled with his announcement that he would not seek reelection in 2018, headlines and bylines fell into place, as expected. The Huffington Post announced, “[Flake’s] departure is a political earthquake for 2018.” Breitbart, of course, saw it differently, with the pulsating words “Winning” flashed on the home page, accompanying this headline: “Jeff Flake Out, Will Not Seek Re-Election.”

Personally, I’m glad I don’t have to defend President Trump or the Republican Party or the Congress or the Supreme Court or even my country for that matter. But am I more partisan than I know? Do I listen to dissenting voices? Does my reputation, not to mention my identity, hinge on being right?

These are questions I ask myself, and I welcome challenges from those who think I am tone deaf. It’s all too easy to get caught up in the spirit of the age and lose sight of eternally relevant qualities like justice and mercy and truth.

Jesus even rebuked some of the religious leaders of his day, men who were famous for their religious scrupulosity. Yet in their attention to religious details, they missed what mattered most to God. As the Lord said, “For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things” (Matt. 23:23, NLT).

Does this describe any of us?

When it comes to issues like same-sex “marriage,” I have challenged myself to the core of my being with LGBT activist arguments, theologically and morally and socially and personally. I have heard their cries for “justice” and “equality” until those cries have torn at my heart out of love and concern for their wellbeing. Yet I am 100 percent sure that homosexual practice is not sanctioned by God and that, no matter how devoted a gay couple may be, they are not doing the Father’s will together.

Call me a homophobe or bigot or hater or KKK or Nazi or whatever and it will only reaffirm to me the truth of my position and increase my concern for you. Of course, this doesn’t make me right, but I can assure you I have done my due diligence to hear out the other side in coming to my firm convictions.

When it comes to abortion, I am equally dogmatic, totally convinced of the sanctity of life in the womb.

But when it comes to other issues, I have to admit it’s all too easy for me to be swayed by the arguments from those on my side of the aisle, with little tolerance for arguments on the other side. Am I really hearing what they are saying, or do I immediately have my defenses up? Have I prejudged the matter without even hearing it? And am I the only one guilty of this?

The book of Joshua contains this striking account as the children of Israel were about go to war against Jericho. As Joshua neared the city, “a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, ‘Are you for us or for our enemies?” (Josh. 5:13c).

This seemed like a logical question. If you’re a warrior—perhaps sent by God—whose side are you on? The man’s answer was classic: “Neither, for I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now I have come” (Josh. 5:14a).

I love this! Joshua asks, “Are you for us or against us?” The messenger of the Lord replies, “No!” Instead, he says, “I have come as the commander of the Lord’s armies.”

That was enough to put Joshua on his face before this divinely sent messenger, who then told him to take his shoes off, because the ground was holy. Joshua’s only need was to align himself with God.

Without a doubt, the days ahead will be fraught with deep social and political divides, perhaps worse than what we have seen so far. Those of us who claim to believe in God and honor him need to our best to rise above these divisive tides, to worship him and to align ourselves with what is right and best in his sight. If we do that, I imagine we’ll have our own Joshua-like encounters that start with a divine no.

So you pray for something for years and then you wake up one day, breathe a big sigh and say to yourself: This is crazy. Nothing is happening. God must not be listening.

Congratulations! If this has been your prayer experience, you are not alone. You’ve been enrolled in the School of Persevering Prayer, and it’s not a one-semester class. It’s a lifelong journey designed to stretch your faith, develop your character, purify your motives, test your patience and increase your capacity to experience God’s amazing love.

I’ve been in this school for a long time. I think I may have failed a few classes and been required to repeat them. I don’t always make the grade.

This past week, in fact, I was whining about God’s delays. For many months I’ve been bringing the same requests to the Lord, yet the answers seem impossibly distant. My faith wavers from calm assurance to frustrated doubt. In my weakest moments I panic and say stupid things that I regret later, such as: “I’m quitting!”

Yet when I bring my complaint to the Lord, He always reassures me. He recently took me to Isaiah 62:6-7, NASB: “On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have appointed watchmen; all day and all night they will never keep silent. You who remind the Lord, take no rest for yourselves; and give Him no rest until He establishes and makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.”

There’s just no way around the fact that prayer requires persistence. One friend of mine even coined a phrase to summarize this painful fact: “God is in the waiting.”

Jesus told a parable about an unrighteous judge who granted a poor widow’s petition because she badgered him night and day (see Luke 18:1-8). Jesus asked: “Will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night?” (v. 7). Whatever request you have brought to the Lord, and regardless of how many times you have reminded Him of it, keep these points in mind as you trust Him for an answer:

1. The work of God takes time. Most people in the Bible who asked God for big things waited a long time to receive their answers. Abraham turned gray waiting for his promised heir—and he is called the father of our faith. Joshua and his remnant company wandered in the wilderness 40 years before they possessed Canaan. Hannah endured taunts from Peninnah and insults from Eli while she prayed many years for a son.

Prayer is not a magic formula. Your job is to ask, not to dictate or control. You must let God be God. You must let patience have its perfect work. You will eventually reap if you don’t grow weary.

2. Authentic prayer involves a holy process. Prayer is often compared to birth. When God gives you a promise, you essentially become pregnant with it. If you plan to carry this promise to term, you must wait—and then you must travail.

Surely this is what the apostle Paul experienced when he told the Galatians he would be “in labor” until Christ was formed in them (Gal. 4:19). We often think of the prayer of faith as triggering instant answers, but this was not the case with Paul. While God can certainly answer immediately, even with fire from heaven, frequently He asks us to carry a promise until we are mature enough to handle the answer.

3. You have a Helper who is praying for you. You are not in this process alone. The Holy Spirit intercedes for us, Paul wrote, “with groanings too deep for words” (Rom. 8:26). He is praying the perfect will of God, and we are invited to agree with Him. This kind of gut-wrenching prayer is messy and full of anguish; it is not formal or sophisticated.

When we truly pray in the Holy Ghost, we surrender our agendas and allow Him to pray through us. And this takes us deeper with God.

Have you ever been around a woman in her ninth month of pregnancy? She is often in a state of agitation—ready to give birth but weary of the strain. I know many Christians today who are in this same uncomfortable stage of spiritual travail. They’ve held onto promises for a long time. Some are in despair because the gestation period has been so long.

Jesus said: “For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened” (Matt. 7:8). The verbs used are Greek present imperatives, meaning constant asking, seeking and knocking. Prevailing prayer requires persistence, but when we feel too weak to press forward in faith, the Spirit provides the extra push.

You may be asking for the salvation of a wayward child, the funding of a ministry, the reconciliation of a relationship, the recovery of a business, the reviving of a stagnant church or the healing of a sick loved one. Or if you are really adventurous, you may be praying for the evangelization of a city or a nation that is currently in spiritual darkness.

Keep on knocking. Don’t give up. The God who moves mountains has heard your cry. You’re closer than you’ve ever been to a spiritual breakthrough.

Clayton Kershaw was his usual masterful self on Tuesday. In Game 1 of the 2017 Major League Baseball World Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers ace struck out 11 batters, gave up just three hits and walked no one. All night long, Houston Astros batters were off balance, and the Dodgers prevailed in a historic 3-1 win.

Any World Series is big, of course. But this year, the stakes are raised on the field and off. Los Angeles hasn’t won baseball’s October championship in three decades. Houston has never claimed the big trophy. That’s a long time!

For Kershaw, as well as he pitches and as big as playing in the World Series is, more than a title is on the line. Yes, he loves to compete, and each pitch oozes with drama, but he has increased the stakes. Each time Kershaw strikes out a batter, he donates $100 to Kershaw’s Challenge, the Christ-centered, other-focused non-profit work he and his wife Ellen started. And he strikes out a lot of batters—202 in the regular season this year.

Kershaw’s Challenge helps HIV-positive orphans in Zambia, orphans in the Dominican Republic and inner-city children in Texas and Los Angeles. They have worked with other charities, too, and annually host a gala fundraiser at Dodger Stadium called Ping Pong 4 Purpose. Jimmy Kimmel, Magic Johnson and George Lopez have participated.

Not only does Kershaw contribute $100 for each batter he strikes out—and he is annually one of the league leaders in strikeouts—he also encourages others to do likewise. Kershaw’s Challenge’s motto is Strikeout to Serve. Other ballplayers—from professionals to little leaguers—have donated $1 or whatever they choose for every batter they strike out or every hit they get. The idea is that the better a player performs, the more he or she gives. Athletes from other sports have accepted and adapted the challenge too.

This year, a special-edition Clayton Kershaw World Series T-shirt is being sold at The T-shirt reads “Challenge Accepted” and features at artistic rendering of Kershaw, along with his iconic uniform number 22. Proceeds from the limited time sales go to Kershaw’s Challenge.

Monday was media day as a leadup to Game 1 of the World Series. The first question to Kershaw noted his faith—reporters know where he stands. Kershaw’s response: “Yeah, my faith is very important to me. That’s the No. 1 reason I’m here.”

For Clayton and Ellen Kershaw, their Christian faith has always been their driving force. A few years back, the couple wrote a book titled Arise: Live Out Your Faith and Dreams on Whatever Field You Find Yourself From the Major Leagues to Africa. About his faith, Clayton Kershaw wrote, “When I realized that I could have a personal relationship with God, I began relating to Him as a great King. I was blown away by His creation and goodness in the world.”

Each year, Kershaw speaks at the Dodgers Faith and Family day, along with other Christian players such as Adrian Gonzalez, Logan Forsythe and former battery mate A. J. Ellis. In addition, Kershaw’s Challenge () has teamed up with The Dream Center in Los Angeles, Behind Every Door in Dallas and Cure International. And they have just linked up with International Justice Mission to help raise awareness in the battle to combat human trafficking.

Ellen Kershaw echoes her husband’s commitment to faith. Before game one, she said: “The Lord is gracious enough to allow our family to experience this joy right now. Praying we can glorify Him with each pitch, post, game and hopeful win!”

The Dodgers and Astros play Game 2 tonight in at Dodger Stadium, then the best of seven series moves to Houston. If there is a Game 5, Kershaw will again accept the challenge—unless, of course, his team calls upon him to pitch earlier on short rest, which he has done before. Either way, if he pitches again in the series, there will be more strikeouts. That’s why He is there.

Many people have asked, “Where is heaven?” We are not told in the Scripture where heaven is. Some students have tried to take some Scriptures and put them together and say that heaven is in the north. They quote Psalm 48:2, “The joy of the whole earth is … on the sides of the north.” The magnetic needle points north. Perhaps the Celestial City is in the north. We do not know. But no matter where heaven is, it will be where Christ is.

Many people ask, “Do you believe that heaven is a literal place?” Yes!

Jesus said, “I go to prepare a place for you.” The Bible teaches that Enoch and Elijah ascended in a literal body to a literal place that is just as real as Los Angeles, London or Algiers! The Bible also teaches that heaven will be a place of beauty. It is described in the Bible as “a building of God,” “a city,” “a better country,” “an inheritance” and “a glory.”

The Bible also indicates that heaven will be a place of great understanding and knowledge of things that we never learned down here.

Read: “5 Answers from Billy Graham on Heaven.” {eoa}

© 2017 BGEA

Tom Penders, the University of Houston basketball coach, received a technical foul from referees during a game when he dropped to his knees and fell face down due to a heart condition. The refs thought he was protesting a call, so they “T’d” him up. The sad part is that the officials refused to reverse the call even after the coach was given oxygen and taken from the court on a stretcher. Penders later quipped, “It’s a good thing I didn’t die. The other team would have gotten two more free throws and possession.”

The officials just could not admit they were wrong. Is the same true for you? Do you have a difficult time saying you were wrong and seeking forgiveness? Do you have a tough time asking for forgiveness? Let’s start with your wife. Here are 10 ways to ask for forgiveness.

1. Make sure you have uninterrupted quiet time together.

This goes hand in hand with taking her feelings seriously. Be gracious, treat the situation with the gravity it demands, give your wife appropriate time and attention, be patient, don’t demand and demonstrate some sensitivity.

2. Serve her something.

Sincerity is best served along with something else. Maybe a refreshing drink or a tasty treat.

3. Try humility.

This is directly related to the spirit of service. Pride doesn’t just go before a “fall,” it often announces a “fool.”

4. Be completely honest.

“I’m sorry I was a few minutes late for dinner,” doesn’t really fly when the truth is “I was three hours late and I didn’t call.”

5. Never try to even the score.

Pointing out your wife’s shortcoming in order to make yourself look better is lose-lose. Every time. Without exception.

6. Don’t minimize the offense.

If you plan to downplay the situation, your guilt or your need for forgiveness, then just smack yourself in the head now and make up the couch in the living room before you talk to your wife—that way you can save both yourself and her some time later.

7. Own responsibility.

Nobody is responsible for your behavior other than yourself. No matter how bad your day is. Even if you feel your wife provoked you. We are grown-up, adult men—what we do and how we treat other people is always our choice.

8. Lay out a plan for restitution.

Have a plan in mind that addresses the hurt you caused.

9. Demonstrate a change of heart.

“I have already made an appointment with the counselor.”

“I understand that an apology sounds kind of hollow, so I want you to know that my heart has changed and I’m a better person because I’ve made this mistake.”

These aren’t just flowers—they’re a small attempt to show how much I love you.”

“I forgot to meet you for lunch yesterday. But I have a sitter lined up for tonight and dinner reservations.”

10. Don’t just say it—do it.

Follow up that change of heart with a demonstrable change in behavior, a change that repeats itself over time. It may take a while to regain trust, or demonstrate your sincerity, so hang in there and make it count in reality. Remember, you’re not doing this to get out of trouble; you’re working on healing the relationship.

How do you handle a situation where you know you’re in the wrong? {eoa}

This article originally appeared at .

Every day in America, approximately 91 people die of an opioid overdose. According to the Centers for Disease Control, from 2000 to 2015, more than a half-million Americans died of drug overdoses, and opioids account for most of those deaths. This epidemic is so serious that President Trump declared it a national emergency on Aug. 10, 2017. This epidemic could be impacting your family members or friends.

Many medical professionals believe medication-assisted treatment (MAT) programs are the ideal remedy for overcoming drug addiction. But they shouldn’t sell short faith-based programs, which can be even more effective because they offer spiritual as well as physical, mental and emotional support.

Early in 2017, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price recommended faith in God as a viable solution to the current opioid crisis. He is a medical doctor, yet he claims that faith-based treatment is more effective than MAT in treating opioid addiction. Not surprisingly, he received immediate backlash from many in the scientific community after he made this courageous statement.

I don’t think anyone in the Christian community is advocating that we replace MAT programs with faith-based programs. Together, faith and medical science can combat addiction better than one treatment alone. Studies have demonstrated that Teen Challenge, a Christian drug treatment program, produces far better results than its secular counterparts when coupled with appropriate medications.

I believe God’s grace is the most powerful cure for delivering people completely from the clutches of drug addiction. Grace is an unmerited gift that God gives to us, often when we are desperate and in crisis. Many former addicts have cried out to God when nothing else would ease their suffering. As a result, many were transformed by an outpouring of God’s amazing grace, giving them the strength to overcome their addictions permanently.

Kia Waller, whose story is featured in my second book, Grace Revealed, became addicted to Percocet painkillers after she was in an automobile accident. Throughout her 10-year addiction, she lost everything, including her family’s trust. Her husband, in exasperation, expelled her from their home.

In her story, Kia writes that on her last night of using drugs, she sat alone in a filthy, roach-infested, vacant home. She knew she had to surrender her addiction to God. She writes, “I got down on my knees and raised my hands. I was wailing, sobbing and crying out loud for God to please help me. I prayed, ‘I don’t care what, and I don’t care how, but please help me, God. I can’t do this anymore.'”

Kia goes on to describe how a treatment program, combined with her faith, led her out of the cycle of addiction. Now Kia is a Certified Recovery Specialist and is a full-time manager of a women’s sober living house in Ohio. She has regained her family’s trust and is living at home with her husband and children again.

Opioid addiction is a man-made crisis that God’s intervention can cure. Don’t waste a moment denying the reality that may take your life or the life of a loved one. Even many pastors are not equipped with the knowledge, strategies and resources necessary to aid people who are addicted to drugs and alcohol. World Religion News reports that although 94 percent of priests, ministers and rabbis said addiction and substance use was a problem for their congregations, only 12.5 percent had received any training on the subject.

You can be an instrument of the healing process by proclaiming the Good News—no, the Great News—that God’s grace can conquer any addiction and allow people to rebuild their lives. Cry out to the Lord for yourself or others who find themselves in the potential death spiral of opioid addiction. {eoa}

Fred Sievert started his career as a teacher, later entered the insurance business, and retired in 2007 as president of New York Life Insurance Company, a Fortune 100 corporation. Following his retirement at age 59, Fred attended Yale Divinity School and was awarded a master’s degree in 2011.

In his career, Fred enjoyed many successes but also had to deal with much stress, many challenges and even some serious setbacks. Through it all, he credits his success to a reliance on daily prayer, the guidance of the Holy Spirit and his relationship with Jesus Christ.

In 2014, he published his first book, God Revealed: Revisit Your Past to Enrich Your Future.

His second book, Grace Revealed: Finding God’s Strength in Any Crisis is now available for pre-order on , and .

“I am raising up radical spiritual warriors who will operate in radical obedience and press past radical enemy assignments against radical breakthrough.” That’s one line from a prophetic word the Lord recently shared with my heart about radicals rising in this season of restoration.

Last week, we looked at the first characteristic of radical spiritual warriors: radical faith. The second earmark of a radical spiritual warrior is prophesying radical prophetic words. The life of David offers perhaps the most dramatic example of this principle in warfare.

The Israelite army was walking in radical fear in the presence of a radical enemy named Goliath. The Philistines considered him a champion of war. Bible historians figure Goliath could have been as tall as 10 feet—and he stood at the battle line for 40 days, provoking Israelites to send a man to fight with him in the valley (see 1 Samuel 17:1-16).

A Radical Enemy Prophesied Death Over David

When David arrived on the scene carrying provisions for his brothers at the battle line, he saw the fear-stricken Israelites cowering in the face of giant threats from a radical enemy. Saul was promising a radical reward for the man who defeated Goliath: “It will be that the man who kills him, the king will enrich him with great riches, will give him his daughter, and will make his father’s house exempt from taxes in Israel” (1 Samuel 17:25b).

Discerning the fear in the hearts of the soldiers and with his eyes on the prize, the teenaged David—a ruddy boy about half the height of Goliath—declared something radical: “Let no man’s heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine” (1 Sam. 17:32). And so he did. The radical enemy’s first tactic was prophesying fearful curses over David. Imagine the scene in 1 Samuel 17:41-44:

The Philistine came walking and drew near to David, and the man bearing the shield went before him. When the Philistine looked and saw David, he despised him. For he was a youth and ruddy with a handsome appearance. The Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” Then the Philistine cursed David by his gods. The Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the heavens and to the beasts of the field.”

David Prophesied Radical Words Over Goliath

David could have taken Goliath’s words to heart—but he chose to flip the script. He got God’s heart on the matter and prophesied some radical words back to his radical enemy in 1 Samuel 17:45-47:

David said to the Philistine, ‘You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a shield, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have reviled. This day will the Lord deliver you into my hand. And I will strike you down and cut off your head. Then I will give the corpses of the Philistine camp this day to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the earth so that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. And then all this assembly will know that it is not by sword and spear that the Lord saves. For the battle belongs to the Lord, and He will give you into our hands.

And so it was. David struck the Philistine with one stone from his sling, then cut off his head. David’s radical prophesy manifested almost immediately.

Prophesying Radical Words to Your Enemies

So, how do you prophesy radical words over your spiritual enemies? Take a page from David’s playbook. David turned Goliath’s false prophesy and word curses around.

1 Samuel 17:44: “The Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the heavens and to the beasts of the field.” David prophesied back, “I will strike you down and cut off your head. Then I will give the corpses of the Philistine camp this day to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the earth so that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.”

Many times, you can determine what the Lord wants to do in your life by the vain imaginations and accusations coming against your mind. When the enemy whispers to your mind or screams at your soul, speak the opposite of what the enemy is saying to you. Prophesy God’s will over your life. The true prophetic word always trumps the false prophetic word—when you release it.

You don’t need a “prophetic word” to prophesy God’s will—His will for your life is in His Word. Prophesy what God’s Word says about you and what belongs to you. You will prevail! {eoa}

Check out Jennifer’s brand-new Charisma House book, The Spiritual Warfare Battle Plan: Unmasking 15 Harassing Demons That Want to Destroy Your Life.