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Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries I am amazed at the clear insight God granted King David in so many areas, including giving and possessions. In his later years, David gathered everything needed for his son Solomon to build the Temple of God, a place of worship. As you read his heartfelt prayer (and, I suggest, you read all of 1 Chronicles 29 to get the full picture of this extraordinary generosity that was displayed by the people of Israel), we can learn three important principles about generous, prayerful giving. “David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly, saying, “Praise be to you, Lord, the God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name.” “But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand. We are foreigners and strangers in your sight, as were all our ancestors. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope. Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple for your Holy Name comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you. I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things I have given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you” (1 Chronicles 29:10–17). Extraordinary generosity comes from the realization that everything we have comes from our great, powerful and majestic God. So few people today understand this, but David nailed it more than 3,000 years ago! It is this understanding of God as the Owner of all things that forms the basis for extraordinary giving…not just of our finances, but also our time and our talents. Prayer: Father, I recognize that all of my finances, possessions, time and talents come from You alone. Help me to continually remember this! Show me how to hold loosely to all of these things, so that giving them up for Your use is a pleasure and a joy rather than something I dread or do out of guilt or a sense of “duty.” Help me to consider the amount of time I waste each day that could be utilized for Your purposes! Give me a passion for Your kingdom and ideas about how to use my discretionary time. And Lord, please give me wisdom and creativity to use the talents I have to bring honor and glory to You! Extraordinary leaders give generously by example from willingness and from the integrity of their hearts. King David had insight to know that he needed to lead the way. He could not simply ask others to give without demonstrating his own desire to be generous. David went above and beyond, freely out-giving everyone! His generosity was an encouragement to others. Prayer: Father, I know I can never out-give You! Show me how to lead those at work/school/in my home/at church, etc. in generous giving whenever there is a kingdom task You direct Your people to step into. May I have the courage and privilege to be extravagant in whatever ways You direct my heart. Use me to help others see how Your people can make a difference in our culture simply by giving in extraordinary ways of their time, talents and finances! Extraordinary giving is birthed out of joy and a desire to please and worship God. The building of the temple was a joyous process, as the people of Israel knew it was to be a place where the Lord their God would come to dwell. From David’s extravagant worshiping heart came a prayer that God’s people, following his lead, would give beyond their means, their fears and their uncertainties. And give they did! As an act of worship, both rich and poor gave in abundance and with great joy to build the House of God in Jerusalem. They did not give under compulsion or coercion. According to David, generous giving tested their hearts spiritually and revealed “uprightness of heart.” Prayer: Lord God, help me to become a joyous, worshipful giver in every way. Teach me to expand my heart to embrace Your kingdom with excitement and anticipation as You allow me to have the privilege of serving You as You have created me to be – a generous, talented creation with so much to offer others! When You look at me, may You see only “uprightness of heart” and continue to build me into a house of prayer – the temple that now exists in the world to glorify You and extend Your kingdom to the ends of the earth! Here is a prayer that incorporates all three of these principles: “Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours.” Lord God, I believe with all my heart that everything I have comes from You. Help me to live as a good steward of all that comes from Your hand. May my generous giving of time, talent and finances bring pleasure to You. Teach me to give joyously, as an act of worship and gratitude. In the powerful Name above all names, Jesus Christ, my Lord, Amen! This blog has been adapted from The Giving Church by David Butts.

Adapted from Simply Prayer (copyright 2020), by Bill Elliff. Used with permission. A National State of Emergency is a governmental declaration which usually suspends some normal functions of executive, legislative, and judicial powers; alerts citizens to change their normal behaviors; or orders governmental agencies to implement emergency preparedness plans. In response to COVID-19, every nation suspended normal functions, alerted citizens to change their normal behavior, and implemented emergency plans. As God looks at the state of our nation, we must think deeply about His evaluation of our land. If Scripture is any indication, He would tell us that we are in a state of National Spiritual Emergency. So what should we do?Simply go on with business as usual? Or should we agree about the nature of this dramatic problem, change our normal behaviors, and implement emergency plans? EXTRAORDINARY MOVEMENTS Throughout history, God has chosen seasons to “rend the heavens and come down.” These times of revival in the church and massive spiritual awakening among the lost are used by God to remind us of what heaven is like and to make His kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven. It is His great mercy that brings such times. When the church and a nation sink to desperate spiritual lows, the cry of our hearts should be for such revivals and awakenings. Richard Owen Roberts described revival as “the extraordinary movement of the Spirit of God among His people that produces extraordinary results.” God is at work everywhere all the time. But seasons of revival accelerate the movement of God, accomplishing in a matter of days or months what could not be accomplished in decades. There have been five nationwide seasons of extraordinary revival and spiritual harvest in America to date: The First Great Awakening, 1735–1742 The Second Great Awakening, 1800–1825 The Prayer Revival, 1857–1858 The Welsh Revival, 1904–1905 The Jesus Movement, 1969–1971 Notice that every 50–60 years in our history, God has graciously come in power to our nation, bringing the course correction we desperately need. The telling mark of these movements has not been just the change in the churches, but the rapid expansion of the gospel. Awakening implies that a man is in spiritual slumber, unable to find God. God in His grace quickens his heart, bringing him to an awareness of his sin, a deep desire for repentance, and faith to believe in Christ. In times of national spiritual awakening, this happens with stunning speed. SETTING OUR SAILS FOR REVIVAL. Campbell Morgan said, “We cannot organize revival, but we can set our sails to catch the wind from Heaven when God chooses to blow upon His people once again.” Humble, repentant, united prayer is one of the best ways to prepare our hearts for what God wants to accomplish through revival.

Ever since Adam and Eve first disobeyed God, the tendency to cover our sin has been a part of our sinful human nature (see Genesis 3:7–8). We don’t have to be trained how to hide or pretend—it comes naturally. Even after we are redeemed in Christ and the Holy Spirit takes up residence within us, we often battle the urge to deceive. But God cannot bless or revive a heart that refuses to acknowledge the truth. King David learned this lesson the hard way. Though handpicked by God to be a leader, David rejected God’s law and committed the heinous sin of adultery (see 2 Samuel 11). As damaging as that was, however, he could have spared his household and his kingdom many months of anguish had he simply been honest about his failure. Instead, he chose to hide, cover up, and deny his wrongdoing. He lied to Bathsheba, the woman with whom he had committed adultery. He lied to her husband, Uriah. He lived a lie before his people. He lied to himself by acting as if what he’d done really wasn’t all that bad, that he could get away with it, and that there would be no major consequence to suffer. Above all, David lied to God by attempting to cover his sin and refusing to acknowledge and confess it. Psalm 32 is David’s firsthand account of the process he went through to discover the profound joy of experiencing God’s mercy and forgiveness. Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. For nearly a year David lived with God’s convicting Spirit pressing down on his soul. Being silent about his wrongdoing—refusing to confess his sin—only deepened David’s anguish. He deteriorated physically, emotionally, and spiritually. If it can happen to David, it can happen to us. We are as vulnerable to sin’s entrapment as he was and just as apt to try to conceal our failure. Refusing to be honest will reap the same rewards for us as it did for David. But here is the wonderful truth: We have another choice! As we read the opening verses of Psalm 32, we can almost hear the joy and relief returning to David’s spirit. When he finally let go of his pride, humbled himself, and got honest with God and others about his sin, heaven-sent relief poured over him. The weight of his iniquity was lifted, and his sin was carried away. That can be your experience, too. As this passage indicates, God is willing to “cover” (with the blood of Christ) every sin that we are willing to “uncover” before Him. If David could experience the freedom and joy of a restored relationship with God after committing such great sin, you can know that blessedness, too! Simply begin with the matter at hand—whatever sin God may be convicting you of, whether “large” or “small.” Remember, no sin is so large that God cannot forgive it; and no sin is so small that you can afford to keep it hidden. Do you need to pause right now and be honest with God about some sin or failure in your life? How blessed is the person in whose spirit there is no deceit!

Confession of our sin is a very important exercise. It should happen every day, because we sin every day. But there is great confusion about real confession. Biblical confession is not doing good works to get God to approve of us. It is also not a light, mindless recounting of our sins to make sure we get everything covered. The word confess in the Greek language means to “say the same thing as.” When a criminal confesses, he says the same thing that everyone else has been saying about his crime. It is honest agreement. But spiritual confession is more. It includes godly sorrow. It is not only saying the same thing God does about our sin, but having a broken heart that sees sin for what it really is and does with sin what God desires, which is to repent. Nowhere is this seen more vividly than in David’s prayer of confession in Psalm 51, following his adultery with Bathsheba, which was exposed by his confrontation with the prophet Nathan. 1. Spiritual confession takes full responsibility. The natural response of our flesh when our sin is exposed is to find a way to blame someone else. David used personal pronouns thirteen times in the first six verses of Psalm 51. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me (vv. 2-3 NASB). If we are still shifting the blame to others or to our circumstances, etc., we have not yet come to see our sin as God sees it. 2. Spiritual confession relies on God’s mercy. No man can atone for his own sin. When we see the depth of our sin, we realize there is nothing we can do to make it better. Only God can forgive, cleanse, and restore. Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions (v. 1). All of our sin was dealt with on the cross. When we see our sin, it breaks our heart for what we have done to Christ. When we see our sin clearly, we realize that our depravity is complete—that apart from God’s work, we will always sin, because we are sinners by nature and by birth. But it also fills our heart with gratitude, knowing that our sins have been dealt with by His sacrifice. God is eager and willing to forgive if we will turn to Him (1 John 1:9). 3. Spiritual confession sees the root of our sin. It is not merely external forces that have caused this. It is in us. I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me (v. 5). 4. Spiritual confession cries out for more than just forgiveness. When we see our sin rightly, we not only want forgiveness, we long for cleansing. We cry out to God to remove the sin and its roots from our lives forever. Create in me a clean heart, O God (v. 10). 5. Spiritual confession longs for a sustained life of obedience. If we are deeply repentant, we want to obey God fully in the areas where we’ve sinned. We long for a spirit that will help us persevere in the future so we do not commit the same sins. Where there was unwillingness to obey, we pray for divine grace to be willing to follow the prompting of God’s Spirit and the illumination of His Word. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me … and sustain me with a willing spirit (vv. 10, 12). 6. Spiritual confession longs for the return of God’s presence. When we sin, the greatest loss is the sense and help of God’s presence. For David, in the Old Testament age, that could mean that God would lift His Holy Spirit out of David’s life. For New Testament believers, once He enters, God’s Spirit will never leave us. But He can be quenched and grieved. Our sin pushes Him off the throne of our lives and takes control, and His work in us is momentarily stopped. To lose God’s presence is the greatest loss. Often, this loss is the warning alarm that awakens us and leads us to repentance. Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me (v. 11). 7. Spiritual confession longs for useful ministry in the future. Every person was made to minister for God and to serve others. Sin corrupts this ministry and sometimes destroys it altogether. If we are truly repentant, we not only long for forgiveness and renewed obedience, we have a desire to be restored to ministry—to be able to praise the Lord in ways that speak of Him to others. Deliver me from blood guiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation; then my tongue will joyfully sing of Your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, that my mouth may declare Your praise (vv. 14-15). 8. Spiritual confession is fueled by brokenness. The brokenness David spoke of in Psalm 51 is not the mere crushing that comes from the circumstances of life. It is the spiritual surrender of one’s own will to the will of God. True confession isn’t penance for our sins (as some teach). God is not impressed by us trying to atone for our sins with good works. He is looking for a heart that is broken and surrendered to Him, understanding that forgiveness comes only from God’s mercy. For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise (vv. 16-17). 9. Spiritual confession leads to joy! When we genuinely deal with our sin God’s way, it does not lead to morose self-inspection, but to ultimate joy. We are saved from our sin, and joy floods our hearts once again as we experience God’s redeeming, cleansing work. Make me to hear joy and gladness. Let the bones which You have broken rejoice.… Restore to me the joy of Your salvation (vs. 8, 12). 10. Spiritual, personal confession leads to corporate revival. When God’s people begin to deal honestly with their sin, it opens the way for His presence and power to return. This is personal revival. And when His people are full of Him, it leads to the church doing its work among those far from God. This leads to spiritual awakening among those who do not know Him. In this sense, revival and awakening begin with personal repentance! David ended his confession with a prayer for God’s work to extend to his whole city. By Your favor do good to Zion; build the walls of Jerusalem (v. 18). If we are feeling distant and disconnected from Christ but we long for revival in our hearts, our families, our churches, and our nation, we must begin with an honest look at our own lives and a ruthless dealing with all that is displeasing Him and aborting His work. It is worth the time, and nothing will be restored to rightness and usefulness until we deal thoroughly with our sin. Making it personal: What sin has God put his finger on in your life? What immediate steps do you need to take to follow Him in obedience? What joys and freedoms will result from your honest confession?

Pursuing God There are certain things God plans to do that are not conditioned upon any response from man—steps He plans to take regardless of our responses. But there are many things He promises to us that are completely conditional. One of these is seeing and experiencing Him in increasing intimacy. Consider both an Old Testament and New Testament instruction: “To him who orders his way aright I will show the salvation of God” (Psalm 50:23 NASB).Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14). Both of these verses (and many more) remind us that God will not reveal Himself in greater intimacy to an individual who is not interested ... to someone who will not pay the price of holiness. This in no way implies that we can earn an audience with God by our works. We come into His presence (which we can do) because we have an introduction, through Christ Jesus, into this “grace in which we [now] stand” (Romans 5:1-2).But, we must COME. Those who see Him most clearly and deeply are those who long for Him; who pursue Him; who listen to His instructions for their lives and, by His grace and through the power of His indwelling Spirit, cooperate with Him.Why would God continue to reveal Himself to one who has no interest, who will not seek for Him while He may be found and call on Him while He is near? The Choice Is Yours If you sense that you are distant from God, He is not the One who has moved. And the instructions of Scripture are clear to us on the action that must be taken: “Draw near to God and He will draw near to You” (James 4:8). Pay attention to holiness. Be intentional about all that He has already said to you. Set aside deliberate time to fast, pray, and read and meditate on His Word. Be extremely careful about your obedience. And then, cry out to Him for greater intimacy. For as clear as His conditions are for you to see Him, they are clearly promised! He desires to reveal Himself to you more than you are aware, for He is a God of perfect love toward you. It is hard for our finite minds to grasp, but He longs for intimacy with those He created, and that includes you. He made you to walk with Him in the coolness of the day. It is only our prideful independence and willful disobedience that are aborting this intimacy. Responding in Prayer: Father, search my heart. Show me the ways that I have been negligent in pursuing intimacy with You. I cry out to You for the grace to seek You in holiness. Give me a heart willing to pay whatever price the joy of Your presence requires. In Jesus’ name, let it be so.

https://vimeo.com/37549858 There are a lot of good definitions of revival. My favorite is very simple: It’s when God shows up for church. It’s that very special time in a life of the people of God when they begin to experience the presence of Jesus Christ in a fresh new way. You might be thinking: Now, isn’t that the way it’s supposed to always be? That’s probably the case, but the truth of the matter is, most of us can go to church Sunday after Sunday after Sunday and never really experience the presence of Jesus Christ.The old revivalists years ago used to call it the “manifest presence of God.” It’s when God’s presence is suddenly made manifest in a fresh, new way. So if you are going to begin praying for revival, you have to understand what you are praying toward. You’re asking God to show up. You’re asking the Lord to step in, to do something that is out of the ordinary, that’s fresh, that’s new. Something that turns the church back to Jesus Christ.Understand, that is especially going to happen to you first as an individual. You are not merely praying for revival “somewhere out there,” for a bunch of other people. You start off by saying, “Lord, I need revival. More than anything else, I long to experience Your presence in a fresh, new way in my life.”So we begin to take the Word of God and make it a part of our lives. We turn to passages like Psalm 85: “Will You not revive us again?” Perhaps even start by saying, “Lord, will You not revive me again? Will You open my eyes to see You in a fresh, new way that causes me to be filled with Your love, Your grace, Your mercy in a way that changes not only me, but changes those around me?”Can you imagine what happens when thousands and thousands of us begin praying for God to show up in church? Does God often show up in your church? What can you do to create an environment where He is welcome and has the freedom to be God among His people? What changes might you need to make to the Sunday schedule, monthly calendar, or annual programming of your church? "Father, we ask You to come and be a part of our weekly church service. We don’t want to gather together in Your name yet be so inwardly focused that we miss Your manifest presence. Shine the light of Your Word on any practice, program, or process in our church that doesn’t bring You glory or help us in doing Your will Your way. In Jesus’ name, amen."

The Angers Bridge was constructed in the early 1800s and used successfully for many years to cross the Maine River in Angers, France. Until April 16, 1850. In the midst of a violent thunderstorm, 486 French soldiers were walking in cadence across the bridge. The combination of the swaying of the bridge in the storm and the powerful resonance created by the lock-step of the soldiers caused the suspension cables to snap, plunging 226 men to their death. To this day, military ranks break cadence when crossing a bridge so as not to risk such a disaster. The Amazing Power of Oneness From the beginning of time, God has illustrated that superhuman things can be accomplished when people move together in unity. Mere humanistic oneness threatened the direction of the world so much that God created disunity at the scene of the building of the Tower of Babel: The Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they all have the same language. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them” (Genesis 11:6 NASB). The united, triune God made us in His image (Genesis 1:26). There is an inherent power in our unity. There can be a negative power, as seen in the united disbelief and rebellion of the Israelites that caused their entire nation to wander and die for 40 years in the wilderness: Then all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night. All the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron (Numbers 14:1-2). But there can also be an amazing, positive power for good unleashed—as Jesus knew. Jesus’ Final Prayer We can know a person’s heart by what they pray. We are treated to the extraordinary privilege of hearing Jesus’ greatest prayer for us before His death. His one great burden? For the church to walk in oneness! I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me (John 17:20-23). When Jesus walked the earth, He moved in perfect unity with the Father, doing and saying only what He heard His Father tell Him to do (John 12:28). His oneness with the Father created a conduit for God to be brilliantly displayed (John 14:9). United with Christ The church is the body of Christ. When we are in sync with our Head, the life, power, and direction of Christ can flow through us in superhuman dimensions. God can be clearly seen. Can you imagine the picture that would be created and the power unleashed if the whole church in a city or nation would move in complete unity with the Father? When the church is united in revival prayer and God sends revival, His kingdom expands rapidly, and God is known and worshiped. The First Great Awakening is evidence of this. OneCry There is a reason we are joining together in one cry across America. It is based in clear theology and verified by historical illustration. It is the same call that was the precursor to the First Great Awakening. It is a plea for united intercession for the only thing that will save us in this desperate hour: a mighty visitation from God. What would happen if the entire body of Christ in America agreed together about our need for repentance? What would occur if we turned together toward God in humility and fervency? What if we interceded together for His mercy and grace? What if we united in one plea for revival and awakening? We would witness the astounding power of our God, unleashed through spiritual oneness.

Parents want their children to grow spiritually strong, yet many parents don’t feel comfortable training them to seek the Father in prayer. If you are struggling with raising up a praying family, here are some suggestions to help you! Step out in faith and learn to pray with and for one another. Be intentional about giving your children opportunities to recognize God’s presence in the midst of your family’s everyday life! If you feel uncomfortable with prayer, be committed to learning with your kids! Children do not have junior Holy Spirits, and it may surprise you how quickly they will welcome the opportunity to learn and grow in prayer. There is no greater thing than learning to worship, communicate with and listen to our Creator, our Father and our Friend! Here are some suggestions to help you on the way: Help your children to become aware of answered prayer. Tell them about the times in your life when God has answered your prayers. Encourage them to share when God answers their prayers – even if His answer is not what they wanted or expected. When you have other believers, especially missionaries and full-time Christian workers in your home, ask them to tell you about answered prayers they have experienced. Point out God’s answers to your children’s prayers – even the smallest requests. Help your children to see the beauty of God’s creation and thank Him for it. Do not miss opportunities to appreciate His handiwork around you. Take time to point out sunsets and beautiful flowers. Thank God for them right then. Whenever you see or hear about someone in need, take time to pray about it with your children. It could be something on the news or in the paper, or something you come across during the course of your day. Teaching them to pray when they see an accident or when you pass a homeless person could have a lasting influence not only on your children, but on those who are prayed for. Wrap family traditions or events in special times of prayer. For example, lay hands on the person with a birthday and bless him or her; thank the Lord for two things that you love about her, etc. When seated at the Thanksgiving meal, go around the table and have each family member pray about what he or she is most thankful for over the past year Pray blessings over your children. Lay hands on them at bedtime or at another time when they are hurting in some way, and pray scriptural blessings over them. Numbers 6:24-26 is a good one to memorize: “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.” Teach your children to prayerfully put on the armor of God at the beginning of each new day (Eph. 6:10-18).Each of us needs to be aware that we are in a spiritual battle and that God has provided us with some very important spiritual equipment with which to protect ourselves and fight Satan. This can be done as a family, but do not ritualize it or make it a legalistic thing. Have family devotions and prayer time. While any time is good, early mornings before everyone goes separate ways is probably the best time. This will remind children that God will be with them throughout the day. Put together a family prayer journal. Place each family member’s picture in it, as well as pictures of your pastor and his family, relatives, unsaved friends, and neighbors. Pray through the album together, and encourage one another to pray individually on a daily basis for those represented. Teach children to keep a personal prayer journal. Here they can record personal requests, praises, and answers to prayer. Develop a missionary prayer notebook. Place prayer cards or pictures of missionaries your family and/or church support in a three-ring binder with plastic page protectors, colorful paper, etc. Include pages with pockets for recent newsletters, prayer needs, e-mail messages, etc. Pray through the notebook on a regular basis. Help your children make the connection between prayer and saving the lost. Pray together that the Lord of the harvest (Matt. 9:38) would send workers into His harvest fields. Adopt a people group to pray for – perhaps one of the unreached groups of the 10/40 Window. Pray for your people group daily, research its needs, and be open to what God will do through your family. Develop a family prayer calendar each month. Take turns, or do it together. Put each family event or activity on the calendar, so it can be prayed for. Go on a prayerwalk in your neighborhood. Pray for all the families that live around you. Adopt a leader to pray for. Adopt a local, state, or national political leader to pray for annually. You may wish to encourage the leader by letting him or her know your family is praying. Perhaps consider asking them if they have any specific requests. Participate as a family in prayer initiatives and/or events. National Day of Prayer (first Thursday in May), Praying Through the 10-40 Window, Collegiate Day of Prayer (4th Thursday of February), etc. Encourage your junior high or senior high school children to take part in See You at the Pole (student-led prayer 4th Wednesday of September).

Several years ago I had the opportunity to write a book entitled The Devil Goes To Church. It’s been interesting to watch the responses of people who see the title for the first time. Most of them say, “The devil sure does go to church… especially mine.” Why this overwhelming awareness that Satan is somehow interested in what happens in churches? Maybe it’s because we’re seeing his hand at work in the church. This excerpt helps us understand why Satan is interested in your church and four ways that he attacks local congregations. There is a very real reason why the devil goes to church. The Biblical worldview is of a great cosmic battle between the forces of God and the forces of Satan. Christians are those who have changed sides in the battle. Paul writes about this changing of sides in the second chapter of Ephesians: “…in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved” (vv. 2-5). The enemy of our God has become our enemy. We are not in a neutral position. When Christians gather as the church, we become a real threat to Satan. We are there to worship, to pray, to teach and to encourage one another to live and proclaim the Kingdom of God and as such, proclaim the enemy’s defeat. It is apparent that he will do all he can to prevent that from happening…. The real danger for us is being unaware of the enemy’s schemes. We approach every difficulty in church as though it is just a natural thing. When churches divide over whether or not to use hymns or contemporary choruses, it is not natural. When the flock turns on the shepherd, it is not natural. When the saints, called to live in love, spend their time criticizing and accusing one another, it is not natural. The devil has come to church! …There is one obvious thing about Satan’s attacks – he is consistent. He does basically the same thing over and over again in church after church, down through the ages. We might categorize them in these memorable ways: Doubt, Deceit, Discouragement, Division. Doubt Sowing doubt has been one of the enemy’s weapons from the very beginning. In Eden, the serpent stirred up doubt in Eve, causing her to sin. He caused her (and Adam) to doubt God’s word, asking the insidious question, “Has God said…?” You can almost hear the oily voice continuing, “You don’t really believe that do you?” The same voice, the very same voice, is asking the same question today, causing Christians to begin to doubt God and His Word. Doubt was the weapon Satan used against Jesus in the wilderness. Every temptation was preceded by the word, “if.” “IF You are the Son of God,” the enemy whispers, attempting to instill doubt into Jesus. He still uses the same attack. Doubt can come in many forms. Sometimes it is the frontal attack on the veracity of the Bible. There are many in church who simply do not believe that all of the Bible is truly God’s inspired Word. But sometimes the most vicious attack comes on those who do believe in the Bible, but are then led into doubt as to the power of God’s Word. “Will that really work?” people ask. Whole segments of Scripture are robbed of their power as Christians relegate them to some other day or time, and fail to appropriate them for themselves. Be careful when trying to explain away a clear meaning of Scripture. It may be that the enemy is raising doubts. Doubt is also raised as to the nature of God. When tragedies come in life (and they do), even Christians find themselves doubting the love or mercy of God. “How could a loving God cause (or allow) such a thing to happen?” The whispering enemy is again at work to cause God’s people to doubt the goodness or power of their God. We’re sometimes told that to doubt is natural. Not for those who have tasted of the goodness, mercy and power of God! Faith is the natural response to God. Look at Job and the almost inconceivable tragedy that changed his life. Though facing great loss and with tremendous grief, still he words one of the great faith responses in Scripture, “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised” (Job 1:21). Doubt also comes to the individual believer regarding his/her position in Christ. The enemy continually works at trying to separate us from Christ. He doesn’t have the power to actually do that, but he tries to instill doubt in us as to who we are in Christ. The best way to counter that is with the truth of God’s Word. Christian author, Neil Anderson has written much on this topic and has prepared a wonderful list of scriptures that affirm who we are in Christ: John 1:12 – I am God’s child.• John 15:15 – I am Christ’s friend.• Rom. 5:1 – I have been justified.• 1 Cor. 6:17 – I am united with the Lord and one with Him in spirit.• 1 Cor. 6:20 – I have been bought with a price; I belong to God.• 1 Cor. 12:27 – I am a member of Christ’s Body.• Eph. 1:1 – I am a saint.• Eph. 1:5 – I have been adopted as God’s child.• Eph. 2:18 – I have direct access to God through the Holy Spirit.• Col. 1:14 – I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins.• Col. 2:10 – I am complete in Christ. Deceit A second weapon that Satan uses against the Church is deceit. This should not surprise us since Jesus Himself described Satan as a liar. Satan delights in twisting the truth, confusing people and leading them into error. That’s rather obvious when you look at the condition of Christian doctrine, both within and without the Church. It may be as subtle as the lack of understanding concerning Christian grace or as obvious as those who deny the inspiration of the Bible. The Apostle Paul speaks of difficult times for the Church in the last days, especially in regard to truth. We are warned of those who are “always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth, men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected” (2 Timothy 3:7-8). This passage is so clearly being lived out in the Church today, that we can easily see the enemy’s handiwork. There is no shortage of Bible studies in our churches. But we debate the meaning rather than living out the intent of God’s Word. We have fallen into the trap that James warned us about: “Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (James 1:22). Studying Scripture without doing it is one of Satan’s great deceits. This deception concerning the Word of God leaves the Church powerless and unable to function as God has intended. George Otis, Jr. delivers a scathing indictment of this powerlessness as follows: “If ever there was a moment for the Church to stand up and be counted, that moment is now. Unfortunately, American Christendom is in the midst of a low, debilitated spiritual state. At almost every turn, supernatural power and insight have given way to religious inertia. Fellowships are growing numerically, but members are not maturing in character. There are programs aplenty, but little fear of God. Most ominously, modern believers seem oblivious to their own unhealthy condition. Having succumbed to the Laodicean Syndrome (see Revelation 3:14-17), they view their compromised state as normal – even blessed. “A troubling, if predictable, consequence of this spiritual self-deception is that the Church has found itself unable to speak into the current crisis with any clarity or consistency. Burdened political leaders seeking direction from Christian clergy and prayer networks report receiving advice that ‘wanders all over the map.’ Needing wise men with keen understanding, these national decision makers are finding instead blind guides and flesh-clouded counsel” (George Otis, Jr. “Fading Light,” January 2003). Discouragement One of the main passages of Scripture that we often use to hit people over the head with to get them to attend church is Hebrews 10:25: “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” The focus of the passage however is not merely attending a meeting, but in the process, encouraging one another. One of the very practical reasons for this scriptural command is to counter the enemy’s strategy of discouraging the believers. Many faithful Christians who have withstood the more frontal attacks of Satan in the area of morality, truth and righteous living, have found themselves blind-sided by discouragement. A few words of criticism here and there, a “down” day, a little loss of fresh vision, a program that didn’t go according to plan, and suddenly we find ourselves discouraged and wondering if we can go on. Many great women and men of God have had severe bouts with discouragement and depression. Perhaps the clearest example is that of Elijah following his great victory over the prophets of Baal. In the wake of that victory, Queen Jezebel ordered his execution. In fear, Elijah ran and ended up in this situation in 1 Kings 19:4: “He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. ‘I have had enough, LORD,’ he said. ‘Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.’” Now that is serious discouragement from a great man of God. It took the intervention of the Lord Himself to bring Elijah out of that depressed mood. You may not have sat under a tree with a desire to die, but discouragement can hit us all. The great word of God to the Church in this case is that we are called to be an encouragement to one another. We are to build one another up in our faith. Our gatherings need to be times of great encouragement. The church that is a place of support and edification is a place where the enemy’s plans have been thwarted. There is an old story about discouragement called, “The Devil’s Tool Sale”: “It was advertised that the devil was putting his tools up for sale. On that date the tools were laid out for public inspection. They had prices on them, and there were a lot of treacherous instruments: hatred, envy, jealousy, deceit, pride, lying, and so on. Laid apart from the rest of the devil’s tools was a harmless-looking tool, worn more than any of the others and priced very high. “‘What’s the name of this tool?’ asked one of the customers. “‘That,’ the devil replied, ‘is discouragement.’ “‘Why have you priced it so high?’ “‘Because discouragement is more useful to me than all the others. I can pry open and get inside a man’s heart with that when I cannot get near him with any other tools. It’s badly worn because I use it on almost everyone, since so few people know it belongs to me.’” When we begin to understand that discouragement is of the enemy, we can begin to counter it using the weapons of our warfare. It is not natural for a Spirit-filled child of God to walk around discouraged. This is an attack of Satan to put us on the sidelines. Division Francis Frangipane writes, “If there ever was a false doctrine that was so widespread, so accepted in the Body of Christ, yet so contrary to the heart and teachings of Christ, it is the tradition of division within the Church” (Becoming the Answer to Christ’s Prayer, p. 2). One of the most effective strategies of Satan has been to bring about division in the Body of Christ. It makes sense that the enemy would push for a splintered, divided Church, since Jesus desired exactly the opposite. The main focus of Jesus’ great high priestly prayer of John 17 was that His followers would be united. A strong, united Church is a testimony to the world of the love of God. Satan is doing all he can to destroy that testimony. One of the main weapons we have against this attack is awareness of the enemy’s schemes. If we are unaware of the satanic nature of division, there is a greater tendency toward excusing it or just assuming that this is one of those things that happens occasionally in the church. When we see clearly though, that we as a church are under attack, then we will determine at all costs to guard against division. Members of a congregation are well-prepared to resist the enemy when, finding themselves in times of conflict, they begin to ask the question, “What is the enemy trying to do here?” Then, turning to the Lord, they ask the most important question, “Lord, how do we counter the attacks of the enemy against Your people?” When a church finds itself facing issues that bring division, the prayer meeting is far more effective than the board meeting. Division always has a spiritual issue at its root and the enemy is always involved. It is heartfelt, heaven-sent prayer by the Body of Christ that will rout the devil and deal with the issues that are at hand. I’ll never forget a church where I taught a prayer seminar in central Indiana. I’m so grateful I got there early that Sunday morning. As I walked into the church sanctuary, I was amazed to see about a dozen men walking around the room praying. They were laying hands on the pews and walking to the four corners of the room, praying for a new awareness of the Lord’s presence, a fresh moving of His Spirit, and for protection from the attacks of the enemy. What a powerful way for a group of Christian leaders to go on the offensive against Satan and to keep the devil from their local congregation. How will you take your stand against the enemy? Excerpted from The Devil Goes to Church: Combating the Everyday Attacks of Satan by David Butts

“I have posted watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the Lord, give yourselves no rest, and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth” (Isaiah 62:6–7). There is a movement of prayer, firmly rooted in Scripture, taking place all over the planet. It is the call of God to His people to take their places on the walls as watchmen. Whether we look to the Old Testament or the New, we find God is calling us to watch and pray. Our modern culture does not readily identify with the ancient concept of watchmen on the walls. We need to train ourselves in what it means to be a part of this great company of the “alert.” It is clear from the Isaiah 62 passage that the job of a watchman is a continual commitment. It is not sporadic. It does not depend upon feelings. Because of the life-or-death nature and constancy of the watchman’s task, it is an assignment for the many, not just the one. Isaiah describes an intensity that must be shared--day and night, never silent, no rest. Groups of committed believers who band together in watchful prayer will be able to stay at their post. Notice also in this passage that it is God who posts the watchmen. This is a divine assignment, not just the latest prayer fad. To stand on the wall as a watchman, stationed there by the Lord Himself, is a great privilege. We need to receive and obey such a call with gratitude and humility. Perhaps the overwhelming characteristic of watchman prayer is that it is to be done with open eyes. This does not necessarily imply physical eyes (although it certainly can), but we must hold our spiritual eyes wide open. What Do Watchmen Look for? What are we, as watchmen looking for as we pray? First, we watch for an enemy attack. Certainly in Old Testament times, this sort of defensive watchfulness was at the heart of the task. The watchman on the wall was always on the alert for any attempt of an enemy to attack or infiltrate the city. Similarly, in 2 Corinthians 2:11, Paul wrote that we are “not unaware” of the enemy’s schemes. If praying watchmen are not on duty, we often fail to see the enemy’s attempts to disrupt and destroy our churches and cities. Second, I believe that as watchmen, we are also to keep our eyes open to see and discern moves of God. The watcher should always be asking, “Lord, what are You doing in our church or city this day? Is there something You are calling Your people to do in cooperation with what You are doing?” What Results Can We Expect? According to Isaiah, one of the results of the watchmen’s prayers is that we will see the firm establishment of the Kingdom of God. The prophet speaks of the establishment of Jerusalem, the dwelling place of God among His people. In both the Old and the New Covenant, Jerusalem represents God among man. Jesus’ main message was the coming Kingdom, present in Him. Emmanuel—God with us! Another result of this powerful prayer movement is that the glory of God will be seen among the nations. As we watch and pray, we find ourselves lining up with the prophet Habakkuk and crying out for the glory of God to cover the earth “as the waters cover the sea” (Hab. 2:14). Prayer warriors, it is time to ascend the walls of your city and begin to fulfill your calling as watchmen of God.