When the Devil Can’t Get to You, He’ll Go After Them

If the enemy can’t get to you, he’ll aim his attacks at those closest to you - your children, your spouse, your parents, your siblings, even those friends who are like family to you. We live in a wicked generation, where demonic influence moves subtly through media, relationships, and culture. And while worry may keep you up at night, it will never protect the ones you love. Only prayer can do that.

The Bible says in 1 John 5:14 (NLT), “And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him.” 

When you pray in alignment with God’s Word, heaven backs your request with divine power. If God promised it, you can pray it. If God wills it, you can believe for it. God wills that your loved ones would be surrounded by godly influence; thus, you can pray for such.

“Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. 2 But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night.” - Psalm 1:1-2 (NLT)

One of the most vital prayers you can pray on behalf of your loved ones right now is for the removal of ungodly influences. This world speaks with many voices; some enticing, some deceiving, all competing for the heart. Psalm 1:1-3 paints the picture: the blessed man does not “follow the advice of the wicked” but delights in the Lord’s Word and prospers in all he does. Your intercession can redirect paths, close wrong doors, and open divine appointments. 

A single Spirit-led prayer can prevent a harmful meeting or delay a destructive decision. You can’t always be with them. You can’t always protect them. But you can always pray. And when you pray God’s will, you surrender them to God’s care. Prayers cancel the plans of Hell.

For more about this topic, watch “7 Prayers You Need to Begin Praying Over Your Family Right Now,” on YouTube by clicking here.

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God Resists the Proud

If pride has taken root in your heart, your prayers will hit a spiritual ceiling.

“God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” - James 4:6 (NKJV)

Think about that. God resists the proud. Not ignores. Not delays. Resists. That reality should shake us out of complacency. That’s more than just a lack of spiritual momentum. That’s divine resistance. God resists.

Pride is subtle. It doesn’t always show up as arrogance. Sometimes it just looks like unhealthy independence. You stop asking God for help, not because you’re trying to be rebellious, but because you think, “I’ve got this all figured out.” That can be pride. And God loves us too much to not interfere when we’re operating in ungodly self-reliance.

Or maybe pride shows up as religious performance, constantly trying to “earn” what’s already yours by grace. You fast more, pray louder, serve harder, not because you love God, but maybe because deep down, you think your effort is what gives you access to God. That’s pride.

When you walk in humility, you walk under the authority of the Word. And authority is what gives your prayer weight. But pride misaligns you from God’s authority.

Look at Acts 19:15, when demons said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?” The seven sons of Sceva tried to cast out demons using Jesus’ name like a magic spell. However, because they lacked genuine submission to God, they lacked power.

You may be praying all the right words, but if you’re living self-reliantly, you're missing the posture to which God responds.

Humility isn’t weakness. It’s alignment. It’s saying, “Lord, I know what I think, but I trust what You say. I know my plans, but I yield to Yours.” That’s the heart posture that causes Heaven to lean in. If you want to pray prayers that move Heaven and shake Hell, humble yourself before God.

For more about this topic, watch “9 Destructive Behaviors That Weaken Your Prayers (Without You Realizing It)” on YouTube by clicking here.

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People of Prayer

What does it mean to be a people of prayer?

“Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. “- Ephesians 6:18 (NLT)

People of prayer don’t just pray occasionally; for them, prayer is a lifestyle. They wake up praying, fall asleep praying, and they carve out time in their day to pray. They don’t surrender their time in prayer for anyone or anything. And they are marked by certain godly traits. Because they devote themselves to prayer so fully, their spiritual qualities stand out like bright lights.

People of prayer are centered, grounded in a confident faith that makes them stand firm in times of great shaking. When everyone else is panicking, arguing, and losing their peace, people of prayer have their minds fixed on the Lord. In times of tragedy, people of prayer are pressed but not crushed, hurt but still composed. In times of lack, they trust. In times of confusion, they patiently wait. In times of calamity, they find safety in God’s presence.

People of prayer forgive their offenders faster than they can apologize. They see the best in others, because they see with the eyes of the Spirit. They don’t demand their own way. They don’t need the last word. They are selfless, patient with the difficult ones.

They radiate with holy joy, and those who come around them are set free from heaviness. 

People of prayer walk in true power. They pray out sickness and cast out devils. 

People of prayer can hear the voice of the Holy Spirit with both confidence and clarity. They don’t question Him when He speaks, and they’re quick to act on His instruction.

People of prayer love the Word of God, and they can discern when an idea is religious, demonic, or of the world. 

People of prayer believe extravagantly, give generously, love unconditionally, forgive freely, and walk with God. I pray that we all would become people of prayer.

For more on this topic, you can watch my teaching, “5 Prayers that Bring You Closer to the Holy Spirit (Immediately),” on YouTube by clicking here.

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Prayer is by the Spirit

If prayer isn’t by the Spirit, then it isn’t truly prayer. The Holy Spirit wants to help you to pray. He is the One Who enables you to seek the face of God, the One Who graces you with the desire to know Jesus in greater depths.

Everything that is spiritual is by the Spirit. Prayer is no exception.

All prayer is initiated by the Holy Spirit. This, of course, does not mean that you cannot, of your own free will, approach the throne of God. This simply means that if there is a desire within you to seek the Lord, then it was the Holy Spirit Who helped to cultivate that desire within you.

One must be quickened before he can call upon the Lord.

“So will not we go back from thee: quicken us, and we will call upon thy name.” – Psalm 80:18 (KJV)

Prayer is a spiritual act, initiated and sustained by the work of the Holy Spirit. And only those who are living in the Spirit can truly be guided by the Holy Spirit in spiritual matters.

“But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means.” – 1 Corinthians 2:14 (NLT)

The Holy Spirit helps you to pray by giving you the desire to pray, giving you the understanding to pray, and empowering you when you pray. The initiation, action, and results of prayer are all by the Holy Spirit.

It is by prayer that we involve God and exchange our weaknesses for His strength. It is in prayer that we yield to the will of God. It is in prayer that we become surrendered to the Holy Spirit.

Let the Holy Spirit give you the desire to pray. Follow His leading and let Him make you a person of prayer—one who lives in moment-by-moment divine fellowship.

Prayer is by the Spirit.

For more on this topic, you can watch my teaching, “Jesus Reveals What Most Get Wrong About Talking to God,” on YouTube by clicking here.

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Sooner Than You Think

You’ve been waiting, praying, and maybe even worrying a little bit - but what if the miracle isn’t as far off as it seems? For several years my wife Jessica and I were believing for God to give us a child. Our only option at the time was a medical procedure we could not afford - so all we could do was believe God for a miracle. Some days we were filled with hope and we imagined our lives as parents. Other days, we were afraid to hope because we didn’t want to be disappointed. Finally we decided this: We’ve cried our tears, from here on out, only faith. 

6 But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. 7 Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. - James 1:6-7 (NLT)

I would rather go my whole life believing for the miracle than to give up even one day too soon. I wonder how many gave up in the night on the miracle that waited for them in the morning. On a seemingly ordinary day like any other, we found out that Jessica was pregnant. Nine months later Aria was born. 

7 “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. - Matthew 7:7-8 (NLT)

Only God knows what tomorrow holds for you. I dare you to believe God for the miracle. By the way, our precious Aria believed for a miracle too. Now she has her baby sister, Lilian.

For more on this topic, you can watch my teaching, “The Life-Changing Power of Praying Without Ceasing,” on YouTube by clicking here.

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Secret Place Prayer

The issue with our hobbies, careers, plans, and responsibilities isn’t that they’re evil. The problem is that, all too often, they’re “instead of.” By that I mean that they are often chosen instead of time with the Lord. If the pace of your life is too fast to allow for quality time in prayer, then the pace of your life is too fast.

Jesus spoke specifically about carving time out of your day to devote to prayer.

But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. (Matthew 6:6, NLT)

The secret to true Christian living is how you spend your time in secret. With what do you fill the secret spaces of your life? You see, only those who truly believe in God practice secret prayer. If they didn’t believe in God, for whom would they be performing in secret?

As followers of Christ, we must get into the habit of guarding our secret time. Let nothing or no one come between you and your time in prayer. 

Business should not take the place of secret prayer, for you can accomplish more in a prayer-filled day than you can in a prayer-less week.

Family should not take the place of secret prayer, for nothing would be better for your family than for them to have a Christ-like version of you.

Worry should not take the place of secret prayer, for worry is simply the flesh’s powerless counterfeit for prayer.

Entertainment should not take the place of secret prayer, for there is nothing more spectacular and fulfilling than knowing the depths of the Spirit.

Stubbornly guard your prayer life. Vigilantly protect the secret place. Re-arrange your schedule. Say no to taking on more hobbies and responsibilities. Wake up earlier. Stay up later. Turn off your phone. Whatever you need to do in order to protect the secret place, do it. 

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THIS is How Prayer Changes YOU

Moved by compassion, Jesus took notice of the crowds. He saw that they were confused and helpless. It was that compassion that moved Jesus to send out His disciples. He instructed His disciples to pray that God would send help for the people.

37He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. 38So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.” (Matthew 9:37-38, NLT)

Now here’s what’s interesting. Jesus instructed His disciples to pray for God to send more workers into the spiritual harvest fields. Yet those very disciples, who were instructed to pray for more workers, were themselves sent out as workers.

At the beginning of the very next chapter, the disciples were sent out.

Jesus called his twelve disciples together and gave them authority to cast out evila spirits and to heal every kind of disease and illness. (Matthew 10:1, NLT)

Often, when you pray, God’s desire is to cause you to become an answer to prayer. More than it will change anyone or anything else, prayer will change the one who prays. Prayer is not about persuading God to change His will - no one can persuade God. Rather, prayer is about becoming an active participant in God’s will.

Prayer is less about receiving and more about becoming. When you live a life submitted to prayer, you become God’s will in the earth. You become an answer to prayer. 

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Two Kinds of Prayer

Did you know that there are two kinds of prayer? Though you won’t see these terms in Scripture, you will see these principles.

There is unceasing prayer, which is speaking with the Lord all throughout the day. Then there is intentional prayer, which is the setting aside of time.

Unceasing prayer is found in 1 Thessalonians 5:17.

“Never stop praying.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17, NLT)

Intentional prayer is found in Matthew 6:6.

“But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private.” (Matthew 6:6a, NLT)

All prayer - whether speaking in tongues, intercessory prayer, spiritual warfare, and so forth - will always fall under the categories of either unceasing prayer or intentional prayer.

Unceasing prayer is spontaneous, in the moment, fluid. It is practiced during even the most mundane portions of your day. Unceasing prayer is carried out in the car, quietly within your heart, on the job, at school, and so forth. It can fill any gap of time, and can be practiced in any circumstance. But there is also a ceremony to prayer that must be regularly observed. Ceremony—that is, preparing the atmosphere—is necessary for intentional prayer. Intentional prayer takes place when I set the atmosphere to sharpen my focus on the Lord.

Unceasing prayer is for any atmosphere. Intentional prayer is for a certain atmosphere. The undisciplined struggle with intentional prayer. The structured have trouble with unceasing prayer. The undisciplined think intentional prayer is unnecessary. The structured think unceasing prayer is strange. Unceasing prayer is spontaneous. Intentional prayer is scheduled. Both are necessary. If unceasing prayer brings about spiritual longevity, then intentional prayer brings about spiritual depth.

By practicing both intentional and unceasing prayer, you can strengthen your prayer life.

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Ask. Seek. Knock.

Through persistent prayer, by faith, we pull the wandering, broken pieces of creation into alignment with the will of God. Persistent prayer isn’t about convincing God; it’s about aligning creation. Jesus Himself taught us to persevere when we pray:

7 “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. (Matthew 7:7-8, NLT)

When you’re praying according to the will of God, you can be sure that what you pray will eventually come to pass. But in the waiting, discouraging thoughts like these may assault your mind: 

“If it was going to happen, it would have happened by now.”

“You’re being unrealistic. There’s no way it will ever happen.”

“Maybe God would do it for someone else, but it can’t happen for you.”

“The odds of it happening are just too difficult to overcome.”

“It just doesn’t look like it’s going to work out.”

When believing big, I myself have had to confront doubtful thoughts. The truth is that I’d rather believe until the end than to risk giving up just before the miracle happened. I wonder how many miracles have been missed simply because someone gave up even just an hour too soon.

Though it may be difficult to believe, though even doubt-filled Christians may tell you to quit, it’s best to side with what Jesus said: Ask, seek, knock.

Ask until you get the answer. Seek until you find. Knock until that door opens. 

You don’t know what tomorrow holds, and any moment can be your miracle moment. By the end of the week, you may be celebrating the miracle. All things are possible. Only believe. He makes a way where there seems to be no way. Persist in praying according to the will of God, for nothing is impossible with God.

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The Holy Spirit Prays for You

Think about the fact that the Holy Spirit prays for you. The one Who knows you like no one else knows you, prays for you like no one else prays for you. We often seek impartation through God’s servants. But think about the exciting reality that the Holy Spirit prays for you Himself.

And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. (Romans 8:26-27. NLT)

In those moments when we lack the words to pray, we can rely upon the divine momentum given to us by the Holy Spirit, for the Bible says that He prays for us with groanings - deep longing. Even when we lack that fire of prayer, He doesn’t. He never lacks passion. He prays for you with more fervor than would a father have while praying for his son, than would a grandparent have while praying for their grandchild, than would a mother have while praying for her children. He prays for you with groanings - passionately, fervently, with longing, from deep within.

If you could see into the realm of the Spirit, if you could watch the Holy Spirit pray for you, you would see Him with tears streaming down His face. You would hear Him praying with such force that His booming voice, the very same which spoke the world into existence, would shake the room. I dare even say that you would see Him pounding His fist on the floor as He prayed.

He knows you like no one else knows you - every flaw, every insecurity, every need, every thought. And He prays for you like no one else can pray for you.

And He doesn’t just pray with groanings. He prays according to the will of God. He bends you toward the will of the Father. He inclines your heart unto the commands of God. Every prayer He prays over you makes you more like Christ and corrects your course.

The Holy Spirit, the ultimate prayer warrior, the mightiest of all intercessors, prays for you.

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Low Signal

If prayer is to be powerful, it must be an act of the spirit, not of the flesh.

But you, beloved, keep building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit. (Jude 1:20, WEB)

You cannot accomplish spiritual growth through carnal actions. Neither can the flesh sustain what the spirit begins. 

Some pray from their emotions. Some pray from their own carnal cravings and desires. Some pray from need. But the most effective prayers are prayed when you pray from your spirit. 

As advanced as our phones have become, those who use the call feature will still, from time to time, experience the problem of a weak or low signal. Whenever I’m on a phone call that begins to lose signal strength, the person on the other line will, more often than not, start to yell louder so that I can hear them. But because of the poor phone connection, their unclear communication just goes from being gibberish to being loud gibberish. In moments like those, I explain to the caller, “You don’t have to yell. The volume is fine. The problem is the connection.”

The problem is not the volume. It’s the connection.

As a person will try to make up with volume what lacks in connection during a spotty phone call, so some believers try to make up in emotion and hype what is lacking in connection during prayer. The connection is there, but they allow matters of the flesh to disrupt what would otherwise be a moment of powerful prayer.

Willpower fails. Emotion fails. Carnal effort fails. Intellect fails. It’s not by power nor might, but by the Spirit. Too many believers exhaust themselves in prayer, straining to obtain what can only be found in connection with the Spirit.

The key then is to lower the emotional, carnal volume and just listen to the spirit. Let the Spirit guide you as you surrender to Him. Be at peace. Don’t become agitated or emotionally riled. Relax. Surrender. Trust.

Trust not in your ability to connect with the Holy Spirit but in His ability to connect with you.

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No Longer Desperate

Sometimes God has to break you before He can bless you. Never underestimate God’s ability to make use of a desperate situation. The Scripture is filled with examples of people who sought God in the midst of trying times. Sometimes, life will present challenges to you that are beyond your ability to handle. The death of a loved one, a dreaded diagnosis, the addiction of a friend, an unexpected financial calamity - no one is exempt from trials. 

And God uses hardships to draw people closer to Him. In fact, desperation is a part of my testimony. God used desperation to free me from religion and bring me to life in the Spirit. 

No doubt, in desperate times, one should call upon God. Biblically speaking, desperation definitely has its place. So not all desperation is a bad thing.

But, to be honest with you, I believe that desperation is overrated, and its place is all too often misunderstood. While we should call upon God when we face hardships and while God will use tough consequences to bring forth repentance, desperation should neither be the persistent posture nor the lifestyle of the Spirit-filled believer.

We mustn’t believe the idea that we have to plead and press in order to invoke a response from God. In the first place, none of us are so persuasive as to be able to convince God to do anything. Here’s the reality: Our persistence doesn’t move God; He’s unmovable. Rather, our persistence positions us to receive. 

And it’s not as though God is looking down from Heaven withholding His presence and power from us, waiting for us to become “desperate enough” in order for Him to move. “Oh if only you had shouted louder. If only you had jumped up and down during the song service. If only you had cried for five minutes longer, I would have heard you, I would’ve responded.” 

Sadly, some Christian leaders push the idea of a “desperate lifestyle” either by sincere mistake or out of a need to hype an atmosphere. Perhaps some even want to create a desperation culture so that it appears that the people are responding more strongly to their preaching or worship-leading. Whatever the reason, it must be noted that the believer doesn’t have to beg for an audience with God.

I imagine the conversation between the believer and God sometimes goes something like this:

Father, do you hear me?

Yes, I hear you.

Father, please, listen to me!

I’m listening.

God, please, don’t ignore me!

I’m not ignoring you.

You don’t need to beg for God’s presence when He lives in you. You don’t need to plead to be heard when He’s already listening. You don’t need to cry out for something that’s already been given to you. Believer, you’re already one with God:

But the person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him. (1 Corinthians 6:17, NLT)

Imagine how much time you could save in prayer if, instead of begging God to hear you, you simply believed that He already does. 

Could it be that the reason we’re so often desperate for God is because we’ve not been connecting with God daily as we should? If I eat regularly, I still become hungry. If I skip too many meals, I become starving. Spiritually hungry? Yes. Spiritually starving? No. Desire God? Yes. Desperate for God? No. 

Our pleading is too loud. Servants beg. Strangers beg. Sons come boldly with faith. Desperation is a great initiator but a terrible sustainer. Desperation initiates, but only faith sustains. Desperation is what brings me to the Lord, but once I have Him, why would I ever be desperate again? You don’t enter the glory through noisy desperation; you enter through faith-filled confidence. Confident faith, not desperation, is the way to know the presence of the Holy Spirit.

There’s no need to punish yourself or exhaust yourself. Just come boldly through faith.

And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. (1 John 5:14, NLT)

I don’t pray to connect with God; I pray from connection with God. I don’t worship to connect with God; I worship from connection with God.

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Oneness with the Holy Spirit

Jesus said, “If you’ve seen me, you’ve seen the Father.” I want to live in such a way that I can say, “If you’ve seen me you’ve seen the Son.” Just as you cannot outpace your reflection in the mirror, so you should desire to reflect the nature of God. 

I want to live in the rhythm of the Spirit. I desire to be One with Him.

Enoch lived in such a way. He walked with God so closely and for so long that he simply ceased to exist.

And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: and all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: and Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him (Genesis 5:22-24, KJV)

Think about that. Enoch walked with God and he was not, for God took Him. When I read that, I said to the Lord, “Father, I want to be a ‘was not’ too.” The believer should desire to cease to be. I want to be a tear in the fabric of this reality through which Heaven can invade earth. I want to become a portal through which the glory can touch the natural, transforming all around me, conforming my surroundings to the will of the Spirit. Lord, make us empty spaces through which you can exist in this world. It should be your desire that your presence and His presence would become indistinguishably one, that you would carry His presence wherever you step.

Believer, let your hands be His hands. Let Him heal and touch through them. Let your eyes be His eyes. See things, people, and situations the way He sees them. Let your mouth be His mouth. Speak His Word. Let your ears be His ears. Listen for His voice. Let your feet be His feet. Step wherever He leads. Let your being be His being. Let your heart beat as one with His. Crucify your will, and, in its place, allow God’s will to be resurrected.

Disappear in God. Decrease so He can increase. 

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The Myth of Generational Curses on Christians

Within Christian circles, we often find superstitions that seem Biblical but in fact are myths. Now, let me be clear: if you’ve followed this ministry for any length of time at all, you know that I unapologetically preach the Word of God. You know that I believe in God’s healing power, the gift of speaking in tongues, spiritual warfare, the reality of angels and demons, and so forth - I believe in the supernatural. In fact, most of my critics are of the belief that I’m too extreme and that I too often emphasize the power of the Holy Spirit. If you’ve been to any of my ministry meetings, you know that the Holy Spirit freely moves - people are saved, healed, delivered, and set free. 

Having said that, we must come to terms with the fact that not every supernatural experience or spiritual belief is founded upon truth. This is why we shouldn’t form our beliefs around feelings and experiences; we should form our beliefs upon the truth, the Word, the leading of the Holy Spirit. 

There is this idea, this lie, that Christians can be under a generational curse. A generational curse is spiritual demon or bondage that is passed down from generation to generation. It can also be defined as some kind of punishment from God that comes upon people because of the sins of their former generations.

Now, in some sense, this is a reality. Behavior begets behavior. Upbringing creates mindset which repeats upbringing. But there is a difference between a cycle and a curse. I believe in generational inclinations, generational patterns, and even in generational behaviors. For example, alcoholic parents often raise children who themselves grow up to become alcoholics. In choosing to repeat the decisions of their parents, they open themselves to the same habits.

But this idea that the believer can be under some kind of demonic or dark influence because of the choices of their parents is just not Biblical. 

So from where does this idea come? Partially, people believe this because of personal experience. In repeating the decisions and cycles of former generations, they sometimes look for somewhere to place the blame. But again, experience isn’t always the best foundation for truth. 

Another source of this belief is poor Biblical interpretation. Here’s one of the more often used verses that believers use to justify a belief in generational curses upon Christians: 

You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, (Exodus 20:5, ESV)

Now, at a glance, that verse seems to indicate that generational curses are a definite reality. Almost.

Notice that in the verse, however, there is a condition laid out: “You shall not bow down to them or serve them”

This verse, and all of the Old Testament verses that are similar, have something in common: they are all set to a larger backdrop of choice. In other words, by repeating the choices of former generations, one become susceptible to similar consequences and punishments. There is no blanket statement in all of Scripture that should cause us to accept this idea that God curses believers based upon the choices of previous generations.

If God cursed believers for generational sins, wouldn’t praying against such curses be working against God’s will? Does God have to fight with Himself to liberate you? No. So, in fact, the Bible does not teach generational curses; but it definitely teaches generational consequences. 

The person who sins is the one who will die. The child will not be punished for the parent’s sins, and the parent will not be punished for the child’s sins. Righteous people will be rewarded for their own righteous behavior, and wicked people will be punished for their own wickedness. (Ezekiel 18:20, NLT)

So then God does not hold us accountable for the decisions of others, even if they are the decisions of our former generations. God deals with each individual on the basis of the decisions that they make. 

Some believers look for exterior circumstances to blame for their current spiritual state. They don’t want to take responsibility for their own sins. But the good and the sobering news is that God holds the individual accountable. Do you know why you sin? It’s because you love sin, and you choose to sin. Do you know why you can’t fully commit? It’s because you choose to not fully commit. A lack of prayer, holiness, worship, or devotion to God’s Word isn’t a generational curse; it’s a choice. It’s easier to blame some exterior or demonic force working against you than it is to repent. That is deception. Yes, demonic powers work against you, but you’ve been given authority over them.

The good news is that your decision to accept the free gift of salvation has the powerful consequence of broken curses.

But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” (Galatians 3:13, NLT)

Christ broke the curse. There’s no ritual to perform, no series of fancy prayers to recite - you’re free if you’ll just walk in that freedom. As a child of God, you’ve been given the power to rise above whatever the enemy might try to throw at you.

For the believer, every curse was broken the moment they were redeemed. So then, when it comes to generational curses, the only power any curse might have is your belief in its power over you.

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The Holy Spirit is a Person

I want to share with you a Bible verse that literally changed my life. The truth of this verse has had a profound impact on both my life and ministry. Here’s that verse:

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. (2 Corinthians 13:14, NLT)

So why is this verse so powerful? It reveals to us that the Holy Spirit is a Person. He’s not a thing, a force, an idea, or a shadow of God. After all, how could one fellowship with an idea? How could one share a friendship with a shadow?

Really think about the implications of such a truth: the Holy Spirit is a Person. I know you’ve likely heard that before. But just because a truth is often repeated does not mean that a truth is rightfully appreciated. 

The Holy Spirit is a person, which means He has a voice. 

The Holy Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and walk along beside the carriage.” (Acts 8:29, NLT)

The Holy Spirit has a will.

“But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.” (1 Corinthians 12:11, KJV)

The Holy Spirit has feelings.

And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. (Ephesians 4:30, NLT)

Think about this: the Holy Spirit has a voice, so it’s possible that He can be ignored. The Holy Spirit has a will, so it’s possible that He can be disobeyed. The Holy Spirit has feelings, so it’s possible that He can be hurt. 

Think about this too: The Holy Spirit has a voice, so it’s possible that He can be heard. The Holy Spirit has a will, so it’s possible that He can be obeyed. The Holy Spirit has feelings, so it’s possible that He can rejoice over our actions.

Indeed, the Holy Spirit is a Person, which means that He can befriend me. It was the simple idea that I could fellowship with the Holy Spirit as a friend that set me on a spiritual path leading into the deep things of God.

Friendship with the Holy Spirit - or fellowship - is a gift from God. In every moment of everyday, you can abide in the presence of God. Because the Holy Spirit dwells in you, you can enjoy His presence even during the seemingly mundane moments of life. You don’t have to search for an atmosphere; you are an atmosphere. You don’t have to look to Heaven, for Heaven is in you. 

In my moments of sorrow, He hurts with me. In my victories, He celebrates with me. In my living through everyday occurrences, He is there. He brings life to my every moment. 

You are a friend of the Holy Spirit.

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10 Benefits of Fasting

There are different types of fasts in the Bible that were carried out for a variety of different purposes - and for differing lengths of time. But fasting, in the simplest definition of the word, is the discipline of abstaining from food for a given period of time in order to devote one’s self more to prayer and the Word of God.

For most believers, fasting is likely the most neglected of all spiritual practices, but this powerful discipline has the ability to increase the effectiveness of your prayer life. When the disciples encountered a demon that they could not expel from a boy, Jesus told them that certain demonic beings could only be removed through a combination of both prayer and fasting.

19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not drive it out?” 20 And He said to them, “Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. 21 “But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” (Matthew 17:19-21, NAS)

For every natural act of faith, there is a divine reaction. Whatever it is that occurs in the realm of the spirit when we fast and pray, it’s safe to say that there is something to be said of acting in faith out of obedience to God’s Word. Even if we don’t understand exactly how or why fasting intensifies the potency of our prayers, we know that it does. Like a sledge hammer chips away at a brick wall, so our prayers chip away at stubborn spiritual barriers. And fasting adds more strength to the strike.

Furthermore, fasting helps us to weaken our greatest enemy - the flesh.

The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. (Galatians 5:17, NLT)

Whatever strengthens my Spirit weakens my flesh. So if my spirit is strengthened through fasting and praying, then my carnal nature is weakened by the same. Therefore, every benefit that you can receive from a weakened flesh or from empowered prayer, you can receive from fasting. Though there are many more, here are 10 benefits of fasting:

1: Fasting can bring clarity to the voice of God. (Acts 13:2)

2: Fasting can help to properly establish a new ministry. (Acts 14:23)

3: Fasting can bring favor. (Esther 4:16)

4: Fasting can bring healing. (Psalm 35:13-14)

5: Fasting can prepare you for the call of God. (Matthew 4:1-4)

6: Fasting can prepare you for temptation. (Matthew 4:1-4)

7: Fasting can bring about freedom. (Isaiah 58:6)

8: Fasting can bring protection. (Ezra 8:21)

9: Fasting can increase Spiritual Authority. (Matthew 17:19-21, NAS)

10: Fasting can teach you dependance on God. (Matthew 4:3-4, NLT)

If you will respond with faith to the Word of God and implement fasting as a frequent discipline in your life, you will see spiritual growth, such as you never imagined possible. Begin to see the effectiveness of your prayers increase and the desires of the flesh weaken. Step into depths of the Spirit that you’ve never known. Take God at His Word. Watch what begins to happen in your life as you fast and pray.

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Persistent Prayer

Before you even present your requests to God, He knows exactly what you need. But there is still something significant about persistence in prayer.

Matthew 7:7-8

“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

What exactly is it about persistence that’s equated with faith? It’s not as though God is watching from the Heavens, psychologically torturing the one who prays. He gets no pleasure out of delaying just for the sake of delay.

Additionally, it’s not as if prayer is persuasion. God will not derail His will for the sake of our whims. Prayer is not about strong-arming or guilting God into a response. After all, who among us could force his will upon God? Who has strength to move His divine hand?

So persistence is not demanded of us because God takes pleasure in our misery, nor is persistence a way to manipulate God. Rather, persistence is a spiritual practice that prepares the one who uses it.

Persistent prayer does not make God willing to give; it makes us capable of receiving. God is already willing to give us every promise in His Word. It’s our ability to receive that is matured as we pray persistently.

Persistent prayer weakens the flesh. Persistent prayer turns me into one who can handle the answers to persistent prayer. Persistent prayer produces patience. Persistent prayer causes me to become capable of handling the responsibility of the blessings of God. Persistent prayer cultivates the character of Christ in me.

More than it will change any one or any thing, persistent prayer will change the one who prayers persistently.

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Praying with Boldness

When teaching his disciples how to pray, Jesus began by saying this:

Matthew 6:9

After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

Notice that Jesus didn’t begin His prayer with a plea to be heard. He did not beg for God’s attention. He did not cry out to be received. He prayed with a confident knowing. Assured of His identity, Jesus prayed with a holy boldness. 

The key to praying with boldness is knowing that God is your Father and that you are His child. We find our confidence when we can sincerely pray, “Our Father.” 

When the believer is assured of his divine identity, he can pray unhindered by doubt and shame. Doubt and shame are the great destroyers of your prayer life. Doubt tells you that God can’t hear you; shame tells you that God won’t hear you.

And both doubt and shame can be overcome by knowing one simple yet powerful truth. That Truth is found in the book of Hebrews.

Hebrews 4:15-16

For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Because of what Christ accomplished on the cross, because we have a High Priest representing us before the Father, we can approach the throne of God with confidence and boldness.

The disciple of Christ does not doubt God’s existence, but the disciple of Christ does, at times, doubt God’s ability to perform His Word. And it’s not that we imagine that God is powerless. Instead, we imagine that we ourselves are unable to receive. That’s the great hindrance of doubt. In the same way, shame causes us to question whether or not God will hear our prayers. 

Shame and doubt go hand-in-hand. Shame and doubt energize one another, and they are rooted in the same lies. 

“Your past isn’t forgiven.”

“God is unwilling to hear you.”

“You’ve made too many mistakes.”

“It’s too late for you.”

Shame and doubt can hinder your prayer life, yes. But there is a holy boldness within - a boldness that has the power to destroy the weakening bondages of shame and doubt. 

When you begin to pray, start from the place of identity. Maintain a divine audacity. Know to Whom you belong. Know that you are accepted and forgiven. Cry out, “My Father!” Let the Holy Spirit persuade you. Let Him convince you that you belong to God.

Romans 8:15

The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father."

Trust the voice of the Holy Spirit. Ignore the voices of doubt and shame. When you pray with boldness, you’re not afraid to ask of God. When you pray while free from shame, your confidence in the Lord is renewed.

Imagine how much time you could save while praying if, instead of begging God to hear you, you simply believed that He already did. Imagine how boldly you could approach the throne if you knew the sin that causes you shame was wiped from God’s records. You’re already His. You belong to Him. Remember: we don’t pray to connect with God; we pray from connection with God. Go boldly before God.

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Guard the Secret Place

Prayer is not a means to acquire something; prayer is itself the reward. Spending time with Jesus is the reward.

After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. (Genesis 15:1, KJV)

Prayer brings power, transformation, blessing, and results - that’s the truth. But prayer is much more than answered requests. Prayer can impact more than just the temporary. When you pray, you step into eternity Himself. He is all you need.

Only the presence of Jesus satisfies the deepest longing of the heart. There is no substitute for spending time with Him. It would be better to lose anything and everything else than to lose His presence.

We so easily drift away. We are so easily distracted. Too often, our fragile minds and emotions can become agitated with clutter. However, we don’t need to allow the distractions and cares of this world to take us away from that precious time with the Lord.

Guard the secret place. Stubbornly refuse to lend Jesus’ time to anyone or anything else. Cling to Him; fix your eyes on Him. Seek Him.

He is your reward. His presence is your Heaven. Take a moment today, now even, to spend time with the Lord. No one has ever left their prayer closet regretting the time they spent with the Lord. Get away from it all - even if just for a few moments.

You are given the privilege and the joy of spending time with Jesus. Don’t let the time slip away. Don’t trade the precious moments that belong to Him.

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Something More

I committed my life to Christ in the summer of 2000. I was 11 years old. Though young, having been raised in a Christian home, I understood the implications of such a commitment. As it goes with conversion experiences, my meeting with Christ, the Son of God, was quite dramatic. However, in the coming months I was to experience numerous intense and transformative divine encounters.

You see, after I was saved, I became increasingly fascinated by the Person of Christ. He became my fixation—I read about Him, listened to sermons about Him and prayed to Him. His royal countenance, majestic and alluring, inspired within me a passionate pursuit. Soon enough, my soul longed for one thing, and that one thing was encapsulated in these simple words: “Jesus, I want to know you more.”

Those words began as a whisper but soon grew to be an inner shout. My desire to be drawn closer to Jesus began to demonstrate itself in long hours of prayer and the reading of several Bible chapters a day. My every moment was filled with an immediate awareness of God’s nearness. Throughout my days, I sensed a purposeful pull upon my will; I could sense the guiding hand of God. He used circumstances, conversations and occurrences to speak to me. And I was listening. 

The more I knew of Him, the more I wanted to know. There was a beautiful and energizing grace that compelled my every spiritual act. There was a flow to my prayer and devotion.

But then, seemingly out of nowhere, I felt a growing distance between God and myself. The clear image of Jesus, that the eyes of my heart had so clearly beheld, began to fade.

On this point, I must briefly digress to clarify: I do not believe that God ever abandons the believer. On the contrary, the scripture declares that He is an ever present help in times of need.

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1 ESV)

I know now that when God “withdrew” from me, He did so only in regards to my feelings. And He used that sense of distance to cause me to seek Him more, for He loves to be sought. He wasn’t toying with me by any means. Rather, He was testing me and moving me to greater depths. The reward for seeking Him is a revelation of Him. Nonetheless, that reward, at that time, seemed to be a negative. I mistook the privilege of His drawing for the punishment of distance. But He was drawing me deeper.

He wanted to show me something greater!

So what was He trying to show me?

I’d soon discover it. 

During that time, when I felt disconnected from God, I became frustrated. I so badly wanted to close the “gap” and know more of Jesus. Feeling as though something was missing in my spiritual life, I prayed prayers like, “Father, there must be more than this. There just has to be more!”

I agonized and pleaded in prayer. My sense of desperation was so profound that my physical body would tense. Clenching my fists, I would press my face into a tear-drenched carpet and call out to God. Unsettling thoughts intruded my mind—thoughts like, “God, are you angry with me?” and “Lord, did I do something wrong?”

I had applied everything I knew. I had read the books on prayer, attended the church conferences and even had mighty servants of God lay hands on me for impartation. My efforts proved to be of no avail.

Throughout those days, God was rarely far from my mind. Every moment in which I accommodated a pause, I pondered my severe need to connect to God in greater measures.

“Was that all?” I wondered, “Was that all there was to be experienced of the I AM - Eternity Himself?” A quiet but deep knowing assured me, “Son, there’s something more.”

It was because of this seeking despair that I began to watch Christian television. As much as was possible, I wanted to take advantage of my time for the sake of spiritual growth. That time included my TV viewing habits. I was trying to fill my days with the richness of Biblical revelation. 

But what I was longing to experience is not possible to receive from mere learning. What I would come to embrace needed to be caught, not taught. And, through sovereign use of my frustration and desperation, God had already set me on a path to divine destiny.

Because of what I had experienced, my spiritual hunger pains grew. And that desire for sustenance placed me before the TV, expectantly watching God’s anointed servants.

It was truly divine destiny.

So there I was flipping through the various Christian TV networks. Suddenly, on TBN, an image appeared upon my screen that pulled me in. The moment my eyes caught a glimpse of the programming, the atmosphere in my room changed - it became alive and energized! Forgive my use of the word, but what I saw was hypnotic!

I watched as slow-paced camera shots transitioned from one peaceful face to another. I immediately could tell that I was watching a worship service. 

The people seemed to be raptured in a glorious state of euphoric spiritual ecstasy. I watched as tears streamed down faces. The worship music sounded Heavenly, as if angelic beings had joined in the melodies. The words they were singing had a rich, lofty depth to them that I, in an instant, came to appreciate. Starting with a soft and gentle praise, the people in this worship service began to raise the intensity with which they worshipped. The choir, accompanied by piano and violin, led thousands in glorious adoration of Jesus.

Suddenly—

The worship scenes were disrupted by a transition to another portion of the church service. Now, it was at that point when I expected to hear preaching or teaching (As I had seen on all of the other Christian TV programs). I was pleasantly surprised.

This time, it was different.

A man, elated with astonishment, came to the stage, praising God and claiming to be healed of some crippling ailment. Leaving his wheelchair behind, the man leaped for joy, as the crowd erupted in celebratory commotion.

The pastor was just as excited, and went to interview the man claiming to be healed.

At this point, I was already glued to my TV.

Then, as the pastor approached the man (and the group who accompanied him), the people fell backwards as if overcome by some unseen, heavy weight. The moment I saw that, something deep within me ignited. Whatever it was that the preacher carried, I wanted it. The presence of God was so heavy upon him that people couldn’t stand up next to him while he was under that anointing.

Now, I can’t really explain it, but somehow I knew that this was the “something more” I so desperately sought. Not only did I know it was something I needed to glean from, I knew, even as a kid in that divine moment of destiny, that this was the ministry God had for me.

That something more was the in-filling of the Holy Spirit.

That something more was my call to the healing ministry.

That something more was the manifested presence of God.

After witnessing what I witnessed on TBN, I was forever changed. My prayer life was re-energized, and I knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, what I was called to do for God.

The Holy Spirit intensified the reality of Jesus with such detail and clarity that Christ became more real to me than my own flesh! But I didn’t just see Him more clearly. His Person possessed, filled and took over more of my very being!

Soon, my prayer life began to change. I prayed bold and audacious prayers. “Holy Spirit,” I prayed, “This pastor says that I can know you as a friend. He tells me that you can use my life for your glory. Please, Holy Spirit, use me. Give me a double portion! Guide me. Fill me. Empower me. Let my hands be Your hands; heal through them. Let my eyes be Your eyes; let me see through Your truth. Let my feet be Your feet; tell me where to go. Let my ears be Your ears; speak to me! Let my mouth be Your mouth; speak through me! Let my being be Your Being. Let my heart beat as one with Yours. Let my will be crucified; I’ll live for your will, not mine!”

It was only after this season of my life that I began to see things shift. There was an ease added to my prayer, worship and devotion. I went from sipping from a cup to being carried by a river!

That experience with the Person of the Holy Spirit radically changed everything about me. After that, miracles began to happen all around me. Total strangers would begin to weep and shake around me for reasons unknown to them (we know it’s the Holy Spirit and God’s glory). Demons began to manifest. I began to experience the book of acts!

That something more changed everything for me, and that something more can change everything for all who believe.

It was then that I realized that the Glory of God is not something to be experienced in a fleeting moment. It is the fullness of His ever-present Being, whole and complete, lacking in neither power nor substance, abiding in you. You are God's dwelling place, His holy habitation, a host of His presence, a carrier of His glory.

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