I often think of what kind of world I am passing on to Dutton, Elly, Caitlyn and Annabelle, and my little ‘niece and nephew,’ Samalie and Samuel Kevin. It’s been said that the Jesus Movement was God’s response to the prayers of a million mothers and fathers. What happens when men and women of God, encouraged by His spirit, take an adamant stand for truth? What I want you to see is that when you prayerfully and forcefully stand for truth, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus stands with you!

And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: 33 who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. 35 Women received their dead raised to life again. Heb 11:32-35 NKJV

 “…who through faith subdued kingdoms…”

When you study the OT, you realize that God’s people never wanted war. But starting with the Egyptians, the Lord allowed the enemy to raise up adversary kingdoms to come against Israel, and if Israel stood with God, they would swat down their enemies like flies. They did it through faith. The classic example was Jericho…

Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, and none came in. 2 And the Lord said to Joshua: “See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor. Josh 6:1-3 NKJV

You know the story. As they marched around Jericho, once daily for six days, then seven times on the seventh day, they were asserting spiritual authority over Jericho. They marched in silence. I sometimes think we Pentecostals are too loud. There is authority in silence – bold, strong, fearless silence. Because they had achieved spiritual authority, when Joshua gave the command on the seventh day, and the people shouted, the Rift Valley fault line, running through the Jordan Valley and straight through east Africa under the city of Jericho, opened up, and the walls came down!

“…stopped the mouths of lions…”

The classic example here is of course Daniel. But he is not the only one. Benaiah, David and Samson also killed lions by faith. Do you think these men were lion hunters? No. But when you are attacked you must fight, and it is a righteous fight. You weren’t looking to fight but you were prepared if you were attacked. When you fight like that there is only one righteous result – winning.

Now to his surprise, a young lion came roaring against him. 6 And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and he tore the lion apart as one would have torn apart a young goat, though he had nothing in his hand. Judg 14:5-6 NKJV 

But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, 35 I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard and struck and killed it. 1 Sam 17:34-35 NKJV

Benaiah was the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man from Kabzeel, who had done many deeds. He had killed two lion-like heroes of Moab. He also had gone down and killed a lion in the midst of a pit on a snowy day. 2 Sam 23:20-21 NKJV

“…out of weakness (Grk. ASTHENEIA) were made strong (Grk.DUNAMOO)…”

The relationship of ASTHENEIA and DUNAMIS, DUNATOS, DUNAMOO or ENDUNAMOO must be understood. DUNAMIS is a noun with its attendant verb forms, and refers to inherent spiritual power, the same that created the heavens and the earth. ENDUNAMOO is used in the middle voice and the imperative mood in Ephesians 6:10, meaning you are commanded to allow yourself to be strengthened in the Lord. No fighting in your own strength! ASTHENEIA is what positions you to receive DUNAMIS. ASTHENEIA means strengthlessness, but not out of exhaustion, but out of a realization, an honest internal audit, that says the strength required for the operation is far greater than all you have in reserve. ASTHENEIA is saying, ‘I’m helpless without Your help.’ ASTHENEIA requires two things: great self-awareness, and even greater God awareness. For twenty-five years, before I ever minister to anyone I have silently prayed, ‘ABBA, I can do nothing without You, but I can do all things through You.’ Self-awareness and God awareness – ASTHENEIA. Do you see it?

…turned to flight the armies of the aliens…

Hezekiah and Isaiah – what a team they were! Jesus sent the twelve and the seventy out in pairs. It is so powerful when men and women of God team up. Paul and Barnabas, Paul and Timothy. Today I think of Howard Carter and Lester Sumrall, Chuck Pierce and Dutch Sheets and even our own beloved FMT and Collins – TEAMS! There is a synergism of the power of God, where the power released is greater than the sum of the parts, in teams. Even in marriage there can be great powerful teams of husbands and wives. One such that stands out to me in American history is John and Abigail Adams, and in my own observation our beloved Martin and Patty, Pat and Sam, and Don and Vicki – power teams as couples!

Hezekiah and Isaiah by faith released the power of God that crushed the greatest army the world ever seen, overnight. In their great book by Chris Stewart and Ted Stewart THE MIRACLE OF FREEDOM – SEVEN TIPPING POINTS THAT SAVED THE WORLD, the authors point out the historical realities that testify to the validity of the biblical record, and how the consequence of this miracle saved the Jewish religion and Christianity, thus saving the world.

King Sennacherib had come out of Assyria to threaten Israel and Jerusalem. The Assyrians were vicious and cruel invaders, so much so that many cities surrendered without a fight. But not Jerusalem! Not Hezekiah the king of Judea! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! There is an old faith saying based on a card game analogy that says, ‘God has dealt you a winning hand. If you don’t fold, you can’t lose!’ Hezekiah received a threatening letter from the king, and this is how he responded.

And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord and spread it before the Lord. 15 Then Hezekiah prayed to the Lord, saying: 16 “O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, the One who dwells between the cherubim, You are God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. 17 Incline Your ear, O Lord, and hear; open Your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to reproach the living God. 18 Truly, Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations and their lands, 19 and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were not gods, but the work of men’s hands — wood and stone. Therefore they destroyed them. 20 Now therefore, O Lord our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the Lord, You alone.” Isa 37:14-20 NKJV

Then Isaiah got some revelation. The timing here of the team members is exquisite – one prayed and the other got revelation. John G. Lake and his wife Jenny would minister healing to people. Lake would pray and Jenny would take the people that didn’t get healed and tell them WHY they didn’t by the gift of discerning of spirits. Then they would go back to Lake and, many times, get healed. Power team!

Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘Because you have prayed to Me against Sennacherib king of Assyria, 22 this is the word which the Lord has spoken concerning him: “The virgin, the daughter of Zion, has despised you, laughed you to scorn; the daughter of Jerusalem has shaken her head behind your back! Isa 37:21-22 NKJV

I love it when we laugh at the enemy! Isaiah gets more revelation…

But I know your dwelling place, your going out and your coming in, and your rage against Me. 

Because your rage against Me and your tumult have come up to My ears, therefore I will put My hook in your nose and My bridle in your lips, and I will turn you back by the way which you came.”‘ Isa 37:28-29 NKJV

The Stewarts describe this next act as it was recorded in the Assyrian tablets that have been discovered at Nineveh.

Then the angel of the Lord went out, and killed in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty-five thousand; and when people arose early in the morning, there were the corpses — all dead. 37 So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went away, returned home, and remained at Nineveh. Isa 37:36-38 NKJV

Good old angelic pestilence took out those boys overnight – gosh, what a mess that must have been! I hope it was all in the valley of Hinnom – so our guys didn’t even have to fight. H&I put to flight the armies of the aliens by faith!

For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world — our faith. 1 John 5:4-5 NKJV

Now, I trust that there is a sense of victory in your soul, regardless of your circumstances. We have seen what faith can do! I want to now show you how to pray through to victory manifested. So many times I have taught this but I see that dear ones just haven’t grasped it yet, don’t have a revelation of it yet, so I and others just have to keep teaching until we all get it.

For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. 15 What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. 1 Cor 14:14-15 NKJV

Now, just to clarify, to pray with the Spirit is to pray in tongues. I Corinthians 14 makes this clear. I know it’s possible to pray an anointed prayer in your mother tongue, and you can say that is praying in the spirit, but it rarely happens. In contrast, it always happens in tongues.

Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses (Grk. ASTHENEIA). For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. Rom 8:26-29 NKJV

‘…Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses (Grk. ASTHENEIA)…’ 

Oh my! Look at this! We are going to see that praying in tongues helps us to be positioned in ASTHENEIA, and we know that ASTHENEIA positions us to receive DUNAMIS. Oh my goodness!

…but the Spirit Himself (the HS through our spirits) makes intercession (Grk. HUPERENTUGCHANO) for us with groanings (out of your belly…Jn 7:38) which cannot be uttered (by your fleshly mind)…’

The HS enables our spirits to pray in super intercession with groaning like words that come out of your belly – your innermost being, your spirit – not out of your mind. Super intercession – there is no other word like it in the Greek NT. Yes, speaking in tongues becomes your superpower, especially when you do verse twenty-seven. Now, verse twenty-seven shows us how to pray through to victory using our superpower of tongues.

Imagination is a function of the soul that prepares the mind to receive revelation. If you can’t imagine it, you will never do it, because your soul will say it’s impossible, even if you get revelation. Your soul can shut down the power of God and, trust me, the devil knows that! Imagination also helps build faith for answered prayer. Imagination is in play in verse twenty-seven!

27 Now He who searches the hearts (the Lord Jesus – Rev. 2:23) knows what the mind (Grk. PHRONEMA – thoughts) of the Spirit (your spirit, your heart) is, because He (your spirit) makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

When you pray in tongues, what do you do with your mind? You think and dream of the people and circumstances for which you want to pray. You IMAGINE or INVISION them enjoying the will of God. This is intercessory prayer, and this is powerful! You can do this for yourself as well. Imagine yourself being the man or woman God has called you to be and pray into that vision! For years I imagined the addition to our home. Now I live in it. For years Phobice imagined her babies. Now they laugh and play in their home. You will never pray a selfish prayer in tongues, even if your thoughts get a little goofy because we make intercession ‘according to the will of God.’ That should free you not to worry, but to get wild and bold in your imagination and requests!

Then we get to verse twenty-eight and again imagination plays a role.

And we know (Grk. OIDA) that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. Rom 8:26-29 NKJV

The word OIDA literally means ‘to see,’ all things – perfect, excellent, good, mediocre, bad or evil – work for the best possible, not necessarily the best conceivable, result because we love God and pray in tongues. Remember, verse twenty-eight begins with the word AND, so it is tied to verse twenty seven and six. Imagination helps us to ‘see’ first in our minds, then in manifestation. I lose my luggage, but four days later I get it back and get to lead someone into tongues in the baggage managers office who had waited for years to receive. I get hit by a car on the streets of Nairobi, but I wind up ministering healing and deliverance to the nurse’s family. All things! Do you see it?

We started off this brief interlude with questions about our children and grandchildren’s future. Now we know how to influence the future of their lives and so many others as we use the great gifts of spirit and soul that we have been given. Yes, it is a fight, but God gives us fighting words and winning words and He gives us the assurance by faith that we will overcome the world, and all the enemies in it. Amen? Love you!

Remember dear ones, we must be about our Father’s business…