Dave shared…
God’s got a plan. What’s great about Him is that He thwarts the plans of the wicked, the Bible says, He laughs at their plans. That’s probably one of my favorite scriptures. He knows every ending. It’s like, “yeah, good luck with that.” Ha, ha, ha. We see the stuff going on in the political world and how one group of politicians have one view and other politicians have another view. But God’s got a view. It may not include either of their views. Right? Or it may be a little bit of this and a little of that. That’s why I don’t like to get caught up in politics. But I do think we need to pray for our President. Especially right now. There are a lot of decisions for him to make that impact a lot of people. The Bible encourages us to pray for those in authority. We’re going to do that today.
Why I laugh about what the Lord thinks about the plans of the wicked is that a lot of times you see the way the enemy attacks certain things that are important. Like this country was established in His name. The purpose of this country was to propagate the Gospel. From the beginning, religious freedom from tyranny was a purpose for this country to be established. One of the things I see now is the attack of that, the suppression of Christian rights. The suppression of the ideology, if you want to call it that, moral ethics, all these things that society needs to run properly. It’s been attacked in schools and areas.
One of the things I look at as important for us to pray for those people who are in authority because they’re making decisions that can change those things. Sometimes they need courage to do so. Sometimes they lack courage because of fear. The fear comes from the enemy. No matter what the prevailing idea is, it doesn’t matter. You should always do right. We should always follow our hearts. If we see somebody in need and we feel led, we should help them. The Holy Spirit was sent for us to help one another.
In politics and in a lot of authority that is in this country right now, there is this idea amongst these leaders that if they don’t vote for a certain way or idea that they’re somehow going to lose their seat or lose what it is they have. And it’s all about self-preservation. It’s not about the people who they are supposed to serve. Children, for example, have to be trained on what to do and what not to do. They don’t know it automatically. All they know is “wah, wah, wah.” I want what I want, I want what I want. But mom and dad have to say what’s right about not having that or not doing that or not having a foul mouth toward their friends, speaking ill about people and causing division and strife. Those are things that parents have to teach their kids.
And we are essentially kids. The Bible teaches us things that we should know and do. A lot of times when you’re angry or whatever and don’t feel like doing that. We all get angry and get in situations where we feel like we’re justified for whatever reason. We have a certain position on something. I have that happen to me all the time. Even recently. It’s important for me to look at the situation, pray about it, and get God’s plan on it. It’s not my plan. And especially leaders. If I’m the leader of my home and I’m the authority in my home, I pretty much can do whatever I want to do. But that doesn’t mean whatever I want to do is a good thing. That just means I have the authority to do whatever I want to do. Now, a good leader listens to counsel. The Bible says in a multitude of counsel, there is wisdom. A good leader listens to counsel, especially the counsel of the Holy Spirit. What is the right thing? And even though it may not seem appropriate to make a decision in a certain way, sometimes you have to make decisions that are not popular. Only to come to find out that the decision you made is the correct decision, and a righteous decision. Even though it’s not the most popular decision.
We have that issue going on right now in Washington where people are having to make decisions and they’re not popular. Because they’re looking at the problem and they’re looking at what everybody is saying and then they’re looking at the problem and they’re looking at what the people are saying and they have to be led by their hearts to do the right thing. They get focused on these natural things and they get off point. And there is no way… any house divided amongst itself is going to fall. It cannot stand. See, you have to have unity. And leadership does that. Good leadership does that. When a leader leads, when he makes decisions when they’re not popular and they become good outcomes, there is a confidence that’s established amongst the constituent or the people underneath them. I may not like this guy but at least he’s decisive and he makes good decisions.
And as a father I can say this. Fathers tend to be the authoritative person. They tend to be the one that drops the hammer, who says, “No, you can’t do that.” Mothers tend to be the nurturing person. And that’s kind of a general statement for the most part. But God has put the father to communicate certain things to his kids. He has the authority and anointed to do. When he does things, a good leader has to recognize that you’re not going to like doing this but it’s good for you. Like discipline is one of those things. When you’re a kid, you don’t like discipline. You want to get your way. But at the end of the day, discipline is a good thing when you become an adult. Learning to have discipline in your life is important. Very, very important. Probably one of the most important things in your life. If you lack discipline, you’re going to have a rough time. Because discipline requires you to do things you don’t want to have to do. Faith is like that. If you’re going to be a person of faith and you’re going to walk by faith, it’s going to require discipline. You’re going to have to defy what exists and go in the direction that may not seem comfortable. Especially when it comes to something like physical illness. That’s a perfect example of learning discipline. Your body is telling you one thing and the Word is telling you something different. The Word is telling you Himself bore your sicknesses and carried all your diseases. Yet, in my body I’m feeling symptoms. Now, you can go by how you feel or you can go by what you know is right. And it takes discipline to go by what you know is right. And that’s not a fun thing to do. But it’s a good thing to do because the outcome will produce a harvest for you that will be pleasing to you. And that’s life, everlasting health and wholeness.
Now I know these things are things that are not the greatest. Being a dad I have to drop the hammer ever so often. It’s not popular. I told my son one time, “Listen, I love you so much that I will tell you things that won’t make me popular. I will lead you in directions that you may not like. And it may make me unpopular and you may not like those things, but the reason I tell you is because I love you. I’d rather you not like me today for something I’m doing and later on be blessed by what I’ve taught and what I’ve instructed you. That would satisfy me, even though I may have to forfeit right now your liking me.”
That’s the way God the Father is. A lot of times, He loves us so much, He wants us to learn and how to work with Him and His plan and purpose. A lot of times, we just want what we want. I know that. I’ve been around a while now and learned some things: what not to do and what to do. As a young man, I grew up under the Word of Faith and brother Hagin and Copeland and all these different ministers who are leaders in that stream of ministry. One of the things I did as a young man as the Lord got ahold of me and He started teaching me how to walk in this way. The decisions I made helped me and produced in my life. But they weren’t always fun decisions to make. For example, as a teen wanting to go hang out with your friends and do what they want to do. Some of them aren’t the best friends and are doing things like drugs. You have to stay away from that.
I remember a friend of mine came to me when I was around 19. They were having a party at someone’s house. I said “I can’t go to that party.” “Why not? Everybody is going to be there.” I said, “Because I know the things that are going to be there I don’t need to be around. I know that if I’m around that, I may succumb to that.” He went on his way and did his thing. A couple weeks later, he came up to me and said, “I just want to tell you this. I appreciate what you said to me because that has been sitting with me ever since. You’re the person in my life that if I want help, you’re the one I will go to. Because you know right from wrong and you know what to do.” And the fact that I said that “I may succumb to that” communicated that I’m just like all you guys. But that’s wisdom, right?
I use that example to say we have to have the right plan of God in our lives. Whether we like it a certain way. I have teens now and they’re in the dating age. They get somebody who is interested in them but I have to tell them, “Listen, it’s not good to be unequally yoked.” But right now to them, that’s the big thing for them. These are things we don’t want to hear. We want what we want.
This nation wants what it wants. These people want what they want. At the end of the day, dad’s got to stand up and say, we can’t do that. This is what we have to do. To help everybody. We’re not just helping you. This is good for everybody. So that’s what I want to go in the direction of prayer today. Just for these things that these decisions are being made in the capital and all the things that need to be happening for this country. Because God established this President for His purpose. And we’re going to help do that and get it done. We’re going to ask the Holy Ghost to help us pray the things that need to be prayed. So the things that need to get done, get done. It’s about this nation and its purpose and call. This nation has a call on it. That call needs to be fulfilled and it’s going to require certain things to happen in order for that to happen. It’s God’s plan.
Prayed…
Lord, we come to You in the name of Jesus… we know You have a plan and purpose for this earth… You have a plan for this nation, the President, the leaders, and locally here in Minnesota… all the leaders in place, You have a plan… You thwart the plans of the wicked and we know it’s Your will and purpose that we pray for these people… we lift up the decisions that need to be made
Supernatural leadership
We lift up President Trump and put him in Your hands
We ask you open his eyes and anoint him to see things that need to be seen
That he would make the decisions that need to be made
I pray for supernatural guidance and utterance
To do the right thing
We lift up that situation with … we bring them into Your hands
Bring light on the decisions that need to be made so the decision is concise and not difficult
Break it down in the simplest form
In the name of Jesus, leadership, Father… supernatural leadership
In the name of Jesus, that darkness… no more
Fire in the name of Jesus… signs…
Father, we lift up the senators and congressmen… that they would know inside that their decisions they’re making are not just for their constituents but that they’re held accountable by You for those decisions… those decisions need to be based on what You think than what is popular
Moving it up in the name of Jesus
That the power and anointing would be available for them to do so
Even though that fear… we take authority over fear… the fear that has captivated their hearts… the courage necessary to make that decision would be available to draw upon…
To make a good and right decision
There’s more coming… they’re on the precipice …
Leadership, yes, leadership… anointed leadership from on high… the ability to do of His good pleasure…
Impart into them the ability and the will to do the right thing…
That Jesus would be glorified… the plan and purpose would be established
There is a way…
Distinction… distinction… Lord, I see that… security in Jesus’ name… let them see, Father… I ask that the eyes of their understanding would be enlightened …
Yes, it promotes… it promotes… good decisions promote…
In the natural things… in Jesus’ name
Signs that Jesus … signs… decisions… yes, this is the time for decisions… time for decisive decisions
We live in this hour… that decisions have to be made… in order to promote the plan… promotion in Jesus’ name
Leaders, rise up in the name of Jesus… it’s time to rise up… get on your feet…
And the anointing that’s necessary to… will be available… the anointing will break the yoke
That will bring to this nation… that the nation would operate in a function… it will move in a way and will cause change
Supernatural change… one day it was one way and the next day it was another way
Attitudes are changing… It’s not longer and it is now…
The name of Jesus, supernatural changes in the economy
The attitudes are changing
Thank You for the supernatural work You’re doing amongst those leaders
Thank You for the President You’ve given us and the leadership in this nation
We respect and honor those in authority… by Your hand, this nation has a pathway and purpose… a pathway of promise that You can use to Your benefit… no longer would the world look at this situation in a negative way but they’ll look at it as a positive way and recognize the leadership that is being taken place and respecting that in Jesus’ name
Dave shared…
As we were praying, one of the things that came to me as I was praying was when it comes to leadership, I gave the example of a father earlier. Fathers can be fun, play with their kids, go out fishing and do the fun things that fathers do with their kids. That’s one part of a father. But just like the earthly father, the heavenly Father, there are different parts to Him as well. There’s leadership, there is authority. There are things about Him that we like to sit in His lap and hear the voice of the Holy Spirit to comfort us. Those are great things. Sometimes there are times when the Holy Spirit will say something to us that might be a little stern and not necessarily in a mean way but just, you know, “You need to do this. Back off and go this way.”
When I was younger, I used to go pray at night. I would go out for a walk every night and pray in the Holy Ghost. Just be with the Lord. I’d go on these walks and the Lord would always speak to me. One of the things that my wife used to say … we used to talk about decisions we needed to make. I used to say, “Yeah, no, we’re not doing that.” I’d just blurt that out cuz I didn’t think it was a great idea. She used to say to me, “You need to go on one of your prayer walks.” That was her way of saying, “I don’t want to hear what you have to say. I want to hear what God has to say.” That was a good thing. Cuz a lot of times, that’s what would happen. I would come back and say, “You know that thing we talked about? Yeah, I think we could probably do that.”
Really, that’s what is going on a lot of times when leaders make decisions. But the thing I said about the kids hanging out with the kids. That’s one part. But the other part is the decision maker. What is important in a decision maker’s life is his contact and connection with divine guidance. A spirit-led man making spirit led decisions is to be respected and honored. Because to be in that position is a lot of responsibility and there could be a lot of weight on that leadership. That’s why it’s important for us to look at our leadership with respect.
I’ve always thought about the Presidency and thought that is a job I would never want. Why would anybody want to be the President. I just don’t get that. It’s a blessing to have good leadership. Leaders make mistakes but we subordinates in leadership can have compassion and mercy and pray for them. If we have compassion and mercy for those who are in leadership, then it’s like sending us out to go on our prayer walk if we pray for them. We’re covering them in prayer, making it clearer so they can hear a clear and concise voice. To make a good decision. We don’t have to look at them in a disparaging way like a lot of the media does. It’s hard to listen to the news anymore.
While I was praying, the Lord spoke to me about the leaders. He said they lead relative to what you do in prayer. And if they don’t, then we get rid of them. That’s God’s plan. That’s the way God works. But if we’re not praying for them, then don’t complain about the stupid things they do. You really have nothing to say about it. Think of it as compassion because when I used to go out on these prayer walks, all I want is God’s best for my family. And, leaders, if they really, truly are good leaders, that’s what they want. They want what is best for their people. The question is, what is the best thing and having that decision and conciseness. Today that’s what we were lifting up. That ability for them to see clearly in those decisions so things can get done.
