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Praying for Revival

A daily verse about the state of our nation and time for Christians reflect and unite in prayer, asking God to send a revival across our land and turn our nation back to Him. If you long for revival in America (or your nation) we invite you to reflect on these daily verses and join us in praying for revival.

Today’s Bible verse for Revival

Praying for Revival

Father, whenever Israel and Judah would seek you and its king would follow you, the nations would prosper. But when they abandoned you and tossed aside your laws, they experienced your judgement. The nation as whole followed whatever its leader did. If the leader was evil in your eyes, the nation followed suit. If the leader did what was right in your eyes, so did the nation. Uzziah was a crowned king at only 16 years old, yet he set himself to seek you and as long as he sought You, You made him prosper. Today, we pray for the leaders of our nation, that they would set themselves to seek You and fear you as they lead our nation, may they lead us to follow them in seeking You.

Lord, send a revival and let it begin in me.

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Now you can enhance your Bible Reading with the Verse Mapping Template

Our Verse Mapping download is FREE and includes 6 pages: 3 pages of instructions for using the template and the 2 page template, plus the cover page. If you’re looking to go deeper into God’s Word, learn more about God and develop a stronger spiritual life, Verse Mapping will help you dig into the scriptures. As you apply God’s Word to your life, you will develop a more intimate knowledge and relationship with God.

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Download our Free 2021 Bible Memory Verse Plan

We’ve put together 52 memory verses for you to hide God’s Word in your heart! You can download the full document for free and then print a new verse each week and as many copies as you’d like. Each verse prints four times on a page so that you can then cut them into index size cards and place them in prominent places where you will see them frequently throughout the day to help you remember to memorize them. Just because you visited our site, they’re yours for free! Download today.

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Bible Reading Plan Download

Download our Free 2021 Daily Bible Reading Plan

With just 30-40 minutes per day, you can read the entire Bible in one year. The One-Year Bible Reading Plan consists of both Old Testament and New Testament readings for each day of the year. The Bible is God’s personal Word to you. What is He saying to you today? Open your Bible and find out!

One Year Bible Reading Plan


Download our Free Self-Care Wheel

The Self-Care Wheel provides ideas for practicing self-care in six dimensions of yourself: Spiritual, Physical, Emotional, Intellectual, Sensory, and Social. NOTE: You will need 11X14 paper to print the wheel.

Want to know more about self-care? Our Self-Care blog series targets people who serve in any ministry position and takes a Biblical approach to self-care.

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God, Love, and Marshmallow Wars

by Julia M. Bruce

What’s Inside God, Love, and Marshmallow Wars?

This book includes 365 daily activities and takes you on a guided journey through Biblical principles about Godly marriage that you can then apply to your marriage, as well as helping you talk through concepts that can help you develop a solid relationship. Inside you will find simple, quick activities that include:

  • Scripture to memorize and meditate on
  • Conversation Starters
    • Concepts from the Bible on Godly marriages
    • Romance Builders
    • Relationship Builders
    • Personal reflections
    • Date ideas
    • Group date ideas for you and other Christian couples

Available in hardback, paperback and ebook from Westbow Press Bookstore, Christian Book Distributors, Amazon, and Barnes & Nobel. Click the icons below to purchase from your preferred bookstore. Now also available at WalMart online.

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Need some music to get you through the day? Check out one of our Playlists on YouTube

Click here for the Contemporary Christian Playlist
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Fighting Battles and Being Battle Ready

We are fighting battles every single day and sometimes they leave us filling defeated or overwhelmed. We look at the circumstances around us and instantly see defeat. Thankfully the nation of Judah had a king on the throne who “did right in the sight of the Lord”. And because he did, when the Assyrians came knocking, he receives divine help and God fights the battles for them. And when we have battles to fight, if King Jesus is on the throne of our hearts, then God will fight our battles for us.

When the Assyrians came knocking, Judah had a king on the throne who “did right in the sight of the Lord.” Therefore, the Lord was on his side and helped them and fought the battle for them.

At this time in Judah’s history, Hezekiah was king in Judah and Sennacherib was king of Assyria. Sennacherib entered Judah and made camp against the fortified cities of Judah. Assyria was used to winning its battles and Judah was no match for them

Hezekiah faced a battle against Assyria – We are fighting battles against Satan

As Christians, we face battles against our enemy, Satan and all his army of demons. Our enemy is constantly filling their bows with their fiery darts and they aim for our most venerable areas. We no sooner defend ourselves against one before another is already zinging through the air to find it’s mark. Sometimes, if feels as if we are defending ourselves against multiple fiery darts at once. As Hezekiah looked out at the vast Assyrian army, he had to be overwhelmed and afraid. Like Hezekiah, we have two choices to make: surrender in defeat or allow God to fight our battles for us. When Hezekiah saw the Assyrian army, he went into action to protect his nation with four battle strategies. We can apply these strategies to the battles that Satan brings to our doorsteps.

Hezekiah’s battle strategies: 1) stop up the water from the spring so the Assyrians had no water 2) fortify and get battle ready 3) organized and activated the army 4) reminded the people that Assyria was no match for Yahweh

Fighting Battles Strategy #1: stop up the springs so the enemy has no water and dig a tunnel to send water inside the city

First, Hezekiah instructed his leaders and commanders to stop up the water from the springs that were outside the city. In doing so, they cut off the water supply for Sennacherib’s army. But the people inside the city would need water, so he built a tunnel. Water would then flow from the springs underground and send the water inside the fortified city.

When we are in a battle against our enemy, we need to stop up extra and unnecessary activities that are draining us. Satan loves to keep us so busy that we don’t have time to drink from the Living Water of Christ. By freeing up our time, we can get alone with Jesus through His Word. We can focus on prayer and Bible study. As we seek God’s will, claim His promises, and draw on His strength, we renew our strength and our faith. Through the eyes of faith we can then see God at work in our situation.

When we are feeling overwhelmed or in a battle, we need to look for areas where we can stop up extra, unnecessary activities that are draining us so we can spend more time soaking up the living water of Christ.

Fighting Battles Strategy #2: Fortify and get battle ready

Second, Hezekiah strengthened himself so that he would be battle ready. He built up the wall that was broken, added another wall outside, repaired another fortification called the Millo, and made weapons and shields in abundance.

In Ephesians 6, Paul tell us to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might and that we are to put on the full armor of God so that we can withstand the wiles of the devil because we do not fight against flesh and blood, but against principalities, powers, and rulers of the darkness and spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

The battles we face are spiritual battles. So we need spiritual armor. With the Armor of God, we are able to stand. This armor includes the belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, shoes of the gospel of peace, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. These pieces of armor include five components of defensive armor and only one offensive weapon. But if we are going to “put them on,” then we need to know how they work. Let’s look at how each of these pieces of armor helps us fight in the battles against Satan:

The armor of God that fortifies, strengthens and gets us ready for fighting battles:

Belt of Truth:

The belt of the Roman’s soldier’s armor is the piece that holds all the other pieces in place. For the Christian, Jesus said He is the way, the truth, and the life. We find all the truth we need to fight against Satan when we obliterate his lies with the truth of God’s word. It is these truths that set us free from Satan’s lies.

Satan wants us to believe that we have no hope, that we could never measure up to be good enough for God, that we are sinful and could never merit God’s grace. He wants us to see ourselves as failures, not worthy of God using us to advance His kingdom. But the truth of God’s love and Jesus’ sacrificial death, burial and resurrection sets us free from sin and give us eternal life. When Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness, Jesus counterattacked with Scripture and for every lie Satan tempted Jesus with, Jesus quoted back truth. Truth conquers Satan’s lies.

We find all the truth we need to fight against Satan when we counterattack his lies with the truth of God’s Word and it is these truths that set us free from Satan’s lies. Truth conquers Satan’s lies.

Breastplate of righteousness:

For the Roman soldier, the breastplate covered the heart and provided protection to it and other vital organs. For the Christian, Christ’s righteousness protects us from Satan’s accusations and charges. It is only the righteousness of Jesus (not our own!) that is given to us when we accept Him as our Savior that covers and protects us.

Shoes of the gospel of peace:

Any soldier marching into battle needs strong, dependable, comfortable shoes. But what is the gospel of peace? The word “gospel” means “good news,” referring to the sacrifice Jesus made for us so that we can be saved. As a result, God’s judgment for our sins is satisfied, which sets us at peace with Him.

For the Christian, Psalm 119:105 says, “Thy word is lamp unto my feet and light unto my path.” 1 John 2:6 tells us that if we abide in Jesus, we ought to also walk just as Jesus walked. Satan is constantly trying to set up traps and obstacles to get us off course. And as we set our feet on the paths that God has given us, using the Word of God to light our way, we can advance the Kingdom of God as we obey the orders He has given us and keep steadily walking forward as we take the gospel of peace to others.

As we set our feet on the paths that God has given us, using the Word of God to light our way, we can advance the Kingdom of God as we obey the His orders and keep steadily walking forward as we take the gospel of peace to others.

Shield of faith:

Out of all six pieces of armor, Paul says, “Above all…take the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.” Our faith defends the blows of doubt and temptation that Satan hurls at us continually. Our faith will keep us steadfast in our walk with Christ. Romans 12:3 tells us that God gives each one of us a measure of faith. As we depend on Him, our faith will grow and become a shield that protect us and enables us to live a victorious life

Helmet of Salvation:

Our mind is one of the most venerable parts for Satan to attack. Every soldier knows that battles are won and lost in the mind. Satan wants us to doubt. He wants us to doubt our Salvation, that God is real, that God could love someone like me, that I’ve done too much bad for God to save me.

The Helmet of Salvation protect our minds and gives us a sure knowledge of our salvation. We can fill our minds with promises like 1 John 1:9 and 1 John 5:11-12. 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 5:11-12 tells us, “God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life.” We can memorize these verses and others like them so that when Satan wants to throw the fiery darts of doubts, we can throw back the promises of God.

The helmet of Salvation protects our minds when Satan wants us to doubt. Memorizing Bible verses and hiding them in our heart gives us an arsenal of weapons so that when Satan throws his fiery darts of doubt, we can throw back the promises of God.

Sword of the Spirit:

This is the only piece of our armor that is an offense piece. Hebrews 4:12 tells us that God’s Word is “living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword.” When Jesus faced the temptations in the wilderness, he used scripture as his weapon. This is why Bible study is so important for the Christian. You can’t use your sword if you don’t know the truth and power that it contains.

Fighting Battles Strategy #3: organize and activate the army

Third, Hezekiah organized his military, setting captains over the people. When we are facing spiritual and physical battles, we need to pray. Daniel 10:12-14 says, “Then he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia. Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come.”

Matthew 18:10 teaches that angels are assigned to represent believers to God and that these angels have access to the heavenly throne and constantly present our needs to God. Psalm 103:20-21 says, “Bless the Lord, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, obeying the voice of his word! Bless the Lord, all his hosts, his ministers, who do his will.” Psalm 34:7 says, “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.”

What activates the army of God?

The angels make up God’s army, and they are activated by our prayers. Angels stand at the throne of God waiting to do His bidding and when we pray, God dispatches them to fight on our behalf or work out a need that we have. When Daniel was praying, an answer to his prayer was delayed by 21 days by an evil supernatural being and the arch angel, Michael, had to come to help him defeat the demon. Just as Hezekiah organized his army, our prayers organize and activate God’s army.

Just as Hezekiah organized his army against the Assyrians, our prayers organize and activate God’s army against Satan.

What if Daniel had stopped praying? Would help from Michael not come and the angel never get to Daniel? Possibly. It’s certainly a sobering thought to wonder how many times we stopped praying and because we did, we didn’t receive the help that was sent. If you’re facing a spiritual battle, don’t stop praying. If necessary, dig a tunnel for the Living Water to come rushing in to refresh and renew your faith then pray even more. Pray harder. Enlist other believers to pray with you and for you.

Fighting Battles Strategy #4: Remember that the enemy is no match for the strength of Yahweh

Lastly, Hezekiah gathered the people to him and to reminded them that Assyria was no match for the strength of Yahweh. Because of the strength of the eternal Yahweh, the people had no need to be afraid or dismayed. Their courage and strength was found in God. All the Assyrian King had on his side was his mighty and vast army made of mortal flesh and blood – but the people of Judah had the Almighty Eternal God on their side. Because God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, we can know that the same Almighty God is on our side. Just as he fought for the people of Judah, He will fight for us.

Over and over again in the history of Israel and Judah, we see God fight for His people. But he fights for them when they are humbly surrendered to Him, honoring Him with their worship, and following after only Him. But, when they strayed into idol worship and turned away from God, the people met with defeat.

If you feel like you are losing the battle, can you identify any area where you have turned away from God? Are there areas your have not surrendered to Him? Do you have any idols in your life? Are you a person who does “right in the eyes of God?” You may want to spend some time in prayer asking God to reveal to you any thing that could hinder God fighting for you. Quickly confess and repent from sin and surrender totally to God. Then we need to suit up in our God-given armor, pray, and allow God to fight the battle for us.

#Godwillfightforyou #suitup #armorofGod #prayeractivatesthearmyofGod


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Now you can enhance your Bible Reading with the Verse Mapping Template

Our Verse Mapping download is FREE and includes 6 pages: 3 pages of instructions for using the template and the 2 page template, plus the cover page. If you’re looking to go deeper into God’s Word, learn more about God and develop a stronger spiritual life, Verse Mapping will help you dig into the scriptures. As you apply God’s Word to your life, you will develop a more intimate knowledge and relationship with God.

[Download not found]

Download our Free 2021 Bible Memory Verse Plan

We’ve put together 52 memory verses for you to hide God’s Word in your heart! You can download the full document for free and then print a new verse each week and as many copies as you’d like. Each verse prints four times on a page so that you can then cut them into index size cards and place them in prominent places where you will see them frequently throughout the day to help you remember to memorize them. Just because you visited our site, they’re yours for free! Download today.

[Download not found]
Bible Reading Plan Download

Download our Free 2021 Daily Bible Reading Plan

With just 30-40 minutes per day, you can read the entire Bible in one year. The One-Year Bible Reading Plan consists of both Old Testament and New Testament readings for each day of the year. The Bible is God’s personal Word to you. What is He saying to you today? Open your Bible and find out!

One Year Bible Reading Plan

Download our Free Self-Care Wheel

The Self-Care Wheel provides ideas for practicing self-care in six dimensions of yourself: Spiritual, Physical, Emotional, Intellectual, Sensory, and Social. NOTE: You will need 11X14 paper to print the wheel.

Want to know more about self-care? Our Self-Care blog series targets people who serve in any ministry position and takes a Biblical approach to self-care.

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Prayer Warrior

Are you a person who stands in prayer for others on a consistent basis? Are you a person that people come to when they need prayer? If you know what it means to be an intercessor in prayer, then you’re a prayer warrior.

Prayer Warrior

The slide show below highlights some of our favorite Christian Tees designs available in our Spreadshop and Teespring stores.

  • Revive Us Again, Lord

Canvas art and posters are available in the Teespring store. Many of our Christian Tees are also available at Teespring.

To see the collection of Canvas and Poster Prints


Need some music to get you through the day? Check out one of our Playlists on YouTube

Click here for the Contemporary Christian Playlist
Click here for the Southern Gospel Playlist
Or Click here for the Hymns Playlist

You can also watch our animated devotionals on the YouTube Channel


God, Love and Marshmallow Wars by Julia M. Bruce

What’s Inside God, Love and Marshmallow Wars?

God, Love and Marshmallow Wars is a book that includes 365 daily activities and takes you on a guided journey through Biblical principles about Godly marriage that you can then apply to your marriage, as well as helping you talk through concepts that can help you develop a solid relationship. Inside you will find simple, quick activities that include:

  • Scripture to memorize and meditate on.
  • Conversation Starters.
  • Concepts from the Bible on Godly marriages.
  • Romance Builders.
  • Relationship Builders.
  • Personal reflections.
  • Date ideas.
  • Group date ideas for you and other Christian couples.

Available in hardback, paperback and ebook from Westbow Press Bookstore, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble. Click the icons below to purchase from your preferred bookstore. Now also available at WalMart online.

WestBow Press logo

Bible Studies, Bibles, Books & More

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Everything Christian for less!

Looking for a Bible Study, Bible, book or Christian gift? We are an affiliate with Christianbook Distributors and receive an 8% commission on any item purchased through one of our links. However, the commission never increases your cost of any item. View some of our favorite items by clicking on the logo and thank you for supporting our ministry.

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Wellspring Christian Ministries receives an 8% commission on any purchased made from Christian Book Distributors through any affiliate link on this site. Your price for any item is the same as purchasing from CBD directly.


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The Overcomer

John 16:33 Overcomer

When God first created the earth and placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, the world was a perfect place. But the moment Eve sinned, the world became a broken place and has, over time, become more and more broken then ever. Jesus never promised that following Him would make life easy. In fact, He told His disciples that they would have tribulation as long as they were in the world. We definitely see tribulations in our world every day, but thankfully, Jesus is our overcomer.

Jesus never promised that following Him would make life easy. In fact, He told His disciples that they would have tribulation as long as they were in the world.

If we were to define “tribulation, ” it would be “a state of great trouble or suffering. Yes, the Bible talks about the great tribulation that is associated with the rapture of all the Christians from this world, but in this verse, Jesus was telling his disciples to expect trouble – even then in their day. And let’s face it – it’s not any better today. Most of us would agree it is much worse today. If we ever needed an Overcomer to give us hope and peace in the chaos of the times, its’ now!

Today’s Tribulations Need an Overcomer

We only have to turn the news on to hear countless stories of great trouble or suffering. We experience it when the news from the doctor isn’t what we wanted to hear. And we experience it when we lose a job or a loved one. Or we experience it when we don’t get the promotion. We experience it through an unexpected and very expensive car repair. We experience it through divorce. It occurs when there is a miscarriage. From domestic violence to mass shootings, from pandemics to racial issues, tribulations are everywhere we turn. As long as Satan and his demons have free reign in this world, there will be tribulations. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 12:10 that we can expect weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. Yes! We need an overcomer!

But what about the disciples? They all definitely experienced tribulation. While the Bible only tells how two of them died, there are reports from history and legends that tell us what happened to each one of them.

What happened to the disciples? The following disciples were crucified:

  • Peter was martyred in Rome about 66 AD  – crucified, upside down at his request
  • Andrew went to the “land of the man-eaters” (now known as the Soviet Union) where he is claimed to be the first to bring the gospel to that area. He also preached in Asia Minor, modern-day Tureky, and in Greece, where he is said to have been crucified.
  • Philip is said to have preached in North Africa and then Asia Minor where he converted the wife of a Roman proconsul. In retaliation the proconsul had Philip arrested. Some accounts indicate he was stoned to death and others indicate he was crucified upside down while still continuing to preach the gospel.
  • Bartholomew preached in India with Thomas, as well as Armenia, Ethiopia, and Southern Arabia. There are various accounts of his death, but they all agree that he was martyred by crucifixion, also upside down.

The other martyred disciples:

  • Thomas appears to have been most active east of Syria and traditions have him going as far as east India to spread the gospel. It is claimed that he died there when he was pierced through with the spears of four soldiers.
  • Matthew (the tax collector and author of the Gospel of Matthew) preached in Persia and Ethiopia. Some reports say he was not martyred while others indicate he was stabbed to death in Ethiopia.
  • James, the son of Alpheus is believed to have preached in Syria. The Jewish historian Josephus reports that he was stoned and then clubbed to death.
  • Simon the Zealot may have ministered in Persia where he was killed because he refused to sacrifice to the sun god. No documentation could be found regarding how he was killed.

Only One Disciples Died a Natural Death

John is the only one believed to have died a natural death from old age – but they did try to kill him. It is believed that he was the leader of the church in Ephesus and that he took Mary, Jesus’ mother, into his home when Jesus was crucified. When Christians were being persecuted under Domitian rule, he was cast into boiling oil at Rome and survived. He was then exiled to the island of Patmos where he wrote the book of Revelation.

Two identified Disciples after Jesus’ Death

After Jesus death, two additional disciples are identified in the Bible. The disciples chose to replace Judas who had betrayed Jesus. Matthais became the 12 disciple. Then on the Road to Damascus, Jesus Himself confronted Saul, commissioned him and changed his name to Paul. What does history tell us about these two disciples?

  • Matthais took the place of Judas, the betrayer of Jesus. Traditionally, it is believed that he preached in Syria with Andrew and was put to death by burning.
  • Paul, while not a disciple until after Jesus ascended into heaven, was responsible for the writing of many of the New Testament books of the Bible. He was a missionary and traveled to several countries to spread the gospel. Eventually, he was imprisoned and martyred in Rome about 66 AD under Emperor Nero who had him beheaded.

The Overcomer was also a Man of Sorrows

If these disciples who followed Jesus experienced tribulation, why do people today think that the Christian life is rosy and sunshine? While Jesus walked the earth, he did not go through life as a “positive-thinker.” Isaiah 53:3 describes Him as a man of sorrows. If we read the prophecy found Isaiah 52:13-53:12 we can see how much sorrow and suffering the Messiah would endure. He suffered first by leaving the glories of heaven and entering the human race as a man. Then He suffered all the things that humanity suffers, and then finally He suffered the wrath of God as the sin-bearer. Such suffering must have been all the more acute for Him, given His perfect nature. Who of us could ever understand the depths of what His righteous spirit suffered as He lived among fallen humanity?

The Joy Set Before the Overcomer

Even though Jesus suffered greatly, He did not live with depression or go around with a long face. Hebrews 12:2 tell us He could rejoice in His sufferings as He focused on the final outcome. In this verse we find that Jesus is “the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Just before going to the cross, Jesus and the disciples celebrated the Passover together in the upper room. There He washed the disciples feet, Jesus identified Judas as His betrayer, He broke the bread and shared the wine. But then the Bible tells us they sang a hymn of praise. Jesus knew that as they walked out of the upper room and into the garden to pray that he would be arrested and falsely tried. He knew everything He was about to endure and that He would die – and yet He could sing a hymn of praise. Why? Because He would have completed the task He came to earth to do – to bring salvation to us. He would become our overcomer.

The Simple Truth: Live is hard, but we have an Overcomer

The simple truth is that life is hard. There is no such thing as a “name it and claim” theology and anyone who preaches it, is a false teacher. Becoming a Christian doesn’t make life easy. In fact, it can make it harder. In John 15:19 Jesus warns us with the following: “If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” Because we live in a broken world that is ruled by sin and Satan, we can expect that life will be hard. Jesus very clearly informed us in John 16:33 that we would have tribulation in this world.

The Good News: Jesus is our Overcomer

The good news is that Jesus didn’t put the period to the sentence at that point, but follows it with the word, “but.” Yes, we will have tribulation, but Jesus said we should be of good cheer. Why? Because Jesus has overcome the world and because He is our overcomer, we can have hope. Jesus overcame the world when he defeated Satan through His sacrificial death on the cross. Because of the cross, the power of sin has been defeated and eternal life is available to all who believe in Him. Because Jesus is the overcomer, we have the opportunity to accept the gift of eternal life that He offers to every person. We just have to accept it by faith. Then He becomes our overcomer.

Jesus said we would have tribulation in this world. Thankfully, He didn’t put the period there, but follows it with “but.” We will have tribulation, but we should be of good cheer because He overcame the world & because He did, we have hope.

Finding Peace in Tribulations because we have an Overcomer

As a Christian, death does not get the final say. The world does not get the final say. No matter what we face in this life, it is temporary and when we step from this life into eternal life, all that was suffered here will be no more. It isn’t that we won’t have troubles in this life, but that we can have peace in the trouble as we go through them in the strength of God because of what Jesus did to make our eternal life secure. In John 16:20 Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy.” Eternal joy, as we spend eternity in the presence of our Lord and Savior who is our overcomer.


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A Call of Action to the People of God

Just because we are people of God, doesn’t mean life is easy. We all have those moments where we just absolutely don’t know what we should do. A job decision, whom to marry, a wayward child, what school to send our kids to, how to get all the bills paid (again!), a home or car repair, how to keep going when someone close to us dies, how to give up a bad habit, a marriage falling apart, an unrealistic deadline, a health crisis…and then life is topped off with a coronavirus pandemic and a national racial crisis. And now (for those of us in the south and along the coastlines) it’s hurricane season.

People of God, we’re in a spiritual battle!

Life can certainly get overwhelming! We’ve all been there in one way or another. What do we do? Where do we go? We’re stressed out, anxious, fearful, and maybe depressed and hopeless because it feels as if there is no end in sight. Our nation is a wreck! As people of God, we need to recognize the spiritual battle at work in our world and know that our sovereign God is in control. We also need to be painfully honest and aware how the people of God have played a role in the state our nation is in. We need to admit that we have earned God’s judgement and seek Him with a repentant heart.

Because we live in a sinful, broken world, some of the things that happen are the result of our own choices. Other times we have no control over it. Sometimes what happens in our world is God judging us because we’ve turned our backs on Him and chosen to live according to how we want to live. If ever God has had cause to judge America, it’s now. A once God-centered nation has definitely turned its back on God. Let’s compare our world with how Israel was living at the time God judged them and what happened to them as a result of their continued sin. We’ll also give a call to action to the people of God.

Israel’s sin: Forsaking God

The biggest sin Israel had, was forsaking God and choosing to worship idols of gods the nations surrounding them worshiped. They didn’t want to be “set apart,” consecrated, and holy. They wanted to be like every one else. God had made a covenant with the nation of Israel that if they would worship only Him, then they would have his protection and blessings. But once they entered the Promised Land, they became complacent. When a king was on the throne that followed God, so did the nation. When a king sat on the throne that followed after idolatry, so did the nation. God had warned the people that if they forsook Him, He would bring judgement and that would include losing the Promised Land.

The people of God today have forsaken God

The people of God today, have also become complacent. We’ve dwelt in a land of safety and blessing and little by little Satan has chipped away at the Biblical foundation this country was founded on. Then we ask one another “Where is God?” Or we find ourselves defending if God is alive or dead. As people of God, we’ve looked the other way for too long. We acknowledge Him on Sundays as we sing His praises but refuse to stand up for Him when laws are being passed that turn this nation away from Him one law at a time.

The people of God’s sin: Child sacrificing

A regular part of their worship to one of these gods was child sacrificing. The Bible calls it “passing their babies through the fire.” Today, we’re appalled at the idea and you might even say, “How could they? We would never do that!” We might not toss our children in the fire and call it worship, but every day thousands of unborn children are murdered by the choice of their own mother. The Psalmist wrote in Psalm 139:13-14: “For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” Israel was guilty of murdering their children and so are we.

Maybe you’re against abortion and would never consider it. What are you doing about changing it? In a recent incident that caused the unnecessary death of George Floyd, three other officers who just stood by and watched and did nothing to stop the officer who was arresting Mr. Floyd are being charged with aiding and abetting both second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Will God charge us for just standing by and doing nothing as every day babies are murdered through abortion?

The People of God’s sin: Idolatry

Let’s go back to Israel’s worshiping idols of false gods. While there may be some religious practices that worship carved images, we too can be guilty of having idols. What is it in your life that takes a higher priority than God in your life? Do you choose to buy that overpriced ticket to the NFL game instead of giving your tithe? What do your Sunday’s look like? Do you go fishing on Sunday instead of church? Do you spend your time working excessively or in a hobby and then give no time to reading your Bible and prayer? How important is God to you? Is He just your ticket into heaven – you’re fire insurance policy against going to hell?

In Isaiah 42:8, God says: “I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols.” In Exodus 20:5, God instructs: “You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God.” And in Psalm 97:7, the Psalmist wrote, “All worshipers of images are put to shame, who make their boast in worthless idols.”

Consequences of the Sin of the People of God

Because Israel turned their back on God and chose other gods to worship, they lost possession of the Promised Land. God sent Assyria and Babylon who conquered them and sent them into exile, scattering the ones who survived the invasion. Even though, God in His love and mercy, sent prophet after prophet to warn the people to turn back to Him, they didn’t listen. Through generation after generation, God called his people back, but they refused. They were hardhearted, stubborn, stiff-necked, obstinate, and wanted their own way.

The State of America

America, God is calling us back to Him. Yet, we are hardhearted, stubborn, stiff-necked, obstinate, and want our own way. We have tossed out his commandments and redefined marriage. We have tossed prayer out of school and sent God to the sidelines. Churches are closing their doors for lack of people attending them. Some Christians are stingy with their tithes and refuse to use the gifts God has given them while churches struggle to keep their ministries going.

The People of God need to obey the 2nd greatest Commandment

We have reversed Christ’s second greatest commandment from “Love your neighbor as yourself” to “Love yourself and who cares about your neighbor.” We’ve allowed the color of one’s skin to judge who they are. We teach our children to sing: “Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world, red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight, Jesus loves the little children of the world.” But then make racial slurs and put people down and we do it even within the walls of our churches.

Just because one’s culture is different than our own, we see them as inferior. But the fact is every single person is a unique and glorious creation of God – and He loves every single one of us. Jesus died for every single one of us. We have to stop looking skin deep. We need to look at people through the eyes of Jesus and love others just as He loves us. My friend, it doesn’t matter what the skin color – there are good and bad in every race.

The People of God need to obey the Greatest Commandment

The greatest commandment, which Christ said was, “you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” Do we love God like that? If we did, then loving our neighbor as our self would be easy. If we loved God like that, the world would see the light of Christ as He shined in us and through us. Jesus said that we are both salt and light to the world – but I think we’ve lost our saltiness and our lights are very dim because we are not plugged into the power source who is the Light of the World.

The Truth: The People of God do not love God with all our heart, soul mind and strength

The truth is we do not love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. But what if we did? What if we kept our eyes on God? What if we stop now and turn our hearts and eyes back towards God? And what if God’s people came together to fast and pray, to seek God’s face, to repent of being content within our church walls instead of following the great commission? Could we be guilty of being more concerned with evangelizing the world than with evangelizing our own communities and neighborhoods? Are we not guilty of complacency? If God’s people, who are burdened for our nation, came together to fast and pray, could the Holy Spirit sweep across our nation and bring a revival that turned our nation back to God?

Jehoshaphat, King of Judah

Israel split into two countries and Judah became it’s own nation. Throughout Judah’s history in the Bible, we find that here and there a king would sit on the throne and they would lead the nation back to God. Jehoshaphat was one of those kings. In 2 Chronicles 20, it opens up with a national crisis:

It happened after this that the people of Moab with the people of Ammon, and others with them besides the Ammonites, came to battle against Jehoshaphat. Then some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, “A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from Syria; and they are in Hazazon Tamar” (which is En Gedi). And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. So Judah gathered together to ask help from the Lord; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.

2 Chronicles 20:1-4, NKJV

We might think there is nothing we can do about the state of our country and our world. But right here in 2 Chronicles 20, we find what we can do. Fast and pray. Seek the Lord. As Jehoshaphat led the nation of Judah in prayer, listen to his plea to God and then we will look at six acknowledgments Jehoshaphat makes in his prayer and how we can apply them to our situation today:

Jehoshaphat’s Prayer for God’s intervention

O Lord God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You? Are You not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever? And they dwell in it, and have built You a sanctuary in it for Your name, saying, ‘If disaster comes upon us—sword, judgment, pestilence, or famine—we will stand before this temple and in Your presence (for Your name is in this temple), and cry out to You in our affliction, and You will hear and save.’ 

And now, here are the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir—whom You would not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them and did not destroy them— here they are, rewarding us by coming to throw us out of Your possession which You have given us to inherit. O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.”

2 Chronicles 20:6-12, NKJV

What to do About the State of America

What can we do about the state of America? We can have a different focus. I’m reminded of when Peter walked on water. As soon as he took his eyes off Jesus, he began to focus on the waves crashing all around him and he became scared and started sinking. Peter, though, was smarter than many of us. He immediately cried out, “Lord, save me!” (Matthew 14:20) and Jesus was instantly there, reached out His hand and caught Peter.

Today, Satan would like nothing more than for God’s people to cower in fear and hide within the walls of their homes. He wants our focus on the waves around us. He wants us to sink into the depths of hopelessness. And he wants us to stay complacent and silent. When we take our eye of Jesus, Satan gets exactly what he wants. We can keep our eyes peeled to the news and fret and worry. Or we can take action by seeking God’s face and cry out to Him. Jehoshaphat took action. He “set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.”

The People of God today need to follow Jehoshaphat’s Six Acknowledgments:

Here are six acknowledgments from Jehoshaphat’s prayer that we can follow as we fast, pray, and seek God’s face:

1. Jehoshaphat acknowledged God was God.

Jehoshaphat acknowledged God. He said, “O Lord God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven?” He basically is saying – God, are you who you say you are? Are you God or not? In doing so, he acknowledged that he believes God is God in heaven. His question wasn’t that he didn’t believe – but that he’s challenging God to live up to who He says He is.

We need to acknowledge that God is who He says He is – He is God and we are not. In doing so, we call Him to act on our behalf with all of his power.

2. Jehoshaphat acknowledged God’s Power

Jehoshaphat acknowledged God’s power: “and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You? If Judah went out to fight this battle on their own, they would have lost. Their only hope was for God to do something miraculously to save them. Remember from the text that Jehoshaphat is scared. When we are scared, the best place to go is to God. He alone has the power to rescue and save.

We have no power on our own to change our nation. We can’t change not one single person. Only the Holy Spirit can bring conviction of sin and turn a person’s heart toward God or back to God. So we need to acknowledge God’s power and stop trying to do things in our own power. The battle we face is a spiritual one. Certainly God works through the lives of those who trust in Him, but the point is, we can do nothing on our own. But we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength.

3. Jehoshaphat acknowledged God’s Sovereignty

Judah’s king prayed: “and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations?” Jehoshaphat understood that nations rise and fall at the will of God. God could save them from this threat or God could wipe them out and destroy them.

America, God in sovereignty rules over every nation – including America. He either blesses us or judges us. Right now, God is judging. He’s calling us to repent. We need to acknowledge God’s sovereignty. We need to acknowledge that, should God choose to, He could wipe America off the globe today. At the same time God could send His Holy Spirit to sweep across our nation and bring a spiritual revival like we’ve never seen before. I’m praying for revival.

4. Jehoshaphat acknowledged their problem

Jehoshaphat acknowledged their problem: “And now, here are the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir—whom You would not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them and did not destroy them— here they are, rewarding us by coming to throw us out of Your possession which You have given us to inherit. O our God, will You not judge them?” Three countries join forces to gang up on Judah with the intent of overtaking them and taking over their land. If you notice, God would not allow Israel’s ancestors invade these nation as they came out of Egypt and now here they were knocking on the front door like the big bad wolf. They definitely had a problem!

Our problem today is not racism or same sex marriage. Those are a result of our problem. Our problem is a sin problem that is tearing our nation apart at the seams. We need to acknowledge the problem and call it by its name without sugar-coating it. We need to be direct and honest before our omniscient (all-knowing) God.

5. Jehoshaphat acknowledged their helplessness

Jehoshaphat acknowledged their own helplessness in their situation: “we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do.” The small nation of Judah did not have the power or might to defeat the size of the army coming against them.

We do not have the power or might to defeat our enemy either. Who is our enemy? Satan…and he comes at us with all his army of demons. To some degree, Christians are as much guilty of the state of this world and our nation as those who passed laws and led this nation away from God. We have not taken a stand for Christ in the political world. We’ve sat idly by, complacent within the pretty walls of our churches, and shook our heads and quietly said, “Well, bless their hearts. Let’s pray for them.” And now, we feel helpless to change anything.

Our Biggest Weapon is Prayer

All of Judah felt helpless too – but they were not. They used their biggest weapon without even knowing it – they prayed. We need to pray too. Not just say we’re going to pray, but never get around to it. Not just say some words so we can check prayer off our to-do list for the day. We need humble, heartbroken, repentant prayer from the people of God. Riots and marches make a statement, but they don’t change anything. Often they make the problem bigger.

Prayer changes the course of nations. Prayer moves heaven into action. But, as we pray, we need to acknowledge the part we played in the state of our nation by not standing up and speaking out for Christ. We need to repent and ask the Holy Spirit to empower us to speak boldly. If the people of God came together with the power of the Holy Spirit, God can work through us to bring the change that we so desperately need.

6. Jehoshaphat acknowledged their source of help

Jehoshaphat acknowledged their source of help: “we will stand before this temple and in Your presence (for Your name is in this temple), and cry out to You in our affliction, and You will hear and save.” At the end of his prayer, he also said: “our eyes are upon You.” As the leader and king of Judah, he called his nation to fast and pray. He brought them to the house of God and with the entire nation in assembly, he led his people to pray and ask God to help them.

What would happen in our nation if God’s people all across America united on the same date and stood before God and in His presence and cried out to Him? Then, what if, we stand together with our eyes upon God to see Him work miraculously and intervene in the direction this nation is going? When Abraham barters with God to save Sodom and Gomorrah from destruction we find that for just 10 righteous people God would not destroy the cities. Are there 10 righteous people in America who will stand up for God by falling on their knees? Will 10 righteous people fast and pray?

A Call to Action for the People of God

We are calling on God’s people across America and throughout the world. We must stand before our Holy God acknowledging who He is. Acknowledging His power and sovereignty. We need to bring our sin problem to Him, surrender it, repent of it, and ask His forgiveness. We also need to acknowledge our helplessness against our enemy and that God is our only source of help. And we need to beseech God to revive our hearts, renew a steadfast spirit within us, and to redeem our nation. Will you join us?

Fasting and Prayer for America

On Friday, July 3rd, we are asking that Christians throughout America will spend the day fasting and in private prayer of repentance and asking God to send a revival to our land. Ask the Holy Spirit to renew the hearts of God’s people and burden them for the state of our nation and the need we have to repent and turn our hearts back to Him. Pray that God would redeem our nation and we would once again be known as One Nation Under God.

Then on Sunday, July 5, we are asking churches around the country to gather their congregations together outside the front of their churches and spend time in corporate prayer for the Holy Spirit to move in our nation and within the body of Christ. If you are a pastor reading this, will you lead your church to fast and pray just as King Jehoshaphat led his people? We also ask that you help us call the nation to prayer and fasting by sharing this on your various social media sites.

Let the people of God arise and cry out to Him to revive, renew, and redeem our nation and our world!


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What’s Inside God, Love and Marshmallow Wars?

God, Love and Marshmallow Wars is a book that includes 365 daily activities and takes you on a guided journey through Biblical principles about Godly marriage that you can then apply to your marriage, as well as helping you talk through concepts that can help you develop a solid relationship. Inside you will find simple, quick activities that include:

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Trivia Answer

TA072

Read the full story in 2 Kings, Chapters 18-20