Three Keys for Effective Prayer in this Hour 

by | Oct 18, 2023 | 2023, Articles, News, Updates

As we carry the burden of this war in our hearts, minds, and spirits; we need to keep our eyes upward. We need to “look to see what the Lord speaks” (Habakkuk 2:4). As we set our hearts on things above (Colossians 3:2), we can get God’s perspective and walk in His strength and peace. I believe the most important thing we can do concerning the war in Gaza is to pray.

As I sought the Lord for keys on how to pray, I sensed Him bring Romans 12:12 to me. This powerful Scripture has three directives that I believe will empower and strengthen our prayer lives! These mandates will help us stay in effective intercession for the long haul.

Romans 12:12 says, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” ‭

Joyful in Hope

Joy strengthens us as Nehemiah 8:10 declares, “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” Joy is not an emotion. It is supernatural. It is a demonstration of the Kingdom of God as Romans 14:17 says, “The kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.” To have a kingdom perspective and empowerment, we must operate out of joy.

Hope is an expectation of good. Hope fuels faith according to Hebrews 11:1, “Faith is being sure what you hope for and certain of that which you don’t see.” Hope also is supernatural. As Romans 15:13 says, “May the God of hope fill you with joy and peace, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Patient in Affliction

The proper definition of patient is “long-suffering.” That means to be willing to suffer long! Most of us get impatient when things don’t go our way. This patience in affliction requires supernatural grace and power. The word affliction in Greek means “tribulation, oppression, or distress.” So we are called to persevere when things are extremely difficult. We do not have an option to give up. This grit and determination postures us to thrive in the next mandate.

Faithful in Prayer

The word faithful here means “to be constant, to be diligent, and to give yourself to.” This reveals that we are called to pray continually. This is a practicing-the-presence-of-God prayer life. This is a proactive prayer life and not a reactive prayer life. We pray God’s prayers. We remember His promises and diligently remind God of what He said in His word!

Here is a review of this progression that is a key for us in this hour: 

Being joyful in hope gives us strength and a positive view of the future. This keeps anxiety, depression, and fear at bay. We can then pray from God’s kingdom perspective empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Being patient in affliction helps us to persevere and to not be discouraged when things don’t turn out the way we want them to. This keeps us grounded and immovable in our faith and trust that God’s word will prevail even when don’t immediately see it.
Our faith-filled diligent prayer life is what really transforms hearts and moves mountains in nations and people groups. Being faithful in prayer changes history. As Paul said we are to “wrestle in prayer.” There are no breaks in a wrestling match. We are to pray continually!

I bless you to continue to partner with God in this season of crisis and prayer intervention concerning the war between Israel and Hamas. You are called to be a watchmen on the wall for such a time is this. I pray that you will be strengthened with power in your inner being through your fellowship with the Holy Spirit as you pray and contend for God’s kingdom to come and His will to be done!

Israel Update

by | Oct 11, 2023 | 2023, News

What I sense God is speaking concerning the war between Israel and Hamas — Tod McDowell

As I have been praying about what God is speaking concerning the terror attacks by Hamas in Israel and now the war, the Lord spoke to me from Micah 6:8, “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” I believe these three principles are key in this situation: Do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God.

Doing justice is important.

As Psalm 97:2 declares: “Clouds and thick darkness surround him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.” Doing what is right and just is the foundation of God’s authority and His ways as expressed through this description of His throne. Because of this, I believe we need to support the Israeli army and governmental leaders as they seek to bring these terrorists to justice. For those of us who are mercy-oriented, we must not be offended by this pursuit of justice. I will talk about the importance of mercy next. Without justice, evil will spread and conquer. Governments, armies, and police forces are crucial to keeping societies safe and strong. They provide the foundation for people to live in freedom, to thrive, and to be fruitful. Executing justice is not easy. It is often painful and difficult. Lives will be lost. It is often messy. Mistakes will be made. But it is the first thing that must be done to stop the evil, demonic, and ruthless behavior exhibited by the Hamas terrorists.

However, we are called to love mercy.

This means that our hearts should be broken towards the individual terrorists who have been deceived through demonic ideologies, lies, and deception to partner with Satan himself to “steal, kill, and destroy” innocent lives. We need to have God’s heart of love for the Palestinians. They are not the enemy. As Paul says in Ephesians 6:12, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” While governmental leaders in Israel and those in the army and police force have the duty and calling to bring justice, we as believers have a “priestly calling.” 1 Peter 2:5 says, “…you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood.” A priest’s role is to bring mercy and not judgment to others. This is the calling of all believers. Our hearts should be merciful, loving, and gracious towards all—the Jewish people and Arabs—while at the same time standing against the satanic ideology manifested through Islam. This demonic anti-Christ spirit brings unfathomable, irrational, and diabolical acts toward God’s chosen people and land. The last time this spirit was on full display in such boldness and barbarism towards the Jewish people was during the Holocaust.

We need to walk humbly with our God.

It is so easy when there are major world conflicts to quickly become self-appointed critics, judges, and experts. We succumb to this pride by giving our own personal opinions and views through emotional responses on social media and other communication platforms. We need to fear the Lord more than ever. We need to be humble and tremble at His word. We can’t afford to communicate from our souls, based on feelings and thoughts that come from our perspective based on the circumstances. We must be rooted and grounded in God‘s word. This posture of humility is the only way that we are going to come together in biblical unity. The standard of unity that we are to walk in is “oneness.” As Jesus said in John 17:23, “…that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that You sent Me and loved them even as You loved Me.”

Unity in the global body of Christ is the spiritual battle that I believe is at stake right now.

Satan tries to divide. He knows that a house divided cannot stand (Mark 3:25). Many Christians have been divided for decades concerning the Israel and Palestinian conflict. I believe unity is crucial. This oneness between Jewish believers and Arab believers is at the center of what God is doing in our day. I am deeply invested in walking with Jewish and Arab believers as God brings all believers from all nations to become “perfectly one.” When Jews and Arabs walk in oneness together, it is catalytic. The expression of love, family, and unity is indescribable. It is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. Now is the time for us to stand together. We as Gentile believers in many nations around the world need to embrace our brothers and sisters that are in the center of this conflict.

The Isaiah 62 Global Fast for Israel

The Isaiah 62 Global Fast for Israel

by | Apr 19, 2023 | News

We invite you to join with us and believers around to globe to engage in a global prayer initiative spearheaded by Mike Bickle, Lou Engle, Jason Hubbard, and others. The Isaiah 62 Fast is a call to 21 Days of prayer and fasting for the fulfillment of God’s salvation promises for Jerusalem and Israel (May 7-28).

More than 1 million believers have already committed to unite in prayer and fasting for the following goals:

  1. To pray for God’s salvation purposes for Israel
  2. For the unfolding of God’s purposes for Israel and the Jews as revealed in Scripture
  3. To pray that the body of Christ would have a biblical view of Israel and its unique role in the earth.

I believe the Isaiah 62 global fast is strategic. This historic fast will culminate on the first global prayer day entirely focused on Israel with over 100 million intercessors will be praying for Israel on Pentecost Sunday, May 28th.

For more details on how to join in this significant season of prayer and fasting, click here to visit Isaiah62fast.com. You are invited to engage with us locally in prayer on Tuesdays at the LightHouse from 8:30-9:30 am and on Thursdays at the Franklin Prayer House from 9 am to 11 am.

But if their [Israel’s] transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their full inclusion bring! …For if their rejection brought reconciliation to the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? (Romans 11:12,15).

$2100 Church Building Update

by | Aug 16, 2013 | Announcements, The Good Report

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Thank you, thank you, thank you to all of you who responded regarding the two church buildings in Mozambique. We asked for $2,100, but because of your generosity we are able to send Iris Ministries slightly more than $6000! The extra funds will go towards digging wells, feeding orphans, and training bush pastors. As most of you will know, this is one of the most amazing ministries to the poor of any place we know, ministering to many thousands of orphans and single mothers who have been deserted by their husbands, often these women without any way to feed and support the children.

Please know that we are continually partnering with Iris. We have been very blessed to teach in the Global Harvest schools, and to work alongside these amazing men and women of God.

Some of you have wondered why we would be raising funds for church buildings, since that is not usually something that we would do. These “church buildings” are not what we usually would call “church buildings,” but are really more like a small living room in a village in the bush where no one has living space large enough to host a group. Iris Ministries now has more than 10,000 churches throughout the bush country.

May the Lord give you back many times over what you have given, so that, as Paul said to us, we may “at all times, having all that [we] need, [we] will abound in every good work” (2 Cor. 9:8).

Blessings,

Don and Tod, for “Caleb” and “Iris”