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God is Watching Us "He stood and surveyed the earth; He looked and startled the nations." Habakkuk 3:6 NASB I believe God is calling intercessors all across America and around the world to pray for President George Bush. I want to tell you why he is God’s chosen man for this hour and why the church needs to stand in the gap for him, especially at this critical time. In November of 2000, my wife and I were participating in a spiritual warfare conference in east-central Texas, led by Alan and Eileen Vincent of Outpouring Ministries from San Antonio. Not far away, Governor George Bush was at his ranch in Crawford awaiting the outcome of the ballot dispute that was still raging in Florida. The strange turn of events in polling places and courtrooms would eventually bring him to power as president-elect. During the conference, I sought the Lord one afternoon after I had been asked to lead in intercessory prayer for Gov. Bush that evening. Not knowing precisely how to pray, I waited on the Lord alone in my motel room. As I prayed, the Lord spoke to me and said, "Prophesy to him!" I said, "How Lord? He’s eight miles away and I couldn’t get through the Secret Service even if I tried." The Lord said, "It doesn’t matter. Prophesy to him as though he were in front of you. Pray that the spirits of the prophets will be stirred up to prophesy encouragement to him, for I have anointed him to rule." As the Lord spoke to me, my mind imagined young David in the Bible as the prophet Samuel singled him out and spoke words over him that pictured his God-chosen future, a destiny designed to bless his nation. I said to the Lord, "What about Al Gore?" God’s answer in my spirit was to dismiss my question as though that were not any of my concern. I sensed, however, that the Lord had others assigned to pray for him. So I did what the Lord told me to do. Alone in my hotel room, I prophesied to the future president of the United States. Though it felt foolish, I spoke in faith as though he could hear my voice. I addressed his inner man, his heart, as though I was right there with him. I felt God was charging his soul with faith, giving him hope and courage for the future, calling him to persevere. As I prophesied, I felt I was somehow adding threads to a tapestry of spiritual design already spoken about him, words that were meant to help him. Then I prayed that God’s prophets in the land would speak similar words to encourage Texas Governor George Bush. I pictured us all praying to the Father in his behalf from within our own prayer closets, interceding in the Spirit of Jesus. I imagined us as God’s mouthpieces, voices in the dark, releasing prophetic utterances that flew like swift arrows, dispatching power-filled words that would wrap Mr. Bush like a warm cloak and soak divine strength into his soul. I realized then that there is no distance to faith-filled words. I saw that God’s prayer partners could use heaven’s authority to send power-filled words long-distance. Words spoken in prayer or prophecy under the Holy Spirit’s anointing are not limited by geography. For anyone in Christ, there really is no distance in the realm of prayer. In the conference that evening, the Spirit of the Lord rested mightily upon the musicians and singers. The whole audience sensed we were in an unusual place in God. During intense praise and worship, the atmosphere grew increasingly charged with the manifest presence of the Lord. The weight of glory grew so heavy, so thick with God’s holiness, that silence settled over us all. No one dared to move. We were gripped by an awareness of an encounter with God that was unlike an ordinary meeting, and none of us were unaffected. People were being overcome as though drunk. Some began to fall over. The flag-bearer slumped, the pianist slid off her bench, the pastor took off his shoes and fell prone on his face in the altar area. He began to cry out loudly, "He is here! He is holy! Take off your shoes!" The prophetic people seated down front immediately removed their shoes. At that very moment as we acknowledged His presence, the smell of incense broke out in the church. Like a fragrant cloud, the dramatic aroma of frankincense and myrrh flooded the front of the auditorium. People who had their eyes closed suddenly opened them, startled at the lovely fragrance. The odor was so strong and so well defined that it had a specific locality¾ the area in the front of the meeting where people had fallen prostrate or were humbling themselves. The pleasing aroma was enjoyed simultaneously by scores of people for nearly ten timeless minutes. I nudged my wife seated beside me, saying to her, "Do you smell that?" She opened her eyes from silent worship and whispered, "Yes, but I thought someone had spilled anointing oil." But no one had moved and there was no oil. To me, it was easy to imagine an Invisible Majestic Person standing before us wearing garments saturated with the perfume of prayer. As He walked nearby, the aroma of His presence wafted our way. As this heavenly moment softly withdrew, slowly closing like a swinging door, we all looked around at each other in stunned amazement. I realized something awesome had happened. Our worship in the Spirit and our prophetic acts of prayer (added to the prayers of many others in many different places) had brought an immediate response from heaven. God had heard our desperate cry for righteous leadership for our nation. Grace was being released for good government. Favor was being released upon God’s chosen vessel. Angels were on assignment to help America. In that holy atmosphere, sensing the mind of the Lord seemed easy. It was as though God were clearly showing me, "I’m looking for someone humble, who knows their need of Me, whom I can anoint as a leader for this nation." I turned in my Bible and read Luke 1:51-52, the beautiful prophetic song of Mary, which reads in part, "He scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart. He has brought down rulers from their thrones and has exalted those who were humble." Then the Lord took me to Daniel 4:17 and I saw this: "The sentence is by the decree of the angelic watchers, and the decision is a command of the holy ones, in order that the living may know that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind, and bestows it on whom He wishes, and sets over it the lowliest of men." I knew God’s choice and God’s selection had now been determined despite what the polls and the media and the courtrooms were still hashing out. As far as God was concerned, the issue was settled. The matter was being/had been determined by a Higher Authority. God was watching us. Angels were witnessing our intercession. Our prayers had mounted up to heaven where they had mingled with God’s holy desire. A decision had been reached to enforce the will of heaven on earth. Angelic watchers and humble saints had symphonized in a union of prayer that released a holy command from heaven’s throne. Saturated with supernatural power, prayers slammed back into the earth with force enough to confound judges, affect the judgment of voters, and strengthen strained election officials. No one could have written a script for such a story without it being dismissed as unbelievable. I picked up my Bible, opened it, and stood up to read to the assembly. The scripture was Revelation 8:3-5 which describes the prayers of the saints ascending to the altar in heaven where an angel added incense while the fragrant smoke went up before God. The next verse describes the explosive effect: "Then the angel took the censer and filled it with the fire of the altar and threw it to the earth." Can you imagine the scene? A fiery altar in heaven, prayers being added to it like burnt offerings, incense filling the throne-room with smoke, then an angel throwing fire down on the earth. That’s the moment when the prayers of the saints affect events on the earth. An amazing fact: prayer smells good to God! To Him, it is a pleasing aroma. And an amazing reality: our prayers, mixed with God’s desire, can re-direct earthly affairs. As I finished reading these verses, attempting to give context and interpretation to the incredible events of the evening, I slowly fell over backwards while clutching my Bible and laughing deliriously, being overcome myself with God’s intoxicating presence! In sober reflection as I looked back at that evening and those scriptures, the Lord seemed to show me two important things:
Later that month, I heard Gov. Bush in various news interviews repeatedly use the word "humble," a word that I had never before heard a presidential candidate or president-elect use in public speech. To me, it seemed that God had found his David and was now preparing him to face his Goliath. Our job as believers is to stand with him in prayer. As the scriptures command, "Pray for those in authority." (1 Timothy 2:1-8 The Holy Bible) The application of this story to our present call-to-prayer is this: The welfare of our nation depends on the right man being in power at a strategic moment in history. Our clearly defined role as a church toward God’s ordained civil authority is to pray for them and to prophesy to them. In the Bible, David’s administration was not a political result so much it was as a signal of God’s covenant-keeping mercy for Israel. David realized early on that he was not in power for his own benefit but for the welfare of God’s people. (1 Chronicles 14:2) Therefore, he kept on seeking God for wisdom to wage war and to govern, and he kept on strengthening himself by worshipping in the tabernacle before the ark of the Lord’s presence. He knew he needed God’s help! The Psalms are filled with his many reflections on these themes. The kid named David whose story is in the Bible started out as a young lad who tended his father’s sheep. He was the last and the least, perhaps thought by his peers to be the most unlikely to succeed. But God’s choice didn’t depend on appearances or popularity, but on heart issues, on integrity of character proven trustworthy under fire. Unknown to many, David had a genuine shepherd’s heart, not a hireling’s attitude. The hireling’s attitude is, "They don’t pay me enough for this, and if the going gets tough, I’m outta here." David didn’t run from the battle. At great personal risk, David had protected his father’s sheep by attacking those beasts that had attacked them, killing both a lion and a bear. He didn’t compromise with the lion; he didn’t negotiate with the bear; he killed them. He took the battle to them, not waiting for more lambs to be slaughtered. What David didn’t know was that that God was watching. God was looking for a future leader and, in due time, God would send a prophet to signal the change of seasons, accelerate the process, and release the anointing on that young leader. Later, after Samuel had anointed David and after Saul had tried to give him his armor, David bravely faced the strong man of the Philistines, a giant named Goliath. What his brothers had thought was arrogant presumption on the part of young David, God had recognized as the boldness of simple faith that led to courageous action. David’s faith could be heard as he first declared what he was going to do to Goliath, and then seen as he proceeded to do it. He struck the giant in the forehead with a stone from his sling and then he cut off the giant’s head. The demoralizing taunts of Goliath were silenced. The mouthpiece of anti-God rhetoric had been permanently shut up. The incarnation of evil in that generation had been decapitated. The land could now have peace. I remember hearing something another plain-spoken Texan named Ross Perot once said after he left the board of GM, words which I will attempt to recollect and paraphrase for you. "In Texas, when we see rattlesnakes in a factory, we don’t form a committee to study’em; we don’t write papers about rattlesnakes; we don’t analyze rattlesnakes to see if we can live with’em; we kill’em." Prime Minister Tony Blair recently addressed his Labor Party in Great Britain and said to them (again I paraphrase his words as best I can recall) "I know that as a leader I will not convince all of you of the necessary political reasons for going to war with Iraq. But leaders sometimes have to do what is right even when their people don’t understand." He went on to talk about the moral cause for war, saying, "When you see a million people on TV marching against the war in Iraq, remember this, Saddam Hussein has already killed more than a million people." Sometimes war is the highest moral road to take. To fail to resist evil, to do nothing but talk, to give in to fear and want peace at any price, to not defend the helpless, can itself become an immoral act. David, when he heard Goliath’s taunts, said, "Is there not a cause?" Real leaders discern the time for right actions. The good news in the Bible is that King David symbolized the ascent of the Lord’s anointed to power and the inauguration of a new era for His covenant people, the era of God’s kingdom being manifested in human society. It was an era marked by the leadership of a man anointed to govern, a man with a gentle shepherd’s heart, but a man who also knew how to go to war for a righteous cause. Ultimately, we rest our hope today not in frail men or flawed political systems, but in the coming kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He is the King of kings, the seed of David, the son of Abraham, God’s risen Son, whose never-ending life is a source of blessing to all the families of the earth who will turn to Him, and believing, be saved. I bear witness that in Jesus Christ alone and in Him exclusively is full and free salvation. I bear witness that there is only one Savior who paid for our sin with His holy blood. I bear witness that only one man was ever raised from the dead never to die again. There is only one King whose Father has decreed from heaven, "This is My Beloved Son- listen to Him!" Jesus alone is Lord! While civil governments must be tolerant of many religions or even no religion at all, as a Christian witness, I have to stand for the truth. Pluralism in the name of political correctness is idolatry by another name. Furthermore, I speak forth into the atmosphere these words that will not fade away, words that I will not take back, words that are charged with God’s holy authority: I declare there is no God but Jehovah, and Jesus is His Son. I declare there is no Savior but Jesus, and the kingdom’s of the world belong to Him. I declare the Spirit of Elijah is coming powerfully on God’s prophets, and they will overthrow the spirit of Baal that is trying to deceive and intimidate the nations. Friends, God is jealous for the honor due His Son, our Lord Jesus, the only true Messiah of the Jews. Oh, if only they would believe their own prophets in the Bible instead of being misled by their agnostic rabbis! I pray that God will pour out upon Israel the spirit of grace and supplication, that they will turn from their hardness of heart, see their crucified Savior, and believe in Him. The issues are bigger than we can imagine, bigger than we now know. Forces in high places lurking behind the veil of the visible are now jockeying for position. The human drama of leaders and armies dimly reflects a larger conflict, a vast array of invisible host, both good and evil. In this conflict, information is on a "need to know" basis, and we all need to know that the real battle is first won in prayer before it’s won on the battlefield. The reality is, we all are already engaged in a war. So we may as well enlist rather than dodge the draft. The way we enlist is to enroll in the boot camp of prayer. Recognize the Generals in God’s army. Find local leaders who are organizing prayer for our city, our schools, or churches, our nation, for the gospel’s success in missions, and get involved on a regular basis. Show up for drills. Live ammo is coming soon! For many in America, the battle erupted visibly for the first time on 9-11. It was an alarm bell to the church and to our land. It was a signal that we were deceived to be thinking, "If we leave them alone, they will leave us alone." No friends, war doesn’t work that way. The hope of the world is for the gospel to prevail. The hope of Israel is exactly the same. Spiritual conflict is spilling over into the material realm, into global affairs. This is a spiritual war that affects our souls, our families, our culture and our nation. Most people don’t realize the true nature of the conflict. It is so easy to mistakenly think that the victims of the devil’s lies are our real enemy. We need the prophets of the land to take their stand and pour encouragement on God’s anointed as he faces a modern Goliath in our behalf. We need end-time armies of intercessors to fight for the freedom of millions in the Middle East. How can we stand by and let a lie take over the earth? We need fearless and faith-filled men and women to stand for what is right and pray it down on earth. What’s the risk if we do nothing? In the human realm, will terrorists be safe from righteous judgment? Will tyrants feel free to torment with impunity? In the spiritual realm, will evil powers that seal off whole nations from God’s light prevail? Will false gods pretending to be the Living God continue to have the protection of wicked governments? Or, will we use the weapons of pure prayer and prophetic proclamation to bind the strong man, release his captives, and plunder his goods? The fate of whole nations hangs in the balance. Either we take the battle to the enemy’s doorstep, or he will take the battle to our doorstep. Pray for President George Bush to have courage and wisdom. Pray that he will be resolute and strong. Pray that he will stay humble and dependent on the Lord. Pray that he will know the right time to listen, to talk, and to act. Pray that wise counselors, both political and military, will surround him. Pray that freedom will come to the Arab lands where oppression has stifled liberty and hindered access to the gospel. Pray that the intimidation tactics of the enemy, his ugly taunts and threats against us, will not demoralize our leaders or our people. Pray that the conspiracy of misguided authorities will fragment and no longer be able to protect the false prophets of lying spirits. Ask God to let David’s stone find its mark. Ron Wood
Ron and Lana Wood attended Southeastern Bible College in Lakeland, Florida where they studied Missions. After serving as pastors for thirty years, they now lead Touched by Grace, a missionary organization whose base of operations is the coastal city of Wilmington, North Carolina. The Wood's home church is The Rock of Wilmington led by apostle Ron McGee. If you are in this area, we invite you to visit with us and also to enjoy the powerful worship and preaching ministry of The Rock. You can download or view free of charge many helpful articles and teaching outlines from our ministry website located at www.touchedbygrace.org. A new article for your consideration is "Random Notes on A.D.D.", written from a Christian perspective and incorporating many insights and practical tips about this challenging disorder affecting children and adults. Also, if you are contending for prosperity in order to better serve God, I recommend you download and print out "Shaking, Sifting, and Sorting" and share it with a friend in church or business. If by chance you have received this email without requesting it and do not wish to receive any more updates, simply reply with the word "Unsubscribe" in the subject line. Your name will be promptly removed from our mailing list. Touched by Grace is a 501-c-3 corporation dedicated to extending the gospel of Christ by humanitarian relief, by biblical training materials and overseas seminars, and by strategic investment in the work of key Christian leaders serving on the frontiers of God's kingdom. To partner with us on a monthly basis or to make a one-time donation, please send your tax-deductible contribution to: Touched by Grace, P. O. Box 12749 , Wilmington, NC 28405 USA We are touched by grace to touch the world! THE ARCHIVES |
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