“Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, and none came in. And the Lord said to Joshua: ‘See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor. You shall march around the city, all you men of war; you shall go all around the city once. This you shall do six days. And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. It shall come to pass, when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, that all the people shall shout with a great shout; then the wall of the city will fall down flat. And the people shall go up every man straight before him.’” (Joshua 6:1-5, NKJV)
After pastoring churches for 43 years and then spending 23 years in traveling the world preaching camp meetings, revivals, and Schools of Prayer, I felt led of the Holy Spirit to spend the later years of my life writing about prayer. I believe the greatest need for the Church and the world in these times is a mighty spiritual awakening. All great outpourings of the Spirit of God bringing revival to the church came about by prayer—Spirit-anointed prayer, prolonged prayer, fasting prayer, burdened prayer. Spirit-anointed prayer is prevailing prayer.
For the last 50 years I have been convinced that the Holy Spirit’s most urgent call to the American churches is a call to prevailing prayer for revival! What America needs at this dark hour are Spirit-filled Christian men and women who will pour their hearts into prevailing prayer and become prayer warriors. God is calling out men and women in all our churches to join the Army of God. While reading Chapter 5 of Joshua, I felt the need to write about “The Army of God.”
Joshua was called of God to replace the great leader Moses in leading the children of Israel out of their slavery in Egypt and take them to a place that God called “The Promised Land.” God had also ordered Joshua to invade and capture the major city of Jericho. So, Joshua was on his way to check out the city of Jericho, which would be the location of his first battle as the captain of his army—an army that had seen previous battles. We need to remember that this is Joshua’s first assignment, and he is going to check out his challenge. But God has been waiting for this new captain to tell him about the kind of army he would need and how to capture that city of Jericho. God had already dried up the Jordan River so the army could cross on dry land. But the Lord needed to get this new captain’s attention.
As Joshua approached Jericho, he noticed that “a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn.” Joshua was concerned, so he asked, “Are You for us or for our adversaries?” He got a strange answer: “No, but as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” At this Joshua knew that he was in the presence of God Himself! So, knowing that he was outranked—and grateful for it, he asked, “What does my Lord have to say to His servant?” Reporting to Jesus and recognizing that He was the Son of God, Joshua is humbly anxious for His orders. Joshua knew he could never succeed without his obedience to this “Commander of the army of the Lord,” who is the Son of God incarnate. Without Jesus as His Leader, Joshua could never have taken Jericho, which was the beginning of the taking of the Promised Land. Jericho was only one of many battles to come!
To all Christian prayer warriors, I would remind us that without the fullness and anointing of the Holy Spirit the church will never win the battle against the demonic forces operating in the heavenlies who are seeking to paralyze the church and destroy the American nation. God gave our founding fathers wisdom, courage, and faith to pray their way into forming a nation that would be like a shining city on the hill to attract and inspire all the nations in the world. But Satan has other plans for America. He is out to destroy it with division, hatred, moral insanity, violence, and atheism.
God’s plan for saving America is finding enough Spirit-filled prayer warriors who will answer the call to an army than cannot be defeated. Dear readers, we cannot depend on politicians, educators, scientists, or even military forces to save our nation. God alone can save our churches, our homes, and our nation, but He will do it through an army of Spirit-filled prayer warriors.
I close this message by reminding every Christian reader that Jesus Christ is still in this 21st century the Commander-in-Chief of the Army of God! I pray that every sincere believer in Christ will seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit and join Christ’s Army. Here is the assignment for God’s Army as given by the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 6:10-18, NKJV: “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints . . ..”
To all Christian prayer warriors, I would remind us that without the fullness and anointing of the Holy Spirit the church will never win the battle against the demonic forces operating in the heavenlies who are seeking to paralyze the church and destroy the American nation. God gave our founding fathers wisdom, courage, and faith to pray their way into forming a nation that would be like a shining city on the hill to attract and inspire all the nations in the world. But Satan has other plans for America. He is out to destroy it with division, hatred, moral insanity, violence, and atheism.
God’s plan for saving America is finding enough Spirit-filled prayer warriors who will answer the call to an army than cannot be defeated. Dear readers, we cannot depend on politicians, educators, scientists, or even military forces to save our nation. God alone can save our churches, our homes, and our nation, but He will do it through an army of Spirit-filled prayer warriors.
I close this message by reminding every Christian reader that Jesus Christ is still in this 21st century the Commander-in-Chief of the Army of God! I pray that every sincere believer in Christ will seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit and join Christ’s Army. Here is the assignment for God’s Army as given by the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 6:10-18, NKJV: “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints . . ..”
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