Dreams and The Father's House

“Then, after doing all those things, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. 

Your sons and daughters will prophesy. 

Your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions. 

In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on servants—men and women alike." 

(Joel 2:28-29 NLT)

Mary was engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she became pregnant with a child by the Holy Spirit.  The culture they lived in was very different from ours today - an engagement then was basically a marriage without the final ceremony. And a family’s honor was very important.  A person caught in adultery could be stoned to death for that sin and the family would be caused terrible humiliation and shame.  

 

Matthew 1:19 tells us that, “Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly.”  In his culture it would have been very appropriate for him to divorce Mary. Joseph was righteous and didn’t want to expose her to the public disgrace of accusations of adultery, so he chose what he thought was the best option for the situation.  He was listening to the voices of his culture - his family - his people.  But God had a different message he wanted Joseph to hear. 

 

The angel of the Lord came to Joseph in a dream.  He said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took Mary as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.”  (Matthew 1:20-25 NIV)

 

Now, back up and think about that for a minute.  How many dreams do you have that you remember and just brush off as brain craziness or too much pizza too late at night?   

 

But have you ever thought about how often God speaks to people in the Bible through dreams and visions?  Jacob’s son Joseph had dreams about his brothers.  The young man Daniel had insight into dreams and visions.  We know from the Christmas story that Joseph and, later the Magi, were visited by God in their dreams with messages that would protect the baby Jesus.  

 

Hebrews 13:8 says that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”  Jesus is God - so it makes sense that if God could speak to Biblical people through dreams, he can still speak to us today through them.  

 

Now, it also makes sense to measure the messages we think we get in dreams against the Bible and in consultation with wise, godly, people in our church family.  In December of 2020 I had a dream in which I was a witness to a huge outdoor fight and the people around me were all running into my parents' house for safety.  In the next several months several others in our church had similar dreams about fights or storms and running into a home for safety.  Noticing a trend, our pastor had us tell the stories. 

From those stories came the warning that we should be intentional about being in our Father's [God's] House.  Not just going to a church service on Sunday (although that's a great first step!), but being daily in God's Word, being daily in prayer, being regularly in intentional spiritual fellowship with other believers - anything that keeps you closely connected to your Heavenly Father and his "house" of blessing, provision, and protection. 

I definitely believe that God still speaks today through dreams and I invite you to stay aware of what God may be saying to you through your dreams. 

Faithful God,

Thank you for being the same God we read about in the Bible, who has guided your children from generation to generation, and who continues to speak to us today to those who have spiritual ears to hear. Thank you for the dreams, visions, and prophecies Holy Spirit continues to pour out.  Give us the spiritual discernment to know what you are saying to us, for such a time as this.  Tune our hearts to yours and give us courage like Joseph to obey your callings.  Help us to encourage one another to love and good works and to be in the House of our Heavenly Father - not neglecting meeting together, but preparing for the return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray, Amen. 

Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 

And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, 

but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. (Hebrews 10:24-25 NLT)

 

Listening in faith and trust

For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, 

we will share in all that belongs to Christ.  (Hebrews 3:14 NLT)

Let’s focus on the story of King Jesus’s birth - the Christmas story.  For many of us, this is a story we’ve heard year after year after year and it’s pretty familiar to us.  We sing many songs during the Christmas season about the angels' message to the shepherds and can lose some of the amazement in the original story.  

Although God spoke regularly to his people in the Old Testament, especially through the prophets, between the time we now call the "Old Testament" and the "New Testament" were 400 years of silence.  The Israelites lived for 400 years without a message from the Lord.  So when God "suddenly" starts speaking to people in our Christmas story, we have to realize how surprising this must have been to them.  And, then, we must consider the messages that were given to the people!!

The first angel visitation in the Christmas stories in Matthew 1-2 and Luke 1-2 was when the archangel Gabriel appeared to Zechariah, an elderly priest.  The angel’s message that he and his wife Elizabeth would have a baby in their old age, was met with doubt and disbelief. Truthfully, if you were old and childless, would you have responded any differently?  

 

The second message Gabriel carried was to a teen girl named Mary, engaged to be married, but still living with her parents. Gabriel’s greeting was, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.”  Depending on the translation, it says Mary was “startled,” “troubled,” or “perplexed.”  I think I’d be, too, if an angel showed up to talk with me.  I’d probably doubt what I was seeing and hearing. Gabriel follows by saying, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.”  

 

Then Gabriel tells Mary she will have a baby who will be the Savior of her people.  Mary’s response is HOW this can happen if she’s an unmarried virgin? Gabriel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called the Son of God.”  

 

Ok, so let’s pause a moment in this story.  Imagine you’re a maybe 14 or 15 year old Jewish girl, living with your parents in Roman Empire-occupied Judah, just going about your normal life.  Suddenly, an angel shows up to give you a message that you are “favored” and, therefore, will have a baby - without having a husband first.  This seems like a bit of a stretch from the reality you would have known.  Unmarried girls don’t just have babies without husbands - in that culture adultery is a sin punishable by death.  

 

So, Mary has a choice: to listen to the voice of her culture or to listen to the voice of the angel.  To doubt or believe the angel’s message.  What response should she give to this messenger of the Lord?

 

Again, if you have heard this story, you know that Mary’s answer was simple and direct.  She said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.”  She listened to and believed the spoken Word of God that Gabriel brought.  She had faith in the angel’s message.  And she responded with trust in her God.  

She believed - she had faith - and she trusted.  

 

These are strengths that I expect each of us hope to have in our relationship with God. 

Word of God,

Thank you for speaking to us through your Word, Holy Spirit, dreams, visions, prophecies, and so many other avenues. Thank you that even when a message seems surprising, it never goes against your Word and your ways.  Help us to have the deep faith and trust of people like Mary and Joseph so that we know and believe what you tell us to do.  And give us great wisdom and courage to face the realities of this life.  Remind us that you goodness and your loving-kindness last forever and are poured out on your children as they seek you.  Strengthen our relationships with you so we honor you with all we are and receive all you have to give us.  In Christ's name we pray, Amen. 

"Jesus answered, “This is the work of God: that you believe 

[adhere to, trust in, rely on, and have faith] in the One whom He has sent.” 

(John 6:29 AMP)

"Immediately the father of the boy cried out [with a desperate, piercing cry], saying, 

“I do believe; help [me overcome] my unbelief.” 

(Mark 9:24 AMP)

The Voice of Fear

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, 

but gives us power, love and self-discipline." (2 Timothy 1:7 NIV)

Let's look again at the people in our Christmas story. Zechariah and Mary and Joseph - and later the Magi -  each received messages from Gabriel, some in visions and some in dreams.  And then there was the ragtag group of livestock caretakers who suddenly found themselves thrust into a new chapter of God’s cosmic story. Each human had to decide whether to doubt or believe the message.  Each human faced challenging circumstances and had to choose whether to despair or whether to hope in God. And each a decision of whether to stand in fear or faith.  

The Bible tells us that, “[T]here were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.” Where does that terror - that fear -  come from?  Where does any fear come from? Unless it is a healthy fear of our holy God, I believe that every other spirit of fear comes from the enemy of our souls.

Our world has lived through two years of fear-inducing circumstances.  Disease, economic struggles, rising crime, elections, division and strife, loss and grief - all these can easily pull us into fear.  “What if I get sick?  What if I lose my job?  What if, what if, what if?”  But God’s word is very clear.  2 Timothy 1:7 says that, “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 

 

You’ve probably heard that verse before - but hear the first part again - GOD has not given us a spirit of fear.  God is not the fear-giver.  God gives us his power in the Holy Spirit.  God gives us love.  God gives us a sound mind. God says, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.” Any “news” that induces fear is not of God. 

  

The things of our faithful God are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness - things that encourage us to become more holy like Jesus. When we listen to and focus on the voices of this world - the voices that tell us gloom and doom, despair and hopelessness - we are not hearing the voice of God.  God’s voice - God’s presence - God’s Spirit - always gives us hope.  When we listen to the voices of the world in news, media, social media, and other people we can lose our ability to hear God’s voice.  Ultimately, one of our main choices in life is whether we listen to the voice of the Lord or the voice of fear.  

 

Do we make decisions from a place of fear or from a place of faith in God’s love and protection and provisions?  Do we listen to the voices of the world and their ensuing chaos, or do we listen to the strong and mighty voice of our conquering King?  

 

When we ask Holy Spirit to lead us and guide us into all truths and righteousness, he will lead us into God’s love, God’s peace and God’s joy - no matter what the world is telling us and no matter our circumstances.  

 

Today I will choose to tune out the voices of fear in my world and tune into the voice of my faithful God. Will you join me?

"At last we have freedom, for Christ has set us free! We must always cherish this truth and firmly refuse to go back into the bondage of our past." 

(Galatians 5:1 TPT)

"But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. 

He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, 

and he will tell you what is yet to come." (John 16:13 NIV)

Buckle on Hope

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 

He was with God in the beginning. 

Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 

In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 

 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."

(John 1:1-5 NIV)

In the beginning of 2022 is The Word - God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit - the Living Expression of God's heart.  Through Him all things were made, including time, space, our world, each of us, and the plans He has for our future - a future with hope and abundance of life.  The Word is already in the next year - he goes before us and meets us there.  

Some people make New Year's Resolutions, but others ask God for a "Word" of the year.  Around Christmas 2019 I asked God for a word for my life for 2020 and received a very unexpected one - "Buckle."  What did "buckle" mean??  The only in the Bible is when we are told to buckle the Belt of Truth around our waists. (Ephesians 6:14)  

But, looking back over the last two years, "buckle" might have been the best word.  It's like God was telling me, "Buckle up because the world is about to change."  Sometimes we buckle up to prepare for a bumpy or dangerous ride.  I believe God was telling me to trust his buckle - his safety harness - for my life and provision in this time. 

I do not yet have "A Word" for 2022.  I have several that I have considered but they all seem to come out of my mind, not out of the Holy Spirit's leading for my life.  So, I will wait and listen.  Perhaps "buckle" is still in place because the bumpy and dangerous times aren't over yet. But God's seatbelt is still in place - and I am safe and secure because my faithful Heavenly Father holds me in the palms of his hands. 

What is your Word for 2022?

Almighty and Most High God,

Thank you for sheltering us and providing hope for us.  Thank you that when we abide in you, no terror, arrow, plague or pestilence can overtake us.  Thank you for. your promise that when we call on you you will answer, be present to us, deliver us, and give us long life and salvation. Thank you for the ways in which you've provided your children with a "buckle" in the past two years.  Thank you for your provision and strength in times of great trial.  Help us to trust you and your ways no matter what our circumstances.  Help us to trust you to provide all the things your children need, including hope for our future.  When we struggle to see your hope, remind us that your Light shines trough the darkness for all humanity and no darkness can overcome it.  At the beginning of 2022, reveal to each of us the unique word you have for us and help us to trust you in this new year.  In Jesus's name we pray, Amen. 

"In the beginning the Living Expression was already there. 

And the Living Expression was with God, yet fully God.

They were together—face-to-face, in the very beginning.

And through his creative inspiration this Living Expression made all things,

for nothing has existence apart from him!

A fountain of life was in him, for his life is light for all humanity.

And this Light never fails to shine through darkness—

Light that darkness could not overcome!"

(John 1:1-5 TPT)

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV)

1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High

    will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

3 Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence.

4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge;

    his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

5 You will not fear the terror of night,nor the arrow that flies by day,

6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.

7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, 

but it will not come near you.

8 You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.

9 If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling,

10 no harm will overtake you,no disaster will come near your tent.

11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;

12 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

14 “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;

    I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

15 He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble,

    I will deliver him and honor him.

16 With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

(Psalm 91 NIV)

Emmanuel and New Wineskins

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 

He was with God in the beginning...

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. 

We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, 

who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." 

(John 1:1, 2,14 NIV)

In the beginning was the Word - Jesus.  Jesus was God.  Jesus is God. Jesus (God) became a man and dwelt among us as Emmanuel, "God With Us."  Much of the Christian world has just celebrated Christmas in December - the coming of Emmanuel into the world.  Now we are entering into the beginning of a new calendar year. But Jesus doesn't go back into the manger, put away until next Christmas.  Emmanuel - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - is with us in this new year.  

Jesus told a parable about the new versus the old. He said that, “No one tears a piece out of a new garment to patch an old one. Otherwise, they will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, ‘The old is better.’”  (Luke 5:36-39 NIV)  

In the economy of God's Kingdom, the New cannot be placed on or in the Old.  We can't go back and change 2021 (or 2020, or 2019, or ....) and we certainly don't want to drag our sin, our failures, our baggage with us. The prophet Isaiah told us: “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?" (Isaiah 43:18 NIV)

We should take into 2022 the God-given wisdom, memories, and other precious gifts that serve us well.  And we must be aware of how God wants to shape our lives in this next year. Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ have seen his Glory, his Grace, and his Truth. We have responded to his call to "come follow me" and have received the gift of his grace in our lives.  Our foundation in Christ is firm and secure and this makes all the difference in our lives.  When we live in relationship with Jesus as our Savior, we also live with the empowerment of the Holy Spirit whose guiding voice calls us into God's New.  

Holy Spirit - a person - lives within us and comforts, guides, and empowers us as much as we will let him.  Holy Spirit will help us be loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, gentle, faithful, and self controlled, because these are the fruits of the Spirit.  When we have nailed our passions and desires of our sinful nature to Christ's cross, Holy Spirit is in charge of us and we, too, will be full of the Glory, Grace, and Truth of Jesus.  Before we are made new in Christ, we aren't able to hold these things but after we become committed Jesus-followers - look out, world! - we can do amazing things under the empowerment of Holy Spirit!

Today, I will confess my "old" and ask Jesus to fill me with Holy Spirit's "new." 

Emmanuel,

Thank you for the gift of time, always moving us forward.  Thank you for the wisdom, memories, relationships, and gifts of our past and for the ways in which you are preparing us for our future.  Help us to let go of the former things - our sin, unforgiveness, bad habits, and our wounds - and to not dwell on the past. Help us to nail all the desires and passions of our sinful nature to your Cross - to lay aside the old wineskins of our lives - and to allow Holy Spirit to fully inhabit the new wineskins of our hearts. Help us in 2022 to produce all the Fruits of the Spirit and to allow you to empower us to do all the New Things you desire us to do!  We ask this in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - Amen!

"But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, 

patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. 

There is no law against these things! 

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires 

of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there." 

(Galatians 5:22-24 NLT)

I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built." (Luke 6:47-48 NLT) 

Eyes Up! Perceive the new!

 

“Forget the former things;

    do not dwell on the past.

See, I am doing a new thing!

    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?

I am making a way in the wilderness

    and streams in the wasteland." - God 

(Isaiah 43:18-19 NIV)

Wearily our world approaches the turning over of the year.  

After the battering years of 2020 and 2021, it's pretty normal to wonder, "What next?!" and approach 2022 with a feeling of trepidation.

Why would God tell us to "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past?" Probably because in times of strife and trouble it's pretty easy to get stuck in the struggles of our circumstances.   

We can find ourselves stuck in our anxiety, worries, fears, and so much more.  The circumstances - and the feelings - are real.  But God doesn't want us to dwell on them - to be stuck in them - because he wants to show us what he is doing.  He wants our "Eyes Up!" 

When God says he's doing a "new thing," we may not be able to see it yet.  But we have to trust in the character of our faithful, loving, omnipotent and omniscient God who will never leave us, forsake us, or lie to us.  If he says he's doing a "new thing," he is. 

If he says he's making a way in the wilderness of our lives - the chaos, struggles, strife, and general craziness that have been so prevalent in these past two years - then he is.  

If he says he's bringing streams of Living Water - rivers in the desert - places of refreshment to dry parts of lives - then he is.  

Yes, we have to have faith  - confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we don't see YET.  But our faithful God IS bringing a way in the wilderness for the dry and weary places in our lives to be refreshed and restored in his presence. 

Don't see it yet in your own life?  Maybe that's why the prophet Isaiah asked his listeners:  "Do you not perceive it?" 

To "perceive" is to become aware or conscious of something, to come to realize or understand, to interpret or look on (someone or something) in a particular way.

Even if your life circumstances, your finances, your health, your feelings, your relationships - what seems like your entire life - seems to be in a state of chaos, is it possible to perceive God is working?  

Yes.  

It is possible to become conscious of ways in which God is moving.  It is possible to realize and understand small, everyday miracles are a gift.  It is possible to look at our world and our circumstances through a different lens - through a heart that says, "I don't see the New Thing yet, but I will have faith and trust God for it.  I will have my eyes up so I can see the ways in which God is giving us hope in the midst of despair, belief in a sea of doubt, and faith in the midst of fear. 

I will raise my eyes up to the "mountain" of God's protection, provision, healing, grace, and love. When my eyes are up and my focus is on God, then I can perceive what God wants me to know.  And then I can see the streams of hope in the desert of despair.

Today, I will keep my eyes up!

Faithful God,

Thank you for the gifts of your goodness, your presence, and your grace in our lives.  Thank you for your protection and provision for us, especially in these last two years.  As our calendar turns over another year, help us to release the struggles, strife, worries, and fears of our past and to move forward in hope.  Help us to perceive the new things you are doing in our lives and our world.  Cause us to keep the eyes of our hearts focused on you and you alone.   Help us to have faith and confidence in what you are doing, even if we don't see it yet. Protect us from despair, doubt, and fear, and fill us with hope, belief, and faith.  We pray in Jesus's name, Amen!

"Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." 

(Hebrews 11:1 NIV)

1

I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
    where does my help come from?

2 

My help comes from the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven and earth.

3 

He will not let your foot slip—
    he who watches over you will not slumber;

4 

indeed, he who watches over Israel
    will neither slumber nor sleep.

5 

The Lord watches over you—
    the Lord is your shade at your right hand;

6 

the sun will not harm you by day,
    nor the moon by night.

7 

The Lord will keep you from all harm—
    he will watch over your life;

8 

the Lord will watch over your coming and going
    both now and forevermore.

(Psalm 121 NIV)

I Will Believe Now and in the Future - Psalm 37

 Adapted from Psalm 37

I will not fret because of those who are evil, for like green plants they will soon wither and die away.

I will trust in the Lord and do good, dwelling in God and his safety.

I will take delight in the Lord and he will give me the desires of my heart.

I will commit my way to the Lord.

I will trust him and he will make my righteous reward and my vindication shine like the dawning light that turns to midday sun.

I will be still and I will wait patiently for God.  

I will not fret when the wicked succeed in carrying out their wicked schemes.

I will refrain from anger and turn from wrath. 

I will not fret - it only leads to evil.

I will believe that evil people will be destroyed and I will hope in the Lord and inherit the land.

I will believe that in a little while the wicked will not be found because they are no more.

I will believe that those who humbly depend on the grace and goodness of God and are not arrogant toward others will inherit the land. 

I will believe - in the future and for my future - that I will enjoy peace and prosperity.

I will believe that the Lord laughs at the wicked who plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them because he knows the day of vengeance is coming. 

I will believe that when the wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and needy and slay the upright, their swords will pierce their own hearts and their bows will be broken.

I will believe the righteous are better with little than the wicked are with wealth. 

I will believe - now and in the future - that the power of the wicked will be broken.

I will believe - now and in the future - that the Lord my God, strong and mighty, invincible in battle, will uphold the righteous. 

I will believe the blamelsss will be under the Lord's care, will not wither in times of disaster, will enjoy plenty in days of famine, and forever will have their inheritance.

I will believe the Lord's enemies - as common as flowers in the field - will be consumed like in smoke and will perish.

I will believe those the Lord blesses will inherit the land, but those he curses will be destroyed. 

I will believe the Lord firms up the steps of the ones who delight in him. They may stumble but will not fall because the Lord upholds them with his hand.

I will believe the righteous will never be forsaken or their children begging bread.

I will believe that when we turn from evil and do good we will dwell in the land - God's land - forever.  

I will believe that the Lord loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. 

I will believe wrongdoers will be completely destroyed and the offspring of the wicked will perish.  But the righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever.

I will believe the mouths of the righteous speak wisdom and justice, because the law of their God is in their hearts. 

I will believe that although the wicked be in wait for the righteous, intent on destroying them, the Lord will not leave the righteous in the power of the wicked or let them be condemned. 

I will hope in the Lord and keep his way. He will exalt me to inherit the land and I will see the flourishing wicked and ruthless people destroyed.

I will believe that the blameless and upright who seek peace will have a bright future, but sinners and the wicked will be destroyed and have no future.

I will believe the salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord, their stronghold in times of trouble. 

I will believe the Lord helps the righteous and delivers them from the wicked.  He saves them because they take refuge in him. 

God of Justice and Mercy,

Thank you for your righteousness and justice and that all you do is good.  Thank you for the promises that you will break the power of the wicked and uphold the righteous.  Thank you that you love the just and will not forsake your faithful people.  Strengthen our courage and our faith in these days of trial and strife.  For your children, be the protection and peace in the midst of the demonic storms that swirl around us.  But destroy the power of the enemy of our souls and destroy all those who will not turn from their wickedness, injustice, and evil. We pray in the strong name of Jesus Christ our Savior, AMEN and AMEN.