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Fruit of the Spirit Day 31... Patience
Fruit of the Spirit Day 31... Patience
Day 31 Patience
...We have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you.
We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will
and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding.
Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord,
and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit.
All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.
We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power
so you will have all the endurance and patience you need.
May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father.
He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people,
who live in the light.
For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness
and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son,
who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.
Colossians 1:9-14
Thank you for the joy of praying for each other this month, Father.
We know you have heard us praying,
and you are delighted with us because of it.
It is not easy to live godly lives in a world that wants us to do the opposite.
It takes patience and endurance to keep at it no matter
how often we fall and have to admit defeat.
You are never defeated! That is our hope!
We claim the promise that if we patiently keep on keeping on
in our journey of faith and godliness,
you will see to it that our lives produce every kind of good fruit!
We are counting on that, God!
Thank you for welcoming us into the Kingdom of your dear Son,
for purchasing our freedom,
forgiving our sins and day by day changing us into your image.
Amen.
Fruit of the Spirit Day 30... Peace
Fruit of the Spirit Day 30... Peace
Day 30 Peace
I am leaving you a gift—peace of mind and heart.
And the peace I give you isn’t like the world gives.
So don’t be troubled or afraid.
John 14:27
By faith, Lord, we accept the gracious gift of peace you have offered to us. We know that it is a divinely given gift, supernatural, and totally undeserved. By faith we claim it for us and for our family. We plant your peace like a hedge of protection around us. It is our shield. When peace surrounds us, fear can’t find a way in. Your peace makes us safe from trouble. Thank you, Lord. Amen.
Fruit of the Spirit Day 29... Joy
Fruit of the Spirit Day 29... Joy
Day 29 Joy
…The people had all been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.
…’Don’t be dejected and sad,’ Nehemiah said.
‘For the joy of the Lord is your strength!’
Nehemiah 8:9, 10
Heavenly Father, the people in Nehemiah’s day were sad
because they could see how far they had strayed from you.
They were sorry they had turned away from you.
They knew that they had not, and could not, measure up to your holiness.
We understand their sorrow God, because so often we fail too.
We can clearly see that we don’t
deserve the love and forgiveness you offer us in Jesus Christ.
But when we see your grace cover our sin, it makes us full of joy!
We depend on your grace and mercy, and it fills us with joy!
Your gracious favor makes us strong and confident, and full of joy!
We don’t deserve it, but we are grateful for it, and full of joy!
Amen.
Fruit of the Spirit Day 28... Love
Fruit of the Spirit Day 28... Love
Day 28 Love
Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other;
let us show the truth by our actions.
1 John 3:18
Father in Heaven, we humbly ask that the fruit of your love be so abundant in us that it pours from us like a fountain. Let our love be genuine and authentic. Make it a habit that shows itself in the good deeds.
Lord, give us practical ways to show your love to each other today. Our families should be the first ones to benefit from good deeds of love. But at the same time, don’t allow us to forget the people you have put around us —the lovable and the unlovable. They need to know you, and they will know you by the deeds of selfless love we do for them in your name.
Thank-you for the privilege of being your hands and feet today. Amen.
Fruit of the Spirit Day 27... Self-Control
Fruit of the Spirit Day 27... Self-Control
Day 27 Self-Control
Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize?
So run to win!
All athletes are disciplined in their training.
They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.
So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing.
I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should.
Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.
1 Corinthians 9:24-27
Our human nature resists discipline, Lord. If we are to control our appetites and passions and desires it will be because you give us the power to do so. Please shape our characters to fit yours. We need you.
Our children need you. We want to run to win the prize, Jesus. Give us the gift of self-control so we can.
Lord, we claim your promise: today we walk in victory because we belong to you. Amen.
Fruit of the Spirit Day 26... Gentleness
Fruit of the Spirit Day 26... Gentleness
Day 26 Gentleness
But the wisdom from above is first of all pure.
It is also peace loving, gentle at all times,
and willing to yield to others.
It is full of mercy and good deeds.
It shows no favoritism and is always sincere.
James 3:17
We know the wisdom of this world is foolishness to you, God.
We would rather have your wisdom from above!
We want to be wise like you, dear Heavenly Father.
It is easy to recognize your wisdom—it is loving, not mean.
It always looks for a way to make peace.
A wise person doesn’t arrogantly insist on their own way,
they are willing to give in to others.
Your heavenly wisdom is sincere, but gentle and tactful as well.
We pray you would give us your gentle and merciful wisdom, Lord.
We pray that it would show itself in good deeds, even today. Amen.
Fruit of the Spirit Day 25... Faithfulness
Fruit of the Spirit Day 25... Faithfulness
Day 25 Faithfulness
I have chosen to be faithful;
I have determined to live by your regulations.
Psalm 119:30
Being faithful means making a promise and sticking to it. King David made a faithful promise to you, Lord. He freely chose a life of obedience to you and your way of life.
Today, Lord, give us the will to make the same choice that David did—to be faithful and obedient. Give us the power to stick to it all our days—in every big decision, and in every small decision we make. Amen.
Fruit of the Spirit Day 24... Goodness
Fruit of the Spirit Day 24... Goodness
Day 24 Goodness
Surely your goodness and unfailing love will
pursue me all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.
Psalm 23:6
What a wonderful picture of your unfailing, awesome love, Father! You run after us and you hem us in behind and before. It is a sure thing, Lord - your goodness to us.
We pray, Holy Spirit, that you will fill us with a real sense of your goodness today. Open our eyes to see you running behind us, beside us and before us. Let your sure, good love for us encourage us to be good just like you. Amen.
Fruit of the Spirit Day 23... Kindness
Fruit of the Spirit Day 23... Kindness
Day 23 Kindness
Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves,
you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness,
humility, gentleness, and patience.
Colossians 3:12
This day, Father, we choose to put on kindness, mercy, humility, gentleness and patience just like we choose to put on our jeans and t-shirts. You freely chose us. Today, we freely choose you and your good way of life.
Show us how to treat others with kindness, Lord. Remind us to think of how would we like to be treated ourselves, then give us the power to treat others in just that way.
We need your help to do it, Holy Spirit. Grow the fruit of kindness in us today. Amen.
Fruit of the Spirit Day 22... Patience
Fruit of the Spirit Day 22... Patience
Day 22 Patience
Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy.
Encourage those who are timid.
Take tender care of those who are weak.
Be patient with everyone.
1 Thessalonians 5:14
Lord, thank you for verses like this that remind us that without your help, we would not be able to be patient at all. There are just too many people and circumstances trying our patience every single day!
So, thank you for your power at work in us today. Your gift of the fruit of patience helps us to give gifts of unconditional love and mercy and patience to others again, and again, and again, and again.
When we do that, we are acting just like you. And that is a good thing. Amen.
Fruit of Spirit Day 21... Peace
Fruit of Spirit Day 21... Peace
Day 21 Peace
When the ways of people please the Lord,
he makes even their enemies
live at peace with them.
Proverbs 16:7
Lord, we know that just being your children puts us at odds with much of the world. You warned us that when we follow hard after you we would be on a different path than those around us. But this verse gives us a precious promise, Lord.
What an encouragement! When we honor you, you will honor us,
and you will create an atmosphere of peace around us.
We claim this promise for us and our families.
Teach us how to please you, Lord,
and then grant us your peace as we live faithful lives.
Amen.
Fruit of the Spirit Day 20... Joy
Fruit of the Spirit Day 20... Joy
Day 20 Joy
Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them,
and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them.
They were terrified, but the angel reassured them.
“Don’t be afraid!” he said.
“I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.
The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today
in Bethlehem, the city of David!
Luke 2:9-11
Dear Lord, our heart’s desire is to be known by your name. We pray that the joy that marks us as your children is like the joy we feel at Christmas. That special Christmas joy comes from knowing that the Savior came to earth to save not just a few people, but everyone.
Lord Jesus, you are our joy, and we believe that you are the hope and joy of all the world. Let our joy testify to your salvation for all people. Let the Good News of salvation in Christ fill us and our children with joy today and every day. Amen.
Fruit of the Spirit Day 19... Love
Fruit of the Spirit Day 19... Love
Day 19 Love
Don't run up debts, except for the huge debt of love you owe each other.
When you love others, you complete what the law has been after all along.
The law code—don't sleep with another person's spouse, don't take someone's life,
don't take what isn't yours, don't always be wanting what you don't have,
and any other "don't" you can think of—finally adds up to this:
Love other people as well as you do yourself.
You can't go wrong when you love others.
When you add up everything in the law code, the sum total is love.
Romans 13:8-10 The Message
Dear Lord, let your love so rule in all of our hearts and lives that our first thought is for the welfare and good of others. Give us and our children the power to lead lives that are marked by a holiness of thoughts, words and deeds—all rooted in your divine love and grace. Let us be like Jesus. It is for his sake we pray. Amen.
Fruit of the Spirit Day 18... Self-Control
Fruit of the Spirit Day 18... Self-Control
Day 18 Self-Control
A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls.
Proverbs 25:28
It is sad, Father, but we humans—old and young alike — are too often just like the city in this proverb.
Thank you that with your help, we can know better, and we can live better than that!
Lord, give us the wisdom to teach our children to obey us and you.
The truth is that they need us to help them with self-control until they can make good choices for themselves.
(The children may not know this yet, but we know that obedience comes before self-control.)
Help us to put loving limits around them so they can learn how to rule their own spirits. Hear our prayers, Father, as we by faith put strong walls of love and faithfulness and self-control around our family. Amen.
Fruit of the Spirit Day 17... Gentleness
Fruit of the Spirit Day 17... Gentleness
Day 17 Gentleness
... you must worship Christ as Lord of your life.
And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it.
But do this in a gentle and respectful way.
Keep your conscience clear.
Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed
when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ.
1 Peter 3:15-16
Lord, give us all gentle and quiet spirits that reach to the very core of who we are. As we live in
harmony with your indwelling Spirit, make our words and actions match your gentle and humble ways.
Teach us to speak from this deep place of communion with you, Lord. We pray that today you would give us opportunities to speak in winsome, gentle ways of our love for you, and our hope of living with you forever. Amen
Fruit of the Spirit Day 16... Faithfulness
Fruit of the Spirit Day 16... Faithfulness
Day 16 Faithfulness
So, my son, throw yourself into this work for Christ. Pass on what you heard from me—
the whole congregation saying Amen!— to reliable leaders who are competent to teach others.
When the going gets rough, take it on the chin with the rest of us, the way Jesus did.
A soldier on duty doesn't get caught up in making deals at the marketplace.
He concentrates on carrying out orders.
An athlete who refuses to play by the rules will never get anywhere.
It's the diligent farmer who gets the produce.
Think it over. God will make it all plain.
2 Timothy 2:1-7 (The Message)
Lord, give us the kind of hearts that Paul prayed for Timothy.
Please give us the gift of faithful hearts that are trustworthy, teachable, and tenacious.
Make your call for our lives clear. Show us what your purpose and plan is for us and our children.
Give us a ministry—even the youngest among us.
Allow us be your faithful servants.
For Jesus’ sake we pray. Amen.
Fruit of the Spirit Day 15... Goodness
Fruit of the Spirit Day 15... Goodness
Day 15 Goodness
For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus,
so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
Ephesians 2:10
The world is amazed when they see what they call “random acts of kindness”, Lord. For us, they are not random at all, they are to be our way of life. So today, Father, we pray that our family would find the good things that you planned a long time ago for us to do. How can we be a blessing to others today?
Let our goodness prove your goodness to a world that really wants to see you, and really needs to know what goodness is all about. Amen.
Fruit of the Spirit Day 14... Kindness
Fruit of the Spirit Day 14... Kindness
Day 14 Kindness
Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord,
and will be repaid in full.
Proverbs 19:17 (NRSV)
You have blessed us with so much, Father. We are rich. Show us ways to give back to your world those things you have given so freely to us.
Allow the fruit of kindness to show itself when we offer it to those around us who are needy. And the needy are certainly all around us. There are so many people needing friends, love, encouragement and support in hard times, money, food, and just plain old kindness.
Lord, give our family the gift of generosity of Spirit. And, as we walk in kindness, teach us to recognize the blessings you promise to give to us and our children because of it. Amen.
Fruit-Day 13... Patience
Fruit-Day 13... Patience
Day 13 Patience
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him…
Psalm 37:7
God, you know we like to get our own way. It makes us feel strong to be in charge and in control. This human quirk shows up even in our two year-olds.
You ask us to stand quietly in your presence and wait while you have the floor. Waiting is such a tough lesson to learn! But we ask that you would patiently teach us patience, Father, because we want to be able to hear your word of instruction and leading.
We want to allow you to be in charge of every little and big thing in our lives.
Grow the fruit of patience in us, Lord. Patience makes us just like you. Amen.
Fruit of the Spirit... Day 12
Fruit of the Spirit... Day 12
Day 12 Peace
Great peace have those who love your law;
nothing can make them stumble.
Psalm 119:165
There are so many things in this world that rob of us peace, God. Will you guard our peace for us? You have told us that when we love your Word - when we read it, study it, pray it and think about it every day - you will keep us steady, sure-footed, and at peace in a crazy, mixed - up world.
Keep us and our loved ones from stumbling, Lord. Grant us your peace. Amen.
Fruit of the Spirit Day 11... Joy
Fruit of the Spirit Day 11... Joy
Day 11 Joy
You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy your presence
and the pleasures of living with you forever. Psalms 16:11
We speak this promise today over us and our precious children, Lord! What confidence it gives us! It takes away our fears and shines light in the darkness of all the unknowns of our futures. You will show us the path we should take! And as we go, no matter how dark the way or how rough the path, you will walk with us!
It is a joy—filled life we are believing you for, Lord. We believe you will give it to us, to the next
generation, and to the generation after them! You are the One giving us the boldness to ask for it, Lord! With great joy, and by the power and authority of Jesus’ name, we believe it is our promise to claim. Amen.
Fruit of the Spirit Day 10... Love
Fruit of the Spirit Day 10... Love
Day 10 Love
Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God.
Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God.
This is real love — not that we loved God, but that he loved us and
sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
Dear friends, since God loved us that much,
we surely ought to love each other.
1 John 4:7, 10-11
Dear Heavenly Father, you are the one who first loved us. In your tender mercy, teach us to personally and intimately know you and to recognize your unconditional love at work in our lives. Run out ahead of us and draw us into your great heart of love. Then, as we experience your great love day by day, make our hearts tender and compassionate towards others. For Jesus’ sake, and for his kingdom’s sake we pray. Amen.
Fruit of the Spirit Day 9... Self-Control
Fruit of the Spirit Day 9... Self-Control
Day 9 Self-Control
For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power,
love, and self-discipline.
2 Timothy 1:7
Dear Heavenly Father, all the good fruit we pray for and see growing in our lives are gifts from you. We would not even know what we should act like if it were not for you.
Self-control is not natural for us, so we surrender our will to you. Then we will depend on you to give us the power to make good, healthy choices and stick to them.
We ask you today for your gift of Spirit that fills us with power, love and strength of character and will. We and our children need it! Amen.
Fruit of the Spirit Day 8... Gentleness
Fruit of the Spirit Day 8... Gentleness
Day 8 Gentleness
A gentle tongue [with its healing power] is a tree of life, but willful
contrariness in it breaks down the spirit.
Proverbs 15:4 (Amplified Bible)
Lord, we humbly ask you for the fruit of gentleness in the words we speak to each other today. Words are so powerful. They can heal or hurt. We want our words and our attitudes to be full of healing and encouragement.
Holy Spirit, will you please help us realize when our words are hurtful? And then, we humbly ask you to help us speak words that carry the healing power of gentleness instead.
We will thank you for it, Lord, because we know that gentleness is a gift from your Spirit. Amen.
Fruit of the Spirit Day 7... Faithfulness
Fruit of the Spirit Day 7... Faithfulness
Day 7 Faithfulness
If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones.
But if you are dishonest in little things,
you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.
Luke 16:10
Lord, grow the fruit of faithfulness in us today. Help us to be careful about even small things—small attitudes, small words, small deeds. We pray that every small thing we do will reveal your honest and good character in us.
Teach us to be faithful in our everyday responsibilities so that we are ready to handle the big things when you bring them to us. It is for your Kingdom’s sake we pray—make us faithful, Lord. Amen.
Fruit of the Spirit Day 6... Goodness
Fruit of the Spirit Day 6... Goodness
Day 6 Goodness
A tree is identified by its fruit. If a tree is good, its fruit will be good.
If a tree is bad, its fruit will be bad. Matthew 12:33
Lord, as a family, today we claim your power to cleanse and establish our family tree for Jesus Christ. We are not perfect, and we know our family throughout the generations has not been either. They struggled with sin and failures just as we do.
But, Jesus, we are so grateful for the gift of new life that you made possible for us at the Cross. We claim that new life for our family together today. We want our life fruit to be good. We want our family to be known for that good fruit. It is in your name we pray. Amen.
Fruit of the Spirit Day 5... Kindness
Fruit of the Spirit Day 5... Kindness
Day 5 Kindness
He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly,
and to love kindness and mercy,
and to humble yourself and walk humbly with your God?
Micah 6:8 (Amplified Bible)
Thank you that you make your will for our lives as simple as this verse, Father. You want us to be fair, kind and humble.
Open our eyes to the good things we can do today to be fair, kind and humble. Give us the fruit of kindness and mercy in abundance. Help us to make it a habit to act and speak kindly and respectfully to both the old and the young. We want you to see the holy habits of our lives, and be glad to call us your children. Amen.
Fruit of the Spirit Day 4... Patience
Fruit of the Spirit Day 4... Patience
Day 4 Patience
I... beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling,
for you have been called by God. Be humble and gentle.
Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults
because of your love. Ephesians 4:1-2
It is important to understand our calling as your children, Lord. We are meant to act and think like you do. We have no option when it comes to patience - it is a necessary character trait of your children.
So, press that truth into our hearts, Lord. Remind us that your patience with our faults never wears out or gets used up.
Today we need the kind of patience with each other that reflects the love and patience that you have with us. Amen.
Fruit of the Spirit Day 3... Peace
Fruit of the Spirit Day 3... Peace
Day 3 Peace
Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have
peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.
Romans 5:1
Lord Jesus, you are the Prince of Peace, so we know that peace begins with you. Peace with you, God, is the first peace - it is the starting point of a life of peacemaking. That first peace gives birth to peace with ourselves, which leads to peace with those around us.
We ask, God, that you would lead all of our loved ones to a real relationship with you through faith in what Jesus did for us at the Cross. Then by your mercy, we ask that you grow your fruit of peace in our lives. Amen.
Fruit of the Spirit: Day 2 ... JOY
Fruit of the Spirit: Day 2 ... JOY
So rejoice in the Lord and be glad, all you who obey him!
Shout for joy, all you whose hearts are pure! Psalm 32:11
O Lord, your Word teaches us that we should be bursting at the seams with joy! Let that be true of us and our children.
We think of how you have saved us—you have made us whole and pure! How happy that makes us!
Even obeying you, and living life according to your rules, is a glad thing!
Help each of us find a way to express the joy of our salvation that fits our own unique gifts and personalities. We want our joy be real and unashamed. Amen.
Day 1... Love
Day 1... Love
Day 1 Love
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way.
It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. ...Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8, 13
Heavenly Father, when we pray for our children to have the fruit of love in their lives, we know we have to pray that for ourselves as well because “children learn what they live.”
Lord, let our children learn what unconditional love is like by our example. Help us to always extend grace and mercy to them. Help us to give them the gift of love in such abundance that they will always have more than enough to give away to the love-starved people around them.
Lord, let love start in our home. Amen.
Family Devotions with "Family Prayers from the Fruit of the Spirit"
Family Devotions with "Family Prayers from the Fruit of the Spirit"
I wrote the first introduction to “Family Prayers From the Fruit of the Spirit in December of 2007. This past summer, Holy Spirit laid it on my heart to take this prayer guide off my shelf, dust it off and use it again. I will be doing that, and offering the scriptures here on my blog, and in the “Tyvoll Daily Bread” text string.
I believe the point of the original guide is still the same. I wrote the prayers to be simple enough for kids to understand, and the scripture gives us a starting point for conversations with our families.
As we see the darkness in our world grow, it is more important than ever to build our home fires bigger and brighter. That is essentially what I believe a family altar is supposed to be. It is a place for children to gather with the most important people in the world. They need to find truth there, warmth of acceptance and love, sweetness of laughter and smiles, and spiritual food to sustain them when they are out in the world.
Think of it as a family campfire with hotdogs, smores and roasted marshmallows!
I will start with the introduction from 2007, and then the updated one from June, 2023.
Spring Valley, 2007
“...you bless the righteous, O Lord; you cover them with
favor as with a shield.” Psalm 5:12
This book is a guide for praying for your family through an entire month. The prayers are simple, and meant to be prayed with a listening heart so you can put in whatever family member’s names and circumstances that God may bring to mind.
I encourage you to replace the generic pronouns in the prayers with the names of your family members. Think of the blessing of being named before the Father’s throne every day! There is no greater gift you can give to your loved ones.
I chose to focus on the Fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23 for this little prayer book, because these fruits are the building blocks of a godly character.
Like it or not, God’s word tells us that we are all born sinners. Our fallen natures only know of goodness and truth because God chooses to reveal those things to us. Unless he gives us new hearts and grants us his power to change, we will always be struggling to establish lives and families that really work. We can’t make ourselves better, but God can do that for us!
Being changed into the image of God is a day by day, moment by moment process. Although it is God’s power that does the work, our cooperation and right choices are absolutely necessary. We have to say ’Yes!’ to God every day as he goes about the work of molding and shaping our characters to look like his.
When does the work of character formation begin? At birth and even before! We parents and grandparents are a vital part of making sure our children grow up to be like Jesus. They need our good example—’children learn what they live.’ They need us to consistently discipline them, and train them in godly living. They need to go with us to church and Sunday School.
And they need our prayers always. They have to depend on God to change them, just as we do. Because of that, our prayers for them are essential!
The prayers I have written are positive affirmations that claim the blessing, Holy Spirit power and promise of God’s help each day. I suggest keeping a prayer journal to record the character qualities you are praying for, and the evidences of the Spirit answering those prayers. Because God will surely answer such powerful prayers!
Let’s commit to pray these good fruits into us, our children and our grandchildren! God will be blessed, and our families will be transformed!
June 19, 2023 New Richmond, Wisconsin
Time Flies. Here we are, 16 years past the first writing of “Family Prayers”, in a different home, in a different town, and in what often feels like a different world. We have seen so many changes. Our family blessings have multiplied since 2007—we are “PapaNoanie” to 9 grandchildren now, the oldest two graduating from high school this spring.
What hasn’t changed is our family’s ongoing need for the grace of Holy Spirit in each of us and in each of our relationships with one another. My gratitude to our Good Father has only grown through these ensuing years, with good reason.
We have been testing his Good Word time and time again. We have found, and will (I am confident), continue to find, that our Savior is indeed “The same yesterday, today, and forever”. He is able, and he is willing to provide all that we need.
What Good News! It is true that if we needed the strength and power of the Fruit of the Spirit before, we need it even more now as we approach ever closer the end of all things.
Yes, Jesus Christ is coming again, and I believe it is soon. And when he comes, I want him to find me and my dear ones standing firm in the Lord, and in the Truth of his Gospel.
So I continue to contend for all that these simple prayers proclaim and ask for. In 2007, I promised in the dedication to pray for my dear ones as long as my Good Father would give me breath. I am standing firm on that promise today. My heart’s desire is to see my loved ones fulfilling their destinies for the King, and for his Kingdom!
“Remember to stay alert and hold firmly to all that you believe. Be mighty and full of courage. Let love and kindness be the motivation behind all that you do.” 1 Corinthians 16:13-14.
It Is Always All For Him,
Joan Tyvoll
A Day To Stand
A Day To Stand
July 11, 2023
Joan Tyvoll
Well, we have been warned. Gear up, load up, and brace yourself. War isn’t on its way, it is here. As I press in to prayer, Holy Spirit is reminding me of the scripture from Judges 3:1-2. I believe it is a Word of wisdom, as well as a Word of encouragement. It has comforted me.
“These are the nations that the Lord left in the land to test those Israelites who had not experienced the wars of Canaan. He did this to teach warfare to generations of Israelites who had no experience in battle.” Judges 3:1-2
I actually am hearing Holy Spirit say this for the many concerns and prayer responsibilities that he has given all around me. Yes, so many are being challenged right now with really stressful stuff. God has me praying for people’s serious health concerns, for difficult family and marriage situations, job and business worries… and listen, these are serious concerns, not to be treated lightly by me.
However, maybe as much as I am praying breakthrough for these things, Holy Spirit is asking me to pray more deeply than that. He has been asking me to pray along the lines of that scripture from Judges 3:1-2.
So, yes, I have been praying that our hearts would be expanded and strengthened to be able to carry more. I am praying that our spirit man be strengthened. I am praying that our faith would be exercised to become stronger than it has ever been.
I believe that what this means is that the word our apostles and prophets have been releasing is all too true: the challenges we are facing will not get better, they will likely intensify. Therefore, if we are going to stand in the midst of this intense end of time battle, we are going to have to get really tough!
And we are indeed getting tough! I love hearing good news every day of God’s warriors who are courageously standing in the enemy’s crosshairs. Thankfully we are blessed with this special brand of heroes in high places, but there are also everyday people who bucking the juggernaut of evil trying to overtake our world. I am blessed to rub shoulders with folks like this every day!
Oh, Lord, how do I pray? Teach me to pray in these challenging times! Give me your heart, Lord. I need to pray wisely, rightly, powerfully for myself, my family and my metron! I want my prayers to be effective! I want my prayers to really move the mountains we are facing in these unprecedented times. We need you, Jesus!
I find myself in this place, praying in what seems like two directions.
On one hand, I believe in supernatural breakthrough. I believe in miracles! Now more than ever we have to see the supernatural power of our God come bursting into the earth realm! I regularly and fervently pray for signs, wonders and miracles to break out!
On the other hand, I am also beginning to see the reality of our need to shift into a different – maybe broader - mindset. That is when Holy Spirit spoke to me through the scripture from Judges 3:1-2:
“These are the nations that the Lord left in the land to test those Israelites who had not experienced the wars of Canaan. He did this to teach warfare to generations of Israelites who had no experience in battle.” Judges 3:1-2
Honestly, I can see that I often look to Jesus to give me what might amount to an “easy”, supernatural deliverance from heaven for trials I am up against. What if what I need is more strength and courage to move to the front lines and go to war myself, in the middle of the mess? What if I need to press into the need, stand in faith, and then stand and stand and stand… and then stand some more?
A vision Holy Spirit gave me a few days ago is all of us clothed in the heavy spiritual armor Apostle Paul describes in Ephesians 6. We were heading into the heat of a real battle, and Holy Spirit gave the vision to me in a kind of technicolor with sound effects! It was pretty realistic and scary.
The vision was sobering enough that I have had to think it all through again. We have the armor, we have supernatural weapons, and our General is our mighty Triune God, El Gibbor, the God of Angel Armies. Yes. Thank you, Lord.
As we live-streamed the Sunday morning worship and message from Glory of Zion in Texas (www.gloryofzion.org), the speaker for the morning, Isaac Pitre, added to this checklist, and confirmed what Holy Spirit has been speaking to me about in Judges 3.
Pitre’s message was entitled “Take Back the House: Winning the War for Present and Future Generations.” A friend called the message a “barn-burner” and it sure was. Pitre talked about our urgent need to stand on our authority and push the devil out of the places in which he has anchored himself. He taught from Matthew 12:22-29; 43-45.
I encourage you to listen to this message, friends, it is one of the most powerful assignments for us I have heard in a long time.
Look at what we have, friends! We have the heavenly armor, the divine weapons, and the authority of Jesus Christ to take into our battle! And here is one more gift Jesus Christ has given us: the partnership of like-minded, like-hearted Kingdom partners.
We will have to rely on this precious gift more and more in these dark days. I’m sure you have seen how Holy Spirit is strategically gathering an Ekklesia team around each one of us! That is Messiah’s secret weapon that I am beginning to understand and greatly appreciate with the unfolding of this season.
My gift joined with other’s gifts, my experience and knowledge coupled with others experience and knowledge, our hearts joined together with the love of our King Jesus… that is God’s plan for victory against our forever defeated enemy.
Here is what Holy Spirit has been asking me to pray for myself and others –
… Lord Jesus, grant us
· increase of wisdom,
· supernatural discernment,
· strategy to overcome the attacks launched against us
· grace and joy in the midst of the battles…
… Remind us
· Of the heavenly armor
· Of the weapons of our divine warfare
· Of our authority as Blood bought sons and daughters
… And then reveal the Ekklesia team you are gathering us to, and show us how to fulfil the assignments you are giving to us!
Like you did for your people coming into the Promised Land, El Gibbor, Almighty God of Angel Armies, test us, teach us, train us, strengthen us, gather us…
TEACH YOUR EKKLESIA HOW TO WAR, LORD JESUS!
Watching the Clock
Watching the Clock
February 13, 2023
Joan Tyvoll
Like many of you, I am watching the clock. The prophetic clock, that is. A question that is on a lot of our minds and lips is this, “How close are we to midnight?” How close are we to the time that Jesus talked about in Matthew 24-25?” (labeled as the “Olivet Discourse” in your study Bible).
World news, if nothing else, is forcing my attention towards that question. Earthquakes, wars and rumors of wars, natural disasters… yes, Jesus alerted us to the fact that all of these things would be happening in greater frequency and severity as the time of the end draws near.
So our task, if we are to steward our callings correctly in these stressful times, is to figure out what our assignments are. What would the Lord have us busy with - day by day, but also for the long term?
We have heard the prophets saying that we are Esthers in this time of history. It is certainly a word of the Lord to take to heart. It is not a coincidence that we and our kids and grandkids are alive in this day. I believe with all my heart that whatever we need to thrive and help build the Kingdom and bring in the Lord’s harvest is available to us.
One of the things Holy Spirit has me doing this year is to read, and re-read the prophetic councils words for the year 2023. I invite you to join me in that. Elijah List has not only the Apostolic Council of Prophetic Elders’ (ACPE) word archived, but also the Australia Prophetic Council’s 2023 word (APC), and the European Prophetic Council’s 2023 word (EPC). These councils are comprised of trusted prophets, and the documents they offer are the compilations of what they agree they are hearing from the Lord. I have printed them all out, and each week I make notes in the margins as events unfold around the world which lend credence to each point they have made.
If I want to be well informed in my prayers for the world, these brothers and sisters in high places can help. We are living in an amazing time of world-wide unity and collaboration within the Ekklesia! It is an amazing time to be alive!
I am pressing into the words from these apostolic councils, because along with soaking in the Bible, this is a provision from our Good Father so we can navigate safely through this stressful season. He never intended that we be left adrift in a stormy ocean of crisis and fear. We need his help, we need his angels to partner with us, and we need all of our spiritual and natural God-given gifts within the Ekklesia to be working together in unity (Ephesians 4:11-16). It is for our good of course, but also for the good of our families, our communities and nations. We the Church are meant to be a light in the midst of the gathering darkness!
Like you, the first thing we did when we heard the news of the horrible earthquakes in Turkey was to send money to Samaritan’s Purse. We knew those folks would immediately be gearing up to head there and give aid in whatever way they could. (Honestly, it has been heartwarming to hear of the wonderful global response to the tragedy.)
I think it is so powerful, and something to really be paying attention to today, that right in the middle of Jesus answering the disciple’s questions concerning the end times, he talks about the church giving aid to those suffering. This kind of practical aid will be one of the most powerful testimonies we can give to the world. Whatever we give in Jesus’ name will testify to the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
31“When the Son of Man appears in his majestic glory, with all his angels by his side, he will take his seat on his throne of splendor, 32and all the nations will be gathered together before him. 33The ‘sheep’ he will put on his right side and the ‘goats’ on his left. 34Then the King will turn to those on his right and say, ‘You have a special place in my Father’s heart. Come and experience the full inheritance of the kingdom realm that has been destined for you from before the foundation of the world! 35For when you saw me hungry, you fed me. When you found me thirsty, you gave me drink. When I had no place to stay, you invited me in, 36and when I was poorly clothed, you covered me. When I was sick, you tenderly cared for me, and when I was in prison you visited me.’
37“Then the godly will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty and give you food and something to drink? 38When did we see you with no place to stay and invite you in? When did we see you poorly clothed and cover you? 39When did we see you sick and tenderly care for you, or in prison and visit you?’
40“And the King will answer them, ‘Don’t you know? When you cared for one of the least of these, my little ones, my true brothers and sisters, you demonstrated love for me.’
41“Then to those on his left the King will say, ‘Leave me! For you are under the curse of eternal fire that has been destined for the devil and all his demons. 42For when you saw me hungry, you gave me no food, and when you saw me thirsty, you gave me no drink. 43I had no place to stay, and you refused to take me in as your guest. When you saw me poorly clothed, you closed your hearts and did not clothe me. When you saw that I was sick, you didn’t lift a finger to help me, and when I was imprisoned, you never came to visit me.’
44“And then those on his left will say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty and not give you food and something to drink? When did we see you homeless, or poorly clothed? When did we see you sick and not help you, or in prison and not visit you?’
45“Then he will answer them, ‘Don’t you know? When you refused to help one of the least important among these my little ones, my true brothers and sisters, you refused to help and honor me.’ 46And they will depart from his presence into eternal punishment. But the godly and beloved ‘sheep’ will enter into eternal bliss.” Matthew 25:31-46
There is so much more to be said and prayed over today. It really can feel overwhelming. Yes, day by day the Lord will have to help me to know what my assignments are from him, but at least I can start here. In the midst of the shaking, I can reach out to those in need around me.
According To The Pattern
According To The Pattern
February 8, 2023
Joan Tyvoll
Exodus 25:8-9 “Have the people of Israel build me a holy sanctuary so I can live among them. You must build this Tabernacle and its furnishings exactly according to the pattern I will show you.
I am reading through Exodus in my yearly reading program, and I am coming across a phrase that captures my attention every single year… according to the pattern. I believe Exodus 25:8-9 is the “first mention” of this phrase, and as you continue through the Lord’s instructions for constructing, furnishing and decorating the Tabernacle in the wilderness you will find the phrase repeated again and again.
Everything that The Lord had craftsmen make there in the wilderness was beautiful, useful and perfect because it all came from the mind and heart of our Beautiful Lord. Woven fabrics, leathers, embroidery, metals, stonework, and wooden structures such as altars, tables and the Ark… It all poured from our beautiful Creator’s mind into human vessels that he anointed with divine ability to bring into being the things that God himself made a pattern for.
The instructions and descriptions in these chapters always fill me with wonder and awe.
I believe the Tabernacle reflects the character of our Beautiful Lord who is a God of order, and not of chaos. In all that he does there is order and pattern. There is always a God given pattern.
As I meditate on the intriguing phrase in Exodus, I hear Holy Spirit telling me that ALL of our good Lord’s creation has pattern and order. I think of DNA – one of the smallest pieces of our bodies… There is a pattern there, and it is beautiful because it comes from the mind and heart of our beautiful Lord.
My life – body, soul and spirit was made by that same Lord. There is a pattern inscribed within me that has order, plan and purpose. It is an important call – really a life’s work – for me to discover and walk out the divine pattern of my life.
My Good Father hasn’t obscured or hidden that divine pattern. I have his promise on that.
Jeremiah 29:11-13. “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.
When we get confused, when we despair and lose heart because of the trials and stress of this life, this is a good word to stand on. When we feel stuck and trapped, look for your divine pattern. It is there, though life and our enemy would try to keep us from it. There is always a God given pattern…
Find Your Harvest Field
Find Your Harvest Field
February 6, 2023
Joan Tyvoll
Matthew 9:35-38 “Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.”
We are in the Hebrew year 5783. The new year begins on the Feast of Trumpets, and as the shofars blow on that special day, they announce it. Ten days later Yom Kippur is observed. This is a day of fasting, confession, surrender to the Lord seeking renewal and restoration. When this solemn day is concluded, the Feast of Tabernacles commences. For 8 days, God’s people can rejoice in the forgiveness of our sins because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Cross. Yes, the Hebrew feasts are really for all of us, not just the Jews.
As I have followed God’s yearly calendar, I have found a wholeness and completeness come into what I see taught in the Bible. As I have worked at aligning with God’s times and seasons marked in his calendar, it truly has made a difference in my own faith walk. I believe God delights in us when we honor him in this way.
As a seer, I have learned from others who follow God’s calendar that on Rosh Hashana, Head of the Year, it is a significant time to expect Holy Spirit to give gifts of dreams and visions. They are one of the ways God speaks into what we can expect in the year ahead. I love the dreams Holy Spirit gives me at Rosh Hashana. I know they are especially important to pay attention to, and to pray into all year long.
On September 21, 2020, Holy Spirit gave me a dream about harvest, and harvest combines. As I have prayed for revelation for this year of 5783/2023, Holy Spirit has highlighted this dream. I believe he is saying, “It is Harvest Time, Ekklesia! Find your field! Get busy! Your harvest is ripe!”
The dream started with me being on a big combine in a wheat field that stretched out as far as the eye could see. It was an amazing work this farmer was doing in that huge field. But in the dream, I soon felt I didn’t really fit on that particular piece of harvesting equipment.
I climbed down from the big combine and walked to a smaller field off to the side. The wheat there was just as lush and perfect – and perfectly ripe - but the scale of harvesting was more like home for me. The tractor was like one my dad had years ago, and it was pulling an older piece of equipment that also reminded me of my growing up years on the farm. In the dream I thought, “Yes, I can do this. This is my kind of harvest field.”
It was a dream with several scenes, and in the next part, my Good Father showed me the perfect job I get to keep doing in this strategic time in human history: I get to teach and train. Oh, I woke up so excited from this sweet message from the Lord! He is bound and determined to get me just where I am supposed to be, doing just what he has made me good at doing!
Now I put it to you. If this is indeed harvest time, where is your harvest field? What is your particular expertise in these days of harvest? Press in, Kingdom farmer, it is the Lord’s Harvest Time!
We Need Gloves in 2023
We Need Gloves in 2023
January 30, 2023
Joan Tyvoll
“Watchmen are called by God to watch in the natural as well as the spiritual, and then report what they see so that other people will know what to do. A watchman knows if others need to be warned, or what kind of action needs to be taken. A watchman is to be on the wall to see danger coming, but a watchman also listens to the Lord and reports what he or she hears the Spirit saying to the Church. One of the watchman’s skills is the ability to interpret dreams and visions…” (The Apostolic Church Arising, page 2, Chuck D. Pierce and Robert Heidler.)
The call to be watchmen has been an integral part of the ministry of Rivers Apostolic Center for some years now.
In asking the Lord for the scripture focus for 2023, I could not leave that piece out of our calling. If anything, the need to watch and pray only increases as our times intensify.
The other day as I was re-reading “The Apostolic Church Arising”, the above quote expressed so well the Habakkuk 2:1-3 call for all of us.
“I will climb up to my watchtower and stand at my guardpost. There I will wait to see what the Lord says and how he will answer me. Then the Lord said to me, “Write my answer plainly on tablets, so that a runner can carry the correct message to others. This vision is for a future time. It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed.”
*****************
As I have promised, I will take time to share more about what I see for 2023. There are several dreams He is reminding me of that are going to encouraging helps for us.
One of the key prophetic dreams Holy Spirit is focusing on is what I call “The Glove Dream.”
In the dream, Steve and I were in our new house and we had several others with us. The outside of the house looked like a war zone. There was no grass, and our house was surrounded by broken pavement, chunks of concrete and craters and pits as if bombs had dropped around us. A UPS man knocked at the door to announce that we had a delivery – and what a delivery! The UPS truck was pulling a trailer piled high with boxes. The boxes on that and on the truck were were all labeled “Gloves”.
I assured the man that I had not ordered gloves, but he showed me the invoice. Yep, all ours! The men kept unloading the boxes until we had a pile outside our house higher than the roof! Someone who was in the house with us (I am convinced now that it was an angel) was examining the invoice and said, “Well, it only costs $87.15!”
In the dream I asked the Lord, “Why did you send me all these boxes? Why would you think I need all these gloves?” Holy Spirit answered me, “SO YOU CAN HANDLE IT.”
I had asked the Lord the night before I had the dream to help me understand what was happening in the world around me. When I woke up from the dream, this is what I journaled:
Wow… So obviously this is a gracious, powerful answer to my request the previous night… Whatever is coming, whatever chaos and turmoil and destruction is coming, God will give us what we need to “HANDLE IT.”
By the way, another interesting part of the dream was the mention of the boxes of gloves costing “$87.15” I prayed into it, I looked up scripture references that reflected those numbers, I just couldn’t seem to nail down what I felt was the answer for this tidbit. Until a couple of days later Steve google the Strongs number 8715.
Bingo.
#8715: (Hebrew) hophal, meaning “To bring”. As in Genesis 33:11 what Jacob and Esau meet. “Please accept my gift that is brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have everything I want.”
Yes, that is it. That is the message of the prophetic dream Holy Spirit was giving me.
God will graciously and generously give us whatever we will need in the coming days. He has enough to share, and that means we will also have enough because of him. I pass this sweet encouragement on to you today. We were born for such a time as this, and whatever help we will need from our Good, Good Father to be able to accomplish our assignments for the coming days of human history, he will be sure we get it!
Listen for the Shofars
Listen for the Shofars
January 23, 2023
Joan Tyvoll
Habakkuk 2:1-3 “…I will climb up to my watchtower and stand at my guardpost. There I will wait to see what the Lord says… Then the Lord said to me, “Write my answer plainly on tablets, so that a runner can carry the correct message to others. This vision is for a future time. It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed.”
For years now the Lord has impressed on me and others in my ministry family that we are called to be on God’s watchtower, patrolling, guarding, and praying.
As I asked the Lord for vision for 2023, it finally became quite clear that the directive found in Habakkuk would be an ongoing assignment. It makes sense, really. The visions and dreams he gives us to pray for have not yet been accomplished. But we do see the promise he gives through the prophet: “…it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed.”
My faith is up for that I think. I would love to see all that is in my heart come to pass.
As I sat with Habakkuk’s conversation with the Lord, he reminded me of a significant vision he gave me about 1 ½ years ago. I was praying in a night watch, questioning God and honestly, I was really … worried. (I’ll admit it, even though I know Christians aren’t supposed to worry!) “Look at what’s happening, Lord! Look what we are up against!” I am sure I was saying to him…
Then Holy Spirit spoke very kindly to me and said,
“Just go up on your watchtower, Joanie.”
“Ok, Lord, you know that’s where I am.”
“Watch. Look in the long distance. What do you see?”
“Lord, I see dust in the air, hanging there in the horizon.”
“Now listen. What do you hear?” he said.
I listened. And listened.
“Lord, I hear shofars blowing. I hear… shouts! Shouts of victory!”
Victory is on its way, friends. It is in the distance, but it is surely coming.
Our call in 2023 is to decree the Victory of our King Jesus. Ultimately this victory is what John the Revelator heard declared, and then reported to us: “Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices shouting in heaven: “The world has now become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever.”
Is that what is saw in the vision? Was I hearing those shofars, was I hearing those loud voices?
Maybe, maybe.
But I think there are many more victories coming that we will see unfold before us in this amazing season of harvest we are in. It is time. It is harvest time. Victory is on its way.
In this crucial year, our job is to stand on the watchtower on which he has placed us and decree the victory that our Lord firmly promises through the prophet Habakkuk. What victories do you need to see for yourself, your family, your sphere of influence?
Watch, look and listen. Then decree. It is surely coming. Wait for it.
The Sound of Rain
The Sound of Rain
January 21, 2023
Joan Tyvoll
Sometimes it all gets to be a lot. Too much in fact. Sometimes I feel like I can’t hold everything that I know I am supposed to hold. Ever feel like that? And I know I can do it, I know it is what I am called to do, I know that with the help of my Good, Good Father I will have all the strength I need to do it. Sometimes I just get tired.
This morning I am listening to some new music I haven’t known about before. I was blessed to be part of a new group of intercessors this week. They start with worship, and the music they played was from Jackie and Stacy Baker. Wonderful.
So this morning I went to Youtube and found them again. I am listening to “I Hear The Sound Of Rain.” The music immediately moved me to worship in the Spirit, and I asked Holy Spirit what was he leading me to pray? His answer was so sweet… He said, “its just love. Its just lifting me up. It is just devotion and it is just praise. And Joanie, that is enough. I am just enough.”
And sometimes that is exactly what I need. Just him.
So I am sitting with the sound of rain, and just loving Him.
It is enough.
5783/2023 - Harvest Time!
5783/2023 - Harvest Time!
January 18, 2023
By Joan Tyvoll
Every year between Rosh Hashanah (Head of the Year on the Jewish calendar) and New Year on the Gregorian calendar, I review, ponder and sort through the past and look forward into the future. I am asking the Lord for insight and direction for my personal life and for all that God has given me responsibility for. Of course that includes family, it includes past and present ministry family.
I am telling you, this is the hardest I have ever had to work at putting words on paper for you for the new year! I have been journaling, praying and seeking the Lord to try to figure out what I should say about 5783/2023.
This morning I reread my journaling just since New Years Day, and it confirms what I have been sensing… we will not be getting a new word for the new year – but we must begin thinking in terms of compounding interest…
This year our Good Father will show us how every word he has given us throughout the years, every experience we have walked through and every teaching from trusted spiritual leaders we have put into practice through the years has been valuable. All of it will be put to use in the coming season!
Think of each of these things as puzzle pieces. Each piece of your life is precious. He has worked to get you in strategic places, doing just what you are supposed to be doing. Everything you have done and are doing is important and has been used for the King’s Kingdom. Now we are being promoted to a new place in which we will be called upon to use all these things in new ways!
So, as we look to the coming year and season, consider this: all of the puzzle pieces he has put in you are forming a picture of NOW. I believe it is a NOW season. It is time.
Time for what? Harvest. It is harvest time!
What I believe is this: all of the work God has done in each of our lives is coming into a laser focus. He intends to make us dread warriors, doing exploits as we enter the work of harvesting the greatest number of souls the world has ever seen.
During the Sunday, January 1, 2023 worship service at Glory of Zion, Robert Heidler gave a teaching called: “2023: Getting Ready For Harvest; Becoming a Sharp Threshing Instrument.” He took the title for his message from Isaiah 41:15-16: “…You will be a new threshing instrument with many sharp teeth.”. I highly recommend that you listen to his message. In point after point, scripture after scripture, Dr. Heidler shared how we can enter into and move through the coming stressful times.
It gave me courage, and in so many ways it summarized what I believe the ministry of Rivers Apostolic Center is all about - Harvest.
Through the years RAC has always been about harvest and teaching others how to enter into God’s Kingdom as harvesters. As I look forward, it seems to me that all we love and gather around is encapsulated in that word - Harvest. Prayer, soaking in the Bible, seeking God’s face, understanding his heart, listening for his voice, loving our families and neighbors, loving the Lord’s Ekklesia – his church… This is what we have been about all these years together.
Yes, each one of us has special gifts, callings and destiny. We are all on our own journeys with our Triune God. But we are all headed in the same direction – towards our Good, Good Father and his Kingdom.
And time is growing short. It is close to midnight.
So. As I considered what theme scripture Holy Spirit might have for this year, I have come to realize that yes, it is a time of culmination of what God has given us. Look at these familiar verses:
· Prayer and Intercession: Habakkuk 2:1-3 “…I will climb up to my watchtower and stand at my guardpost. There I will wait to see what the Lord says… Then the Lord said to me, “Write my answer plainly on tablets, so that a runner can carry the correct message to others. This vision is for a future time. It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed.
· Prophecy: Amos 3:3-8 “…the Sovereign Lord never does anything until he reveals his plans to his servants the prophets. The lion has roared—so who isn’t frightened? The Sovereign Lord has spoken—so who can refuse to proclaim his message?”
· War Season: Joel 3:9-14 “…Say to the nations far and wide: “Get ready for war! Call out your best warriors. Let all your fighting men advance for the attack… multitudes, multitudes in the Valley of Decision, for the day of the Lord is at hand in the Valley of decision…”
· Restoration & Unity in the Ekklesia: Ephesians 4:1-16; Isaiah 65:8 …the blessing of the new wine in our cluster.
These are scriptures that the Lord has given us in the past years that we have embraced and lived out. They are culminating in making you and I “dread warriors doing exploits” for the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ.
“Behold, I will make you to be a new, sharp, threshing instrument which has teeth; you shall thresh the mountains and beat them small, and shall make the hills like chaff. You shall winnow them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the tempest or whirlwind shall scatter them. And you shall rejoice in the Lord, you shall glory in the Holy One of Israel.” Isaiah 41:15-16.
I will be unpacking each of these important points so we can ponder them together as we walk into the new year.
Into The Harvest
Into The Harvest
November 21, 2022
Joan Tyvoll
Into The Harvest
“You didn’t choose me, I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name.” John 15:16
We live in rural Wisconsin. We are in town now, but we are still surrounded by acres and acres of corn fields, soy bean fields and alfalfa. I love it because I grew up on a farm, so this country girl loves marking the seasons by the plowing, planting, picking, haying and filling silos going on around us. My daily petitions follow the farmers need for rain or no rain, depending on what the field work of the moment calls for.
Harvest time is done for the most part this year – cut short for some by the snow and cold here in Western Wisconsin. It has been a hard growing season in our neck of the woods because of a serious drought. Many farmers are dealing with a smaller than usual yield for all their hard work.
Harvest, of course, is where the rubber meets the road for farmers. Will the yield from their corn and beans reward all the hard work of the entire summer? A poor yield is not only disappointing for them - it can be devastating. For those who love the land and farming, a poor harvest is more than just an economic failure. Farmers (and gardeners!) feel it in their spirits.
When any farmer plants a seed, he expects something to sprout. Hopefully those baby plants are healthy and abundant. When I was growing up, I watched my dad walking out in his cornfields admiring first the little sprouts, then the growing stalks, then the cobs as they grew long and put out plump kernels. He loved to see his harvest grow.
I remember going with Dad for drives on Sunday afternoons “to look at the corn” he would say. He drove with his window down, and he would slow down as he drove by each neighbors’ field. Then he would give appropriate remarks about each farmer’s farming ability or lack thereof!
All these years later, my husband and I still laugh when we get behind a slow-moving vehicle – “It’s a farmer out for a drive, checking out the neighbor’s corn!”
I can picture God doing the same thing. You’ve heard the old saying – “God was the first farmer”. This Farmer God of ours understands the cycle of season’s work in the field. He understands all about planting a seed and getting a crop from the seed. He also understands the heartache of having high expectations from his fields but then being disappointed when the harvest comes up empty.
When I read my Bible I understand that God considers the world and its people his fields. From another perspective - a more personal and intimate perspective – our hearts are the fields where God plants his good seeds of truth, which he then tends and tills and waters our hearts with early and latter rains.
I have fun imagining my Farmer God with his sleeves rolled up, sweating in the hot sun as he works in my field. The seed he is planting in my heart will yield a different crop than my friends or my siblings or my kids. Somehow his call for me to “bear fruit” in John 15 is the same as everyone else’s, but what he grows in and through me is unique to me, my call and my destiny. That is true for each one of us. Each of us yields a unique harvest for God’s Kingdom because the DNA that he has wired us with is unique.
I can picture my Good Father’s intent expression as he tends my heart’s field. He carefully plans the gifts and experiences he intends to dig into my heart’s soil, all with the purpose of enriching me. I think he smiles as he works, looking forward to the good harvest my life will yield.
Righteousness, good character, good deeds, people we introduce to the Kingdom of God and most of all, how we display his glory to a dark world – all these things are important parts of the harvest that God wants from our lives.
I want that be true of me. I so want my farmer God to watch the combine coming off my field packed to the top of the hopper with rich, golden grain. I want to see the light in his eyes as he says to me, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”
I want to work while it is yet day. There is a harvest to bring in, and God is eagerly looking for his yields to be high!
In the Right Place
from Celtic Daily Prayer
…O King and Savior,
What is Thy gift to me?
And do I use it to Thy pleasing?
Dear Lord, You alone know
what my soul truly desires,
and You alone
can satisfy those desires.
May I be equal to Your hope of me.
If I am weak,
I ask that You send only what I can bear.
If I am strong,
may I shrink from no testing
that shall yield increase of strength
or win security for my spirit.
I trust in Thee, O Lord.
I say, ‘Thou are my God.
My times are in Thy hand,
my times are in Thy hand.’
Simple Thanks
Simple Thanks
November 16, 2022
Joan Tyvoll
Simple Thanks
“All you saints! Sing your hearts out to God! Thank him to his face! …I'm about to burst with song; I can't keep quiet about you. God, my God, I can't thank you enough.”
Psalm 30:4, 12 The Message
Sometimes when I walk and pray I have a hard time getting past the litany that God has given me as my “Jesus Prayer” (or what is also called a “breath prayer”). Thank you, God; thank you, God; thank you, thank you, thank you. It rings in my soul over and over again, and really, sometimes it is all God requires of me. Thank you, God; thank you, God; thank you, thank you, thank you.
No matter what trial is looming over me, when I find myself struggling with fear and doubt, it is time to give thanks. Because when I take my eyes off the problem to give God thanks, I find my center. It is always God.
He has done such good things for me. Didn’t Jesus die for me? Isn’t heaven’s door open for me because of what he did at the cross? Hasn’t he been faithful for all these years? Hasn’t he… You get the picture. The answer is always “Yes”. So why should I fear whatever is facing me today?
I am not very fond of swimming. I remember as a kid getting out too far from the lake shore. I was literally in over my head, and I could just barely find the bottom with my toes. I was at the edge of panic as I struggled to tread water. I would push off from the bottom, get a gulp of air, and then try to propel myself into shallower water. Little by little I got back into safer water. That frightening feeling of impending disaster and panic has stayed with me to this day. I was still breathing, still feeling something of the lake’s bottom, but I was not really in control.
Life is like trying to live in the deep end of the pool at times – in over our heads and constantly struggling to tread water, trying to find the calm and safety of the shallows where we can be in control.
I don’t have answers for your trials, heartaches or the life and death problems you may be facing, friends. I can’t take away your bills, or find you a job. You will have to continue to struggle on your own through challenging relationships in your life.
But what I can do is this: I can remind you that in the midst it all, God’s will for us is to give thanks. God asks us to face all of life with thanksgiving in our hearts and on our lips. If I could find something in the Bible that could qualify as “magic” it would be this: Having a grateful heart is the key to living faithful, victorious Christian lives. Seek to develop the holy habit of giving thanks in all circumstances!
I know that giving thanks keeps my eyes on God rather than the problem. Giving thanks builds my faith and tells God that I trust him with my life. When I offer the sacrifices of thanks and praise in the darkest hours of life it gives God permission to “make all things work together for good.” (Romans 8:28). I learn to expect God to be at work on my behalf despite the circumstances! Cultivating a thankful heart insures that a bitter spirit will not be able to take root in my heart.
It may have been a hard year for you and your family. It may have been full of economic challenges and set-backs, health problems or any number of things that life throws at us. But this Thanksgiving, give thanks! In everything, give thanks! Give God a chance to bless you in the midst of the good and bad of life.
If you read your Bible with any kind of discernment, you will agree with me that the message of giving thanks in everything is an important one. From front cover to back, God commands us to give thanks, to recall his gifts and benefits to us, and never, never, never get done thanking him.
This Thanksgiving, try this: give God thanks for everything that you have experienced this past year, leaving out nothing. Good, bad and indifferent, put it all on the list. Then ask God to use it all for his glory, trusting that he will indeed use it for good in your life.
Simple Thanks
My thanks today are simple, Father.
I am simply grateful to be your child.
I am full of thanks to know my heart is made new,
that your Spirit lives within me
and guides me through each day.
I am so grateful to be your child.
I am grateful to know your promises have my name
written on them,
new and fresh every morning.
I think about what you did for me on the cross, Jesus,
and I am simply glad.
Great Triune God; Father, Son and Spirit,
I am simply glad.
Amen.
From “The Quiet Heart: Listening to God”, by Joan E. Tyvoll
Frost on the Punkin'
Frost on the Punkin'
October 13, 2022
Joan Tyvoll
It is mid-October, and as I look at the long-range forecast for my corner of Wisconsin, I can see Autumn is really settling in. I even see the possibility of snow flurries mentioned. On a drive to see the beautiful colors of fall yesterday, we saw many fields already combined. For me, fall is a magical time.
I can’t help it, I need to share a piece that I wrote some years ago that expresses the nostalgic feelings that fall brings to me. Maybe it will bring some memories up for you. I hope you enjoy it.
…They’s something kindo’ harty-like about the
atmusfere
When the heat of summer’s over and the coolin’
fall is here –
Of course, we miss the flowers, and the blossoms
on the trees,
And the mumble of the hummin’-birds and the buzzin’
of the bees;
But the air’s so appetizing’; and the landscape
through the haze
Of a crisp and sunny morning of the airly autumn
days
Is a pictur’ that no painter has the colorin’ to
mock –
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder’s
in the shock…
- from James Whitcomb Riley’s Poem: "When the Frost is on the Punkin'"
When the frost was on the punkin it was corn picking time on our farm. The minute we got off the school bus, we hurried to change and get our chores done. Out the door we sailed and into the golden light of a late fall afternoon. We fed the livestock in record time, spurred on by the exciting hum of activity around the corncribs.
“Here comes the wagon!” the boys shouted. As soon as it rolled to a stop we jumped in and waited for the magic hydraulic ride up. Dad opened the end gate as soon as the wagon was tilted up, and he and Grandpa started raking cobs into the clanging elevator.
Our job was to push the cobs down to the end gate so the men could reach them with their corn rakes, and what a tantalizing mixture of fun and fear it was for me and my siblings! Up there in that tilted wagon, what if we would let go of the cable going across the wagon? Would we get a rake tine stuck through our legs? Would we go through the end gate, get caught in the elevator and be transported to the top of the crib with the corn? We never found out, because of course it never happened, but it added spice to the fun of corn-picking.
My favorite wagons were the ones with metal bottoms. They were as slippery as the slides at school. We flew across those wagon bottoms as if they were ice ponds at a 75 degree angle. They always emptied too soon.
Then, the empty wagon became our ride out to the field where the picker was going. Up and down the field we rode with golden ears pouring into the wagon from above. We tried to walk around on the slippery cobs just for the challenge of the thing, but we never had much success.
There was always a chance of seeing a deer at the edge of the darkening woods during corn-picking time. Sometimes we saw a pheasant strutting along a corn row alongside the wagon. The sun slipped lower and lower in the sky. I wondered as I had wondered so many times before, “Why is the light so golden? It must just be part of fall like that spicy smell in the woods is the special ‘fall smell’”.
The sun finally set behind the trees on the western end of the field as we started for home with a full load of corn. We hunkered down in the corner of the wagon box to shield ourselves from the chilly wind that found its way between short coat sleeves and mismatched mittens.
When we got back from the field, it was time for supper. Dad had cows to milk, and there was schoolwork to do for us. We turned our backs on the glowing sunset, and headed for the warm house. It was the end of another perfect fall day.
Memories are funny things. Sometimes we remember only good things and leave out the bad. Like James Whitcomb Riley in his “Punkin” poem, I remember idyllic days without blemish, one after another when I remember fall.
I don’t recall the rainy, cold days that halted the harvest, or machinery breakdowns. I don’t remember the frayed tempers of an overworked farmer and his long-suffering wife, or the dangers of potential farm accidents. Looking back, I know why Ma would always call out “BE CAREFUL!” every time we went out the door. Our usual response of “Aw, Ma, there’s nothin’ to worry about!” helps me understand why her hair turned prematurely gray!
Well, the “Good Old Days” will be just that. We all need our own “Good Old Days”. So not matter how great it is to have the modern combines to do the corn picking, it is the farmer on his tractor, with the old-fashioned two row picker that my heart goes out to. I don’t see him very much any more, but when I do, I think, “I wish I was riding in that wagon!”
Psalm 84 Pt. 4: The Gatekeeper's Tale
Psalm 84 Pt. 4: The Gatekeeper's Tale
October 12, 2022
Joan Tyvoll
Psalm 84:10-12
10 “A single day in your courts
is better than a thousand anywhere else!
I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God
than live the good life in the homes of the wicked.
11 For the Lord God is our sun and our shield.
He gives us grace and glory.
The Lord will withhold no good thing
from those who do what is right.
12 O Lord of Heaven’s Armies,
what joy for those who trust in you.”
I was a young believer, just learning how to soak in God’s word. I landed on Psalm 84, and it was many days before I could move on to anything else. 50 years later and I am still captivated by the imagery and powerful message of devotion and love expressed here by the psalmist clan of Korah.
Line by line I soaked in the beautiful pictures the ancient Psalmists painted. When I got to this final section of the story, I saw myself as that lowly door keeper, ushering the high and mighty into the presence of the High King of Heaven. You know - people more qualified, people more important – those the King would surely welcome into his throne room for an audience with him.
I remember coming back again and again to verse 10. My heart agreed with the sentiment of that ancient servant. I would say with the gatekeeper – “Yes, Lord. Just give me a lowly job, even a job like this ancient butler had. I don’t care, I just want to be in your house. Even if I am only allowed to be in the periphery of your Glorious Presence, that is enough. It is better than anything that the world might offer to me. Just let me be in your house, Father God!
I remember that one day the thought occurred to me: what does a thousand days translates into? Now I am not a math whiz, but I figured that I could divide those thousand days with 365 days of a year… I was blown away to see the numbers on my calculator – 1000 days is almost 3 years.
Wow. It still amazes me. When I walk with God, even in the capacity of the lowliest servant, He has the ability to pack 3 years of living into every single day of my life! And this is a RICH life he offers me! Verse 11 assures me of that. This God life is full of good things, it is full of grace and glory. As I walk in that sun filled day with him, my Good Father will be protecting me from evil – he himself will be my strong shield. It will be his light that shines on my path, showing me the way to walk.
Each day with him will have 3 years worth of richness packed into it! Think of it! 3 years of sunrises and sunsets, three years of fall colors, spring beauty, family birthdays, holiday get-togethers, fellowship gatherings, sweet prayer times and retreats with Holy Spirit, three years of precious children’s smiles and laughter, hugs and kisses of dear ones… Every single day equally three years packed full of the joy of the Lord. Just think of it!
Think of it! My God is the “Lord of Angel Armies”! So all the angels at his command will be available to me every single one of those rich, good, good days! He will be my light, he will be my protection, and all the angels of heaven will be watching over me.
That is what I chose, dear Jesus. That is what I want. I will be the lowliest servant of all, just let me be near you all the days of my life.
The Secret Place Part 3: Stronger Every Day
The Secret Place Part 3: Stronger Every Day
September 5, 2022
Joan Tyvoll
Psalm 84:5-8
What joy for those whose strength comes from the Lord,
who have set their minds on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
When they walk through the Valley of Weeping,
it will become a place of refreshing springs.
The autumn rains will clothe it with blessings.
They will continue to grow stronger,
and each of them will appear before God in [Zion].
O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies, hear my prayer.
Listen, O God of Jacob.
Selah
Why would I go to the trouble of seeking the Lord with the discipline and passion it takes to form “ruts” up to his throne? Why do I affirm and re-affirm my determination to pilgrimage to the Secret Place, day after day, year after year.
This. This is why. In our world, broken by sin, the Valley of Weeping will come. To us, our loved ones, our community… The day will come when the only strength we will be able to count on will be from the Lord, the God of Heaven’s Armies.
The crazy thing is, it is in that dark valley where we are trained to seek him. It is the weeping that makes us stronger and stronger. It is struggling through the trial, and then seeing him get through to the other side that changes our sorrow to joy. The flood of pain becomes instead, refreshing springs of Life that nourish us through the difficult times.
I memorized this verse as a young Christian, and it has sustained me through many dark times:
“…a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again; but the wicked are overthrown by calamity.” Proverbs 24:16 RSV
I know that when I fall, the devil would love to use that fall to create calamity in my life. I am just stubborn enough that there is no way am I going to let the “forever defeated satan” get the best of me! But, I also know that if I am going to win out, it will because Jesus gives me the strength to triumph. Only he will get the credit for my inevitable rising.
Wait, did I just put this into the context of the spiritual war we are in? Yes. As I write this post today, I am pondering the context of my well-tested promise from Proverbs 24:16. Verse 16 comes with a warning in the previous verse for any attacker trying to waylay me as I journey through life:
Proverbs 24:15-16
15Lie not in wait as a wicked man against the dwelling of the righteous;
do not violence to his home;
16for a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again;
but the wicked are overthrown by calamity.
Satan, you may succeed in a momentary attack against me and my family, but be warned. I will rise again, and I have the God of angel armies fighting for me! Every time you press against me, it is only making me stronger. Your attack only gives me more access to refreshing springs and blessings flowing from my Good Father’s throne! The joy of the Lord is my strength! (Nehemiah 8:10).
The valley of weeping allows me to tap into a joy that goes deeper than troubles, trials and grieving in this life.
We find this deep well of joy in the secret place that darkness can’t touch or extinguish. I know its true. I have found it myself in my own Secret Place.
O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies, hear my prayer.
Listen, O God of Jacob.
Selah
Part 2: Building Highways in the Month of Elul
Part 2: Building Highways in the Month of Elul
August 30, 2022
Joan Tyvoll
Psalm 84:5-8 TPT
How enriched are they who find their strength in the Lord;
within their hearts are the highways of holiness!
Even when their paths wind through the dark valley of tears,
they dig deep to find a pleasant pool where others find only pain.
He gives to them a brook of blessing
filled from the rain of an outpouring.
They grow stronger and stronger with every step forward,
and the God of all gods will appear before them in Zion.
Hear my cry, O God of Heaven’s Armies!
God of Jacob, listen to my loving prayer.
Selah
“… within their hearts are the highways of holiness.” What a perfect month to remember the highways of holiness in my heart. Holy Spirit has used Psalm 84 throughout my 50 years of journeying with the Lord. Now here it is again in 2022 in the month of Elul, and I am seeing it with fresh eyes all over again.
When I first began my conversation with the Lord about this psalm, I could see (with my Spirit eyes) road construction that needed to be done in my inner being. Being a country girl, I saw my heart-scape as a vast inner world of beautiful farmland. So as my heart highways were developed through the years, they passed through tilled fields, orchards and vineyards… always in one direction, always upward.
I like the Passion translation footnote for verse 5 of Psalm 84: “The Hebrew is literally “Roads are in their hearts.” It implies the ways [roads or “highways”] that lead us to God’s holy presence.
My good Father had told me that if I journeyed on these heart paths often enough, they would become clear roadways to the throne room of God. He taught me that there would never be just one road, but many. Wherever I was, whatever circumstance of life I found myself in, that is just where I needed to have a clear a highway to him. So, I didn’t wait for Sundays, I didn’t wait for a special time or place, I just found a road, or made a new road straight to him.
A while back I received a powerful prophetic word at a conference I attended. Holy Spirit gave one of the leaders a word for me that was and continues to be one of the most important messages from God that I have ever received. Through her, the Lord said to me, “You have found the secret place…” It struck my spirit like a truckload of dynamite. “YOU HAVE FOUND THE SECRET PLACE!”
When I attended the same conference a year later, I was able to thank the prophet for giving me that beautiful word. She pondered for a moment and then said, “I remember it. The picture Holy Spirit gave me for you was so very clear. I saw deep ruts going up to the throne of God...” Wow. Wow. Wow.
God is so good. What a gift to be able to know that the road work of all those years truly has made a difference. Thank you dear Father.
So what does that have to do with the Hebrew month of Elul? This is one of my favorite months of the whole year. Its my birthday month, so there is that. But Elul comes after the narrow place we pass through during the previous month of Av. It is not my imagination. Year after year Av closes in, but then when Elul rolls around, I stand up straighter. The atmosphere clears and I can breathe easier.
Elul. The month when “the King is in the field”. Elul is when our King leaves the palace and sets aside usual protocol to audience with him. He “tabernacles” in our field. He welcomes us into his presence and we can pray, praise, fellowship with him with confidence and joy. I can set “have to’s” to the side and just be with him - resting, getting renewed, just allowing myself to soak in his presence. Jesus becomes what John describes in his gospel:
And the Word (Christ) became flesh (human, incarnate) and tabernacled (fixed His tent of flesh, lived awhile) among us; and we [actually] saw His glory (His honor, His majesty), such glory as an only begotten son receives from his father, full of grace (favor, loving-kindness) and truth. [Isa. 40:5.] John 1:14 AMPC.
We know that as believers Jesus lives in us. We know that we have the privilege through Holy Spirit to be in his presence day or night, any and every month of the year.
But in the month of Elul, the King is giving me a special invitation to meet him in my very own field. I am going to mow the weeds that may have sprouted on my heart’s highways. I am going to deepen the ruts leading up to his throne from years past.
· I am meditating on Psalms this month.
· I am reviewing my dream journal and my prophetic words journal – times when he has met me in amazingly personal ways.
· I am resting in my favorite scripture passages.
· I am remembering to be especially thankful for the life he has given me.
In The Secret Place
In The Secret Place
Part 1: Selah
Part 1: Selah
August 16, 2022
Joan Tyvoll
Psalm 84:1-4
How lovely is your dwelling place,
O Lord of hosts!
My soul longs, indeed it faints
for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh sing for joy
to the living God.
Even the sparrow finds a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may lay her young,
at your altars, O Lord of hosts,
my King and my God.
Happy are those who live in your house,
ever singing your praise.
Selah
In the fall of 1971 I headed to the University of Minnesota as a freshman. For a shy country girl what an adventure that turned out to be. There is a lot I could tell about those university years. The best part of my story is that only three weeks into being there, I met my best friend and Savior, Jesus Christ. Everything else I could say about those years takes a back seat to Jesus. He was then, and continues to be now, the first and best part of my life.
Looking back through the years, I can honestly say that throughout my day, hardly a moment goes by when I am not aware of the Lord. He has given me the gift and great privilege of continually walking in his presence. Whatever I am doing, whatever I am going through, somehow my Good Father is allowing me the grace of his presence.
That is not to say my life is always easy or that my path is always smooth. Some of the moments of my days are full of fear and confusion. Some of my days are filled with questions and grief. But I can honestly say… I know my God is always there.
I can always find God in the Secret Place. Even after 51 years I can say from this deep place in my spirit - “How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, indeed it faints for the courts of the Lord…”
I have been feeling an increased longing and hunger for the courts of the Lord lately. I have been turning aside and seeking the solace of meeting the Lord in the Secret Place. Holy Spirit has been drawing me back to Psalm 84. Since I was a young Christian, this psalm has given me a vivid picture of my life with the Lord. It makes sense that he is inviting me back into it. Yes, Lord. I am coming into your courts. I am traveling to my Secret Place to hear from you. I am not sure exactly what it is that I need – except I know I need you. I just need more of you.
It is also no wonder that the first reminder Holy Spirit is giving me from this psalm is… selah. Various translations tell me what the beautiful word may mean. Selah: silence… Pause in his presence… pause and calmly think of that… pause and reflect… stop and diligently consider what was just said… pause and praise.
And my Good Father is asking me this as I stop today at the Selah… Joanie, how long has it been since you have obeyed my direction to pause and consider what I just said to you. You are careful to read my words, but you have been hurrying away from me, you have been just hurrying without rest from one thing to the next. You are hungry for me because it has been a while since you have read and considered what I have just told you there in my presence. It has been too long since you just rested with me.
So, it is time make my journey to the Secret Place. It is time for me to pause and just sit in the presence of the King. He is inviting me to Selah.
Deep Summer
Deep Summer
Pages From My Journal
August 15, 2022
Joan Tyvoll
I jotted down these thoughts one summer afternoon several years ago. We have moved several times since I wrote this piece for a gardening publication. Wherever I have lived gardens have followed me, but this one was especially unique. This deep summer day was unique, but at the same time I have thought the same thoughts in every one of my gardens. And here I am again today, thinking about Deep Summer as I watch precious golden days slip through my fingers…
Deep Summer
Summer afternoon, summer afternoon: to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.” Henry James, 1843-1916 American Novelist
You know how it used to be. When we were 10 years old summer lasted forever. Golden days stretched out, one after another like beads on a long chain. The school year with all its worries and hard work was a vague memory. Next term with a new teacher and her impossible math tests was not yet a reality. The Queen of seasons, Summer, was on her throne and nothing could touch her power.
Afternoons were the best part of summer. And not just any summer afternoon either, but deep summer afternoons. A deep summer afternoon is safely guarded from even the thought of sleet and frost by days, weeks, and even months of red summer sunsets and clear summer sunrises.
It is a deep summer afternoon. The mercury is climbing and the weatherman promises that it will be a scorcher. The humid southern breeze is heavy with the rich smell of green, growing corn. The periodic rains have kept the grass green, and my tomato patch is a jungle. The vines are loaded with little green gems that will be salsa, sauce and BLT’s. My mouth waters when I think of biting into my first little grape tomato.
The green beans and yellow wax beans are close to blooming. It won’t be long and we will be harvesting them. I don’t think it is possible to beat fresh beans cooked with butter, salt and pepper. Unless of course, as a friend pointed out, it is new potatoes. She waxed eloquent. “New potatoes in their jackets, steamed with butter and parsley…” She may be right. I will have to conduct that taste test experiment as soon as possible.
I carry as much work as I can outside on days like today. Who wants to be in the house if they don’t have to? I am storing up sunshine in my bones against the darkness of January. As I sit out in the garden on this particularly lovely deep summer afternoon, I am thinking again how much I love the green and blue and gold of summer.
I am not the only one who loves summer. So do the robins raiding the Montmorency cherry tree and the raspberry bushes laden with scarlet fruit. So do the chipping sparrows, catbirds and bluebirds taking turns splashing in the bird baths. So do the bees sampling the horehound blossoms, and the butterflies fluttering around the coreopsis and chamomile.
I have to believe the hummingbirds sipping from the golden goblets of the lilies would agree with me too. The only inhabitant of the garden who may have a differing opinion is Jenny Wren who is running herself ragged trying to feed her hungry brood currently bursting the seams of the little wren chalet in the ash tree at the side of the lawn.
No, I can safely say that in the midst of this deep summer afternoon, there is no threat, nor even a thought of winter. And that is just as it should be.
Welcome to the Family
Welcome to the Family
July 12, 2022
Joan Tyvoll
God gave me the vision for it last summer, and the door finally opened. I was finally able to hold a granddaughter retreat a few weeks ago. It was such a sweet time. My daughters– in–law attended as well, and that just added to the blessing. I believe it was all God intended it to be.
That was the question I kept asking the Lord as I prepared for our time together. What do you want to conveyed to my beautiful girls, Lord? What is your heart for them?
Those questions are what prompted the vision God gave me for the Girl’s Retreat to begin with. Our kids are under such pressure everywhere they turn. Society’s message bombards them through the media, social media, school, and peers. Our next generation is targeted with powerful messages of lies that is trying to tear down their trust and confidence in our Good Father, the Bible and holy living. The atmosphere they are swimming in is causing confusion about their personal worth and their identity on every level, even to the point of causing them questioning the gender they were born with.
I can pray protection for them, and believe me, I do. But I started asking the Lord, “Is there something else I can do for my family?” That is when Holy Spirit gave me the idea of a family retreat. It was to be a set apart time when I would help my granddaughters look at who God has made them to be. The world is working pretty hard at telling them who they think my girls should be. So God said, “make sure you are telling them how I see them.”
In years past I would give the kids in my youth group personality and spiritual gifts tests. I would teach them to find their destiny in the Kingdom. I did all that I could to help them figure out who God made them to be. Jeremiah 29:11-13 became a beacon of hope that Steve and I would shine over those kids:
“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. 14I will be found by you,” says the Lord…”
I have spent a lot of time teaching other family’s children what their destiny in Christ was, now it was my own family’s turn. I want my own children and grandchildren to know who they are and what they have been created to be in the Lord. Also, I want them to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they belong to a family. I don’t want them to have to question if they belong, or if they are valuable person in our family circle. I want them to be certain of the security and love of our clan.
Our girls found out they are gifted. They are leaders. They have so much to offer. They are loved. The conversation is open and will remain open as they grow and mature and find their way in the world.
Boys retreat coming up!
The Prayer of Jabez
The Prayer of Jabez
July 11, 2022
Joan Tyvoll
“There was a man named Jabez who was more honorable than any of his brothers. His mother named him Jabez because his birth had been so painful. He was the one who prayed to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and expand my territory! Please be with me in all that I do, and keep me from all trouble and pain!” And God granted him his request.” 1 Chronicles 4:9-10
I have been reading through the Bible every year for around 50 years, so that means that I have been acquainted with Jabez for quite a while. Then in 2000, Bruce Wilkinson wrote a little book called “The Prayer of Jabez”. I wore that little book right out, praying and praying through it for years. The call of the beautiful prayer may wane for a time, but then I read Jabez’s testimony again, and its magic captures me anew.
The oh-so-short story of Jabez is a hidden gem in the middle of the ‘begats’ – the who’s who of the tribes of Israel. Somehow his life, his character, his passion for God caused him to stand out in his generations. Somehow God was so pleased with him that he wanted to honor him throughout time and eternity by never allowing him to be forgotten.
So every year when I come across this beautiful memorial to Jabez in my Bible reading, I ponder … What made Jabez so remarkable? So memorable? So outstanding?
Cursed from Birth
Jabez had a rough start in life. The story in 1 Chronicles doesn’t tell us much about his mother. We don’t know the trials she had to deal with. Maybe her husband was bad news. Maybe her in-laws made life miserable. Maybe she wasn’t physically well. Whatever life circumstances were swirling around her, we know her pregnancy and the delivery of the baby was hard. (Notes on verse 9 say that “Jabez sounds like a Hebrew word meaning “distress” or “pain.””).
But still. What mother does that to a child? Why would she be okay with saddling him from birth with a name that is next to being a curse?
Look at Jabez! Despite his rocky beginning, the Bible says he stood out among his whole family. It is clear that his life was exceptional in his clan, and in all the clans of Israel. He could have owned his negative name. He could have used it as a good excuse to fail in life, to be a victim. Instead, Jabez overcame it all.
Life Lessons
There are so many life lessons here. I have prayed them all for myself and for my family. The lesson that speaks to me more than any other is that although life is hard, and life certainly isn’t fair, we do not have to stay in the hard place trials sometimes puts us in. We aren’t defined by our troubles. Any of us can choose to rise above heart ache and pain. Just like Jabez.
The prayer recorded in 1 Chronicles 4 reveals the secret of how he was able to stand out the way he did. His secret of success is his focus on his Good Father. Instead of blaming God, he pressed in to know God in a way that somehow others in his family missed. His intimate knowledge of God led him to ask for blessing. Even more than that he asked for increase. He didn’t just dream big, he asked big! Jabez had a BIG GOD.
Somehow Jabez caught the fact that in the Kingdom, nothing is too small for our King. He can heal the past and secure an amazing future for those who ask. Why are we so afraid to ask?
So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.”
Hebrews 4:16.
“And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.” Hebrews 11:6
Jabez’s God loves our faith. He loves and rewards those with the spirit of Jabez. That is what I am seeking today.
Calling All Angels
Calling All Angels
June 30, 2022
Joan Tyvoll
Angels have been on my mind a lot in the past few years. I am not the only one. As I follow trusted apostles and prophets and their ministries, I also hear them talking about angels. And why not? If ever there was a time we needed help from the Host of heaven it is now.
As I was reviewing my dream journal last week, one dream that really jumped out at me was one I call “Warring, Singing Angels”. In this dream from a while back, I saw myself seated at the right hand of King Jesus in the third heaven (Ephesians 1 & 2). In the dream, I must have come to Jesus with a request. Immediately Jesus waved his hand and dispatched huge angel warriors to accomplish the thing that I had asked him for.
The warrior angels were in full shining armor. They rushed away, down into the second heavens. Their swords were drawn and their faces… Wow, I can still see their faces. Their faces were full of light and JOY! I could tell they were full of joy because as they flew into battle, swinging their swords and slicing through demons - they were singing! That is what I heard in the dream! Singing angels and the sound of swords whipping and whistling through the air. I knew it was their great joy to obey the Commander of the Host, and to wreck havoc on the enemy army. And…it was their joy to fight on my behalf.
So that is my “Warring, Singing Angels Dream”, and I will never forget it. It is one of the most powerful dreams Holy Spirit has ever given me. Ever since that dream, I have been counting on those warring angels often.
Last week when the Supreme Court handed down the decision to end Roe vs. Wade, I knew we would need the help of those angels even more. The victory for LIFE is wonderful. Wonderful. But satan will not give up the battle any time soon. For us here in the earth realm, it is time for us to keep praying and to keep pressing into the victory.
During the Morning Watch today, I received a news article from my friend Dolean concerning Wisconsin. As soon as Roe vs. Wade was struck down, Wisconsin became a “no abortion” state according to a law that was passed in 1849. And as expected, the push from abortionists immediately enjoined. The dem governor, attorney general and other judges will be fighting tooth and nail to overturn this righteous 1849 law.
It will be up to all of us to stand firm and press into the battles yet to be fought. I agree with many others that God’s plumb line has been dropped. How each state, how each person responds to the Right to Life will determine their destiny. The question I believe God is asking us is – will you be a sheep or goat state, nation or people? That question may come down to regions, counties or communities. Each one of us will answer God’s question and take a stand for life… We will need to take a stand.
So once again today, I asked King Jesus to send out his warring, singing angels. This is a battle for all of us in all our different spheres of influence, but we need the help of the Host of Heaven to do what we cannot do. The bottom line is that we are battling against the demonic principalities and powers that are raging in our world. (Revelation 12:7-12) We need supernatural help. Today I am asking that Lord Tsabaoth, the Lord of Hosts, the Lord of Angel Armies send his troops into the battle.
We declare that the Author of Life has already won!
Tammuz: A Time for Vision
Tammuz: A Time for Vision
June 28, 2022
By Joan Tyvoll
This Thursday at sundown, the Hebrew calendar shifts into the month of Tammuz. I am grateful for the ancient wisdom imbedded within the Hebrew calendar. It reveals God’s plans and purposes for each year, month and day of human time. As I embrace the Hebrew calendar, I am learning how to align with God’s timing and purposes for human life on this earth. I feel such an agreement in my spirit when I have Holy Spirit teaching me about time from the One who created it!
A book written by Dr. Chuck Pierce called “A Time to Advance” is my trusty guide to the Hebrew calendar. My copy of the book is getting dog eared and worn out because every month I check to see what is especially important for my present “now”.
So this week here I am again. Holy Spirit, what is especially important to know and pray about for Tammuz, 2022?
The letter of the Hebrew alphabet highlighted for Tammuz is CHET, which carries the meaning ‘light radiating from your eyes’. This month is a time for vision. “See what you see and look again!” the book encourages. Because of the piece I posted recently about a vision Holy Spirit gave me as I stood on my watchtower, I believe this is a significant word for me to pay close attention to as this month unfolds.
This advice is strategic given what is exploding around us in our country and around the world! We are seeing a level of evil demonic power unleashed that is unprecedented. I am asking continually, “What does it mean, Lord? What is real and what isn’t? What does all of it mean for our country? How does all of this fit with your purposes and plan? What does it mean for my family and my sphere of influence?”
I receive the word to “guard your heart and eyes” in the month of Tammuz, Lord! Thank you! I want to choose rightly, and to do that I need to be able to sort out truth from lies. (Deuteronomy 11:26, 30:15-19). If there is any “course correction” I need, Lord, help me to do it.
I appreciate having God’s strategy to worship my way through the month. I can drown in the sea of mud, lies and darkness swirling around me, or I can lift my eyes to One who holds all of us and everything in his hands and worship instead. I am going to do that.
Another key piece of advice that will help me make it through the mess around me is to “watch your handshakes this month. Covenant alignment becomes very important.”
I always feel that I need more understanding about what covenant really means, so I will need to ponder and pray for discernment concerning this. Dr. Pierce expands his explanation a bit:
“Tammuz is a month of covenant rights, which are linked with power and strength. Covenant alignment becomes very important. Look carefully at those with whom you shake hands. What covenants are you entering this month?”
Yes, I will pray into this. At the very least, I believe making agreements or alliances with the wrong people or organizations can weaken me in every aspect of life. I am going to be sure I know my tribe in these troubled times, and work to strengthen covenant ties with them. I need to be sure of those with whom I allow to be in significant positions in my life.
I usually feel a bit overwhelmed at the beginning of each new month. Then he reminds me that he is the Author of time, and he is the Author of my book of life (Psalm 139). He will see me through as he always does. My times are in his hands. In Tammuz 2022 I choose to cling to my Good Father’s hand and follow him every step of the way.
The Goodness of God
The Goodness of God
June 25, 2022
By Joan Tyvoll
The Goodness of God
Bethel Music
I love You, Lord
Oh Your mercy never fails me
All my days, I've been held in Your hands
From the moment that I wake up
Until I lay my head
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God
I love Your voice
You have led me through the fire
And in darkest night You are close like no other
I've known You as a Father
I've known You as a Friend
And I have lived in the goodness of God
Cause all my life You have been faithful
And all my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God
Your goodness is running after, it's running after me
With my life laid down, I'm surrendered now
I give You everything…
This wonderful worship song put out by Bethel Music (Writers: Benjamin David Fielding, Brian Johnson, Jason David Ingram, Jenn Johnson, Edmond Martin Cash. Performed by Jenn Johnson) stops me short every time I hear it. Every time. It expresses in a profound way my deep gratitude to my Good Father for all he has meant to me, and for all he has done for me in the 50+ years of being a born-again believer.
It feels like it is the story of my life set to music. Through those years he has taught me to recognize his voice. In the times that the fires of life have exploded around me, as darkness has encompassed me at times, his voice has been a constant presence and companion to me. His voice has directed me, comforted me and led me into one safe harbor after another. Yes, he has been so, so faithful.
I believe that every single line in this song are personal testimonies that the writers are sharing with all of us. But but most of all, I think it is their own thanks offering to the Good Father. I can hear it. I can feel their hearts. These believers have lived the story the song tells. I am grateful to them for allowing us to join their thanks and praise. And because of the authentic message of the song, it stirs me to add my own heart’s cry to theirs.
The phrase in the song that has captured me the most lately is this: “I have lived in the goodness of God…” I feel that this phrase sums up the blessing of living the Kingdom life here on the earth. Wherever I go, whatever I encounter in the here and now, I can know for a certainty that as a Kingdom citizen, I am surrounded by and engulfed in the goodness of my good Father. It is an aura or force shield that I walk through life with. Wherever I go, I carry his sweet fragrance with me. It permeates every atmosphere I am in.
My surrender to him means that I am constantly and carefully held in his hands. My surrender to him is complete, and this song reminds me that my surrender is not a static or passive action. It is an everyday offering. Now here is the astounding truth that makes me cry when I think of it - as I give him everything, I know that my Good Father is as invested and passionate about our relationship even more than I am. He runs after me. He pursues me. He proves to me time and time again how determined he is to pour out his goodness to me.
It is hard for me to even write this journal entry without being overcome with emotion. But it is a good thing. Meeting heart to heart with my Good Father is a good thing, and it should move me. He deserves it. He deserves everything I can give him. After all, he gave everything for me, didn’t he.
What Do You See?
What Do You See?
June 22, 2022
By Joan Tyvoll
As each Head of the Year (Rosh Hashana) approaches, I begin to look to the Lord for the prophetic scripture for the new year. This year, 5782, I continually heard Holy Spirit speaking the very familiar passage from Habakkuk 2:1-3.
“I will stand at my watchpost, and station myself on the rampart; I will keep watch to see what he will say to me, and what he will answer concerning my complaint. Then the Lord answered me and said: Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so that a runner may read it. For there is still a vision for the appointed time; it speaks of the end, and does not lie. If it seems to tarry, wait for it; it will surely come, it will not delay.”
God had given me the Habakkuk instruction many times before. Now here it was again. He was telling me that the assignment was still in force and vital. So, I told the Lord, yes. Yes, I will stand firm on my watchtower.
As the year 5782/2022 has progressed, it is abundantly clear how desperately God’s watchmen are needed - now more than ever. It seems I just can’t get away from the watchman mantle that Habakkuk wore so many years ago.
Not long ago I was praying in the night watches contending for, and grieving over the increase of wickedness erupting around us. Holy Spirit interrupted me in my lament and reminded me of a word and vision he gave me last summer. I looked back in my dream journal and this is what I found:
August 2021. On the wall in the night watches with the Afghanistan debacle, Hurricane Ida and so much more weighing on me… What do I pray, Lord?
He replied, “Just get up on your wall. Look. What do you see?”
I looked in the Spirit to the long distance. I couldn’t see much, maybe some dust up in the air as from movement on the ground stirring up dust into the atmosphere. I think it was movement in the far distance. I felt like it was an army moving.
Holy Spirit then said, “Now listen. What do you hear?”
I heard it! Shouts of victory! The shouts were coming from that army moving towards me! I could faintly hear shofars blowing!
Thank you, Lord! Suddenly I remembered how it felt to have that sweet, personal conversation with my Good Father. I remember the courage and strength it gave me to not lose heart. He knew I needed the encouragement of that powerful vision today! Although at times it feels like we are drowning in evil, I needed my Father to remind me that we are not alone, we are not hopeless, we are not without help and a Champion.
The Bible assures me that at the Cross, Jesus has already won the victory over sin, death and the devil. The war we are in today is with a forever defeated satan!
Rescue may be a distance away, but it is coming. It is a sure thing. King Jesus will never fail.
Lately I have heard trusted prophets say that “The tide has turned”. I believe Holy Spirit reminded me of the vision from last August to assure me that it is true. There are plenty of opposite spirit voices trying to convince me that there is only disaster ahead, but I have heard the voice of my King, and that is who I choose to believe.
What a powerful reminder of my need to be tuned into the Voice of Truth. My God is trustworthy. He will not lie or deceive me. Yes, he will tell me if there is trouble ahead. As a matter of fact, he has been giving me instructions about stocking up and getting ready for some possible rough times. But I can also hear his words of comfort, love and hope. I can hear the joyful shouts of his army advancing! I can hear the shofars from afar!
“…For there is still a vision for the appointed time; it speaks of the end, and does not lie. If it seems to tarry, wait for it; it will surely come, it will not delay.”
You Smell Good reprise...
You Smell Good reprise...
May 24, 2022
By Joan Tyvoll
Last week at a fellowship gathering, a friend shared her recent conversation with the Lord in which he revealed to her that he delighted in her fragrance. She told our group “I hope I always smell good to the Lord.” Her words immediately brought this devotional to mind – one I wrote over 15 years ago. I am re-running it now in agreement with her. I want to always smell good to Jesus too!
You Smell Good
“Through us [Jesus Christ] spreads in every place the fragrance that comes from knowing him…” 2 Corinthians 2:14
“You smell good!” It is a compliment my husband pays me when I use his favorite vanilla lotion after I shower. It is fun to have compliments like that. When I was growing up, one of my mother’s older friends always smelled good. Although she was already a Grandma (ancient to my young eyes!), she was always carefully made up with face powder, rouge and lipstick. She must have always used a certain kind of talcum powder or perfume, because she always had the same delicate scent about her. I loved it, and her! I decided as a little girl that when I got old I wanted to smell good too. Now that I have grandkids, here is my chance! I try to always put on my “smell good” lotion when my grans are coming to visit so that will be one of the memories they have of me too. “You smell good, Grandma Noanie!” That would be a good thing.
I read 2 Corinthians 2: 14-17 for my Quiet Time with God this morning. Paul teaches us in this passage that we are the fragrance of Christ to the world. Think about what that might mean for you, friends. Here is a real down-to-earth lesson for us this week.
We are surrounded by smells every day. You know how hard it is to sit next to someone who has not showered in a while. Sometimes my new grandbaby spits up, and until his little sleeper gets changed, he doesn’t smell so sweet. I have an old fashioned “slop bucket” in which I collect table scraps that go into my compost pile. It doesn’t take long for that pail to smell pretty ripe. There are aromas that make us want to run in the other direction, and there are those that draw us like bees to roses.
This passage tells us that whether we know it or not, whether we are conscious of it or not, we are spreading a fragrance wherever we go. If you have surrendered your life to Christ and have asked him to forgive your sins and be your Savior, you have it. You smell! Will it be a good thing or not?
This kind of fragrant witness to the love and beauty of our Lord is more than just words, it is a life lived for him. When a woman has perfume on, or a man has cologne or aftershave on, do they think about trying to smell good? As their heart beats, and blood courses through their veins, as they walk and talk and live their lives, the fragrance they put on just naturally goes with them. They don’t have to think about it or really work at it. Their warm bodies do the work for them.
The life of Jesus Christ spreads through us everywhere we go. We take in his life and love. We feed on his word. We obey him and seek him and follow hard after him. All of that is like putting on lotion after a shower. As you go about your day, whether you are thinking about it or not, the fragrance of Christ will seep through your pores, and you will smell good. Your holy habits of kindness, respect and love for others will testify to the Lord Jesus. You will smell good for his sake.
Much of it is unconscious and actually a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. But it has to start with our intentional choices. Will you live for him and seek to be his fragrance to a dying world? Will you ask him to help you “smell good”?
Wake Up! He's Here!
Wake Up! He's Here!
May 23, 2022
By Joan Tyvoll
“[Jesus said], When my coming draws near, heaven’s kingdom realm can be compared to ten maidens who took their oil lamps and went outside to meet the bridegroom and his bride. Five of them were foolish and ill-prepared, for they took no extra oil. When the bridegroom didn’t come when they expected, they all grew drowsy and fell asleep. Then suddenly, in the middle of the night, they were awakened by the shout ‘Get up! The bridegroom is here! Come out and have an encounter with him!’ So all the girls got up and trimmed their lamps. But the foolish ones were running out of oil, so they said to the five wise ones, ‘Share your oil with us, because our lamps are going out!’
“‘We can’t,’ they replied. ‘We don’t have enough for all of us. You’ll have to go and buy some for yourselves!’
“While the five girls were out buying oil, the bridegroom appeared. Those who were ready and waiting were escorted inside with him and the wedding party to enjoy the feast. And then the door was locked. Later, the five foolish girls came running up to the door and pleaded, ‘Lord, Lord, let us come in!’ “But he called back, ‘Go away! Do I know you? I can assure you, I don’t even know you!’ “That is the reason you should always stay awake and be alert, because you don’t know the day or the hour when the bridegroom will appear.” Matthew 25:1-13 TPT
This is such a familiar parable. How many times have you heard sermons on it? Many times.
We probably all know that oil is a symbol of Holy Spirit. Being asleep in this story is not just about physical sleep, it is also a symbol of a spiritual stupor we can be in. Because the point of the story is to be ready to meet Jesus and his Bride, the Church at the end of time, we know that the feast in the story is the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. The Passion translation makes it clear that the wise girls didn’t just run outside to meet up Jesus, it was more that. Their intent and focus was to have a heart to heart meeting with him – a divine encounter.
Like you, I have heard this story told all the years of my Christian life – 50 years now – but it has never meant more than it does today.
I am taking the words to heart that all ten of the young women “grew drowsy and fell asleep.” I have been earnestly seeking to awaken any part of my life, my spirit, my intellect that may have “fallen asleep” over the years. But I also know that because Holy Spirit has faithfully kept me moving towards him all these years, I can count on being one of the five that has the ability to WAKE UP and trim my lamp.
I have that picture of the lamps in my imagination. I have used oil lamps, and I know that if you don’t keep the wick clean and trimmed of the burnt ends, the lamp smokes like crazy. The chimney gets all black to the point you can hardly see the flame. And of course, if the oil runs out…
How can I trim my lamp? I want to be sure that anything that is blocking or hindering my light to shine to the world be cut away. Am I using my time well? Have I allowed activities into my life that dull the shine of God’s glory in me? Have I allowed worldly habits to mar the witness for Christ I should be presenting? Crucial thoughts to ponder.
Most important of all... O Lord, I just need more of you. I am hungry for more of you. Fill me up with yourself, Holy Spirit. Let me be full of you and only you. Fill my lamp in these dark days so I can best shine for you.
Those statements sound so cliché as I write them. But they are true. And as I said, they have never been more true and more needed than now.
Today I am praying for myself, my family, my friends and my metron… Take thought for the times! Wake up! Seek the Lord with all your heart! “…because you don’t know the day or the hour when the Bridegroom will appear.”
What Time Is It?
What Time Is It?
May 11, 2022
By Joan Tyvoll
“From the tribe of Issachar, there were 200 leaders of the tribe with their relatives. All these men understood the signs of the times and knew the best course for Israel to take.” 1 Chronicles 12:32
It has been several years now since I have been following God’s calendar throughout the year. It is becoming more natural to me to connect the two calendars in my life. Yes, it might be May 11 on one calendar, but my Hebrew calendar says it is IYAR 10. Not only that, my Hebrew calendar tells me I am on day 25 of “counting Omer” – on my way to day 50 when Pentecost occurs.
I have always loved following the church year based on the Gregorian calendar. My spiritual life has been enriched as I observe Advent, Lent and other church seasons. But there is something different about the Hebrew calendar. And really, why shouldn’t it be special? After all, God is the one who created time. He created the heavenly bodies and declared that they would be the markers and parameters of time.
Then God said, “Let lights appear in the sky to separate the day from the night. Let them be signs to mark the seasons, days, and years. Let these lights in the sky shine down on the earth.” And that is what happened…Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good!” Genesis 1:13, 14, 31”
Much good has come to me as I come into agreement with God’s calendar. The ancient Jewish wisdom connected to each month has enriched me, taught me and guided me through the year. The prophetic picture that God paints every month has given me a road map of where I am, and where I am going. I have a deeper knowing that I am in sync with his purposes and plans.
Each month is connected to one of the 12 tribes of Israel. The month of Iyar is connected to the tribe of Issachar so I always have a special affinity for this month. Dr. Chuck Pierce, Glory of Zion, said at the First Fruits celebration for Iyar that “I live in the tribe of Issachar!” I know how he feels. It is my thing as well.
I appreciate the gift of discernment that Holy Spirit has given me. It helps me to understand myself and others. It helps me stay in a safe place when it is getting harder and harder to know who I can believe. Who is really speaking the truth? The media? The government? Science? No. When all other things fail, the gift of divine impartation from my ever trustworthy and good Father is what I need.
I have lived the tribe of Issachar for a long time. But I need the mantle of Issachar more than ever. I have to be able to interpret the times, I need to understand the signs of the season God is placing all around me. And as he imparts his wisdom to me, I believe he will show me the path to take. It won’t always be the “logical” step, but it will be the right one. He will make sure of that.
This “Issachar anointing” not just for me, it is what we all need. God is more than willing to give the wisdom each one of us needs. There is a reason he has placed us here, now, at this exact time in human history. He has placed within us all we need in order to do the assignments we are called to do (Ephesians 2:10). As we step into his plan, he will empower us to accomplish it.
So yes, I love the month of Iyar. I always feel that there are special blessings to discover as I move through these weeks. I pay special attention to God’s voice during Iyar, expecting to see evidence of his fingerprints wherever I am. I always expect to have significant revelation come to me. I expect to sense an increase of my prophetic and seer gifting. I expect to be different by the time Pentecost comes.
Do you want to pray with me?
I need you, Holy Spirit. I need more of you. Come Lord Jesus, show me your way and give me your wisdom for the stressful times we are in and that we are headed into. Let me be a member of that respected tribe of Issachar, and help me to steward it well. Amen.
We are His Reward
We are His Reward
May 2, 2022
By Joan Tyvoll
“Jesus deserves the full reward of his suffering and sacrifice.” As I intercede for people and nations, I cannot count how many times I have uttered that phrase. I know it is a declaration originating from the Father’s heart. Psalm 2 is only one example of what the Father’s intent for Jesus is and has always been:
“…Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.”
The Passover season brought this all to my mind even more powerfully as I walked through Holy Week with our dear Savior. Yes, he deserves the full reward of His suffering.
What has always come to mind as I ponder that phrase are the millions who have been saved throughout human history, as well as those will be swept into the Kingdom as the present day revival we are praying for takes hold. This is what he suffered and died for. A few saved souls here and there are not enough. A revival cropping up now and again is not enough. Jesus deserves to have a flood, a tsunami, of hungry, lost people being swept into the Kingdom.
Recently Holy Spirit has struck my heart with (interestingly enough) a new idea of what Jesus considers to be his reward. It is (quite frankly) a heart stopping thought for me. I heard it when a friend was reading the first chapter of Ephesians from the Passion Bible. I hope you will read the whole chapter, but here are 2 amazing verses (11 & 18):
“…Through our union with Christ we too have been claimed by God as his own inheritance…I pray that the light of God will illuminate the eyes of your imagination, flooding you with light, until you experience the full revelation of the hope of his calling – that is, the wealth of God’s glorious inheritances that he finds in us, his holy ones! …
I can’t say why it has taken me 50 years to have this “mystery” sink into my heart, but today I understand it better than I have ever been able to before.
I am so loved by my Savior that he was willing to suffer a terrible death for me. When I pray that Jesus receives the “full reward of His suffering…” that’s me. I am still in awe of the revelation that I am His reward. Me.
Of course, there were so many others that he had on his heart during his sojourn here. But I was part of His motivation for pressing through those years, days, and hours. I am the JOY set that was before him as he walked towards the Cross. Knowing what my life would be like with His priceless gift of forgiveness kept Him going.
Hebrews 12:2 “…fixing our eyes on Jesus, 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.”
Yes, something big happened for me this Resurrection Sunday. I don’t think I will ever be the same. I am Jesus Christ’s Reward. Wow.
Living Water
Living Water
April 27, 2022
By Joan Tyvoll
“Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, "Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water."” John 4:10
Ida Adams lived in an old farmhouse at the end of a long, rutted driveway. She was a neighbor, and a widow, so Mom made sure we visited her often. I recall sitting in Ida’s old-fashioned kitchen with the westering sun pouring golden light across the worn oil-cloth covering on her kitchen table, idly listening to the drone of grown-up conversation ebbing and flowing over my head.
Something that set Ida’s farm apart from any other place I knew as a child was the natural spring bubbling up in the pasture at the edge of her yard. At some point in the distance past Ida and her husband had piped the spring into an old cow tank sunk into the ground. The crystal-clear water running through the rusty pipe and into the old tank bubbled and flowed, bubbled and flowed, day after day, day after day. The spring never dried up, and the tank was always full to overflowing.
We never left Ida’s place without drinking from her spring. The water was always fresh and so very icy cold that it hurt our teeth, and was apt to, more often than not, give us a sharp “ice cream headache”.
I was fascinated by Ida’s spring that never, ever ran dry. Where did the water come from? I wondered. Why was it bubbling up only in Ida’s yard? I asked. Why oh why, I lamented, couldn’t we have a spring on our farm just like hers?
I was in college when I personally met the One who claimed to be Living Water. I learned from God’s Word that the unique and one of a kind living water that only he could offer me was the only thing that could satisfy the hunger and thirst I had already discovered lurking in my heart. He promised to give me an “Ida spring” of my very own that would well up from within me to eternal life. He promised that my personal spring of Living Water would never ever run dry.
Through the years I have learned that there are plenty of other sources of water I could run to, but I also know that Jeremiah called those other sources “cracked cisterns”. They cannot hold water, let alone quench the thirst in my soul. (Jeremiah 2:13).
Dear Lord,
You called yourself Living Water. You promised that the supernatural quality of your Living Water would satisfy me like nothing else could. All through your Word you invite me to come to the Water. You invite me to receive it as a gift, to drink it without limit or worry of payment, because the truth is of course, that I don’t have any way to pay you for this priceless Living Water. It only comes to me as gift. I name you Gift. I name you the Spring, Fountain, River of Living Water. And I embrace and live by the truth that you are the never-ending supply of the only thing that will ever satisfy my thirsty soul. Be my Living Water today, Jesus. In your name I pray, Amen.
Walking With Jesus
Walking With Jesus
April 18, 2022
By Joan Tyvoll
“Back and forth they talked. "Didn't we feel on fire as he conversed with us on the road, as he opened up the Scriptures for us?"” Luke 24:32 The Message
One of my very favorite stories in all of scriptures is when the risen Savior cloaked his resurrection glory for a bit to hang out with 2 disciples who were walking back to their little village of Emmaus. The two were trying to make sense of all that had happened that fateful Passover, when Jesus walked into all their ponderings and questionings.
What an immeasurable blessing they had listening to Jesus shed light on the Scriptures from Moses all the way to the Prophets! The risen Lord Jesus was their Light all through that long, sweet afternoon, though they didn’t realize it until later. When they realized who he was, they were awestruck. "Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?"
I am looking forward to seeing them in heaven so I can ask them about that famous walk to Emmaus. I long to ask them, “Did Jesus’ light linger after he left you?” Did the Light of the World linger with them because he burned his image onto their retinas, and onto their hearts? Someday I plan to ask them myself.
Passover and Resurrection Sunday has come and gone. There are a few jelly beans left and one chocolate bunny. I still have a box of matzah in my pantry. It has been a very special celebration this year. But time moves on. What I hope never leaves me (and maybe you will agree with me on this), I hope this fresh imprint of our risen Lord’s glorious image has been burned onto my heart. Through the Seder and Resurrection Sunday worship he has given me a brighter picture of who he is. I don’t want this deeper understanding of him to ever fade from my mind and memory.
The dear disciples on the road to Emmaus were trying to make sense of all they had just experienced. They had been through a profoundly life changing experience, but the meaning of it all was still swimming in the dark shadows of their understanding. Until Jesus joined them. He was the Light that illuminated everything they longed to understand during that memorable, unforgettable walk home to Emmaus.
When Jesus ascended into heaven, he sent the Holy Spirit to be our teacher. Holy Spirit, Jesus promised, would give us all the help we would need to live out this new life. At Pentecost that is just what happened. Holy Spirit came so he could indwell hearts and be our “on the spot” teacher wherever we are and for whatever we need.
Even as we move past this glorious season of Passover and the celebration of Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection, we can keep walking and living in the Light he gives us.
The Eye of the Great God…
The eye of the great God,
the eye of the God of Glory
the eye of the King of hosts,
the eye of the King of the living,
Pouring upon us
at each time and season.
Pouring upon us
gently
and
generously
Glory to thee,
thou glorious sun
Glory to thee,
thou sun,
face of the God of life
from ancient Celtic tradition
Words to Ponder...
Words to Ponder...
...words to ponder this Passion Week... allow them to sink deep
Isaiah 53 (NLT)
1 Who has believed our message?
To whom has the Lord revealed his powerful arm?
2 My servant grew up in the Lord’s presence like a tender green shoot,
like a root in dry ground.
There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance,
nothing to attract us to him.
3 He was despised and rejected—
a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.
We turned our backs on him and looked the other way.
He was despised, and we did not care.
4 Yet it was our weaknesses he carried;
it was our sorrows[a] that weighed him down.
And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God,
a punishment for his own sins!
5 But he was pierced for our rebellion,
crushed for our sins.
He was beaten so we could be whole.
He was whipped so we could be healed.
6 All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.
We have left God’s paths to follow our own.
Yet the Lord laid on him
the sins of us all.
7 He was oppressed and treated harshly,
yet he never said a word.
He was led like a lamb to the slaughter.
And as a sheep is silent before the shearers,
he did not open his mouth.
8 Unjustly condemned,
he was led away.[b]
No one cared that he died without descendants,
that his life was cut short in midstream.[c]
But he was struck down
for the rebellion of my people.
9 He had done no wrong
and had never deceived anyone.
But he was buried like a criminal;
he was put in a rich man’s grave.
10 But it was the Lord’s good plan to crush him
and cause him grief.
Yet when his life is made an offering for sin,
he will have many descendants.
He will enjoy a long life,
and the Lord’s good plan will prosper in his hands.
11 When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish,
he will be satisfied.
And because of his experience,
my righteous servant will make it possible
for many to be counted righteous,
for he will bear all their sins.
12 I will give him the honors of a victorious soldier,
because he exposed himself to death.
He was counted among the rebels.
He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels.
The Lamb of God
The Lamb of God
April 5, 2022
We are approaching Holy Week. Today I am posting a devotional I wrote 20 years ago for the season of Passover. I always included scripture readings for the week to accompany the devotionals I wrote. These Holy Week passages along with the devotional may be worth another read in 2022…
Joan Tyvoll
The Lamb of God
“He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth…” Isaiah 53:7
Jesus Christ’s journey to the cross was almost at its end. He had made his was down the dusty roads to Jerusalem and his destiny as Savior of the world. His work – the work his Father called him to do was reaching a climax. On Sunday, the day we now call Palm Sunday, he made his way into Jerusalem riding to the temple on a young donkey. The gospel writers tell us that as he rode into the city, the people shouted and cheered and welcomed him as the Messiah.
Most of them knew very little of who he really was. Most of those who cheered for Jesus on Sunday shouted “Crucify him!” by Friday. On that dark day the Lamb of God went to the temple, to the high altar, and became God’s perfect Sacrifice.
All of human history led up to the day that Jesus carried his cross to Mount Calvary. Generations before when God rescued the Hebrew people from slavery in Egypt, he instructed them to hold a Passover Feast to commemorate their deliverance.
The main dish on the menu of the first Passover feast and every one after was a lamb. It was a perfect lamb – one without blemish or spot. The Hebrew families killed the lamb, roasted it according to God’s instructions, and every Hebrew family had a feast with it. The lamb’s blood was then painted over the doorways of each home. The lamb’s blood represented salvation for every Hebrew, because it signaled the Angel of Death to “pass over” the homes that displayed it on their lintels.
The whole Passover feast and ceremony was a picture of what Jesus would eventually do for Israel and the whole world. It was a picture of who the Messiah would be. Jesus Christ was the Passover Lamb - the perfect, once and for all Sacrifice to save God’s people from their sin. His precious blood would be enough to pay the price for every sin, for every person, for all time.
Years ago I watched a video by Ray Vanderlaan that shed more light on what our Passover Lamb’s Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday meant. Jesus Christ entered the city on the very day when all the Jews would bring their lambs to the priest to be blessed for the Passover Feast. Jesus presented himself at the temple on the prescribed day as God’s perfect Lamb. In doing so he named himself the Passover Lamb.
How angry Jesus was when he saw the mockery the religious leaders had made of this sacred time. They used it as an opportunity to make money. The religious leaders made a practice of condemning any lamb as imperfect so a family would have to buy one from them - at unethical rates. Jews would also be required to exchange their money to make their purchase - at unethical rates. Is it any wonder that our Passover Lamb condemned them and cleared the temple?
I love to ponder the Holy Week story that tells of our wonderful Lamb of God – the one whose blood has made it possible for you and me to approach our Holy God. Holy Week is always an emotional time for Christ followers, and it should be. It is our privilege to remember, reflect, confess and surrender, mourn and worship. Take time this week to give the Lamb of God your heart.
Fresh Bread
Day 1: Isaiah 53:1-6
Day 2: Isaiah 53:7-12
Day 3: Matthew 26:26-32
Day 4: Matthew 21:1-11
Day 5: Matthew 21:12-16
Day 6: Revelation 5:1-14
Day 7: Revelation 19:6-9
Standing Firm on the Promises
Standing Firm on the Promises
If ever there was a time for fortitude, faith and standing firm it is now. The events happening around the world could make us want to give up, but I have been seeing God doing amazing things too. How many times we have prayed for breakthrough? I am believing it is happening all around us. Today I am praising God. It is a Kairos time when we are seeing miracles and we will see those miracles increase.
The scripture God has given me for this season is still Habakkuk 2:1-3.
I will climb up to my watchtower
and stand at my guardpost.
There I will wait to see what the Lord says
and how he will answer my complaint.
Then the Lord said to me,
“Write my answer plainly on tablets,
so that a runner can carry the correct message to others.
This vision is for a future time.
It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled.
If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently,
for it will surely take place.
It will not be delayed.
I know God is calling me to stand firm. He is teaching me that promises, the prophetic dreams and visions that he has spoken through will be fulfilled, but in his timing. Habakkuk admonishes me to be patient. Yes. While I wait, I know that every one of the promises should be stewarded, no matter how long it seems to take to see them actually happen. I know that God is increasing my faith in the waiting.
But I also believe the time for their fulfillment is near. It is breakthrough time. It is Kairos time for revival. It is miracle time.
Holy Spirit has been reminding me of one prophecy that faithful people have stewarded for a long time. I want to see it happen in my lifetime.
Prophecy for St. Croix River Valley 1948
In 1948 two prophetic words were given by two different individuals who did not know each other – they had never heard of each other. The first one was given in Spooner, Wisconsin by a missionary from an independent mission group. The second was given in Luck, Wisconsin by an Assemblies of God missionary.
One couple who had heard each of the prophecies said that they were almost word for word as they were given.
The prophecies stated that before Jesus comes a revival would start at the head of the St. Croix River and continue southward down the entire river. They stated that the effect of this revival would reach out 100 miles on either side of the river and continue until Jesus comes again.
The prophecies also stated that in the path of the revival several cities would be won entirely over to the Lord – every person in that city saved!
Along with the salvation of thousands would be miracles in the areas of finances, healings, and deliverances of all kinds and a return of entire areas to Biblical living… right up to the time of Jesus’ coming in the rapture.
Habakkuk 2:3
This vision is for a future time.
It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled.
If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently,
for it will surely take place.
It will not be delayed.
It will surely take place. Amen.
A Rich Feast
A Rich Feast
Psalm 63 (New Living Translation)
A psalm of David, regarding a time when David was in the wilderness of Judah.
1 O God, you are my God;
I earnestly search for you.
My soul thirsts for you;
my whole body longs for you
in this parched and weary land
where there is no water.
2 I have seen you in your sanctuary
and gazed upon your power and glory.
3 Your unfailing love is better than life itself;
how I praise you!
4 I will praise you as long as I live,
lifting up my hands to you in prayer.
5 You satisfy me more than the richest feast.
I will praise you with songs of joy.
6 I lie awake thinking of you,
meditating on you through the night.
7 Because you are my helper,
I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings.
8 I cling to you;
your strong right hand holds me securely.
9 But those plotting to destroy me will come to ruin.
They will go down into the depths of the earth.
10 They will die by the sword
and become the food of jackals.
11 But the king will rejoice in God.
All who swear to tell the truth will praise him,
while liars will be silenced.
My love affair with Psalm 63 is a long one. It started when I was 18 years old reading in my old confirmation Bible. The RSV I devoured as a new believer was in the language of old English using the “thees” and “thous” we are not as comfortable with nowadays. Through the decades I have mediated on this rich Psalm with the NIV, NRSV, and now today, the NLT and Passion translation. Whatever the translation may be, it never alters the beauty and strength of King David’s words. His passion for God always comes through.
As I read the psalm today, my thoughts are the same as they have always been. This is the life I want. This is the heart I want. Once again I echo David’s words… “I will praise you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer.” Yes. “You satisfy me more than the richest feast…” Yes.
This song of praise reveals why David was able to stay strong. He was in a world of intrigue and war. He was in dire straits – the heading says that he was in the wilderness of Judah. His enemies were many and they were strong. He could be ready to just give up. But it was his times of fellowship with God, often in the night watches, that kept his eyes and faith where it needed to be. God was his Helper. David knew him, he saw him as the all glorious one, full of power and glory - no matter what his enemy might be.
It is a good reminder for the times we are in. The warning of our enemy’s rage in Daniel 7 and Revelation 12 is unfolding all around us. Not just once, but sometimes several times in a day I am alerted to a serious prayer need close at hand or somewhere around the world. It feels overwhelming at times.
Here in this wonderful psalm, King David reminds me what the antidote to weariness of spirit is. It is in seeking the King in his sanctuary. There my heart finds its true rest, and deep shalom.
Standing Watch
Standing Watch
March 11, 2022
Joan Tyvoll
One of my assignments as an intercessor is to be willing to stand on my watchtower during the night watches. Recently Holy Spirit has been awakening me at 12:56 am. I am used to paying attention to clues Holy Spirit gives me to help me discern what the target is for that particular watch. However, it did take me a few nights to finally say to the Lord, “wait, what is so special about 12:56 am?”
The first thing I know to do is to connect a time with a scripture reference. I dug around some, and when I looked up Isaiah 12:5-6, I felt I had found my assignment. Here is all of Isaiah 12, verses 1-6, from the Passion Translation:
In that day you will sing, “I praise you, Lord Yahweh,
for even though you were angry with me,
your anger turned away,
and now you tenderly comfort me.
Behold – God is my salvation!
I am confident, unafraid, and I will trust in you.
Yes! The Lord Yah is my might and my melody:
He has become my salvation!”
With triumphant joy you will drink
deeply from the wells of salvation.
In that glorious day, you will say to one another,
“Give thanks to the Lord and ask him for more!
Tell the world about all that he does!
Let them know how magnificent he is!
Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done marvelous wonders,
and let his fame be known throughout the earth!
Give out a shout of cheer; sing for joy, O people of Zion,
for great and mighty is the Holy one of Israel who lives among you!
What a beautiful assignment! The Lord was telling me, “Tonight spend your time on the wall praising and worshiping me. Praise is a powerful weapon! And then when you see me move and work amongst you…Ask for more!” What an amazing, forgiving, gracious, merciful, GOOD God we serve.
Last night when my Good Father awakened me yet again at 12:56, I re-read Isaiah 12. I not only prayed it back to God as a personal message just for me and my loved ones, but I also inserted “America” as the one receiving the blessing…
In that day, America will sing, “All of America praises you, Lord Yahweh, for even though you were angry with America, your anger turned away, and now you are tenderly comforting America… Behold! God is America’s salvation…
My sometimes faltering hope was revived yet again. We live in a blessed nation. As we pray, I believe we will see revival and our beloved nation will continue to turn back to the Lord. There are already many signs of turn-around.
God is not done with our nation. And I agree with so many others all around the USA and around the world: America Shall Be Saved!
Asher's Blessing, Part 2
Asher's Blessing, Part 2
March 8, 2022
Joan Tyvoll
I didn’t realize there was a part 2 to Asher’s prophetic blessing when I posted in my journal last week, but Holy Spirit continues to pull me towards Deuteronomy 33. In this scripture, Moses pronounced his final blessing on the 12 tribes of Israel before his death. As I ponder every verse in the chapter, Holy Spirit is encouraging me to read it as a personal message to me and my family. So here is part 2 of what God is showing me concerning Asher’s blessing.
I love what God promised each of his 12 families through the prophetic words of Moses. I love what God pronounced over Judah. I love that Issachar was given permission to hang out in their tents while Zebulun traveled. I passed on the good word given to Benjamin to my own Benjamin’s family as they head out on a family vacation this week. But it’s really Asher’s blessing that is still holding my attention.
What a powerful word of love and care God gave to that family. Even though for years it has been the last portion that I have focused on - “As your days, so shall your strength be” - This past week God has been pointing out the rest of the promise to me.
Moses said this about the tribe of Asher:
“May Asher be blessed above other sons;
may he be esteemed by his brothers;
may he bathe his feet in olive oil.
May the bolts of your gates be of iron and bronze;
may you be secure all your days.” Deuteronomy 33:24-25 NLT
It is all for me and my family. As war and rumors of war threatens us, as inflation blows up prices all around us, as evil men and governments seem to prosper, God is still where he has always been – right there on his throne. This week he is speaking to me from that place of absolute power and control: I will protect your prosperity. I can make sure you are swimming in olive oil and blessing.
Olive oil was as good as money in the bank back in ancient times. I am claiming the promise that God is pronouncing here. I decree that my family’s provision is secure, our worldly possessions and bank accounts are secure no matter what is happening in this crisis. Wherever we walk, I believe we will leave a trail of prosperity and goodness. *
Did you know that Asher’s name means “happy and blessed”? Obviously financial blessing makes all of us smile. Think of the last time you have taken a coat out of the closet you haven’t worn for a while and found money in the pocket you have forgotten about!
Oil in Asher’s blessing is clearly God’s promise of financial blessing. But remember that oil is also used as a symbol of Holy Spirit throughout scripture. I believe God wants us to remember that material possessions and a secure bank account are not our only source of blessing in life. Being right with Him, being welcomed into his Kingdom, walking in God’s kingdom ways – that is where contentment and joy lies.
When we get that truth in us to the point where we are authentically living out His Kingdom day by day, we can have the esteem of those around us like Asher’s clan had… “may he be esteemed by his brothers… Let him be favored by his brothers…”
Wow, the more I dig, the more depth and riches I am finding in Asher’s blessing.
This is what is catching my attention most often however: “May the bolts of your gates be of iron and bronze…”; “Your castles and strongholds shall have bars of iron and bronze...”
The gatekeeper calling you and I have for is for our loved ones, for our communities, states and nation. What has God given you stewardship over? We have the authority to allow and disallow who comes in the gates and who cannot come in!
As a gatekeeper, when I see that Asher’s blessing promises that the gates I am guarding have hinges made of iron and bronze, all I can say is yes, Lord! Yes Lord! I receive that and decree that my prayers are as iron and bronze, our gates and their pinnings are iron and bronze, our gates are solid and impenetrable by any enemy weapon or force! Yes, Lord!
Today I am rejoicing as a blessed and happy child of God – I am naming me and my family to be of the clan of Asher. I am watching over those blessings as a gatekeeper. I am speaking the great and wonderful Asher blessing over the gates to my family, my community, state and nation.
For Jesus’ sake, and for the sake of his Kingdom. Amen.
*(Here is a bunny trail concerning our prosperity – and really America’s prosperity - that God reminded me of this week. He said to me: Be generous in giving aide to Ukraine and persecuted brothers and sisters around the globe. I have blessed you financially for “such a time as this”.)
Our Spring of Hope
Our Spring of Hope
March 3, 2022
It has been quite a new life for me and Steve since we moved to town. Wow, what a change. But every day I feel the presence of our Good Father, and my joy and gratitude for this new place continues to grow!
I have been hearing Holy Spirit say “Breakthrough!” for weeks now. The exciting thing for me is that I am actually seeing evidence of that breakthrough happening around me! New doors of ministry, new doors for family connections, new physical strength after weeks of sickness, new hope, new joy.
Yes, that is what I see and experience every day. New Hope. New Joy. New vision and new doors of Kingdom ministry opening. I am eagerly watching for signs of spring in the natural world, but it also feels like a spiritual spring is coming to our lives after a long, cold, winter season.
I don’t think this refreshing that Holy Spirit is bringing is just for my family. When I pray for people and situations throughout the week, I sense the renewal is for all of us. I believe this spring of the Spirit is for America, and for believers around the world.
All of the fear, anxiety and trials we are in are real, but the joy of the Lord is always surrounding these sad things like a cushion or blanket. It seems to me that Holy Spirit is determined that I should see these trials through a lens of joy, peace, and hope.
God is determined to put in me an expectation that the time of waiting, hope deferred, long-suffering is coming to an end. Not an easy task because the battle is real. The enemy is real. The stakes are life and death. Believers and unbelievers alike are facing the spirit of death pushing against us every day.
I am reading Jennifer LeClaire’s recent book entitled “Decoding the Mysteries of Heaven’s War Room”. In the chapter “The Mystery of Angel Armies”, LeClaire writes about the real spirit of death that our enemy, the devil, has fanned into flames around the entire globe. She quotes data that shows the death rate is increasing around the world. Some of it is connected to Covid-19 and all that surrounds that evil, but it feels like that does not account for all of those grim statistics.
LeClaire reminds us what Hebrews 2:14-15 (TPT) tells us:
“Since all his “children” have flesh and blood, so Jesus became human to fully identify with us. He did this, so that he could experience death and annihilate the effects of the intimidating accuser who holds against us the power of death. By embracing death, Jesus sets free those live their entire lives in bondage to the tormenting dread of death.”
So yes, the reality is that the devil holds the power of death. What can we hope to do in light of that frightening truth? LeClaire is reminding me that there is a greater authority that cancels out any claim the devil may have over my life. Jesus Christ himself conquered sin, death and the devil when he nailed it to the Cross.
In this season then, Holy Spirit is reminding me of where my hope comes from. As I rehearse the words of life that make up the foundation of my life, my joy is increasing. Hope is sprouting anew in my heart.
· “The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.” John 1:4
· ”A thief has only one thing in mind - he wants to steal, slaughter, and destroy. But I have come to give you everything in abundance, more than you expect- life in its fullness until you overflow!” John 10:10
· “Martha”, Jesus said, “…I am the Resurrection, and I am Life Eternal. Anyone who clings to me in faith, even though he dies, will live forever. And the one who lives by believing in me will never die…” John 11:25-26
· “I am the Way, I am the Truth, I am the Life…” John 14:6
Yes, Jesus Christ is the resurrection and the life. And I am passing the encouragement I am hearing from LeClaire’s book on to you. She says,
“One of the safeguards against the spirit of death that is rising is to speak words of life!... When you prophesy life over yourself, angels will combat the spirit of death and crush its diabolical assignment to take you out before your time…”
You may be asking with me: How do angels have that kind of authority? The answer to that is that we are the ones who can speak God’s words of life over ourselves and our loved ones. When we release HIS WORDS, angels hear those Words, and rush to carry out his commands on our behalf! Look at Psalm 103, especially verse 20:
Praise the Lord, you angels,
you mighty ones who carry out his plans,
listening for each of his commands.
So simple, but so very powerful. We have the power of life and death in our tongues! We have supernatural, angelic help on the tips of our tongues!
So yes, I will take care of myself, I will use the vitamins and medicine I feel God is asking me to take, I will do everything I can to honor my physical life, but I will not forget to speak the good, good words of life over myself and my loved ones.
Here is one of my favorite decrees for me, Steve and our family. It is the prophecy God spoke over Asher and subsequently his tribe:
“Your castles and strongholds shall have bars of iron and bronze, and as your day, so shall your strength, your rest and security, be.” Deuteronomy 33:25
As your days are, so shall your strength be! Amen.
Joan Tyvoll
Our "Live-With-Us"God
Our "Live-With-Us"God
February 23, 2022
Our “Live With Us” God
Every year I try to read through the Bible. I often choose a different version for the year so I can see the familiar passages with fresh eyes. This year I am using the New Living Translation. Sure enough, it didn’t take long for Holy Spirit to grab me in a new way as I read the story of God delivering the Hebrews out of Egypt in the book of Exodus.
“I will live among the people of Israel and be their God, and they will know that I am the Lord their God. I am the one who brought them out of the land of Egypt so that I could live among them. I am the Lord their God.” Exodus 29:45
God’s strong promise to his people struck me in a new and powerful way. I can hear these words coming straight from the heart of the Father! He is so very sure about his intentions as he declares “I WILL LIVE with my people!” “They WILL KNOW that I am the Lord their God!” He made it as clear as can be that his big, Father’s heart wanted to have a real, day to day relationship with his people.
I have been thinking about this passage for weeks now. I have been asking the Lord why it caught my attention in such a significant way.
I think the answer lies in what we all have been going through in the past few years. It doesn’t matter where you live, any of us can turn on the news and find new ways to be anxious and afraid. Not one of us can make it through a day without being confronted with the perilous times that face us – personally, and as a nation. If ever there was a time we need assurance of help and protection it is now.
It is time for a hero to show up in our midst.
God volunteered to be the Hebrew people’s hero. He displayed himself as their great God with signs and wonders. He faced down their captors time after time. And this real life Hero promised them that he wasn’t just a temporary fixer for them, here today and gone tomorrow. No. He stated in no uncertain terms: I rescued you because I want to live with you. I want to be your God. I am staying.
I need that kind of Champion in my life today. I long for that hero to be what God promised to be for the Hebrews: Present. Permanent. Loving. Alive. Trustworthy. Powerful and well able to take down any enemy that shows up. This is the God I am looking for.
You know, as I write this, Holy Spirit has reminded me of another scripture in which this same awesome Hero promises to be our “Live-With-Us God.”
“In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.
…so the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.” John 1:1-4,14
"...so the Word became human and made his home among us..." Wow.
Here is the Good News of our very present, powerful, trustworthy, very much alive Hero, Jesus Christ! As I read the story throughout this year, I will be reading promise after promise that this “Live-With-Us” Champion, my Savior, my King, is everything I need and more.
Good news then, good news now!
Joan Tyvoll
Today's Clues to God's Heart
Today's Clues to God's Heart
March 23, 2021
How many times have you heard the words “I don’t believe in coincidences”? The phrase isn’t just for detectives on TV shows. It has meaning for Christ followers as well. I quickly learned early on that with our Good Father in charge, there are no such thing as coincidences.
Today more than ever, it is important to remind ourselves of the “No Coincidences” rule as we walk through our days. If we want to grow in our ability to hear God’s voice, recognize his footsteps and fingerprints on circumstances around us, we should start with the firm belief that our God truly is in control. Couple that with a firm conviction that our God is determined to talk to us, and you will experience firsthand the truth that he really does show up all around you every day in many ways.
Take this week for instance. You may have read the news report of new Dead Sea Scroll fragments being found in Israel. Here are two examples of the scriptures found that the news article cited:
Zechariah 8:16-17 “But this is what you must do: Tell the truth to each other. Render verdicts in your courts that are just and that lead to peace. Don’t scheme against each other. Stop your love of telling lies that you swear are the truth. I hate all these things, says the Lord.”
Nahum 1:5,6 In his presence the mountains quake,
and the hills melt away;
the earth trembles,
and its people are destroyed.
Who can stand before his fierce anger?
Who can survive his burning fury?
His rage blazes forth like fire,
and the mountains crumble to dust in his presence.
Some may say it is a coincidence that after being hidden away for centuries, more ancient copies of scripture are just now being found - particularly the Old Testament prophetic books in which God calls Israel to account for its sins. And some may claim more coincidence that the sins revealed within those books eerily describe the present day condition of our own nation.
I don’t buy coincidence. And because I believe that our Living God still speaks today, and that my Bible is the timeless and the Living Word of our Living Lord, I am taking the words of Zechariah and Nahum very seriously. I am taking the declarations of God’s judgments for sin seriously.
Was it just more “random coincidence” that I found myself reading in Deuteronomy 28 the same day I read the news article about the recovery of more Dead Sea Scrolls? I don’t think so.
I am reading it right now, and it is moving me to tears as I listen to my Good Father’s heartbeat for his people. He is saying - I will bless you – abundantly – if only you will obey me and follow my ways! I will prosper you and bless you in every way, personally and as a nation, if only you will obey me!
God’s heart is to bless us, friends. But his holiness and perfect justice also requires consequences for sin, rebellion and disobedience. I will leave you to read the remainder of the 28th chapter of Deuteronomy, and I encourage you to read it in a newer translation such as the New Living Translation. What do you hear as you read it? Who does it describe?
Honestly, friends, it is chilling. For years, actually decades, as I have read and re-read the Old Testament books in my yearly journey through the Bible, it has become more and more clear that the people the prophets describe are not just Hebrews, they are us. Our nation is piling up more and more offense against God. We are rushing ever more swiftly towards the day of judgment.
So, no. All of these clues he has been giving me to understand him is not a coincidence. There has been nothing random about it at all. We as individuals and as a nation are on the brink of judgment. Very sobering. The good news is that he wasn’t done with his message to me!
In the midst of the days of pondering the heavy messages from Zechariah, Nahum and Deuteronomy, God gave me yet another clue of his wonderful heart. By his divine providence, I recieved a booklet in the mail by Derek Prince called “Will You Intercede?: As Long As There Is An Intercessor, There is Hope”.
The wonderful teaching in this short booklet reminded me of the fullness of God’s heart. God’s holiness demands justice, but his desire is always to restore, rescue and redeem. To accomplish that he sent Jesus Christ to save us. But also, he has chosen us to partner with him in his rescue operation. Yes, we have a critical role in unlocking God’s mercy in the face of the world’s sin and evil. God is looking for those of us who will intercede and plead for the lost.
Look at Isaiah 59:12-16 (TPT)
For our many rebellious deeds are stacked high before you;
our sins testify against us.
We are aware of our sins,
and we know our evil deeds all too well.
13 We have rebelled and even tried to deny Yahweh;
we have forsaken our God.
Our speech stirs up oppression and revolt,
and our hearts conceive, then confess, lies.
14 Justice is driven away
and righteousness stands on the sidelines,
for truth has stumbled in the public square
and morality cannot enter.
15 Yes, truth has disappeared,
and those who turn from evil become the next victim.
Yahweh saw this and was greatly displeased
that there was no justice.
16 And then he was astonished to see that there was no champion,
not even one, who would rescue the oppressed.
The NIV says our Lord is appalled that there was no one to plead for the lost…
Remember this verse from Ezekiel 22?
30 “I looked for someone who might rebuild the wall of righteousness that guards the land. I searched for someone to stand in the gap in the wall so I wouldn’t have to destroy the land, but I found no one. 31 So now I will pour out my fury on them, consuming them with the fire of my anger. I will heap on their heads the full penalty for all their sins. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”
Derek Prince concludes from these and many other examples all through scripture that God is willing to change his mind about judgment if even one person takes the responsibility to stand between him and judgment.
All through my intense conversations with God the past few days, I knew he was calling me to be willing to be that one intercessor. If it came to pass that I would be the only one praying, I knew I needed to be willing. So I said yes. Again, I said yes. I will stand on the wall, Father. I will pray and keep on praying.
So passes another week of learning how to read the clues that God puts in my path. I know that he is revealing his heart to me for a purpose. He is calling me to be willing to listen ever more carefully for his voice… so that I can pray.
I am passing that call on to you. Will you be one of those listening intently in order to hear him? Will you be one of those willing to stand in the gap so the righteous wall around our families and nation can be rebuilt?
Joan Tyvoll
Rivers Apostolic Center
Stones of Remembrance
Stones of Remembrance
Stones of Remembrance
March 10,2021
“When all the people had crossed the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, “Now choose twelve men, one from each tribe. Tell them, ‘Take twelve stones from the very place where the priests are standing in the middle of the Jordan. Carry them out and pile them up at the place where you will camp tonight.’ So, Joshua called together the twelve men he had chosen—one from each of the tribes of Israel. He told them, “Go into the middle of the Jordan, in front of the Ark of the Lord your God. Each of you must pick up one stone and carry it out on your shoulder—twelve stones in all, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. We will use these stones to build a memorial. In the future your children will ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ Then you can tell them, ‘They remind us that the Jordan River stopped flowing when the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant went across.’ These stones will stand as a memorial among the people of Israel forever.”
Joshua 4:1-7
For the past two weeks I have been on a journey of remembrance.
Although the past year has been an intense time for all of us, for many of us who are called to be Watchmen it has been even more intense as we have battled day and night for America.
The Lord knew I needed to step back from the front lines to be able to hear Him in a fresh way. As he led me on this journey of remembrance, it became clear to me that I didn’t need a new word necessarily – I needed to be able to sort through the chaos around me and hear what he has been telling me all along!
I looked up the places in the Old Testament stories where God instructed his people to set up memorial stones. Various translations called them monuments, reminders… altars. Yes. Altars.
Holy Spirit has had me on a journey to altars I have built to the Lord in the past. As I have pondered memories of events and experiences, as I review scriptures and promises he has given me, As I re-read accounts of dreams, visions and prophesies, my good GOOD Father has convinced me again that he has been with me all along the way. My God has heard my prayers, accepted my sacrifices, honored my surrenders. I am where he wants me to be, and he is going to use everything I have gone through and given him for his glory.
Today is really a new day for all of us. It has been almost a year to the day that we felt the squeeze of the Covid-19 shutdowns. None of us have ever gone through anything like it before. Honestly I don’t believe life for us will ever go back to they way it was before.
The devil has been using the chaos around us to confuse and distract us from some very important things that God needs us to remember, friends.
Remember who our God is. He is the one you can trust, he is the unchanging one, he is the one who is in control and will always be the one in control. We have a big God!
Remember who YOU are. Remember your gifts, remember your calling, remember the promises he has given you. Remember that “You were born for such a time as this”! So all of what he has put in you, all your training, experiences, anointings are for THIS TIME in history.
Remember the big picture that the Bible reveals to us! If you do that you will be able to keep the right perspective on all the pieces flying around us right now! Jesus WINS! We get to win with him!
Where have you built altars on your journey? What memories do those memorial stones bring up for you? Let them encourage you and ground you today. Your foundation is Jesus Christ, and that foundation stands firm even in the storms of today!
Joan Tyvoll
P.S. One of the things the Lord has reminded me of is my call to “write it down.” The shutdowns forced me to learn some new computer skills to fill in the gap for in person meetings. Now that face to face meetings are increasing, the Lord is saying its time for me to come back to this blog. I hope you will join me here.
Arise and Shine Church!
Arise and Shine Church!
March 13, 2020
"But as for me, your strength shall be my song of joy.
At each and every sunrise, my lyrics of your love will fill the air!
For you have been my glory-fortress,
a stronghold in my day of distress.
O my strength, I sing with joy your praises.
O my stronghold, I sing with joy your song!
O my Savior, I sing with joy the lyrics of your faithful love for me!"
Psalm 59:16-17
This is the first post I have written since the coronavirus situation has exploded. There are way too many words being thrown at it – at least the ones that only add to the panic and hysteria. But this morning I feel like I might be able to add the little bit of wisdom that God has given me, if that might help anyone. I hope it can.
I encourage you to limit what you are listening to, and actually – turn the TV off! My advice in this chaos is to find those with words that speak truth that brings hope and calm. Of course, I have found that trusted, wise Christian leaders are the ones offering the most sane and hopeful words. How blessed we are to have so many trusted people that we can choose from - find your “channel” and stay tuned!
In these crazy days I have had the gift of being connected to state and national prayer people who are in positions of influence and authority in every mountain of our culture. I just sit and listen folks. I am in the outskirts of this venerable group! But as I listen to them pray and decree over this crisis, I can confidently tell you we have reason to be encouraged Believers. God has his warriors in government, finance – even Wall Street!
Make no mistake, the battle is intensifying beyond what anyone of us could imagine. There is a real threat here and we mourn for those affected by the disease. Having said that, the consensus of the leaders I trust agree that the fear gripping the entire globe can only be explained by recognizing it as demonic. One seasoned general of intercession said that we are facing a demonic principality that prayer warriors have not seen in many a long year. Most believers I have talked to agree with that. It is the only explanation possible for people to be reacting in insane ways, yet it seems to be gaining steam with no end in sight.
But God.
But God.
And that is right where we come in. As Christ’s church, we have the ultimate weapons against this demonic juggernaut. We have the Blood of our Savior that has already won the victory over the devil and his minions. We have been handed by Christ himself the authority to rule the nations, to legislate in his stead what must happen on earth. We are seated with Christ in the heavenlies and have the power to bring heaven’s agendas and plans into our world.
I have been talking with pastors and leaders around me and we have been joining with national spiritual leaders asking the question: God, how do we represent you in the midst of this crisis?
It’s not a hard question to answer really. If we have been paying attention to our Bibles at all through the years of our walk with Christ, it is all there. Most of us have just have not had to apply it in such a chaotic, crisis times like these. So, I believe God is saying “Here the rubber meets the road. Practice what you preach. Let the idols of money, trust in human people and governments in your own lives meet their demise, and let me help you practice the reality of your faith declarations.”
It is a time for the Church to RISE AND SHINE.
· Pray and contend for the healing of people around the globe.
· Decree the demonic attack of disease and fear come to an end.
· Pray for stability of government and economies. We will NOT ALLOW the devil to succeed in his plan to take our country into chaos.
· Look at the example of the church in China. Do what they are doing. Be the voice of shalom, hope and peace for the fearful ones around you. Soak yourselves in the richness of the promises in the Bible. Be ready to share the truth of what you find there with the hungry hearts around you.
· The practical ways we may be called on to help will unfold around us too. It is time to shine, Church!
· Today you can turn off the bad news and turn on praise music instead. We can look up and rejoice in the Savior who hasn’t moved from his throne. He hasn’t changed. He is our good, good Father! You can read the promises he put in his Book for times such as these.
I have an assignment to pray in the night watches, so many nights I am awake listening to the heart of the Father. Last night I prayed at length in the Spirit. Then he asked me just to read his love letter, the Bible, and release it into my atmosphere. Praying the scriptures is an old and enduring habit I was taught to cultivate as a young believer.
Oh, how I love God’s Word! Last night at the Morning Watch, 3 am to 6 am, I spent the time speaking back to my Savior the beautiful words of King David in Psalm 59. I had the privilege of welcoming the dawn with praise.
He wrote this song when he was in yet another life or death situation of his own. He sang this song of praise to the One, the only One who could rescue him, and keep him grounded on truth.
But as for me, your strength shall be my song of joy.
At each and every sunrise, my lyrics of your love will fill the air!
For you have been my glory-fortress,
a stronghold in my day of distress.
O my strength, I sing with joy your praises.
O my stronghold, I sing with joy your song!
O my Savior, I sing with joy the lyrics of your faithful love for me!
Psalm 59:16-17
Be the Church today. Depend on your Strength, Jesus Christ. Go out knowing you are in reality ensconced in Almighty God’s glory-fortress. Bring light and hope and truth to a fearful world.
Joan Tyvoll
Dreams in the Night
Dreams in the Night
February 27, 2020
I had an interesting dream last night. (God speaks to me in the night watches like that at times. He knows its hard to get past my waking thoughts, so when my spirit is quiet at night, he often speaks to me.)
In this curious dream last night, I was on a mountain climbing adventure with a crew of other people – all sorts of people. We had just climbed a steep cliff and were preparing to head higher into the mountains. While we were at the rest stop, I was given the chance to quit. I spoke with another flabby middle-aged housewife (she looked like me!) about quitting or going on with the rest of the team. “It’s only going to get harder”, I said to her. But when it came down to it, this unlikely adventurer replied, “No, I am not quitting. Of course I am going on.”
In the dream, this woman’s courage sealed the deal for me. If that woman was determined to go on, then I would too. I had already climbed a steep, seemingly impossible cliff and I was tired. But I (reluctantly) choose to go on. When I got on the bus with the rest of the team, I found that my equipment bag somehow had what I would need to tackle the bigger mountains we were to climb.
There was more to the dream, and it was one that I am sure Holy Spirit will keep speaking to me through in the season to come. For today, at the very least I believe it is a call from God to be “strong and courageous…” as God challenged Joshua in Joshua 1.
In the midst of chaos, conflict, the threat of socialism sweeping away our freedoms, as a cloud of fear over a possible pandemic looms, God is asking me - and you - to keep our faith, and to stay on course even though it is against terrible challenges and giants and mountains of problems swirling around us.
Though on the surface you and I look ill-suited to the task, still, God is looking for the unlikely heroes who are willing to keep taking mountains.
All of weapons in the enemy’s arsenal have been pulled out in this day of battle. Believer, you and I have access to the weapon that defeats them all: the Blood of Jesus Christ.
We have the authority in Christ to defend our families, our communities and our country. The blood of Jesus Christ bought complete victory over sin, death and the devil. We have Holy Spirit living within us who gives us supernatural strength and help for anything the devil attacks us with. Jesus Christ and his host of angels are arrayed as a shield against the enemy as well.
The enemy is trying to convince us that he is more powerful than our wonderful Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It is time for us to refuse to give in to fear. This is a time for courage, prayer warrior. Stand on your authority and say “no” to the giants coming against us. Keep taking on the prayer challenges God puts in front of you and say “Nothing is too hard for our God!”
Joan Tyvoll
Foundations
Foundations
February 22, 2020
“Lord, who dares to dwell with you? Who presumes the privilege of being close to you, living next to you in your shining place of glory?” Psalm 15:1 (Passion Bible)
One of my habits is to read through the Bible each year. Every January I ask Holy Spirit which translation of the Bible I should use to read in for the year. It helps to read familiar passages in a different voice than I am used to.
This year, I started in one translation, but didn’t get very far before I found myself longing for the familiar. So back I went to the Bible I have been using for decades. It was just what I needed.
In this year of chaos and upheaval, my familiar friend has surrounded me with a blanket of comfort. Familiar words, familiar and often quoted promises resonate deep within me. The added bonus to my daily reading is also reviewing the notes and dates I have written all over the margins of the pages – a sweetrecord of my conversations with my Good Father in heaven.
As I have been sitting with my favorite Bible, I am remembering the Bible I started with back in 1971 when I first gave my life to Jesus. It was the one I received from my home church when I was confirmed as a teen-ager. As I devoured scripture in those early days of my new walk with Jesus, I started memorizing the wonderful words that were coming alive to me. Before I left college, I had memorized around a thousand verses.
Those were the days when Bible translations were exploding. It seemed that each year brought another translation out – and each one beckoned to us, they were all so good. I found a translation that became my new normal for every day reading.
My confirmation Bible was gone by that time – given to a young woman I had led to the Lord who needed a Bible to read. Believe it or not, I still miss it. The firm foundation of the Word that was laid in my life in those early days is rooted in that Bible. That was forty-nine years ago and I am still praying that wherever that Bible is, whoever has it is still being changed because of the living words within it.
Yesterday I dug my old verse box out of a trunk. (Any old Navigator friends from my college days will be appalled at my confession that I have not been following my college days habits of memorizing and reviewing scripture.) I chuckled to see it – my decoration of Holly Hobbie on the front really dates me and it!
The verse cards are divided by days with makeshift cardboard, many of them looking like they went through the washer a few times (It happened often!) But as I sorted through them, the memories of those conversations with the Living Word flooded back.
I decided that in 2020 I would keep my old verse box on the kitchen counter, so that every morning I can read and remember the scriptures that built my foundation.
Today I started with Psalm 15. It came flooding back… “O Lord, who shall sojourn in thy tent? Who shall dwell on thy holy hill?” And then the joy of God’s Living Word came full circle as I pulled up my “Bible Gateway” phone app. I found Psalm 15, and the version happened to be in the Passion Bible…
“Lord, who dares to dwell with you? Who presumes the privilege of being close to you, living next to you in your shining place of glory?” Psalm 15:1
Isn’t that beautiful? Doesn’t that new way of telling the story paint a picture for you? It did for me. Old and new collided in my spirit, and once again the power of his Word hit me like a wave. Today I am overwhelmed with the goodness and faithfulness of my Good Father who has kept me on his path all these years, who has been teaching me and speaking to me and loving me through all the years of sunshine and shadows.
Today I am thankful beyond words for the Bible.
Joan Tyvoll
The Fullness of Time
The Fullness of Time
February 11, 2020
God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfill his own good plan. And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. Ephesians 1:9-10
What has it been like for you since the New Year dawned on 2020? Personally, I have felt like I am living in a “Twilight Zone” episode. Some of you will remember that oh-so-creepy show from back in the late 50’s and early 60’s. When we watch the episodes today, they can seem pretty hokey, but truthfully, I still can’t watch them! They are too scary! All I need is to hear Rod Serling’s other-worldly voice and I am otta there.
Well, since Head of the Year (the Jewish new year, 5780), and now as 2020 is opening up before us, I have had a feeling of the surreal swirling around me. The sense of a real spiritual battle taking place around me, the sense of history unfolding around me, is more than I have ever felt before.
It would be easy to fall into fear, or to just stick my head in the sand and ignore it all, but God is asking me (and you) for a different reaction. He wants us to sharpen our ability to see with his eyes, to hear with his ears, and to even think his thoughts and feel with his heart. You will be amazed at the difference that makes!
Yes, evil marches forward – in every mountain of society. But what God is capturing my attention with even more is how powerfully God’s KINGDOM is marching forward! Let the verses from Ephesians 1 sink in: at the right time, “in the fullness of time” many translations say, God’s plan has to triumph.
“He made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ, with regard to the fulfillment of the times [that is, the end of history, the climax of the ages]—to bring all things together in Christ, [both] things in the heavens and things on the earth. Ephesians 1:9-10 AMP
I say with confidence that the Kingdom of Jesus Christ is advancing. I am not just putting a brave face on a disaster; I don’t have to naively ignore the war raging around me so I can give a good report to you. I can say with confidence, Christ’s Kingdom is not only advancing – it is exploding!
I saw evidence of it just this past weekend when The Send put on three simultaneous crusade events in Brazil. If you are needing to see the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ, go to Facebook and find “The Send: Brazil 2020”. Tens of thousands of hungry millennials – high school and college age kids were passionately worshipping and seeking Jesus. Amazing to see such hunger in young hearts.
The amazing gift in these events was that we had a personal stake in it. Our friend Jake Freels was there as a videographer, so through him we got an inside, backstage look at the day. We got to pray for him, for his family back in Texas as well as praying for those hungry people flooding into the stadiums in Sao Paolo and Brasilia.
On another front, at the same time we were partnering in prayer for another friend, Johnathan Harsdorf. He and a team from Zoe Ministries were in Uganda, Africa, working with a national pastor there. Johnathan was also using his unique skills as a videographer to capture the work being done to help that pastor in his efforts to feed orphans and establish a school for them. Again, we prayed for Johnathan as well as his wife and kids back home.
On Monday morning I was part of a regular prayer call with seasoned intercessors from 3 states. On Monday night I was part of a national prayer call hosted by more seasoned intercessors. I spent the hour just agreeing with them as they warred for their states and for our nation. I sat glued to my desk - absolutely in awe of the passion, obedience and power of those men and women. During the call several of them shared about the prayer work they are pursuing in their home states. They talked about recent trips and more planned trips into our nation’s capital, all with the goal of praying for our nation and our governmental leaders.
One of the things that came to my heart during that call was the fact that most of these warriors are volunteers in the Kingdom army! They don’t get paid for the time and effort they put in, they do it because the King of Kings has recruited them and called them up. I hear them declare over and over: He is worth it. This sacrifice is worth it, because HE is worth it. Jesus is worthy of this and much, much more.
I am so grateful for the people and ministries God has connected me with so I can hear the good news of the Kingdom’s advance in spite of the intensity of the enemy’s furor. I am grateful for the peace Holy Spirit gives me despite the noise of the battle in the atmosphere around me.
How about you? What is happening in your sphere of influence? What are the voices around you saying? Are the voices you listen to trustworthy? Do the things you hear creating fear, or hope? Are they stirring passion or dread? My heart for you today is that you would ask yourself those questions and be willing to look for new answers maybe in new places.
It is a time for hope. It is a time for faith to arise. It is a time to step out in faith believing that we were born for such a time as this. It is a time to ask questions about our familiar and comfortable habits of life and faith. It is time to tell our God that we are willing to be uncomfortable if it means we can become dangerous to the enemy because we are moving up to the front lines of the Kingdom battle. It is time to awaken to the fullness of time that we are living in.
Joan Tyvoll
Rivers Apostolic Center
A Re-Run:Signs of the Times
A Re-Run:Signs of the Times
November 11, 2019
The other day I was poking around in my computer files and I found an article I wrote in 2014 entitled “Signs of the Times”. Interestingly enough, I also found a version of the same article from 2011. Evidently I have been carrying this teaching for some time now! I felt it was worth sharing with you today because it seems to be standing the test of time. As you read it remember I wrote it in 2011 and then reposted it in 2014…
Signs of the Times
“The Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test Jesus they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. He answered them, "When it is evening, you say, "It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.” And in the morning, "It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.” You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.” Matthew 16:1-3
I was born and raised on a farm and now my garden is a major part of my life. I notice every fluctuation in temperature, the yearly journeys of birds and the life cycles of crops and trees. When you live partnered with nature as I do, I should know how to interpret the weather. That is what Jesus says to the Pharisees in this passage. He told them that if they can read the signs in the sky, they should also be able to read the signs of the times.
His rebuke strikes deep in my own heart.
I want to understand, Lord! I want to know what time it is and I want to live my life according to your times and seasons! This is the heartfelt prayer that I have voiced ever since I was a new believer, just 18 years old.
God has honored that prayer through the years, although it has not always been a pleasant gift. Our world is so wonderful, there are so many amazing things to enjoy in this life, but when we give God permission to show us the world through his eyes, we also begin to understand the world and its people with his heart. I know that our Papa God’s heart breaks with the pain and suffering he sees around us. He grieves to see the shattering effects of sin in humans and every part of his creation.
And now – all these years since I first asked Jesus Christ into my heart - now the world is at a place I never believed could be possible. You know what I mean - all anyone has to do is turn on the news to be horrified at the fruit of sin and rebellion of God’s rule breaking out all around us.
The world is a different place from the one I grew up in, and it will never be the same again. One thing is the same, however – God has not changed, and he never will. His plan to save a people of his own has not changed. There is still power in the Blood. The Cross is still the symbol of ultimate and complete victory. Jesus Christ is Lord now and forever.
This has also not changed, friends: His call on every one of us is to be able and willing to interpret the signs of the times.
His people – above all others – his people should be able to know his Word. And because we are intimately and constantly in tune with him, we are also able to hear his voice, his instructions, and his wisdom so we can do what the Pharisees COULD not or WOULD not do – correctly interpret the signs of the times.
It was an old and historic gift Papa God gave to his people. The Hebrew tribe of Issachar was known for this gift of foresight and wisdom. When David was appointed king of Israel, yet was forced to run from Saul for many years, thousands recognized God’s hand of favor on him. Multitudes joined David as he hid out in the wilderness. Among the list of valiant people who stepped out of their comfortable lives to sacrifice all they had in order to follow God’s revealed truth, were those from the tribe of Issachar. This is how the tribe of Issachar was described.
"Of Issachar, those who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do...”1 Chronicles 12:32
This tribe had the unique quality of wisdom that allowed them to see the world through God’s eyes and draw the right conclusions from it. They knew what was right and in light of that, they knew the course they should take.
So many people ask me what the weather predictions are for the coming winter. ‘Can you interpret the times for us?’ is really what they are asking. I can look at the deep stripes on the wooly bear caterpillars and the thick homes that muskrats are building and predict a really cold winter, and I could even get it right. But this other challenge you and I are facing in reading the signs of our times is so much more important than that.
How do we begin interrupting the signs breaking out all around us? Here is what I suggest:
· Face your fear and look at the signs of the times through the lens of God’s Word.
· Know where we are in human and church history. These are the ‘signs’ - the pieces to put into the puzzle.
· Ask God for the courage to step into a new day. This new day calls for new strategies. Ask the question: Where is God at work in the world? Be willing to make changes in the way you have always “done church” and “done life”.
· Have the courage to become the “Issachar voice, the Esther” your tribe or clan needs.
· Learn to recognize and trust God’s voice even when it may seem to contradict what you see happening in the natural realm around you. It is a time to get our news first from Holy Spirit.
· Find alternative news sources. The people and news organizations we grew up listening to are no longer trustworthy. It will take some digging, but there are other news bureaus out there that can give you the truth about people and events. Gather a variety of sources both Christian and secular so you can gain several perspectives on what is really going on.
You and I were born for ‘such a time as this’. I don’t want to miss my destiny, and I know you don’t either…
Joan Tyvoll
https://jonandjolene.us/ Jon and Jolene Hamill: Lamplighters
https://www.ifapray.org/ Intercessors for America
https://gloryofzion.org/ Dr. Chuck Pierce: Glory of Zion
https://dutchsheets.org/ Dr. Dutch Sheets
https://www.generals.org/rpn/ Cindy and Mike Jacobs: Reformation Prayer Network; Generals of Intercession
https://www1.cbn.com/ Christian Broadcasting Network
https://www.elijahlist.com/ Elijah List
https://lancewallnau.com/ Lance Wallnau
https://onevoiceprayermovement.com/ One Voice Prayer Movement
Tear Open The Heavens, Lord!
Tear Open The Heavens, Lord!
November 6, 2019
If only You would rip open the heavens
and come down to earth—
Its heights and depths would quake the moment You appear,
Like kindling when it just begins to catch fire, or like water that’s about to boil.
If only You would come like that so that all who deny or hate You
Would know who You are and be terrified of Your grandeur.
We remember that long ago You did amazing things for us
that we had never dreamed You’d do.
You came down, and the mountains shook at Your presence.
Nothing like that had ever happened before—no eye had ever seen,
and no ear had ever heard such wonders,
But You did them then for the sake of Your people, for those who trusted in You.
Isaiah 64:1-4
Oh Lord, I need you to break into our world!
Do you ever get to the place that Isaiah found himself at in Isaiah 64? It is a place of desperation where you know that only a violent intervention by Almighty God will be enough to get a breakthrough.
I have been feeling that weight lately. I am carrying prayer assignments for so many people around me needing God to break in and do something…
And I can’t get past Isaiah’s plea for help. So that is where I have been sitting for days now. Oh God! Break in! Show up, God! Do wonders only you can do, God! Amaze us as in days past, Father God!
And this is where I will stay as I contend for breakthrough. Tear open the heavens and come down, God!
Joan Tyvoll
Whispered Weapons
Whispered Weapons
October 31, 2019
Whispered Weapons
I learned something very valuable while I was sick recently. Whether it was bronchitis or pneumonia I am not sure. Whatever it was made me have difficulty breathing. Even taking short shallow breathes would set off a serious cough.
A big share of my struggle was that in addition to not feeling well, I couldn’t pray. For one whose day and night revolves around prayer it was more than just frustrating. I knew it was an attempt by the enemy to shut down my warfare prayer. At such a crucial time to be “on the job”, it was a pretty effective wile of the enemy to render me ineffective.
But God! While I coughed, waiting for the antibiotic to take effect, I ‘’happened” to run across a live stream posting of the Glory of Zion Tabernacles celebration in Jerusalem. James Vincent and Leeann Squier were leading the powerful worship time there. During worship, Leeann shared a dream Holy Spirit had given her some time back.
I won’t recount all the details of her dream here, but what Holy Spirit wanted her to get from the dream was this: even her faintest whispers have the power to make the enemy tremble.
I needed to hear that. It was exactly what I needed to hear. My good Father needed me to know that even my whispers are a powerful weapon of war.
This Kingdom warrior was back on the battlefield.
Prayer Out Loud
I surrendered my life to Christ at the age of 18. The first verses I memorized were Psalm 116:1-2 from the Living Bible.
“I love the Lord because he hears and answers prayer. Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I breathe.”
Those verses set me on a lifetime journey into prayer. I have read dozens upon dozens of books on prayer, some old, some new. One of the most important keys I have learned to effective powerful prayer is pray out loud.
That was a habit of prayer that took some getting used to I have to admit.
I am a very private person. I can spend hours at a time reading, thinking about the Lord and his word and his Kingdom, talking to him in my mind about what I hear him saying. Shifting to speaking those thoughts and prayers out loud was hard to get used to. It wasn’t long, however, before I began to see the benefit of speaking my prayers and conversations with God out loud. I began to personally experience the energy of spoken prayers.
5780: The Year and Decade of the Mouth
I love being in alignment with God’s calendar. He started time after all, so it makes sense to see time from his vantage point. The Head of the Year comes in the fall during the High Holy Days. Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and then the Feast of Tabernacles constitute the feast days that occur in September/October.
God tells his story through the months and years in his calendar. 5780, represented by the Hebrew letter PEY, begins the decade of the mouth – speaking out God’s truth.
Why would I be surprised that the new year begins with an attack on my breath and ability to speak out God’s praises and truth?
What Do I Speak?
As I prayed – out loud – during the “Breaking of the Day Watch” this morning, Holy Spirit brought to mind several important keys for out loud prayer…
· Declare the Promises!
· Praying in the Spirit: Ephesians 6:18; Romans 8: 26-27. Our prayers in the Spirit always have power and effectiveness.
· Use the Word of God as your weapon of choice: Hebrews 4:12-13
· Speak out Words of Prophecy: 1 Corinthians 14:1-3; 1 Thessalonians 5:19-21; Amos 3:7-8
· Speak words of encouragement and life!: John 10:10; Proverbs 16:24; Proverbs 25:11
Joan Tyvoll
Reading the Signs
Reading the Signs
October 22, 2019
It was a perfect storm of circumstances. I had just posted the article here in my journal on spiritual warfare, I stepped into a new place of calling, a dear friend was days away from launching a major ministry, President Trump was holding a rally in Minneapolis, and yes, there is a thing called Halloween.
The illness hit me like a ton of bricks and two weeks later I am still on antibiotics, but finally feeling better. I am convinced now - as I was from the beginning - that it was an attack from the enemy. More importantly, I am convinced this particular illness was allowed by my Good Father in heaven for a purpose: I am now the poster child for the process I explained in my previous article entitled “Gear Up Warriors.”
In that piece I wrote that in order for us to all come to a greater measure of spiritual authority and maturity, if we are going to be able to stand in this evil day, we must pray for a greater spiritual discernment of the spiritual battle we are in.
It only makes sense that we need to understand how the enemy fights. He has recognizable strategies of attack against us. Paul taught the church folks at Corinth that important lesson. He told them: “It’s my duty to make sure that Satan does not win even a small victory over us, for we don’t want to be naïve and then fall prey to his schemes.” (2 Corinthians 2:11). Another translation says it this way: “…so that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are familiar with his evil schemes.”
The early church knew what the battle was like. They were “familiar with [the devil's] evil schemes”! They had experience with how he operates! Don’t we need to be able to say the same thing?
From my own experience this is what I wrote a couple of weeks ago concerning how to know when the enemy was attacking:
Occult curses can work against your health, your finances or your relationships…Look for patterns of disasters. Take note of cycles of illness in you or your family. Pay attention to things that occur around you that send red flags to your spirit.
So yes, the illness I am recovering from had all the earmarks of an evil attack. I took into account all the circumstances going on around me, all the Kingdom things that I had committed to being part of and was praying for, the season of Halloween provides the context for all of it, and yes, Holy Spirit clearly told me “You poked the dragon”.
I hope you can take a good lesson in spiritual discernment away from my experience.
It is imperative that we recognize that we are in a war.
The next question has to be of course, what do we do with the discernment?
For that answer we can look to the familiar teaching from Paul in Ephesians 6: 10ff…
“Finally, brothers and sisters, draw your strength and might from God. Put on the full armor of God to protect yourselves from the devil and his evil schemes. We’re not waging war against enemies of flesh and blood alone. No, this fight is against tyrants, against authorities, against supernatural powers and demon princes that slither in the darkness of this world, and against wicked spiritual armies that lurk about in heavenly places. And this is why you need to be head-to-toe in the full armor of God: so you can resist during these evil days and be fully prepared to hold your ground….” Ephesians 6:10-13 Voice
Know that God does not send us into the middle of the war without preparing us for it, without giving us weapons to fight every battle, without giving us trusted fellow soldiers to stand with.
Here are what I believe are keys to being able to hold your ground.
1. Know who you are in Christ. It is his victory at the cross that allows us to walk in victory today.
2. Know your authority in Christ. Matthew 28:18 is the key to understanding how to steward the Kingdom. Christ has all the authority, and he is lending it to us as we go into the world in his name.
3. Know the voice of the Good Shepherd. Jesus Christ himself promises us in John 10:1-5 that we can know his voice. Learn to recognize God’s signs and wonders – God’s fingerprints on things happening around us every moment of every day.
4. Know the difference between the strategies of the enemy and the voice of the Good Shepherd… Learn to recognize signs of the enemy at work. John 10:10
5. Never let the attacks of the evil one cause you to quit or back up. Intimidation, anxiety, or fear are his stock in trade.
6. Never go to the battle on your own. We are NEVER expected to do this alone. The 5-fold church that Paul describes in Ephesians 4:1-16 is Christ’s blueprint for the church. This is the church that “turned the world upside down.” This is the body that we are meant to go to war with.
If you are unsure of where you stand with any of these points, Christian, it is time for you to do some digging! Keep learning and searching until you can be confident of where you stand.
P.S. Here is an important assignment for us. On October 25th, witches are covenanting together to once again curse our President and anyone in support of him. They are openly providing instructions on what objects to use in this evil exercise, and they are providing the actual cursing words to use.
Stand with me in the authority we have in Christ, and say NO to every curse, hex or vex that the devil launches on our President, America and anyone who stands for our country. We plead the blood of Jesus to surround and guard and protect our President, his family, our government leaders, our families and the citizens of America. We dispatch holy angels to fight this spiritual battle. We bind the power of the evil one to succeed in any way, and we do send those curses back on those that pronounce them. Let the blocking of the curses by the power and authority of King Jesus be a message to them to surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ, who died for their freedom and redemption…
Gear Up Warriors
Gear Up Warriors
October 8, 2019
It has already been two weeks since Steve and I flew down to Texas to join the Glory of Zion tribe to celebrate Rosh Hashanna, Head of the Year. Every time we go to GZI it seems like it is the best conference we’ve ever been to. I had to say it again. This Head of the Year, 5780, is the most significant gathering we have been part of.
Honestly, I am still processing all that I heard during the worship and in the messages each speaker brought. For today though I want to write briefly about something that Holy Spirit has been speaking to me about since we have returned home.
I had slept through the nights while we were at the conference, but once we got home, that very Sunday night, Holy Spirit awakened me for the 4th watch with these words: “We are at war! It is Witchcraft!” Holy Spirit spoke the words as a sober warning, and I believe they will be important words to heed for all of us for the foreseeable future.
It was a warning from God, but there is no need to panic. If you have read the New Testament you already know we have an enemy. And we know there are people who are enthralled and held captive in the dark occult power of the evil one. We also know that especially since the 2016 election here in America witches have covenanted together to curse our President and anyone who supports him, his administration and conservative Biblical values. If you are in any of those categories, friend, you are in a war.
It is not hard to see evidences of witchcraft attack increasing. Occult curses can work against your health, your finances or your relationships. Witchcraft can stir evil, wicked weather. Witches use what they call the 4 elemental spirits of creation, so it is important for God’s people to stand in Christ’s authority and break curses that use water, earth, air and fire.
Look for patterns of disasters. Take note of cycles of illness in you or your family. Pay attention to things that occur around you that send red flags to your spirit. Jesus said that the devil’s strategy is to “steal, kill and destroy.” John 10:10. The devil is at work wherever you see that kind of mayhem manifesting. And when you see the evil at work, it is there you have the charge from our Lord to say “NO” to it.
All believers are commissioned to have the authority to wage spiritual warfare, but if you feel unsure of what that is or how to stand in Christ’s’ authority, get trained and equipped to do battle.
Because the threat of witchcraft is so real and gaining power in many sectors in America, I have heard the Lord say he will increase our ability to discern the attacks. Our challenge is to trust the signs that the Lord reveals to us. Trust Holy Spirit causing an alert in your spirit. Ask him about things you are sensing. You are not going crazy, and neither am I! We are in a war, and it is best we prepare for it.
I just got the notice of a new blog that Wanda Alger posted today called “The Web of Lies Has Gone Viral”. She talks about the effect she and others around her are experiencing because of the increase of witchcraft curses. This is more evidence of the widespread attacks we are facing in this day.
https://wandaalger.me/2019/10/08/the-web-of-lies-has-gone-viral/
Of course, the important thing for us as warriors to remember is that worship and praise is our greatest and most powerful weapon we have against the enemy. We will never allow him to steal our joy! We are a victorious people lifting up the strong name of the one who won the victory for us!
As the Judah team declared during the GZI Head of the Year worship, our Savior Jesus Christ has not, and will not ever be bested. He has never lost a battle, and he never will. But as his representatives in this earth realm, we must be alert and awake, ready to take a stand against the devil and his minions. Remember what Jesus said about the times we are in:
“Now, remember, it is I who sends you out, even though you feel vulnerable as lambs going into a pack of wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes yet as harmless as doves.” Matthew 10:16
“Then Jesus came close to them and said, “All the authority of the universe has been given to me. Now go in my authority and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And teach them to faithfully follow all that I have commanded you. And never forget that I am with you every day, even to the completion of this age.” Matthew 28:18-20
Words With Wings
Words With Wings
September 24, 2019
“…There is no other God but Me.
I alone am the righteous God and Savior. There is no other.
So turn your back on those idols and your face to Me.
I will save you, wherever you are, to the ends of the earth,
For I am God. There is none other.
I make this solemn vow; I have spoken a word—
faithful and true—and it will not return; it will be done.
My words have wings; they will be accomplished;
every knee will bow down to Me.
Every tongue will swear allegiance to Me.
They will say of Me, “Only by the Eternal One shall I see things through.
Only by God shall I go with integrity and strength through life.”
Isaiah 45:21-24
Steve and I are heading down to Texas tomorrow to attend the Glory of Zion “Head of the Year” celebration. On Sunday, September 29 the Hebrew calendar shifts to the New Year – Rosh Hashanana. It will be 5780 according to God’s calendar, and this year ushers in a new decade. Prophetically it will be a “decade of the mouth” …
If you are still mulling over Chuck Pierce’s teaching on the mantles shifting in this season, and if you – like me – are still wondering about the third mantle shift I talked about in the blog I posted on September 18th, this is what I believe we need to hear in this new year, 5780.
Chuck said the watchman mantle will be shifting to a shamar watchman assignment. In the coming months and years, we will be called to watch over God’s written words in the Bible, and we will be called to watch over his spoken, rhema words. The rhema words are God’s words that come to us through prophecy, dreams and visions.
This call requires us to commit to being good stewards of our precious Bibles. He is calling us to read, study and pray into what he has revealed to us in the written canon of scripture. It is an absolute must that we know what the Bible says about any and all questions of morality and faith in these troubled times.
This call invites us to pray with the Apostle Paul “Open the eyes of my heart, Lord!” Ephesians 1:1-19. As we mature in our ability to hear God’s voice, we will understand day to day what God is doing, and what we are to be doing in order to be in agreement with his purposes and plans.
As we look to the new year of 5780, we can put this teaching about our watchman assignment into the context of the “Decade of the Mouth”. We can pray that Holy Spirit would give us wisdom, courage and confidence in his word so we can speak it out to a hungry, lost and desperate world.
According to the verses from Isaiah above, God word “has wings”. It will be up to us to release those wonderful words in the right places at the right – divine – opportunities. God’s life-giving truths will wing their way with power and purpose into hearts in need of hope. God’s words will wing their way over troubled territories and bring order and stability. God’s words will wing their way over families and they will bring healing to relationships and broken people.
Joan Tyvoll
Caretakers
Caretakers
September 20, 2019
Our newest grandson, Judah Benjamin, was born on September 6, 2019. As his due date approached, I frequently prayed for a safe delivery for the baby and my daughter-in-law. When she went into labor, my focus and anxiety sharpened. Finally, Holy Spirit broke through my worry and asked me to re-read the scriptures that he had been giving me for this new Tyvoll guy - Psalm 33 and Psalm 34. When I got to Psalm 34:7, this is what I read: “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.” Only I saw the word “him” in place of “them”. Holy Spirit clearly spoke to my spirit and assured me that “the angel of the Lord is camped out with Kaaren and Judah, and he is the one delivering that baby tonight. Don’t worry. He’s got this. You can even go to sleep.”
As Holy Spirit spoke, I saw a flash vision – in my spirit I saw Judah’s angel, and I saw the angel deliver him. It was such a clear word and vision; I did do just what I was told to do. I went to sleep.
The rest of the story of the labor of that night is a good one, but its not mine to tell. Suffice it to say, we have a healthy, beautiful new grandbaby.
I have been walking in awe and wonder since then. I continue to ask the Lord “Why did I get the privilege of seeing Judah’s angel?” And then I ask, “What am I supposed to do with the vision?” The Lord has given me an answer and it is short and sweet “Caretaker”.
Huh. The Lord says I’m the caretaker of the vision of Judah’s angel delivering our new grandson. Wow. How wonderful. I get to tell the story of God’s faithful care from the moment of this kid’s entrance into the world. We should never forget the story. We should never stop saying thank you to our good, good Father who would send his angel to help our family like that. I get to remind all of us that the Angel of the Lord is camped out in that child’s home, and he isn’t leaving Judah from now on.
This amazing word of the Lord and the flash vision he showed me on the night of Judah’s birth has taught me so much. It assures me that the promises of God in Psalm 91 are not empty words. They are true. Every one of my grandkids has an angel encamped around them. My family has angels encamped around us. God has proven to me the veracity of this promise (and every other one!):
“For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.” Psalm 91:11-12
I am caretaker of the guardian angel vision for our whole faith family as well. All the babies that we are welcoming into the world are watched over and even delivered if need be by their awesome, powerful, guardian angels. I have the assurance of faith that our angels are camped out with us and our generations, and they aren’t leaving!
One added note came to me from Holy Spirit this morning. (I am still captivated by the vision! I can’t quit thinking about it!) This morning Holy Spirit had me think back to the blog I just posted the other day about mantles shifting. “Remember the word Chuck Pierce gave about the Watchman Mantle?” he asked me.
Jeremiah 1:11-12:
“The word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” And I said, “I see a branch of an almond tree.” Then the Lord said to me, “You have seen well, for I am watching (shamar) over my word to perform it.”
Chuck’s sense of this mantle shifting is that as we commit to watching over our families and territories, we will be watching over the Word of the Lord from the Bible, and also his rhema word that comes to us through dreams, visions and prophecies. We all will be increasing in our ability to hear God’s voice day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute…”
Then the Lord said to me, “Well, what does watchman mean? Isn’t a shamar watchman a caretaker of my Word, both written and spoken?”
Yes. Oh my. Yes. My Papa God just proved to me that as a Shamar Watchman, he trusts me to be a Caretaker of his word. Since I was saved 48 years ago, he has taught me to watch over the precious Bible by studying it, living by it, teaching it to others, and discipling many with it. And what he is assuring me of today is that he has indeed called me to watch over – to be a steward and caretaker of - his rhema words as well.
I pass that blessing on to all of you today. As it was imparted to me anew in this shifting season of time by my apostle Chuck Pierce, so I impart it to you. Watch, listen, and expect our Living God to make himself known to you today, Friends! Never let his words fall to the ground!
Joan Tyvoll
Mantles Shifting
Mantles Shifting
September 18, 2019
“And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” And I said, “I see an almond branch.” Then the Lord said to me, “You have seen well, for I am watching over my word to perform it.” Jeremiah 1:11-12 ESV
It has been a month since Chuck Pierce and Dutch Sheets came to the Twin Cities for a day of special meetings. Those meetings turned out to be some of the most powerful and Spirit-filled meetings I have ever been in. It was a day of worship, challenge and activation. I am still praying into the words these two mighty men of God imparted to us.
Something Chuck Pierce said in the first meeting is one of the most important of all the important things shared that day. He said that as a prophet-apostle, he sees three mantles shifting over the Midwest region in this season. (Mantles meaning assignments, or anointings from the Lord that one is moving in.) At the time I felt it was a powerful word for us here at RAC, and I still do today.
Apostolic Mantle
The first mantle Chuck believes is shifting is the Apostolic Mantle. He senses a new energy and authority coming to those in the Apostolic stream of the church - those who see God restoring the Ephesians 4:11-16, 5-fold structure of Christ’s church. As the 5-fold structure of the church is put in place, as it solidifies and takes shape in regions and territories, we will be able to take new territory for Christ’s Kingdom.
What an encouraging word this is to me! Our ministry is modeled around the 5-fold structure Paul and the early church used. And the Rivers Apostolic Center family have been seeking to understand and to walk in and pray with more and more of Christ’s authority. When the Church of Jesus Christ is firmly grounded on the right foundation, and moves in his power, exercising his authority, naturally Christ’s Kingdom advances in the earth.
Prophetic Mantle
The second mantle Chuck Pierce sees shifting in this season is the Prophetic Mantle. If you recall from 1 Corinthians 14, Paul begins the chapter by saying Believers should pursue love and strive for spiritual gifts, but then he says, “especially that you may prophesy.”
To the Apostle Paul, the gift of prophesy was vital to the church as a whole, and to each person. In verse 3 he explains why. “When someone prophesies, he speaks to encourage people, to build them up, and to bring them comfort.”
And when Holy Spirit gives us prophetic words and visions, he is allowing us to get a glimpse of God’s heart, God’s plans and purposes. We get to join him in his plans and purposes.
Chuck senses that in this season, the prophetic mantle that we carry as Believers will be shifting towards an “Issachar anointing” that will produce and proclaim vision for our future. We need to know what God is up to today, and he is willing to share that with us.
I was sure that was a word for us as well. As you know, I often teach about the tribe of Issachar, believing that the anointing that that tribe had needs to be one we pray for in our own critical and troubled times.
We can read about this powerful and wise tribe in 1 Chronicles 12:32. They were “those who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do…” We all need more of this kind of wisdom today, friends! Pray for this mantle and this anointing! You, your family, your territory, the Church, our nation… we all need to understand what is really going on in high and low places! And then, what do we do with what you show us, Lord? Give us the Issachar anointing so we know!
Watchman Mantle
Our faith family at Rivers gets this one. We are committed to being on the wall, watching, guarding, contending. Chuck Pierce gives us a little shift in the focus for our call to intercession, and for me it was yet another confirmation of what we are assigned to do.
Chuck’s said that in this season he believes the Watchman Mantle will be for watching after God’s word both His written word and His rhema word. He called it a Shamar Watchman.
To understand what the shamar watchman mantle is, we should look again at one of the places where this watchman word shows up. The Hebrew the word is shamar…
Jeremiah 1:11-12:
“The word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” And I said, “I see a branch of an almond tree.” Then the Lord said to me, “You have seen well, for I am watching (shamar) over my word to perform it.”
Chuck’s sense of this mantle shifting is that as we commit to watching over our families and territories, we will be watching over the Word of the Lord from the Bible, and also his rhema word that comes to us through dreams, visions and prophecies.
We all will be increasing in our ability to hear God’s voice day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute. We will need it. Hmmm… we need it now. And as he reveals his word for this hour, he will give us the faith to be caretakers over that word to see God manifest it in the natural realm.
Chuck encouraged us to stir up the Issachar anointing so we can know the timing of events happening around us based on the Word of God, written and spoken. He decreed that the shamar mantle leads us into harvest – for the Kingdom!
We need Holy Spirit’s help to gain revelation for these times, friends. We need to be willing to navigate these shifts Chuck talked about so we can be the Church – the conduit of his glory in these crucial times. It will mean getting out of our comfort zone, being willing to move out in faith to places we haven’t been in before, taking risks.
I truly believe we were born “for such a time as this”, but we choose what we will allow God to do in us and through us. I think we were born to be DREAD CHAMPIONS. Let’s start believing that and acting like it, gang!
Joan Tyvoll
Passing The Faith Test
Passing The Faith Test
September 10, 2019
“Be careful to obey all the commands I am giving you today. Then you will live and multiply, and you will enter and occupy the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors. Remember how the Lord your God led you through the wilderness for these forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not you would obey his commands. Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. He did it to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. For all these forty years your clothes didn’t wear out, and your feet didn’t blister or swell. Think about it: Just as a parent disciplines a child, the Lord your God disciplines you for your own good.
“So obey the commands of the Lord your God by walking in his ways and fearing him. For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land of flowing streams and pools of water, with fountains and springs that gush out in the valleys and hills. It is a land of wheat and barley; of grapevines, fig trees, and pomegranates; of olive oil and honey. It is a land where food is plentiful and nothing is lacking… “ Deuteronomy 8:1-9 NLT
I have been feeling the fire of testing lately. It’s not just me - I have been watching others around me in the fire as well. I think it’s harder to watch loved ones going through tests and trials than going through them myself!
Holy Spirit has been reminding me of the passage in Deuteronomy chapter 8 all the way through chapter 11. These chapters were a personal word to me way back in 1975, and they have guided me in the decades since then. You can look at my favorite Bible and see where I have marked up these passages with dates and notes year after year after year.
And now here they are again today. If ever you and I need understanding of the meaning and purpose of the fires around us, it is today. So here is a good gift for you today: The good news and amazing sure promise from the Lord, our Papa God, is this: “Yes, there is a purpose in the trials I am sending you. So don’t give up. Don’t lose heart. Don’t lay down your sword. I am walking with you, and I will use this all for good if you will trust me today.”
Dr. Chuck Pierce taught this Biblical principle during the meetings he and Dutch Sheets held in St. Paul on August 15 of this year. He said to us: “You are “in a war for your promises. You can fight for the fulfillment of the promises God has given you, or you can slander your promises.”
What he was referring to of course was that after God rescued the Hebrew children from Egypt, they slandered his promise of the Promised Land by refusing to enter into it. He had brought them to the doorstep of the Promised Land with mighty signs and miracles. They had His word. They had his promises. They had his manifested presence both day and night! Yet when it came to crossing over and walking out those promises, they choose instead to listen to the voice of unbelief. They refused to mix the promise with faith. (Hebrews 3 & 4). Back into the wilderness they went to go through 40 more years of training, discipline and testing.
My encouragement today for all of us is to allow our good Father to gift us with the faith to cross over and to occupy our land of promise.
On Sunday here at the Granary, Steve led us in a song called “It is Well”. One of the lines of the song says this: “far be it from me to not believe, even though my eyes can’t see…”
That is the day we are in. God is asking us to believe him even when the fire around us tempts us to abandon the hope of promises ever being fulfilled. I believe that all the trials and stretching of our faith are gifts from a Good Father who is preparing us for challenges in coming seasons. He is making us stronger, he is positioning us to stand in a stronger place of faith so no matter what may come to us in the days ahead, we will stand!
And I don’t see us going down to defeat in a final blaze of glory! I see us standing at the last in victory, wearing the victor’s crown.
So how will this happen? Chuck Pierce said that we will have to “stick our heads in the heavenlies and stay there”. Ha. Good advice! My own personal experience with Deuteronomy 8 especially has taught me to regard every hard thing, every trial as a gift from my Good Father. He has taught me to submit to God’s training and discipline – even welcoming them knowing that it is all for my good, all from the hand of my Papa God. I believe that my choice to surrender to His discipline has allowed me to grow, and to be benefited by those hard things instead of having them rob from me.
The bottom line for me has been this: I refuse to believe that my King Jesus can be bested. Because he is the great Overcomer, I am too.
From the beginning of my life with the Savior, He has passed the Faith Test. And thanks be to him, Jesus Christ has helped me to do the same.
How goes your war? Meditate on Deuteronomy 8 and see what good word it has for you and the faith test you are in today.
Joan Tyvoll
The Pilot Light Prophecy
The Pilot Light Prophecy
August 26, 2019
I have had a lot of reasons to be pressing into the assignment of decreeing a “Wall of Fire” around in my territory lately. I have personal need of those “ministers of fire” (Hebrews 1:7) my family needs them, my territory needs them, my country, my president… the list just goes on and on.
It is a season of calling down fire from heaven. “Send your fire, Lord!” has been a constant plea for me…
On Sunday morning as Steve filled the Granary with worship, I first began to wave the Glory flag as I sang with him. Then I knew that the Glory needed to be accompanied by Pentecost fire. So, I grabbed the gold and red worship flag and filled the atmosphere with decrees of glory and fire.
Okay, now back up a bit to when we went out to the Granary to begin our Sunday… the nights here are actually fall-like enough to want a bit of warmth that early in the morning. So, for the first time this season, Steve starting working on getting the heater going, which meant getting the pilot light going, which meant going back and forth to the gas line on the tank, then back to the wall heater’s pilot light…back and forth, back and forth. One of those deals. Although it took some work, eventually the pilot light sparked and we heard the “whoosh” of the gas igniting. We had heat! Good-bye summer!
Now back to Sunday morning worship… We began live-streaming with Glory of Zion worship. The Judah team there led with music, and interestingly enough, it seemed that their theme centered around FIRE.
Dr. Chuck Pierce began to prophesy… and all we could do was laugh in delight and wonder over one of those times where all you can say is “You CANNOT make this stuff up!”
This is what Chuck released as a rhema word from the Lord: “You feel like your pilot light is out! We need a new igniting! As you bring your offering this morning ask the Lord to put a new fire on your worship and offering! We need a new fire and anointing for the coming season! We can’t go forward in last season’s reality… Lord, ignite a new fire in our bones, then watch it come out of our mouths…”
Alan Fabion then added, “Unbelief throws water on His fire! Pray and ask the Lord to challenge your unbelief!”
Spontaneous worship: Build me an altar in your heart and let me set it ablaze, so I can burn away the dross of last season…”
Chuck released this word about oil (referencing Mary’s story in Mark 14:3-9)…“Break open the Alabaster box [in your inner-most being] – the oil is there, then allow Me to set it on fire!”
Oh, the worship and following message was so powerful and sweet. As you might guess, Holy Spirit had our attention right from the start! After our own struggle trying to light that pilot light in the heater, then to have God reach down and put his finger on the exact same thing… yes, we were listening!
“Build me a new altar”, Father God said. “Build it in your heart… let me set it ablaze…”
It’s a good word for all of us. God wanted us to be sure we heard it clearly! Decree today: “Reignite my pilot light, Lord! Today, Lord! Set me on fire in a new way today!”
Joan Tyvoll
Wall Builders and Gatekeepers
Wall Builders and Gatekeepers
August 22, 2019
Wall Builders…
“Nehemiah (to all the Jews): Our trouble is obvious: The wall of Jerusalem has been reduced to piles of rock, and its gates consumed by flame. Let us begin by rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem, and in doing so, we will demolish our disgrace because of defeat and exile... Jews: “Get up now! It is time to rebuild.” And so they began the good work.” Nehemiah 2:17, 18
Nehemiah has always been one of my favorite books in the Bible. I recently read it in the Voice Translation, and the wonder and power of it hit me again. Yes, I consider Nehemiah to be one of the most important role models in the Bible, but even more than what he always inspires in me as a leader, this time I was especially captivated by families’ part in the drama.
I believe that the book of Nehemiah is a powerful story of what God intends family to be all about.
The time period of the Book of Nehemiah is post-exilic. There were Jews who had gone back to Israel to live, but they were struggling to get back on track. God sent Ezra and Nehemiah to lead the people of God back to a national identity and way of life that had been interrupted by the 70 years of captivity.
Nehemiah was an extremely important leader at this crucial time, but as I read the account of rebuilding the wall of safety around Jerusalem, I realized again how families – everyday people like you and me – were also stars of the show. Nehemiah thought so too - so much so that his account of the rebuilding carefully included the actual names of each of those who worked on the wall.
Nehemiah’s record is wonderful. It tells us how personal the work was. Fathers, brothers, sons and daughters, tribes, groups of priests and Levites… the building succeeded because families worked together to get it done. Chapter 3 has a list of those that worked and the section of the wall they were responsible for. Here are just a few examples: 3:4, 12, 23:
…Meremoth (Hakkoz’s grandson and Uriah’s son) partnered with Hassenaah’s sons in repairing the wall, as did Meshullam (Berechiah’s son and Meshezabel’s grandson) and Zadok (Baana’s son).
…A half-district ruler named Shallum (Hallohesh’s son) and his daughters partnered with Malchijah.
…Benjamin and Hasshub worked on sections directly in front of their homes, then Azariah (Maaseiah’s son and Ananiah’s grandson) worked on a section beside his home.
Nehemiah’s account carries more and more significance for me as the days go by. I am all about God calling us to the Wall. Climb your Watchtowers Christians! We must guard our homes, communities and nation. Pray! Yes pray. But also pay attention to the aspect of Nehemiah’s story that focuses on family. In our day the call to strengthen our families, to contend for the alignment of the generations is more important than ever. Contend for unity, cooperation, and for “love to cover a multitude of sin” in all our relationships with each other.
This is the call that I hear in my spirit: Build the spiritual wall around your families and make it strong! Don’t wait for disaster to sweep in before you awaken you to the need for a wall of fire to surround you and your loved ones. And don’t expect someone else to do it for you either! Nehemiah organized and energized God’s people, he provided the much-needed leadership for the wall building project, but it was up to each family to do their part.
As they worked, Nehemiah told the story of how the enemy tried to distract them, tried to intimidate them and instill fear in them so they would be paralyzed and never achieve their goal. The enemy tried to divide them with lies and evil reports. But the people trusted the leadership of Nehemiah and Ezra and the teachers of the time. Yes, they took the threats of the enemy seriously. They posted guards, they worked with their weapons ready at hand, but they just kept working!
If you feel like that is a story for today, I agree. Stay focused on what you know is true. Know what your territory is – accept the responsibility of diligently stewarding and guarding it. Keep your eyes on the King and his kingdom, and keep going, Christian! Build your wall!
…and Gatekeepers
“The sheep gate was first.” Nehemiah 3:1a
Gates guard a city. Gates give the people of a city the protection of allowing in safe people while excluding the enemy. In Bible times the gates of the city were where the leaders sat to govern and legislate. If anyone had a grievance, or needed a legal issue settled, they went to the elders at the gate. I can picture it. The elders sat together in a council room, talking, arguing, discussing… and deciding. Up above them on the wall the guards paced back and forth, ever watchful for enemies approaching the city with evil intent. Those ancient gates represented the security and stability that righteous authority and protection brings to a nation.
It is hard to miss a big piece of the wall story told in Nehemiah 3 - GATES. A wall has to have gates, and gates need gatekeepers. Jerusalem had twelve gates that had to be rebuilt and set. This miraculous wall building project started with a gate built by the spiritual leaders of the nation. I find it interesting that the shepherds of Israel were the ones to build the Sheep Gate, don’t you?
Who are the Gatekeepers in our day? Who are the ones who guard and who have the authority to legislate at the gates of our homes and communities? I think the answer to that question is obvious if you know Jesus’ commission to his disciples in Matthew 28:18-20.
“Then Jesus came close to them and said, “All the authority of the universe has been given to me. Now go in my authority and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And teach them to faithfully follow all that I have commanded you. And never forget that I am with you every day, even to the completion of this age.” (Passion)
Jesus said- all authority is mine, and I am giving it to you. You be my ambassadors - my representatives here on earth. Go into nations with that authority and bring them into alignment with my standard of righteous living.
We never have to wonder who has the authority to say what we want in our world, Christian. It is us. God forgive us that we have laid down our scepters and allowed the devil to rule at our gates instead.
We are the gatekeepers of our families. We are the gatekeepers of our towns and cities. Build your walls, friends. Be sure you also guard at your gates. Erect the strong, iron reinforced gates, set sentinel angels on either side – and then in the authority of our King Jesus tell the enemy “You will NOT enter here, devil. This territory belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Joan Tyvoll
God's Peace Plan
God's Peace Plan
“[God] has enlightened us to the great mystery at the center of His will. With immense pleasure, He laid out His intentions through Jesus, a plan that will climax when the time is right as He returns to create order and unity—both in heaven and on earth—when all things are brought together under the Anointed’s royal rule. In Him we stand to inherit even more. As His heirs, we are predestined to play a key role in His unfolding purpose that is energizing everything to conform to His will.” Ephesians 1:9-11 (Voice)
Reading Ephesians is like eating potato chips – you can’t stop at just one verse! So although I was captivated by Ephesians 1:3 in The Voice translation a few nights ago… I just had to keep reading. And again, I came to a full stop at the verses that followed – Ephesians 1:9-11. Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace of course. It is he who reigns and rules, it is he who will one day come with his angels to restore order and bring healing to the nations.
But look at these verses! Even before you and I were born, it was the Father’s plan and good pleasure for us – Believers – to play a “key role in his unfolding purpose” to bring everything back to its rightful place. God’s peace plan is that Jesus is to create order and unity, he will bring all things back into alignment with his will and rule, but this isn’t just a some day thing! It is happening right now through another key strategic weapon up God’s sleeve – The Church!
I saw it. In my spirit I saw it like I have never been able to before. Born again Believers are seated next to Jesus in the third heaven, and from that place we are - even today as we go about our daily lives – we are bringing the energy and power of Christ’s rule into our world. His rule through us is creating order and unity, right now.
I have been learning more and more about being part of his ekklesia over the years, and this is the best, absolutely the best picture of it that I have ever read.
Did you know that when Jesus and other New Testament writers talked about the “church”, they used the Greek word “ekklesia” – a word that was a term for a public gathering. It was a term used to describe a civil, community governing body – not a religious term! When King James authorized the translation of the Bible in 1608, he would not allow the translators to use the Greek word’s true meaning because of the strength of the true meaning of ekklesia could be perceived as a threat to his throne!
We are by Christ’s command HIS EKKLESIA! When you and I are following Christ and being the true church, we are bringing his rule, his values, his will into every aspect of life. To be the Church means that we legislate in his stead everything going on around us in government, schools, entertainment – every aspect of culture is within our stewardship commission. There is no “separation of church and state” according to the Bible. It all belongs to him, and he is the KING over it all.
Joan Tyvoll
Here's My Home Address
Here's My Home Address
“Blessed be God, the Father of our Lord Jesus the Anointed One, who grants us every spiritual blessing in these heavenly realms where we live in the Anointed—not because of anything we have done, but because of what He has done for us.” Ephesians 1:3 (Voice)
I have been praying for the finger of God to go down into congregations, into Believers’ hearts and stir, stir, stir. Can you see that? I sure can. I pray that God’s people get so uncomfortable with their comfort that all we can do is beg for MORE. More of you, God. I need more of you. I can’t rest until I have more of you…
The world is in a mess. Everywhere I look our culture and everything in it is off kilter, off center – my mom would say everything is “out of whack”. We all know it, and we all see the evidence of it every single day in the news. What we can have a hard time seeing is just how to fix it.
One answer the church is presenting to us is that we don’t have to fix it. We just need to pray ourselves out of it. There is a nice thought. This world is going to hell, but its Rapture for me! I’m outta here!
I certainly don’t disagree about the Rapture. It’s too present in Scripture to deny that there will be a really cool day when the Trumpet sounds and Believers will be caught up in the clouds to be with our Savior. I’m all for it. I just think there are some things we are supposed to do before that happens.
And right now, we need Intercessors who are willing to stand strong and contend in this day of battle. So yes, I am praying for the finger of God to stir hearts and activate Prayer Warriors. Culture Warriors. Mountain takers. Believers who are willing to lay aside their own agendas and align with Heaven’s agenda. Whatever the cost, to be willing to pay that price for His Kingdom’s advancement.
I was on my watchtower a few nights ago and Holy Spirit led me to read Ephesians 1 in The Voice Translation. Verse three grabbed my heart and wouldn’t let go.
“Blessed be God, the Father of our Lord Jesus the Anointed One, who grants us every spiritual blessing in these heavenly realms where we live in the Anointed—not because of anything we have done, but because of what He has done for us.” Ephesians 1:3 (Voice)
Every crazy thing in the earth realm snags my attention every moment of the day, but Apostle Paul tells me that my home address is in heaven where I live with Jesus. I live in the natural, the now, in Christ’s wonderful creation, but I am seated with him in the throne room of heaven. I am firmly positioned right next to my Savior where he sits at the right hand of God the Father.
There it is again. The teaching that we know, but we don’t know. Unfortunately we have little enough understanding of what it means for believers to live our mortal lives in the earth realm but as true citizens of heaven at the same time. How do we carry dual citizenships? It’s a mystery.
We know Jesus commissioned us to carry his authority into the earth.
“Jesus: I am here speaking with all the authority of God, who has commanded Me to give you this commission: Go out and make disciples in all the nations. Ceremonially wash them through baptism in the name of the triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then disciple them. Form them in the practices and postures that I have taught you, and show them how to follow the commands I have laid down for you. And I will be with you, day after day, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20 Voice)
On my watchtower that night Holy Spirit reminded me about how it all starts. I learn to live in the third heaven with Christ by daily aligning myself with the Kingdom, with the King, and with every value, practice and posture of that heavenly kingdom.
As I live from that third heaven home address, I can navigate through each day bringing that heavenly atmosphere into every space I occupy in the earth realm. Wherever people, situations, relationships, or beliefs are out of alignment with Heaven, whatever is “out of whack” – Jesus can use me and my prayers to put it back into place.
I am not going to be moved by every out of kilter thing that I come across day by day. I will not be moved by what I see, I will only be moved by what I know is true. And as an intercessor, as a warrior, as a watchman I will decree in Jesus’ name that what is out of whack must go back into place.
Building the Wall of Fire
Building the Wall of Fire
Building the Wall of Fire
August 7, 2019
I was awake in one of the night watches this past week, and as I asked Holy Spirit what I should pray about, he prompted me to check my email. The latest blog post from Wanda Alger was there, and as I read it I knew it was the leading I needed. A WALL OF FIRE AROUND US! YES!
https://wandaalger.me/2019/08/04/build-a-wall-of-fire-around-your-city/
I kept pressing in and I asked the Lord, “What does the “Wall of Fire” mean, Lord?” and again he answered me. “Remember Hebrew 1:7? Remember Pentecost when “flames of fire rested on every head?” Yes, Lord. I remember.
“Of the angels he says, “He makes his angels winds and his servants flames of fire.”Hebrews 1:7
Of course I have been praying angelic protection around us all, and this confirmed the power of that prayer. Even more, it gave me a VISUAL of what I am decreeing for us. A wall of fire… Yes, Lord!
Terrorism. It earns its name. It is intended to strike terror in our hearts. The dread fear of unexpected and undeserved violence loosed on innocent and harmless people. That is what the enemy is using on Americans today.
I think fear is the biggest enemy we face today. From the “small” fear of staying silent because of people pleasing, to the “big” fear of violence in a school, work place or community. Christians stay silent for fear of offending others when we speak the truth, or when we share the gospel. Elected officials speak the truth, then suffer the backlash of death threats and personal attacks on them and their families… Police officers facing attack and not being supported by those in authority… So many conservative lawmakers are calling it quits, and it is understandable.
Fear seems to be winning the day.
We are called to courage in this day. We stand in the authority of the High King of Heaven. In the Name of Jesus Christ, we say NO to the evil one in this day. In this day we decree that King Jesus and his angels have set a WALL OF FIRE around us. In this day, we stand. We stand covered in his armor, wielding the sword of the Spirit, and we say, “America shall be saved!” “Our children shall be saved!” “We lift up the name of the Most High God today, and we praise him and his victory!”
Joan Tyvoll
Here I am again...
Here I am again...
August 6, 2019
I started these pages in January, but as you can see below, I quickly lost my way with the posts. It is amazing how many times Holy Spirit has sent the word to me since: "It is time to write!"
It is deep summer. I can feel the moments of daylight slip away from 2019. I mourn every one I lose, but this time of the year is so rich I can't stay sad for long.
The corn is reaching tassels to sky. Grain is lying in golden furrows, baking in the sun as it waits for the combine to harvest the kernels.
Our garden, the birds coming to our feeders, the breezes, smells and sights of rich, deep summer - all of summer feeds my soul. This year is no different.
There is a difference happening around me however - you have sensed it, seen it, perhaps experienced it. America is different. Rather, there are forces trying to make America different. You can find all that out just by logging onto Facebook. I would suggest (sounds like Kris Vallotton there!) I would suggest that it is important that you DO figure out what is happening around you if you haven't already.
My challenge goes beyond listening to the right or the left of politics, however - as important as it is to know the issues we are facing as a country.
I have been challenging believers for YEARS now to seek out our Good Father for wisdom to understand the times, so we might know what to do. (1 Chronicles 12:32). "From the tribe of Issachar, there were 200 leaders of the tribe with their relatives. All these men understood the signs of the times and knew the best course for Israel to take."
We are in an unprecedented time of turmoil and confusion. It will take Holy Spirit to help us to unravel all the deceit, lies and half truths being flung about every way we turn.
Here is the challenge that is unique to believers - believers like you and me. IT IS TIME TO PRAY! It is time to ask for and seek that "Issachar Anointing" so we can read the signs of the times, and then know what to pray, how to pray and what to do.
I hope you hear that call in a new way today. It will mean digging into God's word, it will mean changing your schedule, waking up early, praying in the night watches, meeting with others who are willing to pray, letting go of old mindsets so you are growing in faith in new ways - maybe learning how to hear God's voice in new ways.
There is hope for you, for your kids, for your family and marriage. There is hope for America! But the hope lies with our Good Father and our Savior, Jesus Christ. He is our hope. Will you call on him today?
The New Year 2019
The New Year 2019
January 1, 2019
I really like New Year’s Day. All the Christmas decorations are packed away, the house is clean, and I get to take out my stack of 2019 seed catalogues that have been piling up the last few weeks. Throughout November and December I school myself to ignore the catalogues. Today is the day I get to open them and begin to dream and plan for spring. They and the quilt projects I have lined up will get me through this next part of the winter.
My garden… Here is where life meets the Word…
Over the next weeks and months, I will be “unpacking” the scriptures and words he has given me for the new year and the coming season. One of the significant words he has impressed on me as I have been sitting with him between Head of the Year (5779) and New Years (2019) is ASK. This word has far reaching implications for me and I believe the Church in general. We are to ASK for what we need, and he will freely GIVE. But I think we are supposed to ASK.
So, as I think about my garden and the 2019 growing season for my farmer friends and neighbors, he is encouraging me to trust him for a good harvest, but to ASK him for it. Don’t take it for granted, or become of victim of disaster after disaster. Ask for good weather. Ask for health and strength to work and gather. I am to ASK for mercy and grace for myself, my family and those around me (Believers sanctify the places in which we live and move).
Here are the promises he has given me for the 2019 harvest:
· On my 65th birthday this past September 10th, he gave me all of Psalm 65 – again. It is an old promise that over the years have called my Harvest Psalm.
To the leader. A Psalm of David. A Song.
1 Praise is due to you,
O God, in Zion;
and to you shall vows be performed,
2 O you who answer prayer!
To you all flesh shall come.
3 When deeds of iniquity overwhelm us,
you forgive our transgressions.
4 Happy are those whom you choose and bring near
to live in your courts.
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house,
your holy temple.
5 By awesome deeds you answer us with deliverance,
O God of our salvation;
you are the hope of all the ends of the earth
and of the farthest seas.
6 By your strength you established the mountains;
you are girded with might.
7 You silence the roaring of the seas,
the roaring of their waves,
the tumult of the peoples.
8 Those who live at earth’s farthest bounds are awed by your signs;
you make the gateways of the morning and the evening shout for joy.
9 You visit the earth and water it,
you greatly enrich it;
the river of God is full of water;
you provide the people with grain,
for so you have prepared it.
10 You water its furrows abundantly,
settling its ridges,
softening it with showers,
and blessing its growth.
11 You crown the year with your bounty;
your wagon tracks overflow with richness.
12 The pastures of the wilderness overflow,
the hills gird themselves with joy,
13 the meadows clothe themselves with flocks,
the valleys deck themselves with grain,
they shout and sing together for joy.
· A few weeks ago he reminded me of his old promise from Ezekiel 34:26-27 (VOICE):
“I will make them and the area around My holy hill a blessing. At My direction, there will be plenty of rainfall when it is needed. There will be showers of blessing! The trees of the fields and orchards will bear abundant fruit, the soil of the fields will produce ample crops, and My people will rest securely within their land…”
· And Zechariah 10:1 (VOICE)
Pray to the Eternal, asking for rain in the spring;
He is the One bringing the storm clouds.
He fills them with heavy rain,
showers of rain for the plants of the field for everyone.
· Another tried and true promise from Deuteronomy 8-11 (VOICE) - especially Deuteronomy 8:7-10:
“The Eternal your God is bringing you into a good land, a land with torrents of rushing water, with springs and underground streams flowing out into the valleys and hills. It’s a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of oil-rich olive trees and date honey. In that land, you’ll always have plenty to eat—you won’t lack anything! There’s iron in the rocks, and you can dig copper from the hills. You’ll eat and be satisfied, and then you’ll humbly thank the Eternal your God for the good land He’s given you…”
· and Deuteronomy 11:11-15:
But in the land where you’re going to live, the hills and valleys drink water right out of the sky! He takes care of this land; He’s always looking after it, all throughout the year. Eternal One: If you carefully obey My commands which I’m giving you today, and if you love Me and serve Me with your whole heart and soul, then I’ll send rain on your land when it’s needed, in the autumn and the spring. You’ll have an abundant harvest of grain and wine and olive oil. I’ll make grass grow in the fields for your cattle. You’ll eat all you need and be totally satisfied.
I believe in the coming season there will be trials from the Lord for those connected to the soil (gardeners and farmers, fisherman etc.) so we will need to contend for our homes and our watchtowers (regions). Providing food for our families ourselves will become more of a necessity in the coming season. God will be teaching us self-sufficiency, or rather how believers in a region will provide for each other.
- Joan Tyvoll
January 2, 2019
It’s the new year. Time to start new things – we have all heard that plenty of times. It is something that I have taken seriously since I gave my life to Christ almost 50 years ago. A life passion – to be everything I was made to be. So, to have that happen, I know that I have to “make the most of the time”.
So here I am at the start of another gift of time. 2019. 12 golden months. 365 glory filled days. What is my calling for those precious minutes and hours?
Well, one of the new jobs Holy Spirit has called me to is this blog. He had to tell me several times, but I finally got it clear. I have to write. The most compelling instructions he has given me are from the Old Testament book of Habakkuk.
Habakkuk 2:1-3
I will take my place at the watchtower.
I will stand at my post and watch.
I will watch and see what He says to me.
I need to think about how I should respond to Him
When He gets back to me with His answer.
Eternal One (to Habakkuk): Write down this vision.
Write it clearly on tablets, so that anyone who reads it may run.
For the vision points ahead to a time I have appointed;
it testifies regarding the end, and it will not lie.
Even if there is a delay, wait for it.
It is coming and will come without delay.
There is so much wrapped up in these verses I would have a hard time writing it all down. The place I am starting from today however is this: I am to write down as best I can what the Lord and I talk about, what he tells me in the night watches, what he reveals to me in his written Word, what he tells me as I watch on my watchtower day and night.
I believe he has his reasons for giving me this job, so I choose to trust him and just obey. Scary or not, in 2019 I am going to “watch and see what he says to me.” I love the Voice translation here because it is so much a part of my nature to have to “think about how I should respond to him” before I do anything with his words. But after I “think about it”, I will then try to “write the vision” and “write it clearly, so that anyone who reads it may run.”
Living Lives of Extraordinary Grace Part 1
Living Lives of Extraordinary Grace Part 1
Living Lives of Extraordinary Grace Part 1
January 4, 2019
I am stuck in Acts 3 and 4. It’s only a few days into the new year and I am already captured by a particular place in the Bible. It happens every year. Even though I have read through The Book before – every year for many years – there will always be something that makes the words new all over again. So here I am at Acts 3 & 4, and for now I just can’t get past the wonder of it.
The story begins in chapter 3 with Peter and John going into the temple to worship. They meet the paralyzed beggar to whom they offer an incomparable gift of healing. “Do you want to be healed?” they ask. “Jesus can do that.” And he did. The once paralyzed beggar goes “walking and leaping and praising God”!
Of course, the miracle stirs a hornet’s nest, and all three are jailed. The next day they are released with dire warnings – STOP! Peter faces this intimidation with a calm answer: We just can’t.
Acts 4:19-20“…we cannot possibly restrain ourselves from speaking about what we have seen and heard with our own eyes and ears.”
They went back to the gathered Believers, and the truly incredible Presence manifests himself to them.
The reality of God’s favor visibly manifesting in their midst blows me away. And this phrase has been repeating itself in my spirit:
Verse 33 (The Voice) …Everyone was surrounded by an extraordinary grace.
Every time I have taken that beautiful phrase out, for days now, I have been flooded with emotion. Why I wonder? I have been thinking about that. I think the beauty of that kind of atmosphere, the winsomeness of that kind of life and lifestyle just makes me hungry for it as well! Being surrounded by extraordinary grace… who wouldn’t want that?
And you know, the world we are living in right now is so opposite to that. Vulgarity, profanity, incivility and ugliness… all words that describe what is swirling all around us right now.
So, as I ponder the report that all of the new Believers in Jerusalem were “surrounded by an extraordinary grace”, I am hearing this as an assignment for me, and for all Believers today. What if I (and we) were to imitate that first community of Believers and determine to carry His Presence so powerfully that the very atmosphere around us was charged with His supernatural grace? Wouldn’t the world see it and come to it like bees to honey? Maybe being filled with “extraordinary grace” is something to ask for in 2019.
Living Lives of Extraordinary Grace Part 2
Living Lives of Extraordinary Grace Part 2
January 5, 2019
I am still pondering Acts 3 and 4! As I am meditating on it, Holy Spirit is giving me more clues as to why this is hitting me at such a deep place. As a new believer way back in 1971, God taught me that the meaning of my name is significant for understanding my destiny. Well, my name “Joan” means “God is gracious”. He spoke to me back then and said that my assignment in life was to believe Him for BIG THINGS! He said that when he would answer those BIG PRAYERS, they would be a testimony for those around me that He is Gracious! My life of faith in His power and grace would testify and prove His goodness and grace to the world! John 11:40 is my life verse: “Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?”
All through the years He has given me ways to grow my faith and test his call for me to trust Him and to believe His promises against all odds. So many times I have been a terrible example of what a gracious person should be, I have so many times struggled to stay in faith… but still, my heart’s desire is to believe Him, and to live that life of “extraordinary grace” ...
With my family, with my ministry… I LONG to emulate that community of first Believers.
Verse 33 (The Voice) …Everyone was surrounded by an extraordinary grace.
Living Lives of Extraordinary Grace Part 3
Living Lives of Extraordinary Grace Part 3
January 9, 2019
Wow I cannot get past the story of the new church that enjoyed the Presence of Holy Spirit! Holy Spirit! Hot off the presses!
I keep pondering Acts chapters 3 & 4…
Here is something I have noticed about the current atmosphere of our society that connects to the story of these beginning days of the new church...
The testimony of these new Believers fellowship really describes “heaven on earth”. It describes a Utopia that Believers and non-believers alike have tried to accomplish time and again throughout the centuries.
I grew up in the Hippie era when young people became “Flower Children” and dropped out of society to live in communes where they could LUV everyone… Just like I am reading here in Acts.
Fast forward to today. Now we have a “politically correct” culture that preaches unity, love and acceptance of all people, open borders… the LUV generation apparently all grown up.
The reason it didn’t work in the 60’s and the reason why our society is so out of whack to day is that the foundations are wrong. Look at Acts. What made the atmosphere of the new community of believers full of “extraordinary grace”? What made them genuinely and authentically generous and selfless with one another so that they were willing to hold everything in common? What made that work, when it doesn’t seem to work today?
Not a single person in the community was in need because those who had been affluent sold their houses or lands and brought the proceeds to the [apostles]. They then distributed the funds to individuals according to their needs. Acts 4:32
That sounds like socialism doesn’t it? Well socialism/communism doesn’t work either. It never has and it never will because the foundations are wrong!
What sets the new church apart is HOLY SPIRIT. The only way they were able to live as they did and produce the lifestyle fruit personally and corporately was by power of the Holy Spirit.
I am believing that can and will happen again today. Only our Savior, only by empowerment of Holy Spirit will our country turn around again. Our Good Father, through faith in Jesus Christ, by the anointing of Holy Spirit will be what brings us and our country and world back to the right foundation.
Guarding Our Children
Guarding Our Children
Friday, January 11, 2019
I was on a prayer call yesterday morning at 8 am. The hour is hosted by my friend Dolean who is the representative for Reformation Prayer Network for Wisconsin. Throughout the hour I mostly listen and agree with the prayers of intercessors from all over the USA. Listen and learn is my motto!
Yesterday, my dear friend led prayers to combat human trafficking. Dolean shared a dream the Lord had given her about human trafficking and she shared a word that became a rallying cry throughout the rest of the hour: “Outcry!” Another word the Lord was impressing on her was “lightning speed!” She told the intercessors to watch the news because she felt we would see confirmation of answered prayers and good news concerning freedom for captives. So those powerful intercessors went into warfare against the enemy. They prayed that hidden places of evil be revealed, for chains of bondage to break. They prayed for the victims to not lose hope, to be strong and courageous, to find a way to escape. Yes. Those were the prayers. And within hours here in Wisconsin, 12 year old Jayme Closs escaped her captor. After 88 days of captivity, she was able to run to freedom.
I know there were many faithful prayers sent up for Jayme during those 88 days. I also know that there comes a point when the bowls of intercession are filled, and they tip out. I believe yesterday was such a day.
As I have been pondering this news, I know there are still many loved ones, women and children who are missing - captured in an evil system that reduces the value of a life to nothing.
What parent doesn’t think about the possibility of their own children falling victim to this sort of evil? I know it was constantly on my heart when my kids were little, and we pray for protection for our grandchildren now.
The Lord showed me something years ago that has really given me peace and powerful strategy as I pray for my own family and vulnerable women and children around us.
At that time I read a testimony of a witch – a high level witch – who had given her life to Jesus Christ and was made a new person. She said that the witches around her state used children for their evil ceremonies and practices, and the children they “coveted most” for their evil were the children of Christian parents. She reported, “the ones she could not seduce – though she greatly lusted after them – were the children of dedicated Christian parents, parents who constantly prayed over their children through the precious blood of Jesus.”
That taught me a lot about my authority as well as my responsibility as a parent.
We know better than many that bad things can happen to good people. My words are in no way a judgment on parents who have experienced tragedy. But there is a lesson here, an assignment and an encouragement. We are living in increasing evil times. We should not take for granted the safety of our families or communities. It is time to be alert and daily patrolling the walls of our “gardens” as Watchmen. I don’t assume my children’s and grandchildren’s safety, and I don’t take it for granted. It is my job to war for their protection.
“The thief approaches with malicious intent, looking to steal, slaughter, and destroy; I came to give life with joy and abundance.” John 10:10 (VOICE)
Our prayers are powerful. Parents and Grandparents have tremendous authority in the spiritual battle waging around our children. The devil is after their minds, their affections, their health and their futures. We have to be alert as we cover our generations with the protection that only Jesus Christ and his Blood can give.
Parents, pray for wisdom and discernment as you watch over your kids every day. Pay attention to warnings or red flags that Holy Spirit gives you concerning their safety.
I know what will happen when you are more vigilant with the kids, because I have heard it in my own head! Your natural mind will say – You are getting paranoid! You’re just imagining things! I assure you, you are not paranoid. God is just giving you more ability to see what your natural eyes can't see. Learn to trust Holy Spirit helping you as you guard your families.
We don’t want to live in fear, and we don’t want our kids to live in fear. The watch-care over our families is balanced with our constant, day to day, authentic worship and praise for our loving Father and victorious, overcoming Savior. Our kids can learn the reality of the promise that is found in Nehemiah 8:10 “The joy of the Lord is our strength!”
This is the “Year of the Decree”. So here are some things you can claim over your families every day. Since before our youngest was even born, God gave me a promise from Isaiah 54. I regularly speak it over them still, and now over my grandchildren as well: “All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the prosperity of your children.” (Isaiah 54:12). Verse 17 in that same chapter promises protection from attacks.
Psalm 91 is a must for all of us to be praying over our kids. We need angels’ eagle eyes on our kids!
Start with those scriptures and find your own.
Put them on cards and tack them on your bathroom mirror, on the fridge, and on the dash of your car. Decree them as truth every day. Claim what is yours, and your children’s. It is a day we need to be watchmen on the wall more than ever! We have to fight for our families!
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