Sunday! Jon & Jolene in New Jersey
6pm His Hands Ministries with John & Sheryl Price
West Creek United Methodist Church
West Creek, NJ 08092 

Note: A portion of the revelation below was excerpted from our July 2012 posting “Intelligence and Dire Straits.” 

First—THANK YOU AGAIN for your persevering intercession for the Glory Procession! And we so appreciate your notes, gifts, and prayers for refreshing. Lord keep us advancing!

I took some time last week to redesign our LAMPostings site. Hope you like the new look and features, including fresh graphics, automated itinerary updates, contributions link, archived postings, and more. Check it out at http://jonhamill.com.

Tisha b’Av—Key Time to Pray for Intel Community
It’s been a tough—but necessary—week for the intelligence community. CIA Director John Brennan personally apologized to Sen. Diane Feinstein, head of the Senate Intelligence Committee, for agency misconduct involving hacking into Senate computers. Democratic senators led a public outcry against this breach of Executive power against the Legislative branch.

As we shared prophetically from the beginning of this year, we believe the Lord Himself is standing for the Constitutional balance of power in our government to be preserved (see “Unveiling the Unshakeable Throne”). Thankfully, we have seen this balance preserved through key Supreme Court verdicts and now the exposure, admission, and apologies for the above violations.

The short term pain is more than worth the long-term gain. This is proven by the legacy of the Nazis and Soviet Russia to current atrocities still racing unchecked by governmental systems with no balance of power.

But that’s not why I’m compelling you to pray for the intelligence community at this time. August 5 is Tisha b’Av, or the 9th of Av. For the Jewish people, this date has been uniquely marked by a historical cycle of trauma and tragedy. And it is therefore potentially an appealing target for those who want to bring this mourning again, both to Israel and America.

Faith to Secure God’s Potential
Friends, I’m all for redeeming this date—not only putting an end to the cycle of tragedy but reversing the curse by establishing a new cycle of covenant blessing. Seek the Lord for this! Your vigilance now can literally redeem the time.

Please pray especially for intelligence communities, both in America and Israel, during your watch. Because this cycle of generational tragedies known as “Tisha b’Av” and “Dire Straits” started with a failure in intelligence analysis. And a part of redeeming Tisha b’Av is redeeming the faith in God necessary for analysts to perceive and secure God’s intended potential!

Numbers 13 recounts the story of the 12 spies sent in to scope out the promised land. Ten men returned with the analysis that there were giants in the land, and the Israelite warriors were like grasshoppers in their sight. Two returned with the grapes–and a vision of conquest based on God’s promises.

We know whose vision won. On Tisha b’Av Israel voted to retreat, and spent the next 40 years in the wilderness. The cycle of tragedy on this very date began to repeat through Jewish history, with the destruction of the first and second temples, the Inquisition, pogroms, even the beginning of World War I which led to the rise of the Nazi regime.

If misdirected intelligence proved costly in Moses’ day, how detrimental could it be in our day? Have you ever pondered the weight of responsibility on our intelligence communities? Or how significant their analysis may be in directing nations during this time?

American Stereotypes
When I mention the need to pray for intelligence communities, the feedback generally runs in two categories. First is what I call the “Superhero” paradigm. That it’s up to Jack Bauer (24), Mitch Rapp (Vince Flynn novels), and LL Cool J (from NCIS-LA, strong Christian) to save the world once again. Heroes that save the day!

The second is what I call the “Conspiracy Theory” paradigm. That all of our intelligence communities are covertly involved in the new world order, spying on American citizens, running drugs, creating super-soldiers (Matt Damon in the Bourne series) and secretly involved in secret societies (Matt Damon in the Good Shepherd). Control freaks who exert their idolatrous manipulations on the global community!

Or maybe–this might be a tough one to swallow–most are everyday patriots, doing their best to make sense of geopolitical threats and trends that have become ever more dire. Developing creative ways to stem the tide of evil and prevent calamity. Willing to remain nameless and faceless in heroic achievements, and yet bear the weight of intense scrutiny and criticism when things don’t go so well. Sounds like a description of intercessors to me…

Joshua and Caleb
So of the three stereotypes, I prefer the third. Because neither superheroes or globalist control freaks are easy to pray for. So when I pray for our intelligence communities, I remind God of the Joshuas and Calebs within their midst.

Before Joshua was anointed to lead Israel, he was trained as a soldier and a spy. He was always pushing boundaries, even with God. For instance, remember how Joshua would watch Moses communing with God in the tent of meeting? While legitimate fear kept the rest of Israel at a distance, Joshua drew ever closer. He risked it all to experience God for himself!

The Lord described Caleb–and by inference, Joshua–as having “a different spirit.” They saw the same challenges as the others, but also realized the potential being offered. And they understood the times, aligning God’s promises with obedience to enter through His windows of opportunities. Now that’s what we need today!

Intercession for the Watchmen
As of Tisha b’Av 2014, Israel is now at war. America is facing great challenges as well—from biological threats to porous borders to terrorism warnings. Much of the direction of our future will depend on intelligence gathering and accurate analysis. But as we can see through the challenge of Tisha b’Av, even accurate intelligence can be interpreted the wrong way.

As watchmen in the Spirit, your role is to pray. Ask for Holy Spirit revelation to be released. Ask the Lord for the Joshuas and Calebs to arise and be heard. Pray for the counsel of God to be secured for decision-makers on every level, and for the counsel of the enemy to be negated. Pray much in the Holy Spirit, Who knows all secrets and prays the perfect will of God!

Father God we thank You for Your grace for America and Israel. We see how a failure of intelligence kept Israel from entering into the Promised Land. And we see the potential calamity that a failure of intelligence could bring today!

Therefore we cry out for intelligence communities both in America and Israel. Thank you for the competence and dedication of so many watchmen in the natural, who put themselves in harms way on behalf of their nations. We beg Your mercy for the sins and abuses of each agency. Forgive, Lord!

Lord we bless the Joshuas and Calebs within each agency. Bring healing and renewed faith in Jesus Christ to those who have seen too much. Lift off trauma and cynicism, Lord. Renew clarity of heart and purpose, from the inside out, in Jesus’ Name.

Today we are facing giants–schemes of evil that only Your intervention can defeat. Father God we intercede now for the leaders, operatives, and analysts whose perceptions and decisions forge our future. Lord release these agencies into Your Throne Room timing, Lord! Give Holy Spirit revelation. Clearly reveal what the enemy is seeking to hide, both nationally and internationally. Show when to sound the alarm, and whom to actually alert!

Father God, we ask Your forgiveness for unbelief within the intelligence communities. Where challenges have been interpreted as a reason not to act when You desire an active response. Give these Joshuas and Calebs an “Issachar anointing” to understand and access the windows of opportunity You are presenting.

Lord we remind You of the words engraved in the wall of the CIA–”You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31-2). Lord align intelligence communities with Your truth. As with Joshua and Caleb, make them catalysts for freedom, including the preservation of freedom, ESPECIALLY IN THIS SEASON. in Jesus’ Name, AMEN.