<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0" xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:googleplay="http://www.google.com/schemas/play-podcasts/1.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[StrongFaith.co]]></title><description><![CDATA[Stirring revival, equipping the remnant, and encouraging believers to walk in bold, Spirit-filled faith with clarity and courage in these times.]]></description><link>https://www.strongfaith.co</link><image><url>https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!9-JX!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0db168fa-ef41-4078-83c9-e07b3b249d28_1280x1280.png</url><title>StrongFaith.co</title><link>https://www.strongfaith.co</link></image><generator>Substack</generator><lastBuildDate>Fri, 25 Sep 2026 22:19:25 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.strongfaith.co/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><copyright><![CDATA[Larry Shankle]]></copyright><language><![CDATA[en]]></language><webMaster><![CDATA[Larry@strongfaith.co]]></webMaster><itunes:owner><itunes:email><![CDATA[Larry@strongfaith.co]]></itunes:email><itunes:name><![CDATA[Larry Shankle | StrongFaith.co]]></itunes:name></itunes:owner><itunes:author><![CDATA[Larry Shankle | StrongFaith.co]]></itunes:author><googleplay:owner><![CDATA[Larry@strongfaith.co]]></googleplay:owner><googleplay:email><![CDATA[Larry@strongfaith.co]]></googleplay:email><googleplay:author><![CDATA[Larry Shankle | StrongFaith.co]]></googleplay:author><itunes:block><![CDATA[Yes]]></itunes:block><item><title><![CDATA[TRUE REPENTANCE IS NOT WHAT YOU THINK // WATCH THIS ]]></title><description><![CDATA[With Larry Shankle]]></description><link>https://www.strongfaith.co/p/true-repentance-is-not-what-you-think</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.strongfaith.co/p/true-repentance-is-not-what-you-think</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Larry Shankle | StrongFaith.co]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 16 Sep 2026 17:40:12 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/216012363/be6f6e6ad1c4056319d0f625ac2546b4.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.strongfaith.co/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.strongfaith.co/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><h2>This is repentance season&#8212;and before God pours out revival through the church, He is calling the church to return to Him.</h2><p>Maybe you are hungry for God to move, but you cannot understand why breakthrough seems delayed. Maybe you want to see an outpouring of the Holy Spirit&#8212;not only on a large scale, but in your own life and family. Maybe you know you have drifted, but you do not know what returning to God really looks like.</p><p>Or perhaps when you hear the word <em>repentance</em>, you immediately think of condemnation. You think repentance is only saying, &#8220;I am sorry,&#8221; or enduring God beating down His people.</p><p>But repentance is not God beating down His people. Repentance is the doorway back into fellowship, freedom, restoration, renewing, refining, and revival.</p><p><strong>By the end of this post, I want you to understand four things:</strong></p><ul><li><p>First, why repentance must begin with the house of God.</p></li><li><p>Second, what true biblical repentance actually means.</p></li><li><p>Third, what a lifestyle of repentance opens in your life, your family, and the church.</p></li><li><p>Fourth, how to return to your first love and do the first works again.</p></li></ul><p>And I need you to stay with me, because I am also going to share a Word from the Lord that I believe is for this moment.</p><h2><strong>REPENTANCE BEGINS WITH THE HOUSE OF GOD</strong></h2><p>This is a moment when the Lord is calling people back!</p><p>He is calling us back to Himself. The Lord is calling the hurting, the weary, the broken, the battered, and the bruised. He is calling those who have wandered away and become lost again in their sins.</p><p>Jesus is seeking to save that which was lost. With great compassion, He is calling those who have strayed to RETURN to the Lord.</p><p>But it is an hour for the church first to return and come to repentance.</p><h3>I cannot get away from this thought from the Lord: it is <strong>REPENTANCE SEASON.</strong></h3><ul><li><p>For the church, it is time to come home.</p></li><li><p>For the church, it is time to repent.</p></li><li><p>For the church, it is time to get our hearts back in line with our God.</p></li></ul><p>He longs to pour out among His people great power, overwhelming victory, and the goodness of His name. But it all begins with us humbling ourselves and returning to a place of repentance.</p><p>And to those whose first thought is, &#8220;What do I need to repent of?&#8221;&#8212;you are the very ones He is speaking to!</p><p>When we, in any way&#8212;whether in large ways or small ways&#8212;TURN AWAY and depart from the paths of righteousness, there is a great need to return.</p><p>Listen to what Scripture declares:</p><p><strong><mark data-color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span data-color="#ff0000" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">1 Peter 4:17&#8211;18 NKJV-</span></mark></strong><mark data-color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span data-color="#ff0000" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? [18] Now &#8220;If the righteous one is scarcely saved, Where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?&#8221;</span></mark></p><p>We have to understand that our repentance affects more than us alone. Our repentance is a witness of hope to the world. It declares that God saves, God restores, God renews, God replenishes, and God refines.</p><p>Our repentance speaks hope to people who lost their hope long ago and laid it aside. It tells the world that the Lord is a God of great mercy and grace, who forgives and redeems people from iniquity and from the places where they have wandered and strayed.</p><p>In fact, if we are going to experience the outpouring of God, <strong>WE MUST REPENT.</strong></p><p>Whether your desire is to experience an outpouring from the Holy Spirit on a large scale, or simply to see Him move in your own family, it all starts with repentance.</p><h1><strong><mark data-color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span>#1: repentance must begin with the house of God because God intends for His people to become a living testimony of His saving, restoring, renewing, replenishing, and refining grace.</span></mark></strong></h1><h2><strong>REPENTANCE MUST BECOME OUR LIFESTYLE.</strong></h2><p>It must become the WAY we live every day. We must begin to care more about what the Lord thinks of us than what the world wants from us.</p><p><strong><mark data-color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span data-color="#ff0000" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Psalm 51:16&#8211;17 NKJV-</span></mark></strong><mark data-color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span data-color="#ff0000" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. [17] The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart- These, O God, You will not despise.</span></mark></p><p>The Hebrew word for <strong>&#8220;sacrifice&#8221;</strong> is <strong>&#1494;&#1462;&#1489;&#1463;&#1495;&#8212;zevach</strong>&#8212;which refers to offerings made to God.</p><p><strong>&#8220;Broken&#8221;</strong> in Hebrew is <strong>&#1513;&#1464;&#1473;&#1489;&#1493;&#1468;&#1512;&#8212;shavur</strong>&#8212;implying something shattered or crushed and symbolizing deep humility.</p><p><strong>&#8220;Contrite&#8221;</strong> is <strong>&#1504;&#1460;&#1491;&#1456;&#1499;&#1462;&#1468;&#1492;&#8212;nidkeh</strong>&#8212;meaning crushed or deeply penitent and emphasizing a heartfelt sorrow for sin.</p><p>Each of these words foreshadows what Jesus would provide for us on the cross. These are expressions that Jesus is the ultimate and only sacrifice for sins that can ever save. When we place our faith in Jesus, He becomes FOR US the ultimate sacrifice on a personal level, allowing us acceptance with the Father.</p><p>The sacrifices the Lord desires are a heart shattered and crushed in deep humility, along with a spirit crushed to the point of deep sorrow for sin. These things are the basis for true repentance, and without repentance we will not be born again.</p><ul><li><p>To say that we have no need for repentance or for a lifestyle of deep repentance...</p></li><li><p>To say that we no longer need to search our hearts for sin and wrongdoing...</p></li><li><p>To say or think that we are so good that we do not need the Lord to cleanse us daily...</p></li><li><p>Is to accept and come into union with a religious spirit and a self-righteous spirit that stands obstinate against the Lord.</p></li></ul><p>For the church to become the bride of Christ He is returning for will require EACH OF US to search our hearts and ask the HOLY SPIRIT to search our hearts.</p><h3>I SAY AGAIN WHAT I&#8217;M HEARING FROM THE LORD: <strong>THIS IS REPENTANCE SEASON.</strong></h3><blockquote><h3><strong>WORD FROM THE LORD &#8212; </strong></h3><p><strong>This is the season, says the Lord, for my people to humble themselves and return to me, the living God, and see if I will not pour out my Spirit, blessing, and power upon you and among you. For I long to move in my people and pour out my Spirit. I long to send you FREEDOM that comes to those who submit to my hand, but you must SUBMIT. With conviction from my Holy Spirit, you must repent and come back to me in ALL your ways and stop turning to the right hand and to the left. You must allow me to lead and guide your steps and stop pursuing your own pleasure; instead, seek my face and the pleasure of my ways. For soon I come, says the Lord. I am returning for a people who have made themselves pure and clean in my eyes&#8212;those who have not given themselves over to their own ways and pleasures. I am returning for those who find their pleasure and their purpose in serving me and opening their hearts to the goodness of my name and the power of my Spirit.</strong></p></blockquote><h2><strong>RETURN TO THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART</strong></h2><p>Friends, it is repentance season!</p><p><strong><mark data-color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span data-color="#ff0000" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Joel 2:12&#8211;17 NKJV-</span></mark></strong><mark data-color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span data-color="#ff0000" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">&#8220;Now, therefore,&#8221; says the LORD, &#8220;Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.&#8221; [13] So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm. [14] Who knows if He will turn and relent, And leave a blessing behind Him- A grain offering and a drink offering For the LORD your God? [15] Blow the trumpet in Zion, Consecrate a fast, Call a sacred assembly; [16] Gather the people, Sanctify the congregation, Assemble the elders, Gather the children and nursing babes; Let the bridegroom go out from his chamber, And the bride from her dressing room. [17] Let the priests, who minister to the LORD, Weep between the porch and the altar; Let them say, &#8220;Spare Your people, O LORD, And do not give Your heritage to reproach, That the nations should rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples, &#8216;Where is their God?&#8217;&#8221;</span></mark></p><ul><li><p>Where is our fasting?</p></li><li><p>Where is our weeping over our sins?</p></li><li><p>Where is the mourning heart that grieves for the wrong it has done?</p></li><li><p>Where are those who rend their hearts?</p></li><li><p>Where is our consecration and separation unto the Lord?</p></li></ul><p>Even in my own self, I search and ask the Lord, &#8220;Have I done what I am supposed to do? Have I declared all the Word of God? Have I cried out enough, &#8216;Spare Your people&#8217;?&#8221;</p><p>I feel deeply that this is the word for the moment.</p><p>Suddenly, the Lord is returning.</p><p>Also, suddenly the Lord is coming back to His temple.</p><p>Suddenly, He will come in to those who have prepared their hearts.</p><p>Suddenly, He will say, &#8220;The time is now and the time has come.&#8221;</p><p>We do not want to be unprepared and miss the move of God!</p><p>We do not want to be unrepentant, with obstinate hearts full of our own ways, and be left behind.</p><p>The people of God are the first fruits of the Kingdom. God is looking for hearts that want HIM MORE THAN ANYTHING!</p><p>The deepest reason we repent is because we understand that He is the treasure. We develop a longing for Him over everything else, and we want NOTHING that hinders our relationship with Jesus.</p><p>It is time for the people of God to stop trying to see just how much of our own pleasure He will allow, and instead pursue just how much of HIS pleasure we can receive.</p><h2><strong>WHAT TRUE REPENTANCE MEANS</strong></h2><p>Let me be clear about what repentance means.</p><ul><li><p><strong>REPENTANCE IS NOT ONLY SAYING, &#8220;I AM SORRY.&#8221;</strong></p></li><li><p><strong>REPENTANCE IS WHEN WE LITERALLY CHANGE OUR MIND AND ALIGN WITH GOD&#8217;S MIND, AND WE WALK IN A NEW DIRECTION BY OUR CHOICE AND FAITH.</strong></p></li><li><p><strong>REPENTANCE IS A CHANGE OF MIND THAT LEADS TO A CHANGE OF HEART, THAT CREATES A CHANGE OF ACTION.</strong></p></li><li><p>God grants repentance.</p></li><li><p>Repentance always leads us to confession of sin.</p></li><li><p>Confession of sin leads to forgiveness of sin.</p></li><li><p><strong>WE must confess AND forsake our sins.</strong></p></li></ul><h1><strong><mark data-color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span>#2: true repentance is not merely an emotional apology. It is a God-granted change of mind that changes the heart, changes our actions, leads to confession, and causes us to confess and forsake our sins.</span></mark></strong></h1><h2><strong>WHAT REPENTANCE OPENS</strong></h2><p>Repentance is not GOD BEATING DOWN HIS PEOPLE.</p><p>Repentance is not just SOMETHING TO BE ENDURED.</p><p>It is time for the church to understand that a lifestyle of repentance OPENS THE DOOR for the Lord to move in our lives!</p><p>Repentance brings revival, restoration, renewing, and refining!</p><p><strong>Look at the results of repentance:</strong></p><p><strong><mark data-color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span data-color="#ff0000" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Joel 2:18&#8211;29 NKJV-</span></mark></strong><mark data-color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span data-color="#ff0000" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Then the LORD will be zealous for His land, And pity His people. [19] The LORD will answer and say to His people, &#8220;Behold, I will send you grain and new wine and oil, And you will be satisfied by them; I will no longer make you a reproach among the nations. [20] &#8220;But I will remove far from you the northern army, And will drive him away into a barren and desolate land, With his face toward the eastern sea And his back toward the western sea; His stench will come up, And his foul odor will rise, Because he has done monstrous things.&#8221; [21] Fear not, O land; Be glad and rejoice, For the LORD has done marvelous things! [22] Do not be afraid, you beasts of the field; For the open pastures are springing up, And the tree bears its fruit; The fig tree and the vine yield their strength. [23] Be glad then, you children of Zion, And rejoice in the LORD your God; For He has given you the former rain faithfully, And He will cause the rain to come down for you- The former rain, And the latter rain in the first month. [24] The threshing floors shall be full of wheat, And the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil. [25] &#8220;So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, The crawling locust, The consuming locust, And the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you. [26] You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, And praise the name of the LORD your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you; And My people shall never be put to shame. [27] Then you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel: I am the LORD your God And there is no other. My people shall never be put to shame. [28] &#8220;And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions. [29] And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.</span></mark></p><h3><strong>Do you see what repentance opens?</strong></h3><ul><li><p>The Lord becomes zealous for His land and pities His people.</p></li><li><p>He sends grain, new wine, and oil.</p></li><li><p>He brings satisfaction and removes reproach.</p></li><li><p>He drives the enemy away.</p></li><li><p>He causes the land to spring up and bear fruit.</p></li><li><p>He sends the former rain and the latter rain.</p></li><li><p>He fills the threshing floors and causes the vats to overflow.</p></li><li><p>He restores the years the locust has eaten.</p></li><li><p>He removes shame and makes His presence known.</p></li><li><p>And afterward, He pours out His Spirit on all flesh.</p></li></ul><h1><strong><mark data-color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span>#3: a lifestyle of repentance opens the door to the Lord&#8217;s pity, provision, victory, fruitfulness, restoration, presence, and outpouring. Repentance brings revival, restoration, renewing, and refining.</span></mark></strong></h1><h2><strong>RETURN TO YOUR FIRST LOVE</strong></h2><p>This is the season for the bride of Christ to RETURN and REPENT, and do the first works again!</p><p><strong><mark data-color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span data-color="#ff0000" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Revelation 2:4&#8211;5 NKJV-</span></mark></strong><mark data-color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span data-color="#ff0000" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. [5] Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place-unless you repent.</span></mark></p><h3><strong>Here is how we return:</strong></h3><ul><li><p><strong>Remember</strong> where you were before you drifted.</p></li><li><p><strong>Repent</strong> of every way you have turned from the Lord.</p></li><li><p><strong>Return</strong> to Jesus as your treasure and first love.</p></li><li><p><strong>Do the first works again</strong>&#8212;seek Him, obey Him, consecrate yourself, and walk in His ways.</p></li><li><p>Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart.</p></li><li><p>Confess and forsake what He reveals.</p></li><li><p>Stop pursuing your own pleasure and seek His face and the pleasure of His ways.</p></li></ul><h1><strong><mark data-color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span>#4: we return to our first love by remembering, repenting, returning, and doing the first works again.</span></mark></strong></h1><p>Friend, this is not a message for somebody else. This is a moment for every one of us to put our own heart before the Lord.</p><p>Ask Him right now: &#8220;Holy Spirit, search my heart. Show me where I have turned away. Show me what I need to confess and forsake. Bring me back to my first love, and help me do the first works again.&#8221;</p><p>God is not calling you back so He can beat you down. He is calling you back because He loves you. He longs to send freedom to those who submit to His hand. He longs to restore, renew, refine, and pour out His Spirit. But we must humble ourselves, repent, and return to Him with all our hearts.</p><p>The Lord is calling the hurting, the weary, the broken, the battered, the bruised, and the wandering. It is time to come home.</p><p>It is time for the church to repent.</p><p>It is time to get our hearts back in line with our God.</p><h2><strong>THIS IS REPENTANCE SEASON.</strong></h2><p>If the Lord is speaking to your heart through this word, write <strong>&#8220;I am returning&#8221;</strong> in the comments. Let that be your declaration: &#8220;I am returning to my first love. I am opening my heart to the Holy Spirit. I am choosing a lifestyle of repentance.&#8221;</p><p>And if you know someone who is hurting, weary, broken, or has wandered away from the Lord, share this video with them. Do not send it in condemnation&#8212;send it with compassion. Let them know that Jesus is still calling them home.</p><p>If you want to keep growing in strong faith, prayer, revival, repentance, and obedience to the voice of God, subscribe to the channel and turn on notifications. We are going to keep seeking the Lord together, standing for His Word, and preparing our hearts for everything He wants to do.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.strongfaith.co/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Subscribe to the Podcast</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p></p><p>I am praying for you. Return to the Lord with all your heart. He is gracious. He is merciful. And He is calling His people home.</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[THE ENEMY IS TESTING THE WORD OF GOD ON YOUR LIFE // EPISODE 240]]></title><description><![CDATA[A recording from Larry Shankle | StrongFaith.co's live video]]></description><link>https://www.strongfaith.co/p/the-enemy-is-testing-the-word-of</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.strongfaith.co/p/the-enemy-is-testing-the-word-of</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Larry Shankle | StrongFaith.co]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 12 Sep 2026 02:15:26 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/215304973/a050d86dfbe574c9e75dc31167246d5f.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Thank you to everyone who tuned into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.strongfaith.co/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST!</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p><span>The spiritual warfare battle you are going through is not just about you, but it has much to do with the Word of God you carry. <br><br>This means that the Lord (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) have a word on your life, a calling, a future, a destiny and purpose. Satan does not only fight against you, but fights against what God says TO you and ABOUT YOU. He attacks our spiritual identity!</span></p><p><strong>Follow me on Instagram:</strong></p><p>&#128073; <a href="https://www.instgram.com/larryshankle">https://www.instgram.com/larryshankle</a></p><p><strong>Join the Email List:</strong></p><p><span>&#128073;</span> <a href="https://sendfox.com/lp/m2n96d">https://sendfox.com/lp/m2n96d</a><span><br><br></span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/remnantrising"><span>#RemnantRising</span></a><span> </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/strongfaith"><span>#StrongFaith</span></a><span> </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/wordofgod"><span>#WordofGod</span></a><span> </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/jesus"><span>#Jesus</span></a><span> </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/spiritualwarfare"><span>#SpiritualWarfare</span></a></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[IT IS REPENTANCE SEASON \\ WITH LARRY SHANKLE]]></title><description><![CDATA[Now is the time for the church to once again humble themselves and repent. Time is short and Jesus is returning. Let&#8217;s come back wholeheartedly to Jesus and seek Him.

#Repent #repentance #rapture #revival #strongfaith #remnantrising]]></description><link>https://www.strongfaith.co/p/it-is-repentance-season-with-larry</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.strongfaith.co/p/it-is-repentance-season-with-larry</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Larry Shankle | StrongFaith.co]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 08 Sep 2026 07:06:17 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/214685044/b08a522f32c28bc1dcc437d02ea10819.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Thank you to everyone who tuned into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.strongfaith.co/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Subscribe to the podcast&#10549;&#65039;</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p></p><p>This is a repentance season for the bride of Christ. We need to purify our hearts and make ourselves ready for the return of Jesus and the outpouring of the Spirit of God in the earth.</p><p>This word was given as a word to the church in America. </p><p>We need to come back to a place of trust, full trust in Jesus.</p><h2>Here&#8217;s the full written Word of the Lord:</h2><div class="callout-block" data-callout="true"><p>It is time for my church in America to once again seek me and pour out her heart for me. It is time for the church to bow in true repentance and seek the Lord while He may be found. For I long to pour my grace upon my people and open to them the good treasure of my hand. How I long to gather my people into my presence and send upon them the longing of my heart and the goodness of my word.</p><p>I will open to my church the good treasure of my hand as they return to me says the Lord. As they open their hearts to repent of their ways, I will heal them and I will help them. For I love my bride. I cleanse and nourish my bride and prepare for the day of our wedding. I ready the hearts of the remnant even now to behold my face and cry out for my presence.</p><p>These are the ones I died for, yes for the earth, but for my bride who has chosen me. Only keep yourselves pure. Keep yourselves separated unto me. Keep yourselves holy. The cost was my blood, but the cost for you is to desire my presence, to ruminate in my word, and allow the Spirit to lead you into my presence and to follow me fully.</p><p>With my heart, I am calling the church to follow me fully in this hour. The time is short and the day is at hand. Do not allow the things of the world to penetrate into your hearts. Purity is to keep oneself unspotted from the world.</p><p>It is a day to return to the Lord! It is a moment to repent and be clean. It is a moment to choose what is right above the desires of your own hearts. For I am coming says the Lord! As a groom, I am coming for those who make themselves ready and clean. Those who make ready will see me. Those who prepare their hearts will hear the cry of my voice.</p></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[BURN THE PLOWS PT.2 \\ EPISODE 238]]></title><description><![CDATA[Watch now | With Larry Shankle]]></description><link>https://www.strongfaith.co/p/burn-the-plows-pt2-episode-238</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.strongfaith.co/p/burn-the-plows-pt2-episode-238</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Larry Shankle | StrongFaith.co]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 07 Sep 2026 00:32:46 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/214498693/df4705e0e9bc5442c2fe68e7da31c7d3.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This is a moment to cast off the things holding you back from your past season, and take up in hand the NEW things from God He is about to release! Don&#8217;t miss your moment!</p><p>#Prophetic #StrongFaith #RemnantRising </p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.strongfaith.co/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Subscribe to the Podcast&#10549;&#65039;</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p></p><p>Follow me on Instagram:</p><p>&#128073;  https://www.instgram.com/larryshankle </p><p>Join the Email List:</p><p>&#128073; https://sendfox.com/lp/m2n96d</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[THE REMNANT MUST LIVE IN REPENTANCE \\ EPISODE 237]]></title><description><![CDATA[Watch now | WITH LARRY SHANKLE]]></description><link>https://www.strongfaith.co/p/the-remnant-must-live-in-repentance</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.strongfaith.co/p/the-remnant-must-live-in-repentance</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Larry Shankle | StrongFaith.co]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 05 Sep 2026 02:15:13 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/214229824/e0eb56f1555a35dafaf2c2e12d8fdc3e.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><div class="embedded-publication-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;id&quot;:6364743,&quot;embedding_publication_id&quot;:6364743,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;StrongFaith.co&quot;,&quot;logo_url&quot;:&quot;https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!9-JX!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0db168fa-ef41-4078-83c9-e07b3b249d28_1280x1280.png&quot;,&quot;base_url&quot;:&quot;https://www.strongfaith.co&quot;,&quot;hero_text&quot;:&quot;Stirring revival, equipping the remnant, and encouraging believers to walk in bold, Spirit-filled faith with clarity and courage in these times.&quot;,&quot;author_name&quot;:&quot;Larry Shankle | StrongFaith.co&quot;,&quot;show_subscribe&quot;:true,&quot;logo_bg_color&quot;:&quot;#ffffff&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="EmbeddedPublicationToDOMWithSubscribe"><div class="embedded-publication show-subscribe"><a class="embedded-publication-link-part" native="true" href="https://www.strongfaith.co?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_campaign=publication_embed&amp;utm_medium=web&amp;embedding_publication_id=6364743"><img class="embedded-publication-logo" src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!9-JX!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0db168fa-ef41-4078-83c9-e07b3b249d28_1280x1280.png" width="56" height="56" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span class="embedded-publication-name">StrongFaith.co</span><div class="embedded-publication-hero-text">Stirring revival, equipping the remnant, and encouraging believers to walk in bold, Spirit-filled faith with clarity and courage in these times.</div><div class="embedded-publication-author-name">By Larry Shankle | StrongFaith.co</div></a><form class="embedded-publication-subscribe" method="GET" action="https://www.strongfaith.co/subscribe?embedding_publication_id=6364743"><input type="hidden" name="source" value="publication-embed"><input type="hidden" name="autoSubmit" value="true"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email..."><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"></form></div></div><p><strong>Follow me on Instagram:</strong></p><p>&#128073; <a href="https://www.instgram.com/larryshankle">https://www.instgram.com/larryshankle</a></p><p><strong>Join the Email List:</strong></p><p><span>&#128073;</span> <a href="https://sendfox.com/lp/m2n96d">https://sendfox.com/lp/m2n96d</a></p><div class="callout-block" data-callout="true"><p>Psalm 14:1 NKJV</p><p>The fool has said in his heart, &#8220;There is no God.&#8221; They are corrupt, They have done abominable works, There is none who does good.</p></div><p>This verse carries varying degrees of impact, all the way from the out and out atheist, to those who simply feel like their lives don&#8217;t have to come under the authority of the Lord.</p><p>It impacts the Remnant because it teaches us the imperative need to LIVE in repentance!</p><p>We cannot dismiss sin and rebellion from our lives even if it is in a seemingly small degree or minute area.</p><p>Sin is compromise that leads to inquiry which cause bondage!</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[BURN THE PLOWS - WORD OF THE LORD // EP. 236 ]]></title><description><![CDATA[WITH LARRY SHANKLE]]></description><link>https://www.strongfaith.co/p/burn-the-plows-word-of-the-lord-ep</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.strongfaith.co/p/burn-the-plows-word-of-the-lord-ep</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Larry Shankle | StrongFaith.co]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 02 Sep 2026 20:46:46 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/213916109/116202e38627a93500b8a968cc430bef.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span>This is a season where the Lord is bringing people back to a place of intimacy with him and to a place of choosing Him above all&#8230;will you choose to become obedient?<br></span></p><h4><span>Be sure to SHARE this word on your social media or with a friend, because this is a pivotal moment for the church!</span></h4><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.strongfaith.co/p/burn-the-plows-word-of-the-lord-ep?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.strongfaith.co/p/burn-the-plows-word-of-the-lord-ep?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p><h1><span>Here is the full written Word of the Lord titled: Burn the Plows.</span></h1><div class="callout-block" data-callout="true"><p>My church, says the Lord, is in a <em>&#8220;burn the plows&#8221;</em> moment. I am walking by to throw my mantle upon them so that they see miracle after miracle&#8212;double miracles, but they have to make a choice: Stand idly by and look at the mantle, beholding it, adorning themselves with it, OR using my choosing of themselves to effect the purpose for which they came into the kingdom.</p><p>Will they hold onto the old or embrace the new?</p><p>Will they ride the fence and seek passive faith in the hopes that what worked in the past will work again?</p><p>OR, will they burn the plows?</p><p><strong>Will my people I have chosen, choose ME?</strong></p><p>Will they, with wholehearted abandon, be ready to make a move in the direction my Spirit is about to take the church?</p><h4><mark data-color="#ffff00" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">BURN THE PLOWS!</mark></h4><p><strong>Do not set your heart on what you can produce through your effort.</strong></p><h5><mark data-color="#f9cb9c" style="background-color: rgb(249, 203, 156); color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">You were never called to be a plowman, but a REAPER!</mark></h5><p>In the moment of reaping we don&#8217;t need anyone weeping because of the plows. The plows in your life have brought you to an intersection of choice.</p><p>Stay safe with what you&#8217;ve always known OR burn the plow!</p></div><h2>END OF WORD.</h2><p><span><br>Follow me on </span><a href="https://www.instgram.com/larryshankle"><span>Instagram</span></a><span> <br><br></span><a href="https://sendfox.com/lp/m2n96d"><span>Join the Email List</span></a><span><br><br>#Prophetic #RemnantRising #BuildStronger #StrongFaith #OldTestament #NewTestament #Jesus #ObeyGod #PropheticWord</span></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.strongfaith.co/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Subscribe to the podcast Here on SubStack!&#10549;&#65039;</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[THE LORD IS PREPARING THE GROUND FOR HARVEST // EP. 235 WITH LARRY SHANKLE]]></title><description><![CDATA[The Lord Is Preparing the Ground for Harvest]]></description><link>https://www.strongfaith.co/p/the-lord-is-preparing-the-ground</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.strongfaith.co/p/the-lord-is-preparing-the-ground</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Larry Shankle | StrongFaith.co]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 01 Sep 2026 16:47:08 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/213730878/44064c04e3fba155cc6aa3d247cd84b4.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<h2><strong>The Lord Is Preparing the Ground for Harvest</strong></h2><p>The Lord is preparing His people for harvest, but preparation requires cultivation. In this episode, I share a timely word about resisting distraction, developing deeper hunger for God, and allowing the Holy Spirit to break up the fallow ground of our hearts. This is a season to press into prayer, obedience, holiness, and the presence of God. The process may be uncomfortable, but God is preparing you to receive and produce what He has promised.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.strongfaith.co/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Subscribe to the Podcast&#10549;&#65039;</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p></p><h3><strong>Follow me on Instagram:</strong></h3><p>&#128073; <a href="https://www.instgram.com/larryshankle">https://www.instgram.com/larryshankle</a></p><h3><strong>Join the Email List: </strong></h3><p>&#128073; <a href="https://sendfox.com/lp/m2n96d">https://sendfox.com/lp/m2n96d</a></p><h4><strong>Show Notes</strong></h4><p>God is looking for men and women who truly want Him.</p><p>Not simply people who know about Him, speak about Him, or identify with Him&#8212;but people who hunger for His presence, seek Him with their whole heart, and refuse to allow distractions to pull them away from what He is doing.</p><p>I believe the Lord is preparing the ground for a coming harvest.</p><p>Before ground can produce, it must first be cultivated. Hard soil must be broken. Fallow ground must be turned over. Rocks, weeds, and obstacles must be removed. In the same way, God is working deeply in the hearts of His people.</p><p>The process may not always feel comfortable, but cultivation prepares us for fruitfulness.</p><p>In this episode, we look at Hebrews 6:7&#8211;12 and the Greek word <strong>&#947;&#949;&#969;&#961;&#947;&#941;&#969; (ge&#333;rg&#233;&#333;)</strong>, meaning &#8220;to till&#8221; or &#8220;to work the land.&#8221; Spiritual cultivation requires intentionality. We cooperate with the Holy Spirit as He works through His Word, prayer, repentance, obedience, and consecration.</p><p>We also look at Daniel, who refused to allow pressure from the culture around him to interrupt his established life of prayer. When opposition increased, Daniel continued seeking God.</p><p>That same call is before us today:</p><p><strong>RESIST the pull of distraction.<br>RESIST the pressure to compromise.<br>RESIST anything attempting to derail you from what God has spoken.</strong></p><p>Stay close to the Lord. Let His Word penetrate deeply into your heart. Cultivate hunger. Cultivate thirst. Cultivate time in His presence.</p><p>God is raising up a hungry and thirsty remnant who will seek Him until heaven moves.</p><p>Holy moments are birthed in cultivated ground&#8212;moments of salvation, healing, deliverance, spontaneous worship, revival, and the overwhelming presence of God.</p><p>Hosea 10:12 declares:</p><p>&#8220;Sow for yourselves righteousness; Reap in mercy; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the LORD, Till He comes and rains righteousness on you.&#8221;</p><p>Your heart is the ground, and the Lord is preparing it for harvest.</p><h2><strong>In this episode:</strong></h2><ul><li><p>Why spiritual hunger matters in this season</p></li><li><p>How distraction can derail what God is preparing</p></li><li><p>Daniel&#8217;s example of persistent prayer</p></li><li><p>What it means to actively cultivate your heart</p></li><li><p>Why God allows uncomfortable seasons of preparation</p></li><li><p>The meaning of &#8220;cultivated&#8221; in Hebrews 6</p></li><li><p>Breaking up spiritual fallow ground</p></li><li><p>Cooperating with the Holy Spirit through prayer and the Word</p></li><li><p>Preparing yourself to receive and produce a harvest</p></li><li><p>The role of repentance, purity, holiness, obedience, and faithfulness</p></li></ul><h2><strong>What does cultivation look like?</strong></h2><p>Repentance.<br>Purity.<br>Readiness.<br>Holiness.<br>Hunger.<br>Thirst.<br>Obedience.<br>Faithfulness.<br>Prayer.</p><p>If you are walking through a season where it feels like the Lord is digging deeply into your heart, don&#8217;t abandon the process.</p><p><strong>Remain faithful.</strong></p><p>The cultivation is preparing you.</p><p>The breaking is preparing you.</p><p>The hunger is preparing you.</p><p>The prayer is preparing you.</p><p>The Lord is preparing the ground for harvest.</p><h2><strong>Key Scriptures</strong></h2><p>Daniel 6:10<br>Hebrews 6:7&#8211;12<br>John 15:1&#8211;2<br>Hosea 10:12</p><p>#StrongFaith #RemnantRising #BuildStronger #SpiritualHarvest #SeekTheLord #Revival #Prayer #HolySpirit #Faithfulness #HungryForGod</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[FAITHFULNESS BRINGS BREAKTHROUGH TO GOD'S PROMISES // EP. 234 WITH LARRY SHANKLE]]></title><description><![CDATA[The Lord has something powerful He wants to bring into your lives, but the key to all of it is becoming faithful to Him.]]></description><link>https://www.strongfaith.co/p/faithfulness-brings-breakthrough</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.strongfaith.co/p/faithfulness-brings-breakthrough</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Larry Shankle | StrongFaith.co]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 31 Aug 2026 21:34:54 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/213204516/ee9c803d417c4ee44d7f358e09ed3109.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The Lord has something powerful He wants to bring into your lives, but the key to all of it is becoming faithful to Him.</p><p>We must trust in Him and in the power of His word, leaning hard on the Word of God AND on the prophetic words He has spoken over and into us.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.strongfaith.co/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading StrongFaith.co! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>Be sure to share the broadcast!</p><p>You can also follow me on <a href="https://instagram.com/larryshankle">Instagram</a></p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Contend For Revival // Ep. 233 with Larry Shankle]]></title><description><![CDATA[Watch now | Overview]]></description><link>https://www.strongfaith.co/p/ep-233-contend-for-revival</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.strongfaith.co/p/ep-233-contend-for-revival</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Larry Shankle | StrongFaith.co]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 19:01:56 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/211341105/7d31a95fce9e9973695004d0a0f00836.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<h2>Overview</h2><p>This episode of the Remnant Rising podcast urges believers to actively contend for a real move of God&#8212;revival&#8212;rather than waiting passively for it to arrive. The host emphasizes that revival is happening globally but requires personal and communal engagement, including obedience, consecration, and prayer. He frames revival as life against death and uses a biblical case study, King Hezekiah, to illustrate how proactive reform and radical devotion can invite the Lord&#8217;s blessing and prosperity. The message also contrasts worship of past moves with pursuing fresh, present-day work of the Holy Spirit, and ends with practical calls to action (subscribe, share, and pray). The discussion weaves in biblical references (notably David, Moses, and the kings Hoshea, Elah, Ahaz, and Abi with Zechariah as his grandfather) to anchor the call to revival in a historically grounded faith.</p><h2>Main Points</h2><p>&#8226;&#9;Revival is not automatic; it requires contending for it through deliberate actions and choices.</p><p>&#8226;&#9;The church is in a season of revival across the globe, and individuals can jump into God&#8217;s current mov e of Spirit.</p><p>&#8226;&#9;Jesus told the disciples to tarry in Jerusalem until endued with power; the implication is that &#8220;if tarry, then receive&#8221;&#8212;there is an if/then dynamic to revival.</p><h3>Revival is achieved by three core actions:</h3><p>&#8226;&#9;Obey your way into revival.</p><p>&#8226;&#9;Consecrate your way into revival.</p><p>&#8226;&#9;Pray your way into revival (including personal, secret-place prayer).</p><p>Hezekiah serves as a case study: a king who did what was right in the sight of the Lord, modeled after David, and who actively dismantled idol worship (removing high places, breaking pillars, cutting down the wooden image, and smashing the bronze serpent Nehushtan).</p><p>Hezekiah&#8217;s reforms demonstrated dependence on the Lord: he held fast to the Lord, kept God&#8217;s commandments, and the Lord was with him, causing him to prosper wherever he went.</p><p>The text warns against worshiping past moves of God, urging fresh reliance on the present work of the Holy Spirit rather than relics of earlier miracles.</p><p>The host discusses current moral issues (including abortion) to illustrate living out righteousness and not merely debating with words; personal obedience and action are essential.</p><p>The episode ends with a practical appeals: subscribe, share, and a closing prayer for listeners to be equipped to contend for revival.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.strongfaith.co/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.strongfaith.co/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><h2>Important Details</h2><p>Biblical setup: Hoshea was the king of Israel; Elah and Ahaz were in the lineage context; Hezekiah began to reign in the 3rd year of </p><p>Hoshea, at age 25, and reigned 29 years in Jerusalem; his mother was Abi, daughter of Zechariah.</p><p>Hezekiah&#8217;s actions (2nd Kings 18, summarized): he removed the high places, broke the sacred pillars, cut down the wooden image, and broke in pieces the bronze serpent Nehushtan which had been worshipped due to old miracles.</p><p>Spiritual posture: Hezekiah &#8220;held fast to the Lord,&#8221; did not depart from Him, and kept God&#8217;s commandments given to Moses.</p><p>Result for Hezekiah: &#8220;the Lord was with him,&#8221; and he prospered wherever he went; he even rebelled against the king of Assyria.</p><p>The imagery of revival as life in an emergency room: <strong>revival means reviving a person from the brink of death, not simply occupying a bed in a building.</strong></p><p>Personal stance on moral issues: the host references the debate around abortion and asserts the sanctity of life, tying it to living out God&#8217;s standard of righteousness rather than merely discussing it.</p><p>Emphasis on the secret place: true revival is anchored in personal, private prayer and obedience, not just public displays.</p><h2>Key Information</h2><p>&#8226;&#9;Central claim: <strong>revival requires human initiative and concrete decisions; it is the consequence of premeditated, intentional acts that lead to life.</strong></p><p>&#8226;&#9;Case study reference: Hezekiah as a modern-day analog for revival through decisive reform and faithfulness to God&#8217;s standards (mirrored in the life of David).</p><p><mark data-color="#ea7d1c" style="background-color: rgb(234, 125, 28); color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span data-color="#ffffff" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Core methods to contend for revival:</span></mark></p><p>&#8226;&#9;Obedience to God&#8217;s standard of living and commandments (not relying on outward religiosity or past moves).</p><p>&#8226;&#9;Consecration&#8212;setting oneself apart from cultural norms to remain distinct in holiness.</p><p>&#8226;&#9;Prayer&#8212;especially personal, secret-place prayer as the primary engine of revival.</p><p>&#8226;&#9;The host&#8217;s exhortation to live out revival in the face of cultural and moral challenges, including calls to stand for life and righteousness.</p><p>Engagement prompts: subscription and sharing to spread the message; a closing prayer asking for God to empower listeners to contend for revival.</p><h2>Conclusion</h2><p>The episode argues that revival is active and negotiable, not passive history. By studying Hezekiah, believers learn that true revival flows from obeying God&#8217;s commands, consecrating oneself to God, and maintaining intimate prayer with Him. The presence of the Lord with a person or a nation brings prosperity and victory over opposition, illustrating that revival is both spiritual and practical. The call to action is clear: engage with the message, subscribe, share, and press into personal revival through obedience, consecration, and prayer, trusting that the Holy Spirit will move in the present hour through the remnant who hunger for God.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.strongfaith.co/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading StrongFaith.co! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Episode 232-Praying Battlefield prayers]]></title><description><![CDATA[Welcome back!Thanks for reading StrongFaith.co!]]></description><link>https://www.strongfaith.co/p/episode-232-praying-battlefield-prayers</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.strongfaith.co/p/episode-232-praying-battlefield-prayers</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Larry Shankle | StrongFaith.co]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 11 Jul 2026 17:21:20 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/206602639/09a4f05ed3877ee8ee71a92413cd7488.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Welcome back!</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.strongfaith.co/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading StrongFaith.co! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>Episode 232-Praying Battlefield prayers</p><p>00:00:06</p><p>Hey, welcome back to the Remnant Rising podcast. I&#8217;m really glad that you&#8217;re here today. The Lord wants to do something great in your life.</p><p>00:00:14</p><p>He wants to just drop something good into you. And I want to kind of talk along this lines of what he&#8217;s trying to press into my heart right at the moment. And I&#8217;ll just start with this context.</p><p>00:00:29</p><p>It&#8217;s been really, really hard lately to have anything that seems to come easily. Whether it be prayer times, times in scripture, times in worship, this podcast, all of it has been really hard. Nothing has worked out right, even down to the technology.</p><p>00:00:53</p><p>It&#8217;s just like everywhere you turn, there is an issue and a problem. And I really feel like there&#8217;s several things happening that the enemy is trying to wear down the people of God. He&#8217;s trying to wear down the people of God.</p><p>00:01:10</p><p>And you need to know that. You need to know there is a constant attack and onslaught right now to wear you down, to get you to a point where, well, you&#8217;re not going to give up, you&#8217;re going to love Jesus and all of those things, don&#8217;t misunderstand, but the fervency of your spirit is being attacked. And it seems like with each passing moment and every passing day, that maybe you&#8217;re getting further and further away from what the Lord is seeking to do in your life.</p><p>00:01:44</p><p>You&#8217;re under attack, all right? He&#8217;s trying to wear you down little by little. Friend, you have to not give in to that.</p><p>00:01:53</p><p>You have to not give in to that. I know here&#8217;s what he&#8217;s trying to speak to me. Here&#8217;s what the Lord&#8217;s trying to push into my heart right now. And I felt like I needed to share this with you here on this podcast, because God has</p><p>00:02:06</p><p>a remnant that he is raising up. You&#8217;re already rising. God is bringing John the Baptist out of the wilderness, voices in the wilderness, preparing the way of the Lord.</p><p>00:02:16</p><p>Revival is not only here, but it&#8217;s coming. Jesus is coming. And these are the reasons the enemy is fighting us.</p><p>00:02:26</p><p>And so with that in mind, I know for me, my prayer time has been really attacked lately. Just so attacked. It seems like there&#8217;s no time and it seems like the level of exhaustion has just been on the rise exponentially.</p><p>00:02:42</p><p>Can you relate to that, anybody? And as a planner and as one who loves to plan times in the presence of the Lord, it&#8217;s been really hard and difficult to not seem or feel like I&#8217;ve had that place, that space, that time. It&#8217;s just unfettered and unhindered and you just take it in the presence of the Lord. But it seems like from the moment you wake up to the moment you go to sleep at night,</p><p>00:03:10</p><p>there&#8217;s a constant barrage of things, of people, of activities. And I know the easy solution is to say, well, set it aside. Listen, friend, you can&#8217;t always set it aside.</p><p>00:03:25</p><p>Some of these things are must, must happen types of things. And I&#8217;m praying, Lord, I just want to be in your presence. Lord, just help me.</p><p>00:03:36</p><p>And all of a sudden he brings this verse to my mind. It&#8217;s in Romans 12, 12. And I want to say the King James Version is the way this reads.</p><p>00:03:45</p><p>He said continuing instant in prayer, instant. New King James says continuing steadfastly in prayer. I like the way it reads when he says continuing instant in prayer, because there are some times when you&#8217;re in the heat of the battle and on the battlefield that you don&#8217;t have just unfettered moment after moment after moment to pray and just simply to be alone with nothing going on.</p><p>00:04:18</p><p>You&#8217;re in a battle. How would a soldier in a battle have this unfettered time? Well, the answer is in the heat of the battle, they wouldn&#8217;t. And if you&#8217;re in the heat of a battle right now, then what you&#8217;ve got to do is you&#8217;ve got to continue instant in prayer, instant in prayer, whether you&#8217;re in season or out</p><p>00:04:41</p><p>of season. Sometimes it feels like the time we have is in season and it&#8217;s just easier, it makes more sense, things work out, everything flows better. But when you&#8217;re on the cusp of a of a giant breakthrough, as I believe many people in the remnant are right now, you&#8217;re on the cusp of a giant breakthrough, the Lord is about to pour out his spirit, move with power. Conan, I&#8217;ve seen that I&#8217;m most sure that he&#8217;s about to do what you&#8217;ve longed and prayed</p><p>00:05:20</p><p>for and what he&#8217;s promised. In the middle of that, you are in a battle for the very soul of who you are, the enemy senses the timing, he senses it all, and he unleashes the forces of hell against you. And and we know that he&#8217;s been defeated already and all of that stuff.</p><p>00:05:38</p><p>We get that. But there&#8217;s this wearing down of the saints. There&#8217;s this attack on your time.</p><p>00:05:42</p><p>There&#8217;s this attack on your prayer life. There&#8217;s this attack on your time in God&#8217;s word and in the presence of the Lord. You&#8217;re on the battlefield. Can I just interject this continue instant in prayer, continue steadfastly in prayer in the middle of the battlefield, at your workplace, in the marketplace, at the grocery store, in the line, online, at the doctor&#8217;s office for your visit, at the school, wherever</p><p>00:06:21</p><p>you find yourself. Don&#8217;t be afraid to pray right there. The secret place is not just a specific time and place.</p><p>00:06:34</p><p>The secret place is wherever you make it. Wow. Come again.</p><p>00:06:40</p><p>Oh, I see. I feel you, Jesus. The secret place is wherever you make it to be, wherever you choose to spend that time</p><p>00:06:49</p><p>with the Lord. That&#8217;s your secret place, that place. I&#8217;m reminded of when I was a really young believer, I was saved when I was 14 years old, so I&#8217;m still in school, was in high school.</p><p>00:07:05</p><p>And I remember taking my Bible with me. I would set it up on the right front corner of my desk and as class would go on, I would sense the presence of the Lord. And I&#8217;ve always kind of been a feeler like that, sensing the presence of the Lord, sensing the voice of the Lord, I wouldn&#8217;t trade anything for it.</p><p>00:07:23</p><p>I love it. I want to encourage it more and more. I want to grow it, develop it. But there will be times when I would realize all I have to do to go to the secret place</p><p>00:07:34</p><p>is just close my eyes just for a moment and pray in my heart to Jesus. Nobody around me knows anything that&#8217;s taken place. Nobody around me knows anything that&#8217;s going on.</p><p>00:07:45</p><p>But I&#8217;m literally having a moment with the Lord in that moment. And I&#8217;m going to tell you the truth of the secret place just began to be a reality in my life that at any time, at any time I could just begin to seek his face, at any time I could just begin to pour out my heart to him. And friend, that is the heart and essence of a battlefield prayer, a battlefield prayer that says in the meanwhile, the enemy is staring at me, while the enemy is shooting his darts, while the enemy is throwing his spear, while the enemy is attacking me with his words and his onslaught, I&#8217;m literally going to just bow down in prayer.</p><p>00:08:24</p><p>I&#8217;m going to close my eyes. I&#8217;m going to pray in the spirit, even I&#8217;m going to be unashamed, bold, no matter where I&#8217;m at, to just pray. Moteke, say, but in the Holy Spirit and understand that the Lord Jesus is there. And that for planners and preparers and for people who just really love to soak in the</p><p>00:08:49</p><p>presence of the Lord, it can be difficult because it feels like you&#8217;re rushed. How many people know life rushes at us, right? But also we need we need to understand deeply the heart of the father, that he loves you and he wants you to have a life of prayer, not just a moment of prayer.</p><p>00:09:11</p><p>And I think God is trying to press this into me and asking me to deliver it to you. And I believe even in my church at some point, because the essence of the battle right now has shifted and we&#8217;re on the battlefield, we&#8217;re about to receive the promises of God and the good things of God. And you can&#8217;t fall right now because the enemy is trying to steal your time.</p><p>00:09:37</p><p>You have to learn what it means to live a life of prayer on the battlefield. In the midst of the trial, in the midst of the problem, in the midst of the pain, in the midst of the misunderstanding and what you don&#8217;t know how to fix, you&#8217;ve got to learn how to be a battlefield remnant warrior that is raising up in this hour to proclaim the glory of the Lord and the goodness of God in the land of the living right where you are at. Remember what the Bible said?</p><p>00:10:04</p><p>He sets a table before me in the presence of my enemies. Let me say that again, friend, hear what that says. He sets a table, a table before me in the presence of my enemies, a table that is spread with the good things of God, a table that is spread with the blessing of God, the presence of God, the feast of his love pouring into us, the oil of the Holy Spirit. Most often we want to have those times just between us and the Lord, but</p><p>00:10:39</p><p>the reality is the enemy is is seems to always be there. Well, guess what? I&#8217;m going to let him set a table before me in the presence of my enemy. I&#8217;m going to knock the devil&#8217;s teeth out as he watches me give glory, praise and honor to the name of Jesus and soak in the hot oil of the Holy Spirit, even while the devil throws his darts at me, knowing that the shield of my faith is going to</p><p>00:11:08</p><p>quench every fiery dart of the wicked friend. Now is the time for continuing instant in prayer. Now is the time for battlefield prayers. It&#8217;s the time to launch out and hold on with all that you have because the God of</p><p>00:11:24</p><p>the universe is moving powerfully and about to keep his promises to you. I just feel that prophetic function in my heart. And so at the closing of this short episode, I want to take a moment and I want to just pray with you and for you and just believe together with you for the good things of God to come to pass in your life.</p><p>00:11:50</p><p>So take a moment right now and pray with me. OK, would you do that? Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus, I pray, God, for every listener.</p><p>00:12:03</p><p>Lord, I pray that you would empower them with the might of your Holy Spirit. I pray, Jesus, that your presence would overwhelm and overshadow them, even in the midst of their trouble or pain and on the battlefield. Lord, you&#8217;re raising up a remnant, you&#8217;re raising up a people, Elijah&#8217;s John the Baptist&#8217;s, Esther&#8217;s, Nehemiah&#8217;s, Mordecai&#8217;s.</p><p>00:12:30</p><p>Lord, you&#8217;re raising them up. Jesus, you&#8217;re about to fulfill your powerful and precious word to them. Don&#8217;t let them give up, don&#8217;t let them quit, empower and strengthen them. With might in their inner man through your Holy Spirit, set a table before them in</p><p>00:12:46</p><p>the very presence of their enemy and let their cup overflow. Jesus, I thank you. We love you.</p><p>00:12:55</p><p>We give you praise for you alone are worthy in Jesus name. Amen. Friend, one final thing I want to ask a favor of you.</p><p>00:13:07</p><p>Would you share this episode if you&#8217;re not already subscribed? Would you subscribe? Would you post it on your social media? My heart is deeply moved to reach the remnant of God&#8217;s people and be a part of</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.strongfaith.co/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.strongfaith.co/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p>00:13:21</p><p>what God is doing in this hour in raising up the remnant that is part of my call. And so I would so appreciate your share or subscribe. Have a blessed and wonderful day in Jesus name.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.strongfaith.co/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading StrongFaith.co! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Ep. 231-Stop raising voices and start becoming echoes]]></title><description><![CDATA[Are You Speaking What God Is Saying?]]></description><link>https://www.strongfaith.co/p/ep-231-stop-raising-voices-and-start</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.strongfaith.co/p/ep-231-stop-raising-voices-and-start</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Larry Shankle | StrongFaith.co]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 05 May 2026 03:00:13 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/196499290/656679aca13112505af106c6c678c33b.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Are You Speaking What God Is Saying?</p><p>We are living in a time where everyone has a voice.</p><p>Social media is loud.</p><p>Podcasts are everywhere.</p><p>Opinions are constant.</p><p>But here&#8217;s the real question&#8230;</p><p>Are those voices actually echoing Heaven?</p><p>In Gospel of John chapter 12, Jesus makes something incredibly clear&#8212;He did not speak on His own authority. He spoke what the Father commanded Him to say.</p><p>That means every word Jesus released carried the weight of Heaven.</p><p>And if we&#8217;re going to have real impact in this generation, it won&#8217;t come from clever ideas, trending content, or cultural relevance&#8230;</p><p>&#128073; It will come from becoming echoes of God&#8217;s heart.</p><p>There Are Many Voices&#8230; But Not All Are Truth</p><p>Right now, there are countless voices claiming to speak truth.</p><p>But not all truth is truth.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.strongfaith.co/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading StrongFaith.co! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p></p><p>There are alternative gospels rising&#8212;messages that:</p><p>* Remove the power of the blood of Jesus</p><p>* Downplay the resurrection</p><p>* Reject the work of the Holy Spirit</p><p>* Dismiss the gifts and power of God</p><p>That&#8217;s not just error&#8230;</p><p>That&#8217;s a form of godliness without power.</p><p>And the danger?</p><p>It sounds close enough to truth that people follow it.</p><p>But friend&#8212;if it doesn&#8217;t align with the Word of God, it&#8217;s not from God.</p><p>You Cannot Replace the Word of God</p><p>We live in a time where people are replacing Scripture with:</p><p>* Podcasts</p><p>* Social media clips</p><p>* Personal opinions</p><p>* Cultural interpretations</p><p>But the Word of God is not optional.</p><p>It is:</p><p>* Living</p><p>* Powerful</p><p>* Transforming</p><p>* Unchanging</p><p>You don&#8217;t outgrow it.</p><p>You don&#8217;t edit it.</p><p>You don&#8217;t reinterpret it to fit culture.</p><p>You anchor your life to it.</p><p>The Holy Spirit Is Not Optional</p><p>There is a growing resistance in some circles against the work of the Holy Spirit.</p><p>People want salvation&#8230; without surrender.</p><p>Christianity&#8230; without power.</p><p>Truth&#8230; without transformation.</p><p>But you cannot separate:</p><p>* The Father</p><p>* The Son</p><p>* The Holy Ghost</p><p>Salvation is not just a decision&#8212;it is a transformation empowered by the Spirit of God.</p><p>We don&#8217;t need less of the Holy Spirit in this hour&#8230;</p><p>We need more.</p><p>Jesus Was an Echo of Heaven&#8230; And So Are We</p><p>Jesus didn&#8217;t come to speak His own message.</p><p>He came to reveal the Father.</p><p>And now, as believers, we carry that same assignment.</p><p>We are not called to:</p><p>* Build our own message</p><p>* Create our own gospel</p><p>* Follow cultural trends</p><p>We are called to echo Heaven.</p><p>That means:</p><p>* Speaking what God says</p><p>* Standing on the Word</p><p>* Walking in the Spirit</p><p>* Living with authority</p><p>The Remnant Must Rise</p><p>This is the hour for the Remnant Church to rise.</p><p>Not passive.</p><p>Not silent.</p><p>Not compromised.</p><p>But bold.</p><p>Anchored.</p><p>Spirit-filled.</p><p>We need believers who will:</p><p>* Pray with power</p><p>* Speak with authority</p><p>* Believe for healing</p><p>* Walk in bold obedience</p><p>* Open their mouths and declare truth</p><p>Not just in church&#8230;</p><p>But online, in homes, in conversations, everywhere.</p><p>Don&#8217;t just consume voices.</p><p>Become one.</p><p>But not just any voice&#8230;</p><p>&#128073; Become a voice that echoes Heaven.</p><p>Let your words be shaped by the Word.</p><p>Let your life be led by the Spirit.</p><p>Let your message reflect Jesus.</p><p>And watch what God does through you.</p><p>&#128293; If this message stirred your heart, share it with someone who needs truth in this hour.</p><p>&#127911; Subscribe to the podcast for more messages like this.</p><p>&#128242; Let&#8217;s get the Word of God out to as many people as possible.</p><p>#StrongFaith #RemnantRising #HolySpirit #TruthMatters #KingdomVoice</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Ep. 230-The battle is for your secret place with God]]></title><description><![CDATA[This episode is a timely call to return to the hidden place of prayer.]]></description><link>https://www.strongfaith.co/p/ep-230-the-battle-is-for-your-secret</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.strongfaith.co/p/ep-230-the-battle-is-for-your-secret</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Larry Shankle | StrongFaith.co]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 30 Apr 2026 18:07:31 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/196026576/ed651b2d32faeb688f7684d3375abdae.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This episode is a timely call to return to the hidden place of prayer. In <strong>Matthew 6:5&#8211;6</strong>, Jesus teaches that prayer is not meant to be a performance for people, but a sacred meeting place with the Father. It is in the secret place, behind the closed door, that real strength is formed, spiritual authority is developed, and open reward is released.</p><p>There will always be a battle for your time with God. Distraction, busyness, weariness, spiritual resistance, and the pressures of life will always try to pull you away from prayer. But the secret place is not optional for the believer. It is where your heart is strengthened, your future is shaped, and your life is prepared for the purposes of God.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.strongfaith.co/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.strongfaith.co/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p>This message is a call to move beyond occasional encounters with God and into a daily, heart-deep life of prayer. If prayer has become a checklist, it is time for it to become a heart connection again. If you already spend time with the Lord, it is time to press in for more. Prayer is not just something we do. Prayer is our life.</p><p>This episode also carries a strong call to the remnant, the watchmen, the intercessors, and the prayer warriors God is raising up in this hour. Prayer is not only about personal needs. There are assignments from the Lord. There are families, churches, communities, cities, and nations that need believers who will stand in the gap and contend for the will of God to be done on earth as it is in heaven.</p><p>Now is not the time for powerless Christianity. Now is not the time to drift, coast, or depend only on occasional moments with God. This is a vital hour for the Church to pray with perseverance, seek God with fresh hunger, and be filled with the Holy Spirit.</p><p>Little prayer equals little presence.<br>Little presence equals little joy.<br>Little joy equals little strength.<br>Little strength equals defeat.</p><p>But prayer equals victory.</p><p>The secret place will cost you your time, your attention, and your surrender, but it will also sustain the weight of everything God wants to do in your life.</p><p><strong>Scriptures in this episode include:</strong> Matthew 6:5&#8211;6, Matthew 6:10, Matthew 11:12, and Ephesians 6:12.</p><p>Listen to the full episode, share it with someone who needs the reminder to pray again, and subscribe to the podcast so you do not miss future messages that strengthen your faith and stir your hunger for God.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.strongfaith.co/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading StrongFaith.co! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Episode 229: Stay Awake — Don’t Lose Your Oil]]></title><description><![CDATA[&#128214; Key Scriptures]]></description><link>https://www.strongfaith.co/p/episode-229-stay-awake-dont-lose</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.strongfaith.co/p/episode-229-stay-awake-dont-lose</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Larry Shankle | StrongFaith.co]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 27 Apr 2026 16:22:56 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/195638529/66fb8e48b6ae99b56d50fdd50e1f85d9.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<h3>&#128214; <strong>Key Scriptures</strong></h3><ul><li><p><strong>Matthew 25</strong></p></li><li><p><strong>1 Thessalonians 5:9</strong></p></li><li><p><strong>1 Thessalonians 4:16&#8211;18</strong></p></li><li><p><strong>Mark 13</strong></p></li></ul><div><hr></div><h2>&#128293; <strong>Overview</strong></h2><p>In this episode, we dive into Jesus&#8217; parable of the ten virgins in <strong>Matthew 25</strong>&#8212;a powerful and prophetic warning to the Church today.</p><p>Jesus reveals that not everyone who looks ready <em>is</em> ready.</p><p>Half of those waiting for the Bridegroom were unprepared because they lacked oil&#8212;symbolizing a real, ongoing relationship with the Holy Spirit. This message is a wake-up call for the remnant to stay spiritually alert, pursue intimacy with Jesus, and live ready for His return.</p><div><hr></div><h2>&#9889; <strong>The Big Picture</strong></h2><p>We are living in a time where the Church is being divided:</p><ul><li><p><strong>A falling away from truth</strong></p></li><li><p><strong>A remnant rising in power and purity</strong></p></li></ul><p>This message calls believers to choose which side they will be on.</p><div><hr></div><h2>&#128367;&#65039; <strong>Breaking Down Matthew 25</strong></h2><h3><strong>1. This Is About the Church (v.1)</strong></h3><p>Jesus is speaking to <em>the kingdom of heaven</em>&#8212;not the world.<br>This is a message for believers.</p><div><hr></div><h3><strong>2. Lamps Without Oil (vv. 2&#8211;4)</strong></h3><ul><li><p>All ten had lamps &#8594; outward appearance of faith</p></li><li><p>Only five had extra oil &#8594; inward reality of relationship</p></li></ul><p><strong>The difference wasn&#8217;t appearance&#8212;it was oil.</strong></p><div><hr></div><h3><strong>3. The Danger of Spiritual Sleep (v.5)</strong></h3><ul><li><p><em>All</em> the virgins fell asleep</p></li><li><p>Even sincere believers can drift into complacency</p></li></ul><div><hr></div><h3><strong>4. The Midnight Cry (vv. 6&#8211;7)</strong></h3><ul><li><p>Suddenly, the Bridegroom comes</p></li><li><p>Everyone wakes up&#8212;but not everyone is ready</p></li></ul><p>There can be noise, excitement, and movement&#8230;<br>but only those with oil will endure.</p><div><hr></div><h3><strong>5. You Can&#8217;t Borrow Oil (vv. 8&#8211;9)</strong></h3><ul><li><p>The foolish tried to borrow from the wise</p></li><li><p>But oil is personal&#8212;it cannot be transferred</p></li></ul><p><strong>Oil costs something:</strong></p><ul><li><p>Time in prayer</p></li><li><p>Obedience</p></li><li><p>Surrender</p></li><li><p>A daily &#8220;yes&#8221; to Jesus</p></li></ul><div><hr></div><h3><strong>6. The Closed Door (vv. 10&#8211;12)</strong></h3><ul><li><p>The prepared go in</p></li><li><p>The door shuts</p></li></ul><p>A last-minute relationship with Jesus isn&#8217;t possible.</p><div><hr></div><h3><strong>7. The Command: Stay Awake (v.13)</strong></h3><p>Jesus&#8217; message is clear:</p><p>&#128073; Be watchful<br>&#128073; Be ready<br>&#128073; Stay filled</p><div><hr></div><h2>&#128226; <strong>Supporting Truths</strong></h2><ul><li><p><strong>1 Thessalonians 5:9</strong> &#8211; We are not appointed to wrath</p></li><li><p><strong>1 Thessalonians 4:16&#8211;18</strong> &#8211; Jesus <em>is</em> returning</p></li><li><p><strong>Mark 13</strong> &#8211; Stay alert so you&#8217;re not found sleeping</p></li></ul><div><hr></div><h2>&#128161; <strong>Key Takeaways</strong></h2><ul><li><p>Outward Christianity without inward oil is not enough</p></li><li><p>Spiritual sleep happens when we neglect intimacy with God</p></li><li><p>Oil is built daily, not borrowed last-minute</p></li><li><p>Readiness is a lifestyle, not a moment</p></li><li><p>Jesus is coming back&#8212;and we must be ready</p></li></ul><div><hr></div><h2>&#128591; <strong>Your Response</strong></h2><ul><li><p>Prioritize daily time with God in prayer and Scripture</p></li><li><p>Ask the Holy Spirit to continually refill your life</p></li><li><p>Turn away from complacency, distraction, and sin</p></li><li><p>Give Jesus a full, surrendered &#8220;yes&#8221;</p></li><li><p>Encourage others to stay awake and be ready</p></li></ul><div><hr></div><h2>&#128293; <strong>Final Word</strong></h2><p>This is a wake-up call:</p><p><strong>Stay awake. Keep your oil. Be ready.</strong></p><p>The cost of preparation is nothing compared to the cost of being unprepared.</p><div><hr></div><h2>&#128588; <strong>Prayer</strong></h2><p>Lord, awaken Your Church.<br>Stir hunger for Your presence again.<br>Refill us with fresh oil of the Holy Spirit.<br>Help us stay awake, stay ready, and stay faithful.</p><p>Heal bodies, restore hearts, and prepare Your remnant for Your return.</p><p><strong>In Jesus&#8217; name, Amen.</strong></p><div><hr></div><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.strongfaith.co/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading StrongFaith.co! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Ep. 22 — Marked By The Holy Spirit]]></title><description><![CDATA[Remnant people of God, welcome.]]></description><link>https://www.strongfaith.co/p/ep-22-marked-by-the-holy-spirit</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.strongfaith.co/p/ep-22-marked-by-the-holy-spirit</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Larry Shankle | StrongFaith.co]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 06 Mar 2026 19:49:26 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/190124544/32d88de57db43c5b18ed8617c8023446.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Remnant people of God, welcome.</p><p>I want to take just a few minutes and talk about something I believe God is dropping into my heart for you and for me in this hour.</p><p>The other day I was listening to a podcast, and like many of you, I have a few trusted voices that I listen to. I&#8217;m very selective about that, and I believe you should be too, because we are living in a time of great deception. In an hour like this, we cannot afford to casually open our ears to just anything. We need discernment. We need wisdom. We need the Holy Spirit guiding what we receive and who we allow to speak into our life.</p><p>And as I was listening, I felt something rise up in my spirit.</p><p>I believe God is raising up a bold remnant of people who have strong faith&#8212;people who are willing to step fully into the things of God, willing to move forward courageously, and unwilling to bow to the pressure of the crowd, culture, or the noise happening around them. God is looking for men and women who will march headlong into His purposes with courage, obedience, and unwavering devotion to Jesus.</p><h3>He is raising up watchmen.</h3><p><em>He is raising up watchmen on the wall&#8212;prophetic watchmen who will do their part to pray into existence the plans and purposes of God. And I believe many of you need to be stepping into that right now.</em></p><p>But here is what I felt specifically in my heart: there are many people right now who feel confused about their call, their mantle, their purpose, or their assignment&#8212;whatever word you would use to describe it. You are crying out in prayer, &#8220;God, would You just show me? Show me what to do. Show me where to go. Show me how You want me to speak. Open the door. Open the window.&#8221;</p><p>Your heart&#8217;s cry is, &#8220;Lord, I do not want to do this thing on my own. I want to be obedient to Jesus. I want to follow the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit.&#8221;</p><h4>And for some of you, that has left you feeling almost deadlocked. You don&#8217;t want to move ahead in your own strength. You don&#8217;t want to get outside the will of God. And because of that, this lack of clarity has made you feel stuck.</h4><h2>But let me say this first: that is actually a very powerful place to be.</h2><p>Why? Because when your heart genuinely desires obedience, God honors that. He sees you.</p><p><strong>Friend, God sees you today.</strong></p><p>He sees your desire to obey Him. He sees your longing to follow His lead. He sees your hunger to let the Holy Spirit guide you purposefully into the things you are supposed to do for the kingdom of God.</p><h4>And let me encourage you with this: there is a specific call for your life.</h4><p>There is an open door for you.</p><p>There is a future and a plan that the Lord is putting in place even now.</p><p>For some, that calling may be in a hidden place. It may be a hidden place of prayer, where you are an intercessor praying into existence the plans and purposes of God. People may never know your name. They may never see what you do. But what you do in the Spirit is vital. It is necessary. It is kingdom work. It matters deeply to the heart of God.</p><p>Others are prophetic watchmen who not only pray into existence the plan of God, but who will also be given doors on personal and corporate levels to boldly declare and speak the word of the Lord&#8212;to friends, to family, to communities, in pulpits, through videos, podcasts, social media, YouTube, and all kinds of platforms.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.strongfaith.co/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.strongfaith.co/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><h4>So what do you do in a season like this?</h4><h4>You keep pressing in.</h4><p>You keep pressing into the things of God. You keep seeking His heart. You keep obeying what you already know to do. Don&#8217;t let yourself become overly distracted by what you don&#8217;t yet understand. Don&#8217;t let yourself be paralyzed by what you don&#8217;t yet know. Lean hard into what you do know, because the Lord is about to move in your life.</p><p>And this is one of the main reasons I wanted to share this message.</p><h2>I feel like the Lord is saying that He is in the process of marking people for Jesus right now.</h2><p>You may not fully realize it, but in this place where you&#8217;ve been calling it confusion, it may not really be confusion at all. It may simply be a lack of clarity because your appointed time has not yet fully arrived. But while you wait, God is not absent. He is marking you.</p><p>He is setting you apart.</p><p>He is sealing you by His Spirit.</p><p>He is placing His oil on your life.</p><p>He is anointing you for the things He is calling you to do.</p><p>I feel this deeply in my spirit: God is raising up John the Baptists in this hour&#8212;voices who prepare the way of the Lord. He is raising up Elijahs&#8212;powerful prophetic voices who will speak into the narrative of this generation and call people back to God. Some of these voices will have broad visibility. Others will operate quietly but powerfully in families, churches, friendships, and communities. They will confront darkness, expose false authority, and help bring people into freedom.</p><p>I also believe God is raising up Hezekiahs.</p><p>I&#8217;ve talked about this before, but I believe it again strongly right now. Hezekiah was a king through whom God brought revival and reformation. The Bible speaks of him in a remarkable way. Though he made mistakes near the end of his life, God still used him mightily to bring sweeping change.</p><p>And friend, that is what I want you to understand: some people will be used on a national level, yes. But many others will be used in places that seem smaller to the world&#8212;your family, your marriage, your children, your church, your school, your community, your region, your state.</p><h2>And those places matter.</h2><h3>God has John the Baptists, Elijahs, Hezekiahs, Esthers, and Deborahs on many different levels, all making kingdom impact in the areas where He has placed them.</h3><h4>So again, what you have been calling confusion may simply be this: you are being marked.</h4><p>You are being sealed by the Holy Spirit.</p><p>You are being prepared under the oil of God.</p><p>Some of you have lived for years under the weight of a promise, under the weight of a prophetic word, under the weight of a deep inner sense that God has a destiny for your life&#8212;and yet you have not seen it come to pass.</p><p>Friend, do not give up.</p><p>Remnant person of God, do not give up.</p><p>Men and women of God, do not give up.</p><blockquote><p><strong>You are a warrior.</strong> God has called you. And in this season, He is marking you as He develops character in your life, as He forms things in the unseen realm, and as He builds His kingdom within you so that you can carry the weight and responsibility of what is coming next.</p></blockquote><h3>And please hear me: you cannot compare your calling with someone else&#8217;s.</h3><p>You cannot compare your visibility, your timing, your platform, or your assignment with another person. There will be many people operating in similar roles in this hour. There will be many who carry a John the Baptist-type call, many who prepare the way of the Lord, many who sound a similar trumpet. Some may be more visible. Some may be less visible. But all are necessary.</p><p>You do not need to compare yourself.</p><p>You simply need to wait on the Lord to open your door.</p><p>Wait on Him to open your window.</p><p>And while you wait, know this: God is for you.</p><p>I said this in an episode a long time ago, but let me say it again here:</p><h1>To have a voice, you&#8217;ve got to be a voice.</h1><p>There have been times even in my own life where I began to draw back because I didn&#8217;t sense that God was doing something in the moment. But God is not asking us to wait for a feeling before we obey. He is asking us to obey what He has already said.</p><p>So many times we wait for the sense of something, while God is looking for obedience.</p><p><strong>And simple obedience to the things of God often brings a fresh awareness of His presence.</strong></p><p>So yes, to have a voice, you&#8217;ve got to be a voice.</p><p>You&#8217;ve got to be willing to stand up.</p><p>You&#8217;ve got to be willing to use your voice.</p><p>You&#8217;ve got to be willing to use whatever influence God has placed in your hands.</p><p>You&#8217;ve got to be willing to use whatever medium He gives you.</p><p>You&#8217;ve got to be willing to walk through any door He opens.</p><p>Ultimately, it means giving Jesus your absolute, unreserved yes.</p><h3>And that is what I do not want you to miss: you are being marked in this hour for destiny and purpose.</h3><blockquote><p>I believe you are on the verge of stepping into a moment where time begins to catch up with what God has been doing in your life. Suddenly, things are going to begin to open. Suddenly, you are going to see the Lord begin to move in ways you could not have orchestrated yourself. Suddenly, the things your heart has longed for and the things you have sensed God preparing you for are going to begin to come into view.</p></blockquote><p>This present season of seeming confusion, lack of clarity, or even limited discernment will dissipate as God opens things for you that you could never open on your own.</p><p>That is why you must have strong faith.</p><p>That is why I talk to the remnant.</p><p>That is why my wife and I talk about strong faith.</p><p>That is why at our church we talk about revival.</p><p><strong>Because all of this is connected to what the Lord is doing right now. He is raising up a remnant across the earth.</strong></p><p>And I remember when God first began to deal with my heart about this message of the remnant being raised up. I remember where I was when He spoke it to me. I remember wondering, &#8220;Lord, what am I supposed to do with that?&#8221; And over time, we&#8217;ve preached messages, recorded podcasts, created videos, written articles, and kept sounding that message.</p><p>And at one point I asked the Lord what was happening with it all.</p><p>He spoke to my heart so clearly: &#8220;I&#8217;ve got people all across the earth right now hearing that same call.&#8221;</p><p>Friend, I want you to know you are not alone.</p><p>You may feel like you are in a season of limited clarity. You may feel like you are in process, waiting, hidden, stretched, or uncertain. But there are people all across the earth in that same place right now. You are not forgotten. You are not disqualified. You are not behind.</p><p>You are being prepared.</p><p>You are being readied.</p><p>You are being cleaned.</p><p>You are being fitted with the character and nature of Jesus.</p><h4>The Holy Spirit is stirring gifts in you&#8212;some that may have been there all along, lying dormant until now.</h4><p>He is getting you ready for the things of God.</p><p>Do not take that lightly.</p><p>Pray into it.</p><h4>And if this resonates with you, then begin to pray specifically:</h4><p>&#8220;Lord, give me clarity.</p><p>Lord, give me purpose.</p><p>Lord, help me lean into the marking of Jesus on my life.&#8221;</p><p>Jesus is marking His remnant for what He is about to do in their lives and for the doors and windows He is about to open.</p><p>So let me encourage you: stay faithful in the process. Stay obedient in the hidden place. Stay ready in the waiting. And trust that when the time comes, God will open what no man can shut.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.strongfaith.co/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading StrongFaith.co! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Fear Won’t Steal My Assignment]]></title><description><![CDATA[When clarity feels thin, keep pressing into the Word God gave you]]></description><link>https://www.strongfaith.co/p/fear-wont-steal-my-assignment</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.strongfaith.co/p/fear-wont-steal-my-assignment</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Larry Shankle | StrongFaith.co]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 18 Feb 2026 12:15:26 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/188334360/b4c5671e105cde03c67a93cf44111ed1.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>People of God, I want to take just a moment and pour something into you&#8212;because I feel like the Lord is dropping this into my heart right now.</p><p>I literally just walked out of a prayer moment, and I can&#8217;t shake this sense that a message needs to be released. In this present moment where we live, it seems like the enemy of our soul will do anything he can to knock us off course&#8212;to cause us to veer off track&#8212;anything to keep us from fulfilling the plan of God for our lives.</p><p>But I want to encourage you: <strong>don&#8217;t fall for it.</strong></p><p>He&#8217;ll try tactics of fear. He&#8217;ll try intimidation. He&#8217;ll try to confuse you, wear you down, and make you second-guess what God has said. But friend, you don&#8217;t have to live in fear and intimidation&#8212;because <strong>greater is He that lives in you than he that&#8217;s in the world.</strong> The God on the inside of you is so much greater.</p><h3>And I&#8217;m telling you&#8230; right now is a prime time.</h3><h4>Men of God, women of God, remnant people of God&#8212;this is the moment to pick up the mantle God has placed on your life. This is the hour to be a voice. To be a watchman on the wall. To be a prayer warrior&#8212;somebody who prays into existence the plans and purposes of God.</h4><p>The Lord has been bringing this back to my heart over and over: <strong>we are to be people of prayer, first and foremost.</strong> Above everything else, we&#8217;re to seek His face. We are called to co-labor with God&#8212;to bring into existence what His heart desires.</p><p>And I know some of you are dealing with fear. You&#8217;re afraid. You lack clarity. You don&#8217;t know what to do. But let me reassure you: <strong>if God has given you a word, you keep pressing into that word.</strong> You keep doing what He&#8217;s called you to do&#8212;what He&#8217;s planted in your heart.</p><p>For some of you, God has called you to pray over your cities and your towns. And you need to do it with relentlessness. You need to do it with a heart that refuses to back down or give up.</p><p>Because every time the enemy tells you, &#8220;What you&#8217;re doing doesn&#8217;t matter,&#8221; you need to answer that lie with truth: <strong>it does matter.</strong></p><h3>Your prayers matter in the Kingdom of God.</h3><p>You&#8217;ve got to be willing to be a voice and press out, instead of listening to the enemy. I was thinking about Elijah&#8212;how he ran at Jezebel&#8217;s taunting words. You know the story. He ends up in a cave, discouraged, despairing, wishing life could be different.</p><p>And praise the Lord, God met him in that still small voice.</p><p>But here&#8217;s what I was thinking&#8230; what if there was more for Elijah than what Elijah ended up doing?</p><p>Right after that moment, God speaks and tells him to go anoint the next prophet&#8212;Elisha. Elijah obeyed, yes. And we know Elijah ended up in heaven. We know Jesus spoke with Elijah at the Transfiguration. I truly believe he&#8217;s probably one of the two witnesses in the book of Revelation.</p><p>So hear me: I&#8217;m not knocking Elijah at all.</p><h4>What I&#8217;m saying is this: <strong>what if there was more potential on the earth that he could&#8217;ve walked in&#8230; but fear and intimidation pulled him back from it?</strong></h4><p>That&#8217;s my opinion. I don&#8217;t think the Bible says that anywhere. But it&#8217;s a thought that grips me&#8212;because it connects directly to you and me.</p><p>Friend, we live in a pivotal moment. <strong>You live in a pivotal moment.</strong> And you may not consider yourself on the level of Elijah, but I&#8217;m telling you: <strong>your prayer matters.</strong></p><p>Your call from God matters.</p><p>Your obedience matters.</p><p>You listening to His voice and doing what He says&#8212;that matters so much in the Kingdom of God. And we don&#8217;t want to throw away our potential because of fear or intimidation&#8212;because of the things the enemy whispers to our mind.</p><p>No. We want our hearts in tune with heaven.</p><p>We want to listen to the sound of heaven.</p><h3>And we want to be the kind of remnant warriors who say, <strong>&#8220;I&#8217;m not leaving anything on the table.&#8221;</strong></h3><ul><li><p>No, I&#8217;m going to pray for my community until my community sees revival.</p></li><li><p>I&#8217;m going to pray for my family until my children and grandchildren are saved.</p></li><li><p>I&#8217;m going to pray for my spouse until my spouse is saved.</p></li><li><p>I&#8217;m going to pray for my church and the leadership of my church.</p></li><li><p>I&#8217;m going to pray a protective hedge around my church.</p></li><li><p>I&#8217;m going to plead the blood of Jesus over my church and its leaders&#8212;because they need it right now.</p></li><li><p>I&#8217;m going to plead the blood of Jesus over my town.</p></li></ul><p>One of the things my wife and I have grown accustomed to doing is taking prayer drives around our community. We love it. God prompted our hearts to do it.</p><p>But I&#8217;ll be honest&#8212;when we first started, I felt silly.</p><p>I thought, &#8220;Is somebody going to see me driving around here, raising one hand, praying?&#8221; </p><p>Then I began to realize something: <strong>the One who is inside of me is so much greater than every enemy planted in my town.</strong></p><p>So what do I have to do?</p><p>I have to pray over this ground.</p><p>I have to claim it for the Kingdom of God.</p><p>I have to declare that everywhere my car drives belongs to Jesus and the Kingdom.</p><h3>I have to declare that men and women in my town are going to be saved and experience the presence of God and the revival of God&#8212;that they&#8217;re going to be touched and healed.</h3><p>And I&#8217;m telling you&#8212;there have been times on those prayer drives where things would drop into my spirit. I&#8217;d start praying against addiction. Against alcohol. I remember one time being in a certain spot and out of nowhere I began to pray, &#8220;God, destroy every spirit of witchcraft that tries to operate in my town.&#8221;</p><p>And we live in a small town.</p><p>It&#8217;s not some massive city where you&#8217;d think, &#8220;Oh yeah, that kind of stuff happens there.&#8221;</p><p>But friend, I&#8217;m telling you: <strong>there is more demonic oppression and agenda of the enemy operating around you where you live than you might even stop to consider.</strong></p><p>So if God lays something on your heart&#8212;do it.</p><p>For us, it&#8217;s driving around and praying.</p><p>For you, maybe it&#8217;s praying for your church.</p><p>Maybe it&#8217;s being a voice on social media.</p><p>Maybe it&#8217;s writing blog posts or articles.</p><p>Maybe you&#8217;re a pastor or preacher, and your call is to stand up in that pulpit unashamed, bravely, courageously declaring the Word of the Lord.</p><p>Maybe God has put prophetic words in your heart, and you haven&#8217;t done that before. That&#8217;s been happening to me lately&#8212;and I&#8217;ve had to say, &#8220;Lord, give me courage to release what You put in my heart.&#8221;</p><h3>So I&#8217;m encouraging you: <strong>put your faith and trust in Jesus. Rise. Be a voice. Be a warrior.</strong></h3><p>Because Satan will always try to tell you what you&#8217;re doing doesn&#8217;t matter. He&#8217;ll implant thoughts that say, &#8220;You&#8217;re not doing anything valuable. You&#8217;re not doing anything important.&#8221;</p><p>Friend, that is absolutely untrue.</p><p>God has a plan for you.</p><p>He causes all things to work together for your good.</p><p>And this relationship you have with Him&#8212;it&#8217;s not just so you can get to heaven when you die. No, no, no.</p><h4>This is an hour for men and women of God to rise with boldness&#8212;to go against the grain of their fears, to go against the grain of their apprehensions, and courageously lift up truths that matter in this timeframe we live.</h4><p><strong>Your voice is necessary.</strong></p><p>There have been times God has moved on me to take stands against certain lifestyles or activities, and I&#8217;ve done that. But more often than not, one of the main things He&#8217;s impressed me to do is not only release prophetic words&#8212;but <strong>call the remnant into action. Call other prayer warriors into action.</strong></p><p>And let me say this about prayer.</p><p>Prayer gets a bad rap sometimes because if you do it the way Jesus prescribed&#8212;go into your closet, don&#8217;t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing&#8212;it&#8217;s not visible. It&#8217;s in secret.</p><h2>But hear me: <strong>what&#8217;s done in the invisible place is not only rewarded openly&#8212;its effects are felt openly.</strong></h2><p>I&#8217;m telling you, demons tremble when you walk into your prayer closet.</p><p>So you may be reading this and thinking, &#8220;What could I do?&#8221;</p><h4>Friend, <strong>prayer is an ultimate weapon.</strong> The Lord is looking for men and women who will give themselves to it.</h4><p>And I&#8217;ll be transparent&#8230; I do podcasts and videos and writing, and I feel called to do it. I try to be obedient. But deep in my heart, I also know it&#8217;s visible. And that can conflict me sometimes&#8212;for right or wrong.</p><h4>But I know this: when you go into your prayer closet and it&#8217;s just you and Jesus, and nobody sees or hears&#8230; it&#8217;s the most freeing time there is. Because you have an audience with your Father. You have an audience with heaven.</h4><p><strong>And what you do in that unseen place changes realms and territories. It changes outcomes. It changes what the enemy meant for bad into something God can use for good.</strong></p><div><hr></div><p>So the point of this episode is simple: <strong>I want to call out the remnant.</strong></p><p>I feel like there are grandmas and grandpas who feel like you&#8217;ve missed your day&#8212;or you&#8217;ve outlived your usefulness. That is a lie of the devil.</p><p>I feel like there are young people caught in tension: &#8220;I don&#8217;t have time. I don&#8217;t have space. I don&#8217;t have visibility. I don&#8217;t have experience.&#8221;</p><p>That&#8217;s a lie too.</p><h2>Every believer has something to offer the Kingdom of God.</h2><p>You and I just have to be obedient to the Lord&#8212;do what He says, and release what He wants us to release.</p><p>If it&#8217;s a word&#8212;release it.</p><p>If it&#8217;s prayer&#8212;pray it.</p><p>If it&#8217;s to boldly declare&#8212;do it.</p><p>If it&#8217;s to pray for somebody in the grocery store&#8212;do it.</p><p>If it&#8217;s to pray over your children, your grandchildren, your family, your spouse&#8212;do it.</p><p>Whatever it is&#8230; <strong>do it.</strong></p><p>That reminds me of that passage where Jesus is about to turn the water into wine. Mary comes to Him and basically says, &#8220;They need you to do this.&#8221; Jesus is like, &#8220;My hour hasn&#8217;t even come.&#8221;</p><p>And then Mary turns to the servants and says that famous line: <strong>&#8220;Whatever He tells you to do, do it.&#8221;</strong></p><p>Because she had seen enough to know: when we&#8217;re obedient to Jesus, amazing things are going to come forth.</p><h4>Friend, no matter what He tells you to do&#8212;do it.</h4><p>I believe there are some Elijahs listening to this. There are some people God has an amazing plan for your life, and you feel stuck in obscurity right now&#8212;but God is setting you up.</p><p>He&#8217;s going to use your voice.</p><p>He&#8217;s going to use your prayers to impact Kingdom realms.</p><p>And there is authority placed in you by Jesus that will accomplish His purposes.</p><h3><strong>A Prayer Over You</strong></h3><blockquote><p>Father, thank You for the opportunity to speak to Your people. I pray encouragement would be released into them. Let the fire of God pour from heaven onto their lives. Give them boldness to openly declare what You long to declare through their lips.</p><p>And Lord Jesus, I pray that You would work all things together. Let clarity come where it&#8217;s needed. Let these words be confirmation to people. Lord, as I&#8217;m trying to be obedient to You, let these words confirm what You&#8217;ve already been saying.</p><p>Use it. Put it where it&#8217;s supposed to be.</p><p>In Jesus&#8217; name, amen.</p></blockquote><p>Thanks for being with me on this episode. You know what you&#8217;re supposed to do.</p><p>Subscribe&#8212;then share. Help me reach more people.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.strongfaith.co/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading StrongFaith.co! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[God Sees You (Even When You Feel Invisible)]]></title><description><![CDATA[Hey, friend&#8212;let me take just a little extra moment today to reach out and encourage you.]]></description><link>https://www.strongfaith.co/p/god-sees-you-even-when-you-feel-invisible</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.strongfaith.co/p/god-sees-you-even-when-you-feel-invisible</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Larry Shankle | StrongFaith.co]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 13 Feb 2026 17:18:01 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/youtube/w_728,c_limit/CymzyuEVaEo" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div id="youtube2-CymzyuEVaEo" class="youtube-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;videoId&quot;:&quot;CymzyuEVaEo&quot;,&quot;startTime&quot;:null,&quot;endTime&quot;:null}" data-component-name="Youtube2ToDOM"><div class="youtube-inner"><iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/CymzyuEVaEo?rel=0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;enablejsapi=0" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" gesture="media" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowautoplay="true" allowfullscreen="true" width="728" height="409"></iframe></div></div><p>Hey, friend&#8212;let me take just a little extra moment today to reach out and encourage you.</p><p>Because I believe there&#8217;s somebody reading this right now, and you feel alone. You feel discouraged. And honestly&#8230; you don&#8217;t feel like anyone sees you. You don&#8217;t feel known. You don&#8217;t feel noticed.</p><p>But I was reminded just a few minutes ago, listening to a message, that God does see you.</p><p>And that&#8217;s not just a &#8220;nice thought.&#8221; That&#8217;s the truth.</p><p>All through the Bible&#8212;Old Testament and New Testament&#8212;we see it again and again: <strong>God sees people. He sees what they&#8217;re walking through. He sees what they&#8217;re carrying. He sees what nobody else understands.</strong> </p><h3>And I just felt like I needed to stop and tell you plainly today:</h3><h3>God sees you.</h3><p>When you&#8217;re at your lowest.</p><p>When you feel like nothing is working.</p><p>When you feel like nobody&#8217;s aware.</p><p>When you feel like even God Himself isn&#8217;t aware&#8230;</p><p>Friend, please hear me&#8212;don&#8217;t fall for the enemy&#8217;s trap. Don&#8217;t fall for his lie. That discouragement is a scheme. It&#8217;s a setup to wear you down and make you believe you&#8217;re forgotten.</p><h3>But the God of heaven truly does see you.</h3><p>He loves you. His face is always toward you. He desires to reach out and bless you. And even right now, through something as simple as this post, I believe God is sending a confirmation to some, and a reminder to others:</p><p>In your midnight hour&#8230;</p><p>In that moment where you feel the weakest&#8230;</p><p>In that vulnerable place where you don&#8217;t have all the answers&#8230;</p><p>The God you serve does have the answer.</p><p>He sees you, and He&#8217;s for you.</p><h3><strong>And if you don&#8217;t know the Lord&#8230;</strong></h3><p>Maybe you just happened across this. Maybe you don&#8217;t know anything about the Lord, or you&#8217;ve never had a personal relationship with Jesus.</p><h4>I want to tell you: God is for you too.</h4><p>Maybe you&#8217;re in the depths of addiction.</p><p>Maybe you&#8217;re fighting depression.</p><p>Maybe your family has so many problems you don&#8217;t even know where to begin.</p><p>Maybe you&#8217;ve got personal health issues, emotional issues&#8212;things that feel bigger than you.</p><h3>Friend, the beginning point for everything you need is found in a relationship with Jesus Christ.</h3><p>He died on the cross for you&#8212;in your place&#8212;for your sin. And if you&#8217;ll open your heart to Him and receive Him, He will come in with love and gladness and kindness.</p><p>He&#8217;s not pushing you away. He&#8217;s not looking for a reason to reject you. He&#8217;s waiting for you to open the door.</p><p>The Bible says it like this:</p><p>&#8220;Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man opens the door, I&#8217;ll come in.&#8221;</p><h3><strong>Pray this simple prayer with me</strong></h3><p>Lord Jesus, I receive You as my Savior.</p><p>Come into my heart and save me.</p><p>Forgive me of my sins.</p><p>I confess my sins.</p><p>I turn from my sins, and I choose You, and I desire You to be the Lord of my life.</p><p>And from this point on, I commit to follow You with all the ability You pour inside of me.</p><h4>Friend, Jesus will come and help you&#8212;in Jesus&#8217; name.</h4><p>If this encouraged you, drop a comment and just say, &#8220;God sees me.&#8221;</p><p>And if you need prayer&#8212;tell me what you&#8217;re facing. I&#8217;ll be praying for you.</p><p>If you know someone who feels alone or discouraged, share this with them today. It might be the reminder they&#8217;ve been needing.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.strongfaith.co/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading StrongFaith.co! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Your Only Protection From Deception]]></title><description><![CDATA[Why prayer and the Word must stay linked&#8212;every day.]]></description><link>https://www.strongfaith.co/p/your-only-protection-from-deception</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.strongfaith.co/p/your-only-protection-from-deception</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Larry Shankle | StrongFaith.co]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 04 Feb 2026 20:17:25 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!9mHf!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa4f7adc9-c418-4bf3-befb-c703eb3dcf49_2048x1365.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!9mHf!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa4f7adc9-c418-4bf3-befb-c703eb3dcf49_2048x1365.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!9mHf!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa4f7adc9-c418-4bf3-befb-c703eb3dcf49_2048x1365.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!9mHf!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa4f7adc9-c418-4bf3-befb-c703eb3dcf49_2048x1365.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!9mHf!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa4f7adc9-c418-4bf3-befb-c703eb3dcf49_2048x1365.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!9mHf!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa4f7adc9-c418-4bf3-befb-c703eb3dcf49_2048x1365.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!9mHf!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa4f7adc9-c418-4bf3-befb-c703eb3dcf49_2048x1365.png" width="1456" height="970" 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!9mHf!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa4f7adc9-c418-4bf3-befb-c703eb3dcf49_2048x1365.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!9mHf!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa4f7adc9-c418-4bf3-befb-c703eb3dcf49_2048x1365.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!9mHf!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa4f7adc9-c418-4bf3-befb-c703eb3dcf49_2048x1365.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!9mHf!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa4f7adc9-c418-4bf3-befb-c703eb3dcf49_2048x1365.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" class="icon-noB79L"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2 icon-noB79L"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>This morning I woke up to a thought running through my mind repeatedly.</p><h3><em>It went like this: &#8220;Your only protection from deception is to stay in prayer and in My Word.&#8221;</em></h3><p>Usually, when I receive a word from the Lord similar to this, there seems to be some sort of backstory idea He also seeks to communicate with me, and this word did have another idea attached to it. The unspoken impression I received from the Lord was just as immediate as the thought had been&#8212;the word and prayer are linked. You cannot trade one for the other; you cannot only read the word or only pray.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.strongfaith.co/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading StrongFaith.co! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p><strong>These two spiritual activities will never work properly when they are done in isolation from each other.</strong> The word works in us as we pray, and as we pray, we respond to the word. In my heart, I felt the Lord&#8217;s emphasis was on prayer. The message He seemed to be conveying was, &#8220;Many read the word, but few actually spend time in prayer, actively listening for My voice and seeking to pursue My presence and know Me.&#8221;</p><p>The implication was that if we read the word but never pray, we come to a place where we think we know the Lord well, but actually, we only know about Him. Reading scripture but never spending time in prayer is like reading a biography about someone famous&#8212;we learn all about them and feel acquainted with them, but we do not fully know them on a personal level.</p><p>Reading scripture while coupling it with sincere daily prayer sets our hearts before the Lord, transforming the word from a biography into a text message. <strong>Prayer causes the word to become an active conversation between God and us.</strong></p><p>I&#8217;ve read many blog posts and Facebook posts over the years, and I&#8217;m sure you have too. But these are only one-sided unless I leave a comment. Many times when I have commented, the author has responded to me personally. <strong>Prayer is our place to have dialogue with God.</strong> It is not a one-sided request session, although requests are accepted and encouraged. <strong>Prayer is the place where God communes with us by His Spirit and speaks the life-giving truths of His word in our hearts on a personal and applicational level.</strong></p><p>Furthermore, without prayer, we cannot say we truly have a dialogue with God. It is no longer enough to simply know about Him; we must truly come to know Him on this personal level.</p><p>Let me also say that prayer without the word is also unbalanced.</p><h4>When we never take time to read scripture, our prayers become more than just superficial and selfish; they can become dangerous to us because when we think we hear the Lord speak in our hearts, we do not have a foundational basis of truth to weigh our impressions against.</h4><p>I&#8217;ll be clear: God still speaks in our hearts.</p><p>His voice always supports His written word, and what I hear in my heart must always be weighed against what He has already revealed about Himself through the written word.</p><h3>Our protection from deception takes on its greatest strength when the Holy Spirit has been given a resource to draw from in our lives&#8212;when the Holy Spirit has scripture available that we have hidden in our hearts, He will use it to communicate in the present tense by using what was written in the past.</h3><p>Scripture that is over two thousand years old becomes fresh and new when the Lord pulls it from the recesses of our hearts and breathes upon it to make application in our present.</p><p><em><strong>There is so much swirl and contradiction happening in the earth and in the church at the present moment. Voices you have looked to for guidance seem shaky, and you can be left feeling overwhelmed by what you see, hear, and feel. Instead of retreating from the battle and giving in to your fears, start drawing close to the only voice that will never change&#8212;Jesus.</strong></em></p><p>This is an hour when deception is at an all-time high, and this deception will only increase as the last days wind down to their conclusion. The only voice that we can ultimately trust is scripture, coupled with the internal voice of the Holy Spirit.</p><p>Listen to what Jesus says in scripture about the Holy Spirit.</p><blockquote><p>John 16:13-15 NKJV&#8212;&#8221;However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. [14] He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. [15] All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.&#8221;</p></blockquote><p><strong>Prayer is vital because through prayer, the Holy Spirit takes the words of Jesus and uses them to guide us. As we take time in the Lord&#8217;s presence&#8212;just being there, spending time, worshipping Him&#8212;the Holy Spirit softens our hearts and works in us what is well-pleasing in the sight of God.</strong></p><p>During prayer, we submit our hearts to the Lord and come under His Lordship, and the Spirit speaks in our hearts. What He speaks always agrees with the written word. The litmus test of hearing God&#8217;s voice is: Does this word align with scripture? If not, throw it out!</p><p>Our time in prayer and in the word, when it is sincere and truly desires to seek the Lord, develops in us a protective wall against the deception of the present age.</p><p>Friend, deception is not just something that will happen after the rapture, but it is something that is already at work and will only grow stronger.</p><p>Listen to what Paul says to the church in Thessalonians.</p><blockquote><p>2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 NKJV&#8212;&#8221;The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, [10] and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. [11] And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, [12] that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.&#8221;</p></blockquote><p><strong>Prayer and the word breed a love for the truth in our hearts. This love for truth and the desire to walk in it is used by the Holy Spirit to create a firewall against the deception of the present age.</strong></p><p>When you can no longer discern which voices are godly, ungodly, safe, trustworthy, or true, turn to prayer and the word. Let the most influential voice in your life be the Lord&#8217;s voice.</p><p><strong>We&#8217;ve reached a point when every voice and every message must be weighed against the truth of scripture.</strong> God&#8217;s people have always been called to inspect fruit. The message of truth is backed up by the holiness of fruit.</p><p>Friend, don&#8217;t throw away your desire for an experience with God.</p><p>No, we cannot build our foundation for faith on experiences. We build upon the word. But experiences of the Lord&#8217;s voice, His presence, His power, and His love serve to add reality to the word that speaks to our hearts in a personal way.</p><p><strong>This moment in history demands a church that will pray and soak in the word.</strong></p><p>Here&#8217;s what Jesus said would happen in the last days:</p><blockquote><p>Mark 13:21-23 NKJV&#8212;&#8221;Then if anyone says to you, &#8216;Look, here is the Christ!&#8217; or, &#8216;Look, He is there!&#8217; do not believe it. [22] For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. [23] But take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand.&#8221;</p></blockquote><p><strong>Remnant, it&#8217;s time to put on our protection from deception.</strong></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.strongfaith.co/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading StrongFaith.co! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[A Moment Before the Moment]]></title><description><![CDATA[It is the waiting time before the movement.]]></description><link>https://www.strongfaith.co/p/a-moment-before-the-moment</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.strongfaith.co/p/a-moment-before-the-moment</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Larry Shankle | StrongFaith.co]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 28 Jan 2026 06:55:01 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0ox1!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd59bd82c-46b6-4e25-9e2a-085a0a431b1c_1080x1920.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0ox1!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd59bd82c-46b6-4e25-9e2a-085a0a431b1c_1080x1920.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0ox1!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd59bd82c-46b6-4e25-9e2a-085a0a431b1c_1080x1920.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0ox1!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd59bd82c-46b6-4e25-9e2a-085a0a431b1c_1080x1920.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0ox1!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd59bd82c-46b6-4e25-9e2a-085a0a431b1c_1080x1920.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0ox1!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd59bd82c-46b6-4e25-9e2a-085a0a431b1c_1080x1920.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0ox1!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd59bd82c-46b6-4e25-9e2a-085a0a431b1c_1080x1920.png" width="1080" height="1920" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/d59bd82c-46b6-4e25-9e2a-085a0a431b1c_1080x1920.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:&quot;normal&quot;,&quot;height&quot;:1920,&quot;width&quot;:1080,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:0,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0ox1!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd59bd82c-46b6-4e25-9e2a-085a0a431b1c_1080x1920.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0ox1!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd59bd82c-46b6-4e25-9e2a-085a0a431b1c_1080x1920.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0ox1!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd59bd82c-46b6-4e25-9e2a-085a0a431b1c_1080x1920.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0ox1!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd59bd82c-46b6-4e25-9e2a-085a0a431b1c_1080x1920.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" class="icon-noB79L"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2 icon-noB79L"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><h2><strong>It is the waiting time before the movement. For me, I feel like I'm in a moment before the moment. </strong></h2><p>The last vestiges of things past are swirling, and something new is coming. </p><h3><strong>There is a tangible sense that time has paused for a moment. </strong></h3><p>The Lord is not slack concerning His promise; He is precise. At the exact time He created for the coming moment, the moment will come. </p><p>The promises, dreams, and long-awaited prayers that have yet to express their fruit and the joy of Heaven's tangible response will soon erupt with the overflow of movement that shifts directions of people and establishes new works. </p><p>In the midst of the waiting period, it can be easy to drift from focus. </p><p><em><strong>I feel it personally&#8212;the press that comes consistently against your heart, the tension of knowing by faith, yet not seeing in the present, and the question asking, "Did I do everything He wanted and required?" </strong></em></p><p>There is an atmosphere thick with the expectancy of God's movement in this moment&#8212;a moment that turns the tide and reveals the heart of the Lord in the final seconds of history. </p><p>This is time we have longed for! </p><h3><strong>The harvest, the revival, the awakening. </strong></h3><p>Dawn is on the horizon, and things are about to change forever. </p><p>Jesus is preparing His bride and challenging His church. </p><h2><strong>Repentance is the cornerstone of what's about to take place. </strong></h2><p>Restoration follows the repentant remnant. </p><p>Then a revealing of promises and hope received will happen.</p><p><strong>The Lord is raising His remnant.</strong></p><p>They are the remnant that will pay anything, any amount, any price to see the fire and experience the glory of the Lord's revelation to the earth in this hour. </p><p>We have sought the Lord, many of us since the days of our youth. <strong>We have longed and waited for the days of John the Baptist&#8212;those days that brought pure repentance and fire just before the revealing of the Anointed One.</strong> </p><p>Today is the day. </p><h3><strong>Wilderness prophets are rising. The remnant is rising. They are holding onto the only hope they have: Jesus. </strong></h3><p>Messiah came, and He is coming again. He is returning for a harvest of the ages prepared by the hands of those who sought desperately to work in His field. </p><p><strong>Will you rise? Are you ready?</strong></p><p></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.strongfaith.co/subscribe?utm_source=email&r=&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.strongfaith.co/subscribe?utm_source=email&r="><span>Subscribe</span></a></p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Gospel Is Still a Power Message]]></title><description><![CDATA[Christianity was never meant to be powerless]]></description><link>https://www.strongfaith.co/p/the-gospel-is-still-a-power-message</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.strongfaith.co/p/the-gospel-is-still-a-power-message</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Larry Shankle | StrongFaith.co]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 25 Jan 2026 17:48:28 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!EY7L!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2258b66b-5a71-4459-9da1-7beaf6cf05d9_2048x1152.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!EY7L!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2258b66b-5a71-4459-9da1-7beaf6cf05d9_2048x1152.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!EY7L!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2258b66b-5a71-4459-9da1-7beaf6cf05d9_2048x1152.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!EY7L!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2258b66b-5a71-4459-9da1-7beaf6cf05d9_2048x1152.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!EY7L!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2258b66b-5a71-4459-9da1-7beaf6cf05d9_2048x1152.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!EY7L!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2258b66b-5a71-4459-9da1-7beaf6cf05d9_2048x1152.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!EY7L!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2258b66b-5a71-4459-9da1-7beaf6cf05d9_2048x1152.png" width="1456" height="819" 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!EY7L!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2258b66b-5a71-4459-9da1-7beaf6cf05d9_2048x1152.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!EY7L!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2258b66b-5a71-4459-9da1-7beaf6cf05d9_2048x1152.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!EY7L!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2258b66b-5a71-4459-9da1-7beaf6cf05d9_2048x1152.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!EY7L!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2258b66b-5a71-4459-9da1-7beaf6cf05d9_2048x1152.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" class="icon-noB79L"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2 icon-noB79L"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>Yes, the Lord Still Moves in Miracles, Signs, and Wonders.</p><p>There is a huge swirl and controversy surrounding the truth of supernatural ministry and the things of God. It seems everywhere we turn, someone is trying to defend another person, or a church is trying to declare why they are the one that has a corner on truth.</p><p><strong>Openly, I admit that I do not have all the answers.</strong></p><p>My prayer in this hour is that my Heavenly Father would grant me a wise and discerning heart.</p><p>We need hearts that remain open and sensitive to the Holy Spirit and to the leading of His hand. With this being said, what I hope to do in this short article is shine a light on what I perceive as truth, whether you agree with me or not.</p><p><strong>My debate is not about a person, a church, or a group.</strong></p><p>It is about the truthfulness and veracity of scripture, which is what I feel is being undermined in quiet and also overt ways.</p><p>The whole Bible is true cover to cover. There isn&#8217;t a piece of it that is untrue. If one book, one chapter, or one word of scripture is a lie, then the whole book is worthless and to be thrown out. The problem is, instead of looking to the character and nature of God, we are looking at the fallibility of man and judging the truth of God by the deeds of men.</p><h3>Man has never been the measuring rod by which we are to judge the goodness, mercy, character, gifts, or love of God. So often, man gets it wrong, but God never does.</h3><p>There is a growing push to actually remove the things of the supernatural from the hearts and minds of those who would believe in the miracle working power of God. Allow me to say that from Genesis to Revelation and everywhere in between, the Bible is an unapologetically supernatural book.</p><p>From water flowing out of a rock and food falling from heaven to the judgment of Satan and the new Heavens and new earth, the Bible is built upon a bedrock foundation of supernatural truths and experiences that go beyond the comprehension of man&#8217;s limited understanding.</p><h4>God Himself declares, &#8220;For I am the Lord. I do not change.&#8221; (Malachi 3:6)</h4><p>If the Lord never changes, it also means that His character never changes. Who He is and what He does is part of the makeup of His nature. We trust in a changeless God because His unwavering nature gives us strength and stability in a shaky world.</p><p>But what this changeless nature also means is that everything written about Him is still true. <strong>The entire ministry of the New Testament church was built around the supernatural moving of the Holy Spirit.</strong></p><p>Jesus came and fulfilled the Old Testament law, becoming the embodiment of what it means to live in true obedience to the Father. Then Jesus introduced a new covenant based upon better promises. One of those better promises was the gift of the Holy Spirit given to the church. This took place on the day of Pentecost when the early disciples were baptized with the Holy Spirit and power, with fire. They spoke in tongues, and the entire city ran to see what had taken place. (Acts 2)</p><h4>The entry of the Holy Spirit into the world did not happen in a quiet stable like the way our Savior came. Instead, the Holy Spirit came with power, wind, and fire. He moved the city, and His ministry through the church turned the world upside down.</h4><p>People were healed, delivered from demons, and set free from bondage. Entire cities burned their witchcraft books and dark art materials. Scripture declares that even the very shadow of the Apostle Peter walking down the road caused people under the shadow to be healed.</p><p><strong>Not once was it even hinted that all the supernatural working of the Holy Spirit has or would just disappear from the church one day.</strong></p><p>With this being said, it also makes sense that the gifts of the Spirit listed in First Corinthians are still real and available to us today.</p><p>While we should not build our spiritual life upon experiences, to claim that God is so silent that we never have experiences is to reduce Him to a dumb idol. Just because there are excesses by some does not mean there is not truth that Scripture supports.</p><p><strong>I am personally thankful for every experience I&#8217;ve ever had with the Lord.</strong></p><p>Several years ago, my earthly dad, my father-in-law, and I built the house my family now lives in. We contracted out parts, but most of it was built with our own hands and hammers. We crawled through the trusses and helped hang the sheet rock. We drove nails, cut boards, and put in windows. Not everyone has this kind of experience with their dad, but I did. It is something we shared. To say that because most people simply buy a house, that my experience of building a house never happened would be crazy.</p><h2>Your experience cannot erase my experience, neither can my experience erase yours.</h2><p>As a young believer I sincerely desired to be filled with the Holy Spirit along with the evidence of speaking in other tongues. I prayed and prayed, yet nothing ever seemed to materialize. I grew up in a church where this was practiced, and I personally knew the lives of those who prayed in tongues. It was a small, close-knit church where everyone knew all about the others in the church, so I had no reason to doubt their experiences or to disbelieve it when they prayed in tongues, even though my experience had yet to happen.</p><p>I vividly remember having a dream one night. In the dream, I could see myself outside, and it was night. All at once, the Lord filled me (in the dream) with the Holy Spirit, and in the dream, I began to speak in tongues. I could hear my own voice praying in the Spirit in the dream. This seemed to last for hours. When I woke up, there was a tangible presence of God in my room that I will never forget.</p><p>As I sought the baptism in the Holy Spirit, another experience began to happen. I would have glimpses in my mind of myself praying in tongues. I could hear my voice praying loudly in the Spirit in an unknown tongue. At one point, I thought, &#8220;This is crazy. I don&#8217;t know anyone else this has ever happened to.&#8221; I hesitated to tell anyone but eventually told my fianc&#233; about what was happening, but I told no one else.</p><p>At one particular church service, everyone was being prayed for. Usually, back then I was a shy person who never sought to be in the fray or have any attention drawn to me, so I sat back and tried to be as invisible as I could. A trusted, precious friend, a man of God much older than me at the time, called me out and wanted to pray for me. I never told him that I desired to be filled with the Holy Spirit. I never told him I had never prayed in tongues. But as he prayed for me, suddenly he stopped, looked intensely into my eyes, and said, &#8220;The Lord is telling me you are hearing it in your mind, and if you will let it out, He will fill you with the Holy Spirit.&#8221;</p><p>The fact that this man knew what was actually happening inside my head freaked me out! Had I not known him personally, and still know him today, I might have thought something crazy was happening. However, I knew instantly the Lord showed him something about me.</p><p>I didn&#8217;t &#8220;let out&#8221; what was in my head.</p><p><strong>What I did do was pray when I got alone in my car on the way home.</strong> I told the Lord, &#8220;You know that I didn&#8217;t tell that man about what I&#8217;m hearing. That had to be You. Lord, I&#8217;m going to try it.&#8221; So I quietly began to say the words of the Holy Spirit I heard in my mind, and all at once, a rush of power filled my body, and I began to pray in the Spirit more deeply. I cried out, &#8220;That wasn&#8217;t me! That was YOU!&#8221;</p><p><strong>Since that day over thirty years ago, I have prayed in the Spirit nearly every day of my life.</strong></p><p>Now, not everyone has had the same experiences I had. Not everyone has had a dream or received a prophetic word of knowledge to be filled with the baptism of the Holy Spirit. <strong>Apparently, these were things my Heavenly Father thought I needed for whatever reason, so He gifted me an experience that was mine alone.</strong></p><h3>Not once have I ever preached that my experience was the norm or the biblical way in which everyone has to be filled with the Spirit. Yet, my experience does not undermine the truth of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit.</h3><p>In the same way, all the gifts of the Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit are still true, real, and available. We cannot pick and choose to simply throw away certain fruits or certain gifts because of the excesses or even abuses of some. <strong>Scripture is still true from cover to cover.</strong></p><p><strong>My experiences with the prophetic gifting have largely been positive, but not completely.</strong> For instance, my wife and I were once prophesied over, being given a very specific personal word. This prophetic word was given in front of the whole church.  Guess what? The word did not come to pass.</p><p>However, as we prayed about this specific area of our lives on a personal basis, God gave us specific words of knowledge about it. My wife and I received these prophetic words during a prayer time in our home between just the two of us. These words didn&#8217;t come through someone else; they were given to my wife and me as we prayed over our desire and need. <strong>Guess what? The words He gave us came to pass. They proved true down to the last sentence.</strong></p><h2>When we received a word that should have and could have disrupted our spiritual walk, we were left with a choice. </h2><p>We could either judge that all prophetic words were not from God, lay down our belief in the supernatural nature of God, and walk away, or we could realize that men and women are never perfect, and they will undoubtedly &#8220;miss&#8221; it sometimes.</p><h2>Let me also say, prophetic words are in NO WAY on the same level as scripture. Scripture will always remain superior to any prophetic word a person may receive. </h2><p>If a word is not backed up by scripture, you should not believe it. If a prophetic word speaks to the supernatural nature of God without having a certain scripture, you should pray into it.</p><p>We prayed into the word we received many, many times.</p><p>Ultimately, we felt the Lord had a different plan for our lives.</p><p>When you plant your faith in man, you will always be led down a pathway that is shifting and swaying. <strong>But when you plant your faith in the unshakeable nature of God and His word, there is no reason to be shaken when someone comes along with a &#8220;word&#8221; that seems off.</strong></p><p>Scripture says something very important about spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians.</p><blockquote><p><em>1 Corinthians 14:31-33 NKJV&#8212;For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged. [32] And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. [33] For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.</em></p></blockquote><h4>We are supposed to judge the gifts of the Spirit, and we should. It also declares to us what Gifts of the Spirit are meant for: encouragement. They are not meant to bring confusion, but encouragement.</h4><p>As believers, we all have the Holy Spirit inside of us. He speaks to us. He leads us. He gives us guidance.</p><p>What this means for us personally is that we do not need another person to come along and give us a &#8220;word&#8221; in order to hear from God. Your Heavenly Father will personally speak to you. <strong>Prophetic words come alongside in order to confirm or bring clarity to what the Lord has already spoken.</strong></p><p>There are many believers who do not believe God can still speak.</p><p>If you mention something about how the Lord spoke to you, they roll their eyes in disbelief, yet I wouldn&#8217;t trade my experiences of the Lord&#8217;s voice or His presence for any amount of money. His voice is my precious daily delight. <strong>He speaks in my heart like a Father, and I would never want to give up His presence or His voice. I know it is real.</strong></p><p>If ever there is a moment, and there have been, when it seems that what I heard may not agree with scripture, I instantly begin to pray into what I heard. I ask for clarity and discernment. <strong>I don&#8217;t assume I get it right every time.</strong> There have been a few times when I&#8217;ve had to say to myself, &#8220;Maybe I didn&#8217;t hear this correctly.&#8221; I&#8217;ve also had to say on occasion, &#8220;I don&#8217;t completely understand what the Lord is trying to say here.&#8221;</p><p>So I set aside those &#8220;words&#8221; and go back to &#8220;the Word&#8221; and seek His face. </p><h3>But what I do not want to do is mistake my fallibility for God&#8217;s inability.</h3><p>He is supernatural in every way and able to speak. I am fallible, not always hearing correctly. However, if scripture is my bedrock, I will declare along with scripture, &#8220;You will work INTO me what is well-pleasing in Your sight.&#8221; </p><p><strong>Never assume you have arrived. Never assume you know scripture perfectly. Never assume you get it right every time.</strong> </p><h4>But always assume there is something more about the Lord you can learn. Always assume that you have been given an ability to hear His voice, and cultivate your hearing. Always assume that the Lord seeks to press you more deeply into the things of God and into His nature.</h4><p>I&#8217;m not really sure how to end this article, other than to say, <em>&#8220;I pray for those who have been blatantly abused spiritually. I pray their hearts and lives will come to a place of healing. I pray that they will still cling to the goodness of God even though they have experienced the hurt and sinfulness of man.&#8221;</em></p><p><strong>But I also pray that the church will not throw away the gifts of the Spirit or the supernatural nature of God because of the excesses or abuses of man.</strong> </p><h3>Man&#8217;s stupidity and ignorance never cancels the Lord&#8217;s wisdom and power.</h3><p>We are in the beginning stages of the greatest revival in the history of the world.</p><h3>Jesus is about to return.</h3><h4>The church wins!</h4><p>Let&#8217;s do everything in our power to see lost people come to repentance and for the church to wake up spiritually.</p><p><strong>Let&#8217;s pray like we have never prayed in order to see the miracle-working power of God reach people who are hurting, truly heal them, and bind up their wounds.</strong></p><p>Let&#8217;s allow the precious Holy Spirit to be who He longs to be among us and not quench His working or stop His hand.</p><p><strong>Today is still a day of miracles, signs, and wonders for those who will press into the Lord and seek His face.</strong></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.strongfaith.co/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading StrongFaith.co! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[You Are God’s Ambassador In Prayer]]></title><description><![CDATA[View your prayers from God&#8217;s vantage point.]]></description><link>https://www.strongfaith.co/p/you-are-gods-ambassador-in-prayer</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.strongfaith.co/p/you-are-gods-ambassador-in-prayer</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Larry Shankle | StrongFaith.co]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 01 Jan 2026 01:57:45 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!w85a!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F69f54246-9acf-4903-8d60-f539ce0e2eda_2048x1365.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!w85a!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F69f54246-9acf-4903-8d60-f539ce0e2eda_2048x1365.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!w85a!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F69f54246-9acf-4903-8d60-f539ce0e2eda_2048x1365.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!w85a!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F69f54246-9acf-4903-8d60-f539ce0e2eda_2048x1365.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!w85a!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F69f54246-9acf-4903-8d60-f539ce0e2eda_2048x1365.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!w85a!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F69f54246-9acf-4903-8d60-f539ce0e2eda_2048x1365.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!w85a!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F69f54246-9acf-4903-8d60-f539ce0e2eda_2048x1365.png" width="1456" height="970" 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class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" class="icon-noB79L"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2 icon-noB79L"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>This quote powerfully reminds us, as the people of God, that we have been positionally placed in a place of great authority.</p><p>Through Jesus and His shed blood, we have been named ambassadors of the Kingdom of God. There is authority in your declaration and decree to change situations and release life where everything seems dead.</p><p>Scripture teaches us that there is the power of life and death in our words.</p><p>When you, as an ambassador of heaven, speak and pray the words of the King, all things of the enemy must begin to obey. They have no choice. The devil and demons are subject to kingdom ambassadors.</p><h4>As you pray, you have an audience with the very King of Heaven Himself.</h4><p>The King listens and responds. He sends forth His Spirit. The angels move in response to your faith-filled prayer declaring the words of the King.</p><p>What this means for us in a practical sense is that we are no longer to approach prayer like beggars striving to gain just a morsel or scrap of food. Instead, we approach our prayers as avenues of connection to the Kingdom of God, knowing that the King Himself has granted you authority and that He longs to hear from you.</p><p>What a difference it will make as you pray for your children, your home, your spouse, your job, your resources, and more when you see yourself the way Jesus sees you. Jesus told the disciples He sent out, &#8220;Do not rejoice that the spirits are subject to you, but rather that your names are written in heaven.&#8221;</p><p>Friend, your name is not only on Heaven&#8217;s entrance list, but it is also recorded as a duly appointed and qualified ambassador with all the rights and privileges of praying to the King and expecting a response.</p><h4>How you view your life of prayer matters.</h4><p>Your perspective is a direct reflection of your faith and how well you listen to the Lord. If Jesus has filled you with His own Holy Spirit, and if the Holy Spirit intercedes for you and on your behalf, how will the Lord NOT listen to your prayer?</p><p>The answer is, He always listens. Because He has placed you in a position of authority, not only as an ambassador but also as one of His own sons and daughters, the King of Heaven cannot wait to hear and respond to your prayer.</p><ul><li><p>Pray in faith today.</p></li><li><p>Pray with the deep-seated belief in your heart that God hears you and will answer you. In fact, He longs to do what you are seeking of Him.</p></li></ul><p>Jesus issues a powerful challenge to us as His ambassadors in the book of Mark.</p><blockquote><p>Mark 11:22-24 AMP&#8212;Jesus replied, &#8220;Have faith in God [constantly]. [23] I assure you and most solemnly say to you, whoever says to this mountain, &#8216;Be lifted up and thrown into the sea!&#8217; and does not doubt in his heart [in God&#8217;s unlimited power], but believes that what he says is going to take place, it will be done for him [in accordance with God&#8217;s will]. [24] For this reason, I am telling you, whatever things you ask for in prayer [in accordance with God&#8217;s will], believe [with confident trust] that you have received them, and they will be given to you.</p></blockquote><p>Will you trust Him today and begin to speak and pray with authority? Remember, you are God&#8217;s ambassador&#8212;pray like it&#8217;s true.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.strongfaith.co/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading StrongFaith.co! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item></channel></rss>