You should know that my wife wanted to be a nurse since she was a child.  She was one of those kids that knew what they wanted to be all along and actually did it.  In college while she was getting her bachelors in nursing she loved critical care the most.  I remember her telling me the stories of trauma when she did her clinical work in East St. Louis.  The more dramatic the better.  Her dream job would’ve been working for Urgent Care rescue riding on a helicopter to major crisis situations and providing care, saving lives.

She hasn’t had a chance for a job like that but she has worked in ICU and the ER her entire nursing career which going on her 9th year.  Well some of her dreams are coming true while she ministers in Haiti.  You have already heard this from my Facebook page but today she was planning on being transported via a military helicopter to the mountains where little care has been provided to the earthquake victims.

When God put this wonderful woman together in her mother’s womb this is some of what He had in mind.  He would give her skill to heal and fix and also a heart that moves in compassion like He does.  It’s so awesome to see the work of God in my wife.  I’m so proud of her and so honored to be her husband.  My kids truly do have a hero for a mother.

She sent me this text last night which reads:  Awesome day loving on the Haitian people. Cut a wound open using a blade to clean it out on my own. It was cool. Trying to talk the EMT team in to taking us with them in the mountains for a few days. They are being flown in by the army.

Be blessed and please continue to pray for my wife and all the people of Haiti.

Wes

We’re still not able to get away from watching CNN or Fox News nearly all day around our house.  If not on the TV then reading articles and looking at unbelievable images online.  I just came from cnn.com where I was looking at several pictures of dump trucks dumping bodies into a large hole that is acting as a mass grave for the tens of thousands that have been killed by the earthquake in Haiti.

The weekend after the earthquake hit Haiti Amanda and I were actually on a weekend getaway to be alone together.  My parents came in town to watch the kids and we took off for the boot-hills of Missouri.  We found ourselves mostly glued to the TV as the news of the devastation from the quake was just getting out and talking about what to do.  We were struck deep in our hearts most by the hundreds, possibly thousands, of kids some two, three years old, that are now orphans.  We imagined if that were own kids, our Owen or Maci, small, dependent and now completely alone and terrified if we were to be taken out like this.  This broke our heart as we moaned and prayed to God.

I was immediately grateful that we live in a community (IHOP-KC) that does non-stop the wisest thing one can do in a time of crisis…fast and pray.  Seriously.  God is the One that can transform and aid Haiti more than any National effort on the planet.  We go to Him and contend for these little ones in Haiti, that they would be fathered, mothered, fed and cared for; protected from evil.  He releases true justice to those who cry out to Him day and night (Luke 18:7-8).  One of our ministries at IHOP (CRI) was deployed to the ground of Haiti by that first weekend as well as we’ve committed to 24/7 Works of Justice to join our 24/7 Cry for Justice in prayer and fasting.

My wife has joined with the efforts of other local nurses and medical personnel and is also deploying this weekend for 10 days to assist the Haitian people with medical needs.  We’ve had hospitals, pharmacies and many people step to the plate to donate finances, supplies and air fare.  My wife was made for this.  She’s the most compassionate person I’ve ever met and she’s VERY diligent to accomplish the job at hand.  I’m so blessed to have her as my best friend and partner for life.  Her and the team will be ministering to spiritual and medical needs in extreme circumstances as many of you can imagine so please commit to pray for her and the team every day for the next couple of weeks.

This has struck something deep in our hearts.  We don’t know what the Lord is speaking to us exactly but we know we strongly desire to be completely sold out to the Lord and what He has for us.  We are not our own, we were purchased with a high price, the very blood of God.  Lord grace us, protect my wife and annoint her with great power to heal the sick and cast out devils and if necessary, to raise the dead.

Thank you for standing with us in prayer.

For more on the story visit our HAB homepage.

Wes

This morning I’m preparing for several things that the coming months hold.  Teaching at IHOPU, onething conferences throughout the nation and Luke18 Fuel Schools to name a few.  As I sit in the Prayer Room and pander all of my plans and feel the sense of anxiety I’m amazed at how quickly the presence of the Holy Spirit can calm my soul.

Several times each hour I pause, even for just  few seconds, and whisper to the Person of God, Jesus.  This morning as I was looking over the schedule and feeling the weight of all the work that needed to be done I did it.  I stopped, whispered to Him, “I will love you with all of my heart, I give all of my life to you.”  Instantly as I whispered that prayer I felt His presence on my heart.  My emotions were calmed and faith in His leadership replaced that weight of anxiety.

Beloved this is within reach every day and every hour.  He’s near to those who call on His name.  You don’t have to have the perfect prayer or be in a certain location.  Anywhere and any time He is willing to give His Spirit to those who ask and wait upon Him.

I encourage you no matter where you’re at whether it be at home with the kids, on the run with running errands or at work, talk to Him.  Let His presence empower your heart to be all that you were called to be today.

Be blessed.  Jesus is worthy and He is faithful.

Wes

Every year from December 28-31 we host a young adult conference here in Kansas City based upon the vision and values of the Kingdom of Jesus and what we feel He is saying to the church.  We’ve been hosting this conferenece, known as onething from Psalm 27:4, for the last decade and this year we had right at 20,000 in attendance from all over the nation and several other nations as well.  We had 40,000 registered with us online as we offered the FREE conference online with webcast as well.  GodTV also aired many of the sessions.

This year was powerful.  We witnessed the Lord release healing and power as He poured out His Spirit upon many in a new and refreshing way.  He healed many in physical ways with pain leaving, spines straightening and asthma being instantly healed.  We held a baptism a few nights and baptized 750 people.

In the teaching sessions we preached about what the Holy Spirit is doing in our generation.  How  He’s raising up a holy, devoted, lovesick church that will love the Father the way Jesus did.  How He is releasing grace and power upon us like no other time in history to enter in to fasting, prayer and worship encountering the depth of His heart.  How He is releasing power upon us to truly be a witness within our families, neighborhoods and workplaces; to heal the sick and preach the gospel with authority.  This is what He is doing.  He is preparing the church for the glorious days ahead.

The greatest harvest of souls is ahead of us.  The greatest trouble of trial and persecution is ahead of us.  The greatest outpouring of His Spirit is ahead of us.  Beloved…it is a great time to be alive and know Christ!  Jesus is the Desire of the nations and will soon be known like this.

Are you in tune with what He is doing?  He will meet you.  He will come to you.

Be blessed today.

To watch and/or listen to any of the sessions of this year’s onething conference go to www.ihop.org where you’ll find all of the conference archived with video, audio and notes all FREE.

Wes

Why not dream, yeah contend, for God to completely transform a city and a nation.  He is going to meet us and bring a radical transformation to Christianity in the coming years for the whole globe.  Jesus is going to annoint the believers in Kansas City and other places to heal every disease known to man, thousands are going to come from all over the world and will be healed, set free, and born again to forever pledge their allegiance to Jesus.  There will be a GRAND VIEW of His kingdom and what He is like in Kansas City.

There is coming an explosion of Holy Spirit light and power that will annoint us to walk in His power and authority. We will have confidence in what is coming in the days ahead.  We will not shrink back in fear.  We will walk in boldness and clarity of mind.  The church will truly be a “light” to the world.  We will give direction and meaning to the coming days so that many will not fear.  Jesus will walk amongst us and be with us.

The church will look like Him.  We will be gentle, kind, righteous, holy and full of power to heal the sick, raise the dead and drive away devil spirits.  Generosity will consume us, compassion will overtake us.  The heart that burns in God will be alive in us.  The earth will see clearly what He is like and His name will be glorified.  An entire city will rejoice and be in unison that Jesus is King and worthy of everything.

Come Lord Jesus.

Contend for that which is in His heart!

Wes

For those of you that don’t know, there is a mighty move of the Holy Spirit here in Kansas City at the International House of Prayer (IHOP-KC).  We’re entering our 4th week of daily activity of God moving in a profound way in our midst.  Hundreds have been instantaneously healed physically, delivered from depression and filled with holy joy and power from the Spirit of God.  Jesus was truly raised from the dead!  His Spirit is the One doing all of this work in our midst.  Thousands are gathering nightly and the intensity is growing by the day!

Praise God!  This is the beginning of what we’ve been crying out for in prayer for 10 years.  IHOP has existed for 10 years.  We are a prayer based Missions Base that have live worship and prayer 24 hours a day/7 days a week.  We have over 500 full time staff, 250 part time staff and another 1,000 students and interns.  All of us participating in the prayer meetings that go on night and day.  In these prayer meetings we have been praying for God to pour out His presence in this city that many would believe in Jesus, be healed and filled with joy everlasting.  He has begun to move in our midst.

Thus far in the “Student Awakening” as we are calling it God has mostly been giving us the “wine” of His Spirit.  We call it the wine of His spirit because He’s making us glad deep on the inside.  We’re being filled with supernatural joy and many times even breaking out into sometimes uncontrollable laughter.  You can read about a similar experience in Acts 2 of the Bible.  Many after experiencing this are being healed of depression, self-hatred and anger, sometimes instantly.  It’s amazing!

I had a dream two nights ago that God is also going to pour out wind and fire upon us.  The wind of God speaks of the supernatural activity of creative miracles, the ministry of angels, power at a whole new level and fire speaks of abundant grace to love God, righteousness, holiness, repentance, salvation to the uttermost.

In the dream I was on a platform with many IHOP leaders.  The presence of angels suddenly filled the room.  It was a holy, fearful yet wonderful realization.  Suddenly the Lord came over the platform with wind and fire and I flew off the stage and onto the floor.  It wasn’t as if I was slammed to the floor, it was more as if I was picked up and “floated” down to the floor.  I was under the power of God with currents of Holy Spirit wind somehow inside of me and fire resting upon my chest and stomach.

Still in the dream I then got up and went about my day.  I had to go to a car rental place and then went to eat.  At the place where I ate I ran into some IHOP people.  We all were instantly under the influence of Holy Spirit wind and fire.  That night there was another awakening meeting and during the meeting the Lord came with His Spirit like wind and fire across the whole auditorium.  I witnessed in the dream many being tossed to and fro by the current of God’s wind and even some lifted up in the air like a leaf blowing in the wind.  They were blown 20-30 feet up in the air by the power of God as wind and fire rested upon them and went into them.

It was a powerful dream.  I believe the Lord is going to come to us continually with wine and then add wind and fire to us as well.  I woke up from the dream about 5am on this past Tuesday morning.  When I woke the presence of God was on me as I laid there in bed.  He rested on me in a tangible way for about 20 or so minutes until I went back to sleep.  My faith was strengthened to believe God for more.  He’s coming to us, the church, worldwide, every believer, male and female with the power and influence of His Spirit.

Amen.

Wes

What a bizarre thought, that God desires.  He wants.  He has zeal in His emotions, in His heart, to be understood and intimately known by you and I.  He has need of nothing yet He earnestly desires in passionate love for you to behold Him and for you to be filled by His love for you.

This revelation really helped me on my journey of pursuing the knowledge of God and bringing zeal to my life to live holy.  As I went back and reconsidered the life of Jesus it became so clear.  As I pandered His interactions with real people in their brokenness it jumped out at me so clearly.  God desires me.  Our Father wants me in His family!  Look at the lengths He went for us to be a part of this.

For the religious this is a difficult concept.  Our religious nature wants only the checklist, the rules, the rituals to go through every week to ensure that we are “OK” with God.  Yet for the child who desires to be cherished and loved this is easy.  Our childlike faith that Jesus spoke of is not that we would act childish, immature or foolish.  But rather that we would accept and believe the love of God in the same a way a small child naturally receives love and guidance from their mom or dad.

I’m experiencing this first-hand with my 2-year old, Owen.  When he’s scared, hurt or just grumpy he wants nothing more than to be held by mom or dad.  Sometimes he’ll lay in our arms for up to an hour.  He’s safe there, He ’s loved and cherished.  Oh that he would know how much I desire him, how much I want him to be confident of my love for him.  And if this comes from me, a mere man, how much more the Creator of love and affection, our Father in heaven?!

Jesus showed the world that God is a God of great desire.  He longs for you to know His ways, His wisdom and His love for you.

Be blessed by this truth,

Wes

This week of course is Thanksgiving here in the U.S.  This Thursday we’ll gather in our homes with family and friends, eat a ton of food, sleep all afternoon and do anything from playing games to going to the movies that night.  I personally love Thanksgiving.  Amanda and I live a day’s travel from our families so the simple fact of getting together with everyone is enough for me to love the day.  Plus the amazing food that I get to grub on all day and all weekend makes it a bonus; cranberry salad, sweet potato casserole, smoked turkey, stuffing…somebody holla!

The Holy Spirit is attracted to a thankful heart.  Throughout His Word God is constantly giving us the command and encouragement to be found with true thankfulness in our hearts.  This is a choice you know, to be thankful.  It’s not something you either have or don’t have.  You choose to be thankful.  You choose to pause, reflect and remember the goodness and provision that God has bestowed upon you.  As you do this I assure you that thanksgiving will begin to “well up” within your soul and you’ll be strengthened in your spirit.

We’re more faithful, gentle and understanding when we’re thankful.  Think of the opposite.  When you see someone that constantly focuses on what they don’t have or didn’t get you’ll usually find a person that’s easily angered and that’s embodied with bitterness.  Your heart will be fueled with the way you speak and think.  If you focus on what you lack and speak of it you’ll surely be blind to see what you have and what you’ve been given.  This of course weakens your ability to be faithful and gentle.

Yet the opposite is also true.  When you “choose” to see what you’ve been given, the good acts of a gentle Father seen in your life, you’ll begin to see more.  You’ll even begin to see times of when you think you’re receiving “less than” as actually times of God’s good dealings in your life.  You’ll surely be overflowing with thanksgiving and a cheerful heart.  This isn’t just good language.  It’s for real.  Your inner-life will be powerfully touched in a positive way by choosing to be thankful before the Lord.

Fill your mouth with what God has done in your life.  Look back and see His goodness.  Reflect.  Take the time to do this often so our hearts can grow more and more thankful.

Be thankful today and this week.  Have eyes to see.

Wes

Jesus.  He’s really alive, it’s not just a story stuck way back in history.  There really was a Jewish baby that was born of a virgin woman, He grew up in a small town and then revealed Himself as God when He was about 30 years old.  He walked hourly in power, proving He had authority over everything, proving that He was the Creator of everything.  It was He who “in the beginning created the heavens…”

Can you imagine running into this Person back then?!  The kids of Nazareth, the town that Jesus was raised in, didn’t realize who they were playing with out in the soccer fields.  The people who bought the furniture from Joseph didn’t realize that God in the flesh was the One who put the final touches on their home furniture (Jesus would’ve more than likely worked carpentry with his earthly dad, Joseph).  The people didn’t realize that God was living “just the street over” or “the town not too far down the road.”  What a time in human history to live!  God came to the earth to reveal what He was really like, His nature and desire for us, His creation.

When He died it was proven once and for all who He was.  He didn’t stay in the grave.  He came to life again proving that He even has power and authority over what seems to be the strongest and unescapable of them all, death.  He walked the roads and region for 40 days after He came to life again proving His resurrection.  This of course radically rocked those who witnessed this and spent time with Him.  It’s easy to see how their lives were never the same ever again.

When He left to go back to His Father He promised to always be with those who believed in Him.  He gave His Spirit, the Spirit of His Person, the Holy Spirit, to all those who believed.  This is still true to this day as billions throughout history have experienced.  Intimacy with the Person of Jesus is the greatest experience one could ever experience.  There’s no greater joy or peace deep within than the very joy and peace of the One who is the founder of them.

Jesus loves you.  For real.  How can one prove any more than this…that one gives their life in death that we may experience life.  This is how serious He takes you and how serious He is about desiring you.

Be blessed by knowing the Person of Jesus,

Wes

If you haven’t heard then go to www.ihop.org and read up on what’s been happening out here for the last week.  The presence of the Lord has increased.  We’ve had an increase in healing and the joy of the Lord is being poured out like something I’ve rarely seen.  It’s wonderful.  There’s a pure love for Jesus that is increasing amongst us.  We’ve decided to move our nightly prayer meetings to our bigger conference center from 6pm-Midnight for until this Sunday.  We’re going to decide then if we should continue for another week.  Thus far all week every prayer meeting has been packed as thousands have been meeting from 6pm-way up in the night.

After Amanda got off work last night she went there, as I was being the good husband and dad that I am staying home  with the kids , and the Holy Spirit moved on her in a fresh and powerful way.  One of our friends sent me a text while she was being ministered to and told me what was happening so I couldn’t wait for her to get home to tell me about it.  She came home all smiles and moved deeply as the Lord touched her in a fresh and powerful way.  I love my wife!  I love Jesus!

Pray for God to do all that is in His heart to do in Kansas City.

Also pray for me this weekend.  While the meetings here in KC will be rocking I’m heading to Ft. Wayne, Indiana to help lead a Passion for Jesus conference with a group of great people there.  Lord move in power!

Wes