Going Beyond Ministries with Priscilla Shirer – Protecting Your Spiritual Lifeline

Priscilla Shirer (born December 31, 1974) is an American author, motivational speaker, actress, and Christian evangelist. Her father is Dallas mega-church pastor Tony Evans and her brother is Christian entertainer Anthony Evans.
The daughter of Tony Evans, senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship Church in Dallas, Texas,[1] Priscilla grew up well acquainted with the Bible. As a freshman at the University of Houston, she interned with a Christian radio station. Soon listeners were calling the station, inviting Priscilla to speak at their Bible study groups and other events. Soon she was invited to lead a weekly Bible study at the Zig Ziglar Corporation and then to join its speaker team. Priscilla has worked as an independent contractor for CBS and hosted a local television show, but recently she has focused solely on Christian ministry opportunities. She calls Anne Graham Lotz, daughter of evangelist Rev. Billy Graham, her mentor in ministry.

Together the Shirers established Going Beyond Ministries, a speaking bureau featuring Priscilla. The parents of three young boys, the Shirers share ministry and family responsibilities. While Priscilla continues to minister full-time, Jerry manages his schedule and other business aspects of Going Beyond Ministries.

Priscilla speaks around the world at churches and other events, including the LifeWay Christian Resources-sponsored Going Beyond conference and Deeper Still: The Event, where she shares the stage with Beth Moore and Kay Arthur. She has also authored several books.

Shirer graduated from Duncanville High School and Dallas Theological Seminary, earning a master’s degree from the latter in Biblical Studies.

In 1993, Shirer was a freshman at the University of Houston. Shirer was married in 1999 to Jerry Shirer, former Hilton Hotels executive. The couple has three sons.

In 2013, Shirer was a speaker at the 2013 Women of Faith conference. In 2015, Shirer made her film debut in the Kendrick Brothers film War Room. In October 2016, Shirer was recognized as one of four prominent women of faith during the 10th anniversary of God’s Leading Ladies Life Enrichment Program at The Potter’s House.[1] Shirer also featured at the 47th GMA Dove Awards.

I am excited about God’s Word tonight

I’m going to teach on a precious topic

of Scripture to me that actually I have

taught on in Memphis before so if some

of this insight some of you have heard

before you know get over it

maybe it’s just me that’s hard-headed

but every now and then the Lord just got

to say something to me more than once

for me to really take hold of it and do

something with it

Lord Jesus we are your daughters we’ve

worshiped you in spirit and in truth we

have rolled out the red carpet for you

to come and so father I ask that you

would come Lord rend the heavens and

come down speak to your people because

Lord we are so glad that each other is

here but we didn’t come to see each

other we came to see you so father I am

asking that tonight as we open up your

word you would speak to your daughters

there is someone here that needs a word

somebody’s marriage is hanging on by a

thread tonight I pray that you would

salvage it tonight in Jesus name Lord

somebody needs healing in their physical

body or their mind or their broken heart

needs to be mended I’m asking you to do

it tonight in Jesus name for somebody

needs clarity father for direction for

this next phase of their life they’ve

been waiting on you to give them clarity

I ask that you give it to him tonight in

Jesus name Lord there’s somebody that

needs victory in some area where they

are watching the enemy come in and run

rampant in some area of their lives so

tonight Lord I’m asking you to give

somebody a strategy a battle strategy

for victory Lord would you do it where

your daughter’s Lord we came to hear

from you we don’t want to go back home

inspire tonight inspiration where’s our

father we need to be changed transform

us Lord we don’t need another Women’s

Conference we don’t need to just hang

out and have fun we thank you for the

fun but Lord what we need

the word from God it’s so speak Lord

come on somebody say speak Lord we are

your daughters we are sitting on the

edge of our seat to see what it is you

will say to us in Jesus name come on

everybody agreed and said Amen so those

boys that I mentioned to you I think the

reason God gave me children is for

illustrations because I keep finding

illustrations of the life of my boys I

mentioned to you that they’re all very

engaged in sports they play really

whatever is in season but my second son

in particular really grew very attracted

to baseball for several years there he’s

laid it down now for basketball has

taken his passion but but baseball was

really what he loved for lots of years

we were in baseball season and I enjoyed

baseball season kind of Miss it I wish

she was still playing it I enjoyed it

because spring ball is fun to me in the

evening you sit out there with your kid

the bright light of the baseball diamond

there as you sit on the bleachers the

cool spring air brushing across your

cheeks you’re enjoying just watching

your kid playing the cool of the spring

evening I like spring ball the only

problem with spring ball is that it

becomes summer ball and Memphis is just

like Dallas Texas where in the summer it

does not just warm up slightly you know

it’s hot hot like where you feel like

the Sun must be mad at you

you feel like you must have done

something to the Sun and the Sun is

trying to get you back all summer long

it’s just piercing and blistering hot

and I’ve enjoyed watching my my boy play

but I especially loved it in the spring

because when the summer rolls in it’s

just that excruciatingly heat we’re

really you’re trying to be happy that

your kid is doing well and you’re really

okay when you’re just out there for one

game on a Saturday but at the end of the

season they have a tournament so you’re

sitting out there trying to be happy for

your kid

cuz he’s doing well but but you’ve got

to go out there on Thursday at 8 a.m.

and then at 10 a.m. and then you get a

little lunch break but then you got to

come back for the 2 p.m. game in the 4

p.m. game then depending upon how your

kids team did they’re gonna take your

team shift it to an entirely different

bracket of teams because on Friday you

have to come back for the 8 a.m. game

and then the 10 a.m. game and you get a

lunch break and noon but you’re coming

back for the 2 p.m. game in the 4 p.m.

game and then if your kids team had the

nerve to do well you got to come back on

Saturday

for the 8 a.m. game and the 10 a.m. game

and then you get lunch but you’re coming

back with 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. and then

forget Sunday’s supposed to be dedicated

to the Lord you’re coming back on Sunday

to play those last round of games before

they hand out the awards and I got to

tell you my second son probably partly

because of his size he’s always been

just a good player he had a knack for

baseball and I remember at 10 years old

was the first time he got a really good

hit and sent the ball over the fence at

10 years old he was great at first base

just had a knack you know certain kids

have a knack for certain sports while

baseball was his was his neck he’s had

to work really hard for the other ones

baseball came easy to JC so we were

proud of him of course had a lot of

maturing to do but we enjoyed the

tournaments because his team usually did

well and you’re trying to be happy but

you’re sitting out there sweating and

I’m not talking about those cute little

glistening sweats I’m talking about the

kind where the sweat is rolling down

your face and your neck and the inside

of your shirt and your jeans

and you’re trying to celebrate but

really you’re wondering if it’s ever

okay to pray your kid loses so you can

go home come on can I get one witness in

the house and a couple of seasons ago I

remember we were out there during the

summer we’re sitting underneath that

outdoor tent we bought from the sporting

goods store that that person promised us

when we bought it that it would stave

off some of the heat of the Sun but

there we were sitting under the tent

sweating bullets could not wait until

lunchtime so we could go to a little

nearby restaurant and just have air

conditioned that’s what we were after we

sat down had a little light lunch got

some water iced water that actually

still had ice in it for a little while

felt a little refreshed and then we came

back for the next game we lifted up the

back of the SUV and got all the gear out

the bats the bags the ice chests the

outdoor tent all that stuff we’re

walking over toward the baseball dugout

that will be that is assigned to the

next field that we’re gonna play at I’m

following behind my second son my second

son is a very gregarious personality

he’s ready for the next challenge his

shoulders are back his chest just poked

out I remember his chin was up and

because I was right behind him carrying

the bags I could see that he had a skip

in his step he was ready for the next

challenge closer we got to the field

though the more I watched my son’s

countenance completely changed I watched

his head start to hang down I mean y’all

a short walk from the place where we

parked to the dugout but I watched that

chin go down and I watched his shoulders

slump over

I watched him start wringing his hands

like he was nervous and I watched his

eyes get a little bit skittish like he

was afraid I’m trying to figure out what

was happening because it was just a

short walk from point A to point B I’m

following behind him I’m watching his

countenance change and as we were

walking I realized we were passing right

by some other team members they were

from another team I realized as I passed

by them this was the team we were about

to play these boys were sprawled out

underneath the shade of a tree on some

grass and we were walking right by them

and so I was getting a look at all these

these players as we passed

and the more and more I passed the more

I realized what was wrong with my boy

because I recognized these players we

had faced this team earlier in the

season and this was a team of serious

baseball players you know the kind of

team that has the serious parents

[Applause]

ain’t nobody got time for that he’s the

kind of parents where you know when they

gave birth to their boy they put a mint

on one hand a baseball on the other

they’ve been waiting for this their

whole lives you know and we have played

this team earlier in the season and when

we had played these team they were good

players they’ve been playing since they

were toddlers they were incredible

players and they had annihilated my son

and his team earlier in the season I

remember it had been a complete

embarrassment a complete upset when we

had played these boys before and now

this was the team they were about to

play next so my son walked by and as he

did his countenance changed because he

realized this was the challenge that was

in front of him they walked right by him

and because we were so close there were

two players that leaned over to talk to

each other one of them leaned over to

the other he was whispering I think he

thought he was whispering but we could

hear him he said there goes the big kid

from the Red Sox team is he the one that

hit the ball over the fence yep that was

him that’s the one that was that first

base he’s the one that caught all those

outs so that’s Jerry Shire

when my son heard his name crossed the

lips of the opposing team members that

head that had been hanging down all of a

sudden it popped back up again

I watched my boys throw his shoulders

back I watched them get a little swag

back in his step in fact we had to bring

him down a few notches before the game

started it was amazing how completely

different his countenance was how much

his countenance changed not because the

challenge went away but just because he

overheard what the enemy thought about

him when he saw him coming it’s amazing

how your countenance about your

difficulties and challenges in mind will

change not because they go away but

because we over here and really

understand what the enemy thinks about

us when he sees a daughter of God coming

because when he sees you and he when he

sees me he doesn’t see us and our

weakling power and fledgling strength no

he sees the power of Almighty God that

is on the inside of us he sees the Holy

Spirit that lives on the inside of us so

let me tell you something even if you

don’t believe everything that the Word

of God declares to be true about you

even if we’re not sure about all this

stuff you need to know if you don’t

believe it the enemy does you might

doubt it but he doesn’t he knows that

you have already been forgiven he knows

that there is therefore now no

condemnation for those of us who are in

Christ Jesus he knows that he is already

underneath your feet he knows that he

can form a weapon against you but that

that weapon has no possibility of

prospering in your life he knows that

according to second Corinthians you’ve

been made competent puppets for the task

by the Holy Spirit of God he knows that

you have been given the victory he knows

that in the end we win

and I’m saying what a shamed it would be

for the enemy to believe more about our

potential than we do what ashamed it

would be for him to be able to just

sprawl out a little difficulty and

challenge in your life and just the

sight of it is enough to keep you and me

from rising up stepping up to the plate

of being who God has called us to be he

just scares us out of reaching our full

potential

enough intimidation and fear will keep

us paralyzed and insecure and not rising

up to be the daughters of God and I know

that in a group decides there are some

challenges sprawled out in front of you

there are not many of us probably that

are in this room that can raise our hand

and say that we don’t have some

challenges right now in our life because

all of us in this room are probably in

one in one of in one of three places

we’re either right smack dab in the

middle of challenge you’re on your way

into a challenge or you’re on your way

out of one cuz that’s the nature of the

world in which we live jesus said it

John 16:33 he said in this world you

will have trouble it’s coming it’s a

part of the world in which we live and

if for some reason you happen to be

sitting in here tonight you don’t have

any particular struggles we just want to

say we’re happy for you

[Applause]

but for the rest of us live in the real

world the Apostle Paul wrote some

serious words for anybody interested in

victory his words are written in the

book of Ephesians as you turn there to

the book of Ephesians let me just tell

you that scholars say of all of Paul’s

writing the book of Ephesians is like

the cream of the crop I love the book of

Ephesians it’s like the cherry on top of

the cake you know a lot of the Apostle

Paul’s letters a lot of those letters

that he wrote to first century believers

in provinces during that day and age he

wrote letter after letter to disciple

them and mature them they didn’t know

what it meant to be a part of this new

race of people no longer Jew and

Gentiles separated that they were now

brought together under the umbrella of

Christ blood shed on Calvary they were a

new race of people they didn’t know what

that meant

so he wrote them letters to help them to

understand this new family of God and of

all of those letters that would become

the New Testament scholars say the cream

of the crop of all of Paul’s letters is

Ephesians because in the book of

Ephesians he spends more than the first

half of the book just rehearsing who you

are he spends one chapter and then

another and then another just making

sure you know what is the hope of his

calling and choosing you he wants to

make sure you know what is the

lavishness of the mercy of God that has

been bestowed upon every one who placed

his faith in Jesus Christ he wants to

make sure you know that even if you’ve

been rejected by everybody else mother

and father sister or brother best friend

or spouse has walked away from you that

you have been hand-picked and selected

adopted by the Most High King he wants

you to know that there is no pit of sin

that you’ve gotten yourself into you

know most of the stuff we’re in most of

the pits we’re in it ain’t the devil is

us really a lot of it y’all we do to

ourselves come on somebody say Amen

the Apostle Paul says I want you to know

there is no pitch you’ve dug for your

own self that the mercy of God is not so

great and so grand that he can’t reach

down in that pit and snatch you up out

of that pit he wants you to know that

you had been pulled out of darkness and

flung into the marvelous light of God is

that Paul gets so beside himself he

bursts out in a prayer and he prays in

the first chapter of Ephesians I’m

praying that the eyes of your heart

would be opened

he’s just cuz if they just be opened he

says grace you would see you would see

once and for all what is the hope of his

calling and choosing you he writes this

incredible letter about who we are about

why we can step up to the plate and have

victory because of our relationship with

Christ and then he’s trying to figure

out how to close a letter like this how

do I put an exclamation point on that

letter so that the daughters of God in

Memphis Tennessee if the Zoi conference

will step up to the plate so that when

they go back home and the challenge is

still just right there in their face

they won’t shrink back in fear and

insecurity but that they’ll go ahead and

rise up to the mandate of chapters 1

through 3 how do I put a period on this

thing I want you to just imagine Paul he

was in a Roman prison probably

house-arrest when he wrote this letter

imagine him hanging over the parchment

paper with his ink quill in hand trying

to figure out the words to say to make

sure that we never succumb to the

schemes of the enemy I want you to pick

picture the beads of sweat on his brow

as the Holy Spirit begins to inspire him

to write these words and Ephesians

chapter 6 verse 10 he says finally

be strong in the Lord and in the

strength of his mind he says put on the

full armor of God so that you may be

able to stand firm against the schemes

somebody say schemes the schemes of the

devil he says in verse 12 our struggle

it is not against flesh and blood but it

is against rulers and against the powers

against the world Force’s of this

darkness against the spiritual forces of

wickedness that are in the heavenly

places he says so therefore in verse 13

you might as well go ahead and put down

all the weapons of this world that

haven’t been working for you anyway

and take up some weapons that actually

have some power take up the full armor

of God so that you may be able to resist

in the evil day and having done

everything to stand firm he says you

want to just go ahead and stand firm

therefore the Apostle Paul puts a period

on his letter to us an exclamation point

on his letter to us by introducing to us

a concept that has never been disclosed

in Scripture there are other places in

the Old and New Testament from which we

can infer the topic but this is the

first time a writer comes right out in

big big bold letters and says you have

an enemy and your enemy is not the

person you’re sitting next to tonight

somebody needs to hear that your husband

is not your real enemy somebody needs to

know that your boss your boss is not

your real enemy somebody needs to be

told tonight that your co-worker you

know that one that one that if she says

one more thing to you you go knock her

out that one

[Applause]

the Apostle Paul came to tell you

tonight through the Holy Spirit that

your real enemy is no one or nothing

that is flesh and blood tangible and

touchable physical anything you can see

is not your real enemy

the Apostle Paul comes right out to say

you have an enemy

an invisible unseen enemy who is hoping

that just because he’s invisible

you will also think he is fictional the

Apostle Paul brings up the topic of

spiritual warfare

he says you have an unseen enemy behind

many of those challenges that are

sprawled out in front of your life

behind many of them is an influence or

someone who is stirring the pot in hopes

that you will be so intimidated and

insecure

you’ll never rise up to be the daughter

that God has called you to be and claim

the victory that is already rightfully

yours it’s his scheme it’s his sinister

attack against your life to just compel

you to shrink back in fear and

insecurity and never become who God has

called you to be you’ve got this unseen

enemy he’s preying on the fact y’all

he’s preying on the fact that he hopes

we will forget he’s there this is what

he does he shifts the attention cleverly

stage left so that you’ll forget he’s

the one off to the stage right pulling

the strings of much of what is happening

in our life he so disguises himself

behind life’s most pressing problems in

hopes that if he decides disguises

himself cleverly enough you will forget

he’s the one behind the scenes because

then he knows you will direct all the

wrong weapons at the wrong culprit he

knows you’ll think your words will work

and your money will work and your

solutions will work and your rationale

will work your connections will work he

knows that we will use earthly weapons

and they will only accomplish earthly

natural results as long as we forget

that there’s a real enemy Oh y’all if we

can get this in our minds

our hearts and when we go home tonight

tomorrow and we look that problem dead

in the face the bills that are still

there that health concerns that we have

the trouble on our job to struggle and

friction in our relationships if we will

go home and see them from a spiritual

vantage point we will stop using the

weapons we’ve been using to fight that

problem when Jude was younger actually

all three of the boys but particularly

Jude I would take him to this Harvest

Festival at a church around the corner

from our house a really small church it

was it’s like their answer to Halloween

they have a Harvest Festival and it’s a

trunk-or-treat does anybody know what I

mean what I say trunk-or-treat

okay lots of you do some of you may not

a trunk-or-treat is when members of the

congregation volunteer to bring their

cars into the parking lot on Harvest

Festival night they open up the trunk of

their car kids line up one trunk after

the other to play a carnival or fair

like game that’s been created in the

trunk of the car most of the time

whether the kid wins or loses the game

the person that owns that car gives them

a whole bunch of candy and sends them

home we are so grateful so we just go

one car after the other it’s like a big

carnival and you just go from one car

together and a few years ago the game

everybody wanted to play was behind the

bed of a truck it was so cool because it

was the only truck in the parking lot so

that was the longest line we were

standing in this long line I was holding

Jude’s hand he must have been about 4 at

the time he’s almost 9 now I’m holding

his hand and we’re standing in the line

it was really clever they placed a few

stairs right at the edge of the bed of

the truck so that a kid could walk up

into the bed of the truck

they gave the kid a huge plastic mallet

and then they had attached a table top a

huge table top about the same size as

the bed of the truck

they’d attached it to the side of the

truck cut six holes in the table top

draped it with fabric and out from those

holes every few seconds a puppet would

pop through so the job of the kid was

run up and down the bed of the truck to

pop the puppets on top of the head it

was a homemade whack-a-mole game that’s

what

homemade welcome so we’re standing there

waiting our turn there was a kid behind

us y’all that had us laughing

hysterically cuz he was very frustrated

with this whole situation and he was

very verbal about his frustration first

of all mother I do not understand why

I’m standing in this line did not come

to the carnival to have fun it’s not

funder standing line I have an idea mom

how about I go over there and play those

games while you stand in line and hold

our foot space and then when you get up

to the front of the line I’ll come back

and join you but he was not only verbal

about his frustration regarding the line

but he was also very frustrated because

mom I don’t even understand this game

why in the world would I spend all my

energy popping those puppets on the head

if every time I see one of those kids

hit the puppet on the head the puppet

disappears but for just a few seconds

because then the puppet comes right back

what is the point of this game if I’m

gonna hit the puppet on the head but the

puppets gonna come back he worked

himself into such a frenzy that before

any of us could see straight out of our

peripheral vision we just saw a put a

little kid running past us as he ran

toward the the whole game he grabbed the

fabric and pulled it clean off the top

of the board underneath there were three

adults with puppets on each hand

[Applause]

we got a good laugh and we also got a

good lesson that there is always

something you can’t see

influencing what you can and if you

spend if I spend all of my time and all

of my attention and all of my natural

weapons trying to smack at everything

that keeps showing up in my life at best

I will achieve temporary results and I

will exhaust myself in the process

without having actually accomplished

anything that will be lasting in my life

the Apostle Paul says today is the day

to pull back the curtain and let the

enemy know we got our eye on you to pull

back the curtain y’all and use some

weapons that actually work back there

behind the curtain he says I want you to

know the tactics of the enemy are so

sinister against you he doesn’t have

this blanket approach of course he can

in regards to larger entities like

nations or churches or communities he

can but he’s very specific in his

targets against you the Apostle Paul

wants to make sure you know that because

he uses a specific word to describe the

enemy’s warfare in our lives he says he

is scheming somebody say schemes I want

to tell you something about myself I am

a fairly easygoing personality I think

that people that know me would would

agree to that that I’m fairly easygoing

I’m not wound up very easily in terms of

anger it’s just I made like my dad in

that way we’re just easygoing so someone

offends me or hurts my feelings or

whatever and the may ask for forgiveness

I’m gonna forgive him really quickly and

easily I probably don’t even know that

they offended me it just stuff rolls off

of me really easy easily I’m kind of

wired that way so if somebody does me

wrong I can get

over it but if I find out someone was

planning to do me wrong well that’s a

whole nother story I mean you know don’t

get it twisted I’ll take these earrings

off and we tweekin

don’t let the little white shirt fool

you if I find out somebody’s been

scheming that’s different I find out

you’ve been thinking beforehand you’ve

been studying me so that you can watch

to see when I come and when I go you’ve

been watching to see what my weaknesses

are so that you could figure out how to

dangle the right carrots at the right

time to lead me astray in the right way

you’ve been trying to figure out what my

weaknesses are what the proclivities of

my flesh are so that you can take

advantage of those and not only have you

been watching and studying me in my

current state you’ve been looking into

my history so that you can figure out

what abuses I’ve suffered what hurts I

have so that you can figure out what

tender places I might still have in my

heart so that you could take advantage

of those and when I find out not only

have you had the nerve to be studying me

but you’ve been studying this man that

the Lord has given me to be married to

for the past eighteen years you are

studying him to figure out what his

weaknesses are so that you can try to

lead him astray in the right way you’ve

been trying to figure out what the

frailties of his flesh are and what he’s

inclined towards so that you can lead

him away from our family and from our

home and from the god-given destiny that

he’s been called to and then when I find

out not only have you been studying him

in his current state but you’ve been

looking into his history so that you can

figure out what hot-button issues he has

from his history so that you can make

his history and my history combust so

that we cannot have peace in the four

walls of our home and then when I find

out that not only have you been studying

me and my husband but you’ve had the

nerve to have your eyes on these three

boys that the Lord has given me to rear

into men of God when I figure out you

like your eyes already set on their

fears their anxieties their weaknesses

you’re already planning at this

fledgling stage how you can trip them up

so that they do not rise up and become

the men of God that they have been

called to be when I find out that you’ve

been scheming against me and the people

I love well if it’s a war you want is

the war you go have

the process you get doesn’t

it should cause a holy indignation to

rise up on the inside of you it should

should compel you that he’s scheming

against you that you wanna have a scheme

against him no we gotta have a plan of

action listen to me he is preying on

lazy Christianity he is hoping we will

come to church on Sunday and say Amen

and come to the conference and applaud

and have a great time what he does not

what is someone who rises up on Monday

through Saturday and stands in the guest

the gatekeeper of her home he wants a

lazy and indifferent and apathetic not

picking up the armor of God and standing

firm against his schemes he don’t care

if you say amen to the message he wants

to make sure you don’t go home and live

the thing day after day somebody’s got

to rise up and say not today devil not

on my watch I’m not just gonna lay down

and let you run roughshod over my family

my peace of mind I’ve gotta go to war

y’all we gotta go to war we gotta go to

battle against the schemes of the enemy

if your marriage is falling apart it’s

your time rise up and be a woman of God

your teenager is going to stray don’t

just lay back and watch the enemy take

your son or your daughter on a ride

you’ll be the one that has found on her

knees with her hands outstretched luring

her family

grandmother grandfather we need you to

go to war for your grandkids the enemy

wants you out pathetic he wants you lazy

because then he can take advantage of

you

any scheming scheming have you ever

wondered why that particular carrot is

dangled in front of you it’s that

temptation that wouldn’t bug your

girlfriend cuz it’s not her thing she’s

not even interested in that it’s the one

that suits your fancy has it ever

occurred to you that that carrot is

always dangled when you’re particularly

lonely that that carrot seems to show up

when you’re overwhelmingly tired but it

always seems to be right there when

you’re overwhelmingly hungry vulnerable

easily enticed that’s not coincidence

that’s escape and his schemes against

nations he has schemes against

communities

he has schemes against churches and he

has a scheme against the Apostle Paul

says don’t be afraid but you better be

on your guard

you gird yourself with some armor that

works I don’t have I don’t have time to

go through all the pieces of armor but I

do want to tell you about one in the

last five minutes and thirty seconds

that I have with you there’s one one I

can’t let get away the Apostle Paul says

you need a breastplate because you’ve

got to have something that blocks the

enemy from a full frontal attack you

need something to cover and guard the

most vital spiritual organ that you have

your heart just like your physical heart

pumps all of the energy and life you

need in order for you to continue to

function in your physical body without

the canoe

you’d lifeline on function and health of

the heart you would not be able to

survive physically so it is that your

spiritual heart is the lifeline for your

spiritual well-being all the fervency

the fire the passion you need to have a

prayer life that is not just talking to

a random person without feeling the fire

and passion of God all of the fervor you

need to follow God fully and to be on

his assignment for your life with some

sort of fervor in your footsteps and

passion in your heart the fire and the

fervor that you need to open up the

Bible and it not just be you reading

some ink on a page but to actually hear

the voice of God speaking to you to the

Scriptures all of that is tied to the

health of your spiritual heart so if I

were your enemy oh I’d be after your

heart more than all else listen to me

young people more than all else cuz I’d

be after your heart the Apostle Paul

says your breastplate is righteousness

somebody say righteousness Jerry and I

live in a fairly rural part of Dallas we

planned it that way we like it we’re

close enough to get there quick far

enough – way to feel like we’re worlds

away quiet little two-lane road horses

are over there on somebody’s land

there’s some cows over there on

somebody’s land we move there because

there was a yard there was a backyard

with trees and bugs and mud and things

boys need in their lives because I’m

that kind of mama that says boy go

outside

are there any mothers in the house that

still believe in outside anytime they

come to me and have the nerve to tell me

they are bored I say you see that tree

right there go play with it you can eat

it you can play tag with it I don’t care

what you do with it go play one of the

things we love is that my one of my

closest friends lives across the street

she has for 10 years she has a pond in

the front of her property so I grabbed

the two fishing poles I bought on sale

at the local super Walmart

I got a tackle box on sale at the local

local super Walmart we have some extra

bobbers in the tackle box we always lose

those little bobber bobble thingies got

extra hooks cuz we might need a couple

extra hooks and I’ve got some scissors

in there just in case we need scissors

and I have gloves in the tackle box cuz

y’all know y’all know I don’t mind going

fishing but I ain’t gonna actually touch

no fish we grab whatever hot dog meat is

left from the week that’s our that’s our

bait because you know we’re

professionals we walk across the street

we stand on that the edge and we just

fish right there on the edge we catch

little sun perch no big deal in an hour

we can catch like ten fish because

they’re just all right there so we’ll

just fish it’s like an easy quick outing

with me and the boys but every now and

then every now and then Leslie I’m

feeling adventurous and there’s a boat

there my neighbors have this boat they

got this metal rowboat on Craigslist

they leave it upside down so that it

will drain water when it needs to so

that you know if it were to rain it

wouldn’t collect all the water they

leave it upside down and when any of the

neighbors want to take it out we just

turn it over we push it out we can go

out a little bit to the middle of the

pond and fish from there so whenever I’m

feeling adventurous I’ll say come on

boys let’s take the boat out that

doesn’t happen often though because in

order to get in this boat

I gotta turn it over and I already know

that the environment that has been

created underneath this upside-down mo

its moist in there it’s dark it’s damp

it’s shaded it’s perfect for a critter

so I know when I turn it over I know

something’s gonna hop out from

underneath it I know something’s gonna

waddle out from underneath it or worst

of all some y’all are my people y’all

know but every now and then I’m

adventurous I say come on boys let’s do

it I let them get the sides of the boat

I stand way back at the edge we turn it

over inevitably something comes out it’s

always amazing to me that never once

have I had to write a golden sealed

invitation send it into the brush nearby

to let the critters know we’ll be here

at one o’clock today you’re invited to

come and join us never once have I had

to stand in that little portion of the

shore there where we like to stand never

once have I had to stand there and call

into the brush on the other side of the

pond to say hey we’re here come on come

come be a part of our party never once

have I had to invite the critters why

because the environment created by the

upside-down boat is invitation enough

righteousness is right side up living

that invites the sunlight of God’s favor

and His grace on your life

unrighteousness

are you listening unrighteousness is

upside down behavior to where you don’t

have to invite the enemy to come and

make himself at home the environment

that unrighteousness creates is the

invitation it creates the environment

where demonic influence will flourish in

your relationships and your mind in your

heart in your home on your job and your

fight

it says in your health listen you can be

in your war room praying against the

devil tell you are blue in the face but

if you come out of that prayer closet

and live a raggedy wayward unrighteous

life the enemy will still be on the way

the reason why he dangles the carrot in

front of your life it’s because he wants

you to follow that carrot down a path of

unrighteousness because as soon as you

follow him down that path the boat has

been flipped over and the environment he

needs for demonic activity to flourish

in your life has been made in your

existence whether it’s in your actions

whether it’s in your attitudes in any

place you have dug your heels into the

ground and you refuse to walk in a way

that is honoring God righteousness does

not mean perfection it means as a

lifestyle you have chosen to honor God

to the best of your abilities to align

your behavior with the truth that you

say you affirm yo this is what the

old-school preachers old-school back in

our Grandmama’s day great Grandmama’s

day

the preachers didn’t have any sort of

fear to be political politically correct

they weren’t interested in that they

just called it what it was they said

listen be holy

they called it holiness that’s what it

is

holiness keeps a breastplate fitted on

your life

it staves the enemy off to where he’s

trying to figure out how he can get in

and mess with your heart and your mind

and your marriage and your relationships

and your finances but you’ve got such a

big barrier of armed rooms on the front

side of you he can’t figure out how to

get in which is why if he’s leading you

astray in some area of your life if

you’re living if I’m living in a way

that is out of alignment with the truth

of God if right now the Holy Spirit’s

burning on the inside of you because you

know

you are walking in a way that is outside

of alignment with the truth of God

that’s his way of saying your

breastplate is off girl it’s time to put

it back on cuz the enemy wants to take

advantage of you do we have a few more

minutes Lesley am i okay listen

listen in this pre seeker

seeker-sensitive

era where we want everybody to feel

comfortable and welcome yes come as you

are but don’t stay as your

and I’m afraid that we are in this

generation I’m including myself

y’all I’m afraid that we’re impressive

but we have on no breast plate

I’m afraid young people listen to me I’m

afraid that we have a whole lot of

Instagram followers but no press I’m

afraid that the enemy is satisfied with

how much applause we’re getting from

people because our selfies are perfectly

lit but then he’s ripping us to shreds

because we have no protection I’m afraid

that we have sacrificed holiness because

we want to be impressive to other people

and so we have a likeness of holiness

but we’re not actually living right and

so if you are under the sound of my

voice and you know you are living in a

way that this otter scoff whether in

your actions or in your attitudes you

have dug your heels into the ground and

you have refused to turn to repent means

not to say you’re sorry but by the power

of God’s Spirit to turn and go a

different way if you have not made that

choice I want to invite you to make that

choice tonight so that you can walk out

of here with a breastplate

[Applause]

my grandmother went to see Jesus a

couple years ago

she said Priscilla when I see him I

don’t want to see him and meet him with

my head hung down I want to be able to

look him in his eyes she said he paid

much too high a price for me to live in

eoq ran away I don’t want to meet him

with my head on when I see him face to

face he’s not going to ask me about the

stuff most people ask about he’d not

gonna ask me about that movie not gonna

ask me how many people read these books

he’s not gonna ask me how many people

followed me or applauded me or knew my

name he just kind of asked me if I knew

Jesus and then I’m gonna give an account

as to whether or not I squandered this

gift or whether I walked in a manner

worthy of the call

and I know you do too so if you’re in

this room and you’re not living holy

you’re just not you know you’re not you

you’re living with him you are sleeping

with him you are smoking that substance

you’re addicted you’re drinking that

alcohol you’re addicted you are bound by

every sin and hindrance and to be honest

you don’t want to you don’t want to

change you happy where you are living in

the squander the good thing about the

Holy Spirit y’all I’ve seen it proof for

myself is that he has a way to make you

want to do the stuff you don’t want to

do

he doesn’t just free you he changes your

want to

[Applause]

he can make you want to do right and

then he can give you the power so that

you can’t

[Applause]

if you’ve refused to forgive it can make

you able if you’ve been comfortable in

your bitterness he can help to soften

that place in your heart so that you can

be healthy and whole and free in Jesus

name if an attitude or action you know

you’ve been walking the wrong way so you

know you don’t have a breastplate on and

you’re watching the enemy just run ramp

it in your life because you have on no

breastplate but you want to get that

thing on tonight come down here and meet

with me right now at this altar we’re

gonna pray together once and for all

we’re gonna walk out of here with some

victory that’s you and you need prayer

for that

[Applause]

you can stay standing or on your knees

whatever whatever works for you just

come as close as you can okay

there’s lots of room on this side as

well over here and on that end

[Music]

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

every freedom

[Music]

[Music]

[Music]

Oh

so Lord here we are

your daughter’s Lord and we asked right

now in this precious moment Lord that

your spirit would come and set people

free Lord I’m asking right now in the

name of Jesus Christ that the Holy

Spirit will do what they’re admitting

they cannot do in their own power I’m

asking right now supernaturally

miraculously would you break chains off

of people’s lives

father I’m asking you in the mighty

matchless name of Jesus Christ that for

the one caught in addiction I’m asking

you Father

for the taste for the drug to leave

somebody’s mouth right now in Jesus name

I’m asking you Father for the taste from

the alcohol to leave somebody’s mouth

and Jesus snake Lord I’m asking you that

they legitimate time emotionally that

this woman has to that man I’m asking

you to break that tie in Jesus name for

the woman caught in an adulterous affair

what I’m asking you and break that

emotional physical time right now in

Jesus name Lord the next time she goes

back to him

help her to not want to do what you

don’t want her to do any longer father

lord I am asking you for the bitterness

to melt off of somebody’s heart the one

that you have called to forgive and

she’s refused to forgive father and

asking today you would set her free how

were to walk in forgiveness and to

extend grace to that other person father

Lord I’m praying for the wife that has

dug her heels into the ground

she is resentful against her spouse and

she will not follow in humility I pray

that you would give her a submissive

spirit right now in Jesus name to honor

her husband as he honors you

[Music]

righteousness

righteousness we’re gonna live right

Lord not by our strength we’re gonna

live by right by your power your spirit

I thank you for your spirit Lord I pray

that the Holy Spirit would become a

reality in the lives of all of these

women in my life lord help us to no

longer lean on the flesh the Lord and to

walk according to the flesh show us what

it means to walk according to the spirit

so that we will not fulfill the desires

of the flesh and father as we honor you

by living righteously according to your

spirit I pray that the breastplate would

so defend us against the schemes of the

enemy Lord that he cannot infiltrate our

life so father I pray against every

demonic attack of the enemy against

these women against their husbands

against their children against their

finances against their peace of mind

against their peace of heart Lord I pray

right now in Jesus name that every

attack of the enemy would be canceled in

Jesus name and by his blood that has

been shed on Calvary break it right now

in Jesus break the chains right now in

Jesus saying I pray for strongholds to

crumble at the name of Jesus I pray for

any demons to tremble at the name of

Jesus because it is that his name that

every knee will bow and every tongue

will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord

so depression is bending the knee right

now in Jesus name unforgiveness is

bending the knee right now Anji

snake addiction is spending the Dean

right now in Jesus name

sickness it’s bending the knee right now

in Jesus name

we’re gonna leave pray denied jesus

healed and whole in Jesus name

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

[Applause]

everybody look at me look at me look at

me

I’m gonna ask you a question

have you placed faith in Jesus Christ

listen to me I’m not asking you if you

have been in church all your life if

you’ve been in the choir if you’ve done

good things I want to know because

victory you know is only ours in Jesus

if we have a relationship with him okay

so I can pray for you we can we can want

to walk in righteousness but if you’ve

got to walk in righteousness in your own

strength that’s gonna last about a week

then you’re gonna be tired you gotta

have the Holy Spirit to help you to walk

in righteousness

okay you can’t I can’t do it on my own

and neither can you

okay so in whatever area right now you

need to break free and walk in holiness

you cannot do it without the Spirit you

receive the Spirit when you receive

Jesus Christ okay it is a gift of your

salvation it’s the best gift you’ll ever

get because the Holy Spirit comes

bearing fruit he comes bearing gifts he

comes in like a flood and he changes

your life he gives you power to do this

stuff okay so I’m asking you I’m asking

you can the lights come up a little bit

because I need to see you I’m asking you

have you placed faith in Jesus okay

if you’re right here in the aisles

wherever you are y’all wherever you are

if you’ve never placed faith in Jesus

but you want to seal that thing up

tonight so you can get this breastplate

on okay

just wave your hand at me if that’s a

prayer you need to pray tonight you’ve

never placed faith in Jesus Christ so

you want to do it tonight if that’s a

decision you need to make okay in the

balcony anybody you need to place faith

in Jesus tonight we’re gonna take care

of this

tonight we’re gonna get some

breastplates on up in here I see you I

see you okay

keep your hand up if that was you y’all

sisters can you look around if there’s

somebody near you with their hand raised

just reach over and put your hand on

their shoulder grab their hand just let

them know they’re not alone in this

moment look around you in the balcony

come on y’all

we’re gonna pray the prayer of faith the

Bible says you believe in your heart you

confess with your mouth that Jesus

Christ is Lord and you shall be saved

okay we’re gonna all pray this together

so that we can build an atmosphere of

faith for those who are praying it for

the very first time let’s pray Lord

Jesus I am a sinner in need of a savior

and I believe that you are that Savior

so today I place faith alone in Christ

alone to remove the sin take up

residence in me

and the person up the Holy Spirit right

now in Jesus name in Jesus name

[Music]

[Applause]

I want to say one more thing and then

we’re gonna sing like wild women listen

so you remember in the Lion King it’s

all these hyenas messing with Simba and

symbols like RAM and the hyenas are like

he tries again rare and they’re like are

you seeing these we’re not afraid of

that puny weakling stuff you got going

on you can’t do anything to us he tries

again

nothing tries one more time and this

time when he opens up his mouth a war

comes out of nowhere that he can’t

imagine and it’s because Mufasa has

shown up behind him

[Applause]

I can’t get out the funny the enemy is

gonna be running away not because of no

war but because the father is

[Applause]

[Applause]