Dr. Mike Evans, Author at Jerusalem Prayer Team

God Has a Purpose For Your Life

by Dr. Mike Evans | Nov 15, 2024 | Articles

As I was praying for you this morning, my beloved partner, the Lord spoke to me from Jeremiah 1:5: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

That’s the word God gave Jeremiah. I’m sure Jeremiah didn’t feel that way when he was beaten and put in stocks and sunk in mud and his scrolls were burned because of the word of the Lord.

Jerusalem’s Mayor Teddy Kollek knew I liked Jeremiah. Years ago, he told me he wanted to show me Jeremiah’s grotto, his cave. We went to it together. I was totally astonished because the name of that spot is now called Golgotha, the place where heaven and earth met.

Since the age of 11, I’ve learned to put all my faith in God. I’ve also learned to celebrate suffering and sacrifice and that nothing comes without a price. The Apostle Paul says, “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:17-18).

The price of admission to change the world is high. Jesus Himself faced unspeakable evil and betrayal. The Lord told me that when trouble comes, don’t play the victim. He asked me two questions. First, are the things you’re living for worth Christ dying for? Second, are you living your life in the light of eternity?

I have come to realize that it was in the quiet crucible of my personal suffering that my noblest dreams were born. God’s greatest gifts are given in compensation for what I’ve been through. That goes for you, too. God has a plan and purpose for your life that is more wonderful and bigger than you can imagine.

I’m sharing this with you today to encourage you because as part of the Jerusalem Prayer Team, you’re doing something truly great for God. You are part of a 100-year plan. Yes, that’s what God told me. Friends of Zion would be a 100-year plan. It is your legacy. It will shine and impact the nation of Israel decades after you’ve gone to heaven.

Daniel 12:3 says, “Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.” That is your promise. You are one of those stars that will shine in Jerusalem. The echo of what you are doing will shine over the holy city of Jerusalem and throughout eternity.

Truly, you are living your life in the light of eternity, and the things you’re living for are worth Christ dying for. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your generous Holy Spirit-led offering today. Jesus brought His offerings up to Jerusalem. Just like Jesus, you are bringing yours.

The vital work of the Jerusalem Prayer Team is only possible because of friends like you. The needs are enormous. People are suffering because of the wars in Israel and Ukraine, and we are literally saving lives because of you. Please be as generous as you can. God bless you.

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Standing Confidently in God’s Presence

by Dr. Mike Evans | Nov 8, 2024 | Uncategorized

Hebrews 4:16 reminds us that as Believers, because of our relationship with Christ, we can “come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

There are those who place great value in who they know—especially if those persons are considered to be the movers and shakers of the world. Those “in the know” will quickly recite a litany of who’s who and what’s what in order to impress others. But you and I are intimately acquainted with the only One who really matters—God the Father.

We are heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ and are sealed by the Holy Spirit (see Ephesians 1:13-14.) Because we have a close, personal relationship with the triune Godhead, we have the privilege of entering the throne room any time we choose. Revelation 5:8 says that the prayers of the saints are “golden bowls full of incense.”

Unlike those who may spend great sums of money to hobnob with the “A-listers,” our entrée is a gift freely given, and yet it cost Jesus everything. God’s grace has made it possible for us to have continual access to the throne and He who sits upon it.

In I John 5:14-15, the apostle wrote these words of encouragement to the followers of Christ:

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

As obedient children, we know that we can approach His throne with the assurance that if we ask according to His will, Jehovah will hear and respond. That, my friend, is the most important relationship you and I can have—one of fellowship and favor with God.

You are not a nobody…God knows you, and He loves you and cares for you. There is no greater evidence of His love than the gift of His Son. As we celebrate together this time of year, I encourage you to be reminded that God knows exactly who you are, where you are, and what you need. Rejoice in His love for you today!

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The God of Deliverance

by Dr. Mike Evans | Oct 25, 2024 | Uncategorized

In the second chapter of Joshua we are told of a Divine intervention and miraculous deliverance in the story of Rahab, the prostitute. Days before the famous march around the walls began Joshua had sent two men to assess the situation inside the city. As they stealthily slipped from shadow to shadow down the streets, an alarm was given and the men were forced to run for their lives. They took refuge in the home of Rahab. She hid them and asked that in return they promise to spare her life when Jericho was captured.

The spies told her that if she would tie a scarlet cord in her window, they would find her and spare her and her family. Rahab didn’t ponder the instructions; she didn’t argue the pros and cons of what she had been told to do. She simply lowered the red cord from the window of her family’s dwelling. As the spies promised, her life was spared. Why did God choose a prostitute of all the people in Jericho? In Hebrews 11:31, we read, “By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace.” She and her family were delivered because of her faith and obedience.

But there is even more to her story. She became part of the nation of Israel, mother to a great man named Boaz…who would one day marry a young Moabite widow named Ruth…and their great grandson David would be Israel’s greatest king. Rahab even became part of the lineage of the Messiah. When God delivers, He changes everything!

Sometimes we look at God as if we have to talk Him into doing anything for us. But God delights in showing His power on behalf of His children. The Bible says, “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars.” (2 Chronicles 16:9)

Today I encourage you to rest in God’s love and mercy, and trust in His power. He is greater than every need and challenge you will ever face, and He is just waiting to deliver you.

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The Unseen War

by Dr. Mike Evans | Oct 18, 2024 | Articles

In the book of Daniel, we find the great prophet and man of faith praying and fasting and seeking answers from God about the visions he had been given regarding the future. After three weeks, Daniel was visited by an angel who brought him the answer to his prayer. But the angel also revealed to Daniel a spiritual battle that had been taken place in the unseen realm.

The angel said that the answer had been sent immediately, but it had been delayed because a demonic power that he referred to as the “prince of Persia” had blocked it from being delivered. It was not until the archangel Michael, who is seen in Scripture as a great fighter for God’s people, arrived and helped win the battle that the angel with Daniel’s answer was able to come to the prophet and deliver it to him.

The Bible teaches that there are different levels of authority in the spirit realm. Paul wrote, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).

One of the most important truths I have ever learned is that no battle can be won in the physical realm unless it has first been fought and won in the spiritual realm. If Daniel had not been faithful to continue praying even though his answer was delayed, I do not believe that the spiritual battle would have been won. We are not observers in spiritual warfare; we are on the front lines of the battle. Our prayers matter a great deal, and they are powerful. The great hymn writer William Cowper said, “Satan trembles when he sees, the weakest saint upon his knees.”

We have a responsibility to be active participants in spiritual warfare. We must take this seriously, because these spiritual powers—both demonic and angelic—are actively at work in our world today. This is one of the vital lessons of this story from the book of Daniel. Each of us is facing battles against differing levels or layers of authority in the spiritual realm.

This is not just true on an individual basis; it is true on a national level as well. The demonic being referred to as “prince of Persia” had power and authority over one of the greatest empires of history. And this is not an isolated or special case. Other nations have demonic powers assigned to them. After talking with Daniel, the angel revealed that there was another evil spirit involved. “Then he said, ‘Do you know why I have come to you? And now I must return to fight with the prince of Persia; and when I have gone forth, indeed the prince of Greece will come’” (Daniel 10:20).

This tells us that just as Persia had a demonic power working in authority over its empire, there was a “prince of Greece” as well. And it was only after the demonic power behind the kingdom of Persia had been defeated by the archangel Michael that the Greeks, under Alexander the Great were able to defeat them on the field of battle. Previous to that time, the Greeks and Persians had fought a series of battles, but there was no decisive victory until the demonic power dynamic was first changed.

This matters a great deal to us today because Persia—modern-day Iran—is once again involved heavily in potential conflict with the nation of Israel. We do not know whether the same “prince of Persia” that was active in Daniel’s day is the same one behind the rulers of Iran today, but there is no doubt that there is a demonic power behind the throne. Satan has hated God’s Chosen People throughout all of human history, and his demonic powers have turned many governments against them. From Pharaoh in Egypt to Hitler in Germany to Iran today, the same evil forces are at work to try to destroy the Jewish people.

The reality of spiritual warfare is that Israel cannot be defended just with tanks and planes and soldiers and intelligence services or any other weapons. The Jewish state must first and most importantly be defended in prayer. That is why the Jerusalem Prayer Team exists…to gather Believers from around the world together to fight and win the most important spiritual battle of our lifetime.

As Daniel did, we must be faithful to pray until the victory is won. Only when the “prince of Persia” is defeated in the heavenlies will Israel have victory over the great threat posed against her today by Iran. And that victory will not happen unless and until we do our part to win it.

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A Day to Remember and Mourn: One Year Since the Hamas Invasion

by Dr. Mike Evans | Oct 7, 2024 | Uncategorized

Today marks a solemn and painful anniversary. One year ago, on this day, the world witnessed a horrific attack on the people of Israel. More than 1,200 lives were brutally cut short in a deadly Hamas invasion. Hundreds more were left wounded, and over 250 were taken hostage, many of whom are still missing. The pain and devastation from that day remain fresh, as Israel continues to face daily attacks, and the people continue to grieve.

These numbers—staggering as they are—fail to capture the depth of the tragedy. The grief of parents who have lost their children, the fear of families still waiting for news of loved ones held hostage, and the terror felt by communities living under the constant threat of attack cannot be expressed in statistics. The impact of these events is felt in every corner of Israel, and the suffering continues as Jew-haters relentlessly pursue the destruction of the Jewish state.

Behind the scenes, the mullahs of Tehran fuel this hatred, striving for nuclear weapons with the belief that a violent and bloody war will hasten the return of their Mahdi. This is a fight for survival—not just for Israel, but for the values we hold dear. As those who love Israel and God’s Chosen People, we cannot stand idly by.

A Global Call for Solidarity

In response to this ongoing tragedy, your Friends of Zion Center was asked by the Israeli government to host the official Global Solidarity Event. This gathering brought together leaders from around the world to stand with the Jewish people in their darkest hour. The event was filled not only with those in power but also with the very people who have suffered the most—families displaced by war, those grieving the loss of loved ones, and others still waiting in anguish for word of the hostages.

Over the past year, thanks to the generous support of friends like you, we’ve been able to provide food, medicine, clothing, housing, and counseling to thousands of suffering Jewish people. But this is only the beginning. As the attacks continue and the suffering grows, we remain committed to standing with Israel, ensuring that those mourning in Zion know they are not forgotten.

The Work Continues

The fight is far from over. The people of Israel still need our help, and we must not turn away. Whether it’s providing essentials like food and shelter or offering hope and comfort to those mourning and in despair, your continued support is vital.

Today, as we reflect on the pain of the past year, we must also renew our commitment to standing with Israel. The threats remain, but with your help, we can make a tangible difference in the lives of those who need it most. Your gift today will help the Jerusalem Prayer Team continue its critical work of bringing relief to the suffering and hope to the grieving.

Thank you for being part of this global prayer movement and for showing your love in action. Together, we can ensure that Israel never stands alone.

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