FROM JONATHAN BENZ - INFO AT BOTTOM ON JONATHAN From: Emissary International To: South Florida Prayer News Subject: [South-Florida-Prayer-News] Current Prayer Strategies for Palm Beach County and the Presidential Election 101100

Current Prayer Strategies For Palm Beach County And the Presidential Election of 2000

Excerpts from a message given by Jonathan Benz At Covenant Centre International, November 10, 2000

1. A Prophetic Word to Palm Beach County
2. Intercession for Palm Beach County
3. Open Message to the Church regarding the Prophetic Season for Palm Beach County
4. Prayer Strategy for Palm Beach County for this Hour
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1. A Prophetic Word to Palm Beach County

For the Spirit would say you have not begun to see what I am doing and what I am going to do in this hour and in this season. You have seen but a glimpse of my move. You have seen but a glimpse of my wave in this land for I am ready to pour something out upon you that you are not ready to hold at this time. Yet because I am good I will pour it out upon you any way. I will give you containers to hold My goodness to overflowing.

And the Spirit of the Lord says even as the eyes of the nation are on your county at this time so the eyes of the heavenlies and those in heavenly places are turned toward your land. My ear is turned toward you to hear your cry and your supplications and petitions.

And the Spirit of the Lord says if you will only rise up, if you will only hear, if you will only listen to what the Spirit is saying to you at this time and will respond and will obey I will pour something out upon your land that will shake even nations and kingdoms. For my move is not over among you. My move is not over. My move is not finished. I have greater waves to pour out upon my people. Lift up your eyes and see. Lift up your eyes and look and see the redemption that is coming to your land. Lift up your eyes and see the redemption that is coming to your coastlands.

For I am shaking kingdoms in your city and in your county for which you have warred for years. Years in which there has been petition and supplication. Yet I have chosen and I have so ordained THIS time to shake kingdoms, to bring down kingdoms and to raise up My kingdom. For there is a shaking in the heavenlies even in this hour.

And the Lord says call to the north. Call to the south. Call to the east. Call to the west. Call for the messengers. Call for those from the throne. Call for the messengers and the angels to come and bring redemption and release to your county and to your nation. The Lord says this is the hour I have ordained. The Lord says do not look at this and be amazed. The Lord says look and lift up your eyes and respond with accuracy and with destiny and with specificity in this hour. The Lord says seek Me and find Me in this hour. Make your petitions known to Me and I WILL ANSWER.

And the Lord says there s a shaking in this nation. He has called Palm Beach County for this time and for this hour and for this season to show forth glory to the nation and to the nations. And the Lord says it is not because of your righteousness but it is because there is a remnant in the land that has not ceased to cry out to Him and to call on His name for redemption. And because that remnant has been faithful in this land, He is now bringing visitation. The Lord says do not look and let your hearts be troubled or dismayed, but look and let your hearts rejoice because redemption has come near to your house. Rejoice that redemption has come near to your city. Redemption has come near to your county, to your state and to your nation.

For He is about to release a fire to this land that we have not seen before. This fire will consume. This fire will purify. This fire will refine. This fire WILL come.

2. Intercession for Palm Beach County

So we say, Lord, SEND FIRE. Send your fire. Send your fire to this land. We call on Your name in this hour. Lord God of hosts. Lord of the armies. Lord of the universe. God of the nations. The only one God who has ever been and who ever will be. The eternal, everlasting. The God who sees and hears. The God of kingdoms. The God who raises up kingdoms and who tears down kingdoms. We call on Your name in this hour. We say Lord of the armies, release your sword over this land. Lord, we say in this hour release your sword in the armies of earth and in the armies of heaven. Release your sword that war may be waged in this land on behalf of our nation and the nations.

Lord, increase your government in the Church in this hour. Increase your spiritual government. Increase the apostolic mantle upon the Church in Palm Beach County and the Church of South Florida in this hour. Lord, release greater authority to your Church in this hour to bind and loose. To dare to tear down the kingdoms that you decree and to raise up the kingdom of our Lord.

Lord, we don t ask for fire for ourselves. That s not why we are here, Lord. We are asking for fire for our city and for our county. We need your fire, Lord. Our land needs your fire. Lord, from our county commissioners to those protesting on the streets tonight, they all need the presence of your fire. Lord, you love our county. We sing, Lord for our county tonight. We sing for the lost. We sing, Lord, for those who have no voice to cry out for themselves. We cry out to you for our governmental leaders. For our teachers and educators. For those who have no homes and those who call the streets their homes. We cry out, Lord, for our family members. For our employers and our employees. For black, white, Hispanic, Asian, and Native American. We cry out, Lord, for all in our land, tonight. And we say send your fire, Lord. Send revival, Lord.

3. Open Message to the Church regarding the Prophetic Season for Palm Beach County

Last night a prayer team went to downtown West Palm Beach. We went to the area where protestors from both sides had gathered. We felt the heart of the Father for them and for our county and for the nation. Tonight there are many hurting people in our county. There are many people who are disillusioned. And they are hurting. We cannot belittle their pain. There are many people who feel very disenfranchised in our county tonight. And the Lord sees their pain and He loves them and He wants us to love them, as He loves them. The Lord doesn t care whether you are Democrat or Republican or whom you voted for. God is not a Republican and He is not a Democrat. NEWS FLASH!

Another team went to Palm Beach Atlantic College today for a broadcast of CNN s TALK BACK LIVE. We were praying during the program. There were prominent news and broadcast journalists as well as local and state politicians who served on the panel. Members of the West Palm Beach community were there to speak out regarding the voting process. There was a definite polarization among the people who were attending the meeting. However, the consensus was: We have to come together for our nation. And we have to come together for our community. We have to work together.

In viewing these things I want to give you a little more perspective. Because the question on so many peoples minds is: How do you respond to this? How do you respond to this as a Christian? How do you respond when the nations are not just in your backyard. They are at your front door. They are in your house. Journalists from all over this nation and other nations are hovering in West Palm Beach. And we had the opportunity to pray over them (even though they didn’t know it).

The intercessors and the ministries in this county have done their homework over the past few years. I want you to know that we are not caught off guard. In July of 1999 the Holy Spirit said to me one Wednesday night that Palm Beach County would determine who would sit in the White House. And when I said it publicly that night, I thought, This is crazy. Then yesterday I said, Well, you were right, Lord.

Chuck Pierce was here in September of 1999 and he prophesied that the eyes of the nation and world would be on Palm Beach County. That is now happening. At that time he also prophesied concerning the stronghold, the principality that was over this county. He said if you go back 125 years you would find the key that would unlock this county, spiritually. At that time he prophesied words that we had gotten several years ago that said if Palm Beach County broke open, Miami would break open to the south. It was sort of funny today listening to Palm Beach Post journalist Frank Cerabino on Talk Back Live. He said, We re sort of the cousins of Miami, and Miami gets all the attention. Why are people looking at West Palm Beach? We know why. Because the Lord has ordained this and He spoke it to us before it happened.

Ruth Cooper is one of our intercessors and mapping strategists for spiritual warfare in Palm Beach County and the state of Florida. She has researched much of the history of south Florida and of Palm Beach County in particular. Within the last two days she has uncovered some information about former President Rutherford B. Hayes. One hundred and twenty-five years ago he was running for president against Samuel Tilden.

At that time Palm Beach County did not exist as it does today. This area was a part of Dade County with West Palm Beach as the county seat. That s why this area has to break open. West Palm Beach is the historic gate for south Florida. When residents in West Palm Beach voted, the mailman had to take the ballots to Tallahassee. He traveled by boat via the Lake Worth lagoon down to the Florida Keys, up through the Gulf of Mexico and toward the panhandle of western Florida. Then he would have to carry them across land to Tallahassee.

During that election, West Palm Beach held up the tabulation of votes JUST FOR A HAND FULL OF BALLOTS that would determine who the next president would be. There was a great deal of dissension in the nation because of this. In fact, on March 14, 1877 when Rutherford B. Hayes took his oath of office for President of the United States, he did so in secrecy. The president was fearful for his life.

We wonder why we are facing this scenario today. We didn’t know why when fourteen months ago, Chuck Pierce prophesied that if we would go back 125 years ago, we would find a key that would break open this area. I think the Lord has shown us a key.

Additional note from Ruth Cooper: The eyes of the nation were on the boat that carried the irreplaceable ballots. Rutherford Hayes was called the Healing President because he wanted to heal the nation after the Civil War.

4. Prayer Strategy for Palm Beach County for this Hour

I want to share with you a few things that the Lord has shown me from the book of Daniel. It is a wonderful study on praying for nations, presidents and leaders. It also helps us to see how God uses those who we think are pagan and reprobate. He gives them hearts to serve Him. They might not look born-again or evangelical, but they have encounters with the Most High God. Follow with me as I read, pray, and also paraphrase some of these passages in Daniel.

Daniel 9:15-19 Now, O Lord our God who brought us out of Egypt [out of Egypt is out of our bondage and out of our captivity] with a mighty hand, and who made for Himself a name that endures to this day. O Lord, we have sinned, we have done wrong in this county. O Lord, in keeping with all Your righteous acts turn away from Your anger and Your wrath from this city and this county, from Your holy hill. Our sins and the iniquities of our fathers have made our county and our people an object of scorn to all those around us.

Do you know what Europe thinks of us right now? Do you know what the nations think of Palm Beach County. They are viewing us with great scorn and sarcasm.

Now our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servants here. For your sake O Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary here. Give ear, O God and hear. Open our eyes and see the desolation of our county that bears Your name. We do not make requests of You because we are righteous, but because of Your great mercy. O Lord, listen. O Lord, forgive. O Lord, hear and act. For Your sake, O our God, do not delay because Your County and Your people bear Your name.

Daniel 2:20-23 Praise be to the name of God forever and ever. Wisdom and power are His. He changes times and seasons. He sets up kings and presidents and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. He reveals deep and hidden things. He knows what lies in darkness and light dwells with Him. Lord, shine Your light on this county tonight we ask. With brilliance shine. We thank and praise You, O God of our fathers. You have given us wisdom and power. You have made known to us what we have asked of You.

Daniel 2: 28-29 There is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. The revealer of mysteries showed to the king what was going to happen. And the Lord the revealer of mysteries shows to His people what is going to happen. Lord, we receive for Your body, for the body of Christ in this land and in America, an anointing, the mysteries the things that are hidden in darkness would be revealed to your prophets and to your holy men and women.

Daniel 2:47 Surely our God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and presidents and a revealer of mysteries. For He is able to reveal to us this mystery.

Daniel 4:35,37 The Lord does as He pleases with the powers of heaven (with principalities and powers and the rulers of darkness that want to rule over this land). Lord, You do as You please with the principalities over Palm Beach County. And you do as You please with the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back Your hand or say to You, What have You done? For You do as You please. Everything You do is right and all Your ways are just. Those who walk in pride, You are able to humble. And, Lord, You have seen the pride and the arrogance of those who live in our land. Lord you have seen the shame and the scourge of Leviathan and how it manifests through the people of our land. Yet, Lord, You are able to humble and bring down those who exalt themselves in pride. And, Lord, You are doing that now, in this hour. You are humbling Your people in Palm Beach County. And Lord where we have thought ourselves rich, You are showing us poor before You. Where we have thought ourselves powerful, and that we have great gain, You are showing Yourself among us. You are making us to be known as those who do not have power and as those who do not know their left hand from their right hand. Lord, You have taken the wisdom of the leaders and of those who have walked in our land and You have exposed it as ignorance before You and before the nations.

That was the prayer of the King of Babylon. If he can pray that, well - you know the application. So can President Clinton. So can Vice President Gore. So can Gov. Bush or any of them. The Lord is shaking our paradigms.

Daniel 7:9,10 Thrones are set in place and the ancient of days takes His seat. His clothing is as white as snow. The hair of His head is white like wool. His throne is flaming with fire. And its wheels are all ablaze. A river of fire is flowing, coming out from before Him. Thousands upon thousands attend Him. Ten thousand times ten thousand stand before Him. The court is seated and the books are opened.

Are you receiving this revelation. Those ten thousands times ten thousands are the hosts of heaven. They are the armies of heaven that the Lord is releasing to our land.

Daniel 7:13 He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into His presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power. All peoples, nations, men and women of every language worshipped Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away. His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed. Lord, over our county tonight, we declare that Your dominion is an everlasting dominion. That your power and authority is sovereign. Lord, while other powers and other parties will come in to establish their own power, You are shaking things in the heavenlies over this county to establish the kingdom of our Lord and Christ, and none other. Lord, we call unto thousands times thousands and the ten thousands times ten thousands that attend you that you would release from the kingdom of heaven here to earth. And as it is in heaven it will be done here on earth in these days. Let there be a release of angelic hosts of heaven to this land NOW LORD.

Lord, we call on the angels that rule, that set watch over Palm Beach County and over South Florida. Lord, where You have set angels and where high-ranking angels are looking here to this land, we say, Lord, let them arise over our land.

Daniel 6:10 For three times a day, Daniel got down on his knees and prayed giving thanks to his God just as he had done before. Daniel was a man of prayer. He was an intercessor who prayed continually.

Daniel 10:12 An angel comes to visit Daniel and tells him not to be afraid. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard. I have come in response to them.

Since the first day that we set ourselves to pray for land, our prayers were heard. Perhaps the answers were delayed and perhaps there were spiritual processes that were taking place that we were not aware of. But know that prayers were heard.

Daniel 10:13-19 The prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me for twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes came to help me because I was detained there with the king of Persia. Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future for the vision concerns a time yet to come.

While he was saying this to me, I bowed with my face to the ground and was speechless. Then one who looks like a man touched my lips and I opened my mouth and began to speak. I said to the one standing before me I am overcome with anguish because of the vision, my Lord and I am helpless. How can I your servant talk with you my Lord. My strength is gone and I can hardly breathe. Again the one who looks like a man touched me and gave me strength. Don t be afraid, O man, highly esteemed. Peace. Be strong now. Be strong.

And the Lord would say to you tonight - Church of Beach County don t be afraid, O Church, highly esteemed. Peace. Be strong now. Be strong.

Daniel 10:19 When He spoke to me I was strengthened and said, speak my Lord, since you have given me strength. So He said, do you know why I have come to you? Soon I will return to fight against the prince of Persia and when I go, the prince of Greece will come. But, first I will tell you what is written in the Book of Truth. No one supports Me against them except Michael, your prince.

The Holy Spirit is speaking to us in this hour through passage that there are princes that are evil that are resisting the United States of America. And for whatever reason they have tried to set up a kingdom of darkness in this could bring confusion into our nation and to divide our nation and to divide the spirit of our nation. However, there are angels that support us against these dark princes.

Daniel 12:1 At that time Michael the great prince who protects your people will arise.

It is the Lord’s will that the angels arise over nations peoples. It is His will that angels arise over families.

Daniel 11:32 With flattery he will corrupt those who have violated the covenant. But the people who know their God will firmly resist him. (or the people who know their God will do great exploits.)

You are that people tonight. The body of Christ in the land are those who know their God. It is those who resist evil princes, who resist the evil one, who stand firm in the day of confusion. They are the ones who stand firm in the day of mediocrity and in the day of selfish gain. They are the ones who stand firm in day of selfish political ambition. They know their God and they do great exploits for Him Daniel 12:3 Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens.

You will shine like the brightness of the heavens. You lead many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.

Daniel 12:10 Many will be purified, made spotless and refined. But the wicked will continue to be wicked.

When you look around and see evil and wickedness in our community and you don t understand why, for whatever reason, the Word says it going to be there. However, the Lord refines and purifies His people in this land fire. His word says that.
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Jonathan Benz is pastor of prayer and outreach at Covenant Centre International in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. He is an apostolic prayer leader and president of Emissary International, networking intercessors through South Florida and beyond. Jonathan has traveled to over thirty nations and is proficient in three languages. He holds a Master of Science in Counseling Psychology.

Jonathan frequently convenes city-wide prayer gatherings of pastors, intercessors, and ministry leaders, and he teaches at seminars and churches. Authoring five booklets on prayer, he has as well written for Charisma and Ministries Today magazines.

Emissary International 10415 Riverside Drive Palm Beach Gardens, Florida 33410 USA 561-627-8138 emissary@covcentre.org www.covcentre.org