I will never forget that day. It was February 18, 1997, but it seems like a few weeks ago. I had wandered deep into drugs, alcohol and sexual immorality. No matter how many drugs I took, it was never enough. I was desperate.

My best friend, Zach, had just experienced a threemonth period where he was severely messed up by drugs, but he had a praying mother who would not stop praying and declaring the promises of God over his life. She led him through three days of deliverance and he was radically saved. Then he immediately came for me.

Zach took me to lunch and shared that the spirit realm had opened up to him and he was seeing angels and demons. He could see that we were all being controlled by real spirits that we weren’t aware of. I made it very clear I was not interested in “following Jesus” and asked him to take me back to the college where I was parked.

After he drove me back, I was just about to get out of the van when I felt a presence I had never felt before. It was the Holy Spirit! I began to shake uncontrollably as it became clear to me that there was a battle between God and the demon that controlled my life.

My friend started praying and the more he prayed, the more I felt a demonic spirit choking me trying to stop me from saying the name of Jesus. After five minutes of trying, I took a deep breath, and with all the power inside of me, I screamed, “JESUS!” Immediately the hold was broken, and I felt that God came and breathed His life inside of me. All I could keep saying was, “I’ve got air, I’ve got air, I’ve got air!”

Then I heard a voice as clear as day say to me, “Get out of the van, get on the pavement, give Me your life. You are Mine.” I knew this was Jesus telling me to give my life to Him. I jumped out of the van, got on my knees, and with college students walking by, I began to scream at the top of my lungs, “Jesus, I give You my life! I’m Yours!”

After my experience, four friends who were bound by the same addictions I had, all had encounters like mine. I also led my high-school-age brother to the Lord. Over the next six months, we saw half of his high school come to Jesus, and we began holding five meetings a week in a local church. I was absolutely wrecked by the Presence of God.

It was during that season, that I began to connect with some older lady intercessors who gave themselves to prayer. I soon realized that the move of God I was experiencing was the result of faithful people who prayed. I wanted to be around these people because every time they opened their mouths, I felt God. That led me to dedicate myself to prayer, and 23 years later, I am as consumed with prayer as I was then.

As I commune with the Holy Spirit, He brings me into the heart, the mind and the will of the Father. When I’m in sync with Him, I feel that there is nothing that He can’t do through me. I sense His emotions, His power and His heart moving in me and I know that everything I ask for is happening as I ask it.

I also now know that my mother’s prayers weren’t the main reason I didn’t stay in Hell. I didn’t remain there because it wasn’t my time to die. Hell was a glimpse of what would have been my fate if I didn’t change. And now, since I had not given my life to the Lord yet, I had been taken to Heaven only to observe, and then tell people on Earth about what I saw.

We are steadily moving into the most spoken-of generation in the Word of God and I’m convinced that we are mostly unprepared. The greatest outpouring of the Holy Spirit and unprecedented shakings are about to be released upon the earth and we are busy trying to make our churches more relevant and our quiet times more bearable.

This world is in desperate need of people who have more than good looks and attractive presentations. It is crying out for those who have substance and carry the dew of heaven on their lives and words.

We’ve relegated the ministry of prayer and intercession to a few people in a back room. I can hear the Holy Spirit say, “It’s not for just a few in a back room, it’s for all.” Jesus Himself is the Eternal Intercessor and He has chosen you for that same ministry.

This is what you were created for. This is your call, this is your privilege, and this is your honor—to stand before God on behalf of men and to stand before men on behalf of God. Intercessors are not a special group, rather prayer is the call of every believer, young and old.

The answers for the days we are living in won’t be found in human wisdom, human ability or human strategy but will be found in and through people who pray. God is raising up men and women like Elijah whose prayer life will release a confrontation with the anti-Christ systems of our day and will purge all toleration of anything other than complete loyalty to Jesus.

I have mentored thousands on how to carry the Glory and bring heaven to earth.

Corey Russell’s passion is to awaken the Church across the earth to the beauty of Jesus, intimacy with the Holy Spirit, and the power of prayer. He is currently on the staff of Global Upper Room based in Dallas, Texas.

What does the New Year hold? We just experienced our best year ever! Yes, 2020 was filled with attempts by the devil to rain on us with the coronavirus, not to mention the riots and political turmoil. Some staff members had to self-isolate because of exposure to COVID-19. And many TV guests had to cancel due to the pandemic. But God came through in supernatural ways and we didn’t miss a beat!

Even better—God opened new doors for us in social media. In 2019 we had 74 million total views on our social media videos. But this year that number has exploded to 203 million views! Three of our most recent videos averaged over 4 million views each! What the devil used to try to destroy us, God turned for our good!

The gift that has helped me the MOST this year is praying in tongues (supernatural languages). Every morning I pray perfect prayers with 100% faith in supernatural languages. Then God floods my mind with His ideas. If you have not made a New Year’s resolution, this would be one of the best!

And speaking of prayer, don’t miss the lead article by Corey Russell and his featured resources. Corey’s field-tested method for morning prayer has effectively changed thousands of lives.

Several years ago, I had the idea to produce a cartoon program for kids on walking in the supernatural called Supernatural Sid. But we could never get it off the ground. It was not God’s time. Now it is! The whole team was assembled so supernaturally and is moving on it quickly.

We have just created the most beautiful pendant for men and women to wear around their neck. It took a year to finalize the design, but, once again, it was all in God’s perfect timing. My purpose for the pendant (or any jewelry) is to help a Christian lead people to Jesus. I have never seen this design anywhere—it is truly a God idea. In the center is a gold-colored shape of the modern nation of Israel surrounded in silver color by another map of Israel that is 9 times larger! This represents the full allotment of land God promises Israel in Genesis 15:18-21.

While the devil wants to reduce the size of Israel, God WILL expand it! While the devil is trying to diminish your authority and destiny, God WILL expand it. The pendant is being made right now and will be available in the first quarter of 2021.

You may be worried about your future (or even your present) just like Israel was when they fled from Egypt. My Jewish people were up against the Red Sea and the well-armed Egyptian army was closing in for the kill. But God! Many are at a “But God” moment. BUT GOD did something that no one had ever seen before. God said through Moses in Exodus 14:13 (MEV), and I suggest you say this out loud OFTEN: “I fear not! I stand firm [still, confident and undismayed]. And I see the salvation [deliverance, help and victory] of the Lord.”

You know the story: the water supernaturally parted and my Jewish people walked through the Red Sea as if it were dry land.

Many—if not most—of us are at our Red Sea moment. Our only hope is God! He is about to introduce you THIS YEAR to His Golden Global Glory. We have NEVER walked in this degree of God’s Presence. God will use you in greater ways than any believer in history. The purpose of this Glory is for us to be part of the greatest harvest of souls ever. Be expectant because the Glory is about to break the glass ceiling over your life!

In the midst of the recent chaos, God is working mightily in Jewish evangelism. Fifty percent of the population in Odessa, Ukraine has Jewish ancestry. That’s why I have so many Jewish evangelistic meetings in Ukraine. We support a ministry there that feeds the hungry—the ONLY ministry I know
that presents the Gospel with every food package. Lately, they have been doing outreaches to children. Look at the faces of these children at the last outreach in which 30 made public professions of faith. Your gifts help us support many hand-chosen Jewish ministries. I can’t wait for the coronavirus to be over so I can do Jewish outreaches again. Imagine the impact of these meetings in the midst of the Golden Global Glory!