After Action Review – Intercession Concerning North Korea

(While this is lengthy, I think it provides some important insights into the dynamics of intercession.)

I sent out the following call to prayer concerning North Korea:
https://discernwith.us/urgent-call-to-prayer-to-constrain-the-evil-that-may-break-out-from-north-korea-by-april-15-2017

Thanks for the many responses that I received on this alert. There were many excellent comments.

I think we need to do an After Action Review to sharpen our discernment and assess what God may have been doing. I start with what happened to me as I was called into the gap, followed by some of what we may learn from this.  After that, for those of you who want the details, I provide the documentation and the responses from the other intercessors. I have included an excellent letter from Ben Torrey, who lives  in South Korea, who was called into an entirely different direction of intercession.

All day April 13 and 14, until 12:15 pm (EST) on Saturday I was caught up in prayer for the situation in North Korea.

After sending out the Discerning The Times asking intercessors to join in praying that evil would be constrained.. I started to pray that the demonic powers that may be empowering Kim Jung Un would be bound. And that the empire of Satan, behind the demonic stronghold in North Korea would be divided.

I continued to pray, not in a real focused way, but just praying in the Spirit. I was very aware of the political situation that has been unfolding in South Korea with the impeachment of the President. I even asked the Lord if I was to focus on this situation within South Korea and the word came back, “No, other intercessors are called to focus on that concern.”

But then the morning of Saturday, April 15,  I woke up at 6 am. (Korea time is 13 hours later.) I felt the Holy Spirit praying through me for the situation in North Korea. This continued intensively even as Laura and I were driving to Statesville to visit with her mother.  When we arrived at 11:00 am, the Holy Spirit fell strongly upon me, so I went out on a bike ride. I called Cindy and told her what was happening. She sent a note saying she was praying for cover for me. I felt that cover as I was riding the bicycle and praying in tongues. (I was off on roads with no traffic and no people, so I could pray out loud.)

Summary of the flow of prayer:

• First that the Holy Spirit was working to confuse communication among leaders in North Korea.

• I felt the tension and conflict among the top military leaders of the overwhelming force opposing them, but also in strong words about China as well with the actions of 150,000 Chinese troops gathered on their border and turning back North Korean coal ships.

• The Lord told me to pray that the demonic powers giving Kim Jung Un power and persuasion would be bound and that in the eyes of the military leaders a spell would be broken so that their advice would prevail. I had images of perhaps a rebellion taking place against Kim. Now whether this was to be actual or just in their own minds I do not know.

• In the midst of all this, there was the awareness that the Holy Spirit was working to scramble the communication system and disrupt the sequence of events that would result in actions that could unleash nuclear war. I saw that nuclear war was part of Satan’s plan to destroy the Church in South Korea, because the church is a prayer and mission base strategic for the fulfillment of the Great Commission. (The focus in all this prayer was protecting the church as well as liberating the people of North Korea from bondage.)

• I felt that there was some impending disaster about to take place and had images of a nuclear blast and missiles being launched against South Korea and Japan. I felt this disaster would happen if the sequence of events Satan had set in motion were allowed to continue.

• I felt that if I stopped praying connections would be made be made both in the human and spiritual realms that would lead to disaster. Being very hungry and ready for lunch, I even argued with God about this, asking Him why it was so important for me to keep praying. The Holy Spirit just intensified His presence and power upon me so that I could continue to pray. So I did not stop.

• In addition to this, there was another dimension. I saw images of electrical wires shorting out and electronic equipment failing. It was like I could see like fiber optic cables, with light pulsing through them but then the ends being terminated and the pulses not making the connections. (This was similar to when I prayed for Steve Strickler’s brain tumor and I had an image of the star like tendrils of the tumor being drawn back to themselves as I continued to pray.)

This intense earnest prayer persisted until 12:15 pm when suddenly the Spirit lifted from me. And I felt the Lord say that I was no longer on duty, that He had called others into intercession.

What were the results of this engagement in the heavenlies?

I asked myself, “Was any of this real? Did any of this connect with what God was doing to restrain evil and to protect His mission base in South Korea?”

As of tonight April 15 at 11 pm. a nuclear test did not take place. That surely would have elicited a massive American, South Korean and Japanese’s and perhaps Chinese response. The missile that was launched exploded right after take-off.

North Korea Missile Test Fails: By Cathy Burke | Saturday, 15 Apr 2017 07:06 PM 1
http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/North-Korea-missile-test-fails/2017/04/15/id/784571/

The missile launch attempt came amid rising tensions with the United States. That is sending an aircraft-carrier strike group to waters off the Korean Peninsula to deter potential North Korean provocations such as a nuclear test.

The United States, China and other regional powers had feared that North Korea might mark Saturday – the 105th anniversary of the birth of Kim Il-sung, the country’s founder and current leader Kim Jong-un’s grandfather – by conducting its sixth nuclear test, or by launching an intercontinental ballistic missile.

I also read a report that may have revealed the actual means that the Holy Spirit used to shut down the communications systems. That may have prevented the nuclear bomb test or accounted for the missile blowing up. Let’s give credit where credit is due!  

Here is a report from the New York Times a program that President Obama set in motion:

Over the past three years, a covert war over the missile program has broken out between North Korea and the United States. As the North’s skills grew, President Barack Obama ordered a surge in strikes against the missile launches, The New York Times reported last month, including through electronic-warfare techniques. It is unclear how successful the program has been, because it is almost impossible to tell whether any individual launch failed because of sabotage, faulty engineering or bad luck. But the North’s launch-failure rate has been extraordinarily high since Mr. Obama first accelerated the program.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/04/world/asia/north-korea-missile-program-sabotage.html?_r=0

Also another missile launch failed at take off on Saturday April 29^th, 2017.  https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/28/world/asia/north-korea-missile-test.html?_r=0

Now, whether the images I was seeing in prayer were just revealing what was happening through this program of sabotage, or contributing to its effectiveness, or causing things to actually happen, I may never know. I just know that my role was to be obedient to the guidance of the Holy Spirit and pray into the images that He was giving me. Most likely our work of prayer was but one aspect of a complex weaving together of both natural and supernatural events, which blocked Satan’s plans.

What we may learn from this experience:

Much more may be said about what went on. I of course, do not know the whole picture of what Jesus Christ was doing at this time so what we see here is gleaned from just one engagement. However here are some  things to learn, that may be helpful for all intercessors.

First, while some of us were called into this engagement concerning North Korea, others were called into other engagements.

Ben Torrey mentioned to me that during this time of Easter a group of intercessors had been gathered at the Four Seas Ranch. And were not being led to pray about North Korea at all. Rather, to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ and to pray for the persecuted Christians.

A number of us will be gathering at the Three Seas Watershed Point this afternoon to pray for this nation and all its concerns. We will also be praying for what we see as a greater threat at this time of celebrating our Lord’s Resurrection–ISIS’ threats against Christians throughout the Middle East.”

I expect that in this vast multifront war with Satan that the Holy Spirit simultaneously led groups worldwide into many different engagements. Each of them important in the grand strategy of fulfilling the Great Commission and defeating Satan’s counter plans.

It is interesting to me that while I was called into the gap to deal with Satan’s plans against the Church through North Korea, Ben and his group in South Korea where being called into the gap to deal with Satan’s threats against the Christians in the Middle East.

What I learn from this is that those intercessors outside the situation may be able to receive the Holy Spirit’s guidance with greater clarity than those who are in the middle of the situation. This is why this army of intercessors must be international in scope, transcending many locations.

Second, each of us will have a role in this great dance and it is essential for us to pay attention to the call and step into that role.

In the global army of intercessors, we are not walking in lock step with each other, but with the Holy Spirit who will call us into different steps and into different engagements which conform to His big strategic plans. This means that we must allow for this type of diversity and support each other in our very different callings.

Third, we must be relentlessly discerning the “hour of the power of darkness”  where Satan is working, as that will help us understand why the Holy Spirit may call us into specific prayer engagements.

Without this understanding of how Satan works on earth through particular strongholds at particular times, we will not have an effective way to understand why God would call a specific cohort into a particular work of prayer at a particular time.

We see this illustrated in God calling a group of us to pray for North Korea while Ben and the team there in Korea are being called to pray for the persecuted church in the Middle East. In contrast, other years at Easter it has been the focus of Discerning the Times to pray for protection of those Christian persecuted by ISIS.

I believe that the Holy Spirit was leading both our groups into prayer because in both locations – the Middle East and North Korea – the alignment of evil for Satan’s plans being expressed were coming to a culmination and it was the “hour of the power of darkness.” We were both called into the gap to prevent Satan from carrying out his intended plans. There were no doubt, many other locations where Satan was ready to implement his plans but intercessors were called into the gap to intercede for those locations.

Fourth, God is answering prayer through human means.  

Intercession may have a role in disrupting causal chains of events.  This may take place through the supernatural intervention of God.  For instance, when the Lord sent an angel to open the prison doors while Peter was in prison.  But more often, God works through human means.   In this case, it may have been the program set up by Obama that was the means through which the electrical system that I saw in a vision did not function.

Sometimes the intercessor may be called into direct actions to be the means that Satan’s plans are disrupted. Ben Torrey eluded to such an occasion.

I am reminded of a period back in the early 2000’s when President Bush was waxing belligerent against North Korea, and a crisis was looming. I believe that Brad, through contacts with Billy Graham, was able to get a letter to Bush asking him to tone down his rhetoric (Axis of Evil, etc.). He did, the crisis was averted and Bush went on to send greatly needed food aid to North Korea with conditions, among which was Korean-speaking Americans as food delivery monitors.  As a result, I was able to go and work in North Koria for almost 4 months under the auspices of Christian Friends of Korea. Whether any or all of this was the result of Brad’s effort, only God knows. I am sure all the prayers offered up then were fruitful.”

Ben is right about this. I did play a role. But in the current case, with the Trump administration, there was no way that I could have any direct input into the process. However, I was praying that wise advisors would surround Trump and that the Holy Spirit would work through them to provide the guidance needed by the President to play his role in preventing Satan’s plans from coming to pass.

We shall see if that comes to pass and indeed it seems to be taking place.

The point here is that intercessors must be willing to be the answer to their own prayers by coming down off the mountain and engaging in real world actions that the Holy Spirit has called them to take.

I submit all of this to you in the Discerning the Times; I know this is long and complicated but I think necessary if we are to learn to cooperate with the Holy Spirit in defeating strongholds and advancing the Kingdom of God.

More in depth analysis follows, as well as responses from other intercessors.

Was this year any different than any other year?

Each year at the time of Kim Il Sung’s birthday as well as the joint military exercises between the USA and South Korea there is a heightening of bellicose threats from North Korea.

Ben Torrey who lives in South Korea brought this observation:

We are always concerned about the situation here in Korea but have little fear of the North. Kim Jong Un may well try another (emphasis on “another”) provocation for Great Sun Day but my own reaction is “so what.” I have seen North Korea’s infrastructure and they cannot afford their nuclear program. It is already bankrupting their bankrupt economy. The Cold War arms race did the Soviets in because they could not keep up with the West economically. The situation for North Korea is worse. And, for the first time in history, people inside the country are getting bolder in their complaints about the costs of their program compared to the chronic food shortages.

KJU does not want a war, he cannot afford a war. It would destroy him and NK.  However, he has to keep up appearances and the more he can make the United States and the West jump to his tune, the more he gains–especially domestically.  Every year there are the joint military maneuvers with US and ROK (Republic of Korea, South Korea) forces called Foal Eagle and every year the North threatens war.  It is our annual spring dance here on the Korean Peninsula.  This year, even though he has put his whole army on alert and war preparation, the rank and file are ignoring the call ups more in favor of the troops scrounging for food.

What is making South Korean’s very nervous is Trump–especially after the missile attack on Syria. There is great concern here that he might act unilaterally and, ironically, prove all of KJU’s biggest claims about United States belligerency. The Chinese are, I believe, much concerned about the same thing.”

However, this year is different. There is an even greater potential for war because of the gap between the loss of deterrence and its restoration.

I have observed all that Ben is speaking about.  I would contend however that while there has always been a chance for war, this year there was an even greater chance for a disaster.

This year things were different. There are huge changes in the political realm. For the past 8 years President Obama greatly weakened the structures and perception of deterrence by the USA and its allies. Obama and the democratic leadership, like the pre-Second World War leadership of Britain (Stanley Baldwin and Neville Chamberlain), have maintained a consistent policy of both unilateral disarmament and appeasement of our advisories. This is not my opinion but the careful analysis of military historian Victor Davis Hanson. See his excellent video on the loss of deterrence the policy of appeasement and the terrible consequences.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJ8hnNbitJg   (I highly recommend that you watch that video to see the framework out of which I am making this analysis. )

A profound shift has taken place with a new President in the White House and a party in control of Congress that is seeking to restore deterrence. And who are unwilling to take the road of appeasement.

The challenge is that those leaders who try to restore deterrence and turn away from a policy of appeasement are in the terrible gap of vulnerability. Where those who intend evil are not only unrestrained by the perception of the lack of deterrence, but have also been greatly strengthened and embolden by the appeasement that has taken place. The possibilities of miscalculation on all sides is greater than before.

Victor Davis Hanson in his teaching video points out these dangers. He also notes that the appeaser all through history has always been popular and loved while those who seek to restore deterrence are at the time hated and despised as war mongers, as ,for instance, Winston Churchill and Ronald Reagan.

This presents a time of grave danger in which North Korea is but one among many danger points. Victor Davis Hanson points out that the results of appeasement of one adversary has the unintended effect of encouraging other adversaries.

These observations about the results of appeasement and the loss of deterrence are based on an understanding of fallen human nature, which Satan has been able to take advantage of all through history. It is this doctrine of original sin and the need to constrain evil that has been lost by the liberal progressive worldview. 

See Victor Davis Hanson’s article on deterrence and human nature: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2017/03/16/deterrence_and_human_nature_133344.html

A demonic kairos moment

As we came to this period of Kim Il Sung’s birthday, taking place in this time of rebuilding of deterrence and the shifting away from policies of appeasement, we entered what may be called a demonic kairos moment or the “hour of the power of darkness.” This is where the alignment of the powers of evil are such that a small action will have the amplifying and reverberating effect of unleashing more evil, for instance, a North Korea nuclear test or a missile attack on South Korea, Japan or the American fleet. Or a preemptive attack by Japan, South Korea and the USA on North Korean nuclear assets.

I was very aware of these dynamics in the political realm. But there was more.

It seemed to me that in the heavenlies, in the demonic realm, high level demonic beings that were embedded in the stronghold built through the Kim family in North Korea. As well as those demonic powers in Radical Islam were actively seeking to exploit this gap between the loss of deterrence and its restoration.

All of this was for the purpose of destroying the Korean church as a prayer and mission base strategic to the fulfillment of the Great Commission. It felt to me that we had entered into the “hour of the power of darkness” where Satan had put into place a series of steps to bring about these results.  What would be more disruptive for the work of the Church in South Korea, the opportunity of the Gospel reaching into North Korea and continued Korean missionary outreach to China and the world, than a nuclear war, with millions dead and the possible collapse of the entire country of North Korea into chaos?

It was my intense awareness that in the heavenlies Satan was working both within the political realities in North Korea, South Korea, Japan, and China as well as the new untested Trump Administration to set up the circumstances of the perfect storm of destruction that could advance his plans in the world.

The need to pray for other concerns must continue but the urgent special call for me and some others was to engage in blocking Satan’s plans at that moment.  

Ben wrote saying that their real concern was not North Korea at all:

In SK, the biggest concern currently is the new elections to replace Park Geun-hye who has been impeached and removed from office as president. Election Day is May 9. There is currently a power vacuum of sorts that many are concerned about vis a vis the North but for most that’s a lesser concern. The people of SK want a president who has integrity and wisdom–an excellent thing to pray for.

After the presidential campaign, the second thing that people are greatly concerned about is the current and increasing Chinese boycott of Korean businesses in China and elsewhere. This is having a tremendous impact because China is SK’s biggest trading partner. The reason for the boycott–the deployment of America’s THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) missiles in South Korea as a defense against North Korea. The Chinese view it as a threat from South Korea. North Korea currently ranks about third in terms of SK fear, insecurity and concern.”

All that Ben has listed above is no doubt correct and requires the ongoing work of prayer which I believe is already intensely taking place. And within this ongoing work of prayer for these concerns, there may well be the special call issued for cohorts to step into the gap.  As, for instance, praying for what Ben put so well, “The people of South Korea want a president who has integrity and wisdom–an excellent thing to pray for.”

But what I and those who joined in the intercessory prayer were experiencing was something other than, and parallel to, this ongoing work of prayer about those concerns that Ben named as the chief fears of the South Korean people.

This was what I would identify as an engagement; the Holy Spirit called a small team of intercessors into prayer to prevent Satan from fulfilling his plans that were in very real danger of being implemented at that particular time.

I want to affirm the necessity our being equipped and ready to do these two types of prayer work –the general on-going prayer for the long term concerns and needs that have been listed by Ben, as well as the role of a cohort going into an engagement.

Reactions from other Intercessors

I was not alone in any of this. I later received the following notes from intercessors who joined in the battle.  Their comments provide guidance for the future (names withheld for security reasons):

—-
Brad……prayer about N. Korea and nuclear tests answered…..headline  Today read. NUCLEAR TEST FIZZLES IN N. KOREA.  God is the God of the Grand fizzles!!!!!!
—-
From Palm Harbor, FL:
I was not able to watch your video on North Korea until just now, and I will be praying with you and the teams you’ve inspired through this time of darkness in North Korea.  When you were speaking about breaking the bondage that North Korea is in, I believe God said (quite strongly) to not just break it, but to call for it to be “shattered and drained from the land.”

I pray those words will bless you with further discernment… Protection and blessings to you all,
—
From Canada:
I have been given very clear warning, at least three times, that America is about to go to war. There may be three targets in due course, the first being the little brat in North Korea. In the case of the latter, I have also received two separate words that the outcome is a settled matter, namely he and his minions will be removed from power and the N-programme destroyed. This evening. I found out that Pastor T. D. Hale has been given a similar word, thus confirming what I had received. I was also given the sense that what is coming will be brief but violent.
—-
From South Korea:
What is making South Korean’s very nervous is Trump – especially after the missile attack on Syria. There is great concern here that he might act unilaterally and, ironically, prove all of KJU’s biggest claims about US belligerency. The Chinese are, I believe, much concerned about the same thing.

I am reminded of a period back in the early 2000’s when President Bush was waxing belligerent against North Korea and a crisis was looming. I believe that Brad, through contacts with Billy Graham, was able to get a letter to Bush asking him to tone down his rhetoric (Axis of Evil, etc.). He did, the crisis was averted and Bush went on to send greatly needed food aid to North Korea with conditions among which was Korean-speaking Americans as food delivery monitors. As a result, I was able to go and work in North Korea for almost 4 months under the auspices of Christian Friends of Korea. 

Whether any or all of this was the result of Brad’s effort, only God knows. I am sure all the prayers offered up then were fruitful.

Thank you for your prayers. They are most needed. However, I always resist anything that looks to me like panic or over reaction to the noise from the North. We are greatly concerned but lately it is Trump’s trumping the news that is a greater concern.
—-
From Florida:
Brad, I felt such power from the Lord being unleashed as you led us in prayer on that video. It was like a wall of protection was being raised up, and the shield of protection covering the South Koreans, and even the North Koreans from this Satanic stronghold controlling the young president of North Korea. Also praying for wisdom for our President and military in taking any action which is appropriate.
—–
From New England:
Brad, As I pray and listen I see a whole wall of angels massed on the border on the South Korean side and across is like a vacuum of darkness like a black hole.

In agreement. Praying His guard about all intercessors for His will to be done on earth as it is in Heaven. In the precious name of Christ Jesus – Messiah Yeshua, Amen.
—-
From United Kingdom:
We need to add to our prayers, that the fear of the people be prayed into. They need our prayers to escape from the clutches that the leadership and the military exert over them.

We should be praying they will have the strength to overcome their tyrant and their leadership.

We pray for the failure of all weapons against south Korea or other nations that may be seen as  threat.

Let the weapons be as like damp squibs and fail utterly in their task of destruction.
Let there be division in the ranks of evil in and around the North of Korea and any outside influences.
—-

Thanks,

In Christ

Brad Long with Martin Boardman and with you all as the discernment team

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