Story and Photos by Christmas Beeler

Since January, Pastor Mike MacIntosh has been touring Calvary Chapel churches across the U.S. on a “Wake Up America” tour, aimed at building a “prayer force”—a united army of prayer warriors to pray for “a fallen America” in these last days. He’s traveled from Southern California, Arizona, New Mexico, Michigan, Ohio, Alabama, and Central California. Recently, he spoke in Alabama to a group of Calvary pastors and attendees from three states. The first night was a general wake-up call and invitation to receive Christ, while the next morning was devoted to encouraging church leaders and their wives, with Mike’s wife Sandy addressing the women. 

“America is in trouble,” Pastor Mike soberly told the mixed group at Calvary Chapel Foley, AL. “I don’t know how much longer we are going to be able to meet like this.”

Overcoming the Enemy

Warning that persecution against Christians may likely increase, he read, “And they overcame him [the devil] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death” (Revelation 12:11b). Pastor Mike noted, “The sacrifice we each make in ministry is different. We cannot love our lives; we can’t be selfish.” 

As an example, Mike recalled his role as a key chaplain in New York after 9/11. “I can still smell the smoke and the burning flesh of Ground Zero,” he said. Yet in the midst of the pain and suffering, ministering there was a great privilege, as so many were broken and hungry for hope.

Reading the next verse, he shared,“Woe to the inhabitants of the earth . … For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time” (Revelation 12:11b). With such a vicious enemy, Mike reminded, prayer is the believer’s weapon. “Satan is a short-timer. He is on his way to eternal torment for all of the people he has hurt and tempted,” Mike explained. The enemy is constantly seeking “to turn your eyes, your mind, your attention away from Jesus and the truth. His entire focus is on [attacking] you.” The time is short, he urged, and we must not waste it. “We are consumed, wasting time—social media, raunchy television shows. The enemy knows his time is short, and he’s doing all he can to distract us.”

Urgency for the Gospel

Mike exhorted believers to waste no time in sharing the Gospel with a lost and dying world. “There is so much deception in the world,” he noted. Predatory groups are profiling children on social media. The drug crisis is no stranger to the MacIntosh family who recently lost a dear young family member to a fentanyl overdose. The lethal drug, which is mixed with other street drugs, is pouring into the country. He noted, “In one California drug bust, they seized enough fentanyl to kill every single American.” Times are desperate to share the hope of Jesus Christ, he said. And to pray.

 Pastor Mike shared a vision about the power and importance of God’s people praying in unity for specific requests. Just before going in for a recent surgery, he had a vision of demonic figures swarming around the hospital. Then thousands of little white squares came together to form a giant, powerful beam of white light which made the dark ones flee. “I knew that there were at least 33,000 people praying for me,” Mike noted, “and I realized that the light in the vision was their prayers.”

Pastors Called to Holiness

Citing Ezekiel 8:6-18, the Lord reveals that the spiritual leaders of the House of Israel were committing abominations against the Lord in their minds, especially jealousy and spiritual idolatry—and it impacted the entire nation.

“Is it a trivial thing to the house of Judah to commit the abominations which they commit here? For they have filled the land with violence; then they have returned to provoke Me to anger.” Ezekiel 8:17b

“Later, in Ezekiel 10, we see that the glory of God departed from the temple. If our country is going to escape God’s judgement, it needs to start with us—because we [believers] are the Church, the house of the Lord.”

Pastor Joe Aldrete of Calvary Chapel Foley noted, “His message was timely and encouraging. It gave us all a sense of urgency to step out in faith with Jesus, don’t give up, stay the course, and trust Him completely. The Lord is faithful and ‘is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think’ (Ephesians 3:20b).

“Pastor Mike poured into us, and his wife Sandy encouraged the pastors’ wives and women who serve alongside their husbands,” Joe added. In separate breakout sessions, Mike answered the men’s questions while Sandy instructed the women, who prayed for and comforted each other. “God showed up and poured out His Spirit on us. The pastors and their leadership teams were encouraged and refreshed to press on, continue in the faith, keep teaching the Word and finish well—just as Pastor Chuck taught us.”

Pastor Mike also urged pastors and leaders that the genuine love of the Lord is vital in ministry. “Never stop loving the people you shepherd. If you do, you need to step down.”

Tyler Warner, pastor of Calvary Chapel Trussville, AL, was encouraged in how to lead his congregation in the spiritual gifts. “We have seen healings and miracles at our church,” Tyler said. “I wasn’t there during the Jesus Revolution; I didn’t know Pastor Chuck personally. Coming here and hearing from Pastor Mike was very helpful for me as a pastor.”

An Army of Prayer Warriors

Anyone who wants to get involved with this team of worldwide prayer warriors is welcome, Pastor Mike emphasizes on his Facebook page and website.

“Will you join our team of prayer warriors?” Pastor Mike asked. “I’ve asked the Lord for one million prayer warriors that will go to war in prayer. To pray for an outpouring of God’s love in these last days.” He urged the group to imagine what such a team of prayer warriors could do through their targeted, united intercession. To that end, he created a free booklet called “Targeted Prayer” with a short encouragement and blank pages to fill in for their specific requests, churches, and state leaders. To learn more, sign up at mikemacintosh.com

© 2023 Calvary Chapel Magazine (CCM). All rights reserved. Articles or photographs may not be reproduced without the written permission of CCM. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.® Used by permission.