I was blown away last week when I had the privilege to view the smash hit movie, “War Room.” It rocketed to number ONE in the American box office! As I walked out of the theater, the thought came to my mind, "This movie is going to start a movement of prayer in every church in the nation."

I learned the power of spiritual warfare when I had only been married for two weeks and headed off to Africa as a missionary.

In my two years as a missionary in West Africa, I learned some basic principles of spiritual warfare:

Of all the characters in the Bible who rose to the top as a secular leader, Daniel is my favorite.  In a totally hostile, godless environment, he became the top official next to a king who basically ruled the world.  What were the qualities that put him in that position when enemies everywhere were trying to depose him?  He even spent a night with the lions and they still couldn’t get rid of him! 

Here are the five qualities I notice most about this powerful man and how to survive the lions:

Maintaining stability as a leader is one of the greatest crisis in America today.  Business leaders, political leaders, spiritual leaders are “uprooted” from their positions by moral, financial, and ethical failure.  How do you maintain long-term stability as a leader? 

I’ll never forget being in Lebanon and taking a trip to see the “cedars of Lebanon.”  There, perched high on a mountain, these gentle giants were 30 ft. around!  I wondered how they received their nourishment and flourished in such a harsh mountaintop climate. 

Our guide, a native of Lebanon and one of our Surge Project directors, gave us some really interesting insight into why these trees have been so coveted in major building projects worldwide:

Everyone is in a panic.  We operate more on adrenaline than anointing!  We have pressures, commitments, deadlines, obligations, possessions and relationships that require continual maintenance.

Here are some principles I have learned on how you spell “R.E.S.T.”: