prayer and intercession

The Gift of Intercession August 12, 2013 4 [Pin It] Did you know that the bible never talks specifically about intercession as one of the spiritual gifts? There are 4 scriptures in the bible that talk about spiritual gifts: (1 Peter 4:10-11) “As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (Ephesians 4:11-12) “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ” (Romans 12:6-8) “Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching;he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.” (1 Corinthians 12:8-11) “for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit,to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.” Looking at these bible verses we see that the Gift of Intercession is not mentioned. Does that mean that it’s not a spiritual gift? No. What we do see is that in intercession we use many of the other gifts listed in the scriptures. We are all commanded by God to pray but we know that some Christians actually have a gift of Intercessory Prayer. Just as we are all commanded to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with everyone but some Christians have the gift of evangelism which makes it easier for them to carry out this command. What is intercession? Simply put it is praying for others. Praying to God about others. Many times when we pray we tend to focus on ourselves but a true intercessor usually focuses on others. How do you know if you have the Spiritual Gift of intercession? Well, as with the other spiritual gifts this is not something you can control. You either have it or your don’t and the sign of the gift is the fruit of its use. Here are a few things that you will see within yourself or others who have this gift. * You have a deep concern for others who may be walking in a sinful path * You have a deep concern for certain regions or areas that other don’t seem to notice. Do you know someone who is constantly asking you to pray for something that you don’t feel a particular interest in? For example, they always want to pray for the government. Not that this is not an important area to focus on but this is their constant request. That is usually a sign that they have been given the assignment from the Lord to pray for the government. * You have compassion to the point of tears for persons or places that have no direct connection to you. * You have knowledge about persons or places that are not directly connected to you. * You have an ability to related to people or places that are not directly connected to you. * You get lost in prayer and can pray for a much longer period of time that most. * The first thing that you do or think when you hear about a problem is pray. * When you pray words come out of your mouth with information that you didn’t know you knew. * You are very sure within your heart that when you pray for certain things the prayer is being answered instantly. * You have the ability to exercise more faith than others for miracles in prayer * You are happy to pray for others and consider it a honor that they would ask you. * You sometimes experience an emotional or even physical pain for others when praying for them. * And the most important trait is that things happen or answers to prayers come very fast when you pray. These are just some of the signs that you may have this gift. Looking at points you’ll see that during intercessory prayer you are actually using many of the spiritual gifts that are listed in the spiritual gifts list from the bible. You are using the gift of faith when you know that the prayer request is being answered immediately. You are using the gift of miracles when you believe for the impossible things . You are using the gift of a word of knowledge when you know things about certain situations that you have no way of knowing other than the Holy Spirit himself gave you revelation. The compassion you feel is the gift of mercy at work. So intercession actually employs many of the other spiritual gifts. If you read this list and you’ve identified many of these traits within yourself, what do you do with it? Well, consider yourself privileged because you are about to partner with God – The Father, The Son & Holy Spirit to do some amazing things for the Kingdom of God. You’ll have an intimacy and understanding of the heart of mind of God like no other. You need to guard this and keep yourself from being tainted, defiled and used by others who would prostitute the gift for evil or their own selfish gain. Pray and ask the Lord what He would have you pray and who you should connect with. Your greatest teacher and mentor in the gift is the Holy Spirit himself. He will guide you on what to pray. If you read the bible and worship through prayer and praise he will continue to grow you up in this area and mature you in this gift. The Benefits of having the Gift of Intercession * The greatest benefit is having intimacy with God. You’ll have a clear understanding of the heart and mind of Christ on certain issues. He will reveal things to you that He may not necessarily show to others (2 Kings 6:8-12). * You will have the ability to affect the lives of others in a positive way that live miles away in other continents. People may never meet. * You get to partner with God in creating change. How amazing is this? * As you pray for others and see their success you will also experience tremendous joy because you know you were instrumental in making that happen. * While you are praying for others God in turn will begin to answer your own prayer requests. This doesn’t mean that you should never The gift of intercessionpray for your own needs it just means that you will notice that your own prayer requests are being automatically answered. It’s almost as if the Lord begins to reward you for your service to Him by answering your prayer requests. * You will develop a heart of gratitude. When you get a look at other peoples burdens your own problems will become miniscule in comparison. * Intercession is actually a doorway to many of the other spiritual gifts so God can actually activate many other gifts within you when He choose to do so for His glory. * You’ll change. True intercession is praying the will of God. If and when you pray something or think about praying something that is not His will, you will instantly know it. As a result, you’ll change your prayer request and then your prayer will be answered. A prayer prayed under the influence of the Holy Spirit and according to God’s Word is one that is answered 100% of the time. When your request conforms to His will it will be answered so you’ll notice that you are the one who changed. God didn’t change His mind, He changes you and your request to line up with His will. Some things you need to me mindful of as you grown in the Gift of Intercessory Prayer * 95% of the things that God will reveal to you is just meant for you to pray about it . It’s not to be shared with others. Don’t be a blabber mouth or God will stop showing you things and use someone that He can trust. Imagine if you had a friend and every time you tell them something they run and tell everyone else, the information could end up in the wrong hands or someone could get seriously hurt. Eventually you would just stop telling them anything, right? Same thing with God – He’ll stop telling you if you don’t know how to keep your mouth shut. * If you feel the need to share what God has shown you, be sure to ask the Lord before you do it. People may not be in the place spiritually, emotionally or mentally to receive what you will share with them. * Most of what you do will be in secret. I’m convinced that the rewards for the intercessors in heaven will be great because they are doing so much in the body of Christ and no one knows about. * Guard your gift and keep your eyes open for others who having discovered that you have the gift will try to use you to get what they want because they can’t get it through their own prayers. If you get a check in your spirit about a certain individual or group, disassociate yourself. * Remember that you are operating in the spiritual realm when you go into intercession so be careful and don’t take on assignments that God has not specifically told you to do. You could put yourself in danger and cause the enemy to retaliate and attack you. Pray before you take on assignments. There’s no shame in stepping away from things that you feel you are ill equipped to handle. Better to be safe than open the door for some attack on your physical body that came about because you stuck your foot where it didn’t belong. * While other intercessors can help to mentor you in the gift, there is no greater teacher than the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:13). Your mentor can only teach you what they know and they don’t know everything! (1 Corinthians 13:9) God may teach you something that He hasn’t taught them. * Be careful not to become self righteous because you now have wisdom and knowledge about certain things that others don’t. Remember that you have the insight for a specific purpose – to pray. Others may not carry the same burden because God has not laid this on their heart and may appear disinterested. It doesn’t necessarily mean that they are not connected to God. It just means that that burden is for you and not for them. We hope that this article has helped you. Let us know in the comments below if you have questions about this gift and we’ll try to answer them. Key Ingredients for Effective Intercession October 25, 2010 0 [Pin It] A heart, resigned, submissive, meek, My dear Redeemer’s throne; Where only Christ is heart do speak, Where Jesus reigns alone. A humble, lowly contrite heart, Believing, true and clean, Which neither death nor life can part From Him that dwells within. A heart in every thought renewed, And filled with love divine; Perfect and right, and pure, and good, A copy, Lord, of Thine. –Charles Wesley Nehemiah 1:1-10 1 The words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah: In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, 2 Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem. 3 They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.” 4 When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. 5 Then I said: “O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands, 6 let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s house, have committed against you. 7 We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses. 8 “Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, 9 but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.’ 10 “They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand. 11 O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.” I was cupbearer to the king. Such a heart, in full sympathy with the heart of the Eternal, beating with the pulse-beat of heave, was that of Nehemiah. It is laid bare for us in the first chapter of his book, when news is brought to him, far away in captivity, of the desolations of Zion. “The remnants that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire” (verse 3). This was the situation which drew forth such burdened praying from the heart of Nehemiah. Essential to the mighty intercession that is answered in revival is a clear vision of the need. What was it that so deeply moved this man of God? Firstly it was the people of God “in great affliction and reproach.” He saw “Ichabod” written across the nation, “the glory hath departed.” The people who had been so mightily liberated by the outstretched hand of God were again in bondage. They had been so glorious and powerful and free in the eyes of men in the days that were past, and now they had been brought so low; this was the reproach that Nehemiah continually faced as he set to work to restore the situation. “They laughed us to scorn, and despised us” (2:19); “What do these feeble Jews?” (4:2). “Hear, O our God; for we are despised; and turn back their reproach upon their own head” (4:4). Since they were God’s people and called by His Name, a reproach upon them was a reproach upon Him. The glory of God was involved. This is the situation today. God is jealous for His great Name because His church, which should be “fair as the moon, clear as the sun, terrible as an army with banners” (song. 6:10), is all too often in bondage and affliction, the scorn and laughing-stock of the world. Secondly, Nehemiah visualized “the wall of Jerusalem broken down.” The wall was the line of demarcation, that which separated those within from those without. A city without walls was defenseless and easy prey to every enemy marauder. In a great measure it is true today that the walls of the city have been broken down, the church has lost her mark of separation, her defenses are departed from her, and she is vulnerable to every attack of Satan. Finally, “the gates thereof are burned with fire.” The gates were the key to the control of every city. In the gates sat the rulers of the city, the elders, the nobles, and the judges (Deut. 22:15; Job 29:7-10; Prov. 31:23). When the gates were burned, authority and dominion were destroyed, and the people were subdued. In the days of the early church “the gates of the city” were intact. God’s people knew the authority which was theirs in the Name of Jesus, and in their preaching and their praying and their working they used to the full that authority. The need of the hour is for men of the stamp of Nehemiah to sound an alarm in God’s holy mountain, to open our eyes that we may “see the evil case that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire,” and to bring the challenge, “Let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach” (Neh. 2:17). “And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days; and I fasted and prayed before the God of heaven” (1:4). In the reaction to spiritual need the state of the heart is revealed. The Savior could not look upon the multitudes going astray as sheep not having a shepherd without being moved with compassion. He could not look out over the Jerusalem that had heard His word and witnessed His power and yet rejected His message without weeping. How we need to pray, “Lord crucified, give me a heart like Thine.” Such a heart had Nehemiah. If it had been otherwise he might have quieted his conscience and soothed his feelings with the thought that Jerusalem was far away, that he was well cared for in Shushan the palace, and that the desolations of Zion were no fault of his, so why need he be concerned? He could have argued that this situation was in consequence of the people’s sin-the other people’s; and that it was up to them, not him, to remedy it. He might have fortified himself in his indifference by asserting that the end of the dispensation was at hand, that judgment on their departure from God was predicted, and therefore there was no hope of recovery or of revival until the coming of Messiah. But how different was his attitude! If this was a time when Jerusalem was tempted to say, “Jehovah hath forsaken me, and the Lord hath forgotten me,” then God was ready to answer with the tenderness of a nursing mother for her child, “Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of My hands; thy walls [broken down though they may be] are continually before Me” (Is. 49:14-16). Because Nehemiah’s heart was in sympathy with God he could not contemplate her afflictions without mourning, nor could he love her without weeping. Prevailing prayer requires a tender, compassionate heart, a deep solicitude for the glory of God and the good of His people. Nehemiah wept and mourned. While our praying is cold and formal and tearless we need not expect God to work for us as he did for Nehemiah. It is he that “goeth on his way weeping” who may expect to “come again with joy, bringing his sheaves with him” (Ps. 126:6). “Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted” (Matt. 5:4). In Summary, the key to effective intercession based on Nehemiah Chapter 1 is: -Compassion -The ability to discern when the burden requires prayer and fasting -Focusing on the sovereignty of God, on the mountain mover and not the mountain -Persistence in Prayer -Confession of all sins -Relating to the persons for whom intercessions are being made -Praying the Word of God back to Him and reminding Him of His promises to His people -Approaching the throne with Humility and Reverence Lord God we approach your throne of grace with confidence and in humility. We confess our sins Lord. The sins that we are aware of and those that we don’t know that we are committing against you on a daily basis. We ask you for forgiveness and we accept your mercy. Lord we are asking you to give us a heart of intercession for lost souls and for the restoration of your people. Lord help us to always pray from a heart that has been made right by your Spirit and Your truth. We ask you that you reveal to us our motives and make us pure in our requests. Help us to see the ones that we intercede for as You see them. Give us Your eyes and Your heart for Your people. Bring to our mind and imprint upon our hearts the promises that You have made to us according to Your holy Word. Let us have faith in Your word and trust that Your promises are true and all of Your word will come to pass. We love you Lord and we thank You for loving us. In Jesus Name. Amen. Excerpts taken from the book, In the Day of Thy Power by Arthur Wallis. Should Christians file for Bankruptcy? February 15, 2013 3 [Pin It] Living a “full life,” for sure, is a promise that was spoken in the Bible by Jesus Himself (John 10:10). But sometimes, as one tries to pursue a better life or a promising business, irreversible decisions (and sometimes financially unwise ones) are made and later lead to huge debts beyond a person’s capacity to pay given his earnings or lack of it. At other times, a person experiences an unexpected catastrophe or a sickness which causes extreme losses or expenditures. But regardless of the Christian Bankruptcy Christian Bankruptcy cause of the bankruptcy, God’s word of course is never forfeited. There is hope for everyone who desires to pursue God’s purpose for their life. And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19 NIV) According to Yahoo Finance, the top reasons for filing for bankruptcy are “medical expenses, job loss and excessive use of credit.” When one is faced with tremendous pressure from creditors and billing agents, it is easy to get shaken right away and start rummaging through a list of solutions – one of which is to file for bankruptcy. Many have questioned whether it is righteous or moral to file for either kind of bankruptcy, knowing that it would probably mean not being able to adhere anymore to the original terms of one’s agreement with his creditors. As provided by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (for either individuals or businesses), Chapter 7 bankruptcy results in a “liquidation” or selling of assets to pay off debts while Chapter 11 bankruptcy calls for a reorganization of the business with expectations of resuscitating it back to health. In both cases, a trustee is assigned to oversee the said liquidation or reorganization, but this does not guarantee that all creditors will be paid in full, let alone with the appropriate interest. Depending on the how bankrupt the company is, most probably, creditors will obtain significant losses. Furthermore, an individual who enters the same mess again is allowed to file for bankruptcy again after seven years have passed since the last time he had filed. (Read: An Overview of Corporate Bankruptcy) Thus, the questions, “Is it righteous? Should born again believers in Christ be filing for Bankruptcy?” There may be no “yes” or “no” answer to this questions but it is important to remember that forgiving debts is indeed found in the Bible. “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors…” (Matthew 6:12). “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.” (Matthew 18:21-35) But if one would notice, these are reminders that as Christians we should be merciful and forgiving. They are not provisions that give us the right to demand mercy from people. Instead, Romans 13:7-8 commands us to, “Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed. Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.” It is a commendable thing that the law has provisions that somehow reflect God’s mercy and desire to give His people a second chance! But just like what the Apostle Paul said in Romans 6:15, “What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means!” Therefore, if one truly wants to please God, he will take to heart these verses and more importantly, take his situation as a wake up call to to seek God intensely because God will use circumstances for the good of those who love Him. God’s arm is not too short. He will move powerfully if we will let Him. Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save. (Psalm 146:3 NIV) One of the things that our generation needs to repent of is our misplaced trust on our ability and our economy’s “stability.” According to Harvey Nowland in his article Financial Freedom God’s Way, if one wants to get our of debt and stay out of debt, the first thing he should do is “Transfer ownership to God.” This is a radical but necessary step to make. Transferring ownership means making every financial decision subject to God’s will and His word. It includes tithing and consecrating our finances for the purpose of glorifying God. This is what the LORD says: “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the Lord. Jeremiah 17:5 (NIV) The call to trust and depend on God may sound and look really absurd in a very humanistic world we live in where everyone seems to always be offering a solution to our problems. Even Mr. Google has an answer to every question. But take for instance the widow of Zarepath in 1 Kings 17:7-16. Because of the famine in the land, she was left with but a handful of flour and a little oil. But when a man of God came to her house, she obediently baked for him even if it meant that she would be giving away her last meal. In return, God multiplied the little that she gave! If we would turn from wrong patterns and commit our finances to God, he can make miracles happen! Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame. (Romans 10:11 NIV) This radical trust in God by His grace should lead to radical changes in lifestyle. This could mean breaking habits and mindsets that lead to excessive spending. It might mean, cutting credit lines and learning to wait for God’s answer to our prayers. It could mean learning to cling to God in times of leanness and as one does this, he will also discover that God is his most satisfying reward…. “Better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and turmoil with it.” (Proverbs 15:16 NASB) I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.” (Philippians 4:11-12 NASB) It could mean, giving more to God and asking Him to enable us to completely place our trust in Him. Whatever it would mean for us, it all begins with going back to the cross of Jesus where we can surrender our lives to Him and allow Him to do the impossible in our life. The bible asks us to tithe 10% of our income to God’s work but still there are many Christians who don’t do this. Instead they would prefer to say that this is an old testament teaching instead of seeing it as supporting the advancement of Christianity in the world. Let’s take a look at what the bible says about what happens to our finances as we tithe. Malachi 3:8-12:“Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’ “In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the Lord Almighty. “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the Lord Almighty. So we see that the Lord says when we tithe what we have will be blessed. He will bring more to us from tithing and He will prevent the enemy from destroying what we are building. This is a promise. God’s protection of your finances because you tithe. God will teach you how to manage your debt and how to consolidate the debt so that you are the head and not the tail. You are above and not beneath. You become the lender and not the borrower. Here is a prayer for you if you’ve found yourself in a position where you’re considering filing for Chapter 7, 11 or 13. Merciful Father, I thank you that You love me and that Your plans for me are good (Jeremiah 29:11). Forgive for my sins… (mention the sins that God would convict your heart of) for my lack of trust, for being materialistic, for being proud, for being doubtful… Abba, give me the grace and courage to surrender all to You. I transfer ownership of my finances to You. I surrender my rights to reputation, pride, and luxury. I desire to see You move powerfully in my heart, my family and our finances. Jesus, as You teach me humility, enable me to find fullness of joy in Your presence. Teach me to run to You and not to material things for comfort and fulfillment! I want to know You more as Jehovah Shalom, my peace, and Jehovah Jireh, my provider! Come to my rescue! And now I thank You that I am fully forgiven! That You were the first one to forgive all my debts and sins! I release forgiveness too to the people who have wronged me. I thank You for the grace that You are giving to me for me to be victorious in this situation. I declare that You will work things out for the good of Your child who loves You! I thank You for the new life You are giving, for the provision to cover all my debts, for the mercy that flows through my life. Grant me a willing heart to tithe into Your Kingdom and give wisdom, knowledge and understanding to get from under the pressure of debt, In Jesus’ name, Amen. 2013 Prophetic Words January 1, 2013 4 [Pin It] It is the season of words of prophecy for 2013. There are many in the church seeking the Lord’s direction for the coming year. God is more than willing to make His plans for you known. Jeremiah 33:3 ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’ As we each have our individual purpose in Him, we have to seek Him for our individual paths. There are no two paths that are the same. God’s 2013 Prophecies 2013 Prophecies plan will be revealed to us through targeted prayer and fasting. Here are two scripture that you should memorize for 2013. The first one: Ephesians 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. The Amplified translates that verse “May blessing (praise, laudation, and eulogy) be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) Who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual (given by the Holy Spirit) blessing in the heavenly realm!” The second one: Ephesians 3:20-21 Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. The New Living Translation of this same verse says ” Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.” Why do you need to know these scriptures? Well, in order for you to receive what the Lord has for you in 2013 you need to become familiar with who you are and what you have at your disposal in Him. Everything that you need for 2013, you already have. The scriptures says that every spiritual blessing is available to you and that God is able to do more than you can imagine. We will be praying a prayer for blessings and clarity of direction everyday for 7 days so that you will be able to realize your purpose, walk in your calling, harness the blessings that you already have and follow the plans that God has in store for you. These prayers will help you receive direction and clarity from the Lord. If you feel led, fasting along with the prayers will remove anything that will cloud your mind from receiving His direction. Isaiah 58:6 “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?” Below are the prayers which you can pray along with us to open your spiritual eyes to a new dimension of spiritual growth and purpose in 2013. Prayer for Day 1 – Praying for Release from the Past Prayer for Day 2 – Prayer to Remove Curses Prayer for Day 3 – Praying for Divine Health, Physical and Spiritual Fitness Prayer for Day 4 – Praying for Divine Provision and Finances Prayer for Day 5 – Praying for Divine Relationships and Connections Prayer for Day 6 – Praying for Divine Direction Prayer for Day 7 – January 10 – Praying for Determination, Tenacity and Strength Our way of getting Words of Prophecy to you for 2013 is to pray for you and show you how to receive them from the Lord for yourself. We know that you may be receiving other prophetic words and wanted to offer some tips from a previous posting: Before you start receiving the prophecies – PRAY! Ask the Holy Spirit to put a filter over your ears and eyes before you listen to it. Ask Him to make sure you refuse what is not from Him. Read Jeremiah 14 & Jeremiah 23 to hear what God is saying about false prophecies. Be Balanced – 1 Thessalonians 5:19,20 “Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings.” Here is the Message version of 1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 “Don’t suppress the Spirit, and don’t stifle those who have a word from the Master. On the other hand, don’t be gullible. Check out everything, and keep only what’s good. Throw out anything tainted with evil.” Be Wise – 1 Corinthians 14:29 “Let two or three people prophesy, and let the others evaluate what is said”. You are to evaluate everything using the word of God. Don’t be gullible. Timing is everything. Some prophecies are not for today. You need to pray for God’s perfect timing so that you know when is the appointed time and season for you to move out in faith.Habakkuk 2:2 “Then the LORD replied: “Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.” How do you know the correct time to move out? Ask God. The prophet should never take the place of God in your life. The prophecy may be for someone else and not for you. If a word is going forth for healing & you are not sick – obviously this is not for you. If the word is to restore a marriage, and you single- obviously it is not for you. Therefore not all prophecy regarding money/prosperity/wealth is for you. Pray it through and use wisdom. Don’t put yourself in debt. Everything God has to say to you is already in the bible. The prophet should not be telling you anything that he/she cannot back up with a scripture. It has to be in the word of God. If it’s in addition to scripture – don’t receive it. The prophet is only to confirm what God has already told you. If you have a close personal relationship with Jesus Christ then He will tell you what He needs you to know. Pray, read your bible & spend time with Jesus. The prophet is to confirm what Jesus has already told you not send you off in a totally new direction. There should be no place for predictions in 2013 or allowing others to use divination and guess concerning your future based on your past. Proverbs 3:5, 6 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” Revelation 19: 9-10 Then the angel said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!’ ” And he added, “These are the true words of God.”At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” From this scripture we see that John was about to worship an angel that brought a prophesy from the Lord. The angel rebuked him for this action. Our worship belongs to God and God alone for whatever words we receive. This is something that should always be remembered lest we make idols of God’s servants. Also, all prophesy should point to the testimony of Jesus Christ and His kingdom. Finally, are you looking for the tried & true prophecy of 2013? Ask God. He never lies and He will never lead you astray. May God Bless You with the totality of His blessings in 2013. Happy New Year! Blessing Prayer -Day 6 – Praying for Divine Direction January 9, 2011 5 [Pin It] This is Day 6 of our Prophetic Word 2013. We believe that the best way for you to receive this information is to pray and have the Lord Jesus himself reveal what He has in store for you this year. It really doesn’t matter what the world says about what will happen this year the Lord is more than able to protect you, provide for you and bring Prayer for Divine Direction Prayer for Divine Direction you through any situation regardless of what is happening around you. Just think about the 2 million Israelites that wandered the desert for 40 years – they had food, they had water, they never got sick, their clothes or shoes never wore out. That is miraculous because I am sure if anyone attempted to walk around in the desert for 40 years today they probably wouldn’t be able to go more than a few days without dying. Deuteronomy 8:4 Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years. We serve a God of the miraculous. A prophecy for 2013 that concerns everyone else could be completely different for you. The Lord Jesus Christ is a God of personal relationship. He wants an individual relationship with you. Therefore, you need to hear from Him what His plans are for your individual life this year. We’ve had a few days of cleansing to start out this process so that on Day 6 you are ready to hear and receive the message from the Lord. The most important thing for you to know is that the Lord desires to prosper you and He has your best interest at heart. God is more than willing to reveal His plan to you. Psalm 138:3 When I called, you answered me; you greatly emboldened me. Jeremiah 33:3 Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know. Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. The key to getting the direction is making time for God and coming before Him with a clean heart. You shouldn’t enter into this time of prayer hurried or with a few minutes to spare. You need to at least have 1 hour to spend in the presence of the Lord uninterrupted. If you have more time alone that will be even better. You need to be prepared with your bible, a notebook and pen to write down whatever the Lord is saying to you. 1. To prepare your heart to receive His word you must first come before Him confessing your sins. Here is a list of scriptural sins that you can use during this time. Or, you can ask Him to reveal to you the things that you need to confess and He will reveal them to you. Psalm 66:18-19 If I had cherished sin in my heart,the Lord would not have listened; but God has surely listened and has heard my prayer. 2. You will then need to get into a place of worship and praising the Lord, you can use any Christian music for this. Psalm 100:4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. 3. Give thanks to the Lord for everything that He has done for you thus far. Praise and thanksgiving brings you into the presence of the Lord. Confessing your sins removes anything that would stop Him from answering your prayers and removes the barriers that may prevent you from hearing Him. 4. Now it is time for you to ask and receive the instructions because your heart and mind is prepared to receive. The following prayer is to ask for His Divine Direction and His prophetic word for 2013 for your life. Merciful Father, thank you for forgiving me of my sins and for surrounding me with your love, mercy and grace. Thank you that as a child of God I can enter your throne room with confidence where I can receive all of your blessings (Hebrews 4:16). Thank you that the only mediator that I need to speak with you is Jesus whose shed blood on the cross covered all of my iniquities past, present and future (1 Timothy 2:5). Thank you that I need not be afraid to ask because I know it will be given to me and that when I come to you believing in faith You will indeed answer me (Matthew 21:22). I bind up any evil spiritual activity that may cause me to hear incorrectly and I cast them from my presence into a place where they will stand judgement before the Lord Jesus Christ. I close the ears of the enemy from hearing the plans you have for me. I blind the eyes of the evil ones from seeing it. I loose clarity of mind to receive this message (Matthew 16:19). Cleanse my mind from any preconceived notions or presumptions concerning my future as I want to hear it directly from you. Cause my mind to be opened and my ears to hear what You Holy Spirit is saying. This day I come to seeking direction, revelation and the plans that you have for me in 2011. Lord I need you to show me my future, what do you have in store for me in my relationships, my business life, and the ministry that you’ve given to me. I say to You speak Lord for your servant is listening and I wait for your instructions. I will write down every impression that you will give me to me now, every scripture that you will bring to my mind and I will trust in Your power to bring them to completion. I pray wisdom and understanding of what you show me so that I may make you delight in me as your servant in Jesus Name. Amen. Now you wait. You write down every impression that will come to your mind and heart, any scriptures that you are given, any visions that you may receive at that moment and after tonight any dreams that you receive. Trust that the Lord will speak to you very clearly through His word. Open your bible and begin reading the scriptures you received from Him. If He did not lead you to any specific scripture just open the bible and read until you get the message. Write down the scriptures in your notebook and what they mean to you. With this information you will be ready for this year. The Lord may give you dreams and you need to write them down. Please be careful when sharing dreams with others. If you don’t understand the dreams, pray and ask the Lord to give you the interpretation. If you need an anonymous source for interpretation, please feel free to contact us if you need help interpreting any of them. We are so excited for you. God wants you to be on the right track in 2013 and walking in His will. Trust His message. Continue with the final prayer in this series Prayer for Day 7 – Praying for Determination, Tenacity and Strength. You will be well on your way to a blessed 2013. God bless you. Blessing Prayer -Day 7 – Praying for Determination, Tenacity and Strength January 10, 2011 1 [Pin It] Congratulations! This is the final day in our Prayer Series for Prophetic Word 2013. If this is your first time finding this information, you may want to go back to Day 1 and follow the process to get the best results. Also, do each Prayer for Determination Prayer for Determination prayer on a separate day as this is not something you can work through in one day. There are no quick fixes or fast orders when it comes to hearing from God and if you skip through any of the process you won’t get the desired results as there are certain prayers you have to pray in a specific order. Today we will discuss Determination, Tenacity and Strength. We can lump all of that in to one word - sticktoitiveness or stick-to-it-ive-ness. If you believe you have heard from God and He has planted His prophetic word for you in your heart now is the time to follow through with it. Giving up is not an option. Galatians 6:9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Becoming impatient with God’s timing is also not an option. If you think about the fact that Abraham couldn’t wait for the Lord’s promised son, Isaac, and instead slept with his maid which resulted in major consequences for his act of disobedience, this should give you the motivation to wait for the Lord’s complete fulfillment of the prophetic word He gave you. Reminding yourself of His promise by reading the notes you wrote based on Day 6 will give you a clear picture of the end result. You can continue to pray through the process and ask Him to give you the next step to fulfilling it. If a part of what He told you requires you doing something then you need to follow through with that. Hebrews 10:36 You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised. James 5:11 As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. You will have to hold on, keep the faith and know that if the Lord spoke that word to you it certainly will come to pass. Here is a prayer for your Determination, Tenacity and Strength Heavenly Father, I thank You for Your promises and I know that You are not a man that You should lie nor the son of a man that You need to repent for what you have told me (Numbers 23:19). I pray a double portion of tenacity, determination, patience and strength to wait for all the things that you’ve shown me to come to pass. May my waiting be active and not passive so that I may be doing the things that you require of me to bring this prophecy into fulfillment. Impart to me a spirit of joy so that I can always wait with hope and without grumbling. I know that you are able to do exceedingly abundantly more than I could ever ask, think, imagine, dream or hope for (Ephesians 3:20) and I pray that your grace and peace will guard my heart and mind as I wait for your perfect timing, In Jesus Name. Amen Here are some additional scriptures for you to meditate on. Luke 18:1-8 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’“For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’” And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” Numbers 23:19 (NLT)God is not a man, so he does not lie.He is not human, so he does not change his mind.Has he ever spoken and failed to act?Has he ever promised and not carried it through? Blessing Prayer – Day 1 – Praying for Release from the Past January 4, 2011 5 [Pin It] This is Day 1 of the prayer to receive revelation from the Lord and direction for your life in the coming year. To begin this process we will start with a prayer to release you from the past and prepare you for the future. God has so much in store for you. 1 Corinthians 2:9 ”However, as it is written:“What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived — the things God has prepared for those who love Him“ His plans for you are good plans to prosper you and give you hope and a future. A lot of times we are unable to move forward and reach our fullest potential in the Lord because we have the chains of our past binding our Prayer for Release from Past Prayer for Release from Past ankles together and we harbor unforgiveness towards others and ourselves. Read these scriptures and see what the Lord has to say about forgiving others. “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Heavenly Father will not forgive your sins.” Matthew 6:14-15. “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your Name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” Matthew 6:9-13 Matthew 5:23, 24 tells us that when we come and bring our gifts before the Lord, and there we remember that we have something against our brother, we should first go and be reconciled with him and then return and offer our gifts. Then we have clean hearts. If the Lord forgives us of our sins, then we should also forgive others if we are looking for His blessings to flow unhindered in our life. If the Lord forgives us then we should then forgive ourselves. There is no need to walk around carrying guilt and condemnation about our past when Christ Himself has already released us from that burden. Let it go. Romans 8:1-2 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.” The following prayer is a prayer of forgiveness and repentance. If you would like to go much deeper with your confession of sins, here is a list that will help you uncover sins that may be hidden Heavenly Father, I come to You now in the Name of my Lord and Savior Christ Jesus. I forgive ___(say the names of all the persons you need to forgive) for anything that they have ever done or said to me and my family, I bless them in Your Name of Jesus and I ask You to forgive me for holding on to this sin for so long. I ask that you give me the grace to move on from this with a spiritual release that only you can give. In the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen. Here is the prayer to forgive yourself: Heavenly Father, I come to you asking you to forgive me for holding on to the sin that you have already forgiven. I pray you remove this guilt, shame and condemnation that is within my heart and mind concerning ______. I no longer want to carry that burden as your word in 1 Peter 5:7 says that I should cast my cares on You because you care of me. I also know based on 1 John 1:9 that You are faithful and just and will cleanse me from all my unrighteousness if I confess this sin to You. Lord, I release myself now from these sins as a sign of receiving your forgiveness. I bind up all demonic powers that would come to bring these accusing thoughts into my mind and I cast them into the abyss in Jesus Name. Lord I also ask that you would show me the people or places where I need to disassociate myself so that this not return to me. I trust in your cleansing blood Jesus to free my mind and my heart and know that it is indeed finished, In Jesus Name. Amen. Spend today reflecting on the scriptures that you read here and meditating on Jesus’ forgiveness of your sins. There are times when want to forgive someone and it is very difficult and every time we think we have forgiven them everything comes back to us, in these times since we are willing and we are using our will to forgive we need to ask the Lord to forgive them through us. It is an activation of the Holy Spirit within you that works through you to forgive them. We are such flawed beings that sometimes forgiveness can only come if God will do it through us. If you choose, with your will to forgive, then you can ask the Lord to do the forgiveness through you because you are not able to do this in your own flesh. This will work every time. Try it and you will see.