"Every time the Lord faced an important decision, He prayed. When He was being tempted to do things by the world's methods instead of the Father's, He prayed (Matthew 4). When it was time to choose His disciples, He prayed the entire night (Luke 6:12). If the Son of God required a night of prayer in order to determine the Father's mind, how long might it take us in prayer to clearly determine our Father's will?" Henry and Richard Blackaby

Let prayer set the agenda of your life. Many of us often worry about our lives. What should we do next year? Where should we live? What school should we go to? These are all good questions that need careful thought. But if most of us were honest, we would admit that we worry needlessly. It is right to get wise counsel and weigh out the options; however when concern turns into unnecessary anxiety, we are not trusting God, who knows exactly how to handle every situation we face. Life becomes simpler when we learn to seek God for every aspect of our plans. Our times spent in prayer will bring revelation of His agenda for us. We can be confident that in the final analysis, it is God who knows what is best for us and what will give Him the greatest glory.

Prioritizing prayer and letting God set your agenda brings great peace. We lived for five years in Asia and experienced the typhoons that are so common in the Indian Ocean. Primarily they move in circles instead of from east to west or north to south. Before navigators understood their movement, they would try to maneuver out of the storm and often suffered serious destruction in the process. With a better understanding of typhoons, navigators have learned to locate the center of the storm—where it is totally calm—and go there. This is much like prayer and discovering God's agenda. As we pray, we are able to circle in on God's agenda and find the center of His will. In this place, we experience His peace. When we try to get out of His will, we find destruction and chaos. Through prayer and renewing our mind in God's will, we discover God's perfect and pleasing will (Romans 12:2).

We must learn to pray about everything and trust in God’s wisdom, which far surpasses ours.  At times we may sense His direction and feel the peace that comes from the Holy Spirit even though nothing may look logical according to our human perspective. I remember a time when my husband and I began to pray about lengthening our ministry time overseas because we felt God might want us to extend our visit to certain countries. We had already been traveling for two months, we were tired, we had much to do in the U.S., and my father was ill, so an extension needed prayerful consideration. There were other reasons why going home would have been the right choice from a human standpoint. The problem is, often God's viewpoint is different from ours. He sees things far in advance and from His perspective, which far surpasses ours. 

Through prayer, we discovered God's agenda. We sensed His peace in staying longer, even though going home would have been easier and seemed more logical. In this case, we felt we had to go with the leading and peace of the Holy Spirit. The real key for us was prayer and waiting upon God, listening and hearing His voice. 
 
We may not know the full picture of why we were to extend our time overseas, but we do know that we had to take that step of faith that was guided and empowered through prayer in order to do God's very best. We knew that we were in the right place and that when we did return home, we had completed what God had for us. 

God loves to hear us pray with fervency and then listen and step out in faith according to His leading. Perhaps there is something you need to pray over regarding God's plan and purpose in your present circumstances. Praying through every decision, listening to His voice, and leaning upon His wisdom will enable you to determine His agenda. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “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.”

Guidelines to Hear God's Voice in Prayer

"But as for me, I will look to the Lord and confident in Him I will keep watch; I will wait with hope and expectancy for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me” (Micah 7:7, Amplified).

How can we hear God when we pray? Here are some guidelines to help you hear His voice as you seek Him in prayer:

• Bathe your life in prayer - Pray about all the decisions in your life daily. Ask Him for direction so that you may fulfill His will for your life for that day. Continually bring major decisions to Him in prayer. Pray, listen, and wait with expectancy. 
  
  
• Believe that God does speak to you - Accept the promise in John 10:27, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." 
  
  
• Find time to be alone with God - Take time to pray and listen. Most of life is very busy, but time with Him is of utmost importance so we can hear from Him. Often the Lord responds with a thought planted by His Spirit into the mind or heart.
  
  
• Keep a journal of what God says - We can better evaluate guidance and see what God is saying when we journal on a regular basis. Journaling helps us to ponder our thoughts and impressions so we can clearly discern the path God wants us to take. 
  
  
• Test what you hear - What we think is God’s voice may come from the Holy Spirit, the enemy, or from our own souls. Ask the Lord to confirm what you think He may be saying. First John 4:1 exhorts us to test the spirits. It's good to seek confirmation from at least two other Christians before taking action, especially on big decisions.
  
  
• Carefully check all guidance with Scripture - God’s Word is truth. What we think God is speaking should line up with Scripture. This is why we should examine everything carefully with the Bible.  
  
  
• Obey God - We must be willing to act on what God has told us. When we obey God, there is blessing. If we still doubt what we think God is saying, it is good to continue to ask Him for confirmation until we sense His peace.

Let's follow these guidelines and practice listening to God. Let's learn to eliminate the distractions in our life.

"Jesus knew that His mission was not to attract a crowd, but to remain obedient to His Father. It was prayer that set the agenda for Jesus' ministry (Luke 6:12). Prayer preceded the miracles (John 11:42-43); prayer brought Him encouragement at critical moments (Luke 9:28-31); prayer enabled Him to go to the cross (Luke 22:41-42); and prayer kept Him there despite excruciating pain (Luke 23:46). Follow the Savior's example, and let your time alone with God, in prayer, set the agenda for your life." Henry and Richard Blackaby

• To help you to concentrate on prayer, see The Fire of Prayer new blog site.
• Books on prayer: Breakthrough Prayer, Ascending the Height in Prayer, Deeper Still, and 24/7 Prayer Arise.
• Join the Intercessors Arise facebook page for daily encouragement in your prayer life. 
• Have your friends sign up for Intercessors Arise here.
• An Intercessors Arise International School of Prayer is in the initial stages.

Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
International House of Prayer (IHOP) KC Staff
deb@intercessorsarise.org
www.intercessorsarise.org

"You are not your own… For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

Whether we like it or not, there are times when we experience mistreatment by others. It can be a family member who says something against us, or a co-worker who tries to ruin our reputation in some way and blocks our goals to advancement in our workplace. Or it can be a multitude of other situations. In this imperfect world with broken people, we will all face mistreatment. And this often happens with those we are the closest to—husbands, wives, children, neighbors, and co-workers. We live in a world filled with misunderstanding and injustice. There are so many situations where our heart can cry out, “This is not fair!”  

As ones who want to grow in prayer, what do we do when we experience mistreatment? What does God want us to do when we feel injustice in a very personal way? How can we have a godly attitude when unfairly treated? How can we keep from bitterness and from hindering our prayer life because of an angry or bitter heart? Keep in mind that bitterness starts as a tiny root that grows up to cause trouble and defiles many (Hebrews 12:5). Let's look at the biblical example of David because he was able to keep his heart pure in the hardest of circumstances.

The Example of King David

"Into your hands I commit my spirit; redeem me, O LORD, the God of truth. My times are in your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me" (Psalm 31:5, 15).

David, the man after God's heart, is one of the greatest examples of how to respond rightly to God when mistreated. David was one who trusted in God to intervene because when he was mistreated by Saul, He did not retaliate. Can you imagine the fear of being sought after and threatened by Saul and his 3000 soldiers? Running for his life as a hunted fugitive, David’s heart must have been pounding in his chest as Saul came into the very cave where he and his men were hiding. Yet David did not kill Saul at this opportune time, but instead he committed his cause totally into God’s hands. He passed one of his hardest tests when his very life was at stake in this dark, dungy cave. See 1 Samuel 24:2-15.

At, yet, another time David had the opportunity to kill his enemy. Saul and his men were sleeping within the camp with his spear stuck in the ground close to his head. Again David refused to harm him. See 1 Samuel 26:2-24 for the full story. He committed his cause into God’s hand. He let God be his deliverer. He said to Saul in verse 23-24:

“May the Lord repay every man… for the LORD delivered you into my hand today, but I would not stretch out my hand against the LORD’s anointed… let my life be valued much in the eyes of the LORD, and let Him deliver me out of all tribulations.”

Have you or I had to trust God with our enemies to the degree that David did—with our very life?

When you entrust yourself into God’s hands, you make a transaction with God of a very deep nature. You trust in His will for your life in His way and with His timing to intervene. You are transferring your personal rights into His hands and into His responsibility. You are letting God be God in your life to the very core of your being. You are acknowledging His ownership of you. God is always working deeply in our hearts and is developing our inner character. By refusing to retaliate like David did with Saul, you are letting God remove the "Saul" in your own heart. 

You are trusting in God's leadership in your life. You are refusing to retaliate and are bringing God and His activity into your situation. You are bringing God into the conflict and are engaging in spiritual warfare. You are making room for His righteous judgment. You are being tested in your faith deeply as you trust that He vindicates us in His time and ways.

Trusting in God's Leadership at Sea

"Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech. They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer" (1 Peter 3:10-12a).

I remember several years ago while living on a mission’s ship going in and out of nations with the gospel message, an international crew, and the largest floating book exhibition in the world. We had just left Romania and were sailing towards our next nation, Bulgaria. Right before entering that nation we were falsely accused of being a cult, and suddenly we were told that we couldn’t enter Bulgarian waters. The door was shut completely. With over 300 people on board from over 40 nations, and with numerous programs and plans for the next port, we were stopped in our tracks and had nowhere to go. We were stuck at sea and had to go somewhere, but where?

In that situation we had nowhere to turn but to God in prayer. As a ship’s crew and staff, we had to trust in His leadership. We had to bring Him and His activity into our situation in a deeper and more desperate way. It tested our faith. Our plans up to that point had to drop by the wayside. It would be useless to try to defend ourselves. God had to be our vindicator, our answer, and our solution to this problem.

In a remarkable and amazing way, God opened the door to a nearby Muslim nation. Our ship got unusual publicity. God opened the way into a central port in the city, and we had a wonderful program. We saw God’s fantastic leadership and plan. Our faith grew as a ship’s company and we saw the works of the Lord in a needy land. If we had retaliated and fought to get into Bulgaria, we would have missed the magnificent plan of God. We would have missed His best. His leadership is perfect and surpasses all of our plans. We were able to overcome evil with good when we did not avenge ourselves and pursued peace. God was attentive to our prayers, and we experienced the blessing of God in an unexpected land.

“Do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to God’s wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord… if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink… Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:19-21).

When you bless and pray for your enemies and the very ones who mistreat you, your attitude towards them changes. You heart becomes free. You begin to love your enemies and care about their welfare. Even if you don't see God's vindication immediately or even in this life, you will see it one day when God makes everything right. 

Is there some situation today where you have the opportunity to overcome evil with good? Is there one or two people who you feel have mistreated you? If you give yourself a few moments of silence, God will often bring someone to mind. We all have situations. Can you entrust yourself to God and bless your enemy? Can you entrust your reputation, future, plans and well-being to God and to His leadership? Let's learn to commit our spirit into God's hands. Let's overcome evil with good. Let's remember David's example.

Always remember that you were bought for an incredible price. You can trust in God's perfect and loving leadership over your life. 

“When David ‘committed his spirit’ into God’s hands, he was committing to God everything that deeply touched his spirit such as his reputation, money, possessions, positions, and impact. He was entrusting the outcome of the most important issues in his life to God’s leadership.” Mike Bickle

By Debbie Przybylski

Intercessors Arise News

I invite you to see my four new facebook pages for my books on prayer: Breakthrough Prayer, Ascending the Height in Prayer, Deeper Still, and 24/7 Prayer Arise. Join and like the Intercessors Arise facebook page for daily encouragement in your prayer life. Have your friends sign up for Intercessors Arise here.

“God is in the process of redemption for the long haul.  My persistent praying says, ‘Count me in. I won’t cut and run when the answers are slow in coming. Instead of drumming impatient fingers, I’m going to use that hand to knock firmly on heaven’s door - again and again! Together, God and I share the ongoing fellowship of intercession.”  Sandy Mayle
 
Jesus was persistent in prayer. He practiced persistence in His prayer life, and He taught it to His disciples. He was passionate about not giving up in prayer because He wanted His disciples to learn to stand firm in persistent prayer. Look at His life. He spent whole nights in prayer. That takes perseverance and incredible persistence. At the end of His life, he was so intensely praying that he sweat great drops of blood. Jesus knew how to stand firm in persistent prayer. He wanted us to learn to keep asking, to keep seeking, and to keep knocking. He said in Luke 11:9-10:      
 
“So I say to you, Ask and keep on asking and it shall be given you; seek and keep on seeking and you shall find; knock and keep on knocking and the door shall be opened to you. For everyone who asks and keeps on asking receives; and he who seeks and keeps on seeking finds; and to him who knocks and keeps on knocking, the door shall be opened” (Amplified Bible).

Prayer doesn’t seem so attractive when you don’t see quick results. We think that maybe we are doing something wrong or that God doesn’t hear us. We may even question His goodness. But we are so wrong when we think in this way. God hears every prayer and He does answer us - but it’s in His way and in His timing. We are so quick to give up. In Luke 18:1-5 (NIV) Jesus tells the parable of the persistent widow who never gave up:

“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 about men. 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 about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming.'"

The word “persist” in Webster’s dictionary means “to stand or be fixed, to continue steadfastly and firmly in the pursuit of any cause, to pursue, not receding from the purpose, not to give up or abandon.” That persistent widow wanted justice and didn’t waver in her pursuit. She stood firmly and didn’t give up in her asking. Finally the judge answered her request because of her persistence. 

Persistence is Reality
 
Most people like to live and serve God when everything is exciting. I lived on an exciting mission’s ship as a young person. We went from country to country and city to city. The first three months in this exciting ministry was absolutely glorious! Young people would come to live on board and though the ship was old, worn and full of little cockroaches, the ministry opportunities were fantastic. It was like a little bit of heaven. Everything was absolutely thrilling initially - living with people from over 40 nations, sharing your testimony in a different church meeting every Sunday, and eating new food and fruits in countries you never even heard of! 
 
But time went on and all the glamour quickly wore off. 
 
All of a sudden your own home country seemed like a beautiful dream. Roommates started to get irritating, sea voyages were no longer enchanting, seasickness was a hard endurance, and many wondered if they made a huge mistake by joining for two long years. But it was a good training for young people in the area of reality because persistence is reality. During the testimony times when people were leaving the ship, they often told how long they had been on board. For example, “My name is Mary. I’ve been on board one year, eleven and ½ months.” Then they would tell what they learned during their time on board. I am surprised someone hasn’t yet told how many hours and minutes he/she has lived on board! But just to press the point, ship life had a lot of persistence and endurance for a young person. 
 
There is no getting around it for any of us - old or young. No matter who we are or what job we have, if we are going to reach the world for Christ we will have to persist. Intercessors have to persist. It’s part of their calling. Persistence is reality. The real world is not always exciting. It may have exciting moments but in between those mountaintop experiences, there is a lot of persistence.

If we all stop and think about it, life is not easy for anyone. Every job includes endurance and persistence. Prayer takes persistence. There are wilderness and dry times when you think you are the only one praying. There are times when you feel as if you’ve prayed a thousand times without an answer. Real purposeful ministry takes time and persistence as it develops. Everything good takes endurance. People think that living here at the International House of Prayer in Kansas City (IHOPKC) is all excitement. It takes a very high level of persistent prayer for everyone here. Rick Joyner, a wise prophetic leader, author and founder of the Morning Star ministry, says:
 
“Many will come at first because a new work is always exciting. However, they will not have the stability or endurance to stay through the wilderness and dry times, which we must always go through to get to the place where we receive the promises of God and the Promised land, to the fulfillment of the promises. In fact, we can see in both Scripture and history that the quicker and easier the promises are fulfilled, the less significant the purpose.” 
 
When we are praying for something big, we need great patience. It takes both faith and patience to inherit the promise. We read in Hebrews 6:11-12 “We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.” The greater the purpose, the greater the faith and patience are required. Persistence is reality. 
 
Persistent Prayer Does Not Give Up
 
“Persistent praying never faints or grows weary. It is never discouraged. It never yields to cowardice, but is lifted up and sustained by a hope that knows no despair and a faith that will not let go. Persistent praying has patience to wait and strength to continue. It never prepares itself to quit praying, and it refuses to get up from its knees until an answer is received.” E. M. Bounds
 
Not to give up means not to faint or lose heart. It is steady prayer. It’s long-term and not for the faint-hearted. It stands firm. It displays a trust in God that says, “I am going to believe you for the answer in your way and your timing.” When we persist in prayer, we cover every aspect of the need from a variety of perspectives. We see it from the big perspective and from the tiniest aspect. We don’t forget the prayer because we carry it with us, and it’s in our routine. We knock and knock at heaven’s door. We are passionate about it. 
 
There is not one of us who doesn’t have to be persistent in prayer. 
 
It’s part of our training for reigning. We have to learn to wait no matter how hard it is. Patience is not one of our favorite words. It’s so exciting to run around and do things, but to wait and pray is hard work. And to keep from getting discouraged is another story. Many of us live in cultures where waiting is not considered a virtue. But God sees things differently than we do. Waiting is often the best use of our time. I’ve written about it often because I feel it is the important DNA of an intercessor. We have to patiently wait and persist in prayer. We have to stand firm without wavering and then we have to wait some more. 
 
The Apostle Paul was a fast-moving individual but he learned the secret of persistent prayer. He said to the Church in Thessalonica, “Night and day we pray more earnestly that we may see you again" (1 Thessalonians 3:10).  To the Church in Colosse he said, “We have not stopped praying for you….” (Colossians 1:9).  To the Church in Ephesus he said, “I keep asking the God of our Lord Jesus Christ…. may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation” (Ephesians 1:17).
 
When we lived in Virginia Beach, my husband and I used to walk around a lake for exercise in the evenings. Every year a carnival would set up their rides and food stands right near that area. We’d walk past it as well as through it several times on our brisk walk around the lake. Many people think traveling with a carnival must be exciting and fun. Children think it must be the most exciting life one could have! Lots of rides, hot dogs, and cotton candy all the time! We watched those carnival workers closely as we walked. They looked tired, bored, worn out, and hopeless. The weather was humid and it rained a lot, so that you had to tiptoe through the mud puddles. Often the rides had only a couple of riders. Where was all the excitement? There wasn’t any. It was hard work and persistence. 
 
We, who represent Jesus, must be persistent, patient, and persevering in our prayers. 
 
We must be the ones who stand the strongest in persistent prayer and in every occupation in life. It’s easy to give up, but we are representing a King and living for a Kingdom that will never end. Next time you feel like quitting, look up the following verses: Luke 11:5-10, 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, Luke 18:1-5, 1 Thessalonians 3:10, Col. 1:9, and Genesis 32:26. This is not the time to give up but to stand firm. We are laying hold of God’s strength as we pray. Keep on knocking on heaven’s door. It will pay off dramatically in the end, because God not only hears but He answers persistent prayer in a powerful way.   

The following will help you to be persistent in prayer. I invite you to see my four new facebook pages for my books: Breakthrough Prayer, Ascending the Height in Prayer, Deeper Still, and 24/7 Prayer Arise. Join and like the Intercessors Arise facebook page for daily encouragement in your prayer life. For bi-monthly training in prayer, have your friends sign up for Intercessors Arise here.
 
“Persistence has various elements - the main ones are perseverance, determination, and intensity. It begins with a refusal to readily accept denial. This develops into a determination to persevere, to spare no time or trouble until the answer comes. This grows in intensity until the whole being is given to God in supplication. Boldness comes to lay hold of God’s strength. At one time, it is quiet; at another, bold. At one point, it waits in patience, but at another, it claims at once what it desires. In whatever different shape, persistence always means and knows that God hears prayer: I must be heard.” Andrew Murray
 
Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
International House of Prayer (IHOP) KC Staff
deb@intercessorsarise.org
www.intercessorsarise.org

"The Holy Spirit is orchestrating a global prayer strategy in these very days. It will far eclipse any other prayer movement in Church history. The Holy Spirit is equipping the Church to partner with Jesus' intercessory prayer ministry at the right hand of the Father. The end result is the great harvest of souls being added to the Kingdom of God. The number of people coming to Jesus at the present hour across the nations is unprecedented in history. I believe this will continue to increase numerically and in both power and intensity." Mike Bickle

What is truly significant about the days we are living in? The Gospel is spreading and more people are passionate about loving Jesus than at any other time in history. Before our very eyes Biblical prophecy is being fulfilled which is hastening the return of the Lord.  

In the last thirty-five years, we have seen Latin America emerge from being a mission field to becoming a mission base. We were there with the ship, M.V. Doulos in the late 70’s and early 80’s, sowing seeds of missionary vision as we preached the Gospel. Other nations like Korean have also become great missionary bases. We were there in 1991 and had the privilege of participating in sowing a vision into Korea for missions. Now they are all over the world! Joining them are other nations like the Philippines, Singapore, China, Malaysia and Indonesia. 

The Great Commission is no longer a western pursuit; it is owned by the global body of Christ. Prayer is going viral! 

It is not that the Church didn’t pray before; it’s just that the intensity, longevity and quantity of prayer has multiplied. Statistics reveal that prayer movements and Houses of Prayer are springing up in many cities around the world and in some remarkable places. Someone recently commented that France is teaming with newly formed Houses of Prayer. In Gibraltar, a House of Prayer has begun. In Malaga, Spain there is the formation of a House of Prayer. Throughout Spain, once the most spiritually needy country in the world, there are at least four national prayer networks. We know of Germans, Dutch, British, etc... Added to that is the Global Day of Prayer, prayer in prisons, prayer in orphanages, old people, young people, pastors... hearing the invitation to day and night prayer leading to the second coming of the Lord. 

"Jesus is not coming back to a prayerless Church, rather to one enjoying mature bridal partnership with Him in intercession for the great harvest. The church will complete the Great Commission reaching to all 255 nations in the power of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 24:14). This strategic plan of the Holy Spirit will reach a crescendo before the Lord returns, as the bowls of intercession will become full in heaven." Mike Bickle

24/7 prayer has taken a high priority in many places. In Kansas City, the International House of Prayer celebrates fourteen years of day and night prayer. The IHOP is web-streamed across the globe and watched by believers under some of the most oppressive governments. The model has spurred others to day and night seeking the Lord in places like Fredricksburg, Virginia; Atlanta, Georgia; Orlando, Florida; and more. Prayer rooms are being established in churches throughout the world.

Not only are we praying but we are praying in unity. God is uniting a powerful prayer movement worldwide. In a supernatural way, He is connecting all of us. He is realigning ministries and people—He is teaching us to celebrate one another’s victories—He is orchestrating strategic shifts and realign-ments. We have seen all denominations come together to seek the Lord as one—charismatic and non-Charismatic, Gentile and Jew, white and black, young and old. 

Denominations and Christian organizations have started prayer watches. The Salvation Army in Australia and in England started praying 24/7 for a week in 52 of their branches with immediate results. YWAM, with sixteen bases in Western Europe, set aside an entire year where each base took responsibility for a week, filling the whole year with day and night prayer. In 2005, thirteen denominations and Christian organizations in England alone started filling the whole year with 24/7 prayer. Several prisons in Argentina have established 24/7 365-day prayer watches where the inmates pray for their families, communities, their country, fellow inmates, and the world. Inmates are converted and change their lifestyle. Breakthroughs are happening in the prisons.

The marriage of missions and prayer took on a new level in 2008 when leaders of the prayer movement joined together with leaders of the missions movements at the Orlando Call2All. Now we are sending intercessory missionaries who are settling in spiritually needy places with the goals to pray for breakthroughs. These intercessors are made up of former Muslims, Hindus as well as westerners; young and old.

The vision to “restore the Tabernacle of David” as mentioned in Amos 9:11 and Acts 16 is coming to pass. It was originally commanded by God to David to honor the Lord. David spared no time or expense in providing materials, singers, musicians, instruments, gold, silver and plans, as well as lavishly sacrificing livestock by the tens of thousands! In the acts of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament, we see that every king who leads God’s people in extravagant worship and prayer, prospered under the hand of God because the Name and presence of God was there. The demise of the Tabernacle where God’s name and presence was revealed was the demise of the nation. The re-establishment of it meant blessings and power. 

Prayer itself is emerging from being simply a time to make requests to an exciting adventure of gazing upward and looking for declaration of the beauty, strength and wonder of the Lord. Indeed, saints and angels throughout eternity will never tire of beholding the beauty of the infinite Creator God-Man! The heavenly throne room is the model of what we believers will be doing for eternity. In the last few verses of the Bible, in John’s end-times Revelation, we hear what the Church will be crying before the return of her Bride-groom, “The Spirit and the Bride say COME!”  

We are in for exciting days! We are in for difficult days. The two will go hand-and-hand and the Church, through her amazement with the beauty and fidelity of the Lord, will rise triumphant.  

The only condition that is to give worldwide power to this Gospel is prayer, and the spread of the Gospel will depend on prayer. The energy that is to give it marvelous momentum and conquering power over all its malignant and powerful foes is the energy of prayer… But mighty prayer is the one great spiritual force that will enable the Lord Jesus Christ to enter into full possession of His kingdom, and secure for Him the heathen as His inheritance and the uttermost part of the earth for His possession." E. M. Bounds

What is truly significant about these days? We are here to prepare the way for the Lord to return and take His throne in Jerusalem from where He will eliminate His enemies and reign supreme. It is happening before our eyes. While none of us can set a date we can see and hear what the Lord reveals in Scripture, the signs are clearer than predicting the weather. We know that the Gospel will go to all the nations first. This is happening. Then we’ll also see the rise of such evil that there will be no days comparable since the beginning of time. Many will be martyred for following Jesus. All nations will hate us. But there will be signs, wonders and miracles and such an unveiling of God’s power that even Mose’s signs in Egypt will pale in compar-ison.

It's time for all of us to become part of this worldwide prayer movement!

"Isaiah the prophet had a lot to say about this global prayer movement. He described a time when God's people worldwide will experience unusual grace and authority in prayer. He summarized this by declaring; God will name His Church a “house of prayer”. This prophetic naming is in itself a promise of functioning in grace empowered prayer. Imagine naming the Church a “praying church”. All over the earth, it will become common to hear of intercessory worship ministries that continue non-stop, 24 hours a day. God has established in the genetic code a passion to reach “all nations”. It will result in bringing the outcasts of the earth to Jesus (Isaiah 56:8). These 24-hour-a-day prayer ministries are vital to reaching the cities in the 10/40 window." Mike Bickle 

If you are interested in building the House of Prayer in your city, read my book 24/7 Prayer Arise: Building the House of Prayer in Your City. It is  a 288 page book about everything from A-Z that relates to Houses of Prayer. For a 20% discount, use PL6G7Y59 in checkout. See Intercessors Arise facebook page for daily encouragement in your prayer life. 

"Create a habit of happiness and laughter instead of a habit of worry. When you laugh, it lowers stress hormones and relieves stress. Laughter also boosts the immune system, protects the heart, and improves overall health. Ten belly laughs a day are equivalent to getting a good aerobic exercise workout, and they're the ultimate ‘stress buster.'" Don Corbert, MD

As we enter into this New Year, it is critical that we maintain a good heart attitude in life. If you look around, you see many people incredibly stressed out worrying and without hope about the future and what will happen. Their hearts are troubled. Many are burdened in this New Year and are using all of their resources fearing the future rather than really living life to the full.

Is this really how God wants us to live?

Did you know that laughter helps promote good health? A laugh can help: Lower your blood pressure, boost your immune system, improve your brain function, elevate your mood, reduce your stress, help you relax, and protect your heart.

"True laughing offers one of the most powerful and natural healing methods without any side effects. Laugher lowers the stress hormones cortisol and epinephrine. It increases feel-good hormones. It keeps you squarely in the present moment. It helps you to reframe and feel thankful and helps you to see negative events in a more positive light. There's not a single bad thing laughter will do for your body and mind.” Corbert, MD.

In Proverbs 17:22 the Bible says, "A cheerful heart is good medicine." In Nehemiah 8:10 we read, "for the joy of the Lord is your strength."  The Bible supports the fact that cheerfulness and joy promote good health. Paul exhorts us in Philippians 4:4-6, "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." 

But is it possible to rejoice in the Lord always? Paul states it twice in Philippians 4:4. He knew that it's something we have to command and encourage ourselves to practice. Struggles are not easy, but Paul, while in prison, was able to rejoice. And then he tells us to pray about everything with thanksgiving as we present our requests to God.

Perhaps prayer is a key to the ability to rejoice always. Prayer will help us find joy and laughter as we enter into this New Year. It certainly is not easy to rejoice in certain circumstances of life, but there really is a choice of how we will view them. God has an answer for everything, even when we don't see it through our human eyes. He knows the beginning from the end, and it's our choice if we want to link with Him or not. The world is negative and tries to squeeze us into its mold, but God has a way that we can walk through our circumstances victoriously.

Joy is a fruit of the Spirit. It is not something we can create ourselves. God's joy is super-natural and can remain deep and abiding even when we are in the midst of hardship. It is not the absence of pain or difficult circumstances. What could be harder than prison? But it is learning to let God's Spirit fill you with His unquenchable joy, regardless of your circumstances. For a world looking desperately for hope, your life becomes a miracle and a testimony of Christ's light especially during this time of year.

Choosing to pray is not always easy, but it is the true path of life. Psalm 16:11 says, "You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand." There is joy in the secret place of prayer. There is joy as we choose to center our life in God and knowing Him. There is joy, laughter, and breakthrough even in the darkest of circumstances when we choose to make Jesus our highest ambition, our deepest desire, and our greatest goal. Then He breaks through for us with transcending peace and supernatural understanding. 

There are destroyers of joy, laughter, and prayer that the enemy uses against us. Philippians talks about many of these destroyers. It would be good for us to evaluate ourselves at this time of year so that we may guard ourselves diligently against these thieves. Here are some of the ways that the enemy uses to try to steal our joy and diminish our effectiveness in prayer. As you enter into 2014 guard against destroyers of joy, laughter and prayer found in the book of Philippians:

• Anxiety - "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7).

• Disagreements and poor relationships - "Agree with each other in the Lord" (Philippians 4:2).

• Difficulty and discontentment - "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances" (Philippians 4:11).

• Wrong thinking - "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable -- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy -- think about such things" (Philippians 4:8).

• Lack of confidence - "I can do everything through Him who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:15).

• Complaining - "Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure" (Philippians 2:14-15).

• Selfish Ambition - "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves" (Philippians 2:3).

• Bad Attitudes - "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant" (Philippians 2:5-7).

• Pride - "And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient to death -- even death on a cross!" (Philippians 2:8
  

If you are feeling down and can't seem to get out of it at the beginning of this New Year, take the authority in prayer that is rightfully yours, and break that discouragement in Jesus' name. Then ask God to fill you with His joy and peace. Write down the positive things in your life, and thank God for each one of them. God is able to push the negatives out as you begin to praise Him and dwell on the positive things that He has provided for you.

Don't live your life according to your earthly circumstances but according to your position in Christ. Remember that you are seated in heavenly places (Ephesians 1:3-6), are God's possession (Ephesians 1:14), are chosen of God (Ephesians 1:11), are complete in Him (Colossians 2:9-10), are a kingdom of priests and a royal priesthood (Revelation 1:6, 1 Peter 2:9), are the temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16), are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17) and are able to do all things through Christ (Philippians 4:13). Healthy joy and laughter are yours.

"Don't be satisfied with a joyless life. There ought to be in every Christian a deep, settled fullness of the joy of Christ that no circumstance of life can dispel. This comes as you allow the Holy Spirit to express Himself in your life. One of the fruits of the Spirit is joy (Galatians 5:22). This joy is unlike any happiness that is produced by the world. It fills you and permeates everything you do. Jesus did not pray that you would merely be happy or even that you would escape grief. He prayed that you would have the same joy that the Father had given Him: a divine joy, a joy that comes from a deep and unwavering relationship with the Father. It is a joy that is grounded so firmly in a relationship with God that no change in circumstances could ever shake it. This is the kind of joy that Christ is praying will be in you." Henry Blackaby
 
Intercessors Arise News

• 4 books on prayer and intercession with a 20% discount on each book - Use the discount code – PL6G7Y59. See www.intercessorsarise.org.
• Have your friends sign up for Intercessors Arise here!
• Become a member of the Intercessors Arise International Network here. Connect with intercessors and what God is doing in prayer worldwide! Discover many resources and training on prayer in this network.
• Join and like the Intercessors Arise facebook page for daily encouragement in your prayer life.

Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
International House of Prayer (IHOP) KC Staff
deb@intercessorsarise.org
www.intercessorsarise.org

“Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him… Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it’” (Isaiah 30:18, 21).

If ever we needed to listen to God and hear what He is saying, it is now. He longs to be gracious to us and wants to show us the way in which we should walk. This is so important because there are so many voices. There is so much negative static that strikes us from every side.

We need to listen to the heartbeat of God and not to what others are saying on TV or the internet. What is God saying about us? How are we to pray? How do we know what He is saying about the times we are living in? We must know how to clearly hear God. This is critical for us. Listening could save us our life! It saved one man from an awful, deadly crash.

An elderly man named Robert was in a terrible emergency situation. He was 81 years old and forced to land a plane with no flying experience. Can you imagine a worse situation to find yourself in? One day Robert Kupfreschmid and his 52-year-old pilot friend were flying from Indianapolis to Muncie, Indiana. While they were flying, the pilot slumped over and died at the controls, and the single-engine plane began to quickly nose-dive. 

Robert grabbed the controls and got on the radio, pleading for help.

Two pilots heard the call and immediately gave him instructions. Mount Comfort was the closest airport. Robert closely listened to every word as they gave a steady stream of instructions on how to climb, steer, and land the plane. The pilots circled the runway three times before inexperienced and frantic Robert was ready to land the plane. Emergency vehicles were called and ready for the approaching disaster. Witnesses saw the plane’s nose nudge the center line and bounce a few times before the tail hit the ground. The plane landed and to everyone’s amazement, this 81-year-old man was not injured.

Robert had listened so carefully and followed those instructions with such intense precision because his very life depended on it. Think about how our lives would be transformed if we listened and followed God’s instructions with such care as Robert did as he landed that plane.
 
God is always speaking to us, but many of us don’t take the time to carefully listen to what He says. 

The truth is that most of us are just too busy for God. We’re so often making our plans about what we think He wants, but we’re not really taking the time to listen. We proceed with a hurried prayer for His stamp of approval on what we want to do. But let’s stop for a moment and evaluate our hearing ability. We don’t want to be like the man who bragged that his hearing aid was the finest one available. His friend asked, “What kind is it?” He answered, “About 2:30.” He didn’t hear exactly right, did he? 

We so often fall into the disease of busyness. But how did Jesus live His life? He spent unhurried time in the Father’s presence listening, praying, worshipping, and carefully taking instructions every day for God’s perfect plan. He was in constant communion with the Father. Jesus only did what He saw the Father doing. He prayed what the Father wanted Him to pray. We must do the same. Many things will look good, but what does the Father want us to do? 

What is He saying?  

Listening to God and hearing what He is saying should be a daily experience. It’s not something we have to go on a retreat to do. Those times are good and beneficial, but if we can’t take the time to really listen to God on a daily basis, we have missed the boat. He may be in one place, and we have steered out of the center of His will and may not even know it. The challenge is going to get greater and the demands will only increase as the days get harder. We must learn this lesson today.

I write books on prayer and one day I was saying to the Lord, “Some people are too busy to read my books on prayer. They are racing around doing things all the time.” I felt the Lord say to me, “Don’t feel bad, Debbie. They are too busy for Me, too.” We need to listen to God every day. The Holy Spirit wants to guide us into all truth on a daily basis. Prayer is not only asking. It’s a two-way relationship. We listen to God and we talk to Him.

How can we put the brakes on and really learn to listen? There are certain basic things we must cultivate in our life that will help us to hear God’s voice. Here are several ways that will help you to cultivate hearing God’s voice. We read in Revelation 3:22, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

Hearing God’s Voice

• Know God’s Word - God’s will is made known in His Word. It’s our final judge in our decisions. Learn to read, meditate on, and pray God’s Word. If we look intently at His Word, not forgetting it but doing it, we will be blessed in what we do (James 1:25).
  
  
• Look at your circumstances - God’s guidance is often confirmed through circumstances. Bring your circumstances before the Lord in prayer.
  
  
• Listen to your heart - What is it saying? The Holy Spirit is living in you. Examine your heart before the Lord, and ask Him for revelation (John 16:13; 1 Corinthians 6:19).
  
  
• Know God’s peace - Is there peace in your heart? Even if there is a storm in your life and you are going through a difficult experience, you can have God’s peace (James 3:17).
  
  
• Meet God’s conditions - God will guide us if we do what He says. Meeting His conditions will unlock His promises to us. Ask the Lord if you have any sin in your life that needs to be confessed.
  
  
• Follow God’s guidance even when it is difficult - It does not always feel good when we have to bear our cross. God breaks us and does not want us to become too comfortable. Commit yourself to His ways even when it is hard (Isaiah 55:8-9).
  
  
• Humbly seek God’s guidance daily - Humbly lay your daily and weekly schedule before the Lord. Stay humble and walk day by day with God (Psalm 25:9).
  
  
• We must have listening ears - God often speaks through a still, small voice. He may drop a thought into your mind. He is often guiding us when we don’t realize it. We must listen to these quiet thoughts and ask, “Lord, are You speaking to me?”
  
  
• Take action when you hear God - We must do all that God tells us to do. The Bible says that we should not merely listen to the Word and deceive ourselves; we must do what it says (James 1:22). There are times when we wait and listen carefully to God, and there are times when we must take action.
  
  

We need to develop this skill of listening. We don’t want to miss even a small nudging from the Lord in any circumstance of life. We don’t have to know all the details. Many times we will only see what is right in front of us. We need to carefully listen to God’s promptings just as this young man listened carefully to instructions.

A young man applied for a job as a Morse code operator. He answered the ad in the newspaper and went to the address listed. He entered a large, noisy office with a telegraph clicking in the background. A sign at the counter instructed all job applicants to fill out the form and wait until they were called to enter the inner office. The young man completed his form and sat down where seven other applicants were waiting. After a few minutes, he got up, went to the door to the inner office and walked right in. 

The other applicants were wondering what was happening. A few minutes later the young man came out from the inner office escorted by the interviewer. The interviewer said, “Gentlemen, the job has been filled by this young man.” Grumbling, one of them spoke up, “Wait a minute—He was the last one to come in, and we never even got a chance to be interviewed. Yet he got the job. That’s not fair!” The employer responded, “I’m sorry, but all the time you’ve been sitting here, the telegraph has been ticking out the following message in Morse code: ‘If you understand this message, then come right in. The job is yours.’ None of you heard it or understood it. This young man did. So the job is his.”

We need to learn to listen like this young man did. He got the job because he was listening carefully. We need to learn to listen to God’s voice carefully. He has a big job for those who know how to hear His voice and obey His Word. Hearing God takes a lifetime. It’s a skill that grows as we develop our relationship with Him. 

A Geiger counter is an instrument for detecting the presence and intensity of radiation. The closer you get to the radiation, the louder and faster the clicking noise becomes. In the same way, when you cultivate hearing God’s voice in your life through His Word, your circumstances, His peace in your heart, etc., the pieces begin to come together. You have the inner witness of the Holy Spirit, and His divine guidance system helps you. He shows you when you are getting closer to His will. Like the Geiger counter clicker, you sense the power of His guidance as you begin to touch His perfect will for your life.

It is an awesome responsibility and privilege to hear God’s voice.

“As you study your Bible, you may sense that God has something to say directly to you through the verses you are reading. Take a moment to consider the awesome reality that the God who spoke and created the universe is now speaking to you. If Jesus could speak and raise the dead, calm a storm, cast out demons, and cure the incurable, then what effect might a word from Him have upon your life?^” Henry and Richard Blackaby

• 4 books on prayer and intercession with a 20% discount on each book - Use the discount code – PL6G7Y59. See www.intercessorsarise.org.
• Have your friends sign up for Intercessors Arise here!
• Become a member of the Intercessors Arise International Network here. Connect with intercessors and what God is doing in prayer worldwide! Discover many resources and training on prayer in this network.
• Join and like the Intercessors Arise facebook page for daily encouragement in your prayer life.

Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
International House of Prayer (IHOP) KC Staff
deb@intercessorsarise.org
www.intercessorsarise.org

“The life of the church is the highest life, and its office is to pray. Its prayer life is the highest life, the most fragrant, the most conspicuous. When God’s house on the earth is a house of prayer, then God’s house in heaven is busy and powerful in its plans and movements. ‘For mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people’ (Isaiah 56:7), says our God. Then, His earthly armies are clothed with the triumphs and spoils of victory, and His enemies are defeated on every hand… The very life and prosperity of God’s cause - even its very existence - depend on prayer. And the advance and triumph of His cause depend on one thing: that we ask of Him.”  E. M. Bounds
 
There is supernatural power released when the Church in the city prays. What is needed in the worldwide Church at this hour is a unified, praying Church. We need supernatural power. Only the power of God will defeat the attacks of the enemy in our cities. When the Church in a city or region decides to drop its own agendas and decides to come together to pray, there is great spiritual power released into the atmosphere. Prayer will affect everything! It will affect time, places, occasions, and circumstances. A praying Church within the city brings success and supernatural power into that region.

We must get on our knees and seek God passionately together. 

The obstacles towards city transformation are many. We must believe that our cities can be transformed by the power of God. We must know that none of us has the answer to our city; only God does. He is the one who transforms and brings change. This is all about the Kingdom of God and intimacy with the King. We must stop our busyness, remove ourselves from the distractions all around us, and become passionate for God. It is time to seek the Lord. We all want transformation in our cities. In his book, E. M. Bounds on Prayer, Bounds emphasizes that a praying church is a successful church:

“Success is sure to follow a church given to much prayer. The supernatural element in the church, without which it must fail, comes only through praying. More time in this bustling age must be given to pray by a God-given church… More heart and soul must be in the praying that is done if the church would go forth in the strength of her Lord and perform the wonders that is her heritage by divine promise.”

Requirements for Transformation in Your City

God wants to come into your city with His presence. He is greatly concerned with your city and cares deeply about reaching the people who live there. We need to ask ourselves, “What are the requirements needed to bring God’s power into our city - power that will reach the lost and set the captives free? What is required for transformation in our city that will change the face of everything?” Here are some requirements that will help bring life and transformation into your city:

• Make prayer a priority. Fervent prayer will release God’s destiny for our cities. Be willing to persevere in prayer with a holy determination. Determine not to let go of God until He breaks through. Become desperate for God.
  
  
• Expect God to work uniquely in your city. Don’t think He will do the same in your city as another one. The work of God comes through prayer, and it is unpredictable and out of man’s control. God will show up in unexpected ways. We think our strategies are the way, but God sees things in a much more powerful dimension.
  
  
• Seek for unity among the churches in your city. Remember that God doesn’t need a majority but He only needs a few churches coming together with hungry hearts for the cause of revival and transformation of the city. The presence of God will bring supernatural unity as we cry out to Him for it. Only together will we see the results that God wants. Seek to unite with other churches in prayer for transformation.

Are we willing to pay the price for God to transform our cities through prayer? God’s heart is that your church becomes a praying church. For many of us God has brought us to the point of desperation. We are willing to lay down our own agendas and get on our faces before God for however long it takes. We have seen that our own methods and plans will never change the increasing darkness that is permeating our land. 

We are becoming desperate and that is a good place to be. Seeking the manifest presence of God in a region is risky, but it is the way towards a true and powerful transformation in our cities. In the Transformation video by George Otis, Jr., the following words were spoken that stress the requirements for transformation:

“It’s risky, aggressive, and brought about through prayer. It’s not predictable and out of our control. There is an unexpectedness of God. We are fooled by strategy. We lack God’s processing power. You can’t format God. We are proud and impatient. God’s approach is to come in through the back door. He shows up, not shows off. There is a flow with the Holy Spirit that is not stage-managed. He is willing to be invited but only on his terms.

Leaders must be committed to a community. They must persevere through apathy and not give up. I can’t coast and there is no time to say, 'I’ll relax.' It’s not a quick start but a long run. The goal is to get to the last day and then face Jesus and through everything to direct men and women toward the Kingdom. God is looking for a man who will take the burden on himself for the nation. God is looking for leaders who will stand in the gap for their nation, who don’t care who gets the credit. They are not stakeholders but shareholders. They give God the glory. Revival leaders are often unlikely choices. The measure of leadership is not influence with the public but influence with God.”

Are we ready for transformation in our cities? Are we willing to enter into God’s heart in prayer that the Church in our city becomes a praying Church?  

A few years ago we started a month-long 24/7 House of Prayer in a central location in southern Spain. As we prayed, God began to fit everything into place. He provided in an amazing way a large 200-year old hotel. This place was set apart for the entire month to seek the face of God. Churches and individuals in the region dedicated time in the prayer room. They chose to unite and drop their differences. They were seeking God’s Kingdom purposes for that region. Individuals from several other countries came, dedicating large amounts of time in the prayer room. 

Cities around the world are beginning to seek God for transformation. Houses of prayer are starting all over the world. Here at the International House of Prayer (IHOP-KC) hundreds of individuals from all over the world come to learn how to start a House of Prayer and see transformation in their city. Join us for the free OneThing young adult conference (One Call, One Story, One Coming King) here in Kansas City through the webstream. We expect 25,000 young adults here and perhaps 30,000 through the webstream. It is good for all ages and is excellent preparation for the future.  See OneThing. 

It’s time to believe that God will transform our cities through prayer. There is power in a praying Church. God is inviting us to enter His heart for a praying Church. We invite you to pray this prayer for your city and believe God for a mighty transformation: “Lord, whatever it takes. Give me the grace to get there. I will live and die believing for my city to be transformed.”  

“The time has come to lift the bar of expectations. Transformation is attainable for God. This is the heartbeat of God. It’s not the work of man. It’s the finger of God. 'If you call on me, I will answer.’ He takes care of the problems. The church becomes a beacon of light and hope.” George Otis, Jr., Transformation video

• Great Christmas gifts! 4 books on prayer and intercession with a 20% discount on each book - Use the discount code – PL6G7Y59. See www.intercessorsarise.org.
• Have your friends sign up for Intercessors Arise here!
• Become a member of the Intercessors Arise International Network here. Connect with intercessors and what God is doing in prayer worldwide! Discover many resources and training on prayer in this network.
• Join and like the Intercessors Arise facebook page for daily encouragement in your prayer life. 

 
Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
International House of Prayer (IHOP) KC Staff
deb@intercessorsarise.org
www.intercessorsarise.org

“If those who have passed on before us wore such beautiful crowns in such times of strain and stress, our mouths should always be pouring forth tidal waves of blessing as the Holy Spirit has His way in these human bodies of ours and produces in us an eternal work: For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory (2 Corinthians 4:17).” Brenda Poinsett

It is not easy to be thankful in every circumstance. But when we choose to thank God in the midst of difficulty, it defeats the forces of darkness in the spiritual realm. When we thank God for every gift He has given us even when things are hard, the enemy loses the battle against us. He is stopped in his tracks when we come to God with God with a thankful heart. 

There is a way of looking at life from the standpoint of eternity. I am not saying that this is easy or that we ignore the great tragedies of life. The reality of eternal life and eternal glory that far exceeds this life is a priceless treasure. Our afflictions are working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.  

Learn to be thankful for every blessing from God in your life. 

It is of great significance to Him if in the midst of great trials, we can be thankful in every circumstance. I wrote this chapter just two miles from Ephesus. The Apostle Paul wrote to this Church and said in Ephesians 1:16, “I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.” 

Paul knew the power of a thankful life. He was thankful in good times and bad. He knew that God was conforming him to His image through every trial he faced, if he handled it correctly. He knew that a heart overflowing with thanksgiving could turn any situation around for good. He wrote in Colossians 2:6-7:

“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as LORD, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thanksgiving.”

Paul knew how to be thankful even while in a dark prison!

When traveling throughout Turkey we passed a prison that brought me to thoughts of Paul. His life is a testimony to all of us, showing how a person can be thankful even in the midst of very dark circumstances. Paul was able to use even a prison experience for God’s glory. He wrote several books of the New Testament in the midst of a dark, depressing prison cell. He turned that experience into an eternal weight of glory. As we traveled for hours through the land of Paul’s missionary journeys, I was reminded that perhaps the greatest blessing of his life which has impacted several generations of Christians were his writings written from a dark prison cell. 

Often we fail to view our circumstance through the eyes of thanksgiving. 

While in the Cappadocian region of Turkey, I had the privilege of visiting an underground city. Can you imagine a city underground? This was a place where the first-century Christians had to hide in underground caves to protect themselves from those above ground who were waiting to kill them.

I was deeply impressed concerning their hardship as I went deeper, down into the dark caves of this underground city. It was depressing with gloomy rock tunnels and rooms where at times you would have to stoop and walk through damp and dingy hallways. The early Christians suffered much for their faith. We read in Hebrews 11:37-39a: 

“They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated—the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground. These were all commended for their faith.”

The early Christians remind me of how we must be thankful for all the blessings we have! We must see our circumstances through the eyes of thanksgiving. God wants us to have thankful hearts even in the midst of difficulty. I love 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 which says, “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” God knows what He is doing when we face hard situations. He wants us to trust Him and to pray about everything.

Paul said in Philippians 4:6, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” He had every reason to be anxious, but he chose to praise. God was in control. Prayers with thanksgiving expressed in the midst of loss, difficulty, and hardship mean the most to God because He knows that they are especially sacrificial during hard times. 

Choosing to be thankful in everything has remarkable rewards.

Corrie ten Boom in her book The Hiding Place told about how she and her sister, Betsy, were transferred in the German prison camp that was overcrowded and flea-infested. That morning they read the verse in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 that said,

“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Betsy told Corrie to thank God for every detail of their new living conditions. Corrie definitely did not want to thank God for the fleas but Betsy insisted.

She finally did. 

During the following months they were able to openly hold Bible studies and prayer meetings with no guards stopping them. Later they found out that the guards would not enter their barracks because of all the fleas! God had turned even a horrible situation like fleas into a reason for thanksgiving. He loves it when we thank Him in all situations. We touch heaven with our prayers when we learn the secret of praise. He loves it when we choose praise. Let’s learn more about this powerful weapon.

“God smiles when we praise and thank Him continually. Few things feel better than receiving heartfelt praise and appreciation from someone else. God loves it, too… An amazing thing happens when we offer praise and thanksgiving to God. When we give God enjoyment, our own hearts are filled with joy.”  Chuck Pierce, The Worship Warrior 

Debbie Przybylski

Intercessors Arise International

Daily Prayer Encouragement

“Prayer is of transcendent importance, for it is the mightiest agent to advance God’s work… Prayer has won great victories and has rescued, with notable triumph, God’s saints when every other hope was gone. Men who know how to pray are the greatest blessings God can give to earth—they are the richest gift earth can offer heaven. Men who know how to use this weapon of prayer are God’s best soldiers, His mightiest leaders.” E. M. Bounds

Those who are truly listening to the Lord would agree that we are at an urgent hour in history. The greatest thing the enemy would desire of us at this time would be to miss the urgency of the hour by putting our attention on secondary matters. 

We are in a season where we have a significant role in touching the nations deeply through our watchful prayers.

God’s watchmen in prayer see into the distance, observe what is happening, and lean forward in prayer. Sometimes they see with eyes of discernment, and at other times they may see things way in advance. God gives them insight in order to intercede. The Greek word for “watch” means, “to be vigilant, wake, to be watchful.”
 

"A watchman on the wall does many things. He carefully watches what is happening and alerts the community when good ambassadors approach the city… A watchman also warns the city far in advance when an enemy approaches. He sounds an alarm to awaken the people because he knows ‘to forewarn them is to alert and arm them.’ Then they quickly can rally to take their stand on the wall against the enemy before he wrongfully tries to enter into the city.” James Goll

We must give ourselves to watchful prayer, and we must encourage all Christians to do likewise. We are not living in days of peace, but there is an intense spiritual war that we are facing that cannot be ignored. As we read the newspaper or listen to the news, we find problems of such a great magnitude that only God can be the solution. The situation in Syria and Egypt, the threat of war, and the increase in disasters, human trafficking, and so much more is an urgent call to steadfast and watchful prayer.

Even though many Christians may not realize it, the seriousness of the hour all over the world is just as urgent as it was after that terrorist attack in 2001 in the U.S. This week is the 12th anniversary of 9/11. We need to ask ourselves, "Have we changed since this terrible attack on America? Have we as a nation sought after the Lord in deep repentance? The answer is no; we have not. We've sought to rebuild without a deep repentance and a wholehearted turning to the Lord. This warning is not only for America, but for all nations. 

We who are followers of Jesus and His Kingdom need to prioritize prayer now, both personally and corporately. We must unit and come to the Lord in repentance and fasting. The following are adapted parts of a letter I wrote shortly after 9/11 that stresses the urgent call to watchful prayer:

Extravagant, united, and watchful prayer will bring tremendous breakthrough in the heavens that have been hindered in the past by satanic opposition. Corporate prayer will make the reaching of souls easier and with much greater fruitfulness. Fervent united prayer will bring days of harvest in nations that have previously been closed to the Gospel message. Intercessory leader and author, James Goll, stress the need for a united prayer force. He says:

"May a united prayer force arise in this hour across the body of Christ to make history before the throne of God and build up a wall of protection against the forces of evil. Let the light of God's power and love permeate this present darkness and may His glory shine from sea to shining sea."

We are now at a gate, a place where we have to face the reality of the days we are living in. We can stay where we are and do nothing or we as Christians can rise up, prioritize united, watchful prayer and come to a new door of opportunity—a place of advancement—a pathway to enlargement and harvest. Nation after nation is facing feelings of uncertainty, fear, and hopelessness. But you and I can rise up at this very time with the greatest weapon of all, prayer, and see God do mighty, supernatural things right in our midst. God can turn around the downward course of any nation and bring revival, but we need to be persistent in repentant and watchful prayer.

Look at what God did during World War II when an intercessor in Great Britian changed the course of history through prayer. Rees Howells, a powerful intercessor wrote in his diary on September 12, 1940:

"We prayed last night that London would be defended and that the enemy would fail to break through, and God answered prayer. Unless God can get hold of this devil and bind him, no man is safe. If we have protection for our properties, why not get protection for the country? What wonderful days these are."

Paul’s Urgent Watchfulness in Prayer

"Without persistence, prayers may go unanswered. Importunity is made up of the ability to hold on, to continue, to wait with relaxed and unrelaxable grasp, restless desire, and restful patience. Importunate prayer is not an incidental occurrence, but the main thing; not a performance, but a passion; not an option, but a necessity." E. M. Bounds

The Apostle Paul is one of our great example of persistent and watchful prayer. Even though he was extremely busy, he prioritized the urgent call to watchful and persevering prayer for the churches. He believed in the power of God to answer prayer even in the most difficult situations. Look at his example. He prayed continually, watchfully, and unceasingly night and day for the churches. Paul did not give up.

• "God… is my witness how constantly I remember you in my prayers at all times" (Romans 1:9).
• "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer" (Romans 12:12).
• "I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers" (Ephesians 1:16).
• "I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for you, I always pray with joy…" (Phil. 1:3-4).
• "Praying always for you" (Colossians 1:3, NASB).
• "For this reason since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you" (Col. 1:9).
• "Night and day we pray most earnestly" (1 Thessalonians 3:10).
• "With this in mind, we constantly pray for you" (2 Thessalonians 1:11). 
• I thank God… as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers (2 Timothy 1:3).
  
  

God is inviting you to enter into urgent watchfulness in prayer. His heart is that we would be watchful in our prayers. The Holy Spirit is the only one who can arrest our attention and shut down our busyness so that we can hear His urgent call for fervent prayer. Nobody can touch our hearts with a burning vision and a determination to see God’s Kingdom come on earth unless it is born by the Holy Spirit. History belongs to the intercessors. Let us watch the Gospel advance as we pray.

The following is a prayer alert given by 4 well-known intercessory leaders in America. See this urgent call for prayer for the U.S., Israel, and the Middle East. There is a wake-up call throughout the nations—urgent days calls for urgent and watchful prayer. Let us arise as God's watchmen for such an hour as this.

Join or like my Intercessors Arise International Facebook Page for regular prayer quotes, international prayer alerts, and motivation in prayer. This is the 12th anniversary of Intercessors Arise! It started one week after 9/11. You may want to watch this powerful video called Intercession.  

"If men would pray as they ought to pray, the marvels of the past would be more than reproduced. The Gospel would advance with a facility and power it has never known. Doors would be thrown open to the Gospel, and the Word of God would have a conquering force rarely if every known before." E. M. Bounds  

Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
International House of Prayer (IHOP) KC Staff
deb@intercessorsarise.org
www.intercessorsarise.org

“Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed. I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills his purposes for me (Psalm 57:1-2).

Every day when we listen to the news we hear of disasters, fighting, and war. It seem to be happening more frequently, and at times seem very close to home. Most of us have not been through a major disaster. But there are smaller crises that can affect us personally and are within the reach of our extended families, or within our city or nation.

In our present day, we are even more aware of international and world problems on a massive scale. The situation in Egypt and Syria right now is ready to explode. Even as I write, the death toll in the Syrian war has been between 82-106,000 people. There has been so much bloodshed in Egypt in the last several days. The situation in the Middle East can affect the entire world. The nations are definitely shaking.

A friend, working internationally informing people of the crisis of AIDs all around the world, told us that the AIDs crisis is critical. What can we do in a world that seems to be so out of control? God is inviting us to be His watchmen in prayer and find Him as our refuge in hard times. 

We must learn how to respond in prayer and in action when we hear of disasters and major crises in the world. 

Norm and I have traveled to over sixty-five countries. We have been in cities just like yours that later had a major, life-changing disaster. We were once in the beautiful city of Kobe, Japan that later was devastated by a large earthquake. We were in Rabau, Papua New Guinea that later was destroyed by a volcano. But in Rabau the entire city was prepared. Scientists were monitoring the movement of the earth in that area. They had a planned method of escape for if and when the eruption would occur—they practiced and were ready. When the real thing happened, they all escaped unharmed.   

We were later in Indonesia and Thailand where a few years ago a tsunami destroyed many cities and villages, killing thousands. This was unexpected. Nobody was ready for the magnitude of that disaster. Within our own cities, we hear of shopping mall and school shootings, of neighborhood robberies and home invasions. A massive tornado devastated Joplin, Missouri two year ago—just a two-hour drive from our home. The truth is that not one of us is immune to the possibility of a disaster happening right where we live or in our own nation. 

God wants us to be alert watchmen who know how to pray for cities and nations. As we do, it’s important for us to realize that we don’t have to fear what is happening in the world. God does not want us to be shaken by the nightly news. The Bible says repeatedly that God is our refuge. We can pray through disasters with Him as our refuge. The word “refuge” in Webster’s Dictionary means, “that which shelters or protects from danger, distress or calamity, a stronghold which protects by its strength or a sanctuary which secures safety by its sacredness, any place inaccessible to an enemy.”

God invites us to hide in His closeness. He wants to be our strong place of refuge. 

It’s His design that we need a safe place of refuge. He knows that we need to feel secure and safe. He was David’s strong refuge in times of danger (Psalm 71:7; 73:28). David knew how to hide in God’s presence. That’s what He wants us to do. Picture a baby bird hiding under its parent’s feathers. Psalm 57:1 is the picture of us sheltered under the shadow of God’s wings. Take a moment and read Psalm 46, and begin to experience the comfort of what David is saying.

Psalm 46 - A Psalm of Comfort 

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Selah. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah. Come and see the works of the Lord, the desolations he has brought on the earth. He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear, he burns the shields with fire. ‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.’ The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah.”

Psalm 46 is a great Psalm for all those who need a refuge. Imagine this. It is written in the context of a big underwater earthquake or nuclear explosion and shows us that we do not need to be afraid of natural disasters. Aren’t there times where you feel the pressure of what is happening on earth? I know I do. But God is our present help even in these times of great trouble. He’s not far away but right there with us (v. 1).

Even a major disaster doesn’t have to make us afraid. The center of security for all of us is God’s presence. Even though the nations are in an uproar, we can feel secure because God is our refuge (v. 6-7). The Psalm says that God brings desolation. He makes wars to cease, he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire (v. 8, 9). God does bring an end to injustice and pain. He brings healing and salvation to our needy world. He invites us to be still and know that He is God. He is in total control. His presence is with us. Psalm 46 ends by saying in verses 10-11, “’Be still, and know that I am God, I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.’ The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”

In light of all of this end-time turbulence, how can we prepare and pray through the disasters in the world? God’s invitation is for us to enter into urgent watchfulness. How can we help disaster victims and war-torn nations through our prayers and our lives? In looking closer to home, how can we ourselves learn to trust God as our refuge during times of disaster? We read in Psalm 5:11-12:

“But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them that those who love your name may rejoice in you. For surely, O Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.”  

Let’s learn to be God’s urgent watchmen during times of disaster and war. Let’s learn to pray for nations in a powerful way that makes a difference.

How to Prepare and Pray Through Disasters

• Be grateful and thankful for your life and what you have - Learn to be extremely thankful every day. You don’t know what a day may bring forth. Appreciate life.
  
  
• Prepare the Church in your city for whatever may come - I used to live in a city that had hurricane threats six months out of the year. In Virginia Beach, many came together for several days from 3-6 A.M. to pray for safety in that area. Every city needs to prepare for possible disasters just as they did in Rabau, Papua New Guinea. 
  
  
• Face disasters victoriously - Don’t be overwhelmed or lose your faith in God if a disaster hits your city. Realize that He is greater than any disaster and will work it out for good. Pray for disaster victims to stand strong in faith in God. 
  
  
• Share the love of Christ with disaster victims by meeting their needs - When we had a hurricane in our city, we helped serve food through the Salvation Army. It was a great way to share the love of Christ.
  
  
• Trust God in the midst of disasters and worldwide shaking - This is the time for the Church to arise and shine. This is a time to show others the peace of God through our lives by living out Psalm 46. Pray this for churches and nations facing disasters and war. 
  
  
• Grow deeper in your relationship with God now - Strengthen your prayer life and learn to be still, cultivating God’s presence in your life daily. Pray Psalm 46 for your life and others in your city or in disaster and war-torn areas.
  
  
• Learn to be still - Study Psalm 46 and when it says “selah”, stop and think about what God is saying. 
  
  
• Show forth godliness instead of evil - Be careful to live a godly life. What is inside will come out. In our neighborhood a few days after a hurricane, people began to get impatient and irritable. Let’s pray that the people of God shine His light even in the darkest of times.
  
  
• Live and prepare for the eternal - Learn to live for what is really important—not earthly possessions—but eternal life. Narrow down your possessions, and learn to give things away on a regular basis. Everything is about Heaven. It's time for us to wake up and shake ourselves free from this earth.
  
  
• Pray for the salvation of souls and share your faith - During disasters and times of difficulties, people are open to the Gospel. They need hope, and you have the hope of eternal life. God is the refuge that everyone needs. This is our greatest opportunity for reaching souls.
  
  
• Pray fervently for countries that are in major worldwide turmoil - We must pray for the Middle East at this time. It is our responsibility and affects each one of us. Pray for the Middle East. 

Don’t wait for a disaster to apply these truths. God wants each of us to stand strong now. He wants us to live for eternity and pray for the lost now. None of us is outside of the reach of a disaster in our city or nation. We all need to live passionate lives, preparing for our eternal home. Jesus deserves our lives now. 

Let’s live 100% for Him, pray for the world with an increasing fervency, grow in knowing Him as our refuge, and learn to be still. He invites us to hide in His presence on a daily basis. When we hear about another disaster on the news, let’s pray fervently for those victims. Let’s not fear disaster but be confident in the Lord. His heart is that we enter into urgent watchfulness and prayer without fear. He is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

To help you prepare for the End Times, attend the Daniel Conference here at IHOPKC for free through the internet starting tonight, August 29-31. See Daniel Conference for information. This is all about the Book of Daniel and is key for what we are now facing in the world.

“Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your feet from being snared” (Proverbs 3:25-26).

• 4 books on prayer and intercession with a 20% discount on each book - Use the discount code – PL6G7Y59. See www.intercessorsarise.org.
• Have your friends sign up for Intercessors Arise here!
• If you would like to pray for us and get monthly updates, see Norm and Debbie's Prayer Partner. Get our Most Recent Update here.
• Become a member of the Intercessors Arise International Network here. Connect with intercessors and what God is doing in prayer worldwide! Discover many resources and training on prayer in this network.

Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
International House of Prayer (IHOP) KC Staff
deb@intercessorsarise.org
www.intercessorsarise.org

“Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed. I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills his purposes for me (Psalm 57:1-2).

Every day when we listen to the news we hear of disasters, fighting, and war. It seem to be happening more frequently, and at times seem very close to home. Most of us have not been through a major disaster. But there are smaller crises that can affect us personally and are within the reach of our extended families, or within our city or nation.

In our present day, we are even more aware of international and world problems on a massive scale. The situation in Egypt and Syria right now is ready to explode. Even as I write, the death toll in the Syrian war has been between 82-106,000 people. There has been so much bloodshed in Egypt in the last several days. The situation in the Middle East can affect the entire world. The nations are definitely shaking.

A friend, working internationally informing people of the crisis of AIDs all around the world, told us that the AIDs crisis is critical. What can we do in a world that seems to be so out of control? God is inviting us to be His watchmen in prayer and find Him as our refuge in hard times. 

We must learn how to respond in prayer and in action when we hear of disasters and major crises in the world. 

Norm and I have traveled to over sixty-five countries. We have been in cities just like yours that later had a major, life-changing disaster. We were once in the beautiful city of Kobe, Japan that later was devastated by a large earthquake. We were in Rabau, Papua New Guinea that later was destroyed by a volcano. But in Rabau the entire city was prepared. Scientists were monitoring the movement of the earth in that area. They had a planned method of escape for if and when the eruption would occur—they practiced and were ready. When the real thing happened, they all escaped unharmed.   

We were later in Indonesia and Thailand where a few years ago a tsunami destroyed many cities and villages, killing thousands. This was unexpected. Nobody was ready for the magnitude of that disaster. Within our own cities, we hear of shopping mall and school shootings, of neighborhood robberies and home invasions. A massive tornado devastated Joplin, Missouri two year ago—just a two-hour drive from our home. The truth is that not one of us is immune to the possibility of a disaster happening right where we live or in our own nation. 

God wants us to be alert watchmen who know how to pray for cities and nations. As we do, it’s important for us to realize that we don’t have to fear what is happening in the world. God does not want us to be shaken by the nightly news. The Bible says repeatedly that God is our refuge. We can pray through disasters with Him as our refuge. The word “refuge” in Webster’s Dictionary means, “that which shelters or protects from danger, distress or calamity, a stronghold which protects by its strength or a sanctuary which secures safety by its sacredness, any place inaccessible to an enemy.”

God invites us to hide in His closeness. He wants to be our strong place of refuge. 

It’s His design that we need a safe place of refuge. He knows that we need to feel secure and safe. He was David’s strong refuge in times of danger (Psalm 71:7; 73:28). David knew how to hide in God’s presence. That’s what He wants us to do. Picture a baby bird hiding under its parent’s feathers. Psalm 57:1 is the picture of us sheltered under the shadow of God’s wings. Take a moment and read Psalm 46, and begin to experience the comfort of what David is saying.

Psalm 46 - A Psalm of Comfort 

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Selah. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah. Come and see the works of the Lord, the desolations he has brought on the earth. He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear, he burns the shields with fire. ‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.’ The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah.”

Psalm 46 is a great Psalm for all those who need a refuge. Imagine this. It is written in the context of a big underwater earthquake or nuclear explosion and shows us that we do not need to be afraid of natural disasters. Aren’t there times where you feel the pressure of what is happening on earth? I know I do. But God is our present help even in these times of great trouble. He’s not far away but right there with us (v. 1).

Even a major disaster doesn’t have to make us afraid. The center of security for all of us is God’s presence. Even though the nations are in an uproar, we can feel secure because God is our refuge (v. 6-7). The Psalm says that God brings desolation. He makes wars to cease, he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire (v. 8, 9). God does bring an end to injustice and pain. He brings healing and salvation to our needy world. He invites us to be still and know that He is God. He is in total control. His presence is with us. Psalm 46 ends by saying in verses 10-11, “’Be still, and know that I am God, I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.’ The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”

In light of all of this end-time turbulence, how can we prepare and pray through the disasters in the world? God’s invitation is for us to enter into urgent watchfulness. How can we help disaster victims and war-torn nations through our prayers and our lives? In looking closer to home, how can we ourselves learn to trust God as our refuge during times of disaster? We read in Psalm 5:11-12:

“But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them that those who love your name may rejoice in you. For surely, O Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.”  

Let’s learn to be God’s urgent watchmen during times of disaster and war. Let’s learn to pray for nations in a powerful way that makes a difference.

How to Prepare and Pray Through Disasters

• Be grateful and thankful for your life and what you have - Learn to be extremely thankful every day. You don’t know what a day may bring forth. Appreciate life.
  
  
• Prepare the Church in your city for whatever may come - I used to live in a city that had hurricane threats six months out of the year. In Virginia Beach, many came together for several days from 3-6 A.M. to pray for safety in that area. Every city needs to prepare for possible disasters just as they did in Rabau, Papua New Guinea. 
  
  
• Face disasters victoriously - Don’t be overwhelmed or lose your faith in God if a disaster hits your city. Realize that He is greater than any disaster and will work it out for good. Pray for disaster victims to stand strong in faith in God. 
  
  
• Share the love of Christ with disaster victims by meeting their needs - When we had a hurricane in our city, we helped serve food through the Salvation Army. It was a great way to share the love of Christ.
  
  
• Trust God in the midst of disasters and worldwide shaking - This is the time for the Church to arise and shine. This is a time to show others the peace of God through our lives by living out Psalm 46. Pray this for churches and nations facing disasters and war. 
  
  
• Grow deeper in your relationship with God now - Strengthen your prayer life and learn to be still, cultivating God’s presence in your life daily. Pray Psalm 46 for your life and others in your city or in disaster and war-torn areas.
  
  
• Learn to be still - Study Psalm 46 and when it says “selah”, stop and think about what God is saying. 
  
  
• Show forth godliness instead of evil - Be careful to live a godly life. What is inside will come out. In our neighborhood a few days after a hurricane, people began to get impatient and irritable. Let’s pray that the people of God shine His light even in the darkest of times.
  
  
• Live and prepare for the eternal - Learn to live for what is really important—not earthly possessions—but eternal life. Narrow down your possessions, and learn to give things away on a regular basis. Everything is about Heaven. It's time for us to wake up and shake ourselves free from this earth.
  
  
• Pray for the salvation of souls and share your faith - During disasters and times of difficulties, people are open to the Gospel. They need hope, and you have the hope of eternal life. God is the refuge that everyone needs. This is our greatest opportunity for reaching souls.
  
  
• Pray fervently for countries that are in major worldwide turmoil - We must pray for the Middle East at this time. It is our responsibility and affects each one of us. Pray for the Middle East. 

Don’t wait for a disaster to apply these truths. God wants each of us to stand strong now. He wants us to live for eternity and pray for the lost now. None of us is outside of the reach of a disaster in our city or nation. We all need to live passionate lives, preparing for our eternal home. Jesus deserves our lives now. 

Let’s live 100% for Him, pray for the world with an increasing fervency, grow in knowing Him as our refuge, and learn to be still. He invites us to hide in His presence on a daily basis. When we hear about another disaster on the news, let’s pray fervently for those victims. Let’s not fear disaster but be confident in the Lord. His heart is that we enter into urgent watchfulness and prayer without fear. He is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

To help you prepare for the End Times, attend the Daniel Conference here at IHOPKC for free through the internet starting tonight, August 29-31. See Daniel Conference for information. This is all about the Book of Daniel and is key for what we are now facing in the world.

“Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your feet from being snared” (Proverbs 3:25-26).

• 4 books on prayer and intercession with a 20% discount on each book - Use the discount code – PL6G7Y59. See www.intercessorsarise.org.
• Have your friends sign up for Intercessors Arise here!
• If you would like to pray for us and get monthly updates, see Norm and Debbie's Prayer Partner. Get our Most Recent Update here.
• Become a member of the Intercessors Arise International Network here. Connect with intercessors and what God is doing in prayer worldwide! Discover many resources and training on prayer in this network.

Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
International House of Prayer (IHOP) KC Staff
deb@intercessorsarise.org
www.intercessorsarise.org

“I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever - the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive…. But you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you” (John 14:16).
 
We all want fellowship. We feel sad when we get lonely. We all want relationship with God, but how many of us know how to really fellowship with the Holy Spirit? Multitudes of believers never develop a relationship with the very one who dwells inside of them. So many of us feel like orphans all alone with no Father, no one to guide and help us through life.
 
The Holy Spirit wants our friendship! We are His temple (1 Cor. 3:9, 16-17; 6: 17, 19). He knows everything about everything.
 
He wants to reveal the deep things of God to us (1 Cor. 2:9). He wants to gives us His power and strength. A lady went to a jeweler to get her watch fixed. He disappeared and came back quickly with her watch running perfectly. She asked him, “How could you fix it in such a short time?” He told her that it only needed a small battery. All this time the lady had been trying to wind the watch. She didn’t know she only needed a battery to keep it running. 
 
This is so much like the Christian life. Many times we do not realize the inner power that we have in the Holy Spirit. He can run everything in our life, but so often we think we have to take matters into our own hands. So we live a powerless life. The lack of reality, godliness, power, and fruit in our lives is due to unbelief and our lack of fellowship with the Holy Spirit. We need to go deeper in partnership with the Holy Spirit if we want to live powerful lives. 

Many of us are living life with a dead battery. We feel dead inside. We must begin fellowshipping with the Holy Spirit. He will bring life to our hearts! He will show us the way to really live and find fulfilment.
 
How to Learn to Fellowship with the Holy Spirit
 
Fellowship with the Holy Spirit is not complicated. It’s all about a two-way dialogue. We learn to share our hearts freely with the Spirit. We start the conversation, and He speaks back to us. But we must stay engaged. He wants our heart connection. Out of our abiding connection with the Holy Spirit will flow all the issues of life (love, joy, peace, etc.) or death (Proverbs 4:23, Song of Songs 4:12, 16; 5:1; 6:2, John 7:38).

Learn to linger in His presence without rushing. Speak affectionately, slowly, softly, and briefly with short phrases to Him. Pause and listen to His still, small voice. Journal your thoughts and what you believe He is saying to you.

One way to enhance your fellowship with the Holy Spirit is by using these 5 practical phrases using the acrostic T-R-U-S-T.

• T - Thank you - Thank the Holy Spirit for His indwelling presence. We approach God through thanksgiving (Psalm 100:1-5). Pray, “Thank you Holy Spirit for your presence in me, for your guidance, etc. I love your leadership…”
  
  
• R - Release revelation - Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you His heart and open your eyes to the realm of His glory. Ephesians 1:17-19 is a great prayer to pray. Pray, “Holy Spirit, open my eyes to see the realm of God’s glory. Open the eyes of my understanding, give me the spirit of wisdom and understanding, etc.”
  
  
• U - Use me - Ask the Holy Spirit to use you more and more. Put your sails up and expect Him to use you every day. Pray, “Thank you Holy Spirit for releasing your power and gifts through my life. Use me fully for your glory…”
  
  
• S - Strengthen me - Ask the Holy Spirit to strengthen your mind, will, and emotions with His divine might so that you may contain more of His wisdom, fruit, and gifts. See Ephesians 3:16. Pray, “Thank you Holy Spirit for your love, patience, joy, etc. Increase my capacity to contain more of your wisdom, gifts, and fruit…”
  
  
• T - Teach me - Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you about God’s Word and ways. Ask Him to manifest His leadership in every area of your life. He will order your steps and give you new and creative ideas. See John 14:26 and 16:13. Pray, “Holy Spirit let me see what you see and feel what you feel. Release it with power through my life…”

The river that flows from the throne of God is the Spirit. Jesus said that out of your innermost being shall flow rivers of living water (John 7:38). The Bible describes 5 facets of the Holy Spirit’s activity in us as light, wind, fire, wine, and a river. In John 3:8 and Acts 2:2, the Spirit is described as the sound of a violent, rushing wind. My husband, Norm, is from Buffalo, New York where Niagara Falls is located. We often visit the falls and are always amazed at that violent, gushing waterfall. It is powerful and sounds like the violent, rushing wind. Look at the activity of the Holy Spirit in our lives as we fellowship with Him:

• Bright Light - gives life (John 1:4; 8:12), purifies, unifies, empowers (1 John 1:5-7), illuminates mind with revelation, truth, and direction (Psalm 43:3; Luke 12:35-36; John 8:32; 2 Cor. 4:4, 6), and overcomes the works of darkness (John 1:4-5; 3:19-21; Acts 26:18; 2 Cor. 4:3-6; James 1:7).
  
  
• Mighty Wind - gives divine strength, stirs hunger, imparts desire (Phil. 2:13), releases fresh creativity (John 3:8), and inspires, directs, and empowers the Church (Acts 2:2-4; 8:26-40).
  
  
• Consuming Fire - energizes (Acts 2:4), tenderizes our hearts, devours that which hinders love (Hebrews 12:29, Luke 24:32, John 5:35), and imparts God’s jealous affection for us (Deut. 4:24; Psalm 79:5; Song of Songs 8:6; Ezek. 23:25; 38:19; Zeph. 1:18; 3:8).
  
  
• New Wine - awakens the sleeping and revives (Song of Songs 7:9), imparts the Father’s love (Song of Songs 2:4-5), strengthens heart, refreshes soul (Isa. 28:12), releases joy and thanksgiving (Mt. 9:17; Mk. 2:22; Lk. 5:37-38; Acts 2:13; 15; Eph. 5:18-19).
  
  
• Flowing River - invigorates, rejuvenates, restores, and satisfies the soul (John 7:37-39).

An author named Jamie Buckingham visited a dam on the Columbia River. He thought that the water spilling over the top gave the dam its’ power, but he was absolutely wrong. That was only the froth. The turbines and generators deep within transformed the power of tons and tons of water into electricity. All of this was happening quietly and without notice deep within.

In the same way, it is the Holy Spirit who is working deep within each of our lives. He gives us the power. It isn’t the flashy froth like in this dam, but it is His deep work in our lives that gives us real spiritual power and makes us like a river of living water. 

Without the Holy Spirit, we can do nothing. Our life depends on it. We must know His power!  

“It must be perfectly obvious to anyone that what the whole church needs from top to bottom is a deeper conversion, a profounder experience of the power of the Holy Spirit.” Samuel Shoemaker

The Holy Spirit wants to fellowship with us in life in a deeper dimension than we have ever experienced or dreamed possible. He wants to have His strength and power operating within us—He wants to give us His wisdom—He wants to participate in everything we are doing. When we pray, He wants to pray with us and through us. He wants to transform everything that we do with His glorious power. We must learn to fellowship with the Holy Spirit every day in order to go deeper in our prayer lives. This is an absolute necessity.

“This is more than the Spirit with a portion of Christ’s influence and power. This is the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of the glorified Jesus in His exaltation and power, coming to us as the Spirit of the indwelling Jesus, revealing the Son and the Father within us (John 14:16-23). This Spirit cannot simply be the Spirit of our hours of prayer. It must be the Spirit of our whole lives and walks, glorifying Jesus in us by revealing the completeness of His work and making us wholly one with Him and like Him. Then we can pray in His name, because we are truly one with Him. Then we have the immediate access to the Father of which Jesus said, “I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you” (John 16:26). Andrew Murray
 

• 4 books on prayer and intercession with a 20% discount on each book - Use the discount code – PL6G7Y59.
  Breakthrough Prayer: Praying God's Truth, Destroying Enemy Lies 
  24/7 Prayer Arise: Building the House of Prayer in Your City 
  Deeper Still: Secrets to a Deeper Prayer Life 
  Ascending the Heights in Prayer: Touching Heaven, Changing Earth 
• Have your friends sign up for Intercessors Arise here!
• If you would like to pray for us and get monthly updates, sign up here at Norm and Debbie's Prayer Partner.
• Become a member of the Intercessors Arise International Network here. Connect with intercessors and what God is doing in prayer worldwide! Discover many resources and training on prayer in this network.

Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
International House of Prayer (IHOP) KC Staff
deb@intercessorsarise.org
www.intercessorsarise.org

“A preacher preaches a message. A voice is much more than this. A message can deliver content, but a voice comes from an anointed life that has the power to actually turn people. A message delivers information. A voice delivers people. Anyone can deliver a message, but only a consecrated life can be a voice.” Wes Martin
 
Today we are hearing voices from every direction. The voice of technology, and the voices on the internet and TV are at an all-time high. Rarely can we get away from all the noise. It is blaring for our attention all the time day and night. Everyone seems to be trying to be a voice in a busy and rapidly increasingly world of noise and empty promises.
 
But what is God looking for at this point in human history?
 
He is looking for consecrated ones who will be His voice; His voice in prayer, His voice in speaking words of truth, and His voice in everyday life in various situations that we encounter all day long. Even though we are in a world of noise, we are in a famine for truth. False promises and lies are everywhere. It’s time to stand on God’s Word and speak His truth into our life circumstances.
 
God is looking for those who walk in wholehearted abandonment like John the Baptist. His life is an example to each one of us.
 
The Life of John the Baptist
 
“Then they said to him, ‘Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?' He said, 'I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the LORD,' as the prophet Isaiah said” (John 1:22-23, NKJV). 
 
Let’s look at some of the qualities of the life of John the Baptist because he was God’s voice in the wilderness. What was John like? How could he become a powerful and anointed voice for God?

• John identified himself as a voice - He prepared people to encounter God Himself. When he spoke, decisive shifts took place in people’s lives and they turned toward righteousness.

• John lived in simplicity - He lived in isolation and was consumed with His message and the one who had sent him.

• John was a faithful witness - He was faithful to the word of the Lord regardless of cost (John 3:7-18, 29).

• John was established in His identity before God - He did not look to other men for his identity or for approval. He looked to God.

• John was a man of prayer and devotion - As he grew up he became strong in spirit in the desert (Luke 1:80). He had a deep life with God.

• John was a consecrated vessel - He was set apart as a Nazarite to minister to God all his days. He did not drink wine or strong drink (Luke 1:15). He practiced fasting regularly.

In these days God is looking for those who can be His voice in the wilderness. Like John the Baptist, He is looking for those who will prepare for His Second Coming.
 
Are you a voice for God? Are you that consecrated vessel God can use in this critical day? 
 
The Spiritual Violence of John the Baptist

“There has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater [in opportunity] than he. And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force (Matthew 11:11-12).
 
John was the Father’s messenger who came to prepare the way for Jesus. He was the greatest man and a burning and shining light (John 5:35). Matthew 11:12  speaks of spiritual violence. It points to being resolute to pay any price necessary in seeking more of God. This is what John the Baptist was like. He violently reordered his priorities and the way he did everything. His lifestyle had a violent impact on the devil’s kingdom.

Jesus set John forth as the premier model of wholeheartedness in devotion. In his spiritual violence, John radically sought after God without reservation or compromise. He loved God. He was great in God’s sight. When God releases a greater measure of His power and presence, He looks for a greater dedication. In these days God is looking for those who will experience the Kingdom of God in greater measure by the holy forcefulness of spiritual violence. John the Baptist was this type of man internally because of his extravagant love for God that confronted all the inner hindrances and barriers to fully experiencing God in his heart. John the Baptist was hungry for God. He had a vision to have everything that God would give the human spirit in his age.

John called himself a friend of the bridegroom (John 3:29). This is how he saw himself. He had a forerunner ministry. He opened his heart to God and prepared the Bride for the coming of Christ. He stood, He heard, and He greatly rejoiced because of the Bridegroom’s voice. He modeled the way to prepare a spiritual highway (Luke 3:7-20). He emphasized calling people to repent and announced the coming of Jesus. He called people to righteous living. He modeled a wholehearted pursuit of God and what it looks like. His life’s message is clear. No one has ever passed him in abandonment to God.

So many in the Church have lost their purpose in life. In the pursuit of making this world a pleasant place to live, multitudes have chased after lesser gods. We must listen to the message of John the Baptist. We must repent and return to God with wholehearted abandonment. We must wait upon God and prepare in these end times (Matthew 24:42-43; 25:13; Mark 13:33-38; Luke 21:26; Revelation 3:3 16:15).

As we wait, pray, and live in righteousness, we gain strength for our hearts. Jesus is coming again. Like John we must prepare this generation for the Lord’s return. John prepared for the first coming of the Lord through modeling his lifestyle, his message, and through the power of the Holy Spirit that was on his life. We must prepare others for the second coming of Christ. We may be a forerunner as an intercessor, in the marketplace, in the media or as a preacher calling people to prepare the way of the Lord. We have the same Spirit in our lives as John did.

Let’s be inspired by John's life. Let’s let it challenge our lives to the core. We are God’s model of wholeheartedness. We are God’s voice at this time.

Being God’s Voice

As you pray, ask God to make you His voice. Ask Him to release His authority in your life to turn others back to God and righteousness. The world is living in a wilderness of increasing fear, anxiety, loneliness, and pain. People are hiding their fear through constant activity and in so many unfulfilling ways in their anxious attempt to make this life pleasant. They need God.

We are the voice of the Lord on the earth as we positively declare His will through our prayers and our lives. God is looking for consecrated vessels like John the Baptist. He is waiting for something to be done, waiting for someone to pray His will. We become God’s voice on the earth for breakthrough by praying His will as we listen and obey. Heaven responds to our prayers. God listens and acts on our behalf. 

The atmosphere changes; we change; our lives change.     

You are God's voice in this generation, pointing the way to His second coming. As you pray, you are releasing His power in the world. As you speak, you are declaring His will on this earth. As you travail, your tears are releasing His power to break the darkness over the land. As you live, you are modeling a dedicated life.
 
He wants to use you in greater and greater dimensions. He wants you to rise up higher as a consecrated vessel for His glory. But it’s up to you. The King of the Universe is calling you higher. Will you say “yes” to a holy lifestyle, to a deeper prayer life, to a level of consecration that only He can make real in your life?

Let’s be His voice in the wilderness. Let’s prepare others for His Second Coming. Let's prepare the way of the Lord.  
 
“He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. Every valley shall be filled in,
 every mountain and hill made low.
 The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. And all people will see God’s salvation... I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.' And with many other words John exhorted the people and proclaimed the good news to them” (Luke 3:3-6, 16-18).

A powerful word -  A Voice in the Wilderness - Prepare the Way of the Lord 

• 4 books on prayer and intercession with a 20% discount on each book - Use this discount code – PL6G7Y59.
  Breakthrough Prayer: Praying God's Truth, Destroying Enemy Lies 
  24/7 Prayer Arise: Building the House of Prayer in Your City 
  Deeper Still: Secrets to a Deeper Prayer Life 
  Ascending the Heights in Prayer: Touching Heaven, Changing Earth 
• Have your friends sign up for Intercessors Arise here!
• If you would like to pray for us and get monthly updates, sign up here at Norm and Debbie's Prayer Partner.
• Become a member of the Intercessors Arise International Network here. Connect with intercessors and discover many resources on prayer.

Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
International House of Prayer (IHOP) KC Staff
deb@intercessorsarise.org
www.intercessorsarise.org

"In warfare and seasons of trouble, there is a quality of suffering and perseverance that actually births in us a greater anointing to work the works of God. God actually trusts us because He trusts what He sees of suffering inside our heart and life. We cannot build anything without suffering... Good leadership knows how to suffer; they know about patience and perseverance to stand their ground."

God is looking throughout the earth, and He sees those who are steadfast in spirit. Is your spirit steadfast even during times of intense spiritual warfare? Do you know how to stand steady in hard times even when the enemy targets you with lies? Are you standing your ground in your thought life, and are you bringing your thoughts captive to Christ?
 
It’s not easy to navigate through life with all the uncertainties facing us. We go through times of job promotions and losses, prosperity and adversity, love and loneliness. We must learn to be very careful in our walk through life. I remember when I was simply walking with my husband and looking at the beauty of nature when suddenly I stepped on a small round chestnut, lost my balance, and fell on the ground. A little shaken and with a few scrapes and bruises, he helped me up. We carefully continued walking steadfastly forward. Little round chestnuts were all over the road. Almost as if they were dangerous landminds, I gingerly stepped around them as we proceeded on our walk. That day I learned a lesson about walking steadfastly.

How do we navigate through such constant change and intense warfare in our thoughts? How do we navigate around the landmines in life? It seems that our inner resolve must be strong. A fixed heart in prayer positions us, strengthening us from within to receive God’s power moment-by-moment and day-by-day. God wants us to stand firm by taking our thoughts captive through prayer. Obviously while walking I wasn’t standing firm. And what happened? I fell! But I got up quickly and proceeded on, being much more careful.
 
Even if we have made a great fall, we can get up and get moving again. But we need to be careful of the landmines. They can be negative thoughts about God, about ourselves, and about others that especially tempt us during a difficult time. Strongholds are powerful. But God will help us to be steady if we resolve to be faithful and steadfast in spirit and in prayer. He will renew a steadfast spirit within us. King David prayed for a steadfast spirit and wrote in Psalm 51:10:

"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me."

My husband put many new windows in our house. Windows are important. This life is a small window of opportunity to stand fast in prayer, to choose to love God with all our heart, and to believe His truth in the midst of difficult circumstances. God sees whatever suffering each one of us has to go through in this life. Suffering and perseverance is an important part of life. When we face suffering, there is a powerful anointing for fellowship with God. He is inviting us to draw nearer to His heart through it.  

One of the books I am presently writing is called The Invitation. God is inviting us into a glorious place of power and relationship, but it’s up to us. Will we accept His invitation? Will we be steadfast in seeking Him? Will we cling to His truth and His Word? We all love to be invited to special events by important people. This invitation is the greatest invitation any of us will ever receive in this life.

The challenge for us is to love God and believe Him through everything that comes our way. This is where we will find His strength and grace to carry us through. King David was a man after God’s heart who constantly pursued Him. A steadfast heart knows how to take thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ. We have a window of opportunity right now to pursue God. David declared in Psalm 108:1, “My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing and make music with all my soul.”

I have noticed in my life that after I have gone through an especially enduring season of warfare, God brings a breakthrough and increases the anointing in my own personal life. I look back and see the grace of God that carried me through. The battle has to do most often with taking thoughts captive in prayer and believing God for breakthrough. Satan does not like prayer. Standing strong in perseverance is a daily task, but God’s grace has been sufficient. If you are involved in prayer, I am sure you can identify. Battles make us strong, firm, and steadfast. We read this in 1 Peter 5:10: 

“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.”

The Call for a Steadfast Spirit

“Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying your decrees!” (Psalm 119:5)

Let’s never think that we are the only one going through warfare and needing a breakthrough. All of God’s people who have been used by Him have come face-to-face in confrontation and warfare in the area of taking thoughts captive through prayer. Everyone has had to learn to be steadfast. It’s inevitable.

The famous revivalist, John Wesley, was steadfast in difficulty. Imagine the thoughts that the enemy must have shot into his mind when he was facing rejection and defeat. You probably never knew this about his life. Look at the breakthrough he experienced when he had a steadfast, persevering spirit and continued to trust God. A page from his diary reads as follows:

• Sunday morning, May 5 - Preached in St. Ann's, was asked not to come back anymore.
• Sunday p.m., May 5 - Preached at St. John's, deacons said, "Get out and stay out."
• Sunday a.m., May 12 - Preached at St. Jude's, can't go back there either.
• Sunday p.m., May 12 - Preached at St. George's, kicked out again.
• Sunday a.m., May 19 - Preached, deacons called special meeting and said I couldn't return.
• Sunday p.m., May 19 - Preached on the street, kicked off the street.
• Sunday a.m., May 26 - Preached in meadow, chased out of meadow as a bull was turned loose during the services.
• Sunday a.m., June 2 - Preached out at the edge of town, kicked off the highway.
• Sunday p.m., June 2 - Afternoon service, preached in a pasture, 10,000 people came to hear me.

Wouldn’t you have felt like giving up if you were John Wesley? Look at what God did through His life because he persevered!

All inventors have to be extremely steadfast. Thomas Edison who invented the light bulb said, “Genius is one percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration.” Did you know that the first electric light was so dim that a candle was needed to see its socket? Wilbur and Orville Wright’s first airplane flight lasted only twelve seconds. One of the first steamboats took 32 hours to go from New York to Albany, a distance of 150 miles. The first automobile traveled two to four miles per hour and broke down often. But look at what these inventions can do today. These inventors had to believe in breakthrough in the face of great endurance and difficulty.

Perhaps you are going through a challenging time when the devil is relentlessly attacking your mind. You know that you need to be steadfast and persevering, but it’s difficult. The enemy tells you, “You’re a failure. You’ll never make it. You might as well give up.” These are merely lies and the strongholds of the enemy. The warfare seems intense, and you need a breakthrough that only God can give. 

Realize that you are not alone. There is a battlefield of the mind. Many of us are facing a battle one way or another. We need a steadfast and persevering spirit in intense warfare. We need to believe God’s truth rather than the enemy’s lies. What should we do in times of warfare? Here are a few suggestions:

• Put on worship music, sing to the Lord, and praise Him in the midst of difficulty. This will touch your spirit and impact your emotions (Ephesians 5:19-20). Listen to peaceful, quiet worship music. If you are getting fearful over situations in your personal life, the economy, weather conditions, or terrorism, this is an incredible way to stay in God’s peace in the midst of battle.
  
  
• Speak God’s Word over your personal difficulties. Speak God’s Word over your life and the lives of those around you. Speak God’s Word over your nation. You are aligning your heart with God’s heart as you speak it out loud.  

You may feel the intensity of spiritual warfare. It may be hard to hold steady in prayer. Landmines are going off all around you. Negative thoughts are trying to invade your mind. God is inviting you into deeper intimacy by teaching you to take your thoughts captive through prayer. He wants to strengthen your arms in war. Don’t give up. Persevere in prayer. Your breakthrough may be right around the corner.

Be steadfast in spirit as you face the battlefield of the mind. He will keep you in perfect peace as you take your thoughts captive through prayer. God will help you step around those land mines safely and victoriously when you trust in Him (Isaiah 26:3).

"There is an anointing for fellowship with God in confrontation that births a bestowing of Kingdom in our hearts. Kingdom is given to us in the violence of confrontation. The Kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force (see Matthew 11:12). We need a godly violence in our hearts that says, “We are not going to be moved; this is what we believe in. We are going to stand here; we are not moving. We are standing here, and we are believing God.”

• 4 books on prayer and intercession with a 20% discount on each book - See the links to find a description, how to purchase them, and use the discount code – PL6G7Y59.
  Breakthrough Prayer: Praying God's Truth, Destroying Enemy Lies 
  24/7 Prayer Arise: Building the House of Prayer in Your City 
  Deeper Still: Secrets to a Deeper Prayer Life 
  Ascending the Heights in Prayer: Touching Heaven, Changing Earth 
• Have your friends sign up for Intercessors Arise here!
• If you would like to pray for us and get monthly updates, sign up here at Norm and Debbie's Prayer Partner.
• Become a member of the Intercessors Arise International Network here. Connect with intercessors and discover many resources on prayer.

Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
International House of Prayer (IHOP) KC Staff
deb@intercessorsarise.org
www.intercessorsarise.org

“You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue
 you, Lord, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain” (Psalm 139:1-6).
 
Our identity as humans is under fire.  If you look into the secret lives of people in all walks of life, you find individuals who try to look big on the outside but who are crying deeply for love on the inside.  A worldwide problem is not being able to love ourselves the way that God loves us. Most of us do not do this well. 

I remember a few years ago when we were having awakening services several nights a week here at the International House of Prayer. One of the main problems that kept coming up in many of the services, especially among young people, was self-hatred. The fact that is apparent worldwide is that mankind has a hard time loving themselves in the right way. And this is prevalent among Christians.
 
But if we want the freedom to pray wholeheartedly without limitations, we must have a right view of ourselves. We are God's masterpiece.
 
We live in a world that tells us that we are ok only if we are more beautiful, have a more important job, and are skinnier or more athletic. Then we will be acceptable and life will go our way. The problem is that most of us do not measure up to the ideals we see in the media, and we are listening to the wrong voices all the time. We are constantly bombarded with the wrong messages in school, on TV, and on the internet. Self-hatred comes with seeing our worth and success according to the flesh and comparing ourselves with the values of this evil world.
 
But what does the Bible say to all of us who are seeking God wholeheartedly and truly want to see ourselves through His eyes?

• “As the Father loved me, I also have loved you; abide in my love (John 15:9).
• “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us… (1 John 3:1).

How many really believe this? If we did, we would walk in a new nobility with our head held high, not because of pride, but because of the remarkable dignity we have as children of God. We are made in His image. We are to see ourselves in light of the truths of Jesus’ work on the cross. We are not to minimize how much God enjoys loving us because He does, and He thoroughly enjoys being loved by us. He loves it when we spend time with Him basking in His love.
 
“Our greatest emotional need is to have the assurance that we are enjoyed by God even in our weakness. Every person was created with a longing to be delighted in and enjoyed by God. A prevailing stronghold in many today is related to rejection and shame. This stronghold hinders our ability to receive God’s love and to enjoy Him, His Word, and the work of the kingdom.” Mike Bickle
 
Most people do not have a clear sense of their personal identity even when they do a great work in the world’s eyes. An example is the famous German philosopher Schleiermacher who did much to shape the progress of modern thought. As an old man he was sitting on a city park bench. A policeman thought he was a bum and came and shook him. He asked this famous philosopher, “Who are you?” Schleiermacher sadly replied, “I wish I knew.” 
 
This sad reality is multiplied by the rich and famous all over the world. Outwardly impressive but inwardly longing to know who they really are. Working feverishly to keep up their image in the public eye, they are looking in every direction for love and personal identity but are not finding it.
 
Why are there so many suicides among young people today? Why so much depression and discouragement? Because our enemy wants to destroy our identity in Christ, and he will do everything he can to tell us how far we have fallen short. He will try his hardest to lead people into such depression so that they will even take their own life because of their agonizing pain. Let’s look at the gravity of this huge problem:
 
Depression is the #1 disability in the world and the strongest risk factor in suicide. Suicide takes the lives of nearly 30,000 Americans every year and is the 10^th leading cause of death. Between 1952 and 1995, suicide in young people nearly tripled and is the third leading cause of death. An average of one person dies by suicide every 16.2 minutes. It is estimated that there were 811,000 suicide attempts in just one year. See 
http://www.save.org for more information.

Crowned with Glory and Honor
 
“You have crowned him with glory and honor, and set him over the works of Your hands” (Hebrews 2:7).
 
Every one of us is important. Every one of us has a God-ordained destiny that only we can complete. No other person in all of history can do and be what God has designed you for. Yes, you are fearfully and wonderfully made. When we know this love deep in our heart that God has towards us, we are empowered to love others deeply and to pray extravagantly. God delights in the person that He made us to be. Don’t despise your appearance, status, gifting, or ministry assignment. It is so important to God. In fact, there is nobody who can do what God has specially designed you for. Remember Ephesians 2:10 every time you get down about yourself – you are His unique and special workmanship. You are God's masterpiece.
 
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”
 
God sees us differently than we do. He does not agree with man’s fleshly view of what is weak, ugly, and worthless. He actually chooses the weak things of the world to put to shame what appears strong according to the flesh (1 Corinthians 1:27). We must agree with what He values. We must look at things from an eternal viewpoint, not from the world system.
 
We must focus on who we are in Christ, not according to the flesh and how we look, make money, etc. We must seek who we are according to the Spirit (God’s eyes) so that we can love ourselves. Self-hatred comes from seeing ourselves according to the flesh and then comparing ourselves with others who are big in the world’s eyes (2 Corinthians 10:12). We are new creatures in Christ!
 
“So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” 
(2 Corinthians 5:16-17).
 
We are to acknowledge and hate our sinful desires, but we are to love who we are in Christ. We have no confidence in our flesh (Philippians 3:3-8). We died to our old life, failure and identity (Colossians 3:2-4). God loves our every act of obedience in small and big ways. He sees us as successful. We have a glorious inheritance (Eph. 1:17-18).
 
We can love with God’s love when we know our true identity. Embrace His love today by loving yourself the way He does. He carefully and lovingly knit you together in your mother’s womb with His own hands! Every single part of you inside and outside was fashioned with His master hand. You are His masterpiece. Don’t look at yourself through man’s eyes; look at yourself through God’s. You are His beloved child. You are crowned with glory and honor.

Now one of the most famous phrases spoken here at the International House of Prayer is this: "I am God's favorite!"  And this is so true because we are all God's favorites! We are each uniquely designed by His master hand.

You must watch this video called The Father's Heart and let it touch your heart. Put on some quiet worship music, sit or kneel in God's presence, meditate on Psalm 139, and listen to what God says to you. Write it down, and thank God that you are His masterpiece. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. 
 
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you
 when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body;
 all the days ordained for me were written in your book
 before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand…” (Psalm 139:13-18).
 
 Intercessors Arise News

• I offer to you four books on prayer with a 20% discount - See the links to find a description and use the discount code - PL6G7Y59. 
  
  Breakthrough Prayer: Praying God's Truth, Destroying Enemy Lies
  24/7 Prayer Arise: Building the House of Prayer in Your City 
  Deeper Still: Secrets to a Deeper Prayer Life 
  Ascending the Heights in Prayer: Touching Heaven, Changing Earth 

Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
International House of Prayer (IHOP) KC Staff
deb@intercessorsarise.org
www.intercessorsarise.org

“And the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose; It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice, even with joy and singing" (Isaiah 35:1, 2).
 
Have you ever been in the desert? I’ve been in many deserts, both physically and spiritually. My husband likes to minister to people who live in the desert where there are miles and miles of sand. There are huge sand dunes with nothing else that the eye can see. Miles and miles of sand everywhere. We’ve spent a lot of time in Australia as well where there are vast amounts of unpopulated areas throughout the middle of the country. Vast wastelands.
 
We were given a desert rose from North Africa that was forged under heat and pressure in that vast desert area. Even in the driest of situation, toughest of places, there is life. I cherish that special rose made out of rock and sand. It is so beautiful and so meaningful to me. See a desert rose.

During those personal times in the desert you may feel like everything has shut down for you. You may not sense favor where you once did. You may feel that your relationships are more distant and may even feel that God has abandoned you. But I want to say to you, “Do not fear. God is in the desert. He is developing you into a rose."

God brings us into the desert in our spiritual life, often not because we are doing something wrong, but because He wants more of us. He wants our undivided attention. He may even take us out of a busy and fruitful time, and this may seem so inconvenient and unnecessary to the carnal mind. But always know this: your Father knows exactly what He is doing.
 
What are you leaning on for your support? Is it ministry, popularity, or money? God wants you to lean solely on Him. He will make you strong in days when everything else is shaking. He is always strategic and purposeful in all that He does. If you are in a desert experience, He has set you apart for Himself in this season for a purpose.

Learn to Sing
 
“I will allure her and bring her into the wilderness and speak comfortably to her, and she shall sing there” (Hosea 2:14).
 
In the desert we must learn to sing. Our natural tendency is to have a gloomy outlook and give up, but this is exactly when we need to learn to sing with all our heart.
 
When we are in this situation in our life, how can we get the most out of our desert experience? Here are some ways:

• Fix your eyes on God. Walk in faith. This may not be an easy time. After all, you are in a desert where most things have dried up. But it’s you and God alone and this is most valuable to Him. He desires our intimacy. Jesus alone is your “Bread of Life”.
  
  
• Resist the enemy. If the enemy is telling you that there is no way out and that your situation is hopeless, resist him and stand firm in your faith. This is a time when the enemy comes in with his relentless lies. He did this with Jesus in the desert (Matthew 4).
  
  
• Embrace the desert. Embrace it wholeheartedly by the grace of God. See the tremendous value of this time in your life, and thank God for it.
  
  
• Examine your heart and invite God’s purifying fire. During this time God will show you areas that need change. Cooperate with His Spirit and invite Him to change you deeply on the inside. Ask Him to remove every barrier that keeps you from Him and His purposes for you.
  
  
• Get a journal and write down what God is saying to you. He is always speaking, and now you have no distractions from hearing His voice. By faith believe that He wants to share His secrets with you during this time and listen expectantly.
  
  
• Study whole books of the Bible. Especially study the Song of Solomon because it is all about intimacy with God.  
  
  
• Pray God’s Word out loud back to Him. This is God’s personal season with you. Personalize the Bible. Take a phrase and pray it. Listen to God's voice carefully throughout the day.
  
  
• Learn to sing in the desert. Sing praises to God instead of complaining. Watch your tongue very carefully and keep from negativity. Become an extravagant worshipper.
  
  
• Study the attributes of God daily. Worship God for who He is, not just for what He gives you. Dwell and meditate on His attributes. Sing and pray those attributes back to Him.

This is the time to learn to sing with all your heart. We must not only sing with our voice, but we must sing with our words, our eyes, our attitudes, our prayers, our writing, our praise, and everything else. 

We must come to the place where all that is within us gives praise to God.
 
Study the Song of Solomon
 
“Set me as a seal upon your arm, as a seal upon your heart, for love is as strong as death, its jealousy as ardent as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the Lord” (Song 8:6).
 
The desert is a wonderful place to study the Song of Solomon in the Bible. The Song of Solomon is an eight-chapter love song revealing the passionate desire of God for His Bride. If you want to understand how God sees you and feels about you, then this is a good book to study while in the desert. Nothing will empower your heart more than having a revelation of God’s affection for you personally. God will empower your heart to trust Him in this season of your life.
 
The Song of Solomon is Mike Bickle’s most popular teaching series here at the International House of Prayer. He studied it for 20 years. I recommend his teachings and am planning on writing more articles on it in the future. For a 24-part series by Mike Bickle, see Song of Songs.
 
It’s time to shake off the lies and begin to enjoy the desert. Sing! Sing in your heart and thank Him for this time. It is time for you and Him without any distractions. Waters will break out in your desert, and you will find streams that will water all those you come in contact with. Don’ despise this time but learn to enjoy it. What looks like an endless desert with no life will turn into springs of water. God is preparing you now for what He has for you in the future. He will bring forth flowers in your desert, and He has a plan for you. You are not forgotten but God wants to speak tenderly to you. You are His beloved and He cherishes every moment you are with Him in the desert. You are His desert rose.
 
“Then shall the lame man leap as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing. For in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water….” (Isaiah 35:6, 7)

Intercessors Arise News

• I have published 4 new books on prayer and intercession with a 20% discount on each book - See the links to find a description, how to purchase them, and use the discount code - PL6G7Y59. 
  
  Breakthrough Prayer: Praying God's Truth, Destroying Enemy Lies - http://www.createspace.com/3420713
  24/7 Prayer Arise: Building the House of Prayer in Your City - http://www.createspace.com/3420712
  Deeper Still: Secrets to a Deeper Prayer Life - http://www.createspace.com/3420707
  Ascending the Heights in Prayer: Touching Heaven, Changing Earth - http://www.createspace.com/3420711

Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
International House of Prayer (IHOP) KC Staff
deb@intercessorsarise.org
www.intercessorsarise.org

“At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, ‘Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.’ The words ‘once more’ indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:26-29).
 
God is shaking everything that can be shaken. That which is true and righteous will remain. He is awakening us out of slumber and apathy, and challenging us to a radically obedient lifestyle. There is not one of us who does not struggle in our Christian walk with the reality of radical obedience. We may obey in the big issues of life, but when it comes down to every single detail every day, we find it difficult. It is just too hard, but Jesus tells us in the Sermon on the Mount that we must be perfect in our obedience just as our Father is in heaven (Matthew 5:48).
 
How can this be possible? We know we cannot attain perfection in this life, but we can do this by seeking to walk in all the light that the Spirit gives us in every season of our life.
 
Let’s make this our primary goal in life: To walk in all the light we have and to live radically obedient for God.
 
If we look back in history, there are several instances where we see how God moved powerfully when His people walked in radical obedience. An obedient lifestyle is key to those who want a powerful prayer life. We read in James 5:16b: “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” This is an important verse for intercessors. We must walk in obedience and righteousness if we want a powerful prayer life.
 
The Sermon on the Mount Lifestyle
 
“In every detail of their lives—in business, pleasure, in Christian service, in civil duties—they took the Sermon on the Mount as a lamp to their feet.” Count Zinzendorf and the Moravians
 
The Sermon on the Mount is the greatest evaluation of an obedient lifestyle. It gets down to the nitty-gritty issues of daily life and of whether we are walking in obedience or not. The Sermon on the Mount is the core values of the Kingdom. It is the lithmus test to accurately measure our spiritual development and ministry impact.
 
The Sermon on the Mount was central for the prayer movement and for the revivals. Two examples in history where the practice of a Sermon on the Mount lifestyle brought great results in the spiritual realm were:

• Count Zinzendorf and the Moravians - Their dedication to prayer and the Sermon on the Mount lifestyle led to a 100-year prayer meeting and a worldwide mission’s movement.

• The Welsh Revival - Evan Roberts, the young man who was used so powerfully by God in the Welsh revival of 1904, prayed passionately that God would purify and bend the Church.

Evan Roberts prayed that God would break his own heart over the condition of mankind. His heart was set on obedience, and agonizing prayer was his daily life style. He believed and preached perfect obedience.
 
“Evan Roberts captured the spirit of the whole revival with the theme: Bend the Church and Save the World. James E. Stewart claimed that this is the secret of every true awakening. Christians must humble themselves and get right with God so that the Spirit can break through in converting power upon the unsaved. There must be no hypocrisy; the Christian must bend to all the will of God for His life in perfect obedience before the Spirit of God is released. When we are bent to the will of God we will be intercessors, because as He ‘ever lives to intercede’ for His people, if we are abiding in Him we will do the same.” Rick Joynor   
 
Revival and Radical Obedience
 
Look at Joshua and how he obeyed God. From the standpoint of the human mind, walking seven times around Jericho did not appear to be a wise thing to do for spiritual success. Imagine the pressure and tension he was facing before that battle. Joshua obeyed God and was victorious. It was exactly what God wanted. He loves obedience even when it doesn’t make sense.
 
We must learn to say “yes” to the purposes of God every day of our lives. Many of us are praying for revival. If we want to see revival, you and I must be revived ourselves. God is after us—all of us. He is raising-up a Church that is steadfast and radically obedient. 

When I was a brand-new missionary many years ago, living on an old ship that sailed from nation to nation preaching the Gospel and encouraging the Church, I remember how I felt after the ship left port from my own beloved country. We were sailing towards South America and would be there for the next two years. 

I felt so lost and lonely, not knowing the language and so new to the whole mission’s world. Being young and inexperienced, I felt like two years on board that ship was a lifetime. We had no e-mail in those days, and I would call home only once a year. I was with over three hundred strangers from over forty nations on board and had left everything behind except for a few personal belongings. I was living in a tiny cabin with three others from three different nations, and we had nothing in common but our commitment to Christ. 

Not being a seasoned sailor, I would often feel the movement of the seas and didn’t even know how to swim. And here we were, all sailing by faith towards South America in an immense ocean and with an unknown future. I was feeling deeply the cost of commitment and obedience to God. It was a big step for me during those days, but I knew that God was inviting me to live a life of radical obedience. Since that time years ago, God has challenged me again and again with the same level of obedience:

• Am I willing to give up everything for the cause of Christ?
• Will I let God have His way with me each and every day?
• Am I willing to pay the price of commitment and radical obedience?
• Do I really want revival and a visitation from God?

Where are you with God? Is He wrestling with you over some issue in your life? Can you say “yes” to Him today? Can you say: “Lord, have Your way with me. I will pray for this end-time revival and choose to obey You at all costs. I will live out commitment in my life each and every day in prayer. I am Yours totally, and I accept your invitation to radical obedience.”Are you willing to pray this prayer and pay this price for revival?

When crowds of people came to visit our ship and when there were endless lines of people waiting to get on board, we realized that obedience is no small thing. We had to work when we didn’t feel like working, we had to serve when we didn’t feel like serving, we had to pray when we didn’t feel like praying, and we had to smile when we didn’t feel like smiling. The result? Many came into the Kingdom and turned their lives over to Christ. 

Revival and a visitation from God are not going to be all fun, excitement, and dancing. It will be sheer commitment and a dedicated life style of radical obedience for all of us. Are we ready for God’s visitation? Are we ready for revival? God is raising up a Church that is willing to pay the price.

In whatever way God is challenging your life today, take a small step forward and say “yes” to Him. It’s step-by-step, choice-by-choice, yes-by-yes, one day at a time and one act of self-denial at a time where you will find true life. Jesus calls you to radical obedience and says in Matthew 16:24-25:

“If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.” 

When we accept this invitation to radical obedience in following Christ, we find real fulfillment. Let’s prepare for this worldwide revival. It is in daily obedience that we find life and are ready for a true visitation from God. Let's live a radically obedient life and worship God with reverence and awe. He is a consuming fire.  

“When you pray for revival and a visitation from God, you’re asking God for life-shaking experiences that will cost you plenty. Revival is agonizing: It so terrorizes you over your sin that you repent deeply. Revival is consuming: It leaves you no time for hobbies, for chores around the house, for work, for sleep. Revival wrecks your appointment calendar, interrupts TV times, demands your full attention.”
 
Intercessors Arise News

• I offer to you four books on prayer with a 20% discount - See the links to find a description and use the discount code - PL6G7Y59. 
  Breakthrough Prayer: Praying God's Truth, Destroying Enemy Lies
  24/7 Prayer Arise: Building the House of Prayer in Your City 
  Deeper Still: Secrets to a Deeper Prayer Life 
  Ascending the Heights in Prayer: Touching Heaven, Changing Earth 
  
  

Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise 
International House of Prayer (IHOP) KC Staff
deb@intercessorsarise.org
www.intercessorsarise.org

Don't miss this worldwide prayer meeting starting at 5 PM, March 24, 2013 here at IHOPKC (International House of Prayer in Kansas City). Join the prayer meeting around the world at http://www.ihopkc.org/prayerroom 

70 hours of prayer

300 main prayer leaders

100,000 prayer gatherings around the world!

See http://www.facebook.com/pages/Transformed-World-2020-Ihopkc-Global-Prayer-Summit-March-24-27-2013/443647259030766

Dear Praying Friends,

I've just published  4 motivational books on prayer! These books are designed to ignite the fire of prayer in your personal prayer life as well as help you to train others in prayer. See the links to find a description of each one and how to purchase them, and be sure to use this discount code in checkout for each book and you will receive a 20% discount. Send this to your friends. 

• http://www.createspace.com/3420713 - Breakthrough Prayer: Praying God's Truth, Destroying Enemy Lies 
• http://www.createspace.com/3420712 - 24/7 Prayer Arise: Building the House of Prayer in Your City 
• http://www.createspace.com/3420707 - Deeper Still: Secrets to a Deeper Prayer Life
• http://www.createspace.com/3420711 - Ascending the Heights in Prayer: Touching Heaven, Changing Earth

Blessings,

Debbie Przybylski

Intercessors Arise International

IHOP-KC staff

http://intercessorsarise.org

“If we as helpers and fellow laborers with the Lord Jesus, are to share His power of intercession, there will need to be with us as well the travail of soul that there was with Him, the giving up of our lives and their pleasures for the one supreme work of interceding for our fellow men. Intercession must not be a passing interest. It must become an ever-growing object of intense desire for which, above everything, we long and live. It is the life of consecration and self-sacrifice that will indeed give power for intercession.” Andrew Murray 
 
There are few people who understand or fully realize how powerful intercession really is. But the number is growing as individuals realize how nothing works without prayer. God wants to reveal to each one of us just how majestic intercession really is. We need a revelation of the majesty and mystery of intercession. We need God to open the eyes of our heart to this tremendous reality.
 
Here at the International House of Prayer (IHOP) in Kansas City, we pray Ephesians 1:17-19a every day of the week. We need the Spirit of wisdom and revelation to open our eyes to all that we have in Christ and to this great reality of the power of intercession!
 
“I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power to us who believe.” 

Intercession is the primary way that God governs the universe. Think about that! God has chosen intercession as the primary means in which he release His (government) power through Jesus and with His people. And He desires for us to enter into this highest ministry through intimate partnership with Himself. Imagine that for a moment – God wants intimate partnership with you. Not a casual friendship, but intimate and close partnership with the God of the universe, the creator of all.

To be involved in this great ministry of intercession requires our cooperation. God require us to cooperate with Him in the grace of God. God will not do our part and we cannot do His part. If we do not do our part, then God withholds some of the help and blessing He would have given us. He has overflowing blessing and help to give you. He knows the deep longings and needs in your heart and life, and He desires to abundantly bless you, but you must ask and call upon Him. It’s that simple and real.

“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know” (Jeremiah 33:3).

There is a mystery to intercession. The primary principle of intercession is simply to tell God what He tells us to tell Him as the means of releasing His power. He tells us what to pray in His Word. We can pray the Bible. It is profoundly simple. Intercession is God’s brilliant strategy for including the saints in ruling with Him in power. Its mystery is in its weakness, simplicity, humility, and accessibility to all.

God promises to restore the Tabernacle of David. The fullness of God’s promise to restore the Tabernacle of David speaks of the full release of Jesus’ government across all nations in context to worship and intercession. It will only be completely restored in Jesus millennial government based on 24/7 worship.

^“I will raise up the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down, and repair its damages; I will raise up its ruins, and rebuild it as in the days of old; that they may possess the remnant of Edom [Islam] and all the Gentiles [harvest in the nations]... I will plant them in their land [May 1948], and no longer shall they be pulled up from the land” (Amos 9:11-15).

There is a majesty to intercession.  God has chosen intercession as the primary means in which He releases His power now and forever. Jesus operated in the principle of intercession when He created the earth by speaking the Word to the Father (Genesis 1). He releases His power now and will rule the nations forever in partnership with His people through intercession.

• Intercession causes us to internalize God’s Word and changes us.
• Intercession unites our heart to people and places we pray for.
• Intercession renews our hope and faith.
• Intercession imparts life (John 6:63).
• Intercession makes a long-term impact beyond this age (Rev. 5:8, 8:1-6).
• Intercession humbles us.
• Intercession changes the spiritual atmosphere of cities and nations.
• Intercession causes multiple blessings to return to the intercessor (Luke 6:38). 

The enemy will do everything he can to stop and hinder you in prayer. He will lie and tell you that it’s not that important. He will tell you it’s too hard or God does not answer. He will bring obstacles, telephone calls, busyness, anything to keep you from this all-important ministry. He trembles when we pray because he knows the majesty, mystery, and power of prayer. He knows how swiftly it damages and thwarts all his evil plans.

We just had two huge snowstorms here in Kansas City. It was a beautiful winter wonderland, but it put a total stop to everything in the city. Jobs, stores, schools, and everything else closed down for a couple of days, and then a few days later we had another storm with everything shutting down again. I am sitting at home right now with huge banks of snow everywhere outside our house. One of our trees snapped off large branches due to the heavy snow. But snow plows made a way where there was no way down the street and throughout the city. We are now able to drive right through the path to wherever we want to go. 

The enemy puts storms in our path, and tries to shut down and block our way to victory. He hinders our progress in any way possible. But if we are faithful in prayer and intercession, God answers our prayer and makes a path for us right through the storm. Just as that snow plow clears a path through the snow, God is able to bring breakthrough right in the midst of the battle. When we are consistent in intercession, we can even enjoy the storm (as I right now enjoy this beautiful snow), because God answers and brings us the victory. He even uses the enemy's attacks for our benefit.
 
Jesus, Himself, was the greatest intercessor and right now lives to make intercession for us. He is our greatest example. Let us never forget the high priority Jesus put on intercession. He is looking for intercessors who will stand in the gap for others. Will you make a new commitment today to this call to prayer and intercession?
 
Watch this power video called INTERCESSION - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RCVp-qeXLA
 
I just published 4 books on prayer and intercession and am giving a 20% discount on each book. They are designed to motivate and ignite the fire of prayer and intercession in your personal prayer life as well as help you to train others in prayer - See the links to find a description of each one and how to purchase them, and be sure to use this discount code in checkout for each book and send this to your friends – PL6G7Y59

• Breakthrough Prayer: Praying God's Truth, Destroying Enemy Lies - http://www.createspace.com/3420713
• 24/7 Prayer Arise: Building the House of Prayer in Your City - http://www.createspace.com/3420712
• Deeper Still: Secrets to a Deeper Prayer Life - http://www.createspace.com/3420707
• Ascending the Heights in Prayer: Touching Heaven, Changing Earth - http://www.createspace.com/3420711

Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
International House of Prayer (IHOP) KC Staff
deb@intercessorsarise.org
www.intercessorsarise.org