Pray Network Forum

I began this blog series earlier. If you click on http://watchinginprayer.blogspot.com/ and scroll down you can see the previous post. The series is on keys to answered prayer taken from John 15:7,8.

“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, 

ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 

By this my Father is glorified, 

that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.”

After Jesus had laid the foundation of living and praying in God’s will, He invited us to ask. “Ask and it will be done for you.” While this passage and others give a fuller picture of prayer, a number of Bible verses simply say, “ask.” John 16:24, “Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” Matthew 7:7, “Ask and it will be given to you.”

Actually, you do not have to read far in any of these passages to find the concept of praying in and for God’s will. However, they all emphasize the opportunity to ask. Asking is a practical way of merging our will with God’s. Like so many things in life, you learn by doing. 

This calls us to consistent continuing prayer. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 calls us to, “Pray without ceasing.” Matthew 7:7 reads,

“Ask, and it will be given to you; 

seek, and you will find; 

knock, and it will be opened to you.” 

Greek, the original language of Matthew and the rest of the New Testament, has a tense that most other languages do not have. The action in this verse must continue or be repeated. One English translation renders these words, “Ask and keep on asking. Seek and keep on seeking, Knock and keep on knocking.” We are to keep our petitions before God until He answers or redirects our prayer.

God also gives us a safety valve on the power of prayer so we do not move mountains onto our neighbors’ houses. In inviting us to ask, Jesus assures us that asking is safe. God protects us as He teaches us to pray. You don’t need fear that you are praying for things that may ruin your life or the lives of people around you. This ought to give us a freedom to pray for whatever we believe to be God’s will.  Ask and you will receive.

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My father sent me to the market that morning. I was in no hurry. He left at the same time to sail for Athens on business. My mother and sisters left the week before to visit family in Troas. They took the house servants with them. I was the only one left at home. As I came near the market I saw a group of my friends going somewhere together.

Timothy, who was leading them, called out to me. “Jason, come with us! We are going to meet Paul and Barnabus. Have you heard of them?” I had not, and neither had the others in the group before that day. 

As I joined them, Timothy began to explain. “Barnabus and Paul are Jews like my mother’s family. They came to Asia to tell people about Jesus, who rose from the dead after being crucified.” I did not know what to say about this. He continued as we walked along, “They came to Antioch and told about Jesus in the synagogue there. The people begged them to speak again the next week. Evidently the power of God was with them to heal people in the town as they told about Jesus through the week. 

“Nearly the whole city showed up at the synagogue the next Sabbath. The synagogue leaders were jealous. They began to oppose Barnabas and Paul before the crowd. Still, many Jews and Greeks from the city believed what Paul and Barnabas taught about Jesus. I have heard that they intend to come this way and I am hoping they will get here this morning.” As we came to the edge of town we saw men coming toward us on the road from Antioch. Timothy called to them, certain they were Barnabas and Paul. Sure enough, they were the apostles. When they saw us they decided we were the audience they were looking for. They led us off the road and began teaching. 

We were all stunned at their message. They told us Jesus was the Son of the only true God. This was strange to our ears, but somehow what they were saying rang true. They did not sound like trained orators. That was part of why they were so convincing. I was moved as Barnabas spoke. There was no question that he cared deeply about us. I found myself hoping that what he said was indeed true. After Barnabas finished, Paul stood to speak. As he spoke about true righteousness and faith and the love of God, I fell to my knees and cried out for the forgiveness and grace bought for me by Jesus on a Roman cross. 

We all followed the apostles back into the city. We had not seen any miraculous signs while they preached to us on the outskirts of town. But I was not surprised when Barnabas prayed for a sickly child who was wistfully watching the other children play. Immediately the child grinned and rose up to join the others. 

Just outside the market at the center of town they gathered a crowd and began to preach. As Paul preached he moved through the throng. He came near the young man that we have always called Solus. I am not sure if that is really his name, but like everyone else in the crowd, I knew his story. He was born lame. His feet and legs were shriveled. He could not walk at all. Paul reached out and took him by the hand to raise him to his feet. Right there in front of everyone his feet and legs were restored. All the people were amazed.

By then, a group had arrived from Antioch to stop Paul and Barnabas from teaching about Jesus. They had already been stirring up people to oppose Paul and Barnabas. They were enraged that the man was publicly healed. They immediately seized Paul. We managed to hustle Barnabus away as they dragged Paul out of town. Adonis and his younger brother took Barnabas to their home to save him from the same fate as Paul.

To the rest of us Timothy said, “We need to follow them and see what they have done to Paul.” When we caught up to the crowd they were throwing stones at the apostle. We watched in horror as several stones struck his head. He crumpled to the ground. We were fairly certain that they had killed him. They congratulated one another as they turned back toward the city.

Timothy led the way to Paul before they were out of sight. We were not going to leave his body out there on the side of the road. But when Timothy laid his hand on his body, Paul moved and shook his head. His head was bleeding profusely. After a moment he stood and began trudging back into town. I rushed to his side to support him. The rest of us surrounded him and would have fought anyone who tried to attack, but the men who stoned him had disappeared up the road. We didn't see them as we came into town. They may have started back to Antioch lest the magistrate question them. We took Paul to the home of Adonis where Barnabus was waiting anxiously. After his wounds had been dressed, Paul gathered us all together to encourage us to remain faithful to Jesus.

Leonides, who was older than the rest of us, asked why those people had been so angry. I was wondering the same thing. We listened intently as Paul explained.

“You all need to understand this. We follow a crucified Savior. As people hated him, they will hate us. Our speaking to them about Jesus will be a kind of judgment. It will reveal what is in their hearts. Some will gladly receive you and repent. Some will be enraged because they hate the true God and His Son Jesus. But Jesus has given the Holy Spirit of God to His followers. This includes you. The Spirit strengthens all of us and will empower us to be faithful.” I asked if that was how he recovered from being stoned. Paul thought for a moment and said, “Possibly.”

Hector, standing behind the rest of us, asked, “Is that how you healed the lame man?”

“In a way,” Paul answered. Then he said, “Actually, I did not heal him at all. Jesus did that. I saw that the man had faith to be healed. But yes, Jesus works through the Holy Spirit.

“God’s Spirit will bear witness of Jesus. The Spirit will speak through you. Sometimes he will even break the hearts of those who oppose Jesus. I was one of those people. I thought I was serving the God of my fathers by arresting and charging those who followed the way. I was on my way to another city to arrest the followers of Jesus who had fled there. On my way Jesus appeared to me in a light brighter than the sun. He called me to repent. By this undeserved grace everything in my life was changed. I now preach the One whom I hated and blasphemed.

This story is based on what Jesus said in John 15:18-27.

Father, make us faithful even in the face of fierce opposition.

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"Power to do the impossible resides in the spirits of those who know Me," I heard the Lord whisper early yesterday morning. I am more convinced than ever that every day that we neglect God is a day that we give more ground to the enemy. What is deposited in us cannot be taken from us, but in order to be effective against the world's daily assaults, in order to do the impossible, we must tap into God's power at least daily! 

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Have you ever been in a dynamic prayer meeting, a heart stirring, life changing, earth shaking prayer meeting? I know of a number of such prayer meetings in history, some even in my own lifetime. And there are several prayer meetings in the book of Acts that I would have given anything to be part of. Fortunately the Holy Spirit inspired them and Luke communicated them to us in such a way that you can almost step into them simply by reading the book of Acts.

We see one of those prayer meetings in the 4th chapter. Peter and John have been released from arrest by the Sanhedrin where they were beaten and warned not to speak again in the name of Jesus. When they finished reporting, the prayer meeting erupted. We read beginning from Acts 4:24.

“When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. ‘Sovereign Lord,’ they said, ‘you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David:’

“‘Why do the nations rage

   and the peoples plot in vain?

The kings of the earth rise up

   and the rulers band together

against the Lord

   and against his anointed one.’

Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken.And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God Boldly.”

The Bible says they raised their voices together and prayed this long prayer. Now tell me, how do you think they did that? Did they all have it memorized so they could quote it like The Lord's Prayer? I think this is what happened. John said ‘Sovereign Lord!’ With that Peter said, 'You made the heavens!’ James said, ‘And the Sea!’ Bartholomew added, ‘and everything in them!’ As a 10 year old girl Mary the wife of Clopas had memorized some of the Psalms to sing as she did her chores. As they prayed David’s words filled her heart and she began to pray them. And one at a time the believers prayed off one another’s prayers.

We could pray the same way. Notice 3 crucial things we can see in this prayer and as we pray together ourselves.

First, we see the Fellowship of praying together. They were binding their hearts together in prayer. The person who is nervous can listen to someone else and something will come to her mind or his mind. In fact, someone who has never prayed can be taught to pray by being part of this body of Prayer. To do that everybody has to be paying attention to one another. Have you ever been in a prayer meeting and while others were praying you were thinking about what you were going to say? I have. And I'm ashamed of it. God will stir your heart with the prayers of others.  When you pray together you can come into a deep bond of love and fellowship.

And we can see the Faith of praying together. Not only do you trust God in praying together but you have to have faith in God who is working in other people. They encouraged one another's faith as they prayed off each other and really prayed one prayer together. If you think you're the only one that has a word from God or knows how to pray to God you'll miss out on this kind of praying. When you're praying together you can trust Holy Spirit working in the whole group.

Finally this passage shows dramatically the Effect of praying together. When they got through praying the place where they prayed was shaken and they all began to speak the word of God with boldness. There is something very symbolic about this. That doesn’t mean it didn't happen. In fact this is how God revealed himself all through history. There was something symbolic about God coming down in the fire to Moses at the bush. But it was much more powerful symbolism because it really happened. When the Jordan River dammed itself so Joshua could lead the children of Israel across it was symbolic, but it was powerful symbolism because it really happened. They piled Stones up to remind future generations of what God did. When God shook that place and even the shyest person spoke the word of God boldly, they knew God was at work. And the symbolism of that prayer meeting continues to this day as God works mightily when His people pray together.

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“God’s purpose may be thwarted or it may be accomplished depending, to one degree or another, on the obedience of His people and their willingness to use the weapons of spiritual warfare that He has provided. God is powerful enough to win any battle, but He has designed things so that the release of His power at a given moment of time often is contingent upon the decisions and the actions of His people. A principle weapon of spiritual warfare is prayer. Not just routine or mediocre prayer, but prayer powerful enough to move God’s hand in order to determine the destiny of a whole nation.” C. Peter Wagner

Do we realize the power we have available to us when we take our authority in prayer? Most of us don’t realize our authority because if we did, we would be praying far more. We would be sacrificing everything else in order to pray. Instead of worrying about the increase in evil in our land, we would be on our faces before God crying out for His intervention. Unfortunately in many churches prayer is the weakest link. It should be the strongest one because it is the key to God’s blessing in the spirit realm.

America is a nation in crisis. Division, strife, and violence are increasing at an alarming rate. We must encourage the body of Christ everywhere to pray for the future of this nation and for this upcoming election. Several Christian leaders have indicated that this is a one-issue election" - the supreme court judges. The most serious threat over America is the 55 million abortions (since Roe vs. Wade in 1973). More abortions will lead to a greater judgment. There is more at stake in this election than most of us realize. We are battling for the soul of this nation.

How should a nation in crisis respond at a time like this? We need to gather in prayer with fasting to cry out for mercy, deliverance, and revival. God wants our hearts. We must take action and fervently pray for this election and vote for Godly values. It is our God-given responsibility to vote. See the values of each candidate here. Join us at the International House of Prayer for a Solemn Assembly for America from October 31 - Nov. 2, 2016. See Joel 2:12-17. I ask those in other nations to join us in prayer for America at this critical hour.

We work together with God when we exercise our authority in prayer. Authoritative intercession and heartfelt repentance is key to breakthrough in America. By exercising our authority in prayer and standing strong in God’s truth, we are working together with Him to determine the future of our nation. We have authority in prayer to actually see our personal lives and the lives of others change. We can pray authoritative prayers for our neighborhoods and cities. Certain things in history will happen through our intercession if we pray the way God wants us to pray. We can change nations through prayer if we choose to use this mighty weapon.

Prayer is like being at a tasty buffet banquet. Imagine being at a dinner buffet where there are many tables loaded with different foods. The foods are the best. They are mouth-watering and absolutely delicious. Guests help themselves to the different kinds of food, as they desire. The host walks around among his friends to see if everyone has enough to eat, while the servers keep loading the table with fresh food. You can take as many trips as you like to the tables as long as you have enough to eat. The host doesn’t care as long as you are full.

In a similar way, God has provided everything for us if we pray. We can have all we need. Most of us have not realized the power there is in prayer. We are not asking. All we have to do is reach out by faith and ask Him to touch our lives, our cities, and our nations. When we tap into his resources by faith and pray, miracles happen. When we exercise our authority in prayer, God answers in a powerful way. There is a strength and power in prayer that the Church has not yet known or realized.

My husband is a very practical man. He can fix almost anything. In our garage he has all kinds of tools. Once he decided to remodel our bathroom and tile the floor. To do an excellent job, he needed a good tile cutter. Whenever he fixes something in our home, he needs the right tools. Lately he has been working on our car. He needed a jack to lift the car up in order to work underneath. He couldn’t fix a problem underneath the car without that tool. It would be impossible.

The body of Christ also has a task. We want to change the world for Christ. It’s a huge task for all of us, but we do it one life at a time. Some are reaching people in their workplace or in another country. Some are reaching people in the hospitals or in the schools. We are all in this together. We want to see people’s lives changed all over the world before Jesus’ return to earth but the task is huge, and we need the right tools to do it. The most essential tool is prayer. Only through prayer can we get the job done. There is strength and power in prayer that can change the world.

When we pray with authority, things happen in the spirit realm. God remembers every prayer we pray, and every one of them prayed through the power of the Holy Spirit has effect on earth. Not one prayer is forgotten. When I was in a particular city in the country of Turkey, I remembered a prayer I had prayed in that very same city several years before. It was as if at that moment God showed me that He had remembered my prayers from several years before, and that it was extremely important and would have a powerful effect in that city one day. My prayer influenced God. When we realize the authority we have in prayer, mighty things will happen all over the earth that brings victory to the powerful name of Jesus. Well-known prayer author and intercessor, E. M. Bounds, wrote about the power of prayer:

“Prayer is power and strength, a power and strength that influences God, and is most salutary, widespread, and marvelous in its gracious benefits to man. Prayer influences God. The ability of God to do for man is the measure of the possibility of prayer.”

The prayers you pray influence God. He remembers every single one of them. You may be thinking, “You don’t know me - My prayers seem so feeble and weak - God doesn’t seem to answer me.” Do not ever think that God hasn’t heard you or that your prayers do not matter. The enemy is trying very hard to discourage people in prayer in these days because he is afraid of prayer. He knows it’s strength and potential, and he is trying to keep this hidden from the Church.

Prayer takes time. We have to learn to wait and believe. One day you will see that your prayers have had a mighty effect in the spiritual realm. Do not give up or ever think it is not important to pray today. If ever there was a need for intercession for America, it is now.  We are in a key (kairos) time in all of history. The Greek word “kairos” in the New Testament means the appointed or opportune time that God has set for something to occur. During a kairos time, we must respond in prayer and press through in intercession in order to see God’s plan fulfilled. We are in a time of urgency, and we must seize it in prayer. This is the appointed season for change and for intercession to increase.

We must not fear the future or believe the lies of the enemy, but we must stand strong in authoritative prayer. 

Fear weakens us and gives us an unsound mind. Instead, we must know our authority in prayer to see mighty changes on earth, in our own personal lives, and in our nation. We can pray God’s future plan into being through our intercession. If we pray strategic, authoritative, and prophetic prayers then we will be praying the future into being. Authority is the key to strength and power. We have awesome responsibility.

We need God’s revelation of our spiritual authority. We rarely grasp the full potential of the strength and power of prayer that is available to us. We often go about our daily activities and forget that we are united with Christ. We are connected with Him as our head, and we are His Church designed to express the fullness of His power on earth. Carefully meditate on the Apostle Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 1:18-23 to get the full picture. God has incomparably great power, Christ is seated at God’s right hand, Jesus defeated Satan at the cross, and we are called to enforce Jesus authority on earth through prayer.

I remember when I was on my way to a prayer meeting in a nearby church on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. I was not very familiar with that church even though it was not far from my house. Therefore I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going. Having thought I passed it, I turned around and drove into the parking lot of a building. Going up to the door and finding it was locked, I knocked and asked a gentleman if this was the church. The man turned to me and said with a tiny laugh, “No, this is the fire department.” I realized suddenly what an incredible mistake I had made. I was at the fire department!

God spoke to my heart through that experience. We are in an emergency situation. The house is on fire! Cities are on fire! There is an emergency in the nations. Right now we are in a  battle for America. The harvest is ripe, and Satan knows that his time is short. He is doing everything he can to steal, kill and destroy. We must pray - We must encourage everyone around us to pray - We must shake awake those who are asleep - We must become radical and passionate in prayer. The cities and nation are on fire! Prayer is the answer. When we pray, we are empowered to reach the lost. Then we take action with the power of God. God rules through His body, the praying Church!

The hope for the nations is an anointed prayer movement. It is God’s people knowing the strength and the power of prayer and enforcing God’s will on earth through it. God has given us breakthrough authority to change nations. Authority is delegated power similar to a police officer when he enforces the law. Through our prayers we can change the atmosphere over cities. Through our prayers we can bring into subjection demonic powers and principalities, and disciple the nations. Through our prayers God releases deliverance and transforms society. God is calling us to use our authority in prayer to bind the enemy’s work and to loose His Kingdom on earth. Let’s learn to take hold of the strength and power of prayer and pray down God’s blessings on our nation.

“Of what infinite importance is the place the intercessor holds in the Kingdom of God! Is it not indeed a matter of wonder that God should give men such power? Yet there are so few who know what it is to take hold of His strength and pray down His blessing on the world.”  E. M. Bounds

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
International House of Prayer (IHOPKC)
deb@intercessorsarise.org
www.intercessorsarise.org

The Quran is written in beautiful poetic Arabic. Those that hear it in Arabic say it flows. The Quran has an especially strong grip on Muslims. The actual book is to be treated with great respect. To translate it into other languages should not be done. Arabian Peninsula Muslims honor the Quran, but few know it well or have read it. It seems amazing that the Quran is treated so well, but few Muslims know it well. The paper and ink seem to be what is important, not so much the meaning of the words on the page. Pray that the way the Quran traps the Peoples of the Arabian Peninsula would be removed from their hearts. Pray that the Word of God, the Bible, would not just be a good book or a corrupted book, but the Bible would be for them the very words of God. Pray that the Bible would communicate God's love for the peoples of the world and the people of the Arabian Peninsula.

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

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DAY TWENTY FOUR:

VERSES:

"For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control."....2 Timothy 1:7

PRAYER:(Against Anxiety, Day 6)

Father God we are so grateful that You have removed all obstacles that stand in the way of our reconciling with You, to remove the guilt and stand from the Fall of Adam, in the Garden. We are so grateful that through the Precious Shed Blood of the Ancient of Days, the ONLY perfect and acceptable Sacrifice for sin, that we are able to even stand in Your Holy Presence and not be cast aside into outer darkness, where doth lieth weeping and gnashing of teeth. All You ask in return for this Mighty Grace and Favor is our obedience to You, oh Most High, and surrender to All Your have in store for us. And Lord what You have and plan for those who love You, is so much better if the rest of us would just stop, listen and learn!

Who is like You, and who can out-give, out-love, out-grace You, oh Sovereign One? No one! You take away our fear and anxious moments by the strong whisper of Your Voice, as You direct us back to Your Written Word where You said "fear not" so many times, it is the most powerful exhortation in the Scripture! In our troubles and weakness, we overlook these things and subjugate our faith into second place, choosing to be like the lost of humanity and operate in the paradigm of fear. While, oh God, this may a natural human reaction, You did not call us or expect Your elect to do this sort of thing, but to trust and believe.

 

For that reason, You emphasized again that You did NOT give us a spirit, bent, inclination, heart and the ability to focus just so we would cower in spiritual and natural fear, when You - the Lord of Heaven's Armies Who can destroy every evil thing with one Word, one Command, is for us! We know this, we know You have us covered by the Blood and by the Angels, so help us to have the triple portion of Faith necessary to operate in this way every single moment of every day of every week and forever more, until You call us home.

You called us 'sons of God' and gave us Power (John 1:12) and thus, we already are embedded with Your dynamic, fluid Kingdom authority to beat back the enemy with the same word - Prayer! We must take authority over our situation, in Jesus' Name and then that authority will be thus be our connection to the Source, so You can then execute the result You desired in any particular situation. And we do this in Love oh God, the same love, agape, unconditional and forgiving love You showed us as we wallowed in our sin before Christ rescued us. None of this is possible - operating out of AND under the Authority of Christ in love, power and boldness if we are not under control, in sound mind and full conscious, aware, obedient and knowledgeable to the Who You are and what You are accomplishing in our lives.  Father God, give us the soundness and clarity of mind, that we, Your people, keep our collective heads on in cool calmness, being vigilant and alert so that when everything starts falling down around us, we can be under the unction of the Holy Spirit, in full control to lead others to You Way - the Perfect Way. We ask this through the Mighty Undefeated Name of our Lord and Commander of the Universe - Jesus, our Soon Coming King. AMEN

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VERSE:

But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.  He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked....(1 John 2:5-6)

PRAYER:

Oh Most Holy and Heavenly Father, I think You that Your Word, Oh God, is written in the Heavens. I thank You that Your Word is Truth. I thank You that Your Words will never fade or pass away and therefore, because You keep Your Word, I pledge to do my part and keep Your Word hidden in my heart and shown through my actions and deeds, that Christ lives within me. 

Lord, may Your Holy Spirit, the Spirit of all Truth, Wisdom and Understand Who keeps me permanently connected to the Eternal, fortify my will to keep Your Word of Truth firmly embedded, to keep it from shame and slander, to keep it from dishonor and degradation and to keep and guard it as jealously as You guard Your Holy Name. Your Love commands, compels and gives me confidence in Your Word to remain faithful to it, to obey it and dwell on it as our Savior did. Your Word says in Hebrews 5:7 that our Savior's prayers, cries and petitions were heard because of His piety, obedience and submission to Your Will and Yours alone.

Let us now walk in that Truth, in the Path of Persistent Obedience where He, the Lord Jesus, walked that we may too be found in Him, to the praise and glory of His Name. By this Truth we know we are His, in Him, in His Will and walking in His Ways. Lord we long to be like Jesus, and to live, walk, talk and rest in You as He did and may ALL our worship be Yours and His, throughout our lives, in the Strong and Mighty Name of King Jesus I pray, amen.

If you feel "stuck" in your prayer life; like your prayers seem ineffective or lacking in power, what David has to say will help you to move beyond where you currently find yourself.  Here's the link to his message to Life Action Ministries.

Thank you for your ministry in prayer!  May the Lord continue to teach us to pray, every day, and in every way; for His glory, for the strengthening of His bride, and the expansion of His kingdom in advance of His glorious return!

Rob Griepentrog

Prayer is a powerful expression of divine love in our lives. Most of us misunderstand this because our society has redefined love as romance. But love is not simply romantic feelings but expressing selflessness. When scripture tells a man to love his wife it is not necessarily telling him to be romantic. It may be when that is what his wife wants and needs. But romance usually focuses on how we feel about a person or how someone makes us feel. That is anti-love.

We pray because we love people and focus on their needs. We even pray because we want to love people that we don’t or can’t feel good about. Prayer is fundamental to stretching our love. I put the name of a person on a prayer list because he has wronged me or I know he will harm me or because he rubs me the wrong way. I am making a commitment to pray for that person however I feel. I have been angry and frustrated with someone and set aside a full hour to pray for her. Nothing develops such an attitude of love for a person like prayer.

In prayer we connect with the love of God, with His great love for us and with the power of His love through us.

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“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

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

What is the need of this hour? What can we do who face the moral, spiritual and intellectual barbarism of the last days? How will we present the gospel to people who have lost all sense of the sacred? How do you argue with people who no longer understand the concept of truth? How do you win those who despise righteousness and hate us who call for repentance? How do we help people hunger for heaven who believe the highest good is immediate gratification?

The only solution to the crises we face in these days is to trust in a supernatural God, a God who does the impossible in response to our prayers, a God who uses the weak to do incredible things in impossible situations, a God who parts seas of unbelief, a God who delivers the oppressed from the addiction of sin, a God who raises the spiritually dead to walk in new life.

Over a year ago, my precious wife Mary got her first iPhone. She bought a nice blue case for it, and the phone looks really pretty.

Before getting her fancy new phone, Mary just had a very basic cell phone that she used for making calls and sending text messages. And after having her iPhone for more than a year now, she still uses it for exactly the same purposes—phone calls and texting.

I’ve gently tried to point out to Mary that she is using on a very small percentage of the phone’s potential. There’s so much more that the phone could be doing for her!

Mary’s phone could have been used to wake her up in the morning…show the week’s weather forecast…remind her of the day’s schedule…provide navigation to her appointments…keep track of her contacts and her finances…surf the Internet…check emails…provide restaurant reviews and movie show times…read her the Bible in multiple translations…play audio books…take pictures and immediately post them to Twitter and Facebook—and much more!

Why buy an expensive phone and not use even close to its full potential? It seems like such a waste to me. But despite my repeated attempts to reason with her, Mary still uses the phone for little more than talking and texting.

As I’ve pondered this exasperating situation, God has convicted me that I’ve been doing something far worse than not using the vast potential of my smart phone. “Jim,” He has challenged me, “do you realize the incredible potential I’ve put in you by the power of the Holy Spirit?”

How convicting! When Christ lives in us by the Holy Spirit, why do we still rely so much on our own ability and ingenuity? And how come we utilize such a small portion of the overwhelming power available to us?

Of course, some believers are simply ignorant of what God has made available. They’re surrounded by other people who aren’t tapping into the power of the Spirit either, so their Christian life seems quite “normal” to them. Like a person who has no idea of all the features available on their phone, they simply don’t know what they’re missing.

But I’m convinced the problem often is spiritual laziness rather than ignorance. Many people have heard about the amazing apps available for their phone, yet they refuse to take time to download the apps and learn how to use them. This isn’t really very difficult, but they must see a need for each app and be willing to invest a little time to download it and put it to work.

I wish I could claim ignorance about the power of the Holy Spirit, but I can’t. I’m quite familiar with fantastic Bible promises like these:

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).

“He who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father”  (John 14:12).

“God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery…which is Christ in you, the hope of glory”  (Colossians 1:27).

Sadly, I have to conclude that I’ve been no different than Mary with her iPhone. Despite the incredible power at my fingertips, it has gone mostly untapped.

Paul prayed for the believers at Ephesus to see “the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power” (Ephesians 1:18-19). Today, let’s pray this same prayer for each other. God has some amazing new “apps” to show us in the days ahead.

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www.jesusworkingpowercentre.wordpress.com

“In moments of fear, anxiety, and trouble, the right step toward experiencing God's powerful deliverance and protection is to simply cry out—to use our voice in fervent appeal for His help.” Quotes by Bill Gothard

Do you ever practice crying out loud to God for help? 

I think most of us have, especially when we’ve been in serious trouble. This is how our Biblical predecessors often prayed. Fervency in prayer and crying out loud is a key to breakthrough in prayer. My husband has often told people that fervent, passionate prayer is the type of prayer you would cry out if your airplane were falling from the sky. You would cry out to God in desperation, with all your heart! There would be no place for distracted, apathetic prayer under those circumstances. No way! It would be a life and death matter! 

Yet many of us are facing impossible circumstances where the "crying out" type of prayer is needed for spiritual breakthrough. Crying out loud seems to be a key to a powerful prayer life that influences heaven and sees tremendous answers to prayer. Often we are urged by the Spirit to cry an impassioned declaration of God’s powerful ability. That demonstrates our total dependence on God to accomplish the victory. We need to catch hold of this truth and apply it to our prayer lives. We read in Psalm 86:7, “In the day of trouble I will call upon you, for you will answer me.” When we cry out to God, we experience His all-sufficient, supernatural power to answer us.

God often arranges our circumstances so there seems to be no way out. 

Haven’t you been there? The problem doesn't seem to go away. But in response to our crying out to Him, He answers. He may bring healing, protection, or direction. He wants to show us that He is our sole saving power when we are at the end of all our known resources. In the Bible there is a consistent pattern of God's people crying out to Him and His answering in His power. David often cried aloud to God with deep emotion when in desperate situations, and God answered his cry. He says in Psalm 61:1, "The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their trouble." Bill Gothard in his book, The Power of Crying Out states:

“Many believers today seem unaware of this consistent pattern in God's Word. It could even be said that the most significant difference between the prayers of God's saints in Scripture (so powerfully effective) and our prayers today (so seemingly ineffective) is this: There was a fervency in the prayers of biblical saints - a fervency that is inherent in crying out.”

Crying out to God is not something we do mechanically, but it flows out of our relationship with Him. Do we really know that God actually hears us and longs to hear our cry? He is our father and loves to hear our voice. We have the authority and right as His children to call fervently to our Father. Do we realize that there is power in the spoken word? When it is spoken fervently, sincerely and with all our heart, it is even more powerful. Do we realize that as we cry out to God aloud, He sees that we are seriously and boldly coming to His throne of grace? Do we not comprehend that when we cry out to God in our distress He will answer? 

We will see that crying out in prayer is the very turning point that brings His deliverance. It happened often in the Bible and can happen for us as well. Notice in Psalm 107:6, 13, 19, and 28 how God loves to answer those with a sincere heart in their need. "Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them out of their distresses.” Crying out triggers God's deliverance. Many of you are facing desperate situations in your life. Learn to cry aloud to God with all your heart. Trust Him—your deliverer—to undertake in your behalf.

“Days of trouble. Hours of crisis. Moments of urgent and fearful need. They come to us all unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. How can we prepare for such times? We can prepare by being ready to cry aloud to the Lord for His saving help, boldly expecting His deliverance. God invites and expects His beloved ones to do exactly that: ‘Call upon Me in the day of trouble,’ He tells us; ‘I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.’”

For many years we live on a ship called Doulos. This ship was our moving home that sailed from country to country, spreading the Good News of Jesus and selling Christian and educational books. During one of our voyages—with over 300 persons from 40 nations aboard—we were sailing down the coast of South America and were about to enter the Straits of Magellan. This is a narrow, long passage of quite some distance off the coast of Chile. Our next port of ministry was the southernmost city at the tip of Chile. You could consider this area of the world the “ends of the earth.” The straits are known for their treacherous and dangerous seas. 

The weather at the time was stormy, and the waves were choppy and unsafe which would make it very difficult for our old ship to pass through safely. This ship, built in 1914 and in the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest floating passenger ship in the world, caused many of us even more concern as we anticipated this dangerous journey. 

In light of our situation, the captain made an urgent request over the loud speaker. He said that we must all gather together immediately and pray for God to calm the seas. We must cry out to God to give us a safe passage through the Straits of Magellan so that we could arrive on time at our next port. 

With no time to waste, the entire staff and crew gathered together in our main lounge to pray. Imagine the thoughts that raced through our minds and the level of anxiety many of us felt as we hurried to the main lounge. After all, we were on a tiny, old ship anticipating tossing around in treacherous seas. We felt dependent at that moment on a supernatural God who could turn our situation around by His power and might. 

We began to pray and cry out to God to calm the seas for His glory. Perhaps you can guess what happened next. Yes! God answered prayer—the seas became still—and the ship passed peacefully through the narrow passage.

My future husband and I sat on deck and admired the beauty of God’s creation in that gorgeous part of the world. We had met each other on board, and this was our first date and one we would always remember. During that voyage we saw many shipwrecks along the way right in the midst of all the natural beauty of massive rocks and clear blue seas. This was a vivid reminder of God’s powerful answer to our desperate prayers.

Is crying out to God effective? 

It certainly is—Our ship was able to reach its destination safely—We were able to continue our conferences and evangelistic programs right on schedule. God used such a situation to build our faith as we cried out to Him and lived His answer. He wants to break through in extreme situations. He will do the same for you as He did for us on this voyage. I recommend that you read and pray through some of the heartfelt prayers of David. Psalms 16, 25, 31, 51, and 63 are excellent Psalms that you can pray out loud for yourself and others.

You may be passing through dangerous or difficult waters. God hears your cry and wants to take you deeper in passionate, fervent prayer. And remember when He answers your prayers, be sure to give thanks to Him for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds on your behalf. Crying out to God for help is a wonderful way to live. We not only should do it during times of trouble but as we pray for revival in our city and nation. God loves it when we pray with fervency and passion. 

"Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men" (Psalm 107:28-31).

 Intercessors Arise News:

• Two new books will be released this summer: Breakthrough Prayer and Ascending the Heights in Prayer.
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Debbie Przybylski

Intercessors Arise International

International House of Prayer KC Staff

deb@intercessorsarise.org

http://www.intercessorsarise.org

The Power of Crying Out - http://eepurl.com/mtPHv