"God seeks intercessors. He longs to dispense larger blessings. He longs to reveal His power and glory as God, His saving love, and more abundantly. He seeks intercessors in larger numbers, in greater power, to prepare the way of the Lord." Andrew Murray

Did you realize that if you are involved in intercession, you are working with God to determine the future? Certain things in history will happen through our intercession if we pray the way God wants us to pray. We have authority in prayer to actually see our cities changed and to prepare the way of the Lord. In many ways history belongs to the intercessors. When we pray, things happen in the spirit realm.

I revisited a particular city in Turkey and remembered a prayer I had prayed in that very city several years before. It was as if at that moment God showed me that He had remembered my prayers, and that it was important and would have a powerful effect in that city one day.

God remembers every prayer you pray, and every one of them prayed through the power of the Holy Spirit has effect on earth. Not one prayer is forgotten. Your prayers matter to God.

How can you be the history-maker for God's purposes in your city?

“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." E. M. Bounds

Here are some ways you can pray for your city and make a difference. You may want to pray these prayers for your nation, church or neighborhood as well. Know the areas where God wants you to intercede because He will give you authority in those areas. God is seeking for intercessors. He will accomplish His will through the prayers of His people on earth.

• Pray that a spirit of intercession falls on your city - If intercessors cry out for a spirit of intercession to invade their city, people will change and prayer will increase. Christians who had never felt like praying before will begin to pray. Prayer can be activated in your city.
  
  
• Pray for corporate worship and prayer to arise in your city - Pray that the Church begins to come together in corporate worship and prayer. United worship tears down the powers of darkness in your city. Pray for state gatherings of worship and Houses of Prayer to be raised up.
  
  
• Pray for the key authority structures and spiritual leaders in your city - Pray for all pastors and government leaders. Pray for faith, wisdom and holiness in the leaders in your city. Pray that God will help them to lead His people into holy living in difficult times.
  
  
• Pray for God to reveal the lawless structures in your city - Pray that all terrorist plans and evil hidden plans will be exposed in your city and nation. Pray that unjust laws will be overturned. Pray for Godly rulers in your nation to be elected and put into place.
  
  
• Pray for the church in your city to be empowered by God - Pray for the churches to arise in prayer, godliness and spiritual strength. Pray that the Church becomes a light to the lost in your city.
  
  
• Pray for God to remove complacency in your city - Pray that the churches in your city becomes fervent and on fire for God and His ways. Pray that complacency stops and that the Church awakens to its destiny and calling in the last days.

History belongs to the intercessors. Your city needs intercessors that will cry out to Him day and night with great boldness and expectation. God is seeking for intercessors. Will you be one?

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. Through our prayers we can change the atmosphere over cities. Through our prayers God releases deliverance and transforms society. Let’s learn to take hold of the strength and power of prayer and pray down God’s blessings on our world.

Here is a 4-minute teaching and prayer for you called: My Petition for Strength and Power in Prayer. This is part of the Intercessors Arise International School of Prayer. 

"Millions of feeble, sickly Christians, thousands of wearied workers, could be blessed by intercession. Churches and missions sacrificing life and labor with little result often lack the power of intercession. Souls, each one worth more than worlds - worth nothing less than the price paid for them in Christ's blood - are within reach of the power that can be won by intercession. We surely have no conception of the magnitude of the work to be done by God's intercessors, or we would cry to God above everything to give us a spirit of intercession." Andrew Murray

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

• Pray a blessing for the Jizani people, that they would have their physical needs met and that they would have a spiritual hunger to know God through Jesus Christ.

• Pray that a new generation of Jesus followers will rise up out of the foundations of the ancient church to bring Him unique worship from this land.

• Pray for the peace and prosperity of Jizan.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-9KuFjMxKo&feature=youtu.be

Buildings were set ablaze, businesses were looted, cars were torched, and gunshots were fired. There was fire in the night! Police and violent protesters were all over the main street. Anger and emotions were high. The situation was tense as agitators and violent protestors forced police to fire tear gas. This all happened recently in Ferguson, Missouri in the U.S., but it can happen anywhere. Violence is increasing in cities all over the world.

This rise of crime touches us deeply because we desperately want to see peace in our cities. In the above quote, John Dawson emphasizes the fact that this is our planet and that our cities belongs to God. We have authority in prayer to protect and change the atmosphere of our city, but we must learn to fervently pray in faith with watchful eyes. The Greek words used for “to guard” are “gregoreuo” and “agrupneo,” which both mean to be awake or sleepless. This implies protection.

We need to be God’s watchmen day and night on the lookout for danger in our cities. 

The Night Watch

"I will allow no sleep to my eyes, no slumber to my eyelids, till I find a place for the LORD, a dwelling place of the Mighty One of Jacob" (Psalm 132:4). 

At the same time as violence increases worldwide, God is raising up prayer in churches and cities, and he is also raising up the Night Watch. Many will rise up to this call and embrace the lifestyle of the Night Watch. Here at the International House of Prayer in Kansas City (IHOPKC Prayer Room), there are many who love to pray in the middle of the night. It especially appeals to the youth and is called Fire in the Night. The Holy Spirit is stirring the hearts of a community of people worldwide who will pray and contend for the mercy and power of God in the night season (Joel 1:13). 

They will be vigilant and watchful. 

The Fire in the Night Watchmen at IHOP make a lifestyle change. They actually rearrange their lives in order to intercede through the night hours. They train their bodies to adjust to a new time schedule in eating and sleeping. They are intercessors, singers, and musicians who believe that they will see the Lord's victory in the night. We can most effectively do works of justice in the context of night and day prayer. We desperately need God's justice in our cities. The atmosphere of God's presence and fire in the night opens the way for justice and the harvest of souls.

"And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones who cry out to him day and night? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly" (Luke 18:7-8).

Psalm 134 speaks of those in the night watch. This is critical to the divine strategy of God in order to see transformation in our cities. So many evil things happen in the night—murder, theft, immorality, and witchcraft. Light can invade the darkness through prayer and worship. We receive the blessing that the Lord promises those who minister in His house through the night.

“Praise the LORD, all you servants of the LORD who minister in the house of the LORD. Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the LORD. May the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth, bless you from Zion” (Psalm 134).

As we look at what took place in Ferguson, there is an urgency of the hour to pray for our cities. The present emphasis on prayer makes day and night prayer a possibility in this generation. The commitment of a rising group of young people to be God’s night watchmen should stimulate each one of us to give ourselves to prayer. Let’s seek to be people who learn to pray not only in the day but also in the night. "On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night" (Psalm 63:6).

As more of God’s people pray and bless the Lord at night, the spiritual atmosphere changes in the city. His fire is released in the night!       

How to Pray for Your City

"I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they will never be silent day and all night. You who call on the LORD, give yourselves no rest, and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth" (Isaiah 62:6-7).

The following are some ways you can bring authoritative intercession for your city into your prayer life:

• Cover your city with continuous praise and worship - God gives you His heart for your city through worship and a positive attitude. Instead of complaining and reacting toward the sin in your city, praise God for the good things. Satan is already an accuser, so praising God and declaring by faith the eternal purpose and dream of God over your city brings in His presence and defeats the enemy.
  
  
• Wait on the Lord for insight - Don’t depend on your own wisdom, but listen to God with childlike dependence. God will open your eyes as to what He wants to do in your city when you set aside your own agenda and wait upon Him. The Lord will give you His strategies for reaching and blessing your city. 
  
  
• Identify with the sins of the city - We can all identify with the roots of any sin in our city. The potential is in each one of us. We need to identify in personal and corporate repentance. Nehemiah identified with the sins in his city and prayed: “I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you” (Nehemiah 1:6-7).
  
  
• Overcome evil with good - Come in the opposite spirit. If there is a lot of violence, demonstrate the spirit of peace. If your city is full of greed, demonstrate generosity. If there is hate, live a life of love. This will give you great victory in your city.
  
  
• Travail over your city - Just as a pregnant woman travails to give birth to a child, you birth God’s dream in your city through travail (John 16:21). You must pray until something happens; this takes dedication and perseverance. This has everything to do with faith for your city and revival. The Apostle Paul is an excellent example (2 Corinthians 11:27-28).

A few years ago we were praying day and night in southern Spain. I remember a particularly weary time of prayer early in the morning while it was still dark, and I was feeling very alone in the prayer room. God reminded me of when Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane and His disciples fell asleep. He had asked them to watch with Him. In the same way, I felt like the Lord was quietly and tenderly speaking to me, saying:

"Will you not watch with me one hour? Will you not watch and pray here in the dark for the land and the salvation of souls?"

I realized at that moment that I needed to say "yes" to the Lord. He is looking for those who will stand watch even when it is not easy. He is looking for those with an intense desire to see His peace and presence in their city. We have two possibilities before us. We can either release God's holy fire in the night or the enemy will release fires of sin and destruction in our cities. Will you be God’s watchman at such an important hour, even when others are sleeping? 

Will you release His fire in the night through pray until He brings deliverance to your city?  

A Prayer for Your City

Dear Lord, change the atmosphere of our city through our prayers. Help us to guard our city as watchmen. Our city belongs to You [Name your city.] Teach us to continually cover it with praise and worship day and night. We long to release Your fire in the night season. Give us insight into how to pray for our city and how to take action in love as we wait on You. Teach us the secret of travailing prayer. Give us great faith for peace and revival for our city. We will pray until Your deliverance comes. We choose to give ourselves no rest (Isaiah 62:6-7). We praise You for You are mighty and powerful, and You can do all things. We choose to remember Your name in the night. We praise You for what You are going to do in our city as we pray and reach out to the lost. In Jesus’ name, amen.

"I have [earnestly] remembered Your name, O Lord, in the night, and I have observed Your law" (Psalm 119:55).

• Four 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.
• An Intercessors Arise International School of Prayer is in the initial stages. See The Fire of Prayer blog site.

 Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
International House of Prayer (IHOP) KC Staff
deb@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!
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• 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

When we were first approached by a young Christian mom with a vision in early April with the possibility of bringing the national prayer movement - God Belongs in My City (GBIMC), we were rightly inspired and gung-ho about the opportunity to participate in a growing national/worldwide movement which had its roots in a New York City subway! GBIMC sprung from the hearts of a youth group who happened to see a poster in the NYC subway system from 

American Atheists which said “A Million New Yorkers Are Good without God. Are You?" They went back and reported this to their senior church leadership and were so moved that an idea was birthed. This was in October 2009. One month later, youth from all five NYC boroughs began what is now the God Belongs in My City prayer walk through Manhattan. It has since spread like wildfire to Canada, Switzerland, Africa, Puerto Rico and last year over 30 cities in America alone! 

Sarah, Sam, Vicki Lutchman

Last Saturday August 24, GBIMC came to the capitol city of Illinois - Springfield and had a solid impact on the Spiritual life of this wheeling-dealing political and business oriented city of 115,000! It was not easy getting this through a closed and tightly religious system where every major church and denomination holds on firmly to its territory...all except one - Calvary Temple Christian Center. Senior Pastor there Mark Johnson caught the vision and empowered his outreach pastorStacy Barnett and contacted me and together with Ezella Millswho brought the idea in from New York, we set forth on a course which really made this take off. 

Jessica McGee and Gigi

This was solidified after the National Day of Prayer in May, which I hosted for the eighth year in a row and we were joined by former Channel 20 Morning TV host Jessica McGee who now works as the Marketing Director for the wonderful Staab Family. She represented them magnificently and our final planning meetings were attended by PJ Staab himself, without whom we would not have had the major business involvement necessary to underwrite the upfront costs and police permits and street closure permits necessary to make this happen in the natural. PJ is a super joy to work with. He is well loved by the regions military veterans for his involvement in a huge memorial outside the city of New Berlin as well as his sense of humor.

Calvary Temple Pastor Mark Johnson

Through all of this, we were covered in some major prayer, as there was one obstacle after another or one spiritual attack after another. We had tireless and faithful leadership from Stacy Barnett and her church support - not just from the pastoral offices and administration, but from the core of Calvary Temple. They believed in this. We have many people to thank and they will be mentioned in no particular order at the end of this post.

The Day of the Prayer Walk, which we called GOD BELONGS IN SPRINGFIELD and had hundreds and hundreds of t-shirts made up at cost by Edgar Williams of Ambitious Designs. We met at the Comer Cox Park at the corner of 18th Street and Capitol for the 1 1/2 mile walk down Capitol Avenue to the State Capitol Steps. The love and camaderie and Christian fellowship across deep racial lines was a beautiful thing to behold. Even though almost every church officially turned down this movement to re-establish Jesus as the LORD of this City, many of their members turned out anyway!

PJ Staab

Senator Sam McCann

One thing I will not forget is our tireless leader Stacy working so hard to get 1500 bottles of water iced down and ready for the anticipated crowd at the end of the walk; the volunteers there; the worship band already praying on the ground of the End of Walk service. My fond memories is the excitement of all different Christians in the same event T shirt all ready to work for Jesus. Stacy and I edited some ten or so prayer points which I read out all over the part to different groups of people with my bullhorn. The awesome sight of the Christian Motorcyclists Association led by brother Nick Courtney and the three Crosses behind them as almost 1000 people of all ages and backgrounds took off in a brisk walk down Capitol, was a sight to behold.

BMIC President Bernie Lutchman

The subsequent hour long service on the Capitol Steps by the Lincoln Statue was so powerfully moving that worship, constant worship was breaking out all over the place!! PastorJerry Doss of Abundant Faith Christian Center, assisted by his magnificent choir set the mood for Prayer and the Word as they led off they service. I was next with the spirit-led Praise-Repent-Yield call to the Assembly. We went through 7 minutes of that and they pressed in!!! We were followed by the Bishop of Springfield - Thomas Paprockion Religious Liberty after he was introduced by PJ and then some powerful praying by our State Senator Sam McCann. The powerful and timely message by Pastor Mark Johnson topped off an amazing and life altering (for this city) day.  The clarion call Pastor Mark proclaimed was to stand together, united, under the Banner of Jesus, or fall. This is the underlying theme of GBIMC - not unity at any cost where we toss aside the Basics of the Christian Faith, but unity in the Essentials to get right with God, through Repentance and then lead others to Jesus. This is the only way we can make any kind of difference and thus, show the world that God really DOES belong in our city!

Thank you to Springfield First Baptist led by Pastor Mike Henderson, for being the only other church, apart from Calvary Temple and Abundant Faith, to step up and support us from early. Over 30% of their church walked with us. Thank you to Todd Green and the Green Family Stores for underwriting the costs from the City of Springfield. Thank you to PJP Autos, The Staab Family and so many more who gave selflessly to this cause. Finally thank you - and in no small measure, to our wonderful MC - Calvary Temple Outreach Pastor Stacy Barnett! We are already planning next year's event and learned several things we can improve from this our first endeavor. Our primary purpose, my friends - to Lift up the Name of Jesus and proclaim Him as King over Springfield! Mission? ACCOMPLISHED!

It seems as if a lot of bad things happen to America in September. It is almost as if September is the hangover from summer madness. We all know about September 11, 2001. However in September 1856, the signs were all around the developed cities. New York City was already the financial capitol of the world.  Exhibits A to Z are thus: the economy and accompanying social decline were picking up speed. Bankruptcy was high and morale was low. Preachers were just as ineffective as they are today and fast becoming irrelevant. Many of them had predicted doom and gloom and the end of the world which never happened. Politicians were just as horrible as they are today and unemployment just as high as 2012. Civil War talk was in the air. America was in a bad place. The enemy was domestic.

Finally on October 10, the New York Stock Exchange crashed. Did you know that 10,000 immediately showed up for the noon prayer meeting called by Lanphier on Fulton Street?! They had run out of space on Fulton Street, so the prayer meeting expanded across the street to the larger John Street Methodist Church...then all over New York City....and then Chicago, Philadelphia, Louisville (Kentucky) and so on! This led to the greatest Revival ever in America - the Third Great Awakening. There has been nothing like it since, and it began with one layman, like you and I, who was used by God.

Movement:

• A change of place or position or posture
• A trend or tendency
• A discernible, measurable and lasting stirring of God’s Spirit in a life, a church, a city or a country

If you follow these kinds of things, you may know by now that there is a genuine movement of God stirring in many cities in the US. This movement is very much still in the early stages, but its presence is undeniable. Here’s what it looks like.

There are multiple cities with:

• Increased unity among churches across denominational, racial and theological lines
• Churches are coming together to address needs in their cities and using their massive volunteer bases to address problems that have previously been unaddressed
• Attendance in churches is increasing in cities that have previously been known for being largely unchurched
• There is significant increased activity by Christians and churches in the social justice arena

Stated more directly, what many of us have been praying for over the past 30-40 years–a third great awakening in the US–is showing encouraging signs on being well on its way.

And that means three very important things for you:

1. Living for Jesus is going to get easier. With movement comes momentum, and momentum means that we will all have an easier time living lives that honor Jesus. Think of it like running with the wind at your back. When movement comes, the wind of God blows to such a degree that crime drops, violence decreases, fidelity and faithfulness increase and morality actually becomes cool. That’s we can look forward to.

2. There has never been a better time to talk to people about Jesus. Depending on where you live, you may find unprecedented levels of receptiveness on the part of people who previously showed no real interest in hearing about Jesus. Movement means that the hard soil of people’s hearts is going to get softer, that they are going to be more open to talking about Jesus, and that countless numbers of them–millions and millions, are going to embrace Christ.

3. Hostility toward Christians and the Church is also going to hit unprecedented levels. Movement produces friction, and friction always comes with true spiritual awakening. As God’s Spirit continues to move across our land, you can expect that the enemies of God will become more vocal and emboldened in their resistance to his movement. Satan will see that his strongholds are being threatened, and he will pull out all the stops to resist the advancement of God’s Kingdom. This is one of the main reasons I believe that true awakening is coming–because those who really are hostile to God are fighting tooth and nail to hold their ground.

Followers of Jesus, take courage. Our best days in this country we love are still ahead. That’s not a political statement, it’s a theological one.

Read more at willdavisjr.com

“In every revival in history we read a similar testimony. When God responded to His people by sending His presence, He didn’t just work Himself into their routine religion - He overtook them by His power and glory! He left a trail of glorious chaos in His wake - weeping, repenting, rejoicing, reconciling, changing of habits, healing of families! Nobody wondered if Jesus was involved in these meetings. There was no doubt in their minds and no lack in their hearts.” Rhonda Hughey 

Dear Intercessors,
 
God wants to invade our cities with His glorious and powerful presence. He wants to overtake our lives and change our plans and routines so that they are fully in line with His purposes. As we think about the Kingdom of God and preparing the way for God’s presence, the Sermon on the Mount is the greatest test to measure our personal success. How well do we live out the 8 beatitudes in Matthew 5:3-12, and how well do we obey all of Matthew 5-7? Do we seek to obey God in every area of our life? Do we declare war on all compromise? This is the test.
 
We are made for personal holiness and to intimately know God.        
 
This is what is so fantastic about the increase in prayer worldwide and how is raising up Houses of Prayer. God begins to change you, and you begin to prioritize prayer in a way you have never done before or even imagined possible. Prayer begins to take center stage in your life. God begins to deal with our lives - our speech, our time, our money, our relationships, and everything. There is an internal calling in God to love and follow Him with all our heart. God wants our hearts and a life of complete obedience so that we would be perfect and complete, not lacking anything (James 1:4). In working with IHOP Kansas City and living in a prayer environment, I am personally challenged to make quality decisions for holiness and to let God challenge my motives. I still have a long way to go, but at least I am on the road. It definitely is a life-long journey.  
 
When we get a vision for a House of Prayer, we are challenged in our prayer lives as the Holy Spirit begin to reinforce the importance of personal prayer and the absolute necessity of corporate prayer for the nations. There is a lying down of secondary priorities for many. We become very hungry for Jesus and His presence (Matthew 5:6). Through prayer and praise, we welcome God into our region. Many of us begin to treasure the presence of God above all else, as we realize deep in our hearts the truth of John 15:5, “Without Me you can do nothing.”
 
You may be thinking, “Well, how do I even begin to think about a House of Prayer in my city?
 
The first step is to PRAY! You start by praying about a House of Prayer in your city. Even if you are not the one to start it, you can pray for others who will. Pray that God raises up the right ones to begin, and you be the one who supports them in prayer. You may want to start with a one-day, weekend, one-week, or one-month House of Prayer. In starting to plan towards a House of Prayer and beyond, there are several initial steps to pray and work towards. Every city needs a House of Prayer but there always needs to be a few who start it.

Now this may seem overwhelming at first, but you will be surprised at how God helps you. After all, it’s His idea and desire in the first place. You want to provide times and places for many to come together for prayer, asking the Lord to visit your city with His presence. Ultimately, you want to role out a red carpet for the King of Kings, inviting Him to come and do His work. In Biblical and church history, united prayer has been proven to be the single lifesaver of a nation during times of danger and uncertainty. The Lord commands His people to seek His face (2 Chronicles 7:14). God warned Noah concerning the flood even when there was no visible sign of it, not even a raindrop! He took heed and diligently and reverently constructed and prepared an ark for the deliverance of His family (Hebrews 11:7).  

It is difficult to predict exact results in a House of Prayer. The key is to be faithful in doing what God shows you to do in prayer. We have to be willing to pay the price for God’s continual presence in our city. It’s up to the Church to decide long-term how much of God they really want. It is important that churches and intercessors continue to pray and anticipate the ongoing development of God’s plan for the city while the discipline and blessing of united prayer is still fresh. I believe the following results will follow when Christians do accept the challenge of united prayer in their city:

• A united praying church develops that is pleasing to the Lord.

• There is a breaking of the spiritual darkness that is invading the nation.

• The church demonstrates an example of corporate prayer that challenges others in cities around the country to do the same.

• A movement of the Spirit occurs, bringing salvation to thousands of people.

• A continued growing movement of prayer arises, sweeping tired Christian into a fresh new vitality in Christ.

Imagine the future of your city when a House of Prayer is operating day and night. God will pour out His spirit. There will be the manifest presence of the Lord scattering His enemies and ours. Signs, wonders, healing, and deliverance from demonic oppression will become the norm. There will be the revival of the church, and the church will grow. Sinners will come under conviction and will open their hearts to the message of the Gospel. 
 
A House of Prayer welcomes God into your city. As I traveled from nation to nation as a young missionary on a ship, upon arrival in a new country we would often have a great welcome from the people of that city. In New Zealand we experienced a special dance form the Mori Indians. It was quite impressive, and one I will never forget! At the end of that unique tribal dance, the staff and crew of our ship received a beautiful lay of flowers around their neck and the Mori greeting of rubbing noses. It was quite a cultural experience for many of us, I can assure you. In other countries we had special greetings unique to each culture - everything from other cultural dances, to gifts, to songs and banners - that was a beautiful welcome to the ship into their unique city. It made all of us on board feel very welcome in that country and city. It made us deeply desire to stay there and interact with the people. 
 
Perhaps God feels the same way. 
 
When He sees His people eagerly praying for His presence - welcoming Him into their city day and night in prayer - He is delighted and wants to invade that city with His presence. When He sees your desperate cry for His presence, He feels like a welcomed and longed-for guest and wants to make your city His home.  
 
Begin now to prepare the way for God’s presence. Start with increasing your prayer life and find a few others who have a vision for transformation in your city. Get together regularly, and God will lead you and add others to your prayer meetings. Transformation will occur in your lives, and you will become consumed with a hunger for God’s presence. The Lord will hear your cry for your city, and God will begin to move in your midst. Early in our month of 24/7 prayer that we had in Spain a few years ago, God made his presence known to us in a very special way. There was no rain outside and as I was having my prayer time early in the morning, I suddenly looked out the window and there in the sky surrounding the House of Prayer was a big, bright colorful rainbow. It was as if God was speaking to us and saying, “See, my desire is for citywide, united prayer, and I love your House of Prayer - Keep it up for I shall surely come with my presence - I have heard your cry.”  
 
During this last month we were in Spain and Gibraltar encouraging Houses of Prayer. We went to Madrid, Seville, Malaga, Cordoba, Gibraltar, and Algeciras, Spain. Everywhere we went we saw a hunger for prayer and for Houses of Prayer. After our team prayed on the top of the rock of Gibraltar, the following morning a rainbow appeared in the sky. God is doing something big everywhere. Hunger for God is increasing. A House of Prayer in Madrid was started and another House of Prayer in Cordoba will be started soon. Others are in the planning stage.
 
It is time that we change our life styles and become desperate for God and His ways. It is time that we welcome God into our cities!
 
“To be desperate means to be without hope in your current condition and to know that in your own power you don’t have the necessary resources required to change it. People who are desperate become determined to find help, often taking great risks to meet their desperate need. In the communities where transforming revival has occurred the people of God were desperate enough to change their lifestyle and their priorities and to commit their time and resources, making everything secondary to the desperate pursuit of God in their midst. They cried out in desperation, and the Lord heard their cry.” Rhonda Hughey

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Together in the Harvest,

Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise
deb@intercessorsarise.org
http://www.intercessorsarise.org
 

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	IMPACT December 2010
Good News! One of the means of provision for IRM this year has been the release and publication of the book, “Living Prayer: the Lord’s Prayer Alive in You.”  All of the proceeds of this book have gone to IRM. And I have been very blessed and encouraged by the responses I have received! Here are three unsolicited notes I have received in just the last couple weeks. "I am part of a group of men who are studying your book under the leadership of our pastor. Absolutely seeing open doors that always were available. To say we are blessed is one of those obvious understatements! "   "Your book opened up divine lessons from the pattern Jesus gave us…one I have failed to look at for 19 years as a believer. Thank you so much Dennis. Your book should be read by every believer! "   "We received your new book in the mail this week. I'm on Chapter 5 and I LOVE it!." SPECIAL OFFER Donate $25 to IRM in December and receive a gift copy of Living Prayer: The Lord's Prayer Alive in You.    There are two ways to donate: Paypal or Check by Mail.   PAYPAL LINK:  DONATE $25 NOW    Or please mail your $25 donation to us and please write "Special Gift" in the memo area of your check:   International Renewal Ministries Attn: SPECIAL GIFT 1400 NE 136th Ave Suite 201 Vancouver, WA 98684
	8th Annual NW City Impact Roundtable Monday and Tuesday of this week, we were able to help host nearly 90 leaders from 25 cities across the Northwest gathered here in Vancouver, WA at the 8th annual Roundtable. There is not nearly enough room here to report all of what took place there. Let me mention just two stories.   From the first worship song as we began these 25 hours together, it was very clear that we were very “present.” People were there ready to worship, grow, learn, receive, and give to one another. The purpose of the CIR is to provide ongoing support and encouragement to those who know they are called to be part of a healthy, praying, serving, united church which will impact its community. These people came hungry, stayed focused, and gleaned much. On several occasions as Prayer Summits were mentioned as a key part of their city’s progress, I reflected on Dr. Joe’s original vision and rejoiced again to see it being more and more fulfilled.   At the end of the time, as we asked for input, one brother said, “Our team has been coming to this CIR for 7 years. What encourages me is to see that many of the things we talked about 4-5 years ago are actually being lived out in several of the cities.” From Dennis and Marilyn Marilyn and I are very grateful to each of you who pray for us and support this vision through your finances. Frankly, as we moved through this year, we have seen God provide for this ministry in some very unexpected and wonderful ways. Please rejoice with us!   As we look toward the celebration of Jesus’ birth, we wish your family an increase of the awe, the peace, and the joy of this wonderful season. Intercessors Note There are no IRM acitivies between now and the 1st of the year.  This month please pray that many more people would know and love the Savior through this Christmas season. Thanks again for your prayers.  If you click here I will know that you have taken these requests before the Throne. (This will take you to a page thanking you for your prayers and we will be able to see who clicked on this link)   Many blessings,   Dennis

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