Pray Network Forum

Most teaching positions in schools across the Arabian Peninsula are filled with expats from all over the world.  As head counts are being considered and new hires are being made for the 2019-2020 school year, pray that God would bring in a wave of believers to work as teachers and administrators of schools in the Arabian Peninsula.  Pray that the Father would use this sphere of influence to have profound Kingdom impact in this region.

Some of the most hope filled verses in the Bible are found in the Beatitudes as Jesus began his ministry with The Sermon on the Mount. These words are quite as hopeful as the most powerful promises at the end of The Revelation.

For several reasons I want to look at the Beatitudes in reverse order. When we do this we see some things very clearly about them. When you plunge into the deep water first, you get a better idea of this pool's depth. I fear that many people who say they love the Beatitudes have only dabbled their toes in the shallow end. These teachings certainly do not reflect the ease and pleasure ethic that has saturated society in the West and to some extent the entire world. These words of Jesus come to their stinging conclusion in Matthew 5:10-12.

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

These words are not an abrupt change from the rest of the Beatitudes or of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. They represent the heart of who Jesus was, of what He did, and of what He taught. Many years ago now I served for short time in Uganda. I had a friend there whose name was Onesimus Jonah Juma. As I was returning to the United States Onesimus went to serve in a very difficult place. We exchanged letters for some time. And he shared with me in those letters some of the difficulties he faced in the name of Jesus. At the end of one of his letters he wrote, “Remember, we serve a crucified Christ.”

To some extent, I'm going to have to take what Jesus said here on faith, because I am not going to easily understand the blessedness of persecution.

But there is sense in which the Holy Spirit at least gives us a glimpse, or maybe a taste, of goodness in this extreme.

The first facet of what Jesus tells us is The Possession of the Kingdom in Persecution.

This is not merely something we will enjoy when we get to heaven. Jesus says, “Theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven,” not, theirs will be the Kingdom. Even while you are being reviled, shamed, lied about, or tortured, you are proving that Jesus Christ is King! He is Lord in your life, and Lord of the universe. And there is great joy in that realization.

Next, in the midst of persecution we come to grips with the reality of God's Promises in Persecution.

Jesus tells us to rejoice because our reward will be great in Heaven. What you are paid for something makes a great difference in how you think about it. If you were employed to carry bricks at $0.50 an hour, you might be tempted to complain about the drudgery. But what if you had signed a contract to carry bricks for $1,000 a minute? We have assurance that whatever we suffer will by no means compare with the ultimate reward of faithfulness to God. The more you have to endure, the more assurance you can have of the glory that is yet to come.

Finally Jesus points out the Identity that is Affirmed in Persecution.

Jesus said this is how they treated the prophets who were before you. When you suffer for the name of Christ, you join an elite corp. You are standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Elijah on Mount Carmel. You stand with Isaiah and Jeremiah, Daniel in the Lion's Den. You are identified by God as being among those who are most faithful to Him.

This is a very crucial promise for those living in our day. In the past few centuries most Christians in the West were not severely persecuted, although there was always a price to pay. That is not true if it ever was on the world scene. In many parts of the world people joyfully pay a terrible price for following Christ. In fact some misseologists have estimated that more people died for the name of Christ in the 20th century than in all 20 centuries since the cross. And few would dispute that more are paying the ultimate cost in the 21st century. And it is important for us to encourage our brothers and sisters, joining Jesus in assuring them, “Rejoice, for your reward is great in heaven.”

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Pray for God to be revealed  

Ask that the Lord reveals Himself to the nations in the Arabian Peninsula. Although the people are neither seeking nor asking for Him, we ask on their behalf that they may be found by the Lord. The Lord is present. Ask that an ever increasing number of people in the Arabian Peninsula will be found by the Lord. May the people come to know the work of what the Son did on the cross. May the Lord bring repentance over the land that draws the nations into His very presence and Kingdom.


Praying for Workers

A fellowship of workers has been going through a hard time in the past few months with some members facing difficulties in family relationships, some having experienced a lot of remorse and grief at work recently, and many members leaving the country due to job-related reasons. Please pray for this group of workers during this season--for encouragement, healing, restoration, and joy--as they continue to serve the Kingdom faithfully.

A group of people interested in long term work for the Kingdom in the Arabian Peninsula are visiting this week. Pray for the potential harvest workers and their time in the region, for God to make abundantly clear where He is leading them and for these people to become more rooted in His heart for the people here.

Days 1-13 can be read here

DAY FOURTEEN:

VERSES:
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler
Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.
Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;
There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.
Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.
He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.(Psalm 91, KJV)

CLICK HERE FOR DAYS 1-23

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

Patriot Praying or Kingdom Praying

Recently, I came across an article in the Connector, published by Intercessors for America.  It was titled ‘A Warning from Macedonia’.  Some of you, who have are on the Intercessors for America mailing list, may have seen it.

It raises an interesting question—are we trying to view control—possibly by encouraging adherence to our particular belief by a political candidate or party as the answer to our problems?  That involves the thinking, that the solution we think is best—is what God wants.  

There is a lot to think about in that statement. –Maybe we are asking God to fix our problems—when we should be asking for God’s presence and power to be demonstrated in the church. --  The real question here is does God just want to fix our problems—or does he want us to know Him?

Our country has great division in it.  We are a people that may be too diverse in our thinking for our own good.  The result of such thinking that does not focus on getting to know the Lord Jesus.  What would happen if we were to focus on asking for God’s presence?

Rather than offer suggestions—I would like to open this discussion up to others.  It you have experience the Lord’s presence—what change has it brought?

Maybe you differ with the focus that we should invite the presence of God.  Tell us why.

Finally-what does it take to replace nationalistic type praying with God’s Kingdom Perspective.

We sometimes find it difficult and challenging to pray with real faith and love for Muslim people. Struggles with unbelief, anger or fear keep us from voicing what God longs to do for them. Most of us have Muslim friends or neighbors. How can we pray with real hope that God will fulfill all He has promised for these people who are so precious to Him?
 
Our God is continually on a “search and rescue” mission. If you were to read Luke 15, you would quickly see how Jesus describes God relentlessly seeking the people He has lost. God wants us to open our hearts to sense with Him His deep yearning for those so dear to Him. Our prayers can be empowered by His amazing joy when lost ones turn to Him again. 
 
This year Ramadan is June 28-July 27. This is an ideal time to pray for Muslim people as it is a when they are seeking God in special ways. Beginning on June 28, 30-Days of Prayer for the Muslim World prayer guide will help everyday Christians learn how to pray for Muslim people to know and follow Jesus Christ. This guide will help you pray with informed wisdom and hope for Muslim neighbors across the street, as well as Muslims around the world.
 
Check out some sample pages of the full-color, illustrated guide, and place your order at www.waymakers.org/30-days. The Just for Kids edition, with many fun activities, is also available. It is easy to order online for your church and family.
 
Let’s join our faith with believers around the world as we pray for God’s light to shine in the darkest of places. Let’s stand firm in faith, asking God to exert His amazing excellence of calling Muslim peoples out of darkness into His marvelous light.
 
Stephanie Tucker
WayMakers

512.419.7729

Earlier today I was talking with someone who was ordering copies of Seek God for the City 2014 for eight churches of her community. She asked me how it was that I came to write and publish these prayers. “Could I tell that story and put the video online?” she asked.
 
My reply was “Yes. I think that might be a cool idea. We can do that.” (So watch for that among the resources on our website). But I went on to tell her that the reason people find the prayers compelling is not because of how God led me and many others to pray for communities up and down the west coast of California. Although that’s an interesting story, it’s not why people find the prayers helpful.
 
I think that the reason these prayers are compelling is that in the midst of the dismay and mind-numbing darkness of our day, God’s Spirit continues to breathe a living idea of hope into our hearts: God will do great things. And that’s why it’s so critically important to pray great things. Yes, we need to pray for some specific needs and urgent requests. But what makes sense to those who love Christ and His appearing is that we should do more than merely seek God’s providing and protecting hand. We have got to seek His face. We yearn to seek the glory His kingdom.
 
This year’s Seek God for the City is designed around these very things. The first 11 days focus on seeking God’s face. The next 29 days guide us to seek His kingdom in our communities. They are prayers of substance, expressing the irrepressible hope that God will outdo Himself to bring light in the midst of the growing darkness of our day.
 
Allow me to remind you to order copies for yourself and others in your church or city. Many have already downloaded the companion app that is designed to heighten the value of the booklet with a few extra features. The app makes it possible for many to keep praying in the midst of hectic schedules. I find it tremendously encouraging to know that I am seeking God along with many thousands of others in these great days.
 
Gladly for His glory,
 
Steve Hawthorne
Director, WayMakers
 
PS: It all starts in one month from today on March 5. The forty days end on Palm Sunday, April 13. Contact our team today at 512.419.7729 to order copies or order online at www.waymakers.org. We still have some copies in Spanish available.

Praying with purpose is simply praying for God to fulfill what He has already begun. Seek God for the City 2014 stirs up this kind of purposeful, “fulfill-it” prayers. Since God’s work is always a story, our best praying will be part of an ongoing story. Instead of using prayer as a “quick-fix” procedure that will supposedly get results if performed correctly, our prayers become a way of collaborating with God.

We’re not pushing to get God started. He’s already doing great things; and He has promised to do even better things. Instead of holding off the worst, our praying can ask for God to bring on the best. God is the one who is orchestrating the united prayer of which we are a part. He’s the one stimulating us to pray as never before.
 
God doesn’t need our prayers, but He wants us to experience the joy of working with Him in bringing new life to many others. And the joy is even greater when we find that we have labored with many others for the fulfillment of God’s longstanding promises. As you stretch your prayers longer and larger, you will do an even better job of praying for everyday needs of others. You’ll be praying in hope.
 
For even more details check out our site at www.waymakers.org or call us at 800.264-5214.
 
There is still a bit more time for leaders in recognized positions of pastoral or prayer leadership to call for a complimentary review copy. Please call our office at 512.419.7729 to request a review booklet.
 
All for His glory,
 
Barb Hawthorne and Stephanie Tucker
 
PS We want to encourage you to place a value on the Seek God for the City booklet if you are distributing them to your congregation. After almost 20 years of providing this resource, we have found that when people personally invest in the prayer guide, they tend to value it more and be more faithful in their praying. And as an additional benefit, churches can easily cover the cost of the books by asking for just a one or two dollar suggested donation.

Thanks to National Public Radio, I learned something new recently: China has spent billions of dollars constructing buildings—and even entire cities—to replicate some of the world’s most renowned architecture.

      If you live in Beijing or Shanghai, you no longer have to travel to Paris to see the Eiffel Tower, for there’s now a copycat version in your own country. If you’ve always wanted to visit Manhattan, you can see a replica nearby, complete with Rockefeller and Lincoln centers and even a Hudson River. And for those looking for something more serene, the gorgeous Austrian town of Hallstatt has been replicated in all its picturesque beauty.

      In most Western cultures, people look down on you for being a copycat. Not so in China. They take pride in their replicas, whether the replicas are of watches, electronics, missiles, or cities. Psychologically, it probably feels as if they have conquered the objects they’ve recreated.

      Personally, I would much rather visit the real Eiffel Tower than see a cheap imitation. And I’ve never been very attracted to Rolex watch knockoffs, because I know there really is a difference between the real and the counterfeit.

      If everyone followed the Chinese copycat philosophy, we would soon reach a point where nothing was real. Creativity and innovation would be a thing of the past, because all we’d ever do would be to copy from one another. In such a world, Steve Jobs could never have created Apple, because there was nothing yet to copy. It’s as if he saw something unseen to model his products after.

      But my biggest criticism of China’s copycat cities is this: The Chinese are seeking to copy the wrong things. Sure, Paris and Manhattan are iconic places in the human scheme of things. Yet why not shoot for a higher model these earthly places?

      Here’s what I mean…

      I think the Chinese ought to take some time to read Augustine of Hippo’s famous fifth-century book about the contrast between the City of God and the City of Man. While the well-intentioned Chinese builders are spending lots of time and money to duplicate the best architecture the world offers in the City of Man, a much better quest would be to reflect the “heavenly city whose designer and builder is God” (Hebrews 11:10 TLB).

      Why try to copy each other and replicate earthly models, when our objective should be to model the kingdom of heaven? Yes, it’s certainly easier to reproduce Paris or Manhattan. But in the end, it’s much more rewarding to reflect God’s architecture instead of man’s.

      However, before we’re too hard on the Chinese, we should all ask ourselves some hard questions: What are we building? What model are we patterning our lives around? Are we living for earthly things or for God’s eternal kingdom?

      These questions are at the very heart of the prayer Jesus taught us to pray (Matthew 6:9-13). Our prayers and our lives should reflect a glorious quest for His kingdom to come and His will to be done—modeling on earth what is already happening in heaven. In the end, that’s the only city worth replicating.

      So go ahead and be a copycat. People shouldn’t have to go to heaven to see what it’s like. They should be able to look at your life and mine.

I love word clouds. These computer-generated word assortments depict the frequency, size, or relative importance of the words on a website or print document.

The main thing I love about word clouds is that they don’t lie. You may think the theme of your website or document is one thing, but the word cloud will tell you what your REAL message is.

If you do a word cloud of the Gospel of Matthew, for example, it should be no surprise that the name Jesus is very BIG. The other key words are God and Kingdom.

In contrast, the word “church” is only used in two passages of Matthew (16:18 & 18:17), and these are the only times it is mentioned in the four Gospels. Think about this for a moment. Is it possible we’ve sometimes been guilty of magnifying the church as even bigger than the kingdom—or even bigger than Jesus Himself?

The beauty of word clouds is not only the words that turn out to be BIG and bold, but also the ones that are SMALL and faint. What a wonderful illustration of life’s priorities.

So, what if someone created a word cloud of your life—your words, thoughts, motives, and actions? What words would be BIG, and which ones would be SMALL? Would JESUS and KINGDOM be big or small? Would you be encouraged by your life’s word cloud, or embarrassed? Would you be willing to have the words projected on a screen for all to see?

The good news is that there’s still time to improve your life’s word cloud. Of course, this won’t be an easy process. You will have to deny yourself daily, take up your cross, and follow Jesus (Luke 9:23).

But changing your word cloud will be worth it. Just think of the beautiful new picture God will create as Jesus increases and you decrease (John 3:30).

“Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this king of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is he, this King of glory? The Lord Almighty - he is the King of glory” (Psalm 24:7-10).

What a privilege it is for you and I to pray that the King of glory would come into the gates of our cities and nations. The King of glory is mighty in battle. The Lord Jesus Christ is the Lord of hosts, the Commander of heaven’s armies. He is eternal, holy, and mighty. Psalm 24 is a battle cry for the Kingdom to come to earth. It also looks forward to Christ’s future entry into the New Jerusalem to reign forever! 

You and I are in a war of tremendous proportions. Wherever we are living, we are to battle for the land and must pray for the King of glory to come in and rule in our nation. When we do this, we are cultivating a Kingdom prayer life. The question we must ask ourselves is:

“Are we using our authority in prayer?”

The astounding reality is that God actually shares His authority with us (Luke 12:32). It is our responsibility to pray for our president, king, prime minister, and leaders to yield to God, working for His righteousness to come forth. He is the Judge and Ruler of the universe, and we are here to enforce His Kingdom on earth through our prayers. It is not only a privilege to help bring in His Kingdom, but it is our responsibility to use our authority in prayer. Let’s learn to be intercessors like Moses.

Prayer Warriors for God’s Kingdom 

“As Moses stretched forth his rod on God's behalf over Egypt, so the church by its prayers stretches forth Christ's authority over the nations and their rulers.” Derek Prince

In this great warfare between the powers of light and the powers of darkness, how do we prepare for battle? To be a prayer warrior for God’s Kingdom, what qualities do we need to pray for? We are at war against the forces of evil, and we must not take this lightly. Just as we must exercise to keep physically fit, there are spiritual qualities we must also exercise in order to be fit for war in intercession. There are personal qualities we must develop in our lives. Jesus Christ is King of kings and Lord of lords! We must prepare for battle through:

• Intimacy - We must have an intimate relationship with the Lord. We must be one with Christ, listening for His directions and assignments, strong in worship and the Word.
   
• Our Position in Christ - We must know who we are in Christ and that He is the King who is mighty in battle. We must wage war in Christ’s authority through prayer. 
   
• Faith - We must believe in the power of prayer and that God will use faith-filled prayer to break the power of evil over the land. He is greater than the enemy and has defeated Satan at the cross. 
   
• Character - We must realize that godly character will cause the enemy to flee. God is looking for integrity, the fruit of the Spirit, and a dedicated life. Growing in holiness and humility is opposite of the enemy’s pride. Humility enables us to receive the grace of God.
   
• Discipline - We must say “no” to the things that weaken our spiritual lives such as too much TV, food, or laziness. Soldiers must live a disciplined life even when they don’t feel like it. In order to pray for the government in our land, we must exercise self-government first.
   
• Truth - We must be truthful without any hypocrisy or falsehood in us. We are here to speak truth, study truth, declare the truth, and hold onto it tightly during times of warfare (Zechariah 8:16-17).

As believers we must understand our rights and responsibilities as citizens of heaven. We must know our position in Christ at God’s right hand. We are made alive, raised up, and enthroned in the heavenly kingdom. It has already been accomplished (Ephesians 2:4-6). Psalm 24 was probably used in corporate worship many times. The people outside the gates would call out to the temple gates to open and let the King of glory in. From inside, they would say,

“Who is this King of glory?” 
 

Outside in unison they would say, “The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.” 

They would proclaim God’s great power and strength. Then the gates would swing wide open. Should we not do the same regarding our need for God’s presence in our cities?

When my husband and I travel to other countries, we spend time waiting in airports. We recently were in Spain. On the trip we spent all day waiting in the airport in Kansas City because our flight was cancelled because of tornadoes in Texas. Waiting is not easy. Often in other countries I have heard this call over the airport loud speaker, “Will (person’s name) proceed urgently to his gate!”  They are paging for someone because his plane is about to take off, and he is not present. Many of us don’t realize that our nations are in urgent need of prayer. We are taking our time, but God is asking us to proceed urgently to heaven’s gate, to the throne room of prayer. We must beware of complacency. This is the time to seize the moment in prayer and intercession for our countries. 

In the real life airport situation, missing a plane can cause a lot of time and discomfort. But for us to miss this window of opportunity to pray for our leaders and our nations can cause us years of agony and pain. There isn’t much time left. We must proceed urgently to the gates of heaven and take our authoritative role in prayer for our cities. We read in Luke 18:7-8, “And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you he will see that they get justice, and quickly.” 

God is the supreme ruler over all human affairs, and we can exercise a decisive influence upon the course of our governments through prayer and godly action. God’s kingdom is supreme over all other kingdoms and over all other forces that work on earth (Philippines 3:20, Psalm 103:19, Ephesians 1:20-23). Let’s extend the rod of Christ’s authority and advance His kingdom. Let’s bring heaven to earth through our prayers. Even though we are in a tremendous battle against the forces of darkness, the truth that Christ is the supreme ruler over all rulers and governor over all governments is reason for us to rejoice! 

“Lord, I pray that you would teach me how to be a prayer warrior for Your Kingdom. Help me to cultivate a Kingdom prayer life. Teach me to pray Your Word over my city, my nation, and my family. Develop intimacy, faith, discipline, truth, and character in my life. I long to walk in the fruit of Your Spirit. I long to speak truth, study truth, and declare truth daily in my life. Teach me to pray regularly for my nation, president, and city. Teach me to pray Kingdom prayers for my city and nation. I thank You that You are the supreme ruler over all and Your Kingdom is supreme over all kingdoms. I praise You because You are the King of glory. ‘You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being’ (Revelation 4:11). In Jesus’ name, amen."

Have your friends sign up here for Intercessors Arise!

“He rules now in the midst of his enemies and rules by the rod of His strength (Psalm 110:2). The rod is the mark of the ruler’s authority. The rod of Christ’s authority, exercised in His name, is sent forth through our prayers. In every direction that the rod is extended, the forces of evil are compelled to yield, and Christ in turn is exalted and His kingdom advanced." Derek Prince

Debbie Przybylski

Intercessors Arise 

International House of Prayer KC Staff

deb@intercessorsarise.org

http://www.intercessorsarise.org

Have you ever been in a place and felt God was speaking everywhere you turned? A place where revelation was so tangible, it was like dew saturating the air? It was during a recent trip to Philadelphia, the birthplace of our nation, that God gave me a greater revelation regarding the benefits of Kingdom citizenship.

“We the people in order to form a more perfect union…” is how the preamble to the U.S. Constitution begins. The constitution was formed to bring 13 individual city-states together and create 1 governmental structure wherein the power resides with the people. This document was created to give a voice to the people; a document that outlined the benefits of being a citizen in this newly formed United States.
Benefits guarantee the citizenry certain freedoms and privileges.

• The freedom to practice religion
• The freedom of speech
• The freedom of life, liberty and to pursue happiness

So how does relate to being a citizen of the Kingdom of God? What privileges come with being a citizen of this eternal Kingdom?

• We have been adopted into a family, “For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.” Romans 8:15
• We are accepted for who we are, “To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.” Ephesians 1:6-7
• We have an inheritance, “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.” Romans 8:16-17
• We are overcomers, “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” Romans 8:37
• We are always on the mind of God, “Can a mother forget the infant at her breast, walk away from the baby she bore? But even if mothers forget, I'd never forget you—never. Look, I've written your names on
  the backs of my hands.” Isaiah 49:15-16a

How to become a Kingdom Citizen

• Admit we are sinners and need to be redeemed from sin, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23 “For the wages which sin pays is death, but the [bountiful] free gift of God is
  eternal life through (in union with) Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23
• Believe that Jesus Christ died for our sins, “But God shows and clearly proves His [own] love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) died for us.”Romans 5:8; “Christ never sinned! But God treated him as a sinner, so that Christ could make us acceptable to God.”2 Corinthians 5:21
• Confess that because we are born into sin we need a savior, “Because if you acknowledge and confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and in your heart believe (adhere to, trust in, and rely on the truth)
  that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9

Welcome package, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39