Pray Network Forum

God has been showing me something in scripture this week that I just have to share with you. In Matthew 18 the disciples asked Jesus about greatness.

“At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, ‘Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me.’”

Jesus answered by saying that we cannot even enter the kingdom of heaven unless we repent and become like little children. And He said whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Now let me point out the humility that is like the child Jesus stood before them. Even a newborn baby is not innocent. He is selfish to the core. But he is absolutely dependent. And we must humble ourselves to become dependent upon God to enter the kingdom of heaven. Our salvation, and everything in our lives depends upon Him.

When Jesus says, “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me,” who is he speaking about? I believe Jesus must first be referring to literal children, especially those who have already accepted Him as Savior. But I also believe Jesus is speaking of those of us who have entered the kingdom in childlike dependence. When people receive us as we go to them with the gospel, they receive Him.

Now look just a little further down the passage to verse 10

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.”

Again, who is Jesus talking about? I believe He is telling us that children have guardian angels who always see our Heavenly Father's face.

We do not yet see Him face to face. 1 John 3:2 says we will be made like Jesus when we see His face. But could it also be that as we become children of God, we too are surrounded by Heavenly angels who continually see His face?” And of course Jesus Himself is always interceding for us before the Father. You are well-represented before the throne.

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As we head to the polls today to vote in the mid-term elections, here are a few final thoughts for prayer:

Thank God for the process

• Thank God for the blessing of free elections and the democratic process.  Thank him for giving us the right and the means to vote and determine our leadership.

Pray for the elections

• Ask God to protect each voting place from all harm; to protect our elections from outside influences of all kinds; to give strength and stamina to the precinct workers, many of whom will have very long days.
• Pray that God will clear away any barriers that would stand in the way of those who have the right to vote exercising that right, and that He would lead believers especially to be faithful in carrying out our responsibilities of citizenship.
• Ask God to keep the elections fair and honest, to protect the elections from all fraud, and to prevent those who do not have the right to vote from casting ballots

Pray for the voters

• Ask God to grant wisdom to all those who are voting today - to give them insight to see past rhetoric and know how the candidates would lead.
• Pray that God will make character and integrity important to the voters.
• Pray especially for believers who are voting, that God will show them the candidates who would honor him in office

Pray for the results

• Ask God to raise up men and women at all levels - federal, state, and local - who will lead with integrity, wisdom, and courage.
• Pray that God will appoint leaders who know Him and who will lead this country in a direction that honors him.
• Ask God to create a Congress (Senate and House) of representatives who will be able to work together for the good of the country
• Pray for accurate tabulation of the results and for acceptance of those results.

Pray for the church

• Thank God for all those who have been praying for this election cycle.
• Ask God to continue this movement of prayer even after the election, and to expand it in such a way as to transform churches into houses of prayer all across the country.

Pray for the candidates

As the midterm campaigns enter their final couple of days, one way we can impact the races for God's glory is to pray specifically for the candidates and those who are campaigning on their behalf.  This may be the hardest part of prayer for the elections, because it can be difficult to separate our own preferences from God's leading.  But there are some Scriptural principles that we can use to pray God's will into the election.  Here are a few; please use these as God leads. 

• Safety and health.  Pray for safe travels and for God's protection from all harm.  Pray specifically for protection from violence on the part of voters who might disagree with a candidate's positions.
• Words of truth.  Pray for honesty in campaign speeches and that God will grant wisdom to voters to see through any deceit.  Ask God to guard the words of the candidates to keep them focused on the issues that are important to voters and to the future of the country.  Pray for the Holy Spirit to restrain speech that divides and to encourage candidates to speak in ways that will help bring unity.
• Hearts of servanthood. Pray for God to place in the candidates hearts of servanthood and a commitment to lead for the benefit of the people rather than for their own benefit.  Ask God to make clear to the voters those candidates that will truly serve them.
• Integrity and righteousness. Ask God to reveal shortfalls in truthfulness or other character issues that should disqualify candidates.  Pray that he will raise up leaders who will lead with integrity and whose values line up with God's Word.
• Wisdom.  Pray for God's wisdom for the candidates as they speak and especially for those whom he puts in positions of leadership.  Many (if not most) of the candidates probably do not know God, so pray for their salvation as well.  Pray for the humility needed for repentance where that's appropriate.
• Media.  Finally, ask God to reign over the messages given out by the media.  Pray for integrity, fair coverage, and unbiased reporting.

 We need to pray for candidates at state and local levels as well as those higher-profile national candidates.  Often, it's the local officials who will have the most impact on how school boards influence our children, etc.  While their responsibilities may not be as broad as the national leaders, their decisions often have more direct impact on our lives.

Contrary to what some may say or believe, the mid-term elections will not determine the future of the United States.  To be sure, the elected officials will have a significant impact.  But God is ultimately in control. 

 A large part of how God controls the affairs of men is through the prayers of his people.  In fact, God has repeatedly called his people to prayer for their country:

 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:

“May those who love you be secure.

May there be peace within your walls

and security within your citadels. ”

For the sake of my family and friends,

I will say, “Peace be within you.”

For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,

I will seek your prosperity.

-- Psalm 122:6-9

In response to Solomon's prayer at the dedication of the Temple, God promised his mercy when his people humbled themselves, repented of sins, and prayed:

“When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land." -- 2 Chron 7:13-14.

When the Jews were threatened with potential extermination under King Xerxes, Queen Esther called for a 3-day fast prior to her approaching the king to plead for the lives of her people (Esther 4:15-17).

In addition, we see multiple instances of God's people praying and repenting in times of trouble - see Nehemiah 1 (Nehemiah's prayer) and 9 (corporate confession and prayer), Ezra 9-10 (Ezra's prayer and corporate confession), and Daniel's prayer of confession of the nation's sins (Daniel 9).

All of these prayers were answered.  And God will continue to answer the prayers of his people on behalf of their country.  With division and even violence at its highest level in decades in the United States, our best hope for healing is to invite the intervention of our God.

With three days remaining until the mid-term elections, which are destined to be some of the most contentious elections in memory, now is the time for God's church to plead for his will to be done.  Now is the time for his people to demonstrate unity, grace, and peace.

At the recent National Day of Prayer Leaders' Summit, one of the leaders announced that she was feeling called to an "Esther fast" (not eating or drinking for three days in order to focus on prayer for her people), starting on Sunday and running through the elections on Tuesday night.  If God so leads you, how about joining in?

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Here’s a list of 3 lesser known facts about the Western Wall that will fill your heart with faith in its holiness and grandeur. This spiritual site is worshiped by many. You too can send prayers to the Western Wall and they will soon be answered.

• Nearest Site To The Holy Temple

          The Western Wall is a survivor of the destruction that was caused by the Romans to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, in 70 CE. The Temple was the center of the spiritual world, the main channel for the flow of Godliness and the western wall is the nearest site to it.

• Immortal Symbol

          After the Temple's destruction, the sages blessed the Western Wall and said that the divine presence would never leave the Western Wall, and that the Wall will never be destroyed.

• Place of Pilgrimage & Heroism

          Solomon built the Holy Temple, and on the pilgrimage festivals, the entire Jewish nation gathered together three times each year. When the First and Second Temples were destroyed, during the Bar Kochba revolt, Israel's brave heroes fought for every stone of the Temple.

The Western Wall is a remarkable symbol of pilgrimage and heroism. You can too send a prayer to the Western Wall and feel the nearness to God.

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A day, in the Presence in the prayer room

Posted on May 20, 2016 by ionprayerblog

Looking toward the beginning of the 6th month, pondering  the rest of 2016. . .

At the beginning of the year, the Lord gave us the word “REFRESH” for 2016. He began speaking this beginning in December as I looked into what the ION Prayer Focus might be going into the new year for January.

Continuing in the message of “wait” was my answer. For the past 8 years I had been in the habit of writing prayer focus guides for ION. Originally weekly, then twice monthly and in the last few years it has been a monthly prayer focus guide. That all was been put in “wait” mode as we entered into 2016. God has been working on me as to what is really needed. Is it my habit, or is it His guiding?!?

Let me give you some background. For over the past two years, our core prayer team has been walking out James 1:2-8

James 1:2-8 The Christian can even welcome trouble  (J.B. Phillips) When all kinds of trials and temptations crowd into your lives my brothers, don’t resent them as intruders, but welcome them as friends! Realize that they come to test your faith and to produce in you the quality of endurance. But let the process go on until that endurance is fully developed, and you will find you have become men of mature character with the right sort of independence. And if, in the process, any of you does not know how to meet any particular problem he has only to ask God—who gives generously to all men without making them feel foolish or guilty—and he may be quite sure that the necessary wisdom will be given him. But he must ask in sincere faith without secret doubts as to whether he really wants God’s help or not. The man who trusts God, but with inward reservations, is like a wave of the sea, carried forward by the wind one moment and driven back the next. That sort of man cannot hope to receive anything from God, and the life of a man of divided loyalty will reveal instability at every turn.

James 1:2-8  (VOICE) Don’t run from tests and hardships, brothers and sisters. As difficult as they are, you will ultimately find joy in them; if you embrace them, your faith will blossom under pressure and teach you true patience as you endure. And true patience brought on by endurance will equip you to complete the long journey and cross the finish line—mature, complete, and wanting nothing. If you don’t have all the wisdom needed for this journey, then all you have to do is ask God for it; and God will grant all that you need. He gives lavishly and never scolds you for asking.

Wisdom, as James understands it, is the ability to live life well and make good decisions. Wisdom doesn’t come from old age or hard knocks. Wisdom begins with knowing and depending absolutely on God, who is never stingy when it comes to wisdom for those who seek it. He supplies all the wisdom we need when we ask. But when we try to go it alone—without God—trouble is around the corner.

The key is that your request be anchored by your single-minded commitment to God. Those who depend only on their own judgment are like those lost on the seas, carried away by any wave or picked up by any wind. Those adrift on their own wisdom shouldn’t assume the Lord will rescue them or bring them anything. The splinter of divided loyalty shatters your compass and leaves you dizzy and confused.

We will be the first to confess, this has not been an easy time for any of us. But we will also be the ones to say God has been right in the middle of all this with us! And we are stronger for these days. In the midst of all of the trials, tests and hardships a new level of TRUSTING GOD, comes in the chaos.

God is in the chaos. . .

It is He who can give us the correct perspective in the middle of the storm, but we must look to Him (and Him alone). Have you been in the midst of some trials? What if it is God working on your maturity or the maturity of those around you. This is a body issue, the whole body of Christ is in the midst of understanding their true identity and what must happen to REFRESH. A recalibration is needed. A recalibration is happening!

Understanding our true identity in sonship. . .

1 John 5:20 – And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, [even] in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.

Luke 1:35 – And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

John 3:16 – For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Romans 8:10-12  – In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters. He says, “I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters; in the assembly I will sing your praises.”

Romans 8:16 – The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God

Remember that our primary purpose in being a son of God is to bring God glory. Our proper identity and correct alignment is in who God calls us. -Sons of God, children of His!

Sons of God, hear the Father’s voice, Sons of God speak what the Father tells them to speak, Sons of God do what the Father tells them to do. Hearing Him is critical. Being of Him and people of prayer is key for this season. We have heard His voice and are in a new place of hearing Him. Hearing Him call us and others to pray and to lead others to pray into the future for those who still wait to hear God’s name and to have an opportunity to follow His Son. Only through the work of the Holy Spirit will that happen. So this week after Pentecost, we continue to cry out. . .

Habakkuk 2:1-3  (WEB) – I will stand at my watch, and set myself on the ramparts, and will look out to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint.  Yahweh answered me, “Write the vision, and make it plain on tablets, that he who runs may read it.  For the vision is yet for the appointed time, and it hurries toward the end, and won’t prove false. Though it takes time, wait for it; because it will surely come. It won’t delay.

Habakkuk 2:14 (WEB) – For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of Yahweh’s glory, as the waters cover the sea.

Habakkuk 3:1-2 (WEB) [God Racing on the Crest of the Waves] A prayer of the prophet Habakkuk, with orchestra: God, I’ve heard what our ancestors say about you, and I’m stopped in my tracks, down on my knees. Do among us what you did among them. Work among us as you worked among them. And as you bring judgment, as you surely must, remember mercy.

As we round the corner to the coming of the first of June and the beginning of the second half of the year, it is becoming more clear! God is in the quieting of us down so to speak.

When we look back to where we were a year ago this week (at the last week of our 50 days of intentional listening prayer initiative) we see God is answering our prayers. He has shifted us in many ways, yet the vision remains the same.  Read more about the vion of ION here: https://orality.net/about/#vision

Coming into focus are some spectacular stories of what God He is doing out in His Harvest field. We are delighted at the opportunity to join Him in His activity.

IMB Sub-Saharan African Peoples

Worker’s reply after you prayed for the speed of deer rather than turtle speed on May 18th for the completion of the final recordings of a StoryTogether project…: “Answered prayers yesterday! We are making big strides. One story teller went from stuttering to confidence in the first story!” Please continue claiming Psalm 18:33 as you pray for these recordings and the peoples on a different religious ‘course’ who will now have an opportunity to hear the Good News in their heart languages.

Scripture App for the Amis: Taiwan

A pilot project was launched recently by Wycliffe Taiwan among the Amis community, one of the largest language groups in the country. The project aims to provide the Amis people an app so they can access Scriptures easily in text and audio forms. Once the Amis project is completed, similar projects will be started in other people groups. Thank God for Taiwan Bible Society and the Amis churches who are the key partners in this project. Pray also for the 16 language communities in Taiwan. Pray that they would all have access to God’s Word and know Him as the Author of hope, love and life.

Using their language in church: Russian Federation

Over the past three summers a translation team has worked with local believers from a small people group in Siberia to craft a set of 30 oral Bible stories. Praise God that the believers who helped the team enjoyed the work so much they practiced translating verses from the Bible while the team was away. They told them, “You have helped to redeem our language for the church. Now we talk, pray and sing in church all the time in our mother tongue!”

American Bible Society Celebration of 200 years. They are into their 3rd Century of joining God in the Bible cause in America and throughout the World. Habakkuk 2:14

  Sharing a blog post from the American Bible Society:

Prayers That Give Me Peace in Times of Chaos: When the busyness of life drags you down, you can turn to God for comfort

  Faith Comes By Hearing

Time to celebrate ‪#‎GodsWord‬ recorded in 1000 languages. Praise God for His provision and partnerships. Now let’s do ‪#‎1000More‬.

Thinking back to the prayer room when Morgan Jackson came into our ION Prayer Room and shared what they would be doing in a goal of every heart language having the New Testament in Audio format available. WOW! Look at what God has been doing. So very grateful for the opportunities to come alongside our ION Partner groups in prayer.

PRAISE GOD for this movement of putting the Scriptures into every heart language. Now lets continue to come alongside the work of groups like Faith Comes By Hearing and ask for continued favor.

Let’s pray big and set our hearts together to pray for the whole Bible in every language. We have seen God do remarkable things over this past 10 years as the ION Prayer Team. You are invited to join in asking. . .

ION Mission

Seeking to radically influence the way oral preference learners are evangelized and discipled in every people group

Source: https://ionprayer.com/2016/05/20/a-day-in-the-presence-in-the-prayer-room/ via @ionprayer

Yesterday, I did a water only fast most of the day, as planned. The Lord opened up numerous opportunities to serve others and share the good news of Jesus and that Jesus is the way. At the end of the day, I had the opportunity to share a teaching with a friend via phone about what fasting is all about. (2 Chronicles 7:14).

This morning as I left the house, I observed that it had rained after a season of drought. Lesson: God still answers prayer and is still a miracle working God, like He always has been. He is waiting for us to pray.

Please consider praying for the reign of God and agricultural abundance for the sake of the poor in the Arabian Peninsula as people turn to the Lord Jesus.

There is a whole category of people who are called to Christ and have a passion for the nations & for the weak & marginal and have sought to go with a variety of service groups and who are repeatedly told no, don't go, be quiet, just settle down young man.

The reality is that if I were to go to my field of focus, I would probably die in short order because I would of my zeal or I would be disregarded as a lunatic because I would lose all my sleep because the medicines that help me relax & sleep sometimes would be unavailable.

Instead I pray.

I dare say that often my prayer lacks impact that I am aware of. I tend to pick certain countries & prayer goals and remember them as reminded, so I make lists.

Is this unfocussed? No, usually the only times I have observed the impact are when I stop praying and problems happen.

In retrospect, I have however seen the Lord start movements in various peoples that I prayed for and the timing was impossibly too neat to correlate due to chance. God uses our prayers for movements. Over and over, I find that God works far more in my absence than in my presence. He is a big God, and he wants us to pray big, foundation-laying prayers.

If the leaves of the tree in the Revelation of Jesus given to John are for the healing of the nations, then we must plead for that salve to be applied for the salvation of the souls of societies.

Praying requires a whole different category of action, it elevates us to the heavenlies, for we read the divine counsel in the Word and render judgements according to Psalm 2:8: the Son will have the inheritance that is His! HE shall possess the earth. HE is waiting for us to ask. He knows exactly what He plans to do and He is always on the right side of history.

Politicians will fail us.
Disasters are unpredictable.
The devil is dangerous.
The nations are too large for us to reach them in our own power.

But every time we kneel in prayer and cry out for help, God hears and acts. Every time we stand on His promises, the Lord proves His faithfulness. Every time we sit in His presence and ask for the nations, the Lord God sends forth His angel armies to intervene. Every time we fall flat on our faces and humble ourselves before the King of the Universe, the Lord God Almighty rejoices over us with singing and stands in the gaps that we cannot fill.

We cannot fill the gaps for we are sinners,
I am the worst
But He is perfect
We fail. He is faultless.
The Lord will succeed in every intervention He begins.

Our actions, our giving, our prayers, our sacrifices all must flow from our lives guided by the Word of God for them to be effective.
This is why years in prayer are often needed to accomplish what may take a season of actual service.
Then, when the doors close behind us after our work is finished, then the Lord Spirit goes to work most earnestly, with greater freedom than we could ever have.
This is the story of China.
This is the story of Iran.
This is the story of all who are bathed in prayer,
This is the story of all who are bathed in the Spirit.

This is why statistics lie about the future.
Statistics are based on what man sees.
Faith is about what God has promised.
Hope is the certainty that God will keep His promises to the end.
Love is behaving according to this confidence that God is love.

If you were to create an annual prayer calendar with the most significant prayer events included, one of those "must-have" events would be Seek God for the City, the Lenten prayer campaign promoted each year by Waymakers.

If you're like me, the new year is a time when you evaluate your life, including your spiritual disciplines.  I often change up spiritual disciplines a bit at the beginning of the year in order to keep my time with God fresh.

If you're looking for a different way to start the year in prayer, you might want to consider Pray the Word, by Tiece King.  Published by Prayer Shop Publishing (the publishing arm of Harvest Prayer Ministries), Pray the Word is a collection of 90 days of prayers taken directly from Scripture.  Each prayer features a combination of several scripture passages related to the prayer topic for the day.  The prayers are a combination of thanksgiving and praise for the promises of scripture, entreaties to God to fulfill promises of scripture, petitions for God to help the reader obey scripture, etc.  The specific passages from which the prayers are taken are listed at the end of the day.

The prayers in Pray the Word are deep dives into Scripture, not just casual "drive-bys" of a favorite passage.  They can serve as the starting point for a deeper meditation on the scriptures and a consideration of how the reader's life lines up with the scriptures.  They can lead to times of repentance and confession, outbursts of praise, declarations of commitment, and many other aspects of relationship with God. 

Pray the Word is available as a 31-day or 90-day devotional in paperback or e-book format.  The 31-day version is available at prayershop.org; all versions are available at Christianbook.com.  A companion app containing 31 days of prayers is available for both iPhone and Android.  The app focuses on prayers around specific topics, providing lists of prayers for Lent and Advent as well as several other topics.

Praying Scripture is a great way to get "unstuck" if your prayer time has become routine, and Pray the Word is a great resource to help you pray scripture.  You may even find that you approach the reading of Scripture differently, turning passages you read into prayers more regularly as a result of praying this way.

Pray.Network Spotlight by Andrew Wheeler.

See Andrew's website at www.togetherinprayer.net

As we continue our focus this month on the Persecuted Church, this week's spotlight falls on one of the leading advocacy and outreach agencies for the Persecuted, Voice of the Martyrs.  VOM was founded in 1967 by Pastor Richard Wurmbrand, who was imprisoned 14 years in Communist Romania for his faith in Christ. His story is told in "Tortured for Christ", a featured book on the VOM website.

VOM's five purposes, taken from their website, are:

1. To encourage and empower Christians to fulfill the Great Commission in areas of the world where they are persecuted for sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.
2. To provide practical relief and spiritual support to the families of Christian martyrs.
3. To equip persecuted Christians to love and win to Christ those who are opposed to the gospel in their part of the world.
4. To undertake projects of encouragement, helping believers rebuild their lives and Christian witness in countries where they have formerly suffered oppression.
5. To promote the fellowship of all believers by informing the world of the faith and courage of persecuted Christians, thereby inspiring believers to a deeper level of commitment to Christ and involvement in His Great Commission.

On the VOM website, you'll find prayer resources, lists of conferences and events, and many ways to support the Persecuted, including through letter writing and "action packs" to ship overseas.  The prayer page includes both specific requests and a Prayer App available in iOS or Android.  Besides the daily prayer requests in the Prayer App, they also provide an opportunity to sign up for a weekly e-mail of prayer requests.

The site is rounded out by a store with many different resources to both show support for the Persecuted Church and further our knowledge of the "veterans of the faith".

PrayNetwork.org Spotlight by Andrew Wheeler.

See Andrew's website at www.togetherinprayer.net

“See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, ‘Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.’ The words ‘once more’ indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our ‘God is a consuming fire’” (Hebrews 12:25-29).

If we are entering the most exciting time in all of history, why are so many of us walking in secret fear? Why is anxiety and fear on the top on the list of human problems? Fear is growing worldwide. People fear everything from snakes and scorpions to earthquakes and famines. There is the fear of man, fear of shame, fear of pain or danger, and fear of great loss. The list is endless. What we should fear is not ISIS or the stock market, but the LORD. God is speaking loudly in these days. He is warning us and shaking everything. But the Kingdom of God cannot be shaken. Let us not fail to realize that those who truly follow the Lord are part of that unshakable Kingdom.

When we truly learn to walk in the fear of the Lord, our other fears will fade into the background.

How we walk in these days is extremely important. Our every step counts. I had an experience a few years ago that affected my entire life. I was upstairs in my house and was hurrying to answer my doorbell. It all happened so quickly when I slid on the top step. I had a great fall down my stairs, landed on my wrist, and broke my heel. Four months in a wheelchair and a couple years of recovery showed me how important walking is! We must walk carefully and consciously moment-by-moment in the fear of the Lord. A fall can be extremely painful and costly. The fear of the Lord protects us.

So often we fear man because we fear God so little. But we are moving into a time where the fear of the Lord will be a vital necessity for all of God’s people, so that we can arise victoriously as the Bride of Christ and stand fearlessly in the face of a very fearful end-times world. We will walk in a supernatural peace that will attract the lost by the 1000’s. We will finally be living the supernatural life that God intended all along.

There are three kinds of fears that we must be aware of - harmful, healthy and holy fears. Harmful fears are those that hinder us. Paul said to Timothy, “God has not given you a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7). Timothy was struggling against those fears that hindered his ministry and life such as the fear of failure, rejection, inferiority, and inadequacy. Instead of being God-conscious, harmful fears cause us to be self-conscious. These are not helpful fears! But healthy fears are good because they can keep us from dangerous situations. A young child learns to avoid playing in the street or jumping from a roof. These fears are safeguards in our life.

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding” (Proverbs 9:10).

Seeking the fear of the Lord leads us to wisdom. It’s a fear we must seek daily. It’s a fear that will motivate us towards holy living, reverence of God, and righteousness.

Walking in the Fear of the Lord

“Many of us yearn for a return to the supernatural glory of the early church - healing, angelic protection, earthshaking prayer meetings, mass conversions and missionary adventure. I want all of that. But I want the real thing, not a poor imitation. If we want the presence of God, we need the reverence of God.”

As we evaluate our life, most of us have to admit that we are just beginning to learn about the fear of the Lord. We want the presence of God, but we know that we need to grow in our reverence and fear of God. Our flesh naturally wars against our spirit so we must put in effort by exercising our rightful authority over our flesh. Here are ways to help you to walk in the fear of the Lord:

• Choose to fear the Lord - You have a choice and are not in bondage to sinful desires. Love what God loves and hate what He hates. Learn to hate evil. Over time your emotions will line up with your spirit.
  
  “To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech” (Proverbs 8:13).

• Be aware of God’s presence during the day - Learn to practice God’s presence. Speak to God all throughout the day with little phrases. ”Jesus, I love you.” “I stand in awe of your greatness.” “Thank You for being so good.”
  
  “Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, Lord” (Psalm 89:15).

• Learn to trust the Lord daily - When you are fearful, confess it as sin and ask God to help you walk in His peace. He is your refuge.
  
  “Whoever fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for their children it will be a refuge” (Proverbs 14:26).

• Highly value and respect the Bible - Know that the Bible is under attack and make a personal commitment to stand on God’s Truth. Take time for Bible reading and study (Proverbs 2:1-5). Commit to applying what you read and pray it back to God, slowly internalizing the verses. You will learn more about the nature of God, His ways, and how to obey.
  
  “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

• Worship God during the day - Study the attributes of God in His Word and worship Him through His Word. Sing and proclaim His attributes. When people in the Bible encountered God, they responded in deep reverence and submission. Let worship permeate your life.
  
  “Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker” (Psalm 95:6).

• Welcome and embrace God’s discipline - Don’t run from God’s refining fire. He is a loving Father and deals with us as sons. We are not to despise His chastening because He delights in us. Though it may be painful, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness (Hebrews 12:11).
  
  “My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in” (Proverbs 3:11-12).

• Avoid circumstances that are not of God - Proactively look at what circumstances lead you into sinful thinking and actions. i.e. internet, movies, bad relationships, etc. Go the way of righteousness.
  
  “Better a little with righteousness than much gain with injustice (Proverbs 16:9).

• Repent of any personal sin that God reveals to you - Live a repentant life style daily. See David’s example in Psalm 51:4-10.
  
  “Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me (Psalm 51:9-10).

As revival comes into the Church around the world, a holy fear of God will be known as in previous generations. God’s terrifying presence will wash out all sin and reveal each heart to the core. We shall truly fear the Lord and His burning presence will be in our lives. Let’s let His searchlight penetrate our plans, our agendas, our possessions, and our lives. His very presence will shatter all that is in our carnal life styles. God wants our relationship with Him to not merely be belief and doctrine, but His burning presence in our lives.

The world is looking for a people who fear the Lord and know His glorious power. Let us be the ones who live in the fear of the Lord. Let us stand for Truth and let God’s consuming fire touch everything in our lives. It’s time to live in awesome reverence and respect of the Lord. Just as God said to the children of Israel through Joshua, I believe He is saying to us:

“So fear the lord and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols” (Joshua 24:14a).

It is time to fear the Lord.

“Those first-century miracles flowed amidst a praying church that preached repentance and practiced holiness. The early disciples had been baptized with fire (see Matthew 3:11) – a cleansing flame that burns up sin and produces the fear of the Lord… The early disciples weren’t playing. Real revival is serious stuff. Not only does it bring joy and peace; it also has the power to crush inflated egos, expose selfishness and kill pride. Do we want that?” Quotes by J. Lee Grady

 By Debbie Przybylski

Intercessors Arise International

deb@intercessorsarise.org

“Teach me thy way, O Lord; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name” (Psalm 86:11).

As you look at your present life, what do you personally fear? You may be presently struggling with a fear that has gripped your heart deeply. Satan has released a spirit of fear all over the world, but the fear of the Lord counterattacks enemy fear. In light of this fact, we must learn not only about the fear of the Lord but how to walk in the fear of the Lord. Is it your deep desire to learn about the fear of the Lord?
 
Maybe you wonder, “What does it really mean to fear the Lord?
 
Some people think that fearing the Lord is like driving down the street while watching a policeman in your rearview mirror. But this is not a true picture of what the fear of the Lord is. It’s more like a teenage driver who suddenly sees her father in the rearview mirror. She quickly puts on her best behavior in driving—eyes on the road, no texting, and stopping at a yellow light. But this tells her that her father really cares enough to follow her. She’s safe. She knows that he is trying to help her develop good driving habits by obeying the laws and staying safe until she gets home. She’s driving but not completely on her own.
 
For us as God’s people, the fear of the Lord is like living with our heavenly father in the rearview mirror. When we look up we see His wonderful holiness, care, and love. Our fear of Him is mixed with reverence, trust, and love.
 
To fear the Lord is an extremely positive subject (Isaiah 11:3, Psalm 19:9, 12-14). Jesus delighted Himself in the fear of the Lord. Our hearts are designed in the same way. In the Bible there are at least 300 references to the fear of God. To truly fear the Lord is a joy and a supreme delight when we see it the way God desires. It is not to be afraid of the Lord but to be in awe of Him. But it also can be terrifying as we look at our personal sin in light of God’s consuming fire. Romans 3 is a main chapter on sin that tells us that our chief sin is to have no fear of God (v. 18).
 
The godly men of the Bible feared God. Joseph was a god-fearing man (Genesis 42:18). Moses feared God and chose god-fearing leaders (Exodus 18:21). David, Daniel, Abraham, and other Bible characters walked in the fear of the Lord. Jesus Himself said not to fear those who can kill the body, but to only fear God (Matthew 10:28).
 
To live a vibrant and holy life like the godly men of the Bible, we must walk in the fear of the Lord.
 
We all want a vibrant life. We want a life full of energy, enthusiasm, vim and vigor. We want one that is vivacious, dynamic, passionate, and exciting. This is the dictionary definition of vibrant. Unfortunately we do not often see this. When I look around the world, I see people filled with fear, unhappiness, apathy, and pain. But as Christians we want our lives to be filled with the awe and wonder of God. We want to look forward to the future, instead of living in fear and uncertainly. If we want to find true success, we must live according to God’s design. When we value what He values, our lives will be blessed.
 
There is no better time to learn about the fear of the Lord as now when human fears are at an all time high. This is the day where we must put the fear of the Lord at the front of all other ambitions. The times we are encountering require it.
 
Let’s realize that there are so many rewards of fearing the Lord. Here are just a few of the 300+ Bible verses about the fear of the Lord. Quiet your heart and take time to meditate on what the fear of the Lord gives you and what this means in your own personal life: knowledge (Proverbs 1:7), a fountain of life (Proverbs 14:27) healing and refreshment (Proverbs 3:7-8), strength to turn from evil (Proverbs 16:9), wisdom (Proverbs 9:10), provision (Psalm 34:9), confidence and refuge (Proverbs 14:26), God’s goodness (Proverbs 31:19), deliverance (Psalm 34:7), mercy (Psalm 103:11), care (Psalm 33:18-19), contentment (Proverbs 15:16), prolonged life (Proverbs 10:27), a satisfying life (Proverbs 19:23), God’s watchful care (Psalm 33:18-19), holiness (2 Corinthians 7:1), and so much more!
 
In light of these rewards, it is so important that we make it our goal to fear the Lord. If we want to grow in holiness, our long-term success is in the context of the fear of the Lord. We must determine within ourselves to be well-pleasing to God. As Christians, our lives are being set apart unto God and set apart from sin. We live in the presence of a holy, just, and almighty God.
 
God Sees, Cares, and Rewards
 
“For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him” (2 Chronicles 16:9).
 
We must be aware of God’s presence. He holds us accountable for our words, thoughts, motives, and actions. We must consciously realize that He is watching, that He cares, and that He remembers what we do and rewards us.

• God sees - We are often so concerned about what others think about us and how they judge what we do. How much more should we be concerned about God’s evaluation of our words, thoughts, actions, attitudes, and motives! He sees us in the hidden place of our heart (1 Samuel 16:7). Every hour of our life is meaningful because God sees us completely. As we grow in this minute-by-minute awareness, we will grow in the fear of the Lord. See Hebrews 4:12-13. 
  
  
• God cares and remembers - He is involved in our lives and passionate about what He sees. He finds great value in our daily choices to love Him. Even when we give a glass of water in His name, He takes notice. He cherishes every movement of our heart towards Him. If we repent of the bad things we do, God will forget our sin. We must work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12-13). See Malachi 3:16-17, Proverbs 16:2, and Psalms 56:8.
  
  
• God rewards - When we stand before Him, He will openly reward us (Matthew 6:6, Psalm 45:7, 86:11, 98:10, Proverbs 1:29,31, Romans 12:9). 
  
  “The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous… By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward” (Psalm 19:9-11). 

The fear of the Lord is a holy fear where we learn to stand in awe and respect the good, greatness, and glorious nature of God. It should be our desire to be near the Lord and to love what He loves and hate what He hates. Through fearing the Lord we can become all that He desires and accomplish that which is beyond our own ability in the natural. God wants our fear of Him to be above every other fear in life.
 
You may feel that your actions are often mundane, insignificant, and makes very little difference in life. But take notice of this: God sees and cherishes every single thing you do for His glory. Your daily choices to love Him bring great joy to His heart. Realize that God holds the world in His hands and that nothing formed against you shall stand. He is your Strength and Shield. He goes before you and reigns forever. Your God is faithful and always by your side. He is the one you must fear and no other. In my next article we will learn about how to walk in the fear of the Lord.
 
Let’s ask God to give us a minute-by-minute awareness of His presence and consciously choose today to walk in the fear of the Lord.
 
“Lord, teach me the fear of the Lord. I ask for an awareness of Your presence. I thank You for being my strength and shield and for being always by my side. You are my light and my salvation and the stronghold of my life. I worship and stand in awe of You today. You are the one I shall fear. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
 
Listen to this song and worship God for His personal care over your life - Whom Shall I Fear 
 
“The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1)

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