Pray Network Forum

The following appeared in my Church Bulletin last Sunday, I thought it important enough to put on the Pray Network:

Ian and Darlene
Ministry to Muslims

In out last journal we hinted at some new relationships God has put in our path: a loose network of Underground Christians, the fragile shoots of a new Church growing in extremely hostile soil.

These Underground Christians face opposition on two fronts: external and internal.

Externally, their conversion is illegal. The government does not allow members of their race to convert away from Islam; if discovered, the believers themselves could be arrested, locked away in 'Religious Rehabilitation Centers', their children confiscated and given to foster families where they will be raised in the 'right path'.

Internally, this group faces opposition and discouragement from Christians (mostly western missionaries) who want them to continue in the Islamic faith. This is a new missions philosophy broadly known as the Insider Movement, which teaches new converts from Islam that they should not call themselves Christians, that they should not form churches, that they should continue to worship in the mosque, and when asked, to identify themselves as Muslim 'followers of Jesus'.

Our new friends, convicted by scripture, have rejected this advice. They are the Underground Christians, not part of the Insider Movement. They want to form a Church. They want to be identified with Jesus Christ, the Son of God. And they are counting the cost right now.

Last week religious police invaded a local church and caught a group of Insider Movements converts worshipping there. Fifteen have been arrested. A lawyer has been provided for them, and he is happy to take the case as long as they deny their faith in Jesus Christ. Twelve have already accepted the deal. The church where they were meeting has declared in the newspaper that their denomination does not participate in evangelizing Muslims.

This has cast our whole network of Underground Christians into turmoil. It seems that these Insider Movements converts are ready at any moment to deny their Savior. Now what will keep them from naming names in the Underground Church, betraying those who have worshiped with them, discipled them, served them, prayed with them?
And how can these Underground Christians sustain a proper Church when the legal churches in this nation will not stand up with them when they get caught?

Please pray. Pray that God will provide godly lawyers who will fairly represent these believers in court. Pray that those arrested will not deny Christ. Pray especially for our network of believers. Unlike Inside Movement converts who are taught to call themselves Muslims in order to avoid persecution, our friends in the Underground Church are conscience-bound to proclaim Christ when asked – which virtually guarantees them time behind bars in this country.

When you come to God in prayer, do you come trembling before the Living God?

Or do you come boldly?

We are admonished to do both. Yes we are to come boldly, but not glibly, insincerely, or superficially.

But with respect, with reverence, with humility, with awe at the incomprehensible God.

And when you start your prayers, do not start with a laundry list of requests

 It is better to first, spend some time in confession, in praise, in worship and thanksgiving.

But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word. (Isaiah 66:2b ESV)

 
Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16 ESV)

Prayer%20Stimulant%20Training%20-%20Whitewright%20Bethel%20Baptist%20hurch%20Mens%20Conf.ppt

Please post your ideas in summary form for stimulating others to increased prayer, and affirm your favorite idea from the above powerpoint file.  Thanks.  john_hoelzel_sr@peoplepc.com; 903-227-7318

Today's Gospel Truth ~  "But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble."  Psalm 37:39

Holding firm to our Salvation as we live each day for God we grow in our relationship with Him.  When days of uncertainty come our way it is in our relationship with Him that we can  acquire the strength and foresight we need to intelligently manage what we face.  Growing in Christ is the greatest, well rounded investment we can ever have in life as it  gives both parties a sound, secure, loving relationship. It not only help us with life here on earth but it also secures our place with Christ in heaven. Holding firm to our Salvation also approves us to be counted as the Righteous Seed who deserves God's Delivering Grace.  Indeed God is our strength and because our life of freedom is from Him it is also protected and safe in Him.  Praise God for in Him we have Deliverance for the Righteous! AMEN

I received this report from Mrs Kathleen Dove who went to the Response with her husband Rob.  They graciously gave me permission to share this report with Pray!Network.  My Thanks to Mrs. Kathleen Dove.

Welcome to
THE RESPONSE:  A CALL TO PRAYER FOR A NATION IN CRISIS
Where 30,000 Plus "Didn’t ‘Spectate’ – but Did, Indeed, Participate”

Written by Mrs Kathleen Dove

Monrovia, Md

The body of Christ gathered in Houston, Texas, to the call of Rick Perry and The American Family Association to pray and fast for our nation on August 6, 2011 at Reliant Stadium.  The Church’s Response to our national maladies and natural disasters (most recently the bitter political negotiations to raise our debt ceiling, followed by the ensuing credit rating downgrade, and finally the tragic fatalities of America’s Best of the Best military heroes in Afghanistan).   Would we, as US  Christians, recognize our desperate need for God and be willing to Pray and then dynamically Respond in ways similar to the Brits’ rescue (with the Lord’s assistance) of their trapped troops at Dunkirk after Churchill’s call for England’s day of national prayer May 28, 1940?

While Governor Perry initially sounded the Joel 2 trumpet alarm, this day was a spiritual ceremony, not a political campaign announcement, not the lifting up of any human personality, not a Tea Party affair, but only a magnificent glorification of the King of Kings, THE Name above all names.  So, NO ticket or product sales, no TV network cameras, no multi-page lengthy programs printed in color, no popular musical celebrities or advertized entertainers, no pre-planned song lists or prayers projected on screens, no wild questionable doctrinal teaching (as initially  feared), no elaborate acoustic system, and no verbose prayers were spoken or displayed; and only a bare minimum (unfortunately) of all invited state governors, angry noisy anti-Christian diversity group protestors, and food vendors were present. 

As we approached the stadium from the parking lot, we joined the long line of umbrella-carrying ladies, wide-eyed children of all ages, and shorts’-clad young and old men forming in the very hot outdoor temperatures before 8 o’clock a.m. As we entered the stadium gates polite Security guards examined our belongings.  Once inside, slowly, the floor level and grandstand seats filled as continual lines of participants descended the stairways from above.  Alert, attentive Christians entered the gates with thanksgiving as they immediately began praying, clapping, and worshiping in dance.  Meanwhile small groups unobtrusively conducted prayer walks throughout the stadium premises.

 A variety of unidentified, unannounced worship leaders with their accompanying bands, chorales, and choirs led us in different worship styles reflecting each group’s unique culture during the 2-hour pre-event activities.  Always, the focus was on Jesus, as His name was magnified over and over and over. While the worship was very high-pitched/emotional at times, it was done in the solemn manner declared, in tune with the Joel 2 theme.  For the total nine-hour program, the people were (as directed) very engaged in connecting with God through loud and soft chorus and hymn singing, godly shouts, chants, and cheers conducted in postures varying from quiet sitting positions to very punctuated jerky repetitious bowing , or energetic whole body arm/hand flailing with lower extremities jogging rapidly.

Following the sounding of two impressively long ram’s horns, James and Shirley Dobson officially opened the assembly at 10:00 a.m. by expressing the nation’s grief for recent tragic problems that had taken our attention from our only source of peace in a world spinning out of control. Shirley’s prayer focused on God’s healing for our nation’s institutions of family, economy, military, government, church, and schools.   Dr. Dobson asked God to respond to our desperate national state and deliver us as he had the trapped British soldiers.

The program’s skeletal agenda consisted of:
1.  Personal Repentance;
2. Corporate Repentance;
3. The First Commandment; and
4. Prayer for Revival in America.
For each of these program headings, a similar worship pattern developed, with first, an agenda topic being introduced by a Christian leader who would briefly provide background (often historic) narrative followed by congregational participation in this leader’s own personal prayer.  Next, a worship leader would guide us in his own musical worship experience as he/she spoke/sang/hummed lyrics, tunes, choruses, and hymns to the Lord in Spirit and in Truth. Then, carefully- selected individual lay men/women/children shared from the stage their own passionate prayers.  Finally, for each of the four agenda items, participants formed small prayer groups of 2-3 members throughout the stadium to pray aloud or in silent agreement, as specifically directed.

Concerning the first agenda topic of Personal Repentance, the prayer guide instructed us to re,pe idols (little gods) from our lives, priorities that have replaced the headship of Christ, the little gods of jobs, positions, impure sex, etc.  We were reminded that God doesn’t serve us and God did not give us His Son for us to live “the good life” but that every human knee would bow down to Him in loving obedience.  We were urged to repent of everything that has come between us and the Kingdom of God.  Dr. Tony Evans reminded us not to align ourselves with the World and to stop paying homage to government’s provisions for people’s needs. He emphasized we must first become one Church under God in order to become one Nation under God.  We, The Church, were urged to GO PUBLIC (like everyone else in our society).  We were told to first repent in order to experience the powerful Upper Room prayer that would shake us into boldly proclaiming God’s message.

Concerning Corporate (CHURCH)  Repentance, pastors were both prayed over personally and admonished not to limit their preaching to expository sermons with little or no relevance to the current social ills of our day, particularly the sins of delegating the government to take care of the poor (widows and orphans) and our shameful discarding of the innocent blood of our children (abortion), in order that we could live unencumbered lives of self-gratification. 

Concerning Restoration of the First Commandment, we were encouraged to stop thinking of ourselves as only a workforce, but to know God personally remembering He wants our hearts to be involved in loving obedience.  We were told to clearly proclaim JESUS IS GOD, (not one of many paths to heaven). 

Concerning Revival in America, older spokespersons for the Gospel were recognized, honored, and prayed over, specifically that their latter years would be even more fruitful than their former years.  In similar fashion, the older generation prayed for the younger generation (particularly those from broken homes) to become the new patriarchs and matriarchs of the Faith.  We were reminded of the two previous Great Awakenings, the 1730 revival of John Wesley, George Whitfield, and Jonathan Edwards and the 1820’s revival influenced by the preaching of Charles Finney. But, the speaker felt the next revival would be a product of “The Nameless/Faceless many-faceted future generation  preparing the way for JESUS’ second coming.

The program ended at 5:00 p.m. with the renewed cry to God to once again send revival as the congregation blended such Christ-centered hymns as “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross,” “O, The Wonderful Cross,” and “Nothing But the Blood of Jesus,” ending where we began, participants in genuine Christ-centered intercession, encountering a small foretaste of Glory Devine, a vision for today of His goodness that He has prepared for us in Heaven. 

Today's Gospel Truth ~  "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:  By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God."     Romans 5:1-2   

Once you've accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior you are been given legal right to limitless Justification.  This precious gift you have received from God covers every area in your life.  Through justification we have an immeasurable peace with God within us that the enemy does not have the right to touch.  Our justification in God acquits us from having to carry the bondage of guilt that satan constantly tries to burden us with.  Through faith we can stand sure in our wonderful inheritance of grace, and delightfully rejoice in the hope of the glory from our Father, Papa God. AMEN   ~Atmospheric Changers

"For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen."  Romans 11:36

On September 11, 2011 we have what I believe is an unprecedented opportunity to mobilize the American church toward prayer for a new spiritual Awakening. 9-11-11 will be the 10th anniversary of the attacks on America and is also on a Sunday this year. Spiritual energy and public awareness will be very high for 9-11, especially considering the continued crises we face as a nation. On this historic Sunday, we are requesting that local churches commit to a moment of remembrance and prayer during their Sunday service as part of Cry Out America. We are also encouraging county public prayer gatherings to take place across the nation and we anticipate over 1,000 counties participating this year with every county whose population is over 1 million (38 of these) already scheduled. 

Hundreds of churches have already registered to unite in prayer on 9-11 and I would deeply appreciate your help in calling your network of ministries to join us. Would you please consider an email blast to your list of local churches and ministries asking them to join this effort on 9-11 this year? In addition, I am asking you to consider placing a banner on your website announcing this initiative.  

Please follow this link to a simple email template that can be modified and sent to your email list or your technical team to connect to your ministry’s email system: http://awakening-america.s3.amazonaws.com/Email%20Templates/churchemail.jpg

Please follow this link to the website banner which can be modified and placed on your website:

<img src="http://awakening-america.s3.amazonaws.com/Email%20Templates/churchemail.jpg" /></a>

When a church registers to pray during Cry Out America they will receive free resources to help in preparation for that day and be connected with other churches in their county who are also praying on this unique Sunday. We are not requesting that a local church dedicate their entire Sunday gathering to prayer for our nation, though many are doing this. We are asking simply that at some point in their service they have focused prayer for America.

Hundreds of churches have already signed up to Cry Out on 9-11 and we believe that with all of us working together this could be one of the greatest days of local church, united prayer in America's history. I still believe that through united, extraordinary prayer, judgment can be averted, healing can be realized and a new awakening can be witnessed in our generation.

Your partnership and help for Cry Out America this year is deeply appreciated. Please let me know how we can serve you further as we continue.

Uniting Together for America's Future,

William M. Wilson

Chair

Awakening America Alliance

I praise you , Creator God for making men and women in Your own image. Give creativity and good ideas to Your children who serve you in the marketplace. Fill them with your Holy Spirit, granting them the skills, abilities and knowledge needed to accomplish their tasks and goals and to glorify You. (Gen 1:27; Ex 21:3) Give them decisionmaking wisdom. God give Christians in the marketplace a spirit of wisdom and revelation so they can know and follow you in their work.( Eph 1:17; Prov 3:5-6; Is 30:21). God you hold the heart of kings in Your hands. We ask that Chrisitans brothers and sisters in the workplace favor with key people. ( Prov 21:1; Dan. 1:9) Grant them favor and may marketplace believers pursue excellence to your Glory. (Excerpts from Strategic Prayers for Marketplace Influencers by Arlyn Lawrence)

5 AM Praying with My Girlfriends' Business (MGB). Chief Girlfriend and visionary Jillian Blackwell of MGB, for the month of August is praying for a girlfriend's business or ministry each day. Since January 2011,daily women consistently join the 5 AM prayer call every morning all over the nation,- New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, Atlanta, Detroit, Houston,Florida etc to seek the Lord ,to pray for others, themselves and for their Girlfriends' Business.

Many believers are business owners or have key positions in business. Christian entrepreneurs and key persons in the workplace should have a practical and spiritual influence in the community. In the bible  Lydia was a business woman who was a seller of purple dye and an influential women. While Lydia, who worshipped the one God of the Jews, and a group of others were praying by the riverside, they encountered Paul and Silas. Paul related to them the Gospel. Lydia opened her  ears and heart and became the first Christian convert . She was  baptized and then her household. She became a Christian and   a marketplace influencer. The Bible states that she urged Paul to  abide in her home and opened her home to Christian missionaries. She opened her doors when Paul and Silas  came out of prison for healing a demented girl  to her right mind .Acts 16:16  While serving Christians  it seems that Lydia contined to carry on her business. 


Believers should pray for entrepreneurs. Look at how businesses affect our economy and the workplace. We want God to move powerfully in the lives of business owners who operate in integrity and excellence. For example, MGB prayed for Missionary/Evangelist Minetta Hare -a global woman who empowers women in prayer, training,coaching, global missions and global entrepreneurships. Her ministry is Faith At Work Ministries and one of her businesses is the Hare Group International. Minetta is the founder and visionary of Lydia Circle for Christian Business and Professional Women, Faith At Work Ministries and Men of Valor. She is a global woman that has a hands on ministry for serving woman and men in time of need and as you rise in your ministry or business with love, prayer,wisdom, frankness, compassion and the gift of hospatality. She does missions and business globally and has served in South Africa ( over 12 mission trips), Ghana, Israel, Jamaica and etc.


Minetta believes the marketplace may be one of the most effective places to minister for Jesus Christ today.
Join us in praying for her specific prayer requests and for what the Holy Spirit places in your heart. You may be led to partner with her or to contact her. Minetta's ministry and one of her businesses and the specific prayer requests are as follows:

Faith At Work Ministries
Preparing, Training, Equipping & Mobilizing Laborers & Servant Leaders for
God's Harvest Field, the World
Matthew 28:18-20, Isaiah 61:1-3, 2 Timothy 2:2 describe what we believe God has called us to do --make disciples of all nations by the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit.
Preaching and teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ through many means - economic empowerment and business development, trade missions, entrepreneurial training, medical outreaches, building schools and medical facilities, or one-on-one sharing the gospel. The greatest mission field today is the marketplace. Jesus recruited His disciples, who had occupations and professions as fishermen and tax collector from the marketplace. This probably sounds like more than any one ministry can do- and it is! Because of this, God has brought together a team of dedicated men and women to work with us to carry out this vision which is really HIS VISION.

PRAYER REQUESTS:
EXCELLENT HEALTH FOR MINISTRY TEAM
FINANCIAL RESOURCES
MINISTRY PARTNERS (1000)
COMPLETION OF ORPANAGES AND SAFE HOMES FOR CHILDREN
SUSTAINABLE PROGRAMS FOR WOMEN
MICRO-ENTERPRISE PROGRAMS/BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
$1,000,000 CAPITAL CAMPAIGN FOR MEDICAL CLINIC IN GHANA, SOUTH AFRICA AND BOTSWANA.

 
Business
HARE GROUP INTERNATIONAL
Hare Group International (HGI) is a leader in international trade and business services providing exclusive export management, marketing and sales, logistics coordination, warehousing, distribution and after-sales customer service.

Whether our clients are looking to quickly penetrate international markets or build brand equity, HGI provides the highest quality customer service with its sound reputation of quality, strength, and professionalism.

PRAYER REQUESTS:

Pending Contracts and Deals signed and implementation of agreement going forth.

New Clients and suppliers (12 new companies expanding their businesses into the global marketplace)

Funding and Financing sources ( Financial Favor with World Bank and Ex-Im Bank)

New Investors

Business Plans and Proposal are clear and concise with potential funders and investors.

Integrity with governmental officials in Ghana, South Africa, Botswana and Jamaica.

$1,000,000 Working Capital for new projects.

 by L. Fegins copyright 2011

Fervently pray, Linda Fegins
Former(over 14 yrs) Prayer Coordinator/ Director,Lydia Circle of Christian Professional and Business Women
Writer of an article in the Anthology -"Tali Cumi: Daughters Arise"
Writer of an article in the Anthology -"It's Worth the Struggle- Inspiration for Contemporary Writers"
Christian Dramatist, "Sojourner Truth", "Eve" etc.
Sunday School and Christian Education Teacher
Linda's Report Blog http://instanter.wordpress.com/
Prayer Blog http://ladyofprayer.com

And they sing the song of Moses, 

the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying,

“Great and amazing are your deeds,
O Lord God the Almighty!

Just and true are your ways,
O King of the nations!

Who will not fear, O Lord,
and glorify your name?

For you alone are holy.
All nations will come
and worship you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed.”
Revelation 15:3-4 ESV

 I would think I am a harmless old guy. I am not the confrontational type and try not to provoke people unnecessarily. So I am pretty much your regular peace-loving individual. But apparently some people in Greece don’t see me that way. In fact our recent Bible distribution project was a great example of the parable of the sower found in Matthew 13. We definitely met up with some thorny and some hard characters who were not open to receiving the good news we were sharing.

“Take this rubbish and don’t clutter our neighborhood with this nonsense,” said a rather stern looking man as he collected the bag we had just placed on his gate. This wasn’t exactly the response we were hoping for as we passed out thousands of bags containing the New Testament in Modern Greek as well as an audio version on CD plus some gospel literature.

“Fyge! Fyge! Fyge!” Get out of here! Scram! We do not want you evildoers corrupting our town!” screamed another. I opened my mouth to explain that all we were doing was spreading the good news that God loves them and that we wanted to give them a free gift. But I never got more than a word or two out before he came charging towards me with clenched fists, eyes blazing and his blood pressure soaring. I decided I had better quietly withdraw before he had a heart attack or I got beaten up.

We also had a run in with the law when a police car drove up beside us on an isolated road near Corinth, Greece. “Pull over” he shouted in a voice of authority. (As the temperature was well into the 90s I knew he wasn’t wanting a warm sweater.) Someone had called the police station and reported that suspicious strangers were seen in the vicinity and it was his duty to investigate.

None of the young people had their passports with them so he said we would have to come down to the police station for questioning.  So I whipped out my Greek ID card. This seemed to ease the atmosphere and they then called into the police station to check on my police record. Fortunately, this was clean so they let us go on our way. This was a little intimidating, especially for a group of young people from sheltered Christian backgrounds, attending a Christian high school and a vibrant Christian church – their only crime was spreading the good news.

History Repeats Itself
In this situation I could identify with the Apostle Paul when he got rather despondent with the Jews in the Corinthian area and was tempted to move on to more fertile fields. But God spoke to him in a vision one night, “Don’t be afraid! Speak out! Don’t be silent! For I am with you, and no one will attack and harm you, for many people in this city belong to me.” (Acts 18:9-10, NLT)

Over the past few centuries there have been many missionaries who have come to Greece and simply given up. They found the work too difficult and the people unresponsive. They echoed the words of the spies entering the Promised Land, “We can’t go up against them! They are stronger than we are. All the people there are giants and next to them we felt like grasshoppers.” Numbers 13.31-33

What Was Accomplished?
So what can a small, ill-equipped mission group accomplish in this spiritually and geographically barren terrain? The truth is we will never know until we get to heaven. We have just completed Operation Joshua 4, when in just 6 days, 103,528 Greek households received copies of the New Testaments and audio CD’s in Modern Greek, in 866 villages. 72158 Kilometers were driven (that’s almost twice the circumference of the earth), on some of Europe’s most dangerous roads, with no major accidents! This involved some 270 volunteers, with 17 nationalities being represented in total.

For a country that has never experienced a reformation or a revival or any major mass evangelistic crusade, this constitutes a huge, historical and remarkable event. Of one thing we can be sure, many lives have been touched. And maybe that longed for revival is about to break forth. “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword.” (Hebrews 4:12, NLT)

I also took comfort in another scripture as well – “It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.” (Isaiah 55:11, NLT)

 A not so warm welcome to the Good News in Greece

  I would think I am a harmless old guy. I am not the confrontational type and try not to provoke people unnecessarily. So I am pretty much your regular peace-loving individual. But apparently some people in Greece don’t see me that way. In fact our recent Bible distribution project was a great example of the parable of the sower found in Matthew 13. We definitely met up with some thorny and some hard characters who were not open to receiving the good news we were sharing.

“Take this rubbish and don’t clutter our neighborhood with this nonsense,” said a rather stern looking man as he collected the bag we had just placed on his gate. This wasn’t exactly the response we were hoping for as we passed out thousands of bags containing the New Testament in Modern Greek as well as an audio version on CD plus some gospel literature.

“Fyge! Fyge! Fyge!” Get out of here! Scram! We do not want you evildoers corrupting our town!” screamed another. I opened my mouth to explain that all we were doing was spreading the good news that God loves them and that we wanted to give them a free gift. But I never got more than a word or two out before he came charging towards me with clenched fists, eyes blazing and his blood pressure soaring. I decided I had better quietly withdraw before he had a heart attack or I got beaten up.

We also had a run in with the law when a police car drove up beside us on an isolated road near Corinth, Greece. “Pull over” he shouted in a voice of authority. (As the temperature was well into the 90s I knew he wasn’t wanting a warm sweater.) Someone had called the police station and reported that suspicious strangers were seen in the vicinity and it was his duty to investigate.

None of the young people had their passports with them so he said we would have to come down to the police station for questioning.  So I whipped out my Greek ID card. This seemed to ease the atmosphere and they then called into the police station to check on my police record. Fortunately, this was clean so they let us go on our way. This was a little intimidating, especially for a group of young people from sheltered Christian backgrounds, attending a Christian high school and a vibrant Christian church – their only crime was spreading the good news.

History Repeats Itself
In this situation I could identify with the Apostle Paul when he got rather despondent with the Jews in the Corinthian area and was tempted to move on to more fertile fields. But God spoke to him in a vision one night, “Don’t be afraid! Speak out! Don’t be silent! For I am with you, and no one will attack and harm you, for many people in this city belong to me.” (Acts 18:9-10, NLT)

Over the past few centuries there have been many missionaries who have come to Greece and simply given up. They found the work too difficult and the people unresponsive. They echoed the words of the spies entering the Promised Land, “We can’t go up against them! They are stronger than we are. All the people there are giants and next to them we felt like grasshoppers.” Numbers 13.31-33

What Was Accomplished?
So what can a small, ill-equipped mission group accomplish in this spiritually and geographically barren terrain? The truth is we will never know until we get to heaven. We have just completed Operation Joshua 4, when in just 6 days, 103,528 Greek households received copies of the New Testaments and audio CD’s in Modern Greek, in 866 villages. 72158 Kilometers were driven (that’s almost twice the circumference of the earth), on some of Europe’s most dangerous roads, with no major accidents! This involved some 270 volunteers, with 17 nationalities being represented in total.

For a country that has never experienced a reformation or a revival or any major mass evangelistic crusade, this constitutes a huge, historical and remarkable event. Of one thing we can be sure, many lives have been touched. And maybe that longed for revival is about to break forth. “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword.” (Hebrews 4:12, NLT)

 “It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.” (Isaiah 55:11, NLT)

[16] In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;

 [17] and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 

 [18] praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,

[19] and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel,

[20] for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

Ephesians 6:16-20 ESV

The Meaning of Intercession

Every believer is called to pray (1 Thes. 5:17). We pray for one another, for the church, for the nation and her leaders, and above all, for God’s will to be done around us. Thus, praying is the natural life of the church and the believer. Prayer is to the believer what water is to fish; prayer is the air we breathe, the life we live. However, when prayer moves from the general to the specific; when prayer moves from being a collective to a personal duty, it becomes a calling, a life-long ministry in the Body of Christ—the ministry of intercession. And the person in this ministry is called an intercessor. Therefore, not all believers are in the ministry of intercession in the specific sense of a calling.

Intercession is: Entreaty in favor of another, especially a prayer or petition to God in behalf of another. Mediation in a dispute ( The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4^th Ed. Copyright© 2006).

Interesting!  God has a problem with man; someone stands in between and pleads with God to stay His anger. The Bible refers to such a posture as ‘standing in the gap’ (Ezek. 22: 30). According to Ezekiel, God is looking for such people from among believers. This means that intercessors are important to God in achieving His purpose on earth; they are an important part of the Body of Christ.

God needs the intercessor, someone that is sensitive to His feelings on issues. God needs the intercessor, someone with whom He shares the kingdom burden. God needs the intercessor; someone He can confide in (Gen. 18: 17-21). Most of us think that God does not have a need on earth. He does. In Gen 1: 26, the Scripture tells us the origin of the grace for intercession. He handed the earth to us. Therefore, He would like to consult us whenever He wants to do something on earth, or whenever something goes wrong on earth. There is mutual cooperation between God and man, which a true intercessor is sensitive to.

An intercessor works with God (2 Cor. 6; 1); and this places a responsibility on the person. He or she must meet God’s standards for an acceptable work. How do we achieve this? We must put sin out of our life because we are dealing with a holy God (2 Cor. 7:1). We have to be in His presence every moment of our life. We have love others as Christ loves us (John 15:12). We have to love what God loves, and get our kingdom focus right ((Col 3:1-3)).  These personal disciplines help us remain connected to the Lord, and committed to the work.

Intercession raises the level of prayer because God is actively involved; and it deals more with kingdom issues than our personal material needs. This is the first lesson in intercession. In working with God, the intercessor gets into God’s private kingdom business, shares kingdom burden with Him, and takes part in discharging it. And of course, God’s burden comes first.

Intercessors strengthen the church by providing it with undercover spiritual support—a sort of structural underpin. In order to accomplish this, the intercessor must love the church as the Lord loves it (Eph. 5: 25-27).  Intercession goes beyond the local assembly; the intercessor’s allegiance is to the church without walls—the universal church. He or she does not take sides in issues in the local church; the desire and prayer is that the church operates under the Holy Spirit to achieve the Lord’s purpose. When we take our mind away from the local church, its politics, and its worldliness, we focus on the real ministry of prayer. Then, intercession becomes interesting, absorbing, and fruitful.

However, intercession demands that we should be close to the church, understand the church, and know what the Lord intends it to do. In so doing, we will be able to know when something goes wrong, when the devil or worldly values infiltrate the church. The intercessor prays as a passionate, unbiased insider, who understands the strength and weaknesses of the church.

Intercession is a ‘closet’ ministry. It takes the intercessor straight into God’s heart while it hides the one from the public. This places yet another type of responsibility on the intercessor: he has to learn the discipline of secrecy. Kingdom issues are not for the headlines; they are not shared freely unless the Lord so directs. In the age of glamour and public glare, some intercessors open their mouths too wide too soon; they unwittingly undermine the kingdom cause.

Intercession is a demanding occupation, both on the one that prays and on God. It is demanding on the intercessor because it takes something out of the person, sapping energy—Christ prayed until sweat dropped as blood (Luke 22:44). It is demanding on God because the intercessor does not give Him rest until his prayer is answered (Is 62:6, 7).

Intercession is warfare between the kingdom of light and that of darkness. We’ve taken side with God; there is no retreat. The intercessor has to press on by faith until the enemy gives up (1 Pet. 5: 9). By pitting against the devil, the intercessor is open to numerous spiritual attacks: strange challenges, physical trials, finance and health issues, loss of strength and interest in prayer, and doubt and discouragement.

A true intercessor must understand the operation of spiritual forces, principles of spiritual warfare, and the secret of victory by faith. It is sheer naivety to think that the enemy will sit like a lame duck while the war goes on. No. The devil is always searching for where and when to hit back at the intercessor. This is where putting on the whole armour of God comes in (Eph. 6: 11).

Intercession is a rigorous but simple work, which means that the intercessor should learn the basics of prayer at all levels—there are different levels of intercession. He needs to practise the work to gain experience and grow in it. He or she has to study to correctly handle the word of truth (2 Tim. 2: 15). Yes, we pray under the guidance and help of the Holy Spirit but we have to study and stay on our knees before the Holy Spirit comes to guide and help (Rom. 8:26, 27). Intercession is a continuous learning process.

Intercession means much more than kneeling down and praying. It means working with God to change the direction of world events; it means bringing the spiritual to bear on the physical world; and it means taking up a responsibility that can only be discharged by the power of the Holy Spirit.

In the ministry of intercession, God wants us to understand His will through the Word, and work to see it in real life. He wants us to understand and apply the kingdom prayer dynamics (Luke 8:10). The Lord is an intercessor, and only in going to Him, the believer reaches his or her altitude in kingdom prayer work.  The believer needs commitment to learning about God and prayer, to praying, and trusting the Lord to operate in the true ministry of intercession. A believer with faulty understanding of intercession will play into the hand of the enemy.

(In the next post, we will look at the focus of intercession).

But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit,

keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.

And have mercy on those who doubt;

save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garmen] stained by the flesh.

Jude 1:20-23

My name is Erin, and it's been impressed on me to ask for pray for 2 issues in my life needing God's will, plans, and purpose to be done. The first is God's calling in my life in my career in my job, and the second is regarding a particular person that's been throuwn into the mix. I appreciated your prayers, I need 24/7 prayer.

Thank you,

Erin

[10] Therefore David blessed the LORD in the presence of all the assembly. And David said: “Blessed are you, O LORD, the God of Israel our father, forever and ever.

[11] Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and you are exalted as head above all.

[12] Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all.

 [13] And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name.

(1 Chronicles 29:10-13 ESV)