Pray Network Forum

LAST FRONTIER. Believers among a Last Frontier people group are under intense pressure since a video of a baptism aired nightly on television last week. Some groups want to expel all foreigners and kill all local people who have chosen to follow Christ. Pray that evil plans will be thwarted and tensions will subside. Ask that believers will stand strong and faithful under the intense persecution.

• Realize that God is going to break through for you - You can’t do it by yourself. He has the resurrection power to break through every obstacle in your life. Meditate on God and His Word until you know that He is the breakthrough God for you.
• Yield all control to God - Let go of the known and trust God to get you across to the other side. So often we try to control our own lives. We must let go of anything that God may want us to give up. We need to yield our will, and move to a new level of trust in God.
• Wait on God and find out what action He wants you to take -Be still and make sure you know God’s leading in your life. Some of you may be in a place of waiting, and it may take faith to wait. But others of you may know what God wants you to do, but you have been hesitant and fearful. Hesitate no longer.
• Move forward in faith and obedience - Bold action will open the gate and release God’s spiritual power. Do not waver because of fear. Take a leap of faith. God will catch you in His arms on the other side.

“Intercessors have strategic assignments in their prayer closets. The prayer closet is like those ancient watchtowers. From there, they can scour ‘the spiritual horizon’ like air traffic controllers. They often sense spiritual things discerning the good from the bad, the welcome from the unwelcome. In prayer, God sometimes exposes the enemy’s plans and shows the intercessor ‘the cards that Satan is holding.’” Eddie and Alice Smith

If ever there was a need for watchful prayer, it is now! We need to be watchful, especially as we see major changes happening worldwide on a weekly basis. Many of us watch the daily news to see in the natural what is happening, but God wants us to watch and see spiritually what is occurring on the earth. It is time for all of us to get our lives in order before the Lord, become watchful in prayer, and find our position as God’s watchmen on the watchtower.

Intercessors are front-line soldiers.

They see into the distance, observe what is happening, and lean forward in prayer. Sometimes they see with eyes of discernment, and at other times they may see things way in advance. God gives them insight in order to intercede. The Greek word for “watch” means, “to be vigilant, wake, to be watchful.” Jim Goll, well-known author, speaker and intercessory leader, says:

“A watchman on the wall does many things. He carefully watches what is happening and alerts the community when good ambassadors approach the city… A watchman also warns the city far in advance when an enemy approaches. He sounds an alarm to awaken the people because he knows ‘to forewarn them is to alert and arm them.’ Then they quickly can rally to take their stand on the wall against the enemy before he wrongfully tries to enter into the city.”

What does watching mean for you personally?

What does God want you to concentrate on during prayer and intercession?

For what has He given you discernment or a burden?

It may be your school, neighborhood, city, nation, or a particular people group. This is where we need to watch and pray. When we see danger coming, we pray and ask others to pray. We cry out to God to bring salvation, deliverance and make His name known. We pray against evil intruding in the area where we are keeping watch. We say “no” to the powers of darkness in Jesus’ name. We pray for God’s peace instead of fear, for life instead of death, and for hope instead of hopelessness.

At the same time, all of us need to be on the alert and pray diligently for the nations. For many years we lived on a ship that brought the light of the Gospel to various nations. Every hour of every day watchmen had to be on duty. These watchmen kept alert to any possible dangers that might come toward our ship - dangerous weather, thieves, fire, and other possible threats to our safety. During their watch, they stayed alert. They knew that being a watchman was a serious responsibility.

You and I must be vigilant as a watchman for our nation. Although we may get weary and tired, we have a responsibility. We are called to pray for our president, prime minister, or king. We are on watch. We read in Matthew 26:41, “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing but the body is weak.” In Isaiah 62:6-7 the Bible speaks of watchmen on the walls of Jerusalem:

“I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the Lord, give yourselves no rest, and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth.”

God is raising up watchmen in this hour, because the need for day and night prayer for our cities is urgent. Let the following grip your heart. This is adapted from George Otis, Jr., the president and founder of the research group, the Sentinel, and the producer of the Transformation videos:

"If the Church is the nations best hope, it must be awakened from its slumber and fast. Revival must become an urgent priority, not just a theological or historical curiosity. Its promotion must become the task of every pulpit, its implementation the responsibility of every believer. For this to happen, desperate intercessors must prevail upon God to provoke within His people a deep and widespread dissatisfaction with the religious status quo.

The Church needs godly shepherds who will resolutely refuse to downplay the urgency of the hour and the seriousness of the present condition. She requires committed prophets who will seize every opportunity to acknowledge with Ezekiel: ‘Our offenses and sins weigh us down, and we are wasting away because of them’ (Ezekiel 33:10). We have come to the point, both as individuals and as a Church, where we can no longer coast on the momentum of past deeds and choices. Our relationship with God has become fallow, and it can only become fruitful again through true repentance and unreserved obedience.

In this unsettled hour, the eyes of the Lord are upon His people. Will He find faith in the earth? Will He find a hunger for His presence? Will He find a ready remnant through whom He can speak to the nations and their leaders? Let us press in to hear what the Spirit has to say to the Church. If this requires us to suspend, at least temporarily, some of our most cherished routines - let us seize the moment!”

You and I are in a serious spiritual war. Failing to take our post during these days of uncertainty could lead to serious consequences. We must be vigilant and not apathetic - We must be careful and not lax - We must watch with a serious gaze to hear and see all that God is saying and doing. Our families, our churches, our missionaries, and our nations are important.

If watchmen do not keep their post on a ship during serious weather conditions, it could mean the loss of the ship and every person on board. Remember the Titanic, which sank very quickly because the watchmen were not doing their job. Let’s learn to concentrate on prayer, listening with expectation, and seize the moment as we keep our watch. Let’s learn to be God’s Watchmen.

“Watchmen are ordinarily placed on the walls of a city to give notice to the rulers of coming danger. God appoints watchmen not only to warn men - often they will not hear - but also to summon Him to come to their aid whenever need or the enemy may be threatening. The great mark of the intercessors are that they are not to hold their peace day or night, to take no rest, and to give God no rest, until the deliverance comes. In faith they may count upon the assurance that God will answer their prayers.” Andrew Murray

By Debbie Przybylski

Intercessors Arise

deb@intercessorsarise.org

http://www.intercessorsarise.org

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“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.”

Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)

When asked what the greatest commandment was, Jesus answered, ^“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment.” We know this and we want to obey, but what does whole-hearted devotion look like?

There is much media attention given to physical heart care – do this exercise, eat this healthy diet, take this medication to keep that ever rising cholesterol in check and on it goes to prevent heart attacks, keep us healthy, and give us long lives.

Exercise and diet are also important to strengthen our spiritual hearts against distractions that try to upset our total devotion to Jesus. Romans 12:2 reinforces that whole-hearted devotion includes our mind, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is.”

We renew our minds by hunger for God’s word and the discipline to consume it daily as a regular diet. Also, James 1:22 warns us not to delude ourselves by being just hearers of the word, we are obey God’s word through the exercise of living it out. Read Romans 12:9-21 for a great check list to allow God to point out areas that need improvement, and to hone your skills for living out whole-hearted devotion as a way of life.

The reward personally and the impact culturally is worth the investment of our time. Let’s pray Psalm 86:11, “Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth; unite my heart to fear Your name.”

Elaine Helms is a prayer leader at the North American Mission Board, SBC. Visit www.namb.net/PrayerConnection.

Do you ever get distracted when you are praying? What do you do to bring your mind back to conversation with God?

Over the past decade, I have watched the genre of books available for prayer leaders expand from a few to dozens and dozens. There are so many resources available today for prayer leaders that the question becomes:
Which ones do I purchase first?

Let me review what the Church Prayer Leaders Network recommends in a few key areas. This list is not to say that other books are not good, but it is simply the ones that we find the
best for those seeking to grow more interest in prayer in the local church.
(All are available at www.prayershop.org
where you receive a special discount as a CPLN member.)

Resources
on Prayer in the Local Church

The Prayer Saturated Church by Cheryl Sacks is by far the most thorough
and most practical on growing a deeper level of prayer in the local church. If a prayer leader can only purchase one
resource, this is it.

My House Shall Be a House of Prayer, compiled by Jonathan Graf and Lani
Hinkle. This product offers very practical help for church leaders trying to
simply grasp what it means to be a praying church. It then offers suggestions
on developing five key areas of prayer.

On Corporate Prayer

Fresh Encounters by Daniel Henderson and Margaret Sayer provides
encouragement, challenge and practical ideas on developing a dynamic corporate
prayer meeting that focuses on Jesus Christ rather than the fix-it needs of the
congregation.

And the Place Was Shaken by John Franklin provides insight and practical
ideas for someone learning to lead a corporate prayer meeting. Everyone who is
in charge of a prayer meeting needs to have this book.

For Small Group Prayer

Together in Prayer by Andrew Wheeler is the only book available in this
area. A prayer leader at Willow Creek-McHenry, Wheeler offers very thorough
advice and ideas on moving prayer in the small group from being dull and weak
to more dynamic and kingdom focused.

Bible Studies to Disciple in Prayer

Power Praying by David Chotka is a new release that is a book and workbook
combined. It can be read by an individual or used in a small group/Sunday
school setting. It is a very unique treatment of the Lord’s Prayer that will
leave the user challenged to be more kingdom minded and bold in his or her
prayers.

Teach Us to Pray by Fred Hartley is a 13-week, fill-in-the-blank Bible
study that focuses on the prayer life of Jesus. It has an excellent three-week
study of the Holy Spirit’s role in prayer and how we work with Him as we pray.

Devotional

Love to Pray by Alvin VanderGriend is bar non, the best book on prayer
that can get an individual, a congregation or small group more fired up to
pray. Its 40 days of content, set 5 days a week for 8 weeks, will give users a
complete theology of prayer and take them deeper than they have ever been.
There is a teaching DVD available and materials to turn this into an
entire-church 40 day initiative. There is also an 8-week curriculum for
children available (Kids, Love to Pray, Too by Kathleen Trock) and a
children’s version of the devotional, I Love to Pray.

Personal Prayer Life

The Power of Personal Prayer by Jonathan Graf is an easy-to-read,
thorough treatment of prayer. Its 17 chapters cover basics like where to pray,
how to pray, and who do we pray to, then the types of prayer, and finally a
taking it deeper section that includes things like kingdom prayer, hindrances
to prayer, faith, praying scripture and perseverance to name a few topics.

Men and Prayer

Prayer Coach by Jim Nicodem is the best on the market. Written in a
humorous style with sports and personal family illustrations that men can
relate to, this book will get men over the hump of prayerlessness into trying
to connect with God more regularly.

Children and Prayer

Prayer Saturated Kids by Cheryl Sacks and Arlyn Lawrence offers challenge
and encouragement that children can become powerful prayer warriors in your
church.

Prayer Rooms

Making Room to Pray by Terry Teykl offers practical insight into
developing and maintaining an inviting prayer room at your church.

Creative Prayer Stations by Stephen Trine, offers practical suggestions
and content that will allow the user to develop more than 20 prayer stations in
their church or prayer room. It can be used to develop a prayer room with
rotating stations or to set up a week of prayer using your entire church
facility by putting prayer stations around the building.

Red Moon Rising by Peter Grieg tells the story of the modern 24/7 prayer room movement. It is full of tremendous testimonies of transformation that came out of prayers offered in prayer room settings . . .
and on taking the prayer room to the streets.

Prayer Events

A Year of Prayer Events for Your Church by Sandra Higley offers 15
suggestions for possible prayer events to hold in your church. Enough detail is
given to allow even the most creatively challenged prayer leader to shine in
developing these events.

Training Prayer Teams

Praying Grace by Terry Teykl is a training manual for altar prayer
ministry teams. It offers practical advice on everything from questions to ask
before you pray, listening to the voice of the Spirit as you prayer and “use a
breath mint before ministry.”

Upfront by Dave Buts is a DVD presentation to train people to pray with
others in the worship service.

Prayer for Pastors

Giving Ourselves to Prayer, compiled by Dan Crawford has 80 chapters,
each written by a different professor, prayer leader or pastor, covering four
key areas of prayer: The Theology of Prayer, The Personal Prayer Life of the
Pastor, The Corporate Expression of Prayer and The Global Impact of Prayer.

Preyed On or Prayed For by Terry Teykl. This is an excellent resource to challenge people to pray regularly for their pastors.

All of these books are available at discounts to CPLN members at www.prayershop.org.

Jonathan Graf is the director of the Church Prayer Leaders Network and the founding editor of Pray! magazine.

Intercessory Prayer

Interceding is defined by Webster as prayer, petition or entreaty in favor of another to intervene between parties with a view to reconciling differences, to mediate.

We can know in our minds what interceding is all about, but knowing in our hearts is the most important part of being an intercessor. Have you ever been so sick or grief stricken that you couldn’t pray? Have you ever been in so much mental or physical pain that you didn’t have the strength to pray? Have you ever been so confused or dismayed that you didn’t know what to ask the Lord for? I hope that you had someone to intervene in your behalf when you were unable to pray.

But intercession isn’t about you needing prayer, it is about others in need of prayer. Others who are grief stricken, physically ill, mentally confused, spiritually lost or hurt. Someone who is unable to pray for themselves. Someone who is hurting. They need someone who will petition the throne of heaven for them. They need someone who will mediate when they are not able. They need an intercessor.

Before we can pray for others though, we need to put ourselves in their place. We need to know how it feels to be sick, to grieve, to experience pain, heartbreak, utter confusion, complete loss. We need to have compassion for others in need. The best way to know those needs is to have experienced those needs ourselves.

The more we experience life and its ups, downs, ins and outs; the more we suffer, the greater capacity we have to pray for those in need. Because we can actually feel their pain. As we remember our own suffering, the despair we felt, the way that pain removes the ability to be able to think calmly and clearly. These experiences have brought us to a higher plane.

We are able to relate. That is exactly what Jesus did when he came to earth to bear our sins. He was able to relate to every temptation that we would ever have. He knew what pain was and can speak to the father in our behalf when we are in pain. He knew what it felt like to be betrayed. He knew what it was like to have people ridicule him. He experienced rejection, he experienced loneliness, he even experienced complete separation from God.

This week as I have been focusing on intercessory prayer, the Lord has spoken to me in a beautiful way. He gave me an illustration of what intercessory prayer is all about.

The other morning I woke up early, I couldn’t get back to sleep and the things in my life that are out of my control kept coming to mind. I laid in bed thinking and praying for myself. “Oh God, what am I going to do about our finances? Dear Lord, what can I do for my son, David and the mess he’s gotten himself in? Dear Jesus, restore my health.” I went on and on for hours until finally, I guess God had had enough of me whining. He said just as clearly as I am speaking right now, “Marsha, let’s make an exchange. You cast all your cares upon me, because I care for you. And in return, I ask that you pray for your aunt, Lillian who just had back surgery. Pray for George, a fellow at church who is grieving the death of his wife of 34 years. Lift up Geraldine, who has not yet received Christ as her personal savior. Pray in behalf of Wanda, who just had a toe amputated.”

It was like a light bulb went on in my head... now I get it. Forget about myself and the problems that I have, just quit trying to figure them out. Give my burdens to the Lord and forget about them - let him take care of them. Instead I should focus my energy on those that the Lord puts on my heart, those with needs that I can meet. A note, a call, a dinner invitation, a prayer for someone who is too sick to pray for themselves. A prayer in behalf of someone the Lord cares for and someone I care for also.

The rest of the day every time one of my worries would pop into my head, I would pray for one of those that the Lord asked me to pray for. I spent the entire day interceding for those dear folks that God had put in my heart.

When I think about Jesus and what he is doing right now, I always remember the passage in Hebrews. “Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office, but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.” Hebrews 7:23-25.

That is what he does for us day in and day out. He is seated at the right hand of God, he is watching us and listening to us lift needs to him. He then turns to the Father and makes our requests known. He sees us when we are confused, when we are experiencing pain, when we fail, when we grieve. He knows what we need before we ask for it. When we lift the needs of others, when we set aside our own desires and think about what others need, he hears those prayers and will turn to God with those requests.

He has experienced our pain and knows that we need his compassion. He is compassionate and promises never to leave us.

Intercession is a beautiful way to pray. It gets our minds off ourselves and puts the focus on others and that is exactly what the gospel is all about. Loving our neighbors as ourselves. Jesus prayed for the needs of others so many times. He longed to bring people before the Father and he wants us to do the same.

Who do you know right now who needs someone to say a prayer for them? Who do you know that is lonely, hurting, in pain, confused, sad? How could you intercede for them?

A prayer of intercession might sound something like this.

Heavenly Father, I know that you are a big God. I know that you are able to meet the needs of everyone in the world all at the same time. I worship you and give you praise because you are worthy of praise. Today I want to lift the needs of those who, for one reason or another can’t pray for themselves right now.

Father, I ask that you touch Lillian’s body and help her to recover from back surgery. Mend her body and help her to be pain free.

Lord, I ask that you comfort George. If you can use me to minister to him, please give me wisdom to know how and opportunities to do so. Send people to help fill the void that he feels in his loss. Give those who minister to him the ability to listen and share in his loss.

I want to pray for Geraldine and the emptiness that she is experiencing in her life. She wants to have custody of her children again, but even more importantly, she is seeking to find you. I pray that you put Christians in her pathway to help lead her to you. I offer myself as a teacher to help her find you. I ask that you protect her from the evil one who does not want her to know your salvation. We will give you the praise when her name is written in the Lamb’s book.

Father, Wanda is a loving Christian lady, she trusts in you completely, but right now she is experiencing physical pain and the doctors don’t seem to know what is causing it. I lift her up to you Lord. Give her doctors wisdom, give Wanda peace, help her financially as she has to take time off work. Just meet every need she has and bless her in a special way.

These prayers I offer in the name of Jesus the Christ, the anointed one. Thank you for hearing my prayers and answering them in your time, in your way. Amen

Intercessory prayer is one way that we can build up and encourage the body of Christ. We are told in Ephesians 6:14-18 "Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all that, take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God, and pray in the spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests with this in mind. Be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints."

Intercession is not something that only a few people in each congregation should do, but rather it is an obligation of believers. We are expected to pray for one another. Jesus is our example. He is continually at the Father’s right hand interceding for us. We should be doing the same.

In James the church is instructed to ask for prayer. “Is anyone among you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? He should sing praises. Is there anyone who is sick? He should send for the church elders, who will pray for him and rub olive oil on him in the name of the Lord. This prayer made in faith will heal the sick person; the Lord will restore him to health, and the sins he has committed will be forgiven. So then, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you will be healed. The prayer of a good person has a powerful effect.” James 5:13-16.

When your troubles are overwhelming, ask someone to pray with you and for you. But also remember to cast your cares on the Lord. Then focus on someone else’s need. Ask the Holy Spirit to remind you to pray for someone else. Stand in the gap for a brother or sister who just can’t pray for themselves.

God will take care of your needs by having someone else pray for you. That’s what this Christian fellowship is all about. We are one in the spirit and the Holy Spirit can give your need to someone else. Maybe someone who has been through what you are going through and remembers the pain, the torment. Someone who will have compassion for you.