Our Prayer for Advancing God’s Glory

11745506_994913623905078_347660899437159992_nLord, please bring transformation into our lives through the prayer movement and a House of Prayer in our city. We want to see Your glory advance in our lives. Bring us into intimacy and the simplicity of pure devotion to You
(2 Corinthians 11:3). Help us to cultivate a love relationship with You.

Help us as the Church in [Name your city] find our identity in You. Teach us to walk in Your love and Your holiness. Make us attractive to the lost in our city. Show us how to advance Your glory in practical ways that demonstrate the love of Christ. Remove everything that hinders love in our lives, and establish Your dwelling place here in our city and all over the earth (Psalm 132:2-5). We accept Your invitation to greatness. We long for Your fragrance and want to learn humility, love, and holiness in our lives. Help us to obey the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 57.

Your Word says in Matthew 5:3-10: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Help us to practice the Beatitudes in our daily lives. We want to be great in Your Kingdom.

Use us to advance Your glory here on earth through Houses of Prayer. Bring transformation into our lives. We pray Psalm 24 over our city: Lord, the whole earth is Yours. You founded it! You deserve to be honored. Your Word needs to be proclaimed. We desire a visitation of Your promised Holy Spirit to open the windows of heaven and show forth Your powerful works. Create in us clean hearts. Give us clean hands. Let the ancient gates be lifted up that You, King of glory, may come in. Lord, give us wisdom for our House of Prayer in the spirit of holiness, in a way that would utilize the resources that You have already put within us. May we hear from Your SpiritHe is our director, counselor, and helper. Send Him to stir our hearts right now we pray. We invite Your presence into our midst. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Verse to Memorize

“And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18).

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOPKC

God’s Glory – Taking it into the Prayer Room

11260948_967242630005511_931634998081476917_nTaking it into the Prayer Room

Have each person do the exercise prayerfully before meeting together as a group. Then meet together, open in prayer, and begin by reading the Sermon on the Mount together. Go through each of the questions, with each person sharing their individual answers. Take time to share the areas of heart transformation God is working on at present, how each one is responding to God’s invitation to great-ness, and what specific ways they want to see transformation in your city. Make a written list of these areas for prayer.

Then with Bible and instruments in hand, take it into the prayer room. Begin by spending time worshiping God. Then pray God’s Word from Matthew 5—7, bringing before Him specific areas of need and desire. Pray through your list of ways you want transformation in your city, mixing your requests with Scripture. Accept God’s invitation to greatness in prayer, both personally and corporately, as you pray your commitment to a House of Prayer in your city or church. Use the Beatitudes in Matthew 5:3-12 in your prayer. Thank God for what He is going to do through your House of Prayer, your church, and your city for God’s glory.

How to Advance God’s Glory in Your City

10930949_964090020320772_5568470259813218675_n-2God’s Glory Life Application

We learned about how to cultivate a transformed heart in the prayer room. We saw how Houses of Prayer bring transformation into our lives and into our cities. We learned about God’s invitation to greatness and to advancing God’s glory throughout the world.
Prayerfully answer the following:

  • How is God transforming your heart through prayer? – Evaluate your heart in the areas of your intimacy with God, your humility, your love towards others, and your obedience. What areas do you need to work on in your personal life?
  • How are you responding to God’s personal invitation to greatness? – Write a prayer to the Lord responding to His invitation to greatness. Relate your response to your personal involvement and commitment to prayer in your city or church. How will you show your commitment through serving, persistent prayer, spreading the vision for prayer, taking a humble role, and so forth?
  • Read the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 57 everyday this week – Spend time in prayer daily. Bring before the Lord specific passages that speak to you personally and ones you would like to see developed more in your life.
  • Carefully study the Beatitudes in Matthew 5:3-12 – Write a prayer to the Lord asking for these qualities to be developed in your own life and in other Christians in your city and church. Pray for transformation in your life.
  • In what ways do you want to see transformation in your city? – Make a list of areas where you would like to see transformation, and begin to pray regularly through that list.

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOPKC

Hope for the Future

Our Prayers for Wisdom in Developing a House of PrayerGod wants us to faithfully finish this life-long race  and receive the crown of the victor. He wants to openly display His glory
(Rev.  21:3). We must be faithful while on earth. We are running in a race as we look unto Jesus (Hebrews 12:1-2). The Apostle Paul wanted to receive this prize.

The House of Prayer helps us to walk in full obedience so that we might be found worthy of ruling in the age to come and receive the prize.

  • Is the Lord alarming us with the crises of these days?
  • Has He not spoken about those events that will bring the King-
    dom authority to His Bride, the Church, on earth?
  • Does not Satan tremble when Christians take God at His Word
    when He says, “Ask and you shall receive?”

“At such a time as this as we witness this global mobilization of prayer, we can perhaps look to the future with cautious excitement. What will God do in answer to so much prayer, we wonder? God’s kingdom, when it comes, probably won’t arrive in the way we expect or even want it to. But viewing history with the eyes of faith, through the grid of past prayer movements, we can easily see the correlation between seasons of intercession and the extension of God’s kingdom in the world.” Peter Greig and David Blackwell

Count it all joy as you involve yourself in this worldwide prayer movement (James 1:2-12). God is raising up a glorious Church without spot or wrinkle, and you are part of it (Ephesians 5:26-27). His government will increase over the whole earth as the prayer and worship movement increases.

Though the powers of darkness seek to hinder Houses of Prayer through disappointments, deception, distractions and difficulty, God’s people will begin to see the big picture. They will start to live from the perspective of eternity rather than live a compromised life (Mark 4:7; Luke 27:31-33). They will begin to understand His strategy to bring righteousness and justice to earth, and this will keep them steady in the House of Prayer.

The Apostle Paul was consumed with a hope for the future. It sustained him in the midst of pressure and opposition. He was able to endure suffering with joy (Romans 8:18, 24). Studying the end times should fill our hearts with hope, because God will triumph over evil and Jesus will triumph as King of kings.

Let’s live with eternity in view. Jesus is coming back to a praying Church that will advance His glory throughout the entire world. Jesus is right now bringing transformation onto the earth in all nations and in all of our lives. The bowls of intercession in heaven are becoming full. Like the butterfly released from it’s cocoon, the Church will arise as a beautiful praying Bride as she waits expectantly for her Bridegroom King to appear in all His glory.

“Jesus is not coming back to a prayerless Church, rather to one enjoying mature bridal partnership with Him in intercession for the great harvest. The church will complete the Great Commission reaching to all 255 nations in the power of the Holy Spirit (Matt. 24:14). This strategic plan of the Holy Spirit will reach a crescendo before the Lord returns, as the bowls of intercession will become full in heaven.” Mike Bickle

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOPKC

Proclaiming Who God Is

11695804_990323194364121_2649432941536911869_nWe advance God’s glory by proclaiming Who He is and calling on His name. God loves it when we praise and worship Him for Who He is. We can seek His face through calling on His name as:

  • Yahweh, the source of steadfastness and encouragement – Romans 15:5.
  • Compassionate and Merciful God – Exodus 34:6.
  • El-Shaddai (the All-mighty, All-sufficient One, Satisfier) –
    Genesis 1:17.
  • Yahweh-Yireh (God shall provide, Provider) – Genesis 22:14.
  • Yahweh-Ropheka (the Lord who heals you) – Exodus 15:26.
  • Yahweh-Shalom (the Lord gives rest; the Lord is peace) –
    Psalm 35:27.
  • The King of the whole world – Micah 4:13.
  • Jesus Christ the Way, the Truth and the Life – John 14:6.
  • Christ the Power and Wisdom of God – 1 Corinthians 1:24.
  • The Lamb in the center of the Throne – Revelation 7:17.
  • The Lamb that was slain – Revelation 5:12.
  • Christ the Hope of Glory – Colossians 1:26.

There are so many ways to proclaim Who God is. Here are a few more names of God: “The Spirit of Liberty, Insight, Counsel and Strength, Knowledge and Fear of the Lord (Isaiah 11:2), Grace and Supplication, Holiness, Love, Truth, Power, Self-control, Wisdom and Revelation of the Knowledge of Him, the Spirit of Glory.”

Pray God’s names in the prayer room as you worship and seek His face. We are transformed by beholding His glory. Realize this: God is not a depressing God. He is not critical or negative. He is the God of joy, peace, and purity. We are transformed as we gaze upon Him with the eyes of our heart, when we set our mind on Him and give Him our attention. We begin to change little by little, and we go from glory to glory and strength to strength (Psalm 84:5-7).

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOPKC

Operating in God’s Government

11377338_964515613611546_2962338252793623659_nThrough intercession, God is training us to operate in His government. He governs in partnership with His people through intercession. The governmental center of the universe is the prayer room. We have a dynamic role because He shuts doors of oppression in response to our prayers. When we speak the Word of God that is in agreement with the Holy Spirit, God moves in power. We have the opportunity to advance God’s glory through prayer and intercession.

Lets take this opportunity and make this all-important choice to center our lives in prayer.  

In December of 1995, American Airlines Flight 965 left Miami on a routine trip to Cali, Columbia. On the landing approach, the pilot needed to select the next radio navigation fix named Rozo. He entered an “R” into his navigation computer, and it returned a list of nearby navigation fixes starting with “R”. He selected the first and the latitude and longitude appeared correct. But instead of Rozo, the pilot selected Romeo, 132 miles northeast. A deviation would be dangerous. The pilot then began an easterly turn as he followed the indications on the flight computer.

But because he was off course he slammed into a granite peak at ten thousand feet—152 passengers and eight crewmembers were immediately killed! Only four survived this terrible accident. The National Transportation Safety Board declared the problem human error. The pilot had selected the wrong fix. When the plane is on course, the needle is centered but gives no indication about the correctness of the selected radio beacon. The gauge looks the same just before landing as before crashing. The computer had told the pilot he was tracking precisely to the beacon he had selected, but it had neglected to tell him that the selected beacon was fatal.

The prayer room will keep us on course and in the center of God’s will. Houses of Prayer in our cities will keep us safe from danger and will help us know how to navigate through rough weather.

Houses of Prayer will show us how to advance God’s glory in the end times.

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOPKC

Advancing God’s Glory

11141180_990324714363969_18797660765711519_n“Have you ever wondered if it is possible to get God’s attention or attract His presence? And if it is possible, then why don’t we spend more time doing those things that welcome His presence? God’s Word establishes clear principles regarding His presence. There are things that prepare for and welcome the presence of the Lord—things like prayer, unity, worship, and a broken and contrite spirit.” Rhonda Hughey

Wouldn’t you like to attract God’s attention to your city? Don’t you want to advance God’s glory where you live? There is an eternal inheritance in every person and city. The possibility for transforma-tion is possible. Isn’t it time to see God invade your city with His glorious presence? This is possible as we build the House of Prayer. God wants to come in, but we have to invite Him.

Jesus is our model as we move forward in Houses of Prayer. The greatest example of the fullness of Christ’s love can be seen in His meekness and servanthood (John 13). He was so strong, and yet He stooped so low. There is a dignity, beauty, and uniqueness about His lowliness (Matthew 11:29; Mark 10:15). Jesus was the servant of all. The weight of God’s glory is His humility.

This humility will confront the pride of the earth (Psalm 113:4-6; Isaiah 2:10-11; 49:5-7). Jesus leads with the strength of meekness and the might of humility. We must do the same. This will be a big key to the success of Houses of Prayer in our cities and churches.

Only Jesus gets the glory. It’s about advancing His glory. It’s not about a person, church, or ministryit’s all about Jesus!  

We must give God time in the prayer room. Houses of Prayer advance God’s glory. Houses of Prayer glorify Jesus.

Houses of Prayer are very do-able. God doesn’t need a large population of Christians in order to bring in His presence. He will work through a few churches that decide to unite in prayer in order to seek His presence for their city. We must have a vision (Proverbs 29:18). We need a world vision, a heavenly revelation, and prophetic insight into what God wants to do in our day. We must be like Moses and cry out to see God’s glory in our city (Exodus 33:18-19). As we do, we know that we are on the right course and are pointing in the direction of bringing glory to God through prayer.

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOPKC

Positioning Your Life for Greatness

11264013_963028303760277_6266662734616935759_nIn starting and maintaining Houses of Prayer we are seeking for God’s “well done” in our lives. We become involved with what God cherishes and esteems so highly. Establishing Houses of Prayer helps to bring God’s people into a love relationship with Him and helps them establish a close partnership with Jesus on earth. This brings glory to God in the deepest sense. Prayer is rooted in humility and takes time and energy. But when we do this, we are investing our time and energy in order to help others grow in righteousness, peace, and joy.

Let’s press on with diligence and faithfulness (Philippians 3:12-14). He will help each one of us to be faithful in the face of pressure, obstacles, and difficulty. He will help us endure the mundane and the smallness of working diligently day by day and week by week as we get started. This matters to Him. We are living for a Kingdom that cannot be shaken. It’s a daily adventure in pleasing God. It’s all part of His invitation to greatness in His Kingdom. This invitation brings transformation in every area of our lives. Our hearts and our thoughts are transformed.

We are living in a transitional time in all of history. The Holy Spirit is preparing us for a release of His glory upon the Church. There will be a mighty release of signs, wonders, and glory at the end of the age
(Joel 2:28-29). This will bring transformation. God is right now shaking everything that can be shaken in the nations (Haggai 2:6-7). He is inviting everyone to become great in His Kingdom. He designed us for this. True greatness will be fully manifested in the age to come, not here. It will be based on our heart’s response, and it is available to all (Matthew 5:19; 20:26-27; 23:12).

Let’s seek God in all that we do with a childlike faith and a humble heart. He is transforming our hearts and our minds. It’s time to see life from His perspective because it is so far higher than ours. Let’s position our life for greatness in His Kingdom and accept this wonderful invitation.

I was sitting in the back of the International House of Prayer. I was looking at hundreds of young people who were accepting God’s invitation to greatness with glad hearts. They were intently seeking God in the secret place. They were giving Him their time and energy with heartfelt abandonment. It was powerful.

“Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me” (Matthew 18:4-5).

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOPKC

Growing in Holiness in the Prayer Room

11162215_965501473512960_7315828621338825940_nIn the prayer room we learn to hunger after God, we grow in purity of heart, we learn to become peacemakers, and we grow in meekness. God brings inner and outer transformation. Then we take Him with us out into the marketplace, and people are drawn to the Holy Spirit living within us.

The prayer room helps us to become great in God’s eyes rather than man’s. It helps us to pursue the journey to greatness. As you attempt to get involved in His House of Prayer in your city or church, realize that it requires humility and a servant’s lifestyle daily
(Matthew 20:26-27). Those who lead in Houses of Prayer open the way to God’s pathway of greatness. They must be willing to go through difficult and refining situations that seem unbearable at times—but are so worth it (Isaiah 48:10).

Jesus went through the cross for the joy set before Him. We must trust God’s leadership, and live in His grace and for His glory (1 Cor. 12:8-10; 2 Corinthians 4:17; Romans 818). We are partnering with Him and are seeking heavenly rewards instead of earthly ones (Matthew 6:1-20).

I heard about a famous professional baseball player who said that the aim of his life was to hear his manager say to him, “You are the greatest player I have ever coached.” He was motivated by the hope that one day he would hear his manager’s affirmation. He was waiting for that day. How many multitudes of athletes feel like this? But how much more should we as Christians be motivated by the hope that one day we will hear our Master’s affirmation. One day we will hear him say to us personally:

“Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” (Matthew 25:21).

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOPKC

A Kingdom Lifestyle

11009198_990320437697730_710204864117894450_nJesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all” (Mark 10:42-44).

Spreading the vision for prayer and starting a House of Prayer in your church or city will take a great deal of faithful serving. It will take hard work and endurance. There will be times when you wonder if you are doing the right thing or if it will ever happen. The opposition from the enemy will be great. But this is God’s personal invitation to greatness for you. God designed you for greatness (Matthew 5:12; 11:11; 18:4). Deep in your heart you desire greatness, significance, dignity, nobility, honor, and impact. You want to be great in God’s sight. You are learning to live for His Kingdom purposes.

The Sermon on the Mount is all about the lifestyle of the Kingdom.

When we learn a Kingdom lifestyle, look at what happens. We practice rapid repentance when we sin. We become more responsive to God with a wholehearted love. We love others more. We experience greater fruitfulness, and we cultivate a lifestyle of sustained focus and devotion to God. But it takes time and effort. It is deliberate. We can’t just run around living for ourselves.

In obeying it, we position ourselves for greatness. We pursue obedience in our speech, our appetites, our time, our money, and our eyes. We renew our inner man for eternal glory (2 Corinthians 4:16-17). We work to become faithful disciples of Jesus through our heart obedience and our ministry impact. We respond to all that the Holy Spirit shows us so that we may be worthy of our calling (2 Thessalonians 1:11-12). Our eternal destiny is to possess godliness and become like God in character, living a life of love (Ephesians 5:2; Romans 9:29).

This can be cultivated in the prayer room as well as in our daily life. We develop our secret life with God, and we do acts of justice wherever we go. He sees our heart. Seeking to lovingly obey is never in vain. We should seek to live out the eight beatitudes every day. He is looking for a people who obey Him wholeheartedly.

The Sermon on the Mount contains the core values of God’s Kingdom and is the litmus test to measure our true success in life. By spending time in God’s presence, God changes us on the inside and gives us more grace to live a Sermon on the Mount lifestyle daily. We are on a journey to greatness. Matt Chandler, from the International House of Prayer, writes about God’s invitation to greatness:

“The Sermon on the Mount is the litmus test to measure our success in life, spiritual development and ministry impact. Our foundation call (internal) is to live out the 8 beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12) as we pursue 100-fold obedience (Matthew 5:48; 6:22). The beatitudes are like 8 flowers in the “garden of our heart” that God wants to fully blossom…. God invites us to greatness without regard to our outward achievements or the size of our ministry impact. Rather it is based on the development of our inner man in love, meekness, and revelation or in righteousness, peace, and joy in the spirit (Romans 14:17). Without the paradigm of being on a journey to greatness, the Sermon on the Mount lifestyle is much more difficult to sustain. Living in light of receiving reward in heaven and being great in God’s sight is a major theme that is emphasized in Matthew 5:5, 12, 19, 46; 6:1 4, 6, 18, 20; 7:2.” Matt Candler

God is developing us in the Beatitudes of Matthew 5:3-12. He is our source, and we are absolutely dependent on Him. Let’s wholeheartedly pursue His fullness, and hunger and thirst for His righteousness. We are complete in Christ (Colossians 1:28-29; 2:10; 4:12; 1 Thess. 5:22-3). We are seeking to be obedient and perfectly established in Him (1 Peter 5:10; 1 Timothy 6:13-14). We are seeking a blameless life and to live out the Sermon on the Mount lifestyle.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3-10).

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOP-KC