Daily Archives: October 19, 2015

Adoration in Prayer and Worship

Leave a comment

10408578_990317387698035_3758716211840138922_n“The key is to maintain a rhythm, a heartbeat of disciplined prayer, in which I encounter Christ regularly, deliberately, and consciously. The spin-off of these times, as you will see in the character of any older person who has spent a great deal of their lives contemplating Jesus, is that His presence thereby moves by a process of osmosis from the conscious into the subconscious mind. As we open the door, again and again, to Christ, He comes in day by day and eats with us, laughs with us, shares with us, until we acquire His mannerisms and know his very thoughts. A season of 24-7 prayer can be a useful tool for bringing Christ back into the midst of our ongoing lives as individuals and as communities. And prayer rooms are an interesting expression of God’s intention, which has always been to walk in continual communion with His people.” Peter Greig and Dave Roberts

As you and I walk through life we can actually have daily communion with Jesus, the Savior of the world and King of the nations. This is an amazing realization. Let’s learn to do it with a heart of adoration in prayer and worship. In my life I want to keep the rhythm, the heartbeat of prayer, and seek to encounter God on a deeper level. I’m sure you do too.

The prayer room helps us to keep consciously aware of Christ, not only while we are there but also throughout the day. We don’t want to miss the beauty of Jesus in the midst of all of our activities. At a time when everything around us is trying to steal our hearts away from God, we want to learn to behold Him throughout the day as well as in the prayer room. The enemy wants to get us so caught up with busyness that we actually lose our purpose in life.

Let’s make every effort to continue to adore God through prayer and worship, not only on a daily basis but hour-by-hour. It will keep us focused throughout the day and alert us to open doors of ministry and evangelistic opportunities. It will help us to use our tongues wisely and will keep the joy of Jesus in our life during the difficult seasons of life.

The prayer room helps us to live a holy life because we learn to contemplate Christ and Him alone. We learn to focus on him regularly, deliberately, and consciously. We begin to think the way He thinks and act the way He acts. As we discipline our prayer and worship life, we begin to move into a deeper level of adoration. God becomes our all in all.

When we do this we learn to live in a spirit opposite of the world. Instead of taking God out of our life—as the enemy is trying to do everywhere—God infuses our daily activities here on earth. Houses of Prayer help us to experience the presence of God. This is what we are made for! In his book, 24-7 Prayer Manual, Peter Greig encourages pastors and leaders to open 24/7 prayer rooms. He says:

“These 24-7 prayer rooms are fundamentally and simply about the presence of God. Just beneath the surface of the life of every believer and pastor is a desperate longing to be in God’s presence. This is what we were created for! The prayer room is a gentle, humble expression of the heart of the Father. So many people have said, ‘Walking into the room is like walking into the arms of my heavenly Father.’ 24-7 prayer rooms transcend theological differences and worship styles because every room ultimately takes on the personality of the group that uses it. The resulting transformations are highly personal, flowing as they do from a succession of one-on-one encounters with God. I believe the Spirit of God is stirring up an appetite for his presence in this hour, and I encourage every pastor and leader to take the leap of faith and open a 24-7 prayer room.” Peter Greig and David Blackwell

What do we center our lives on?

When I went through cancer, I saw the necessity of being consumed with the person of Christ rather than my own problems. I could easily have gotten centered on the problem, and there were days when I did, but I soon found that choosing to praise and adore God was the key to victory in my life. I encourage you to do the same as you face various issues in your own life. If you and I can move pass our temporary struggles and learn not only to praise God, but also to adore Him for His attributes, we will rise up into a new dimension of relationship with Him. God wants us to be consumed with who He is.

Do you remember how you felt in those first moments after you accepted Christ into your life?

It was a joyful experience for my mother and I. We would talk about what God had done in our lives day and night! Do you remember the sheer amazement and joy of first knowing that you had eternal life? God wants us to recapture adoration in our heart just like the first moments when we were saved out of darkness. Here is a wonderful description of the word “adoration” from The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible. Take time to read and meditate on this because it is quite powerful.

“Adoration in the distinctively religious sense is the human response to God’s disclosure of Himself in Jesus Christ as the God who, by His free act of grace, is in all His majestic love and power the God who is for mankind… The affections of man are stirred to the limits of their intensity and respond with an unearthly delight, an unspeakable joy, and a peace that surpasses both man’s understanding and his power to articulate. Adoration is the effort of the total man to give total expression to his joyful comprehension and approbation of his vision of God in Jesus Christ. Since his response to this vision never adequately expresses that peace and joy which passes his understanding, he reaches for the liturgical aids of song, music, and symbol.”

Adoration is being wholly consumed with the person of Christ. Adoration is God-centered rather than self-centered. In adoration, just as the encyclopedia says, our affections are stirred to the limits of their intensity and we respond with an unearthly delight and an unspeakable joy and peace.

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOPKC

The Great Men of the Past and Fasting

Leave a comment

11377238_964162836980157_3468827230354932630_nFasting was popular among many of the men and women that God used throughout Church history. Not only the well-known intercessors like Rees Howells, but also most of the great preachers and evangelists of all time practiced the discipline of fasting and prayer.

Did you know that Charles Finney fasted every week? When he felt less power in his ministry, he would fast two or three days. Then the power would return. Perhaps he is one of the greatest and most anointed soul-winners of all time. John Wesley required all Methodists to fast every Wednesday and Friday until 4:00 P.M. The famous John Knox impacted the nation of Britain through prayer and fasting. Martin Luther fasted one day each week with many additional fasts.

Look at what these men accomplished for God.

Their lives were ones of power. If we look at the Azusa Street Revival in 1906, we must realize that it started as a result of a ten-day period of prayer and fasting. In preparation for this mighty end-time revival and harvest, will it not take men and women from every nation and background fervently praying and fasting in increasing measure for this mighty outpouring of God?

“The trumpet call to fasting is being heard throughout the world. This is the decade of fasting and prayer. ‘Blow the trumpet in Zion, consecrate a fast, call a sacred assembly’ (Joel 2:15). Today, the trumpet call of the Spirit is clear. We are to prepare for the future with a great deal of prayer and fasting. Congregations and leaders are responding worldwide. Intercessory prayer, joined with fasting, increases the spiritual alertness and effectiveness of God’s people.” Frank Damazio

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOP-KC 

Eighteen Benefits of Fasting in Isaiah 58:6-14

Leave a comment

11150790_961648353898272_2235412994775239405_n“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear…”

  • Your light will break forth like the dawn (verse 8).
  • Your healing will quickly appear (verse 8).
  • Your righteousness will go before you (verse 8).
  • The glory of the Lord will be your rear guard (verse 8).
  • You will call and the Lord will answer (verse 9).
  • You will cry for help, and he will say, “Here am I” (verse 9).
  • Your light will arise in the darkness (verse 10).
  • Your night will become like the noonday (verse 10).
  • The Lord will guide you always (verse 11).
  • The Lord will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land (verse 11).
  • The Lord will strengthen your frame (verse 11).
  • You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail (verse 11).
  • Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations (verse 12).
  • You will be called repairer of broken walls (verse 12).
  • You will be a restorer of streets with dwellings (verse 12).
  • You will find your joy in the Lord (verse 14).
  • You will rise on the heights of the land (verse 14).
  • You will feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob (verse 14).

There are some spiritually difficult circumstances where we will only see the breakthrough when prayer is combined with fasting. You may be praying for a lost son or daughter or someone trapped in drugs and alcohol. You may be praying for a breakthrough in a needy nation. Prayer with fasting multiplies your effectiveness.

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOPKC

Benefits in Seeking God’s Face

Leave a comment

10399447_964513906945050_1606014413027492981_n-2There are several benefits in seeking God’s face and His presence in the prayer room:

  • We experience personal transformation – We become more and more fascinated with God rather than with the things of this world. We grow in intimacy with Jesus and develop a deep inner life with God.
  • We establish a lifestyle of encountering God in the place of prayer – Our heart connection with Jesus becomes stronger and stronger. We learn what it means to keep our lamp burning like the wise virgins at the midnight hour (Matthew 25:1-13).
  • We find corporate unity – When we are preoccupied with seeking God, our divisions disappear. Our unity empowers our prayers.
  • We find victory in spiritual warfare – The atmosphere is changed in a city through 24/7 prayer. The powers of darkness are forced to retreat, and they lose their hold because the presence of God dwells in the prayer room and over the city.
  • We are trained in the Word as we pray and sing it – Because there is such a focus on singing and praying the Bible, everyone begins to learn God’s truth in a deeper way.
  • We are prepared to reach the lost – There is an ability to receive the heart of God in the prayer room. His passion is for the lost, and he imparts that same passion and ability to reach out to the lost as we leave the prayer room.
  • We realize God’s personal love for us – In the prayer room we can receive the Father’s embrace. We are empowered by God’s love and receive His sufficiency for any battle. Our lives become empowered with God.
  • We become more alive and can work harder for God – When we abide in His love, we work harder than we do when we are just being workers (Romans 6:13). His love gives us strength to work with great zeal.
  • We experience confidence in God – We find that we are not condemned because of sin, but we are righteous in Christ. We realize our spiritual identity based on the finished work of Christ on the cross (2 Corinthians 5:17-21). We realize that we are pleasing to God (John 15:9).

“My heart says of you, ‘Seek his face!’ Your face, LORD, I will seek… I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD” (Psalm27:8, 13-14).

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOP-KC

God Radically Changes Us in the Prayer Room

Leave a comment

11017668_964162400313534_4613183786382334611_nWhen we stand in the presence of God, He does a radical work within our hearts. He removes the sin in our lives as we sit in His presence. When diagnosed with cancer, I learned about the power of radiation and chemotherapy because these are the primary ways the medical world treats cancer. Thankfully I didn’t have to have either one.

Sin is like cancer. God’s presence is like radiation therapy on the cancer of sin in our lives. The more we are in His presence, the more powerful the radiation of His life and love. We change in His presence because we are exposing ourselves to the eternal forces of His radiating glory. We begin to die to the sin tendencies in our lives, and we begin to live more fully for Him.

Time in God’s presence is powerful.

You most likely won’t realize it at first. A person who is exposed to the radiation of the sun’s rays often does not realize that he is sunburned until later. When you spend time in God’s presence, you may feel you are not accomplishing anything. The enemy may say something like this to you, “You’re just wasting your time. God won’t listen to you.”

But if you continue spending extravagant amounts of time in His presence, you will begin to see His life manifested through yours. It takes time, but everything within you begins to change—your desires, thoughts, actions, interests, and passions.

There is no quicker way to change as in the glory and radiation of God’s presence. I have seen people change right before my eyes as I watch them over time through exposure to God’s presence. We read in 1 Chronicles 16:11 and Psalm 105:4, “Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.” Dr. Timothy John shares a personal testimony about how important 24/7 prayer has been in a small, inner-city church:

“Launching and sustaining a 24-7 prayer room in one of our inner city church properties has probably been the most important thing we have done to date. From inner city youth to suburban “boomers,” each person has profoundly experienced the manifest presence and love of God in their selected hour of prayer in our holy space. Some of our members have actually encountered the Holy Spirit in the parking lot or even on their way to the prayer room. Needless to say, this has resulted in a wonderful spiritual renewal in our midst. Eternity and the heavenly realm are no longer concepts but reality.”

The prayer room is the place to leave the problems of earth behind and listen to the still small voice of God in such a way that inner transformation occurs. It happens individually and corporately. I have seen it in myself and in others. You can’t stand in the presence of God without being changed. Most of us are busy people. You can’t spend time in the prayer room without having it change your prayer life. Prayer becomes a delightful reality.

“One of the great things about a well-led season of 24-7 prayer is that it helps busy people like you and me to live up to our aspirations in prayer. It can even enable non-church-goers to prioritize prayer in their daily lives… 24-7 prayer is able to turn the idea of daily prayer from a guilty “should” into an exciting “could.” Suddenly, a regular hour or more of solitude for personal prayer and Scriptural meditation becomes a delightful reality for people who normally don’t find such things easy—people in ordinary places who desperately need an extraordinary outpouring of prayer and a deeper discovery of the glory of God.” Quotes by Peter Greig and David Blackwell

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOP-KC

Places of Encounter with God

11695804_990323194364121_2649432941536911869_n“Prayer rooms are places of direct encounter with God. So much of our faith, if we are not very careful, can be second-hand experience. We listen to talks that tell us what to think. We read books that inspire us with other peoples’ experiences of God. But alone with God in a prayer room, it’s time to get the Bible open for your self, going straight to the source. It’s time to dialogue directly with God face to face without a middleman. In such a context, God often is able to speak to us and touch us in a way that no ministry session could ever achieve.” Peter Greig and David Blackwell

Isn’t a face-to-face encounter with God something you long for and desire? When I was in Germany, I was involved in teaching a course for God’s people who were working in different countries around the world. The course was called “Face to Face.” The goal of the course was to help bring individuals into a face-to-face relationship with God and also with one another.

The prayer room is the place of face-to-face encounter with God. I can’t think of a better description of the 24/7 prayer movement. The prayer room is the place to access the heavenly realm and hear from God. In the prayer room God purifies our life. As we spend time in prayer, we carry the very presence of God out with us into the world. Our faces can shine with the presence of God.

Moses is a good example of a Biblical character that sought the face of God. We read about his encounter with God in Exodus 33:11a: “The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend.” When he came down from the presence of God, His face actually shone with the glory of God.

“When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the LORD” (Exodus 34:29). 

There is an increasing hunger for the presence of God, not only individually but also corporately among His people worldwide. People from all denominations, cultures, and ages are beginning to seek after God’s face. Kim Catherine Marie Kollins has established a 24/7 prayer ministry among the world’s 100 million renewed Catholics called Burning Bush International.  She says:

“Everywhere I turn I seem to hear this same call to prayer being proclaimed—prayer for cities, prayer for nations. Everywhere I look I see writings calling the people of God to intense worship and adoration and intercession. Many new prayer initiatives are being called forth—houses of prayer are springing up, prayer mountains and prayer vigils are being held in response to this prompting of the Holy Spirit. Now is the time, and the trumpet is being sounded to the whole people of God. We are being called to awaken from slumber and be empowered anew by the Holy Spirit. We must become once again passionate adorers of the Lord and powerful instruments of intercession for the Church and the world.” 

Who is Like the Lord?

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOPKC 

Foundations – Taking it into the Prayer Room

Leave a comment

11214175_994912990571808_8937265606468922024_nMeet weekly for persistent prayer. If you can’t meet weekly, meet as regularly as you can. It could be in a church, home, or in a designated place in your city. Decide on the amount of time you will pray and be consistent.

Give sufficient time for worship and thanksgiving because this will bring you into the presence of God. Thank God for what He is going to do, and then thoroughly pray for a House of Prayer in your city and for increased prayer in your church. Let the Holy Spirit guide you in your prayers. Have someone write down what has been emphasized in your prayers, specific burdens, and Scriptures prayed. You will be amazed at the insight the Lord has given you in prayer.

How to Build a Foundation for a House of Prayer

Leave a comment

DSC00031 (1)Building Foundations Life Application

Whether you are a forerunner leading the way, a support person, or just beginning to learn about Houses of Prayer, this assignment will help you to start moving into the prayer arena in your community. As you think about a House of Prayer in your city, begin by doing the following:

  • Develop your personal prayer life by learning to pray the Bible regularly – Practice praying Scriptures in your own prayer times with the Lord. Begin incorporating Paul’s apostolic prayers into your prayer times.
  • Pray that a House of Prayer would start in your city and that pray increases in your church – Pray persistently for God to raise up those who will begin to pray for 24/7 prayer.
  • Make a list of like-minded people in your church and city who have a heart for prayer – Begin to pray through your list, asking God to give them the same vision.
  • Partner with others with the same vision for Houses of Prayer – Get together to strategically talk about how to start a House of Prayer in your city. Try to include individuals from different churches, or you may want to start by seeing more prayer in your own church. Partner with those in your church who have a vision for prayer, and talk about how to see it grow.
  • Discuss the “How to Lay a Strong Foundation” keys – Talk over these points together as a group, asking God for His wisdom as you lay the foundations. Brainstorm together as a group, adding other like-minded people in your church and city to your list of contacts. End with praying “A Prayer for Foundational Strength.”

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOP-KC 

How to Lay a Strong Foundation

Leave a comment

11264013_963028303760277_6266662734616935759_nKeep in mind that persistent prayer will pay off as you lay the foundations of a House of Prayer in your city. You will move forward by God’s grace because it’s His ability, not yours. Notice these important keys to laying a strong foundation.

  • You must be willing to dig deep – Remember we must dig a big hole first in order to build the foundation. This is not a superficial undertaking. You must believe in the power of prayer and be strong in prayer yourself. Develop a strong personal relationship with God. Strengthen your personal devotional life and love for God.
  • Partner with others – Look for others who have the same vision in your city, and partner with other prayer ministries in your area. God will give you a core group of dedicated and like-minded people.
  • Cast the vision for day and night prayer – Do this week after week. People need encouragement. Use the teachings on this website and on the Intercessors Arise website or books to teach others about prayer and Houses of Prayer. The Intercessors Arise books all have applications at the end of each chapter to study personally or in group settings.
  • Realize that there is an incubation stage – In this stage many in the area either have or are getting the vision, and there are many prayer meetings in the city in various churches. This stage may last for some time.
  • Develop your personal prayer life through learning to pray the Scriptures – Practice praying Scriptures in your own devotional time with the Lord.
  • Develop some corporate prayer meetings in local churches. Unity is essential and adds power to the prayer meeting – Also try combining worship and prayer together throughout some of the prayer meeting. This is called “harp and bowl”.
  • Have realistic expectations – Start small with a few prayer meetings in your church or in your city. Realize the value of a slow beginning. Strategize carefully and incorporate existing prayer activities. Understand the pressure people face in your society. Don’t be critical, but make it easy for others to join in prayer at their own pace.
  • Understand the establishing stage – This relates to the Church in the city or region and is not just one church. There is a need for a unified vision with unified values. Pursue the value of unity in the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:3, 13; Colossians 3:14).
  • Realize that faithfulness and a marathon pace are essential – God is not looking for quick starts but for steady faithfulness over time. Keep it simple. Basically you are praying and calling people to pray. God’s strategies are not complex, but they do require faithfulness (Galatians 5:22; Psalm 18:25; Romans 12:12).
  • Know that Jesus is in charge – The House of Prayer will prevail because Jesus is the leader and the eternal intercessor for He rules as King in his high priestly ministry of intercession (Hebrews 7:25; Isaiah 53:12).
  • Go forward in faith and with God’s peace ruling your heart – Know that day and night prayer is God’s desire. He will bless and sustain it. To be a House of Prayer is not a challenge but a Biblical command (Matthew 21:13).

A stonecutter may hammer away at a rock for a hundred times without seeing even a crack showing. Yet it may be the 101st blow that splits the rock apart. It is not the one blow that will lay a strong foundation, but it is the consistent hammering in prayer with a steadfast vision that will do it. God will give you and others that burning, driving vision to go deep with the foundations. He will enable you to pursue the deeper life and the lifestyle of abandonment to Him and His vision for your city.

Laying the foundation will take a long time. Keep the peace of God ruling in your heart. Day and night prayer is God’s desire, and He will bless and sustain it with His power. Trust Him to build a strong foundation. Establishing day and night prayer is the most exalted occupation to those nearest His throne in heaven (Revelation 4:8). Set your heart to persist regardless of difficulties. God desires to find a resting place.

Let’s advance with faith and a determination to work. Let’s keep the vigorous, steady glow of prayer burning.

“Praying that influences God is said to be the outpouring of the fervent, effectual righteous man. It is prayer on fire. It does not have a feeble, flickering flame or a momentary flash, but shines with a vigorous, steady glow.” Joe Martin

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOPKC

An Architect’s Mindset

Leave a comment

11226567_964511230278651_6881985017139642886_nTo begin laying this great foundation in our cities for prayer, we need to have an architect’s mindset. Like an architect, we need to see the big picture. So often we are over-whelmed as we think only of our own personal problems or what our own church is facing, but we need to begin to see our entire city through the eyes of God. We need to have a vision that is persistent. Seeing life from God’s point of view changes everything. Our own problems become small in light of the needs of our city.

An architect can see a big, beautiful building even as he sees nothing tangible in front of him. He knows there is much work ahead for the workers in order to dig deep, and they must be willing to pay the price of hard foundational work. We also need to dig a deep foundation because we are building something of great significance and stature. We must be steadfast in prayer as we begin. Mike Bickle, founder of the International House of Prayer in Kansas City, says the following:

“The first key is to be steadfast in prayer regarding a House of Prayer and to have an architect’s mindset. The architect’s mindset sees the big picture. To work with others to build a house of prayer, we must all think on the big picture. The more I understand the big picture, the more sense of responsibility I feel about getting the foundation right. What are we doing today that will impact tomorrow? I remind our staff that a building site starts with digging a large hole to build the foundation.”

It takes time and patience to build a solid foundation for day and night prayer. It takes great persistence in prayer. It can start with a couple two-hour segments with a committed group of people made up of worshippers and intercessors who will be faithful and steadfast. It may start with a one-month or one-week House of Prayer. Or it could start with increased prayer in your own church and your own life. We must pray that the foundation will be laid properly. We must have the persistence and steadfast heart to see a House of Prayer started in our church or city. We won’t see it with a microwave mentality, but God is looking for long-term faithfulness and persistence.

There are many examples of those who have stood the test of persistence. One was the American astronomer Clyde Tombaugh who discovered the planet Pluto. Astronomers calculated its’ probable orbit, but being only a “suspected” heavenly body, it wasn’t even tangible. Tombaugh took up this challenge in March of 1929. Time magazine recorded the investigation: It was the most dramatic astronomic discovery in nearly one hundred years.

He examined scores of telescopic photographs each showing tens of thousands of star images in pairs under the dual microscope. It often took three days to scan a single pair. It was exhausting, eye-cracking work—in his own words, “brutal, tediousness.” And it went on for months. Star by star, he examined 20 million images. Then on February 18, 1930, as he was blinking at a pair of photographs in the constellation Gemini, “I suddenly came upon the image of Pluto!”

You may not be trying to discover a planet, but you are attempting something that is challenging and may be exhausting at times. But it will be worth the effort. Astronomer Clyde Tombaugh saw Pluto with the eyes of faith, and you are beginning to see the possibilities of prayer in your city through the eyes of God. The day of smallness has great significance in God’s sight (Haggai 1-2; Zechariah 3-4). Every House of Prayer will start small, but we can’t despise the day of small beginnings. We read in Zechariah 4:10: “Who despises the day of small things?”

Realize that the starting of every House of Prayer is a dramatic accomplishment in God’s eyes. It will change the face of your city. Increasing prayer in your church is also big in God’s eyes. Right now you may be looking at starting 24/7 prayer in your city, but think about your church as well. Scale it down to size and adapt this to your church even as you consider your city.

Think and pray with the eyes of faith of how to begin to lay a strong foundation.

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOP-KC