All posts by DebbieLynn

Our Prayer for Unity

11229764_990325064363934_1646209251955157994_nLord, thank You for bestowing blessing when we live and pray together in unity (Psalm 133). Teach us as Your people to walk shoulder to shoulder in unity. Help us to “make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3). We thank You for the power of corporate intercession. When we combine instruments, songs, and prayer together, help us to be unified for Your glory. Thank You for the harmonious unity of prayer that You are creating among Your people throughout the earth. You promise that where two or three of us come together in Your name, that You are with us (Matthew 18:19-20). Unite our city in 24/7 prayer. We choose to join in unison as with one voice because You deserve our praise. You are good; Your love endures forever (2 Chronicles 5:13-14).

Lord, we want to keep Your Word central in our lives and in our prayer meetings. We want to be those who make music in our heart to You, always giving You thanks (Ephesians 5:19-20). Help us to let Your Word dwell in us richly as we sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in our hearts to You (Colossians 3:16). Help us to partner with Your heart as we sing and pray Your Word. Release Your united creativity in our prayer room. We celebrate Your united creativity and diversity in the Houses of Prayer that are spreading worldwide. Thank You for the beautiful tapestry of prayer that You are fashioning throughout the nations. “Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the ages. Who will not fear you, O Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you…” (Revelation 15:3b-4). In Jesus’ name, amen.

Verses to Memorize

“Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them” (Matthew 18:19-20).

Values to Help Facilitate Unity in Prayer

11169247_994914043905036_2077199318887040447_nThe following are three values that will help facilitate unity in your House of Prayer:

  • Mature team ministry – When there are instruments, antiphonal singing and prayer together, then there is a need for unity between the worship team, the intercessors, the singers, and everyone in the prayer room. There needs to be the desire to function as a divine symphony. We truly need each other. Skilled hands and trained minds are needed. The musicians must play with restraint in order to bring out the best in the team. Intercessors must refrain from lengthy prayers. Mature team ministry is vitally important.
  • There needs to be the desire to include everyone – The ungifted, weak, or untrained need to feel welcomed. Everyone is needed. Everyone is part of the prayer room. We must be very careful that one or a few people do not dominate the House of Prayer. I have experienced this many times. When one or two people dominate the prayers because they are quick or loud, the quieter ones can feel frustrated or left out. We need to guard against this.
  • Centrality of the Word – Praying the Bible should be included. Mike Bickle from the International House of Prayer in Kansas City says that we should be a singing seminary.

“We are to be rejoicing in the language of God’s heart as opposed to being frustrated by the limitation of biblical language. The Scriptures impart a governmental function into the model that automatically hinders the use of error and weirdness.” Mike Bickle

Think about the beautiful sound in a united symphony orchestra. This instrumental ensemble containing sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments which when united make a beautiful symphony.

A psychologist at Union College and R. Scott Builione, a graduate student at Columbia University, were presenting their discoveries at a meeting of the American Psychologist Association. They were showing how various sections of eleven major symphony orchestras perceived one another. String players were seen as arrogant and unathletic. The percussionists were viewed as hard-of-hearing, unintelligent, and insensitive. The brass players were thought of as loud and woodwinds were seen as meticulous, quiet, and quite egotistical.

With such widely divergent perceptions and personalities, how could they ever come together and make such wonderful music? The amazing answer is that even though these musicians see each other with different eyes, they come under submission to the leadership of the conductor. Because of his guidance, they play breathtaking music.

In the same way, those in the prayer room might all be different and have a variety of ways of doing things, but when they submit to the leadership of God and His Word, they play and pray in harmony. No one is left out; they function as a divine symphony. They are of one heart, giving glory to God through their unity. Just as in the book of Acts, God will show forth His power through His people when they are of one heart and soul. I look forward to that day, don’t you?

“After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. All the believers were one in heart and mind… With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus…” (Acts 4:31-32a, 33).

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOPKC

Hindrances to Unity in a House of Prayer

11694990_990318007697973_3189277523324716005_nAs we look at these beautiful character qualities that enhance unity, it is also important to realize that the devil will try to stop or hinder prayer in many ways. He will deceptively bring in many problems. You are moving into heavier warfare when you start a House of Prayer in your city or church, but the blessings will far surpass the hindrances. You are entering greater opportunities for the harvest.

The following are a few of these possible hindrances. Many of them are especially problems in a citywide House of Prayer. If you are doing a one-week House of Prayer in your church, most of these hindrances won’t affect you. For example, you won’t run into denominational problems or lack of finances if it’s in your own church. In one short week you may not have to face as many opportunities for offense or division. It’s in the longer term 24/7’s where the more serious hindrances can occur. It would be good to pray about these possible hindrances ahead of time, and be alert as you build a House of Prayer in your city or church.

  • Denominational barriers – We must unite, and learn to pray with those outside our own denomination. We must decide within our own heart that the unity of the body of Christ is far more important than our own personal preferences. Humility is going to be key in this end-time revival and in Houses of Prayer. There will be no room for pride.
  • Offenses – Individuals may get offended with one another. We must all learn not to carry an offense. It is absolutely necessary that we forgive quickly and move on. Entire cities are at stake; therefore, we must choose to love. Confession of sin removes the barriers of disunity in relationships. Confession and repentance should be encouraged in your House of Prayer.
  • Lack of finances or agreement in location – When starting a House of Prayer in a city, finances can hold us back. Or there may be difficulty in agreeing on a location. Some may want it in one place and others somewhere else. Continual prayer for God’s provision and direction is vital. Asking the whole body of Christ in a region to contribute is helpful.
  • The struggle with control – Many times “control” can be a spiritual problem causing disunity, and certain individuals or churches may want to control what God is doing. The truth is that God is the ultimate leader of the House of Prayer. He must get all the glory. Any man that God uses will be one who walks in deep humility.
  • Individual strongholds affecting relationships – The enemy will do anything he can to find open doors (strongholds) in individual lives to prevent united prayer. In warfare, Satan will try to ruin relationships. This is why we must personally close the door of strongholds in our own lives and constantly forgive. We must let God radically deal with our own personal lives.
  • The enemy will always try to divide and conquer – We have seen him do this all over the mission field between husbands and wives, leaders and followers, team members, and churches. We must seriously pray, and choose not to be divided or bring accusation against one another.

Realize that God can break through all these hindrances. He is able. Love does cover a multitude of sins. It’s worth it to have Houses of Prayer even in spite of the hindrances. God can exceed our greatest expectations if we are willing to battle through the hard times.

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOPKC

The Incredible Power of United Intercession

11742733_990271787702595_3668284289852266212_n
“How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down upon the collar of 
his robes. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore”
(Psalm 133:1-3).

Intercession is spreading just as the urgency of the hour for prayer is increasing. God is moving across the earth, and the prayer movement is growing as the days grow darker. We are in an enormous battle just as the Romans were in the movie Gladiator. We must unite in prayer; the life of the Church depends on it.

During a time of traveling for several months overseas, I was able to visit several countries and was amazed at the rapid interest there was for Houses of Prayer. There were young people in France who desire to spread 24/7 prayer all throughout that land. And this was in just one nation. There are so many others!

There is no other way that we will be able to reach the nations and see revival and salvation spread. There must be a dramatic increase in united prayer. While praying overseas with many different Christians of various denominations and from many nations, I was struck with the realization of the incredible power of united intercession. This is why the enemy hates it so much. This is why starting and maintaining a House of Prayer takes all our determination and commitment.

You have heard of the saying, “United we stand, divided we fall.”

During World War II in the battle for Salingrad, the soldiers were ordered by their Russian commanders not to give up any more ground. If a soldier fled from the Germans, he was instantly shot on the spot. The Russian commanders knew the seriousness of uniting together. If a couple of soldiers fled their posts, the Germans would have an opening and would be able to invade the city. The Church must stand together in unity. When we are divided, Satan finds it easier to attack us and conquer. United day and night prayer within our cities will protect us from enemy attack.

Psalm 133 speaks of the blessing of unity. This blessing includes the Holy Spirit’s presence and power. When we unite in prayer, we will see a great increase in the realm of God’s manifest power. With unified and anointed prayer, we shall see divine possibilities in our cities and nations that we had never before imagined possible. The fullness of God is only released to the unified Church. We must pay the price to see this happen. We must face and endure the difficulties of uniting in intercession in order to see the blessings of the Lord flow. We read in Ephesians 4:3:

“Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”

One hundred pianos that are all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other. They are in one accord not because they are being tuned to one another, but to another standard outside of themselves. Each one must become tuned to that one standard in order to be in tune with the others. When we worship and pray together, we are looking to Christ. He is our standard. In this way we become like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.

A few years ago we were planning a one-month 24/7 House of Prayer in our city of Virginia Beach. I was signing individuals up for the two-hour time slots in the prayer room. Being unsure as to the various combinations of people that would end up in the prayer room together, I stepped forward by faith hoping that God would arrange it in a perfect design. To my surprise, God worked it out to the smallest detail.

During that month an elderly woman intercessor had signed up for the very same hours as a young African American pastor with a group of his lively and somewhat rugged-looking church members. So here they were in the prayer room praying and seeking God together.

I thought to myself, “Will it work?”

To my amazement, after it was all over, the elderly intercessor came up to me and told me how much she had enjoyed praying together with that pastor and his church team. She expressed with sadness how she was going to really miss praying with them.

Such is the beauty of how God unites in heart very diverse individuals in the prayer room.

Jesus prayed for unity in His Church in His high priestly prayer in John 17 shortly before He died. In John 17:1-19 He prays directly for His disciples, but in the last six verses He prays for His Church throughout all of history. He prays that we would be united with Him (John 17:21, 23). He wants us to live in unity with His heart, doing and saying what He says. He prays that we would know His glory and beauty and that our love would be pure and undefiled; that we would passionately love just as He does. He wants us to love Him just like He loves the Father (John 17:26). We want this tremendous portion of Scripture to dramatically change our lives. We should pray these Scriptures in the prayer room because unity is so important in our cities.

Unity is a key to fruitfulness. This is true in all dimensions of life, especially in the prayer room. We need to do everything we can do to help maintain unity, love, and peace with one another. We are glorifying God in our prayers and worship. Valuing and prioritizing unity will help bring the manifest presence of God into the prayer room. We need to ask ourselves:

How can we maintain unity in our House of Prayer? How can we stay united in powerful intercession on a daily basis?

Colossians 3:12-14 emphasizes the character qualities that we must cloth ourselves with in order to build perfect harmony:

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOPKC

Praying God’s Promises Out Loud

11738026_990325144363926_1438943792802855249_nThe Word of God contains many promises about the circumstances and situations we face. Reading, proclaiming, declaring, and meditating on these promises found throughout Scripture will increase your faith. Faith comes from hearing the Word (Romans 10:17). We actually pray the Holy Spirit’s inspired words back to God. He is faithful to His Word. His promises are consistent with His character.

You will be able to pray with wisdom and authority as you pray God’s promises. Here are some from the New Testament, but I have heard that there are as many promises in Scriptures as there are days in the year!

  • Luke 3:16 – Promise to baptize us with the fullness of the Holy Spirit and God’s fire.
  • Luke 24:49 – Father’s promise to cloth the church with power from on high. See also Luke 11:13.
  • Acts 1:8 Promise to receive power through encounters with the Holy Spirit and to be witnesses, even to the ends of the earth.
  • Acts 2:17-21 – Promise to pour out the Spirit that all may prophesy and see visions in the last days.
  • John 14:12 – Promise that those who have faith in Jesus will do even greater works than those of Jesus because He goes to the Father.
  • John 14:13-14 – Promise of answered prayer when asked in Jesus’ name so that He may bring glory to the Father.
  • John 14:27 – Promise of peace and encouragement so as not to be afraid or troubled.
  • Matthew 10:1, 8 – Promise of having authority to heal the sick and cast out demons. See also Mark 16:17; Luke 10:19; and
    1 John 3:8.
  • Ephesians 6:11-18 – Promise for the ability to stand against the devil’s schemes and his flaming arrows.

As we pray God’s promises out loud, we begin to understand God’s plans and agenda. Our desires fall in line with His. In his book, Bridal Intercession, Gary Wiens stresses how praying the Biblical prayers help us come into agreement with the Spirit of God and other believers. He says:

“As a result of praying these biblical prayers, we find it increasingly easy to come in agreement with the Spirit of God concerning His nature and His agenda. We begin to desire what He desires, confident in His ability to bring it all to pass. Also, as we pray the prayers of the Scriptures, we find it easy to come to unity and agreement with other believers. We are not praying for our own agenda or the success of our own programs. We are not praying for our political convictions to be established as the norm. Rather, we are focused on the establishment of His rule and reign, and that is an agenda with which all believers are in agreement.” Gary Wiens

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOPKC

The Apostolic Prayers of Paul

11227056_990321911030916_7484712621246048536_nThe prayers of Paul are some of the richest prayers in the Bible. They are always directed toward God. They are always positive. He thoroughly understood the law, grace, the church, and holy living.

In the apostolic prayers, Paul focuses on gifts, fruits, and wisdom. He prays for the release of the ministry gifts of the Holy Spirit so that revival breaks out. He prays for the fruits of Godly character in the lives of those in the Church. He prays for wisdom in the Church in order that believers are able to search out the mysteries and knowledge of God so that we may know Him better. He prays these prayers for the glory of God so that His Kingdom may come and His will be done in our churches, cities, and nations.

Paul reveals to us in his prayers, the power of intercession and the high focus we should have in prayer for the spirit of revelation. He prayed that the Church would come to a more full experience of the knowledge of God in active intimacy (Ephesians 1:17-19) as they walked out these spiritual blessings (Ephesians 1:3-14). He wanted the Church to encounter God deeply. We need our eyes enlightened. We need divine encounters with God. Look at what happen when we pray these apostolic prayers regularly:

  • Our hearts are supernaturally influenced by God. This helps us have a sustained lifestyle of pursuing God’s glory. We need the Spirit to do this, to enable our human capacity to receive more of God (1 Corinthians 2:12-14). We need to have our hearts fully alive!
  • We receive divine revelation to enlighten the eyes of our understanding. We begin to see God unveiled experientially in our understanding (John 17:3; Ephesians 1:18).
  • We receive confidence and hope in our individual calling from God. These divine assignments encompass all of time and eternity. We cannot walk firmly in our assignment in this age unless we are anchored in eternity (Ephesians 1:17-18; 2:10; Colossians 1:9-10).
  • We receive understanding of our spiritual identity. We discover the glory and wealth of being God’s inheritance. We understand that we are the focus of God’s affection (John 15:9; 17:23).
  • We are empowered to live our life in God (Eph. 1:17-19). He gives us His resurrection strength (Ephesians 1:20-21). We have the authority of Jesus as we resist sin and satanic opposition. All God’s power works through and for the good of His Church because all things are subject to Christ (Ephesians 1:20-21; Colossians 1:16; Philippians 2:6-11).

Praying these apostolic prayers of Paul’s are powerful. He had a brilliant mind but was deceived and, out of his extreme zeal, had been persecuting the Church. But suddenly, Paul had a supernatural encounter with God that changed everything. His prayers are anointed with the power of God. His prayers are model prayers.

Pray them on a regular basis. You can read them on pages 129-131. Have several copies in your prayer room. Certain phrases in each prayer are highlighted to help your intercessors isolate a phrase for the antiphonal singers. This is what we do here daily at IHOP in Kansas City.

We must seek to obey God as we fill our hearts with His Word and ask for revelation. The apostolic prayers will undoubtedly bring you up to a new level in prayer and intercession. They will help you see how God views the Church and each one of us. Begin by praying them in your own personal life, and then integrate them in your own prayer meetings.

These are only a few examples of how you can pray the Word of God. Praying the Psalms is another wonderful way to praise and worship God through His Word. The Psalms contain many different types of prayer such as adoration, supplication, worship, praise, confession, and intercession. You may want to sing the Word. As you read a chapter in the Bible, you may want to turn every verse into a personal prayer for spiritual growth, physical or emotional healing, or some other concern in your life or the life of another. You may want to rephrase the Word as you pray it back to God.

There are so many creative ways to pray the Word. The knowledge of this great treasure we have should cause each one of us to rejoice. It is far more valuable than silver or gold. God’s Word is life-giving. Let’s use it daily in our prayers. Let’s learn to pray it out loud for spiritual breakthrough.

“I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.” Psalm 119:14-16

 

Prayers from the Book of Revelation

11667261_990255734370867_6429920607243431306_n“When you pray the hymns of the Revelation, you pray with all of heaven, going before God as He sits on His throne and  joining with Him in worship. You will hear and say some of the same words the angels and elders say to God. Try praying these hymns and get to know some of what is going on in heaven, what will happen when heaven comes here, and how all of heaven and earth talk to the One on the throne and to the Lamb.”  Wesley and Stacey Campbell

We need to realize that the book of Revelation is a prayer manual in the end times. There are seventy to eighty direct or indirect references to prayer in the book of Revelation. Some of these references are hymns, declarations, worship, supplications, altars, incense, and others. These prayers reveal the end-time events and Jesus as the conquering King of kings. They also reveal intercession as the governmental center of the Kingdom of God. The prayer movement will have a vital role in God’s plan to release the Kingdom of God on earth.

Take some time this week to pray some of the hymns in the book of Revelation listed here. Ask God to show you things you have not seen before. Ask Him to speak to your heart and bring you into “zoe”, life-giving revelation. Ask Him to cause the Word of God to burn within you as you journey through life. We need to be like the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders in Revelation 4:8b-11 who continually marveled at the awesome holiness and glory of God:

“Day and night they never stop saying: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.” Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: ‘You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.'”

  • Revelation 1:4-7 – A prayer to anticipate the second coming of Christ.
  • Revelation 2:7-8, 11-12, 17-18, 26-29; 3:5-7, 12, 21-22 – A prayer for overcomers.
  • Revelation 5:8-14 – A prayer to the Lamb.
  • Revelation 6:9-11 – A prayer for the persecuted.
  • Revelation 7:9-17 – A praise of the end-time harvest.
  • Revelation 11:15-18 – A prayer in expectation of the future reign of Christ.
  • Revelation 19:1-8 – The wedding song.
  • Revelation 22:12-17, 20 – A prayer asking Jesus to come.

Praying God’s Word and studying it is like a rich treasure. Approach your study of it with a spirit of love and devotion towards God. Help others in your House of Prayer to realize its life-giving power in your prayer meetings. Don’t just look at it as an intellectual pursuit. Often when we get a letter from our friends, we react in a certain way. We reread it to see what they have to say with the interest of a friend and loved one. But frequently we treat the Bible like a textbook, looking to gain intellectual knowledge. God wants your affection and love as you read and pray it.

Respond to Him as you read. Say, “Thank You” for His promises, and ask Him for strength to follow His commands. Pray for understanding when you encounter a difficult passage, and ask for a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him (Ephesians 1:17-18). Pray for increased understanding and that He will guide you into all truth (John 16:13).

Believe that God will transform your House of Prayer as you study, commune, and pray His Word. Develop a loving dialogue with a commitment to obey, and watch how your lives change over time. You are digging deep for gold, and you will not be disappointed. His Word in your heart and proclaimed through your lips, is like a burning fire that will touch and transform not only your own lives, but all those you come into contact with. Remember that agreement with God in His Word changes us, it changes the spiritual atmosphere of our cities, and it releases His power in the world.

Cherish it, love it, pray it, and appreciate it as you walk this journey of life and as you build the House of Prayer in your city.

“Seeking the face of God, and then gazing at it, has to begin sometime and someplace. It begins by bringing our whole person before the consuming fire who is God, reciting His words—the Bible—out loud to Him and then letting the Holy Spirit reveal Christ to us. This is why we pray the Bible. May it be that as you engage in this practice that your prayer times will have the same result as the disciples’—whose hearts burnt within as God talked with them along their journey of life. Yes, may your heart burn and your light shine.” Wesley and Stacey Campbell

 By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOPKC

Our Prayer for Wisdom in Developing a House of Prayer

12065528_1035112536551853_5307152816253278059_nLord, we pray for a Spirit of wisdom and revelation that we may know You better. Open the eyes of our hearts and enlighten us to know the hope to which You have called us (Ephesians 1:17-19a). Help us to start a House of Prayer in our city, and increase prayer in our churches. Give us dynamic prayer lives. We ask for you to give us practical wisdom when we pray with others. Give us Your creativity and a faithful team. Raise up dedicated intercessors and worshippers, and help us to plan carefully. Show us how to train and motivate people to pray.

Help us to be considerate of others in the prayer room, and teach us to love the diversity of your Church. Help us to be open to all types of prayers. Teach us to enjoy times of silence and times of music, times of intercession and times of thanksgiving, times of meditation and times of reading and praying Your Word. “Show me your ways, LORD, teach me your paths. Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long” (Psalm 25:4-5). “Send me your light and your faithful care, let them lead me;
 let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell. Then I will go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God” (Psalm 43:3-4). [Use “us”, “we”, and “our” in prayer instead of “me”, “I”, and “my”.]

Lord, encourage our hearts and unite us in love, so that we may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that we may know the mystery of You, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:2-3). Release the wisdom of Your Spirit in our lives and in our city. Teach us how to pray in the prayer room both corporately and individually. Reveal Your will for our lives and Your love for us. Let your light enter our hearts, let Your Word grip our minds (Psalm 119:18, 105, 130; Colossians 3:1-3), and help us to make quality decisions to walk in righteousness (Psalm 24:3-6, 119:11, 32). We give you all the glory and praise. We thank You for the wisdom You will give us as we begin. In Jesus’ name, amen.

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOPKC

Developing a Dynamic Prayer Life in the Prayer Room

22793_968829669846807_2236742335163857583_n“To the average Christian the command “pray without ceasing” is simply a needless and impossible life of perfection. Who can do it? We can get to heaven without it. To the true believer, on the contrary, it holds out the promise of the highest happiness, of a life crowned by all the blessings that can be brought down on souls through his intercession. And as he perseveres, it becomes increasingly his highest aim upon earth, his highest joy, his highest experience of the wonderful fellowship with the holy God.” Mike Bickle

Did you know that God passionately desires that we partner with Him in prayer?

We have a dynamic role in determining the measure of the quality of our life, because God opens doors of blessing when we pray. But we have to rise up in prayer and partner with Him or we will not see these blessings. It is wise to develop a dynamic prayer life. God seeks for those who will stand in the gap and pray (Ezekiel 22:30). The prayer room is an excellent place to develop a dynamic prayer life both personally and corporately. I have seen it happen many times. Individuals seem to leap forward in prayer in an incredible way when they catch the vision of 24/7 prayer.

Why does God love our prayers?

It seems to be a mystery, doesn’t it? Prayer and intercession draws us into intimacy and at the same time, humbles and transforms us. When we bring our needs to God in prayer, we interact with God’s heart. He loves when we verbalize our prayers. He wants us to ask
in order to receive (James 4:2). He even withholds blessing if we do
not ask. God will answer and be gracious to us if we pray and ask
(Isaiah 30:18-19).

When we pray we are in governmental partnership with God, and we are changed on the inside as His Word abides in us. We are filled with His heart, and our effectiveness in prayer increases. We then decree His decrees with power from on high (Job 22:27-28). Wrong things are made right, the sick are healed, those bound in sin are freed, and revival is released in geographical areas.

God initiates prayer by declaring His will in His Word. We respond by praying His Word. Then He answers us by releasing His blessing because of our prayers. Our prayers are actually very powerful even during those days when we feel they are very weak. Prayer and intercession cause us to internalize God’s Word because when we speak His ideas back to Him, our minds are illuminated and our hearts are touched. His Words impart life (John 6:63). His Word builds us up and delivers us (1 Thessalonians 2:13; Hebrews 4:12; Acts 20:32; James 1:21). God’s mind then dominates and saturates ours, renewing us as we pursue Him in prayer.

I love to hear stories about Charles Finney because my husband comes from New York. Charles Finney was a lawyer from New York in the 1800’s whom the Lord used greatly to bring about revival. He soon quit his law practice and went into times of prayer and fasting. Over 100,000 were considered converted during his meetings with 80% continuing on with the Lord. That was a large number of people in those days.

What was the main secret of his spiritual success?

He had two faithful intercessors, Daniel Nash and Abel Clary, who believed in fervent prayer. They would go ahead of Finney to the cities where he was going to preach, and they would cry out to God and weep in prayer for those cities. Sometimes they would writhe and groan in agony over souls. God honored their prevailing prayers and sent revival.

These amazing results were because of prayer!  

In the parable of the persistent widow in Luke 18:1-8, Jesus exhorts us to cry night and day. We must learn to be steadfast in prayer with great endurance. Satan’s warfare against us is to undermine our faith by tempting us to lose heart and confidence in prayer. The Bible promises us that we will reap if we do not grow weary (Galatians 6:7-9).

If we look at Jesus’ disciples, their request was not to have a big ministry or great fame. They asked Him to teach them how to pray (Luke 11:1). They saw that everything that happened in Jesus’ ministry was because of His prayer life. Throughout the Bible we see that those who God used greatly were men and women of prayer. E. M. Bounds in his book, E. M. Bounds on Prayer, says:

“Christ, who in this as well as in other things is our example, spent many whole nights in prayer. His custom was to pray much. He had His habitual place to pray. Many long seasons of praying made up His history and character. Paul prayed day and night. Daniel’s three daily prayers took time away from other important interests. David’s morning, noon, and night praying was doubtless on many occasions very long and involved. While we have no specific account of the time these Bible saints spent in prayer, the indications are that they devoted much time to prayer, and on some occasions long seasons of praying were their custom. “

 By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOPKC

The Spirit of the Tabernacle of David

11742733_990271787702595_3668284289852266212_n“King David was a part time king and full time worshipper” Dick Eastman

The house of prayer is patterned after the “spirit of the Tabernacle of David.” It is an intentional, deliberate emphasis on extravagant worship and prayer. It was ordained by prophetic revelation to David through the prophets and paid for by kingdom revenue. It reveals that 24/7 prayer and worship was not a nice pastime but a serious project akin to an engineering marvel in the physical realm. Facilities, instruments, rehearsals, poetry and provision were all in place and choreographed for a masterful performance for an audience of One. It highlighted the extreme value the king and people put on their relationship with the Lord.

  • Ordained by prophetic revelation – Day and night worship and prayer was the Lord’s idea and command! David commanded God’s people to honor the heavenly order of worship that he received by revelation because it was God’s command (2 Chr. 29:25; 35:4, 15; Ezra 3:10; Neh. 12:45). He [Hezekiah] stationed the Levites in the temple of the LORD with cymbals, harps and lyres in the way prescribed by David and Gad the king’s seer and Nathan the prophet; this was commanded by the LORD through his prophets (2 Chronicles 29:25).
  • Paid for by the kingdom revenue
    -Around 1,000 BC, David established 4,000 full-time paid musicians and singers and 4,000 gatekeepers.Of these, 24,000 were to oversee the work of the house of the LORD; and 6,000 were officers and judges, and 4,000 were gatekeepers, and 4,000 were praising the LORD with the instruments which David made for giving praise. 1 Chronicles 23:4-5
    -Israel was commanded to support the singers/musicians in the temple as a full-time occupation (1 Chr. 9:33; 16:37; 23:5; 25:7; 2 Chr. 31:4; 2 Chr. 8:12-14; 31:4-6, 16; 2 Chr. 34:9, 12; Neh. 10:37-39; 11:22-23; 12:44-47; 13:5-12).
  • It was 24/7 – These musicians and singers sang day and night in the temple. Much of the music was composed and written by David, Asaph, later Solomon. The musicians and Levite family leaders stayed in rooms at the sanctuary and were exempt from other duties, for day and night they had to carry out their assigned tasks. (1 Chr. 9:33). By the employment of singers, musicians and intercessors, day and night, it is a real, physical declaration of the value we place on the person of Christ. Contrary to the idea that we worship for forty five minutes a week each Sunday, it reflects the heavenly worship where there is a ceaseless declaration of His worth. Something that the saints will be employed doing for all eternity.  David’s Tabernacle was a reflection of the heavenly Tabernacle: They never rest day or night, saying:

    “Holy Holy Holy is the Lord God, the All-Powerful, Who was and who is, and who is still to come!” Revelation 4:8