The mystery of intercession is actually profoundly simple. We tell God what he says in His Word. Everyone can pray like this—young and old, beginners and the experienced. God knows everything. We don’t have to come up with some intelligent method of praying, but He is deeply touched when we pray the truths in His heart back to Him.
God loves it when we agree with Him through His Word. We read His Word and let the Holy Spirit speaks to us through it. Then we pray it back to Him as the Holy Spirit leads us. His Words are Spirit and Truth (John 4:23-24; 6:63). When we speak God’s Word, it marks us on the inside, changes us, and builds us up. We unite with God’s heart in a most amazing way.
Our own hearts are transformed as we pray God’s Word.
God will actually withhold His blessing until we stand in faith, agree with His heart, and pray it back to Him (James 4:2). We can change whole cities when we agree with God’s heart and pray. Power and revival is released when we pray His Word over a city. God runs the universe through prayer. Praying God’s Word gives us sustaining power. The revelation we get from Him through His Word strengthens our emotions.
Haven’t you noticed when you’re discouraged or down, how different you feel after God speaks to your heart through His Word? It’s as if a light goes on that dispels the darkness. God upholds all things by the word of His power (Hebrew 1:3). When we read His Word we can have a living, active dialogue with Him in our heart (Hebrews 4:12). But we must receive it with obedience, faith, and devotion. When we abide in it (John 15:7), everything else seems to falls into place.
In my country, in the past most Americans respected the Bible. According to the Gallup pole, this has greatly dropped over the last several years. In 1963, 65% of the people believed the Bible literally, and today the number is only 32%. At one time most Americans were familiar with Bible doctrine. But this is not true today. Newsweek tells of a small child who saw a crucifix and asked, “Mommy, what is that man doing?” At one time most Americans accepted absolute moral standards. They knew that some things were right, and some things were wrong. Today 70% reject moral standards.
We are in a serious battle throughout the world over the authority of the Bible. We read in 2 Timothy 3:16-17:
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
This is one reason why we must uphold it as absolute, authoritative truth in our prayers. As we do this, we combat the lies of the enemy and spiritually strengthen our ability to abide in God’s Word, in our prayer meetings and to all we meet. We choose to obey God’s Word as we pray it. We feed our hearts on it. We learn to talk to God about His Word and then we listen. We internalize it, and we say it back to Him.
As we pray the Bible, it brings joy to the heart of God. Feeding our mind on Scripture and praying it helps determine our thoughts. When we speak the Word of God, it impacts our mind to follow what we speak. If we get our words right, then our thoughts, emotions, and behavior will follow the right path (James 3:2).
Praying God’s Word fights the fleshly battles of life using His spiritual weapons. This gives us authority in the supernatural realm to pull down strongholds (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). We no longer are in agreement with darkness but agree with the light of God’s Word.
Praying God’s Word refreshes us internally and enables us to live radically for Him long-term. Let’s learn to cultivate a spirit of radical devotion to God’s Word as our everyday lifestyle. David wrote many of the Psalms in the Bible. He saw himself and others through the eyes of God as he prayed. He understood the love of God even when facing difficulty because His attitude was right. Praying God’s Word is a positive way to live.
“When you pray the Bible, you will understand how God views you and how He views others. In a culture distorted by negative media images, we all need to be founded on what God thinks of us. David’s self-image came through prayer. He saw himself as God’s anointed, as the apple of God’s eye. David knew that God loved him, and that he was favored when the wicked were not. Therefore, we need to pray the Bible until we receive the same attitude that David did.” Wesley & Stacey Campbell
By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOPKC