Tag Archives: intercession

Houses of Prayer Protect the City

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11351384_963508680378906_3200653058450209561_nThere is not a better way to protect our cities and touch the needy than to have Houses of Prayer.

This is going to be a necessity in the coming days. Through prayer and intercession we can pray into the atmosphere of heaven and bring heaven’s will to earth, praying the Kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven. The word used for inter-cession in the Bible is “paga.” This word can also be translated as “boundary.” Through prayer we can build boundaries of protection around our cities. Through united prayer together with heartfelt action, we can protect God’s purposes and plans for our cities.

What is the central dream of your city? What is the plan or purpose of God for your city?

God has a good plan for your city, but the enemy has an evil plan. God anticipated your city and planned it. Your city does have a divine purpose; there is the need to cry out to Him 24/7 for the fulfillment of that purpose. You need to protect the dream of God for your city through prayer. Read what well-known intercessor and author, Dutch Sheets, says about watchmen:

“Protection is an important aspect of the watchman anointing. Watchmen are guards, bodyguards, doorkeepers and, generally speaking, those who protect by covering in prayer.”

We used to live in the city of Virginia Beach, very close to the Atlantic Ocean. Often we were threatened by possible hurricanes that occasionally came up the east coast of the United States. I remember a time when a group of Christian leaders, made up of pastors and intercessors, decided that the threat was too serious. They called the region—which included seven cities—to day and night prayer for the protection of our area. God protected each city.

In the Old Testament times, a watchman would keep watch on the walls for enemies or watch after the crops at harvest time (Isaiah 1:6-8; Ezekiel 22:30). We need watchmen to watch over God’s harvest in our cities and protect it as well. Just as God appointed mankind as guardians and watchmen of the Garden of Eden in Genesis 2:15, He wants us to be watchmen and guard the land where we live. The Greek words used for “to guard” are “gregoreuo” and “agrupneo,” which both mean to be awake or sleepless. This implies protection. We need to be God’s night watchmen and be on the lookout for danger.

In an area of Africa, the first Christians were very serious about watchful prayer. Each believer had their own special place outside the village where they could be alone to pray in solitude. They reached these out door “prayer rooms” by walking through their own private footpath through the brush. But when the grass began to grow over one of the trails, they knew something was desperately wrong—someone wasn’t praying.

They were perfect examples of watchmen because they were so concerned about the spiritual welfare of each other. A custom sprang up among them. Whenever one of them noticed an overgrown prayer path, they would go to the person and warn them in a loving way by saying: “Friend, there’s grass on your path!”

God wants you to be a watchman just like these villagers in Africa. He wants you to join with others in 24/7 prayer for your city and for one another.  Isaiah 62:6-7 stresses the need to give God no rest, and to pray day and night for the city of Jerusalem:

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

The same is true for each one of our cities. As you begin to look at your city through the eyes of God and with His heart, realize that it belongs to Him. We read in Psalm 24:1, “The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it.” God wants you to contend for your city in prayer. He wants you to pray for His authority to rule supreme in your city.

Although Satan has invaded our cities, through prayer and action we can take them back.

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOPKC

Watchmen for Your City

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cropped-11295696_968829226513518_6763007680125419221_n1.jpg“A watchman on the wall does many things. He carefully watches what is happening and alerts the community when good ambassadors approach the city… A watchman also warns the city far in advance when an enemy approaches. He sounds an alarm to awaken the people because he knows ‘to forewarn them is to alert and arm them.’ Then they quickly can rally to take their stand on the wall against the enemy before he wrongfully tries to enter into the city.” Dutch Sheets

Day and night prayer is not only enjoyable, leading to heartfelt action and abundant fruitfulness, it will also change the atmosphere of your city. If there was ever a time when we needed to be alert for our cities and pray day and night for our neighborhoods, it is now. Too many evil things are happening at an increasing rate. We have the secret of prayer and God’s presence that can touch our cities and ward off the evil intent of the enemy. Day and night prayer is much more powerful than we realize. It can release the power of God and His anointing in even the darkest of places.

In the House of Prayer we welcome and honor the Holy Spirit,
asking Him to lead us in our prayer time. We need to pray by the power and at the initiation of the Holy Spirit. We can’t do it ourselves (John 5:19). Sometimes He whispers to us with an impression in our heart as to what to pray. Sometimes He directs us to specific Scriptures to pray. We need to be watchful and attentive to the Spirit’s leading (1 Peter 4:7; Ephesians 6:18). We ask the Lord what He is doing and listen. We spend time in worship when we come into God’s presence.

It’s almost like putting up the sail in a boat on a lake when the weather is calm. Suddenly the sail catches the wind even with the most gentle breeze, and the boat begins to move. We position our heart to listen carefully for the knowledge of His will; then we pray it back to Him. Many times God’s leading is like a whisper. If we pray faithfully and thankfully during the day of small beginnings, God will lead us into action and will bring increase (Luke 16:10; 19:17; Matthew 25:21). Sometimes the action God wants us to take is prayer for protection. Sometimes it is reaching out in love to a needy person in the inner city. Look at what happened to a 47-year-old woman named Martha:

“I was walking down the street on my way home from work around two years ago. A lady told me there were people inside praying. She said they prayed here every week and invited me to come. I was looking for God everywhere and knew He was speaking to me, so I went in. I have struggled with loneliness for many years. These people told me I belonged and had a place with them. I am now serving God and know my place is truly with Him. I still have struggles, but I now have people to help me walk it out.”

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

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOPKC

Praying the Bible

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10930949_964090020320772_5568470259813218675_n-2The 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

How to Pray for Your City

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The Incredible Power of United Intercession“Your city is God’s city. The people are made in His image. Satan is an invader and a usurper operating in our territory. God did not give demons authority over your city. Demons have infested the earth’s atmosphere since before the creation of mankind, but they can only extend their authority into a town or an institution when people sin. When you look into the history of your city, you will find clues as to what is oppressing the people today. This is our planet, and the only authority Satan has is stolen human authority.” John Dawson

In the above quote, John Dawson emphasizes the fact that this is our planet and that your city belongs to God. The following are some ways you can bring authoritative intercession for your city into your House of Prayer:

  • Cover your city with continuous praise and worship – God gives you His heart for your city through worship and, therefore, a positive attitude is important. Instead of complaining and reacting toward the sin in your city, praise God for the good things. Satan is already an accuser, so praising God and declaring by faith the eternal purpose and dream of God over your city brings in His presence and defeats the enemy.
  • Wait on the Lord for insight – Don’t depend on your own wisdom, but listen to God with childlike dependence. God will open your eyes as to what He wants to do in your city when you set aside your own agenda and wait upon Him. The Lord will give you His strategies for reaching your city.
  • Identify with the sins of the city – We can all identify with the roots of any sin in our city. The potential is in each one of us. We need to identify in personal and corporate repentance. Nehemiah identified with the sins in his city and prayed, “I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you” (Nehemiah 1:6-7).
  • Overcome evil with good – Come in the opposite spirit. If there is a lot of violence, demonstrate the spirit of peace. If your city is full of greed, demonstrate generosity. If there is hate, live a life of love. This will give you great victory in your city.
  • Travail over your city – Just as a pregnant woman travails to give birth to a child, you birth God’s dream in your city through travail (John 16:21). You must pray until something happens; this takes dedication and perseverance. This has everything to do with faith for your city and revival. The Apostle Paul is a good example
    (2 Corinthians 11:27-28).

“The level of a spiritual victory for your city is directly affected by two spiritual conditions: the intensity of your desire and the size of your faith. God wants to see if you want the minimum or the maximum. Do you want institutional survival—or citywide revival?” John Dawson

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOPKC

The Incredible Power of United Intercession

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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

Developing a Dynamic Prayer Life in the Prayer Room

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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

Praying the Apostolic Prayers of Paul

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10984139_990271251035982_2689243787587295832_n“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

There is a tremendous anointing when we pray and sing God’s Word. The Word of God is alive and active. It is sharp and it penetrates into our thoughts and hearts. We need God’s Word to be written on our hearts and flowing through our prayers.

The prayers of the Apostle Paul are some of the richest prayers in the Bible. They are always positive and directed toward God. He thoroughly understood the law, grace, the church, and holy living. Here at the International House of Prayer (IHOPKC) we pray the apostolic prayers everyday and throughout each day.

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 around the world.

We need divine encounters with God. We need our eyes enlightened. In his prayers, Paul reveals to us 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).

Paul wanted the Church to encounter God deeply. Notice what happens 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 (Ephesians 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. Paul had a brilliant mind but was deceived and, out of his extreme zeal, had been persecuting the Church. But suddenly, He 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. Have several copies in your prayer room. We have them when you come in the door at IHOP in Kansas City.

We must seek to ask for revelation and obey God as we fill our hearts with His Word. 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.

Choose two of the apostolic prayers of Paul, and pray them out loud each day this week. As we seek the face of God by praying the Apostolic Prayers, our hearts will burn and our light will shine.

“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

A House of Prayer for all Nations

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10408578_990317387698035_3758716211840138922_n“Prayer is the key to reaching the world with the Gospel of Jesus. The greatest forces of power in the universe are mobilized, and history is made when we pray. God is looking for men who will stand in the gap on behalf of the land.” (Ezekiel 22:30, Isaiah 59:16, 63:5)

It says in Isaiah 56:7, “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.” In traveling to many nations, it is evident that there is a rising interest in prayer and worship around the world. God is certainly raising up a worldwide prayer movement which will change the atmosphere of every nation. May we have faith together in the establishment of day and night prayer around the world.

“Isaiah the prophet had a lot to say about this global prayer movement. He described a time when God’s people worldwide will experience unusual grace and authority in prayer. He summarized this by declaring, God will name His Church a ‘house of prayer’. This prophetic naming is in itself a promise of functioning in grace empowered prayer. Imagine naming the Church a ‘praying church’. All over the earth, it will become common to hear of intercessory worship ministries that continue non-stop, 24 hours a day. God has established in the genetic code a passion to reach ‘all nations’. It will result in bringing the outcasts of the earth to Jesus (Isaiah 56:8). These 24-hour-a-day prayer ministries are vital to reaching the cities in the 10/40 window.” Mike Bickle

We need to see the big picture for our city, for our nation and for the world. It appears to me that God is uniting a powerful prayer movement worldwide, and in a supernatural way, He is uniting all of us. As we move from place to place and from one country to another, I sense a connection that is powerful. What God is doing in your area is connected and important to other areas. We desperately need each other. The present task now for each one of us is to connect in unity and prayer in our city. Let us ask for God’s powerful anointing in the foundation laying of each one of these 24/7’s and that they would be built by the spirit of God and function in grace and joy empowered prayer and worship.

A Worldwide Prayer Movement is Emerging

Prayer warriors, you are involved in the greatest ministry on earth. The prayer movement around the world is exploding. Let us pray regarding the following shifts in the prayer movement. Pray that the prayer movement in your city becomes contagious!

  • From private kingdoms to God’s kingdom – The time of private agendas and programs is over. More and more intercessors and prayer leaders are realizing that united prayer is the key to spiritual breakthrough.
  • From prayer lists to spirit-inspired warfare prayers – The Holy Spirit is fresh and creative and He helps us to pray to-the-point under his direction.
  • From individual intercessors to praying churches – God is mobilizing whole churches to pray for their city, town or region. Praying churches have great authority at a city level. When churches pray with other churches there is even greater authority!
  • From old faithfuls to young radicals – God needs both, but he is now raising up young prayer soldiers with the mentality of Joshua, Gideon and David, who will change the spiritual landscape of the world.
  • From programs to living altars – The Holy Spirit is leading Christians into a lifestyle of prayer, a divine partnership of Jesus with his Church, so that the things that have been prepared in heaven will become reality down here.
  • From miscellaneous hits to a prayer saturation strategy – An increasing number of cities and nations are discovering the power of long-term strategy.

“Isaiah also prophesied of a totally new paradigm of prayer characterized by ‘joy’. The Lord promised, ‘I will make you joyful in My house of prayer (Isa. 56:7). The Church will be surprised by joy. In other words, God will fill the Church with enjoyable prayer that is ‘refreshing and invigorating’. Imagine the implications of a paradigm of ‘enjoyable prayer’. The climate within the body of Christ would be different because of deep parternership in prayer with the Eternal Intercessor who is our Bridegroom God. If God is not enjoyable, it will not happen 24 hours a day. Historically, prayer has been hard and thus greatly neglected but new days of refreshing prayer are breaking forth even now.” Mike Bickle

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
International House of Prayer (IHOPKC)

A Call for Steadfast and Persistent Prayer

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11118493_968330533230054_6006565640006291955_n“Persistent prayer is a mighty move of the soul toward God. It is a stirring of the deepest forces of the soul toward the throne of heavenly grace. It is the ability to hold on, press on, and wait. Restless desire, restful patience, and strength to hold on are all embraced in it. It is not an incident or a performance, but a passion of soul. It is not something half-needed, but a sheer necessity. The wrestling quality in persistent prayer does not spring from physical violence or fleshly energy. It is not an impulse of energy or a mere earnestness of the soul. It is an inward force or ability planted and aroused by the Holy Spirit. Virtually, it is the intercession of the Spirit of God in us. It is ‘the effectual fervent prayer that avails much’ (James 5:16). The divine Spirit supplies every part of us with the energy of His own striving. This is the essence of the persistence that urges our praying at the mercy seat to continue until the fire falls and the blessing descends.” E. M. Bounds

Are you convinced that 24/7 prayer is needed in your city? Do you see how it will change our cities as we unite in prayer?

We want God to stimulate us all to a higher level of steadfast, persistent intercession in order to see day and night prayer established. God will do it in His perfect timing, but we must be steadfast. He is working in our hearts, but it takes great prayer to see Houses of Prayer started and continue consistently day after day. It will take the unity of the Church to see this happen. Everyone is needed and vital. God is right now calling for the whole body of Christ to increase in steadfast prayer. He always lives to make intercession for us, and we are called to be like Him (Hebrews 7:25).

Intercession is growing all throughout the world, and people of all denominations are beginning to unite for the purpose of prayer. It definitely is time to drop our differences, rejoice in our diversity, and come together for the great purpose of seeing the Kingdom of God dwell in the nations. Although the enemy will oppose continuously, it is as we unite that we shall see the victory. The heart of God is for unity (John 17:20-23). When we are united, we can support and build one another up as each one of us does our part in serving God (Eph. 4:3, 11-16). Through day and night prayer and worship the presence of God can reign in a city, multitudes can be saved, and ministries and churches can prosper.

Justice is released in the city through 24/7 prayer. The International House of Prayer here in Kansas City began praying for several years regarding the problem of human trafficking around the world. Shortly after they started corporately praying for human trafficking, the police uncovered a huge trafficking ring from clues that just kept “popping up”. This was a big answer to prayer as a result of united prayer.

Night and day prayer changes the spiritual atmosphere of a city dramatically.

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOP-KC