One of the things we need to learn to be 'ok' with, as prayer people is that we won't necessarily get a burden for everything that comes along. We need to learn to stick to the sphere of our anointing.
We won't always share the same burden -passion with different intercessors. Remember, they are passionate about their prayer assignment. YOU will be passionate about yours! We cannot let the enemy cause us to fall into judging one another, or feeling judged. That will bring in a spirit of disunity and competition...and once we come into agreement with those two spirits, the results will be devastating for prayer!
Have you ever been in a prayer meeting, where they focus or burden is different than yours? Suddenly there is a call to pray ..and that particular group gets activated and begins to passionately pray. You, on the other hand, don't have a clue what they are praying about...and to be honest, you don't really care. You don't have burden for it. THAT very feeling/thought, now makes you feel guilty. 'What's wrong with me? Don't I care?!!"
The reality is, it's the Lord who gives us a burden to pray. If He wants you to carry a burden, He'll give you the passion to do so. We can't try and make ourselves pick up a burden that isn't ours.
I have a friend who absolutely gets passionate about praying for Israel. When she and her friends get together, they can pray for hours! God reveals and shows them things in their prayer time that fuels their fervor and devotion to pray for that nation. I used to sit in those meetings and feel guilty that I wasn't really being stirred, until I heard the Lord say, ' That's not your burden." Wow! That was so freeing... I simply needed to know where God is calling me to pray..and I found it! He has given me a passion and a burden to pray for our city.
You might not be an person who can prayer over a daily list for leaders in your church, your schools or your city or government. You might be a crisis intercessor who is called in respond to governmental kinds of emergencies . On the other hand, maybe you don't hear heaven's SOS's for leaders. That's okay!! You just need to know what place He is calling you to in prayer!
For me, it's been praying for the pastors and leaders in our city. I stopped trying to get every other intercessor to have my burden. I also stopped feeling guilty that I didn't have other intercessors assignments. I need to rejoice that they are praying..and manning their part on 'the wall' I need to realise that He's given me the anointing to stand with His prayer power, on behalf of the city He has set me in!
The important thing is to find your place and stick with it until the Lord gives you new orders!
Friday, October 2, 2009
Sunday, August 2, 2009
I'm on Sabbatical...
Hi...sorry I haven't updated this blog in a while. I'm on Sabbatical ( which means a 'rest') til September 1.
I'll be using this time to just renew my own personal physical, emotional and spiritual resources. ( It's been a very draining year!) I'll also be asking the Lord for direction on a few things, regarding prayer. I'd love for anyone, who reads or checks in regularly to be praying for me while I take this time off.
I'm specifically asking the Lord to give me more insight into ' the sleeping giant' - and what that means in other communities around us, but also in our nation and in other nations. If you have any insights, I'd love to hear them. If you have any questions, that I could answer, or blog about, regarding prayer...I'd also love to recieve them.
Blessings
Pam
I'll be using this time to just renew my own personal physical, emotional and spiritual resources. ( It's been a very draining year!) I'll also be asking the Lord for direction on a few things, regarding prayer. I'd love for anyone, who reads or checks in regularly to be praying for me while I take this time off.
I'm specifically asking the Lord to give me more insight into ' the sleeping giant' - and what that means in other communities around us, but also in our nation and in other nations. If you have any insights, I'd love to hear them. If you have any questions, that I could answer, or blog about, regarding prayer...I'd also love to recieve them.
Blessings
Pam
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Unified Prayer
Many years ago, when God was first speaking to my husband and I about unity in prayer, we found that many people were resistant to it. Not because they didn't believe in unity, but because they felt that if we called people to pray in unity it meant that each unique prayer group was going to lose something . God gave us a picture of what it means to pray in unity . I'd like to share that picture with you.
If we want to come into a prayer meeting and let every person pray their agenda, or burden it can look like this: picture a room that needs painting. There are four walls, and their need to get done as quickly as possible so you can move on to the next room. Now, 8 people enter the room and are all given paint brushes and told to 'go for it' - for say...30 minutes. Picture what that room will look like in thirty minutes - with 8 people all painting wherever they want in the room. There will be portions of each wall that will be done, but no wall completely done.
NOW..on the other hand...picture those same 8 people coming into a room and being instructed to start painting on one specific wall, and as one wall is completed they can move onto the next. See, once they work as a team..and are focusing all their efforts on one wall - they'll get alot more done..and the work will be completed in a shorter space of time. When the 30 min. is up with this method, there will have been alot of 'coverage' on the walls.
The other method allows people to chose where they want to start..and what wall they want to start on, but the results would be alot of bits and pieces covering the walls, and not actually getting the job done. Do you get the idea??
When we pray in unity, it simply means that we are in a pray meeting that has a focus! We know what we are going after in prayer, and we will pray until we sense that area/topic is covered....and then move onto the next thing. A prayer meeting that works on this principle will get alot done in the spiritual realm and will see mountains move and things shift on behalf of those they are praying for!
All prayer is good, but not all prayer is the same! We need to be willing to set aside our rights to be individualistic in our prayer meetings and instead, work as a united force. Focused prayer at a specific barrier or issue, is like going from prayer being 'wild fire' to a 'flame thrower'! The force behind a flame thrower is based on it's ability to harness and focus the flame collectively, to be a force to be reckoned with! That's the kind of prayers we want to pray!
How can we do that? Simple....Take the time in every prayer meeting to discern what the issue is that God is wanting you to cover that night in prayer! It's that easy! Take the time to ask..and listen : what is God saying tonight? What are each of those present 'hearing' from the Lord about where the need for prayer is? If we do that...we will turn from being doing scatter-gun prayers, to zeroing in, like scud-missiles and drop our prayers right on top of the enemy and his plans!
It's do-able! It just takes being willing to learn to pray corporately ...and hear together what the Spirit is saying! Believe me, it works...and it makes prayer SO much more fun!!
If we want to come into a prayer meeting and let every person pray their agenda, or burden it can look like this: picture a room that needs painting. There are four walls, and their need to get done as quickly as possible so you can move on to the next room. Now, 8 people enter the room and are all given paint brushes and told to 'go for it' - for say...30 minutes. Picture what that room will look like in thirty minutes - with 8 people all painting wherever they want in the room. There will be portions of each wall that will be done, but no wall completely done.
NOW..on the other hand...picture those same 8 people coming into a room and being instructed to start painting on one specific wall, and as one wall is completed they can move onto the next. See, once they work as a team..and are focusing all their efforts on one wall - they'll get alot more done..and the work will be completed in a shorter space of time. When the 30 min. is up with this method, there will have been alot of 'coverage' on the walls.
The other method allows people to chose where they want to start..and what wall they want to start on, but the results would be alot of bits and pieces covering the walls, and not actually getting the job done. Do you get the idea??
When we pray in unity, it simply means that we are in a pray meeting that has a focus! We know what we are going after in prayer, and we will pray until we sense that area/topic is covered....and then move onto the next thing. A prayer meeting that works on this principle will get alot done in the spiritual realm and will see mountains move and things shift on behalf of those they are praying for!
All prayer is good, but not all prayer is the same! We need to be willing to set aside our rights to be individualistic in our prayer meetings and instead, work as a united force. Focused prayer at a specific barrier or issue, is like going from prayer being 'wild fire' to a 'flame thrower'! The force behind a flame thrower is based on it's ability to harness and focus the flame collectively, to be a force to be reckoned with! That's the kind of prayers we want to pray!
How can we do that? Simple....Take the time in every prayer meeting to discern what the issue is that God is wanting you to cover that night in prayer! It's that easy! Take the time to ask..and listen : what is God saying tonight? What are each of those present 'hearing' from the Lord about where the need for prayer is? If we do that...we will turn from being doing scatter-gun prayers, to zeroing in, like scud-missiles and drop our prayers right on top of the enemy and his plans!
It's do-able! It just takes being willing to learn to pray corporately ...and hear together what the Spirit is saying! Believe me, it works...and it makes prayer SO much more fun!!
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Corporate Unity Brings Corporate Authority
Met with a wonderful man today, who is an associate of the Transformation Group. We asked him to come and talk with our local city prayer group, about how to more effectively pray for our city. While we didn't necessarily hear alot of 'new' information, we did hear many confirmations- which encouraged us to keep going!
Over and over this wonderful man said " Corporate Unity brings Corporate Authority". We need to bring leaders and intercessors together . We need to be intentional about meeting to pray together, in unity for our city to be Transformed. Intercessors and leaders need a place of interaction.
David Damien, from Watchman for the Nations, feels he has heard a word from the Lord. What is it? Well it's this...' Now is the time of the taking of our cities.' We need to start gathering again with those that have the same heart and same vision for our cities, and begin to seek the Lord together - asking him ' Lord, what do we do next?'
We need to start looking at our cities as opportunities to be Transformed. Cities of righteousness and Holiness. Cities whose very core is transformed to reflect God.
We need to unite THRU Vision - not try to come to a common vision! If we try to come to a common vision, we'll waste precious time bickering and squabbling over the different agendas and plans each individual group holds precious. Rather, we need to unite with those who carry the vision for transformation - for our cities to be a reflection to it's inhabitants and the world around us, of God's goodness and His glory. We need to unite with those that still carry a flame for unity.
We need to find the remnants. Those people who are still carrying the seeds...the embers..the coals of revival..of unity. God has always worked with a remnant in the past...my sense is, He will again!
Over and over this wonderful man said " Corporate Unity brings Corporate Authority". We need to bring leaders and intercessors together . We need to be intentional about meeting to pray together, in unity for our city to be Transformed. Intercessors and leaders need a place of interaction.
David Damien, from Watchman for the Nations, feels he has heard a word from the Lord. What is it? Well it's this...' Now is the time of the taking of our cities.' We need to start gathering again with those that have the same heart and same vision for our cities, and begin to seek the Lord together - asking him ' Lord, what do we do next?'
We need to start looking at our cities as opportunities to be Transformed. Cities of righteousness and Holiness. Cities whose very core is transformed to reflect God.
We need to unite THRU Vision - not try to come to a common vision! If we try to come to a common vision, we'll waste precious time bickering and squabbling over the different agendas and plans each individual group holds precious. Rather, we need to unite with those who carry the vision for transformation - for our cities to be a reflection to it's inhabitants and the world around us, of God's goodness and His glory. We need to unite with those that still carry a flame for unity.
We need to find the remnants. Those people who are still carrying the seeds...the embers..the coals of revival..of unity. God has always worked with a remnant in the past...my sense is, He will again!
Monday, May 4, 2009
Friendly Fire....
Friendly Fire
(in military combat) fire, as by artillery, by one's own forces, esp. when causing damage near or casualties to one's own troops.
A few months ago I kept hearing the phrase 'friendly fire' whenever I would be thinking about prayer. The more I pondered all the implications of friendly fire, in terms of prayer, the more I began to sense that the Lord was trying to tell me something.
Friendly fire is by definition, when you end up taking out your own people or allies, instead of the enemy. The thing about friendly fire too, is that the ones who are killed or wounded by it, are never expecting it. They are expecting 'their side' to protect them - guard them - not fire on them!
Seems to me that in the prayer arena, we've started shooting at our own people and it's usually over something as simple as : style. Yup..you heard me right - style!
Prayer seems to spark a spirit of competition or competiveness : an ownership if you would, of certian areas of need ('praying for the pastor is my job') or styles ( 'we don't pray outloud in this group'). People...we are not supposed to be fighting over prayer! WE need to be in unity..and in agreement, especially when we are in corporate prayer meetings! That's the point of corporate prayer .
Look at these definitions of corporate:
corporate - "united in one body," from L. corporatus, pp. of corporare "form into a body," from corpus (gen. corporis) "body"
-adj: done by or characteristic of individuals acting together; "a joint identity";
-pertaining to a united group, as of persons: the corporate good.
-united or combined into one.
-united or combined into one.
Do we see the theme here? Going from many parts to one - being united - acting together for the greater good! It's awesome.
When we are in corporate meetings, we need to act as one . Put aside our personal ownership of a particular prayer style and be willing to pray together. That means, I don't get offended over someone who prays differently than me ( that's style) and what I look for is that we are all praying towards the same purpose - that's acting together and becoming united. We focus our prayers towards the same goal, tho we may all pray in different styles.
Now..friendly fire comes in when we start shooting each other in prayer meetings - whether corporate or church. If we use prayer to rebuke another publicly, or use prayer to shoot down someone else's prayer -that's friendly fire.
I was once in a prayer meeting when a more tentative prayer person prayed out something on their heart. Immediately a more seasoned prayer person yelled out, ' No! No! That's wrong!'...and then proceeded to pray out something completely different. Now...what she prayed was great. She was seeing the same situation as the first prayer person, but she saw it from a different angle, and so her prayer, covered that angle she saw. How she did it tho, had devastating effects on the other prayer person. It was 'friendly fire' - it came out of nowhere and took her out - effectively hit her where she stood. It took months before she'd pray out publicly again . Her confidence was shattered and she no longer felt safe in that particular prayer group.
I've seen prayer people literally battle in the midst of a prayer meeting, over style. One praying this way..and the other one praying 'that' way, and both praying about comments and scriptures about the other prayer style, that backed their position. I've seen prayer meetings, where someone has said something completely off, and rather than address it later, in love, people start to whisper - discussing the validity of the prayer or the prayer person!
People...we have got to work together! We've got to support one another. We've got to evict a spirit of competition among our prayer groups. Churches should be able to come together to pray. We should be excited that God has given so many of us a heart to pray, and at the same time made us all so unique in how we operate in that gift. We should be excited to come together and learn from each other - not want everyone to pray like 'me'! Even in our church prayer groups, we should be looking for the uniqueness in each prayer person, and allow the Holy Spirit to 'make us one'. Remember the oneness we are looking for is not uniformity or conformity: the oneness we are looking for is unity of purpose - what is the situation we all, in one accord, want to throw how prayers toward? ! Unity..not conformity!
Let's not use our gift of prayer to pray against each other. Let's not ask God to take people 'out' or 'shut them down'. Instead, if you are sensing something is not quite right with how or what someone is praying, ask God to help them - to heal them - or ask God to make them aware if they need an adjustment in their prayers. You could also take them on as a prayer assignment and ask God to bless them with more of His presence and to draw them close to Him.
I have friends that are very quiet prayer people. I, on the other hand, am a louder more vocal prayer person. My friends don't judge me for my loudness and I don't judge them for their quietness. We are in agreement when we pray, what the goal is and pray towards that end.
It wasn't always that way. I used to get alot of 'flack' from people about my prayer style, because they wanted me to adopt their prayer style! I'd get criticised...rebuked and even ostracised in prayer meetings. I'd try and change and pray like other people, so the group would be happy, and end up not praying at all, because I was suddenly more aware of me and others, than I was of God.
Friendly fire - taking out our own allies and/or troops. Let's not use use the very weapons of our warfare on each other. Let's turn them on the enemy . Let's learn to work together and enjoy the uniqueness of our prayer languages and prayer styles! And let's watch how God has perfectly crafted each of our particular styles to be just like special weapons - designed with specific tasks in mind, each time we pray!
And people....let's not turn those weapons on each other!
Comments?? I'd love to hear some!
Friday, April 10, 2009
A Wake up Call about Prayer
A few months ago one of the few living members of the Battleford Revival, came to our city to give us a wake up call about prayer. He was an amazing gentleman - 85 years young! He said something that really made me think.
'We need to change our mindsets about prayer meetings.'
Now..to be honest I didn't think I had a 'mindset' about prayer and/or prayer meetings, but I realised as he shared a vision he had for our city of Abbotsford, that I did fall in that category of needing to change my mindset. Let me share with you, what I've come to realise because that wonderful man's talk. ( google him: James Watt - you may be able to find some of his writings/articles on this subject.)
One of the things we all seem to say, is that we know that where 'two or three are gathered, there He is' in the midst. We also quote that where ' two or three are in agreement' there is great authority. And let's not forget that ' one can chase a thousand and two can chase ten thousand'. We quote these scriptures, we spout them at appropriate times, but do we believe them?
If we did believe them, we'd begin to realise that we need to take them literally.
IF there are two or three of us praying together, then there IS power. We seem to have fallen into the trap of believing that a 'successful' prayer meeting must have large numbers. If only 4 or 5 people show up, we are often disappointed and we consider the meeting a failure. We've somehow adopted the world's mentality or yard stick of what is 'success'. Success always seems to mean BIGGER....BETTER....but especially bigger! Have we somehow adopted the attitude that we need to 'super size' everything - including church, church meetings and yes, prayer meetings?
Are we buying into an enemy lie, that makes us give up when our prayer meetings don't draw big crowds?? When the Kingdom reality is, if there are two or three of us - we have a majority! We are aligning ourselves with the hosts of heaven! We are in agreement , and with agreement comes alot of spiritual power and clout!
So...am I changing my mindset? You bet!
Have I repented for thinking small groups are not powerful groups? You bet!
And now I can see the power of prayer groups meeting in homes all across our city. Groups of 2 - 4....maybe even five - meeting to pray together. Think of what a city would look like with 100 or even 200 of these groups meeting on any one night of the week - think of what would happen if 50 groups met each night, in homes throughout a city! Think of spiritual impact! Think of how much more people would be 'praying together' - not just listening to one person pray!
The smaller the group, the bigger the possibility that everyone IN the group will pray, and now think of that and the possibilities of lots of people praying! Whoa!!! Everyone adding their piece to the prayer that night. Everyone speaking out what the Holy Spirit is putting on their heart to ask for, speak out or declare! Now...isn't that picture exciting?!
So...let's change our mindsets about prayer meetings! Let's get prayer going again in our cities - in our city! Let's stop buying into the 'super size' mentality for our meetings ( not that big meetings are bad), but if they are causing us to feel that a small meeting is lacking in power and punch - we need to get a Kingdom view, a Kingdom mindset of what happens when we gather, in a spirit of agreement to pray!
My prayer for my city? That in the coming year, we will have 100 prayer groups meeting in homes, praying for our city - at least to start with! What about you and your city?
Now..to be honest I didn't think I had a 'mindset' about prayer and/or prayer meetings, but I realised as he shared a vision he had for our city of Abbotsford, that I did fall in that category of needing to change my mindset. Let me share with you, what I've come to realise because that wonderful man's talk. ( google him: James Watt - you may be able to find some of his writings/articles on this subject.)
One of the things we all seem to say, is that we know that where 'two or three are gathered, there He is' in the midst. We also quote that where ' two or three are in agreement' there is great authority. And let's not forget that ' one can chase a thousand and two can chase ten thousand'. We quote these scriptures, we spout them at appropriate times, but do we believe them?
If we did believe them, we'd begin to realise that we need to take them literally.
IF there are two or three of us praying together, then there IS power. We seem to have fallen into the trap of believing that a 'successful' prayer meeting must have large numbers. If only 4 or 5 people show up, we are often disappointed and we consider the meeting a failure. We've somehow adopted the world's mentality or yard stick of what is 'success'. Success always seems to mean BIGGER....BETTER....but especially bigger! Have we somehow adopted the attitude that we need to 'super size' everything - including church, church meetings and yes, prayer meetings?
Are we buying into an enemy lie, that makes us give up when our prayer meetings don't draw big crowds?? When the Kingdom reality is, if there are two or three of us - we have a majority! We are aligning ourselves with the hosts of heaven! We are in agreement , and with agreement comes alot of spiritual power and clout!
So...am I changing my mindset? You bet!
Have I repented for thinking small groups are not powerful groups? You bet!
And now I can see the power of prayer groups meeting in homes all across our city. Groups of 2 - 4....maybe even five - meeting to pray together. Think of what a city would look like with 100 or even 200 of these groups meeting on any one night of the week - think of what would happen if 50 groups met each night, in homes throughout a city! Think of spiritual impact! Think of how much more people would be 'praying together' - not just listening to one person pray!
The smaller the group, the bigger the possibility that everyone IN the group will pray, and now think of that and the possibilities of lots of people praying! Whoa!!! Everyone adding their piece to the prayer that night. Everyone speaking out what the Holy Spirit is putting on their heart to ask for, speak out or declare! Now...isn't that picture exciting?!
So...let's change our mindsets about prayer meetings! Let's get prayer going again in our cities - in our city! Let's stop buying into the 'super size' mentality for our meetings ( not that big meetings are bad), but if they are causing us to feel that a small meeting is lacking in power and punch - we need to get a Kingdom view, a Kingdom mindset of what happens when we gather, in a spirit of agreement to pray!
My prayer for my city? That in the coming year, we will have 100 prayer groups meeting in homes, praying for our city - at least to start with! What about you and your city?
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Something Interesting...
I came across an article the other day....well it was prayer really, that related to repenting from 'ungodly intercession'. Now THAT caught my attention! What on earth could 'ungodly intercession' be? ..I must admit my first reaction was ' Oh brother!'...but as I read the prayer through, my heart began to resonate with the reality that as intercessors we need to keep our hearts pure! We need to, as often as possible make sure your motives for praying the way we pray, isn't so that others come into agreement with 'us' - or to see that we're right. If we do that, we are manipulating things..and need to repent right away. We need to pray God's will, not ours, be done! Anyways...here is some of the things from that article....feel free to pray them through as I did...
Lord, please forgive me for misunderstanding the high calling and privilege of intercession.
I repent and renounce for myself and those in my generational line who left their watch and station and did not wait on You. I choose now to be stationed on the rampart, to wait upon you and to hear what you will say to me. I will wait until I am reproved ( Hab.1:17 - 2: 3 ) Lord. I chose to write down the vision so future generations can run with it. I chose Your timing so that the vision will not be delayed.
I repent and renounce for myself and my generational line, for relying on our own understanding instead of yours, Lord and for praying for our will instead of Your will. I repent and renounce Lord, for not relying on Your living Word .
I repent and renounce for myself and my generational line for not seeking and praying Your will and desires, but our will and desires. I repent Lord, for limiting you and all that is possible through you. I repent for not receiving your dreams and not praying them because they are so big! Would you release the gift of faith and expectancy in me to know that You are able to do more than I can think or imagine? I chose to recieve the dreams and desires that You have given me and believe that all things are possible with You, Lord.
I repent and renounce for stepping out of my own realm of authority and fighting battle that You didn't tell me to fight.
I repent and renounce for myself and my generational lines for praying prayers of doubt, unbelief, self-righteousness, pride, jealousy, envy, fear, hardheartedness, strife, selfish ambition, judgment and deception. Lord would you remove all bitter root judgments that we came into agreement with? I ask You to remove all ungodly intercession that was based on these sins. I ask for the angel, Breakthrough, to break, shatter, dissolve and destroy all ungodly intercession, all ungodly prayers, all self-righteous prayers, all soulish prayers and unsound mind prayers! I choose to walk in power, love and a sound mind.
I repent and renounce for myself and my generational line for praying controlling manipulative prayers out of selfish motivation for the purpose of controlling others for selfish advantage ( Is. 54:17). Father would you remove and cancel the effects of all soulish prayers, ungodly intercession, prophecies, and declarations that have released curses against me and my family. I forgive those who have knowingly or unknowingly brought curse upon my family by praying their will instead of Yours.
I repent and renounce for myself and my generational line for praying striving compulsive prayers from a state of anxiousness and unrest instead of praying from a state of rest by being seated with You in Heavenly place. Lord I choose to ahve my eyes focused on the victory that You intend for me to have. ( Phil. 4: 6)
I repent and renounce for myself and my generational line for taking the yoke of religious, organizational, man made intercession, instead of taking on Your burden of intercession. I ask You to break off all ungodly yokes and false burdens of intercession from me and my family line. I break all agreement made to ungodly religious and governmental authorities.
Lord , I ask You to break off me and my family line the consequences of being fatherless, and break off abandonment, rejection and allow a false spirit of prophecy to have power over our intercession and prayers.
I repent and renounce for myself and my generational line for withholding prayers and intercession that would release the sons and daughters of God.
Father would you remove all deception, wrongful motivations and intents from my heart, mind and will that would cause me to pray misguided prayers!
I declare that I will not lean to my own understanding, but in all my ways I will acknowledge You in intercession. I declare Lord, that I will allow You to teach me how to pray!
Lord, please forgive me for misunderstanding the high calling and privilege of intercession.
I repent and renounce for myself and those in my generational line who left their watch and station and did not wait on You. I choose now to be stationed on the rampart, to wait upon you and to hear what you will say to me. I will wait until I am reproved ( Hab.1:17 - 2: 3 ) Lord. I chose to write down the vision so future generations can run with it. I chose Your timing so that the vision will not be delayed.
I repent and renounce for myself and my generational line, for relying on our own understanding instead of yours, Lord and for praying for our will instead of Your will. I repent and renounce Lord, for not relying on Your living Word .
I repent and renounce for myself and my generational line for not seeking and praying Your will and desires, but our will and desires. I repent Lord, for limiting you and all that is possible through you. I repent for not receiving your dreams and not praying them because they are so big! Would you release the gift of faith and expectancy in me to know that You are able to do more than I can think or imagine? I chose to recieve the dreams and desires that You have given me and believe that all things are possible with You, Lord.
I repent and renounce for stepping out of my own realm of authority and fighting battle that You didn't tell me to fight.
I repent and renounce for myself and my generational lines for praying prayers of doubt, unbelief, self-righteousness, pride, jealousy, envy, fear, hardheartedness, strife, selfish ambition, judgment and deception. Lord would you remove all bitter root judgments that we came into agreement with? I ask You to remove all ungodly intercession that was based on these sins. I ask for the angel, Breakthrough, to break, shatter, dissolve and destroy all ungodly intercession, all ungodly prayers, all self-righteous prayers, all soulish prayers and unsound mind prayers! I choose to walk in power, love and a sound mind.
I repent and renounce for myself and my generational line for praying controlling manipulative prayers out of selfish motivation for the purpose of controlling others for selfish advantage ( Is. 54:17). Father would you remove and cancel the effects of all soulish prayers, ungodly intercession, prophecies, and declarations that have released curses against me and my family. I forgive those who have knowingly or unknowingly brought curse upon my family by praying their will instead of Yours.
I repent and renounce for myself and my generational line for praying striving compulsive prayers from a state of anxiousness and unrest instead of praying from a state of rest by being seated with You in Heavenly place. Lord I choose to ahve my eyes focused on the victory that You intend for me to have. ( Phil. 4: 6)
I repent and renounce for myself and my generational line for taking the yoke of religious, organizational, man made intercession, instead of taking on Your burden of intercession. I ask You to break off all ungodly yokes and false burdens of intercession from me and my family line. I break all agreement made to ungodly religious and governmental authorities.
Lord , I ask You to break off me and my family line the consequences of being fatherless, and break off abandonment, rejection and allow a false spirit of prophecy to have power over our intercession and prayers.
I repent and renounce for myself and my generational line for withholding prayers and intercession that would release the sons and daughters of God.
Father would you remove all deception, wrongful motivations and intents from my heart, mind and will that would cause me to pray misguided prayers!
I declare that I will not lean to my own understanding, but in all my ways I will acknowledge You in intercession. I declare Lord, that I will allow You to teach me how to pray!
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Why do we need to pray together??
Perhaps the saddest thing to me, is to be in a prayer meeting, where no one is praying! Well...praying out loud that is!
See, one of the ways we've 'fallen asleep', is that we've lost the idea of what it is to pray together, or pray in agreement. We need to get back to finding ways, and meetings where we can pray together! The prayer of agreement is a powerful thing. 'Where two or three are gathered' and then add to that ' one can chase a thousand, two can chase ten thousand'....Well, is it any wonder that the enemy, if he can't shut us down, wants to shut us up?!
I can identify two problems that we need to face, with regards to 'waking up 'the church to pray...and by prayer, I mean praying corporately.
First: We to learn to intercede again - discover what intercession is! One of the great movements over the last 10 years or so, has been the different revelations and teachings on 'Listening Prayer.' It has awakened in the Body, the need to hear God's voice individually. Being able to hear His voice, has enabled people to be strengthened in their individual faith and resolve, in whatever situations they are facing.
The problem with this teaching is that we've taking 'listening prayer' - which is often meditative in nature - into corporate prayer meetings. I cannot tell you the number of intercessors who are asked to attend an 'intercession' meeting, and come away frustrated because there was very little intercession ( which means to pray on behalf of others).
Second: Remember, all prayer is GOOD...but not all prayer is the SAME! > We need to remember what the meeting is for...and then pray accordingly. For instance...if the meeting is to 'hear from God' - that usually implies for the individual - so go for it. If you are asking people to come and 'hear from God' on a corporate level, that would imply 'listening' on a corporate level - not just for the individual - and then hopefully, having some kind of response to what everyone has heard for the group.
If the meeting is for intercession, that would mean praying on behalf of someone else, or a situation. Some people call this 'standing in the gap'. It's crying out on someone else's behalf! That would imply then, that we don't just listen, but that we ACT. Intercession, I believe is an interactive prayer - you and God - talking. You, taking up the cause of someone else. In order to do that...there is activity..action - it is definitely not passive prayer! I believe intercession is aggressive prayer! So,..if a meeting is called for intercession - then intercede!
Third: Teaching! We need get some teaching out there again on prayer...on the different types of prayer, on the different styles of prayer and even on the different prayer assignments that different ones can get! We need to know our own prayer styles and assignments, in order to function better and stop competing with each other in prayer meetings. We need to discern what the point of a meeting is, so that every one's prayers are focused, like a laser beam, on the target. We need to get trained! ( " He has trained my hands for battle....") We need the teachers to be released and recognized again, to start teaching . We need to BE teachable, so we can receive instruction.
Fourth: Hunger! We need to be hungry again to pray! Whatever has happened in the prayer movement over the last few years, the biggest lie that has effected us is regarding the value and worth of prayer: our prayers don't matter....my praying doesn't make a difference so I don't need to gather to pray...I'm not wanted....prayer meetings are boring! Also, apathy and discouragement has taken out many prayer warriors! We need to get hungry again for prayer. We need to pray for the gift of hunger..in ourselves, in our churches and in our cities. God make us hungry to pray. Make us hungry to assemble together again - to hear the murmur of prayer throughout our churches and cities!
Fifth: Change our idea of what a successful Prayer meeting is! .....Not all prayer people have stopped praying, but many have gone back into their prayer closets! It's time for us to 'come out of the closet, so to speak...and take up our identity again as a corporate people of prayer! We need to prayer together. We need to start gathering again to pray! I heard a wonderful 85yr. old gentleman, Jim Watt, who came to our city and shared a vision he had for prayer meetings here. He challenged us to stop thinking that a prayer meeting had to be big, to be successful. He challenged us to start seeing the value in many prayers groups, gathering throughout a city, that were made up of 4 to six people. THAT was a light bulb moment for me! Do we want ot have one large prayer meeting - where only a few will get to pray out loud, but we'll have lots of agreement? Or would it be great to have many smaller prayer meetings, where we are still praying in agreement with one another, but also we have more people speaking out their prayers! Both are great...but I think we need to see the truth about numbers! Yes, big prayer meetings are great...but many prayer meetings are also awesome! When we cancel prayer meetings because only 3 or 4 are showing up...what message is that sending to the 3 or 4 that have been faithful t come? Their prayer don't count? Or the prayer meeting is not effective because there are so few? NO!! We need to change the way we think about prayer meetings.
All prayer is GOOD....but not all prayer is the SAME!
See, one of the ways we've 'fallen asleep', is that we've lost the idea of what it is to pray together, or pray in agreement. We need to get back to finding ways, and meetings where we can pray together! The prayer of agreement is a powerful thing. 'Where two or three are gathered' and then add to that ' one can chase a thousand, two can chase ten thousand'....Well, is it any wonder that the enemy, if he can't shut us down, wants to shut us up?!
I can identify two problems that we need to face, with regards to 'waking up 'the church to pray...and by prayer, I mean praying corporately.
First: We to learn to intercede again - discover what intercession is! One of the great movements over the last 10 years or so, has been the different revelations and teachings on 'Listening Prayer.' It has awakened in the Body, the need to hear God's voice individually. Being able to hear His voice, has enabled people to be strengthened in their individual faith and resolve, in whatever situations they are facing.
The problem with this teaching is that we've taking 'listening prayer' - which is often meditative in nature - into corporate prayer meetings. I cannot tell you the number of intercessors who are asked to attend an 'intercession' meeting, and come away frustrated because there was very little intercession ( which means to pray on behalf of others).
Second: Remember, all prayer is GOOD...but not all prayer is the SAME! > We need to remember what the meeting is for...and then pray accordingly. For instance...if the meeting is to 'hear from God' - that usually implies for the individual - so go for it. If you are asking people to come and 'hear from God' on a corporate level, that would imply 'listening' on a corporate level - not just for the individual - and then hopefully, having some kind of response to what everyone has heard for the group.
If the meeting is for intercession, that would mean praying on behalf of someone else, or a situation. Some people call this 'standing in the gap'. It's crying out on someone else's behalf! That would imply then, that we don't just listen, but that we ACT. Intercession, I believe is an interactive prayer - you and God - talking. You, taking up the cause of someone else. In order to do that...there is activity..action - it is definitely not passive prayer! I believe intercession is aggressive prayer! So,..if a meeting is called for intercession - then intercede!
Third: Teaching! We need get some teaching out there again on prayer...on the different types of prayer, on the different styles of prayer and even on the different prayer assignments that different ones can get! We need to know our own prayer styles and assignments, in order to function better and stop competing with each other in prayer meetings. We need to discern what the point of a meeting is, so that every one's prayers are focused, like a laser beam, on the target. We need to get trained! ( " He has trained my hands for battle....") We need the teachers to be released and recognized again, to start teaching . We need to BE teachable, so we can receive instruction.
Fourth: Hunger! We need to be hungry again to pray! Whatever has happened in the prayer movement over the last few years, the biggest lie that has effected us is regarding the value and worth of prayer: our prayers don't matter....my praying doesn't make a difference so I don't need to gather to pray...I'm not wanted....prayer meetings are boring! Also, apathy and discouragement has taken out many prayer warriors! We need to get hungry again for prayer. We need to pray for the gift of hunger..in ourselves, in our churches and in our cities. God make us hungry to pray. Make us hungry to assemble together again - to hear the murmur of prayer throughout our churches and cities!
Fifth: Change our idea of what a successful Prayer meeting is! .....Not all prayer people have stopped praying, but many have gone back into their prayer closets! It's time for us to 'come out of the closet, so to speak...and take up our identity again as a corporate people of prayer! We need to prayer together. We need to start gathering again to pray! I heard a wonderful 85yr. old gentleman, Jim Watt, who came to our city and shared a vision he had for prayer meetings here. He challenged us to stop thinking that a prayer meeting had to be big, to be successful. He challenged us to start seeing the value in many prayers groups, gathering throughout a city, that were made up of 4 to six people. THAT was a light bulb moment for me! Do we want ot have one large prayer meeting - where only a few will get to pray out loud, but we'll have lots of agreement? Or would it be great to have many smaller prayer meetings, where we are still praying in agreement with one another, but also we have more people speaking out their prayers! Both are great...but I think we need to see the truth about numbers! Yes, big prayer meetings are great...but many prayer meetings are also awesome! When we cancel prayer meetings because only 3 or 4 are showing up...what message is that sending to the 3 or 4 that have been faithful t come? Their prayer don't count? Or the prayer meeting is not effective because there are so few? NO!! We need to change the way we think about prayer meetings.
All prayer is GOOD....but not all prayer is the SAME!
Friday, February 13, 2009
Why the "Sleeping Giant" ?
The term ' sleeping giant' - has been used in fairy tales to denote the awakening of something that is evil at the core and overwhelming in size. Why then, I kept asking myself, do I hear God saying that phrase to me: Time to wake the sleeping giant.
So....I began to research the term ' sleeping giant'...and I found that over and over, I kept coming across this definition: one that has great but unrealized or newly emerging power .
I've been sensing that God is speaking in terms of those among us, that have fallen asleep. We've been lulled into a sleep or complacency about many things, but especially about prayer. Somehow we've forgotten the power of prayer...and especially forgotten what happens when God's people pray, together - the prayer of agreement.
I believe that there is a large untapped army, awaiting a time of awakening to the voice of God - calling them to pray. And when we pray as one....when we pray 'in agreement' for the things on God's heart - well....things will happen! We'll see mountains move.
But for now, we are ' one that has great but unrealised power'. Don't think the enemy doesn't know it too! He has taken advantage of our 'sleep'....our 'slumber', but there is a sound out there - a voice crying ' Wake up!'...." Awake!"
......And slowly....ears are hearing .....
This blog is going to be used to post articles on the awakening call to prayer . The sound of intercessors rallying back to the Wall to stand their posts. Plus the sounds of the new recruits, who are crying out ' Teach us how to pray' . Tonight I came from a prayer meeting with 4 young women in the their 20's - who just want to know how to pray - and how to understand their own prayer burdens. What a joy to be a part of that! To be able to impart and share what God has been showing me on my own prayer journey, and what my prayer mentors have passed on to me! There is something stirring in the youth...and the young adults! God let it be! God, give us the gift of hunger!
It's an exciting season we're in. Something is stirring.......is anyone else feeling it? I'd love to hear from you!
So....I began to research the term ' sleeping giant'...and I found that over and over, I kept coming across this definition: one that has great but unrealized or newly emerging power .
I've been sensing that God is speaking in terms of those among us, that have fallen asleep. We've been lulled into a sleep or complacency about many things, but especially about prayer. Somehow we've forgotten the power of prayer...and especially forgotten what happens when God's people pray, together - the prayer of agreement.
I believe that there is a large untapped army, awaiting a time of awakening to the voice of God - calling them to pray. And when we pray as one....when we pray 'in agreement' for the things on God's heart - well....things will happen! We'll see mountains move.
But for now, we are ' one that has great but unrealised power'. Don't think the enemy doesn't know it too! He has taken advantage of our 'sleep'....our 'slumber', but there is a sound out there - a voice crying ' Wake up!'...." Awake!"
......And slowly....ears are hearing .....
This blog is going to be used to post articles on the awakening call to prayer . The sound of intercessors rallying back to the Wall to stand their posts. Plus the sounds of the new recruits, who are crying out ' Teach us how to pray' . Tonight I came from a prayer meeting with 4 young women in the their 20's - who just want to know how to pray - and how to understand their own prayer burdens. What a joy to be a part of that! To be able to impart and share what God has been showing me on my own prayer journey, and what my prayer mentors have passed on to me! There is something stirring in the youth...and the young adults! God let it be! God, give us the gift of hunger!
It's an exciting season we're in. Something is stirring.......is anyone else feeling it? I'd love to hear from you!
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
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