"Intercession is standing before the court
of heaven and pleading a case or cause before
an awesome God. There are things that deeply
touch the righteous Heart of the Father and
above all, He is jealous of His glory…"
Our
God is a mighty warrior. He is a God who has
a strategic plan. And you and I can take part
in this strategic plan. I doubt if very many of
us wake up in the morning and enter the day realizing
that we are at war and that strategy is of utmost
importance. The truth is that prayer is the greatest
strategy in the world. Prayer is the strategy
of heaven. As we use this weapon of prayer, God
then gives us His strategy for life on earth.
The majority of the Church worldwide has not yet
awakened to this strategic weapon of prayer and
intercession. If we did, we would be using it,
and our prayer meetings would be packed to overflowing.
I envision that day coming. We will begin to realize
more and more that nothing happens without prayer.
Often in the natural we look to man-made methods
and schemes to get the job done. We think big
money and promotion will reach the world. We try
harder with our human ingenuity. No! That will
never work, at least not long-term. Prayer and
intercession will prepare the way for the harvest.
We must set our hearts above. We must choose to
use heaven's strategy rather than man's human
devices. We must set our minds above and learn
to intercede. Prayer is the strategy of heaven.
"Since,
then you have been raised with Christ, set your
hearts on things above, where Christ is seated
at the right hand of God. Set your minds on
things above, not on earthly things." (Colossians
3:1-2)
It
is in prayer that God gives us heavenly strategy
to do the work on earth that will touch the world.
I have seen this over and over again. In intercession
God gives us the greatest plan. In the quiet place
God opens to us His greatest secrets. Everything
that will make a difference has to have the touch
of the supernatural. God does the work through
us, and He gives us His plan in prayer. Multitudes
did use the strategy of prayer on the Global Day
of Prayer. Corporate intercession took place in
169 nations. But it must continue with increasing
intensity and commitment. The days we are living
in are evil, and nothing but intense intercession
will bring in the harvest. These are days of opportunity,
and God is raising up intercessors to take back
the land in every nation as they use this heavenly
strategy. Never underestimate the true potential
of prayer and intercession. Never fail to realize
that an hour in prayer can make a huge difference
in the strategic outcome of your day.
"Be
very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise
but as wise, making the most of every opportunity,
because the days are evil." (Ephesians 5:15-16)
Ways
to Touch Heaven's Strategy of Prayer
"Praise
be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with
every spiritual blessing in Christ." (Ephesians
1:3)
I
find in my life personally that a quicker way
to enter into the throne room of God is through
worship, praying the Word of God and fasting.
This brings us quickly into heaven's perspective.
We touch heaven through our praise, we touch heaven
through praying the world, and we touch heaven
when we deny ourselves through fasting. We are
then able to concentrate more fully on God's heart.
- Worship
and Praise - Worship, praise and thanksgiving
should be incorporated into our lives as much
as possible. When you are down or discouraged,
try the medicine of praise and thanksgiving.
It is a good medicine because it puts our attention
back upon the greatness and the glory of God.
"We
can never underestimate praise as one of the
greatest and most powerful weapons of war
which the Lord has placed in our hands.
And, when praise becomes high praise, it commands
the unlimited resources of heaven because
it gives absolute glory to the Lord. In a
way which is beyond our understanding, deliverance
and redemption are wrought through praise
with great power for such conclusively speak
of the supreme victory of Jesus."
- Pray
the Word of God - If you want to grow in
your prayer life, grow in your study of the
Bible and in praying it. God loves us to pray
His Word. God loves us to use the sword of the
Spirit, His Word, in intercession for the lost.
It keeps us on-target, and we begin to think
the very thoughts of God.
"The
promises and blessings of God's Word are conditional.
What God has done before, He will do again
under the same climate and by the same standards.
It is for this reason that intercession must
be solidly built upon and directed by the
Word. This means that the intercessor must
know and quote the word. This is not so the
devil can hear but because a case must be
made before the Lord… God is committed to
His word and the fulfilling of it."
- Fast
and Pray - Fasting is a key to a powerful
prayer life. Fasting together with prayer will
help you to tap into heaven's riches and strategy
in a way nothing else can. It quiets your outer
man so that your inner man can hear the heartbeat
of heaven.
"Jesus
was always 'prayed and fasted up' while the
disciples were not. This is why He always
had authority in any situation. It is too
late in the crisis to 'get fasted and prayed
up,' so to speak… The benefits, blessings
and powers of fasting are clearly revealed
in the Word. Firstly, fasting brings the flesh
into submission in all areas and herein lies
the secret of the power… Fasting is a total
denial of self which is mandatory if one is
to be a true disciple of Jesus (Mt.
16:24). Thirdly, there is a mysterious
relationship between fasting and the power
of heaven intervening on our behalf."
Is
it always easy to go heaven's way? No, we
are tempted by earth's attraction. We are tempted
by quick results and man-made schemes, by things
that look so good. We are attracted by fleshly
fame and fortune. But in reality prayer is what
really will get the job done. Prayer and intercession
will bring glory to the King and touch earth with
heaven's riches. Prayer is the strategy of heaven.
Prayer is the work, the strategic work, of the
Kingdom. Prayer will prepare the way for the King.
Never forget this, because your enemy will tempt
you in every way possible to get the job done
through human resources. He will promise you a
quick, painless way to get results. But the quickest
way is go straight to the King yourself in prayer.
And He will reveal to you a strategy of life that
will release His greatest glory through you here
on earth. Why is this true? It is because you
will be living and doing exactly what you were
made for. And I promise you that this is a
joyful and fulfilling way to live.
"God
puts no limitations on His ability to save through
true praying. No hopeless conditions, no accumulation
of difficulties, no desperation in distance
or circumstances can hinder the success of real
prayer. The promises of prayer are linked to
the infinite rectitude and to the omnipotent
power of God. There is nothing too hard for
God to do. God is pledged if we ask, we shall
receive. God can withhold nothing from faith
and prayer."Quotes
by Michael Howard
For
additional training on the intercessor and strategic
prayer, read the book called Intercessors Arise
- Book 3 by Debbie Przybylski.
Training
Links
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