Tag Archive: prayer
We are excited to announce our first Internship – Intro to CVHOP – to be held Jan. 9 – April 13, 2012.
Jesus’ first mention of the Church also gives us His first description of His intended action of the Church: the authority to bring the Kingdom of Heaven to earth through prayer! ”I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in Heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in Heaven” (Matthew 16:19).
Jesus intended for the Church to be His ruling Body on the earth – His ekklesia, governing and advancing His Kingdom through prayer. He is the Rock, and the praying Church is the vehicle through which the Rock – to whom and through whom all authority in Heaven and earth has been given – reigns and rules on the earth.
Therefore, initiative in all world affairs is with the Church! Christians are the only people personally and directly in relationship with the One who rules from the Throne of the universe. He has appointed us as His representatives on earth where we live. He hears our prayers and answers.
God is Willing
Prayer is not so much a duty as a delight for God and His creation. It is the place where we get to fellowship with Him, know His heart and He ours, and participate with Him in the affairs of His creation. Proverbs 15:8 says, ”The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but the prayer of the upright is His delight.” In Song of Songs, the King speaks to His beloved, ”O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the cliff, let me see your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely” (Song of Solomon 2:14).
When we pray, we are turning our eyes to our Father and communicating our love, our joy, our faith and expectation in Him. We are calling on His name that is the fullness of every covenantal promise and blessing and delighting in Him. In prayer there is an exchange, like the kiss of Heaven. We breathe Him in and exhale out His answer to the earth.
It is His delight to answer us. When we come, we should come expecting His open arms and open door: ”Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened”(Matthew 7:7-8). This is the posture Jesus tells us to take when we come,”Whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive” (Matthew 21:22, see also Mark 11:24).
His prayer life is not the exception, but the model for all who would come to His Father in His name: ”And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it” (John 14:13-14). The result of all prayer is joy – in His presence is fullness of joy, and a life of prayer necessarily will draw us closer and closer into abiding relationship with Him (See John 15:7, 16:24; Psalm 16:11).
How We Pray
1. The Name of Jesus: First and foremost we pray in the name of Jesus. He is the access through the veil to the Throne of Heaven (Hebrews 10:20). It is the name above every other name (Philippians 2:9). It is His instruction to His disciples, ”If you ask anything in My name, I will do it” (John 14:14). His name carries the riches of Heaven and every blessing and promise there,”And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19); ”For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us” (2 Corinthians 1:20).
2. With Praise and Thanksgiving: ”Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name” (Psalm 100:4). Our focus will determine the effectiveness of our prayer. Thanksgiving sets your eyes and your heart on the awesome certainties of God. It brings you into harmony with His glory and directs your heart and prayers with the authority there: ”Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7). We guard our gates with praise (see Isaiah 60:18). Praise and thanksgiving enthrone the King of the Universe over our lives, our circumstances and our world (Psalm 22:3).
3. Without Condemnation: Jesus, our great High Priest, has gone before us with His cleansing Blood. He paid your debt in full, and there is now no condemnation for you (see Romans 8:1). His righteousness is now yours, and you can boldly enter before the Throne in full confidence: ”Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). The Apostle Paul instructs Timothy, ”I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands without wrath or doubting” (1 Timothy 2:8). Our assurance is in Christ, and that is how the Lord expects us to approach Him in prayer.
David writes, ”If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear” (Psalm 66:18). When we pray from the standpoint of our own limitations and failures, we are putting ourselves in slavery to what we alone can do. Let go of your doubts and fears, shut out the accusation of the enemy and step into faith to receive the boundless power and generosity of God: ”If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?”(Romans 8:31-32).
4. Right Motive: Effective prayer is prayer that glorifies God. Jesus promised, ”Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son” (John 14:13). In Jesus, ”all the promises of God are Yes and Amen, to the glory of God through us” (see 2 Corinthians 1:20). On the flip-side, prayer that is from the wrong motives, goes unanswered: ”You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures”(James 4:2-3).
5. Right Relationships: When it comes to prayer, our relationship with one another is as important as our relationship with God. Jesus includes it in His model prayer, ”Father…forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors”(Matthew 6:12). It is so integral to prayer that He makes sure that”whenever you stand praying,” if we realize we have an out of kilter relationship with someone, we should forgive them (see Mark 11:25-26). Peter writes to husbands to be in harmony with their wives so their ”prayers may not be hindered” (1 Peter 3:7). Let Jesus stand between you and every other person, between you and even yourself to bring wholeness, forgiveness and love as you release forgiveness and receive grace to fill that empty and broken place.
6. Directed by the Holy Spirit: True prayer is like slow-dancing with God. As He leads us and as our hearts are joined to His, our steps follow His. We come into alignment with His will. Being led means being governed by the Holy Spirit day to day, finding moment to moment fellowship with God (see Romans 8:14). The Holy Spirit will direct our prayers, dropping His thoughts and desires into our hearts. And when we do not know what to pray, we can pray in the Spirit, and He will pray through us:
“Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God” (Romans 8:26-27).
His power working in us and directing us will bring God glory through prayer:”Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen”(Ephesians 3:20-21).
7. According to God’s Word: When we pray God’s Word, we pray the will of the One who committed it to us. His Word is living and active, discerning, a powerful spiritual weapon and everlasting (see Hebrews 4:12; Ephesians 6:17; Isaiah 40:8). One of the most powerful prayers is that of Mary, ”Be it unto me according to Thy word” (Luke 1:38). Her agreement with God’s Word made her the vessel for the Son of God to come into the world and answer every heart’s cry. When you make your heart’s cry align with His, your prayers will do the same. Daily time spent meditating on and reading Scripture will breathe life into your prayers. Take note of particular verses that stand out to you, or that the Holy Spirit highlights for you, and begin to pray those words of God as your own.
You can also pray the great prayers of the Bible; the prayers of Daniel, the prayers of Moses, the apostolic prayers of Paul all are examples. When you do so, you are praying for the desires of God’s heart as they appear in Scripture. Two of these are God’s specific commands:
A. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6). His covenant promises for Israel, her land and people have not passed away, but are still being fulfilled to this day. When you pray for the restoration and peace of natural Israel, you are praying the will of God (see Zechariah 10:9-10; Isaiah 11:11; Hosea 1:10; Ezekiel 36:24-28).
B. The other is, ”Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:1-4).
Good government is the will of God – it gives us a secure, blessed and morally upright society. It facilitates the advance of the Gospel, and thus the praying Church is fulfilling the great commission to preach the Gospel. Good government will harmonize with God’s will for His people Israel. Good government is an example of God’s Throne as central government over all. Good government and the Church are divinely connected. Praying for good government is the primary responsibility of Christians when we come together in prayer.
Symphony of Prayer
“Again I tell you, if two of you on earth agree (harmonize together, make a symphony together) about whatever [anything and everything] they may ask, it will come to pass and be done for them by My Father in Heaven. For wherever two or three are gathered (drawn together as My followers) in (into) My name, there I AM in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:19-20 AMP).
Effective prayer is like a symphony. The Holy Spirit is the Conductor, God’s will revealed in His Word is the score, the instruments are you and me, each with a part to play, and the voice of many giving sound together is the music. Jesus said that if two of us will harmonize together as touching anything, it shall be done for us! Prayer is where everything begins and ends in the realm of the Spirit. God is calling the Church today to corporate prayer and intimate communion with Him.
Be assured, if we call, He will answer. Prayer is our true genetic code and God’s original design for His Kingdom advance. All authority was given to Jesus, and He has released that authority to us, His followers, to wield that authority through prayer.
Mahesh and Bonnie Chavda
Chavda Ministries International
Email: info@chavdaministries.org
A Life of 24/7 Prayer
by Stephen Strang
Bickle and IHOP-KC prove prayer is far from a boring chore. Two years ago I spent a week in the prayer room at the International House of Prayer (IHOP-KC), led by Mike Bickle. I’ve known Mike for more than 20 years; I’ve watched his vision for 24/7 prayer unfold. I’ve seen the consistency of his life. I’ve watched how his emphasis on prayer, his understanding of the Tabernacle of David and a type of prayer he calls “Harp and Bowl” has changed the lives of thousands—including mine.
God did some deep things in my life that week in Kansas City, Mo., as I spent hours in God’s presence and studying the Word. He also used Mike to surprise me with a lesson on prayer. One afternoon Mike invited me to sit in on a teaching for his leaders. He talked about the importance of systematic prayer using a written prayer list. With a written list, he said, you’ll pray 10 times more than you will without it. Then he handed out a sheet using an acronym for FELLOWSHIP as a model for intimate prayer.
(Go to ministrytodaymag.com/fellowshipprayerlist to download a free copy.)
That week I began using a written prayer list and following Mike’s method of intimate prayer. I also began journaling and spending at least an hour in prayer most days. It’s a discipline I continue today. Charismatics have long placed a strong emphasis on prayer. Intense prayer—often accompanied by intercession or worship and displays of the gifts of the Spirit—is valued in our circles. Our weekly service schedules usually include “prayer meetings” and sometimes even all-night prayer vigils.
But prayer isn’t always easy. Intense times of prayer gradually become replaced by a boring routine. And after a while, prayer is more talked about than done. Mike Bickle has changed that. For him prayer is a lifestyle—it’s exciting and it’s 24/7. He doesn’t just talk about it; he actually prays and he’s motivated thousands to pray with him!
When Mike resigned from his successful Kansas City megachurch more than 12 years ago to focus on 24/7 prayer, I wasn’t sure if he’d find enough people to keep it going. After all, who would lead prayer all night or on holidays? Yet people have come by the hundreds and now thousands—most of them young people—and the depth and intensity of their prayer lives and walk with God is impressive.
Mike has since expanded IHOP-KC’s vision to include acts of justice and service alongside prayer. He’s training 1,000 students and interns at IHOPU. He’s raising up worship leaders such as Misty Edwards who are influencing worship around the world. Other churches are following Mike’s lead to begin their own “houses of prayer” or incorporating his principles into their own prayer lives. A secular way to describe this is that a trend is developing in the church.
I lead a company, not a church, yet we have a voluntary time of worship modeled after IHOP-KC every Monday to focus on intimacy with God. On Wednesday we have an intercessory prayer meeting. Not everyone attends, but I believe it’s raised the spiritual temperature of our organization. I hope you’ll be motivated to deepen your own prayer life, as I have, and to lead the way with those you serve.
Your people long to know God. They want intimacy and desire deep worship. Yet often they don’t know how to pray. I believe Mike Bickle has been raised up to show one way that has worked for him. It’s not the only way, as he’s quick to acknowledge. Yet he’s learned things most pastors need to learn—how people respond to prayer when leaders add two important ingredients: intimacy and music.
It’s an honor to have Mike as guest editor of this issue. These articles have only scratched the surface, but hopefully they’ll open your eyes to ways you can change the prayer culture of your church. May God respond to your heart’s cry as you desire more of Him for yourself and for your church.
Steve Strang has learned Mike was right: With a written prayer list, he now prays 10 times more than he used to. You can follow Steve on Facebook or Twitter @sstrang and @ministry21.
May 2011
This month I want to focus on one facet of our ministry – the International House of Prayer – so if you are unfamiliar with it, you will better understand what the House of Prayer is all about. Many think of “prayer meetings” as that which is common in the traditional church, and having been part of such groups, as well as city-wide prayer groups for many years, I can say with certainty, the global prayer movement is much different. This movement is not new; it has been going on since the days of King David; however, I cannot cover the history in this brief letter. There is information about that on our website.
The basic goals of IHOP are to bring renewal and revival to God’s people, producing a depth of intimacy with God through prayer and worship, resulting in burning love for Jesus. This will lead to greater effectiveness in missions and evangelism, since the overflow of a heart fully alive and in love with God is to share the Good News, bringing souls into the Kingdom. Greater intimacy also results in demonstrations of God’s power through the gifts of the Spirit, releasing miracles, signs, and wonders, which will impact the culture in cities and regions. The release of God’s power will dislodge demonic powers as we walk in greater authority; embracing the values of the Kingdom, and engaging in ceaseless, fervent prayer. The prayer movement will also help prepare the Church for the end-time judgments which will come as the return of Jesus draws nearer each day, ushering in the establishment of His Kingdom upon the earth.
In order to achieve these goals, we are establishing a Prayer Room where believers can spend extended time seeking God through prayer, worship, meditation on the Word, and biblical studies; to train, equip, and release them to be God’s end-time messengers. (Our vision is to have a full-time school of ministry, and for our Prayer Room to be open 24/7, as God enables us to do so.) Some will be called to pursue the life of an “intercessory missionary,” (as we call them), as their full-time or part-time occupation; ministering before the Lord day and night, while others will be called to go into all the world and proclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom, preparing the way for the Lord’s second coming, just as John the Baptist did for His first coming. Most who come, do so in order to deepen their own personal walk with God so they may be a more effective witness in their workplace, home, church, or school.
Though this is an extremely brief description, I hope it has given some clarity about the House of Prayer. We have much more information on our website, as well as resources in our bookstore that offer more on the global prayer movement. We are praying, and invite you to pray with us, for the resources needed to fulfill this God-sized vision. Jesus, quoting Isaiah, declared that His house would be called a house of prayer for all nations, and He is raising up many such houses across the globe, as well as churches that are committed to fasting and praying unto the fulfillment of the Great Commission and His soon coming return. If you know others who may have a desire to be part of this vital movement please contact me—we need more partners who see the value and desire the completion of these same goals. As Scripture states, “The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor.” (1 Cor. 3:8) It takes each one doing his or her part to accomplish what God desires. Thanks so much for your willingness to do your part as you continue to pray, give, and stand with us to see His Kingdom come as it is in heaven.
Blessings,
Charlene Hughes
We have some new upcoming events planned for 2011 and pray you will take advantage of these opportunities to grow with us as we press on to greater depths in the knowledge of God!
New Prayer Room hours: We are expanding our Prayer Room hours as detailed below (beginning Monday, Jan. 3rd):
Mondays, 11am – 9pm
Tuesdays – Thursdays, 11am – 7pm
Friday evenings - Most every week, we will have live worship – hours will vary and will be posted each week on this website and on our Facebook page.
New Encounter God Gatherings – Beginning Sunday, Jan. 9th, we will meet weekly at 6pm for our Encounter God gathering. The purpose is to lay a foundation for spiritual maturity and increased intimacy with God through Scripture meditation, intercession, worship, and living the fasted lifestyle – individually, and in community. This will be done through teaching – both live and video – and group interaction & participation, providing discipleship and accountability. Participants will also be strongly encouraged to make time spent in the Prayer Room a priority each week, in order to further facilitate personal growth.
Art Techniques Class – Saturday, January 15th, from 10am-12pm, our “resident artist” Rita Mead, will be teaching various methods of technique for those who want to improve their painting skills. Cost is $25 with materials provided, or $20 if you bring your own. This first class will use acrylics; if there is enough interest, we may do this on a monthly basis using other mediums. This class will be held downstairs from the Prayer Room, in her art room.
New Prophetic Training Course – We will begin a new 8 week prophetic training course beginning Thursday, Feb. 3rd, from 7-9pm. More details on that in a couple of weeks!
If you haven’t already done so, be sure to subscribe to our website/blog so that you won’t miss anything! You can also find us on Facebook under IHOP-Columbus, Restoration A.C.T.S., and Rivers of Restoration Healing Rooms, AND on Twitter, at @ihopcolumbus.
A great resource to use in your daily prayer times from IHOP-KC:
10 Prayers to Strengthen the Inner Man (PDF notes)
10 Prayers to Strengthen the Inner Man (Audio, Video, MP3)
“The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” James 5:16
Thus saith Adonai Tz’vaot, the LORD God of hosts, “My army fights on their knees.” The Lord deposited this revelation in My heart as I looked in my Hebrew Bible at the first letter of the phrase, “Lord of Hosts.” In Hebrew, Lord of Hosts is Adonai Tz’vaot – Lord (Adonai) of hosts (tz’vaot). Tz’vaot is a plural form of tz’vah (Strong’s #6635; pronounced tz-ah-vah) and is generally thought of as the angels (hosts) of Heaven. However, we are part of that group too, let me explain.
Tz’vah (host) speaks of those that dwell in Heaven (1 Kings 22:19), of celestial beings (Deuteronomy 4:19), and even refers to the heavens, earth, and all the host of them that were finished (Genesis 2:1). It has the primary meaning of: to go forth, wage war, to fight and to serve. In the Bible, it speaks of any organized army arrayed for battle, human and/or superhuman (Joshua 4:13; 5:14-15). God alone is the Creator and Sustainer of all hosts under Heaven thus His name, Lord of hosts, Adonai Tz’vaot.
The revelation of the “interceding army” comes from the first letter that spells tz’vaot in Hebrew. Tz’vaot begins with the Hebrew letter tzadai. The letter tzadai (also called tz’addik) means “righteous man” and the form of the letter looks like a person on their knees with their hands up lifted in prayer צ. This reveals to us, spiritually, that God’s army (tz’vaot), is comprised of righteous (tz’addik) men and women who are on their knees interceding at the command of the Lord of Hosts. We are a portion of the mighty army of God that fights on their knees.
Effectual Prayer and Intercession
I don’t know about you, but there have been times in my walk with God when I wondered just how effectual prayer really is. Let’s take a look at what Scripture reveals. In Greek, the phrase for “effective, fervent” prayer is energeo (Strong’s #1754; pronounced en-erg-eh’-o.) Energeo means: work, to be in work, to be effective, active, operative, to energize or be energized. Interestingly, it also speaks of showing yourself at “effective” work, i.e., putting forth power to accomplish what you are doing. It doesn’t speak of force but rather reveals why the prayer of the righteous man avails much. It avails much because we are righteous in Christ Jesus and God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think. This is the power that worketh (energeo) in us!
Our prayer avails much! Say it out loud and declare this truth over yourself, “My prayer avails much.” The Greek word for avails in James 5:16 is ischuo (Strong’s #2480). It means to be strong in body and in health, to have power and strength to overcome. It is the same word that is used in Philippians 4:13, “I can DO [ischuo] all things through Christ who strengthens me.” We can avail in all things through Christ who strengthens us. He strengthens us so we can do all things, so we can avail in all things.
The Bible is clear from cover to cover that we are all to pray. Scripture reveals that intercession releases the power of the Holy Spirit into the lives of men and women. You know the Scripture, “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.”
Through His intercession and in His name, we have access to the Throne of Grace and can boldly speak our petition. The Hebrew word for intercession is paga (Strong’s #6293 pronounced pa-gah). Paga means: to encounter, meet, reach, entreat, make intercession. It also has military overtones with shades of meaning like: to make attack, to strike upon, and to reach the mark, to strike or touch a boundary.
I can’t think of any single passage in Scripture that more clearly identifies intercession as something that God has called us to than Ezekiel 22:30, “So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.” A gap is a break in the protective hedge that surrounds whatever it is protecting. If there is a gap in the wall, it is weakened and the enemy has an entrance. Used here, “standing in the gap” is a metaphor for intercession.
Throughout the Bible, intercession is often used synonymously with prayer, however, there is a subtle difference. In a nut shell, prayer is dialogue between God and man and intercession is the act of intervening or mediating between two different parties. This subtle difference is revealed by the spiritual pictures each word paints.
In Hebrew, the middle letter of a word has been likened to the “heart” of the word. Keeping that in mind, if we were to look at the Hebrew letters for the word prayer (Palal - Strong’s # 6419; pronounced pah-lahl) we would see that it begins with the letter pay, which is a pictograph of a mouth, symbolizing dialogue. The middle letter, or the “heart” of the word, is a lamed, which represents reaching to/towards God.
Now let’s look at the Hebrew word for intercession, paga. Like our word for prayer (palal), the word for intercession (paga) begins with the same letter pay, which symbolizes articulation. The next letter, or the “heart” of this word, is the letter gimel, which is a pictograph of a camel, a beast of burden, symbolizing bearing a burden.
In other words, spiritually speaking, the heart of prayer is to connect with God and communicate with Him. Whereas, the heart of intercession is to bear someone else’s burden. “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2).
Daniel’s Prayer
Your prayer is effectual – it avails much! You may think, “But I don’t see any changes, sister Tiffany.” It doesn’t matter if we see it or not, the Bible says that it IS effectual and it DOES avail much! Let’s consider Daniel, Scripture reveals that he prayed and fasted for 21 days after receiving a great revelation. Did he see any changes through these 21 days? Did his circumstance change? No, but his prayer was effectual. Scripture reveals that from the first day that Daniel sought the Lord through prayer and fasting, God dispatched help. The prince of Persia was hindering the help that God sent, but nevertheless, it got through. Hallelujah! (See Daniel 10:12-13).
Can you imagine if Daniel stopped praying simply because he wasn’t seeing any results? Oy vey! Similarly, can you imagine what might happen if we stop?
Intercession is not passively praying as we pass through the day, it is much more than that. Intercession comes with a cost; the cost of time, sleep, energy, and maybe even in some cases, the cost of our reputation. Are you willing to be part of God’s army of intercessors and stand in the gap? Beloved, the Lord of Hosts is searching for someone to stand in the gap because what is most precious to Him is under attack – His beloved Bride, “I am a wall…” (Song of Solomon 8:10a).
We are God’s righteous army and there is a mighty war going on in the spiritual realm. May we respond to the Captain’s call and stand in the gap, whether it’s a good time for us or not, whether we understand it or not, whether we see the answer or not, whether we know the person or not. May we pray with Him and intercede for what is precious to Him and “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2).
Amen and Amen.
Tiffany Ann Lewis
Dancing with the Flame of the Lord Ministries
tiffanyann@tiffanyannlewis.com
There are two great articles on IHOP-KC in Charisma Magazine this month. If you’ve wondered what IHOP is all about, these will answer some of those questions! Click the links below to read. (Note: Both links take you to the cover of Charisma where you can click on the titles to read the individual articles).
What God Calls His House by Mike Bickle
We Won’t Stop Praying: The Amazing Story Behind Kansas City’s International House of Prayer
Jesus—Proven Over and Over
How do you pray for people who are dying? Or for friends who face diagnoses of terminal illness? We must look to the Lord, considering Him faithful who made the promise.
I can tell numerous accounts about Jesus healing people all day long and never run out of amazing miracles to tell. For example, there was a young teacher who had become totally disabled. She was bedridden and dependent on friends to lift her from bed, into a wheelchair and to the bathroom, where they did everything for her because her body was shutting down gradually due to an inoperable 4-inch cancer tumor on her spinal cord. Jesus instantly removed it.
In another example, a mother lay comatose in ICU with an inoperable, irremovable blood clot in her brain, medically hopeless. Jesus touched her, and the next day she motioned. The next day she wrote and the day after that, she was walking and talking.
And how about the woman a couple months ago, with the three metal rods in her back held in place by 75 titanium screws who, after He touched her, could touch her toes? And the men whose PSA readings (prostate-specific antigen – cancer readings) plummeted from 4+ to acceptable levels—1.1 in one case, after the prayer of agreement with Jesus? There are so many others, I could talk all day. Each is a precious story of its own. A love letter.
“Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him, how I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er; Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus, oh for grace to trust Him more.” Really, I have proved Him over and over. But my purpose in writing is to share with you what we are experiencing in praying for people who face medical death sentences, but do not see the instant miracle.
When You Don’t See the Instant Miracle, Pray and Don’t Quit!
“…Any moment God can do a miracle.”
I remember after reading about John G. Lake, I was praying for Tommy for over a year, daily, hands on (this was before anyone ever heard of Healing Rooms where people could come to get prayer). But Tommy died of cancer. Some years later, we prayed for Betsy for a year. Betsy died of cancer. And for others, too.
Either these discourage you or make you resolute to push on for the miracles. I want to share with you why we push on for the miracles. A man got bone cancer and it looked bad. On recommendation of a mutual friend, he came here to Albany, Oregon for one week last winter, accompanied by his wife. Different people prayed for him each day. They attended church and the Healing Rooms. We prayed. We laughed in the Holy Spirit. They went home encouraged. But the symptoms progressed. We have prayed for his healing together by phone several times a week. About a month ago, he told me he had more faith for healing than at any other time in his life. He teaches the Bible. As I write this, he survives only by blood transfusions and is now unable to walk and on heavy pain meds. He told me that medically, the end is very near. Even now he says, “But any moment, God can do a miracle.”
Consider Him Faithful Who Made the Promise
When Larkin had a colon cancer removed last summer, they told him that if tumors came back there was nothing further they could do for him. A routine CT scan in January showed they were back. Larkin and his wife flew out here within a week, where people would pray for them for healing, knowing God heals today. And pray they did. Larkin and Julia flew home after three months, having pursued their healing more assertively than anyone I ever met (inner healing, personal ministry sessions, “root causes” courses, constant intercession for each other, healing meetings, healing rooms in two cities weekly, Sunday church services, and daily “soaking” prayer times with prayer ministers).
Larkin insists he simply knows God healed him here. He lights up to talk about Jesus and about God. In his own words, he speaks Paul’s definition of faith. But their symptoms worsened. I say their symptoms, because his wife also had a colon cancer removed last summer at nearly the same time. Julia describes it as seemingly touching your spirit, the effect is so pervasively debilitating. She also has fought breast cancer for over a decade without mastectomy surgeries or chemo. Still, friends here pray for them: special times of intercession, daily Skype, and so forth.
So pray we do, waiting on the Lord for wisdom and revelation, in peace, in expectation. We pray as with our Friend at midnight, our Judge who will give us justice against our adversary, without quitting, because we consider Him faithful who made the promise. It’s all about Him—if He said it, we get to believe it, because we believe Him.
Encouragement to Keep Praying Without Quitting
Because His mercies are new every morning, and the manna fresh every day, anything I can tell you is necessarily incomplete for you. I can share, however, a synopsis of some of the encouragement the Lord has given us during this season of praying and not quitting.
Each of the following bullet points has a history with us in our prayer times in these many months and deserves its own article, but you might remember the list better than more thoughts of mine. For adding to it yourself, seek the Lord and listen to His voice. As you seek the Lord, Scripture will open in ways you did not see before. He will highlight a Scripture you did not understand before. Revelation will come every day or week, enough for the time, to keep praying and not quit.
My synopsis:
1. We know what will happen if we don’t pray. If we don’t pray, we won’t see the miracle; our friend will die.
2. Anyone can have faith for death…
3. …but we, as Christians, of all people get to be different. Read Hebrews 11:11 and Romans 4:17-28.
4. Jesus said pray and don’t quit: Seek, knock, ask; knock even at midnight, when all Heaven has to be roused; pray and don’t stop. Read Matthew 7:7-12; Luke 11:1-13; Luke 18:1-8.
5. Paul said, when we have done all, stand. Read Ephesians 6:13.
6. Don’t give up a day before your miracle! Read Acts chapters 27 and 28.
7. Our prayer will move the mountain. We will see the miracle.
Again, pray we do, waiting on the Lord for wisdom and revelation, in peace, in expectation. We pray as with our Friend at midnight, our Judge who will give us justice against our adversary, without quitting, because we consider Him faithful who made the promise. It’s all about Him—if He said it, we get to believe it, because we believe Him.
This is resolute in me now: Pray and don’t give up.
Mike Brink
Jesus Pursuit Church
Email: brinkmike1@gmail.com
What is soaking prayer?
Soaking, or soaking prayer is an expressive term used to describe a spiritual, emotional and physical position that we place ourselves in to receive from the Lord by spending time in His Presence. It is a way that we can calm our souls from the busyness of life and allow the Lord to soften our hearts with His love.
When we put ourselves in a place of rest and relaxation, we are entering into the rest of faith that God has for us as His children. There is a work that only the Lord can do. Soaking in God’s Presence is like putting ourselves on His divine operating table so He can put us under an anesthetic, so to speak, and perform operations that only He can perform.
One of the hardest things for us to do in our human nature is to just stop what we are doing and allow God to produce in us what only He can produce. We typically equate productivity with our own work and effort. But God has a completely different viewpoint. When we spend time with Him it is never wasted time. We are devoting and consecrating our hearts to Him without reservation. It is truly a “trust” relationship when we let Him take control as we enter into His rest. The “rest” of faith is accomplished when we cease from our own labors and enter into His.
Much of the anxiousness of life is disposed of when we enter into a lifestyle of soaking. It is the anxious heart that is plagued with voices and never can find peace. It is a HUGE accomplishment when we finally find that place of peace and rest. He is the Prince of Peace. Peace is to be a distinguishing mark of the believer’s life. Take some time today to receive His righteousness, peace and joy by His Holy Spirit. He promised that He would also pour out His Love into our hearts.
–Taken from an article by John Belt
Scripture verses:
John 14:27
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
Exodus 33:15
Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.
Psalm 16:11
You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
James 4:8a
Come near to God and he will come near to you.
Psalm 46:10
“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
2 Corinthians 3:18
And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
Benefits of Soaking
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Develops intimacy with the Lord.
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Brings peace and rest from busyness, stress, worry and anxiety.
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Positions us to hear God more readily.
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Increases our joy, happiness, health, security and peace as we receive His unconditional love and acceptance.
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Enables us to have God’s heart for others as we become secure in His love for us.
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We can receive emotional, physical and spiritual healing as we submit ourselves to Him.
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Helps get our priorities in line with God’s priorities.
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Transforms us into His likeness.
Basics of Soaking
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Find a quiet place, free from distractions (turn off the phone).
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Commit a block of time to soaking – suggested minimum of 1 hr.
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Put on soft worship music (instrumental or with words, according to your preference).
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Get into a comfortable position (lying down or sitting up – whatever works for you).
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Quiet your heart before the Lord – speak words of praise, worship, adoration. Invite Him to come into this time and submit yourself fully to Him.
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Rest – you may pray or worship at times, but the focus should be resting – not striving in prayer.
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Listen and enjoy His fellowship – you may feel His presence more strongly some times than others. The point is not to feel anything particular – just to make yourself available to Him.
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You may want to journal afterwards anything that He showed or spoke to you.
