“When Adam and Eve fell, they relinquished rulership of the earth to Satan, a fallen angelic being. Spiritual warfare is the reversal of that procedure. It is the unseen power encounter between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness. Through prayer, fasting and exercising the authority of Christ and His cross, believers indwelt and empowered by the Holy Spirit are forcing angelic beings to relinquish rulership of the earth!” Eddie and Alice Smith

The enemy does not like intercession, because we exercise our authority in Christ when we pray. It is one of the greatest things he will attack. I have been to so many prayer meetings over the years that were stopped or hindered because of enemy attack. Let us realize that our fight is not against flesh and blood. It is an attack in the spiritual realm and is an unseen power encounter between two kingdoms. I have personally felt the attack of the enemy in Intercessors Arise over the past few years. He does not want intercessors to arise or unite in prayer. He is on an all out attack to stop us, because he knows that there is power in united intercession. There is power in even one intercessor that knows his/her authority in prayer. Please do not take your prayers and intercession as a small ministry of no importance. The enemy knows full well how mighty you are in pulling down his strongholds, and he will try to intimidate, discourage, divide or defeat you. Let us pray for one another that our faith will not fail in times of intense warfare.

“Doubt. Deception. Discouragement. Division. It’s time for the church to stop accepting these enemy strikes as natural. Spiritual warfare is a reality that the church must face. It won’t go away on its own – but it can be dealt with through prayer.”

Below are ways you can personally maintain victory in spiritual warfare. I am especially emphasizing warfare in the area of relationships in our lives. This has to do with how we see God, how we see ourselves, and how we see and relate to others. Many times we are blinded to the ways that the enemy is trying to get us. I find that these reminders are extremely helpful when I am under attack. They may seem basic, but they have huge significance and perhaps are the greatest hindrances to the enemy’s success in defeating us.

“The church must do all it can to protect unity and destroy division. A local congregation becomes well prepared to resist the enemy when, finding itself in a conflict, people begin to ask the question, ‘What is the enemy trying to do here?’ Then, turning to the Lord, each asks an even more important question: ‘Lord, how do we counter these attacks of divisiveness against your people?'”


How to Maintain Victory in Warfare

• Love God with all your heart, and abide in Him – I find that loving God is the most important thing in life. I am personally, by nature, a warrior but my relationship with God is the best antidote against the enemies flaming missiles. We must know God intimately, and abide in that intimacy. “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you” (John 15:7). 

• Know in your heart the sovereignty and greatness of God – Speak out the attributes of God, and praise him daily. Worship is a powerful form of warfare. “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God” (Phil. 2:9-11). 

• Know your identity in Christ – Your identity in Christ is the enemy’s strategy of attack against you. Know in your heart God’s incredible love for you. You are the beloved of God, a royal priest, the apple of God’s eye, etc. Remind yourself of these things. “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:13-14).
• Depend on God’s wisdom and not your own – Understand the ways of God, and rely on His sufficiency. “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better” (Ephesians 1:17). 

• Know God’s Word as your weapons against the enemy’s lies – The Bible is your main defensive, for it is the truth that sets free. Pick up your shield of faith, and protect your mind with the helmet of salvation. Speak out truth and faith. Strongholds come in through the mind, and God’s Word is a mighty weapon against them. “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32). 

• Grow in holiness and humility – Humility enables you to receive the grace of God. It is opposite of the enemy. When you are submitted to God, the enemy flees. “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship” (Romans 12:1).
• Guard your relationships, and practice peace and love – Know the power of words, and watch your tongue carefully. Speak life words of peace and love rather than death words. Watch all criticism. “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves” (Romans 12:9-10). 

• Forgive quickly, and walk in unity – Learn to forgive quickly, and bless others. We can have no authority over a nation, city, or area when we have unforgiveness in our hearts. Release forgiveness and blessings to all. “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them together in perfect unity” (Colossians 3:13-14). 

• Grow in the area of prayer and fasting – Learn to exercise the authority you have in Christ. Extended times in prayer and fasting increase spiritual authority. You are seated with Christ. “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6).


I personally believe that the uniting and training of intercessors will have a dramatic effect in bringing in the world harvest. It is as we unite together that God can bring great breakthrough against the powers of darkness. Each of us need others to pray for us personally as we are involved in the ministry of intercession. Let we pray the above for all intercessors and their churches. It would even a greater benefit to you personally if you would memorize these verses. Additional verses to study about spiritual warfare are in Ephesians 6:10-20.

The real danger for us is not the enemy’s schemes, but being unaware of them – and thus, unprotected from them. We tend to approach difficulties in the church as though they are ‘natural’ things. But when churches divide over whether to use hymns or contemporary choruses, it’s not natural. When a flock turns on its shepherd, it’s not natural. When saints, called to live in love and peace, spend their time criticizing and accusing one another, it’s not natural. The devil has come to church.” Unnamed quotes by David Butts

For additional training on warfare prayer; how fasting intensifies prayer, breaking strongholds over cities and nations, opening wide the gates into nations and how to pray for country leaders, read the book called Ascending the Heights in Prayer by Debbie Przybylski.

 “God is establishing a new authority in His church to break through to the third heaven, gain the heart of God, and carry that revelation back to earth where we can accomplish His will. As we do, we will change the very atmosphere around us – God’s will being done on earth as it is in heaven. This is what we pray for every time we pray the Lord’s Prayer!”

It is time to seek God’s face through worship. The word “seek” means to search, look for, aim at or try to discover. We need to seek and search for God with deep passion. God desires that we become worship warriors for His Kingdom. I am using this season in my life to seek the face of God in a deeper way. When you come to the end of yourself, when you need God desperately, when you are hungry for more, then everything else is not as important as seeking the Lord’s face. God is removing our grip on earthly, temporary treasures and bringing us into a new spiritual dimension and walk with Himself. Most of us would say, “We have never been this way before.”

When we worship, we come into a supernatural connection with God. There is power in that connection. As a result, doors on earth open before us. We have a revelation of God’s will and plan. We can walk in a new level of victory. God brings us into a place of transformation. We are drawn out of the pattern of this world and into the pattern that God created us for. We are comforted in the midst of turmoil, and we receive the Holy Spirit’s help. As we worship, we ascend to a new place and begin to see from a heavenly perspective.

Worshipping God opens the door for God’s presence and power on earth.

We are in days where the spiritual warfare is increasing. Life is radically changing. God wants us to learn to ascend in worship and then learn to descend in war. What we did yesterday and the way we used to live is no longer adequate for the days we are entering. We have got to rise up to a new level of spirituality. We have got to ascend into our Father’s Throne Room, and then He makes sense of it all. We can no longer depend on our own understanding. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty. We must have heavenly revelation in order to fight this spiritual war on earth. From a position of worship, we will gain the victory.

Ascend in Worship

“This is a time for worship! This is a time for intercessors to ascend, worship and come boldly into our Father’s Throne Room.”

When we ascend in worship, we enter into a new realm. The promises of God become realities in our life, because our faith awakens to a new level. God calls us to ascend in worship, but how can we so this when there are so many cares in this world? Here are some practical ways you can ascend in worship.

• Give God Time – The enemy will try to keep you too busy to seek God. This is his strategy. He will put many good things in your path. He knows when you truly seek God, you move into a new realm, and his works are shattered. Look at your schedule. Whatever it takes, narrow it down, and seek His face in worship.
• Abide – Learn to abide in God’s presence at all times. When you are tempted to worry or get distracted, catch yourself, confess it as sin as soon as you are aware of it, and go back to worship.
• Be Disciplined – Live a disciplined life of worship even when your circumstances are difficult. Determine persistently to worship Him. We don’t realize the weights and oppression that are part of this life. Worship brings us above this world’s cares.
• Worship Continually – It will not work to worship God occasionally. We must worship Him throughout the day. We can’t let our mind concentrate on the increasing troubles on earth. Jesus has paved the way. He is seated in the heavenlies at the right hand of the Father (Hebrews 1:1-3). He reigns from heaven.
• Use the Word – Mix the praying of the Word with your worship. Because of present health problems, I am reading and praying the Word of God throughout the day. This is helping me so much as I worship God. It is giving me a heavenly perspective and helps me to focus on God.
• Express your Heart – God loves passionate worshippers. You may want to be loud or quiet, sing, weep or shout. Use whatever way helps you to express your heart to God. God is looking for your heart.


“When we release a sound of worship, the earth must respond. There is power in lifting our voices in acclamation of the true and living God. We can speak; we can sing; we can shout. Then the expressive power of the hands generates a sound. We can clap, and we can play instruments. We can also lift our hands in worship… We can stand; we can bow; we can dance.”


Descend in War

“So if we live on earth but have access to heavenly places through prayer, why is God’s will not always done on earth as it is in heaven? The answer lies in the second heaven where Satan, the ‘prince of the power of the air’ (Ephesians 2:2), and his demons contest God’s reign and His angels. Satan is the prince of this world (see John 12:31, 14:30, 16:11).

To better understand the warfare we face and the incredible power we have in prayer, it helps to carefully understand the following: The first heaven is the earthly realm where we live. When Jesus died on the cross, He broke the power of Satan in this earthly realm. Through His death and resurrection, we can pray into the third heaven where God is seated (Romans 5:1-2). We have access to heavenly places through our prayers. Satan is the prince of the power of the air (the second heaven) and the god of this age (II Corinthians 4:4). He tries to block heaven’s will on earth through a hierarchy of demons that are positioned between us on earth and the third heaven where God and Jesus are seated. Our struggle is against the spiritual forces of evil in the second heaven (Ephesians 6:12). He gains legal right to block heaven’s will on earth through rebellion against God both personally and corporately through such things as idolatry, immorality, bloodshed, and all other types of sin on earth.

God’s church has the power to break the strongholds of Satan on earth! We can break through his domain in the second heaven and we can destroy his strategies. This is powerful truth to the worship warrior! When we worship, we are surrounded by God’s presence. When we are abiding in His presence, God equips us for war. We first ascend in worship, and then we descend in war. How do we do this? Here are some practical ways you can descend in war.

• Walk in Peace – Hold your ground, and walk in the peace that surpasses all understanding. The things you need to see happen are in the supernatural realm. Trying to figure it out in the natural will not help. God is after a supernatural life.
• Listen Carefully – Listen for God’s strategy. God gives revelation and faith as you worship. God will give you insight into your situation as you listen.
• Live Expectantly – Believe that God will give you heavenly knowledge. God speaks to you as you worship. Be expectant, and expect God to speak to you personally.
• Pray Through – Learn to pray through the issues God lays on your heart. When you war in prayer, you gain more revelation and break the enemy’s power. Your faith begins to grow to a new level.
• Gain New Ground – As you press through in prayer, you will gain new ground and revelation for warfare prayer. It’s an ongoing warfare here on earth but you have the ability to overcome the enemy. God will continue to bring you into new places with new insight.
• Be Persistent – Don’t give up. As you gain new ground and revelation, you must pray through those issues by faith and with persistence.

“The more we ascend, the greater release of faith comes into our spirit man. You have an issue or a burden or a project that you are praying through. You worship and get a piece of the puzzle. God speaks to you during worship. From His voice you war through the next season, and there you gain new ground. You worship more, and you get more revelation. From this revelation, you war.”

“Knowing that we are entering a battle of uncharted terrain, worship and praise seems to be our key to victory in days ahead. We have now entered into a season of war. When we began this last millennium, change and conflict accelerated. We find ourselves groping for stability, footing and positioning. The world is changing so quickly that many awaken with anxiety to each new day… The Church is being prepared to enter its most dynamic season of warfare, worship and harvest.”

For additional training on worshipping prayer; learning to be thankful in all circumstances and choosing praise, read the book called Ascending the Heights in Prayer by Debbie Przybylski.


“Christ’s power to save, and save completely, depends on His unceasing intercession. The apostles’ withdrawal of themselves from other work to give themselves continually to prayer was followed by the number of the disciples multiplying exceedingly. As we, in our day, give ourselves to intercession, we will have more and mightier conversions. Let us plead for this. Christ is exalted to give repentance. The church exists with the divine purpose and promise of having conversions. Let us not be ashamed to confess our sin and feebleness and cry to God for more conversions in Christian and heathen lands, of those whom you know and love. Plead for the salvation of sinners.”

How can we as intercessors prepare for the harvest? The reality is that the intercession of the saints will lead to a great harvest of souls at the end of the age. I encourage you to anticipate it, cry out for it, and seek God for this great ingathering of souls into God’s Kingdom. Individuals are beginning to turn to Christ as never before all over the world. All the turmoil that is presently happening with terrorism, natural disasters (earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, etc.), is only showing people that there must be more than this life; there must be something else than the uncertainties all around us. One of our great responsibilities and joys as intercessors is to pray in this worldwide harvest.

We are not only called to pray, but we also must love and reach out to the lost. Although intercession is the chief element in preparing the harvest, we must not avoid reaching out to the lost ourselves. Most of us have failed to be the light that God desires us to be. I admit that I miss opportunities to be God’s light. But God wants to change that for each one of us. I am including a prayer of repentance written by my husband, Norm. Perhaps this is the first step in being a strong intercessor for the lost and the harvest. We need to admit where we have been as the body of Christ. We need to pray and take action. When we intercede and also reach out to the lost with God’s light, our prayers will become even more intense and passionate.


A Prayer of Repentance

Lord, you were a shining light to the generation of people who lived two thousand years ago. They flocked to you because you loved them enough to be with them and to show them the true way to the Father. You have commissioned us to shine with that same love and message, yet we have not.

Even in light of the fact that you have given so much to us and have enriched our lives in every way, we have neglected to give proper attention to the function that was highest on your list, “to seek and to save the lost”. We confess, Lord, that we have been too busy with life. We have loved our lives in this world to the exclusion of the task for which you keep us in the world. Our concern has not been great enough. Our love has not been hot enough. Our vision of eternity has not been clear enough. We have not believed, we have been cowards, we have turned away busying ourselves with temporal pursuits while our neighbors pass, one by one, into a living and dying hell. We haven’t cared enough to intentionally love and pray for them.

Lord, we confess what we are, jars of clay. But you are the potter. We ask that you remold our hearts after your own heart. Give us a love that will lead the way, a passion hot as fire, and a faith that no disappointment will tire. Give us love for the lost and a life of power that will convince them of eternity and the claims of Jesus Christ. In Jesus’ name. Amen.


How to Pray as you Reach out to the Lost

You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you – I have appointed you, I have planted you – that you might go and bear fruit and keep on bearing; that your fruit may be lasting (that it may remain, abide); so that whatever you ask the Father in My name (as presenting all that I AM) he may give it to you. This is what I command you, that you love one another.” John 15:16-17 (Amplified)

• Pray that God would minister to their physical, emotional, mental and spiritual needs. Pray that he would use you to touch their real needs and demonstrate His love and care. “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners… to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.” (Isaiah 61:1, 3) 

• Pray for God to open the spiritual eyes of the lost and set them free from spiritual captivity. Pray that they might have ears to hear the truth and understand it. “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of god.” (II Corinthians 4:3-4) 

• Pray for opportunities to get to know the lost in the area where you live and work. Ask God to help you build relationships and identify with them. Pray that you might be a fragrance of Christ. “To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.” (I Corinthians 9:22-23)

• Pray for opportunities to witness with boldness at the right time. Pray that God will send others into their life to witness as well. “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly as I should. Be wise in the way you act towards outsiders; making the most of every opportunity.” (Colossians 4:2-5) 


A Prayer for God’s Presence

“Father, we confess that we want to see change in our lives. Give us such a heart and passion after you that we may begin to see your glory flow out of us to convict and save the lost. Release your presence through us as you did through Charles Finney when he walked through factories and saw workers drop to their knees under your glory and cried out for forgiveness although not one word had been spoken or preached. May the faintest shadow of your presence in our lives heal the sick and restore the lame we meet in the streets. Let your presence so saturate us that unsaved guests can’t step into our homes or be around us with unrepentant hearts. May your glory bring conviction in their lives that lead to salvation, not because of the words we say but because of your presence and power in our hearts. May we be filled with the glory of God where your presence resides in every neighborhood and where every person passing through is touched by the power of God.”

Let us pray that we become more passionate in praying for the harvest. Let us also pray that each one of us will reach out with a new commitment to love and be a light to those who are lost. I know that I want to make a decision to pray more intensely for souls. I also want to make a commitment to reach out with the Good News of Jesus to those who are living without hope. Moses experienced God’s presence wherever he went. When we pray and reach out to the lost, we shall experience God’s presence wherever we go as well. As a partner with Jesus Christ, I want to experience this in an ever-increasing measure. I want to see the miraculous, and I am sure that you do too.

“The Lord replied, ‘My Presence will go with you…'” (Exodus 33:14)

“The Lord Jesus has united us in partnership with Himself in carrying out the great work of intercession. He in heaven and we on earth must be of one mind. We must have only one aim in life. That aim is that we should love the Father and the lost by consecrating our lives to intercession for God’s blessing. The burning desire of Father and Son for the salvation of souls must be the burning desire of our hearts, too.” Quotes by Andrew Murray

For additional training on evangelistic prayer; how to let your light shine and how compassion is the pathway to divine power, read the book called Ascending the Heights in Prayer: Touching Heaven – Changing Earth by Debbie Przybylski.

 “The Life of Jesus provides the model for our prayer lives. God is seeking to mold us into the image of His Son (Colossians 1:27-28). If we are to act like Christ, our prayer lives must be conformed to His. Many Christians are unwilling to pay the price that Jesus paid when it comes to interceding with God. Jesus’ prayers came with vehement cries and tears and, ‘because of his godly fear’, He was heard by the Father.” Henry Blackaby

Jesus was passionate! We saw it in the wonderful film The Passion of the Christ. He was passionate about the lost, He was passionate about life and death, and He was passionate about prayer. We are living in a time when passionate prayer, the opposite of lukewarm or apathetic prayer, is needed for every nation. And the prayers of Jesus were heard because He left it all up to God. We may not sweat drops of blood when we pray, but we do know that sometimes prayer requires a wrestling in the Spirit with passion and fervency. Jesus never gave up, and He doesn’t want us to give up in prayer. He says in Luke 18:1 that we should always pray and not give up.

“During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayer and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.” (Hebrews 5:7)


Jesus Models a Lifestyle of Prayer

Jesus prayed often. Mark 1:35 says, “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” Jesus prayed in the desert and other lonely places (Luke 5:16), and he often prayed all night long (Luke 6:12). His prayers were with such intensity of focus that, at times, He even sweat great drops of blood when He prayed (Luke 22:44). And today He is still praying for us. I say this to encourage you, because many of you are deciding to increase the level of prayer in your own life. Others of you are trying to develop a greater prayer focus in your church or ministry and are running into opposition called spiritual warfare. The enemy will try to stop prayer any way he can, because he fears the prayer movement that is increasing all over the world. I have felt the intensity of warfare myself. Don’t give up or let the enemy discourage you. Things will happen as you persevere. God delights in your prayers! Prayer is the most important thing you can do, because after you have prayed, the fruit will come. When you plant seeds of prayer, they must grow. And when you pray God’s Word over your life, ministry, family neighborhood, city, etc., His Word will not return void. 

      Why did Jesus pray so passionately? He knew that His authority and message came through prayer and by connecting with the Father in the power of the Spirit. Jesus always knew when He should withdraw and pray. He never became distracted by the work, because He always knew that power for the work came from God. More prayer equals more help and more blessing. Prayer was Jesus’ continual lifestyle and practice. He prayed passionately for Himself and for other as he walked this earth. And, no matter what our calling is in life, He is bringing us into a deeper, a more passionate, and a more intimate prayer life because He wants us to walk in a new level of power and authority, thereby defeating the enemy.

“Throughout history God has looked for those willing to yield everything to Him and His desire to redeem a world. At times God has marveled that no one was willing to go with Him (Isaiah 63:5, 59:16). The prophets seemed to grasp more than the common people, for while society carried on as though nothing were wrong, the prophets agonized and wept over what they knew God was preparing to do. God is calling you to go deeper in your prayer life with Him. If you are willing to be the person Jesus can take with Him into the most sacred moments, you will experience things only the angels shared with Jesus in the garden that night.” Henry Blackaby


The Prayers of Jesus

“Jesus… went up onto a mountain to pray. As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning” (Luke 9:28-29). “And as he was praying, heaven was opened” (Luke 3:21).

• The Lord’s Prayer – “This, then is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.'” (Matthew 6:9-13)

• Glorify Your Name – “Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!’ Then a voice came from heaven, ‘I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.'” (John 12:27-28)

• Glorify Your Son – “After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: ‘Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him… and now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.'” (John 17:1-5)

• A Prayer for Believers – “…I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name – the name you gave me – so that they may be one as we are one…” (John 17:6-19)

• A Prayer for Unity and Love – “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me…” (John 17:20-26)

• A Prayer for God’s Will to Be Done – “Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.'” (Matthew 26:39-42, Luke 22:44)

• Father Forgive Them – “Jesus said, ‘Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.’ And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.” (Luke 23:33-34, 46)


Jesus’ Passion Is That We Would Pray

When you have made it your aim to grow in prayer, you have chosen a noble passion. When you have made it your goal to see prayer mobilized in your church or ministry, you have chosen a wise ambition. When you call upon God to teach you to pray as Jesus and His disciples did, you are praying a wonderful prayer. Again, remember that the passion of Jesus is that we would pray always and never faint. In our travels to various nations, we are seeing increased desire to pray and to pray effectively, a passion in prayer such as we have never before imagined. The pursuit for prayer is not just an individual pursuit but churches, ministries and cities are seeking God on a wider scale. Truly this is the end-times Church arising to her destiny. And more prayer brings more glory to God.

“I want to encourage you to embrace a life of extravagant devotion to God, without any regard to cost. I want to encourage it not only because you will have the greatest reward you can have at the end of your life, but because you will fulfill your destiny in God, and just because it is an incredibly enjoyable way to live.” Mike Bickle

 
“God puts a great price on humility of heart. It is good to be clothed with humility as with a garment. It is written, ‘God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble’ (James 4:6). That which brings the praying soul near to God is humility of heart. That which gives wings to prayer is lowliness of mind. Pride, self-esteem, and self-praise effectually shut the door of prayer. He who would come to God must approach the Lord with self hidden from his eyes. Humility is a rare Christian grace of great price in the courts of heaven, entering into and being an inseparable condition of effectual praying. It gives access to God when other qualities fail. Its full portrait is found only in the Lord Jesus. Our prayers must be set low before they can ever rise high.” E. M. Bounds

Walking in humility is essential for those who want to touch the world through prayer. While traveling in India, I was touched very deeply by the humility I saw in the Christians. They were clothed in humility with a remarkable beauty. Now God is reminding me over and over again to pray, “Lord, give me a humble heart.” None of us can change the world unless we have a humble heart and unless we walk in the very humility in which Jesus walked in. He became nothing and emptied Himself.

Jesus, we don’t really understand the depths of humility you walked in while here on earth. Am I willing for that? He died an agonizing death for you and me. Am I willing to go through pain, misunderstanding and brokenness for Him as He for us? I was so challenged by the poor in spirit that my outlook on life has been radically affected. I want that spirit of humility that I see in them. May God give us a revelation of how very important humility is for effective intercession.

“For this is what the High and lofty One says, He who lives forever, whose name is holy;
’I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite'” (Isaiah 57:14-15).

“For everyone that exalts himself shall be humbled, and he that humbles himself shall be exalted” (Luke 18:14). Pride is the big “I” of self. What is brokenness and humility? It is the painful, humiliating, “Not I but Christ,” “not my will, but Yours be done.” You and I can choose to walk in this most wonderful spirit. We only have to ask and pray, “Lord, give me a humble heart that I might fear Your name. Clothe me in Your robe of humility, and take away all that does not please You.” Let God touch your heart deeply as an intercessor, so that Jesus may clothe you with this beautiful gift of humility and that through that humility, He may release powerful prayer for all the downcast, poor and broken-hearted around the world. We must lay hold of this key.


The Beauty of Humility

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:3-8)

The Path to brokenness – What does God do to break us?

• Brokenness comes when we are confronted with the living word of God – Jesus is a stone to make men stumble. He who falls on this stone will be broken. “He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.” (Matthew 21:44)

• Brokenness comes through pain and suffering, but brings forth character – Paul’s thorn in the flesh is a good example of this. “Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character; and character, hope.” (Romans 5:3)

• Brokenness comes when we see where our own way has taken us – “I know my transgression and my sin is always before me” (Psalm 51:3-5). “My sins are more than the hairs of my head. My heart fails within me.” (Psalm 40)


The Wise Actions of Brokenness – What does a broken person look like?

• He doesn’t defend Himself – He trusts God to defend. “Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord. On the contrary: ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.'” (Romans 12:19-20a)

• He is ready to be honest about himself – “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (I John 1:8-9)

• He quickly admits that he has sinned – Pride will deny that there is the possibility to sin (the Pharisee and publican). “Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight.” (Psalm 51:4a)

• He is ready to make restitution – “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.” (Matthew 5:23-24)

• He is convinced of his inability to serve God on his own – He realizes his dependence on prayer and seeking God’s face. He knows that he can do nothing without God. “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:8)

The Blessings of Brokenness – What does brokenness produce in us?

• It manifests true humility – “You do not delight in sacrifice or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” (Psalm 51: 16-17)

• It brings spiritual fruit – “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” (John 12:24)

• It brings healing – “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” (Psalm 147:3)

• It brings us closer to God – “The Lord is close to the broken-hearted and saves those what are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18)


“In humility there is the total absence of pride, and it is at the very farthest distance from anything like self-conceit. There is no self-praise in humility. Rather, it has the disposition to praise others. ‘In honor preferring one another’ (Romans 12:10). It is not given to self-exaltation. Humility does not love the uppermost seat or aspire to the high places. It is willing to take the lowliest seat and prefers those places where it will be unnoticed. Humility does not have its eye on self, but rather on God and others. It is poor in spirit, meek in behavior, lowly in heart.” E. M. Bound


“Hiddenness. God hides for a reason – so that He can develop you on the inside and train you to see with the eyes of faith. In manifestation, you can already see what God is doing. In hiddenness, you learn to look inward and recognize that God is still at work, relying purely on your faith.”

In the natural world, we pass through many seasons. The same is true in the spiritual realm. There are seasons in our lives where God is manifesting himself to us through blessing and feelings of His presence. This reminds me of spring where the birds begin to sing, flowers start to grow, and the trees begin to flourish with new leaves. There are also seasons in life when God seems to be hidden or far away. This reminds me of winter when everything seems to die, the days are shorter, and life seems to go into seclusion. From a spiritual perspective, a less mature believer in this season may feel he has done something wrong or that God is angry because he doesn’t feel His presence. But for those who have learned to walk with God, there is a realization that though God may appear absent, He has not forsaken them. He is always there. He just is hidden.

Most of us don’t fully appreciate these times when God seems absent. We don’t fully grasp the true blessedness of this time. We always want God to manifest Himself to us. We want to experience God. We want to feel good. We don’t like walking by faith instead of by sight. If we don’t understand these times, we may miss out on all that God wants to do internally. This is God’s training ground. Understand that this is the time when God wants to teach you wisdom in the inmost place. He is right now raising up strong and consistent intercessors who know how to pray whether He appears absent or present. They will not be shaken or faithless when He is hidden from their sight. They will know in their spirit that He is always there. They will take advantage of these times to grasp hold of wisdom in the inmost place. They will submit their will to God in this season. They know that in times of hiddenness they are able to process deep truth.

“Real wisdom is hidden from us until God reveals it to us. He often chooses to do that in the place of hiddenness. Hiddenness is God’s training ground. In hiddenness God is teaching us the wisdom of how to walk with Him, how to know Him, how to understand Him and how to live a life of reverent fear.”

The Benefits of Experiencing the Hiddenness of God

“Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place” (Psalm 51:6).

We receive so many benefits during the times when we experience the hiddenness of God. We must look at these times as extremely valuable when we go deeper with God and receive treasures in the secret place. God has a goldmine of blessing if we handle this time in the right way. The following are some of these benefits:

• Hiddenness is a time for building – God is building internally in your life. There are times of manifestation when you feel the joy and presence of God, but hiddenness is when God is doing internal work in your life.
• Hiddenness teaches you God’s wisdom – God wants to reveal wisdom to you. He wants to have you all to Himself, and He will tell you many secret words of wisdom if you learn to listen.
• Hiddenness develops your inner man – God is building you into a man or woman of the spirit. During this time, you learn to live in the spirit and not in the soul. You learn to submit your soul to your spirit.
• Hiddenness teaches you to live inwardly – God is teaching you consistency inwardly. You learn to turn inward to find out what God is like. He reveals His love and character in the inward place.
• Hiddenness reveals deep truth – God uncovers wrong perspectives and ways of living. You learn about His ways. He answers your questions and gives you new insight.
• Hiddenness teaches you to live above the enemy’s attacks – You can learn to live far above the enemy’s ability to destroy or defeat you. You learn to overcome evil with good (Romans 12:2).
• Hiddenness changes you radically – God changes your heart towards Him and towards people. God transforms your life through seasons of hiddenness.

If you are experiencing the hiddenness of God, understand that He is developing you on the inside. This is a special time in your life. Do not run from it. Let God have His way. Take time to wait in contemplative silence before Him. Learn to flow with Him during this season of your life. You need not be shaken or become sad during times when God seems absent. You just need to understand the ways of God. He is working deeply within you. God is stripping away the externals in your life and building deep, spiritual consistency within you. He is teaching you to walk by faith, depending on your understanding of His nature alone. He is always faithful and good.

In my Christian life, several times I have experienced the hiddenness of God. I am learning to rejoice in these seasons because I long for God to reveal deep truth to me in the hidden place. This time is good if we understand what God is doing and if we realize the many benefits God wants to impart to us. In due season, God will again bring us into the place of manifestation where we feel and experience His presence in a fuller dimension. The prayer below is important because it helps us to pray for wisdom and faith during seasons of hiddenness.


A Prayer for Wisdom and Faith

“Father, I thank you that I am the apple of your eye.
I know that you seek to hide me in the secret place of Your presence. 
Teach me how to abide in You, to dwell and remain in Christ, 
Hidden away in Your heart, safe from the hands of the enemy. 
Help me to understand the wisdom of hiddenness, 
To perceive the revelation of Your presence by wisdom and faith. 
When my soul cries out for Your manifest presence, 
May it hear the soothing words of the inner man of the Spirit, 
Saying, peace! Be at rest. God is here. 
Raise up my inner man so that my soul capitulate to childlike trust, not emotion. 
Teach me to see You by faith, 
So that the reality of your continuous presence remains with me at all times. 
In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

“When we become comfortable with the ways of God in hiddenness, we will find ourselves going farther in the realm of the Spirit than ever before. We’ll go farther than we ever thought possible in our present circumstances, because He’ll take us to a place of deeper revelation, and we will experience a bigger breakthrough.”

Quotes and prayer by Graham Cooke For additional training on the intercessor and hiddenness; the discipline of hiddenness and secret prayer, read the book called Deeper Still: Secrets to a Deeper Prayer Life by Debbie Przybylski.

“Though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses (strongholds). We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).

A stronghold is defined by Webster as a place having strong defenses; a fortress. As we progress, growing in our walk with God, the enemy will fight hard by every possible means to discourage and defeat us. To overcome these personal attacks we must understand his methods. He will most often try to defeat us through our minds (our thought lives). This battle is very strong because it goes on continually. In dreams, when we wake up in the morning, and throughout the day, fiery thought darts assail our minds. Our enemy knows that if he can rule in our thoughts, then he can defeat us in our actions, including our prayer lives. We don’t realize the number of negative thoughts that bombard us daily. And they are powerful. They can destroy relationships, affect ministries, drain us of health and energy, as they impact almost every area of our lives.

To avoid destruction, we must learn to take every thought captive to Christ and not listen to the lies of the enemy.

Learning to destroy strongholds of the mind will have a dramatic affect in the life of every person who wants to serve God wholeheartedly. As intercessors, we must take captive our thoughts and walk in truth. Doing this has greatly impacted both my husband’s and my life. Having gained understanding of how to walk free of strongholds, we have been able to teach people in several countries how they, too, can walk in a greater freedom.

A Powerful Enemy – Strongholds in our Mind

Some of Satan’s most powerful weapons against our effectiveness for the Kingdom are strongholds in our minds. A stronghold is a thought pattern, usually planted in our minds during our first five years of life. It grows and gains strength through the years, becoming a practiced way of thinking and an automatic way of living. We all have some strongholds, which have become powerful life messages. An enemy stronghold is based in a lying thought that we have embraced instead of God’s truth. These strongholds are powerful and can cause destructive habits that affect our relationship to God and to others.

Such patterns of thought can bring terrible misunderstandings into our lives. Let me give you some examples of strongholds: “I will never change,” “I’m bad,” “Nobody loves me,” “I’m stupid,” “I’m a failure,” “It’s all my fault,” “Life isn’t safe,” “My situation is hopeless,” etc. Realize that this idea or thought is the open door through which the enemy can defeat us again and again. We are then stuck in a rut. This is how the enemy works.

Our strongholds affect one another, and that is why there is so much warfare in marriages and relationships. They trigger another’s emotions or strongholds and work to bring destruction. They need to be brought to the cross in repentance.

“We do this by identifying strongholds and practices in our flesh, hating them, repenting of them, confessing them to the Father; and then believing they have died with Jesus.”

We read in 1 John 3:8, “The son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.” We need to believe that His death has set us free. If the body of Christ begins to walk out of these strongholds and begins to believe the truth instead of the lie, Satan knows that we will be unstoppable for the Kingdom of God. This is why he fights so hard to keep these lies hidden in our lives. But there is hope! God can identify and break these strongholds in our mind.


Weapons Against Strongholds

As we enter deeper into the end times, we are going to have to work to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. Some weapons to help us to deal with strongholds in our own lives and the lives of others are the following:

• The Word of God – Paul would speak the truth of God’s Word. The Word is our life and sets us free. We must hold onto it with all of our hearts. We must listen to what God says rather than the lies and fiery darts 
of the enemy.
• Repentance – Repentance removes the legal base of Satan’s attack. When we confess the false belief that we have carried most of our lives, God is able to remove the legal base and the open door of the enemy. He is able to break through the fear that has controlled us. He can speak to our hearts in a new way where we are able to experience His peace and love in a new dimension.
• Personal testimony – We overcome the enemy by the word of our testimony. Personal testimonies touch into the feeling part of our being. Personal testimony given in a spirit of humility helps us to identify with others. “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony” (Revelation 12:11a)
.
• Forgiveness – We must forgive everyone who has hurt or offended us. Usually when strongholds are detected and acknowledged, there is someone who has been involved in the starting or reinforcing of that stronghold. Forgiveness will be a key to our deliverance. We must learn to set those people free.
• The blood of Jesus – There is power in the blood of Jesus. This is power to set the captives free and to live a new kind of life. The blood of Jesus overcomes all obstacles of sin. Jesus’ blood is a weapon of His kindness that disarms the weaponry of the sin of the stronghold. We need to learn to pray the blood of Jesus over our cities, our neighborhoods and our families.
• Prayer – Prayer applies the blood, cross and resurrection life of Jesus. It enables us to hear and receive the Word of God. “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints” (Ephesians 6:18).
• Dying to sin – We need to hate the strongholds in our lives and our sinful responses. We think we benefit in some way from the stronghold such as the satisfaction of vengeance, feeling powerful and various other ways. We need to be so grieved by our sinful strongholds that we are willing to pay the price of dying to sin. It is a process. “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good” (Romans 12:9).

God will enable us to break through the enemy strongholds in our lives and in our cities and nation. Let us not give up but diligently bring our thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ.

“Therefore, I urge you, brethren, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:1-2).

To find out more about destroying personal strongholds, get our book called Intercessors Arise: Personal Prayer that Changes the World by Debbie Przybylski.

“Gates are where we win or lose. That is why Scripture uses gates as the place to be broken through. We must break through intimidation, faithlessness, fear, hopelessness, despair, or whatever else looms like an unconquerable foe at the gates. The threshold is where we either leap forward or back out. Yet once we leap, it is where we meeting the incredible supernatural power of God to break through before us victorious over every obstacle. It is after we leap that we begin to possess our inheritance for the current season. It is where increase and abundance come in whatever dimension we are crossing over into. It is there we meet God in a way that is new.”

The death and resurrection of Jesus was the greatest breakthrough in all of history. Jesus broke the power of death and evil when He died on the cross for our sins. His resurrection is proof of the most wonderful and glorious accomplishment on earth. He provided a way of breakthrough for those who trust in Him. Most of us need breakthrough in some way. We need breakthrough in our families, nations, and everyday life situations. There are shut doors that need to be opened by the resurrection power of God. There are long-term barriers where we need the explosive power and might of God to break through. Our God has the breakthrough anointing for each one of us. He will use His authority and force to open the gates that have been shut.

Perhaps you need a personal breakthrough today. Persevering prayer and faith are keys to breakthrough. And Jesus has the breaker anointing to break through in any situation that we may face. We need breakthrough in order to see heaven come on earth and to see the Kingdom of God released among us. God is looking for people who believe Him for breakthrough. God wants us to rise up in faith in order to see the breakthrough. God is the one who will break through for you, but He needs your cooperation to open the gates, those closed places, before you. This is what faith will do:

“It opens the gate of heaven. When heaven’s gates open, what is in heaven comes down to earth. Health, wholeness, peace, love, grace, glory, revelation, strategy, and all the rest of the nature of God and His Kingdom come down when the gates open.”

As I have said in the past said, the enemy tries to restrict us. He coils around us and tightens His grip like the python snake. He wants to restrict the Church worldwide, but we know that the Gates of Hades will not prevail against the Church (Matthew 16:18). Gates are exit and entry points that must be opened. Especially when we are at the place of threshold, the enemy will try to terminate our forward movement. He will attack with fear and through squeezing the life out of us.

There is warfare at the gates and especially at the threshold of breakthrough. This is where we must overcome. The Hebrew root meaning for threshold, gate or door is “caphaph” and means “to snatch away or terminate”. The other word for threshold is “pethen” and means “to twist as a snake”. It even sounds like python and may be where the name of this snake originated.

When you are experiencing strong, enemy warfare at the gates, it may seem that there is no life or direction but only darkness, despair, and the feeling of being lost. This is not what God wants for any of us. This is an enemy attack at the point of threshold and breakthrough. The enemy tries to snatch away our destiny and seeks to terminate our work for God at this point. There is fear at the brink or threshold because we are moving into a new place or territory. It is as if we are at the precipice of a mountain and there is a fear of risk, because there is a need for more faith in order to leap over to the other side. God wants us to move forward in faith.

Keep in mind that we are overcomers through Christ. He is the one who will win the victory, but we have to exercise our faith. He is the one who will break through for us, but He wants our cooperation. This is what God has said about breaking through gates in Isaiah 45:2: “I will go before you and make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of bronze (brass) and cut the bars of iron.”

“The details written in Isaiah 45:2 are important to emphasize because it helps us understand that without God intervening, these gates would never break open. The structure of these gates was such that it would be impossible for a human being to break through them. Supernatural intervention from the Breaker was required. God, therefore, victoriously went before them and broke through. The same is true today. We need the supernatural intervention of God to break through impenetrable gates in order to enter into new territories and new places.”

I encourage you to persevere in faith, and do not give up. There are breakthroughs in prayer that are close at hand. The enemy is trying to terminate your forward movement. You may be battling in faith and feel hindered by the enemy. Press on and press through for the breaker, Jesus, will surely come, and He will come with His resurrection power.

Intercessors are key to the world harvest that we are beginning to see in the nations. The enemy knows this and is trying to hinder the prayer movement. He will do this by trying to hinder the faith of the intercessors. God has been preparing intercessors for the future. This is the time to crossover to a new place and to take new territory for the Kingdom of God. But this involves letting go and moving forward with God in a dimension we have never moved before.

This involves faith.

“Crossing over require us to give up something that is precious to us such as a prized possession. It may be a thing, an attitude, a person, security, or our desire for the future. It can be anything that we hold on to when the only way to get to the other side is to let go of it. There is an aspect of idolatry to that. It has become a god to us, something we worship and to which we are bowing our knee. To cross over will mean to let go of that which will not fit through the gate with us.”

How to Break Through in Faith

Many of you may be at the door, at the threshold point of breakthrough in faith. The enemy is taunting and trying to stop you from forward movement. What do you need to do in order to see the breakthrough? What keys do you need to open the gate? The keys are a breakthrough God, yielding control, waiting and listening, faith and obedience.

• Realize that God is going to break through for you – You can’t do it by yourself. He has the resurrection power to break through every obstacle in your life. Meditate on God and His Word until you know that He is the breakthrough God for you.
• Yield all control to God – Let go of the known and trust God to get you across to the other side. So often we try to control our own lives. We need to yield our will, and move to a new level of trust in God.
• Wait on God and find out what action He wants you to take – Be still and make sure you know God’s leading in your life. Some of you may be in a place of hiddenness with God, and it may take faith to wait. But others of you may know what God wants you to do, but you have been hesitant and fearful. Hesitate no longer.
• Move forward in faith and obedience – Bold action will open the gate and release God’s spiritual power. Do not waver because of fear. Take a leap of faith. God will catch you in His arms on the other side.

“To refuse to leap is to make a choice to stop. We become stuck at that point. Before we can begin to increase again, we must return to the place where we made a choice to stop. However, once we can let go and leap, we will meet God in a completely new way. The new revelation of God will cause us to wonder why we were so hesitant. Yet without faith it is impossible to please God. So we will come to this place again and again and again.” Unnamed quotes by Barbara Yoder 


Let us remember that Jesus’ death and resurrection was the greatest place of breakthrough. He broke through every power of darkness when He died on the cross. His resurrection is the key to all power, all victory against the enemy attacks we face today. We can walk in great faith because our King has already won the battle at the cross. We can pray great prayers without doubt or fear, because we pray them in His most powerful name.

“Today, as much as at any time, we need men of great faith and men who are great in prayer. These are the two chief virtues that make men great in the eyes of God. These two things create conditions of real spiritual success in the life and work of the church. It is our main concern to see that we keep this kind of quality faith before God. This kind of faith grasps and holds in its keeping the things for which it asks without doubt and fear.” E. M. Bounds

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOPKC