“Every time the Lord faced an important decision, He prayed. When He was being tempted to do things by the world’s methods instead of the Father’s, He prayed (Matthew 4). When it was time to choose His disciples, He prayed the entire night (Luke 6:12). If the Son of God required a night of prayer in order to determine the Father’s mind, how long might it take us in prayer to clearly determine our Father’s will?” Henry Blackaby

Let prayer set the agenda of your life. Many of us often worry about our lives. What should we do next year? Where should we live? What school should we go to? These are all good questions that need careful thought. But if most of us were honest, we would admit that we worry needlessly about the choices we should make in everyday life. It is right to get wise counsel and to weigh out the options. However, when concern turns into unnecessary anxiety, we are not trusting God who knows exactly how to handle every situation we face. Life becomes simpler when we learn to seek God for every aspect of our plans. Our times spent in prayer will bring revelation of His agenda for us. We can be confident that in the final analysis, it is God who knows what is best for us and what will give Him the greatest glory.

We must learn to pray about everything and trust in God’s wisdom that far surpasses ours. At times we may sense His direction and feel the peace that comes from the Holy Spirit even though nothing in the natural may look logical. Recently we had this type of experience. We began to pray about lengthening our ministry time overseas because we felt God might want us to extend our visit to certain countries. We sensed God’s peace in a particular direction even though the decision to go home would have been easier and seemed more logical. We had already been traveling for two months, we were tired, had much to do in the U.S., and my father was ill, so an extension of another two months needed prayerful consideration. There were other reasons why going home would have been the right choice from a human standpoint. The problem is that very often God’s viewpoint is different from ours. He sees things far in advance and from His perspective, which is far beyond ours. In this case, we felt we must go with the leading and peace of the Holy Spirit. The real key for us was prayer and waiting upon God, listening and hearing His voice.

Through prayer, we discovered God’s agenda. 

We may not know the full picture of why we were to extend our time overseas. But we do know that we had to take that step of faith that was guided and empowered through prayer in order to do God’s very best. We knew that we were in the right place and that when we did return home, we knew we had completed what God had for us overseas. God loves to hear us pray with fervency, having done so, listen and step out in faith according to His leading. Perhaps there is something that you need to pray over regarding God’s plan and purpose in your present circumstances. Praying through every decision, listening to His voice, and leaning upon His understanding and wisdom will enable you to determine His agenda.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6)
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Guidelines to Hearing God’s Voice Through Prayer

“But as for me, I will look to the Lord and confident in Him I will keep watch; I will wait with hope and expectancy for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me” (Micah 7:7, Amplified).

• Bathe your life in prayer – Pray about all the decisions in your life daily. Ask Him for direction so that you may fulfill His will for your life for that day. Continually bring major decisions to Him in prayer. Pray, listen, and wait with expectancy.
• Believe that God does speak to you – “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). Accept this promise.
• Find time to be alone with God – Take time to pray and listen. Most of life is very busy, but time with Him is of utmost importance so we can hear from God. Often the Lord responds with a thought planted by His Spirit into the mind or heart.
• Keep a journal of what God says – We can better evaluate guidance and see what God is saying when we journal on a regular basis. Journaling helps us to ponder our thoughts and impressions so we can clearly discern the path God wants us to take.
• Test what you hear – What we think is God’s voice may come from the Holy Spirit, from the enemy or from our own souls. Ask the Lord to confirm what you think He may be saying. Through practice, we learn to hear God’s voice and the Holy Spirit’s leading. 1 John 4:1 exhorts us to test the spirits.
• Carefully check all guidance with Scripture – God’s Word is truth. What we think God is speaking should line up with Scripture. This is why we should examine everything carefully with the Bible. It is good to seek confirmation from at least two other Christians before taking action, especially on big decisions.
• Obey God – We must be willing to act on what God has told us. When we obey God, there is blessing. If we still doubt what we think God is saying, it is good to continue to ask Him for confirmation until we sense His peace.

“Jesus knew that His mission was not to attract a crowd, but to remain obedient to His Father. It was prayer that set the agenda for Jesus’ ministry (Luke 6:12). Prayer preceded the miracles (John 11:42-43); prayer brought Him encouragement at critical moments (Luke 9:28-31); prayer enabled Him to go to the cross (Luke 22:41-42); and prayer kept Him there despite excruciating pain (Luke 23:46). Follow the Savior’s example, and let your time alone with God, in prayer, set the agenda for your life.” Henry Blackaby

 “Whatever the issue in your life is, the key is to worship a holy God who created you and knows everything about you – your failures, shortcomings, insecurities, besetting sins and fears. He sits on His throne, omniscient, and says something like this: ‘I know your final destination, and I know how to get you from where you are now to where I want you to be. I know why I created you. If you’ll worship Me, I will visit with you. I can tell you how to get untangled from the snares in your path and how to move forward. I can even reveal to you things to come that are pertinent to your life and world.’” Chuck Pierce and John Dickson

This is the time to enter into deeper levels of worship both personally and corporately. It is only as we ascend to the throne room in worship, that we can descend back into the harvest field here on earth, praying and warring for victory in every area. When you and I come boldly to God’s throne in worship, He gives us His plans and strategies for our lives here on earth. There is no way that we can walk in His peace, power and perfect plan without a lifestyle of worship. To ascend is to arise, come up, increase, recover and restore. God wants us to rise up. He knows what He is doing here on earth. He can make sense of things that are happening and can show us the way through challenges. He can strengthen us as intercessors, and He can give us keys during our seasons of worship that unlock the path before us and bring glory into our situations here on earth. It’s time to devote ourself to greater worship of the Lord.



Worship changes our lives and how we see our circumstances. It is truly amazing to see life from God’s point of view instead of our own. I remember living as a missionary on a mission’s ship. At sea I would feel seasick, and some voyages from country to country could be quite long or very stormy. My solution was to walk out on deck and begin to worship God as I gazed at the ocean. After an hour on deck worshipping God, my situation would seem very different, and I would even feel better physically. Worship is the key to life. We are entering turbulent waters, and we must lay hold of this reality so that each one of us may stand firm, hold steady and pray fervently as the days unfold before us. There is no storm that Jesus will not be able to conquer. Truly, in the midst of resistance, if we worship Him, we shall see His victory. He can break through any obstacle when we make worship our life style.

“Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.” (Psalm 96:1-3)


God Loves Persevering Worship

“The heart of God loves a persevering worshipper, who though overwhelmed by many troubles, is overwhelmed even more by the beauty of God.” Matt Redman

A testimony by John Dickson who operated a Christian bookstore that went through a financial crisis: “Sometimes we just have to tell our soul what to do. Our soul does not always feel like praising God. As I praised Him as an act of my will, my spirit began to awaken inside me. As my soul began to line up with my proclamations, a flow of anointing began to be released. The oppressive cloud would lift, and the presence of God would come into my store. Over time my business turned around, and I knew it was not because of my keen business… It was the Lord. He turned my business around because I praised Him in the hard place.”

Are you overwhelmed by the troubles of life? Are you overwhelmed by your circumstances? Then praise and worship God with all your heart. Be radical and see the enemy flee. As you press through the heaviness, a transformation will take place. You will begin to see the beauty and greatness of God. Your faith will rise up. Your spirit will begin to sing. But you must take the first step. Open your mouth and begin. He can turn any darkness into light. Notice the transformation that took place as John Dickson began to praise God right in the midst of a crisis. God brought victory.

“When things are wonderful, we praise Him. When things are horrible, we praise Him. Whether we are happy or sad or terrified or bored, we are determined to offer to God our sacrifice of praise. Everything in us should give praise to the Lord.” Chuck Pierce and John Dickson

“Forgiveness is not a spiritual gift, a skill, or an inherited trait. Forgiveness is a choice. Jesus looked down on those who had ruthlessly and mockingly nailed Him to a cross, yet He cried out: ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do’ (Luke 23:34). How, then, can we refuse to forgive those who have committed offenses against us?” Henry Blackaby

Some time ago, while in Germany, I had the privilege of teaching a session on forgiveness as a part of a training course for individuals who are serving God in many nations. The course was called “Face to Face.” It was about coming face to face with God in intimacy and face to face with one another. Forgiving others who have hurt us is a personal choice. Truly forgiving can be very difficult for our flesh; however, it is one of the greatest ways we can ever show the reality of our walk with God to others. 



In order to come close to God in intimacy, we must learn to walk in forgiveness.

Unforgiveness keeps us from God and hinders our prayer life. Living in forgiveness is key for each of us who want to grow in prayer and intercession. We want intimacy with God, so, let us break every barrier. We naturally want to blame others and to take revenge. I am sure you will agree that choosing to forgive is an act of the will against human nature.

We see forgiveness demonstrated in the life of Joseph. He is a tremendous example of choosing to forgive family members who had deeply hurt him. Through Joseph’s act of forgiveness, God used him to bring about a great deliverance in the lives of his family. He had every reason to be bitter. He lived in prison for years because his brothers had sold him into slavery, however, he chose to forgive and to be reconciled to his brothers. He was so full of forgiveness that he begged his brothers to forgive themselves. He said the following, “Do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life… and to keep you alive by a great deliverance.” (Genesis 45:5,7)

“There was no bitterness, no revenge, and no angry last word preceding his forgiveness. There was only the foretaste of Christ’s own unconditional forgiveness to every self-condemned sinner. Indeed, like Joseph, every time we forgive, we too ‘preserve life.’ We restore our brethren to wholeness ‘by a great deliverance.'” Francis Frangipane

Hindrances to Forgiveness

“There is nothing so deeply imbedded in your heart that God’s grace cannot reach down and remove it. No area in your life is so painful thatGod’s grace cannot bring total healing. No offense committed against you is so heinous that God’s love cannot enable you to forgive.” Henry Blackaby

• Lack of understanding of God’s judgment and righteousness – We think we must take the matter into our own hands. If we don’t think that others are being punished properly, we try to help God. We must leave the dealing with God, trusting Him as judge.
• Pride in our life – We want to be right. We don’t think others deserve forgiveness. We may think that there is no need to forgive. We forget that we, ourselves, have already experienced the rich, undeserved forgiveness of God through Jesus’ sacrifice. Now we are called to walk in that grace towards others.
• An unwillingness to face the pain of the offense – We must know that we can bring the pain of offense to Jesus. “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5)

• Bitterness in our heart – We may hold revenge and want to punish. Do not forget that bitterness and unforgiveness bind us to the offender. We must cut the rope, and be set free.
• Not regarding sin seriously enough – Sin is serious business. We must come to grips with our hurt and forgive the offender. We cannot rationalize nor try to explain away a sinful response on our part. Unforgiveness puts a barrier between us and the Lord.

We need God’s help to forgive. Jesus knows the pain of betrayal. He understands humiliation, misunderstanding, shame and hurt. Jesus is the greatest example of one who forgave others freely and fully. Our Father God develops and shows His character in and through us by allowing us to experience difficult situations, His grace enabling us to walk out responses that give Him honor. As a result, we can walk in righteousness, peace and joy, demonstrating the life of Jesus here on earth.

“The choice to forgive opens my own prison doors. When I choose to hold someone in my debtor’s prison, I am the captive. My mind is occupied with justifying why they are there. I become obsessed with their punishment being carried out. In choosing to become their judge, I become their jailer and ironically enough, their captive. We all know that whatever we focus upon becomes the center of our lives.” Dudley Hall

To learn more about the freedom of forgiveness and the power of forgiveness, purchase our book called Intercessors Arise!

“Prayer intercession is empowered not only by the Holy Spirit, but also by true biblical fasting. With revival sweeping the nations, we are hearing of more prayer with fasting than prayer without fasting. We must return to the early church discipline of fasting. This discipline will be part of our training for the Church, especially in the coming generations.”

May God give us a heart revelation of the power and necessity of fasting combined with prayer. As we enter into fasting – whether it is a meal, a day or a season of fasting – let us make sure that we are fasting the right way. Let us ask God for the right heart motives and enter into our fast with a humble and obedient heart. May we be encouraged by the powerful life and testimony of Charles Finney and the fact that he was a man who fasted and prayed. He said the following:

“I used to spend a great deal of time in prayer; sometimes, I thought, literally praying ‘without ceasing’. I also found it very profitable, and felt very much inclined to hold frequent days of private fasting. On those days I would seek to be entirely alone with God, and would generally wander off into the woods, or get into the meeting house, or somewhere away entirely by myself. But whenever I fasted, and let the Spirit take his own course with me, and gave myself up to let him lead and instruct me, I universally found it in the highest degree useful. I found I could not live without enjoying the presence of God.”

Emptiness of Wrong Fasting: Isaiah 58:1-5

“. . . ‘Why have we fasted’, they say, ‘and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?’ Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers. Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high. Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for a man to humbled himself? Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed and for lying on sackcloth and ashes?”

This fast was an outward act of religious obedience but it had no heart. It was a ritualistic act and religious duty that caused pride and self-importance. The people continued to live disobedient and rebellious lives against God’s moral laws.

“God desires that they would draw near with humility of heart, honest prayer, and submission to His ways. A formal, ritualistic fasting without spiritual content cannot satisfy the heart of God. It accomplishes nothing. It is injurious to the one who fasts and to those around him. It warps judgments, deadens conscience, hardens the heart and awakens false hopes. Fasting must be joined with intercessory prayer out of a clean heart, an honest and humble heart, a heart that is first loving and submissive to a sovereign God.”

Benefits of Right Fasting: Isaiah 58:5-12

“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter – when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood…”

God rewards fasting that is done the right way. He looks at our hearts. He wants us to fast with the right motive and the right heart attitude. If we fast the way God desires and in an attitude of humility, He will bring rich blessings from these times. Isaiah 58 speaks at great length about the numerous benefits of fasting with the right heart. This chapter alone should motivate us to seek God more diligently in prayer and fasting.

The benefits of right fasting found in Isaiah 58

• Your light will break forth like the dawn.
• Your healing will quickly appear.
• Your righteousness will go before you.
• The glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.
• You will call and the Lord will answer.
• You will cry for help, and He will say, “Here am I.”
• Your light will arise in the darkness.
• Your night will become like the noonday.
• The Lord will guide you always.
• He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land.
• The Lord will strengthen your frame.
• You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.
• Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise the age-old foundations.
• You will be called repairer of broken walls.
• You will be a restorer of streets with dwellings.
• You will find your joy in the Lord.
• You will rise on the heights of the land.
• You will feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.

“Prayer intercession moves into the breach, the spiritual gap, and begins to pray repentance, restoration, revival and redirection for people – saved and unsaved. This should be the intercessor’s prayer while fasting. This is the prayer God desires from fasting intercessors. ‘Is this not the fast that I have chosen?’ Combine this spirit of intercession with the fasting of an honest heart, with Isaiah 58:6-12 to guide us, and the result will be powerful prayers with Kingdom results.” Quotes by Frank Damazio

“As a child of God, you ought to expect God to answer your prayers. Do you ask God to do something without adjusting your life to what you are praying? If you are praying for revival, how are you preparing for its coming? If you are praying for forgiveness, are you still living with guilt? If you have asked God to provide for your needs, do you remain worried and anxious? Ask God to increase your faith, and then begin living a life that reflects absolute trust in Him.” Henry Blackaby

We all want God to answer our prayers. We believe in the power of prayer. But when it comes down to our own individual lives and our own problems, we often don’t have the faith to believe God will answer. We are often trapped by our unbelief and independence. But God is preparing us for the end-time harvest. He wants to enlarge our territory. He wants to bless us with increase, because His nature is to bless. We are the ones who limit God because of our lack of faith and our fear of stepping out in dependence on Him. The truth is that the things we do for God should be outside of our own ability and trusting in His supernatural ability. When we back away from dependence, we are not living by faith. We need to be willing to attempt things big enough that unless God’s steps in, we are sure to fail. This is the kind of faith and dependence He is looking for in our life. Remember the Jabez prayer in I Chronicles 4:10 that many of us were praying a couple of years ago:

“Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, ‘Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.’ And God granted his request.”

He cried out to God to enlarge his territory and bless him. He cried out for God’s hand to be with him. We, too, are made for destiny. We have a God-inspired desire to impact our world. Created for something bigger than ourselves, we are designed to touch a lost world. As intercessors, we long to make an impact on our land for eternity – whether it is where we work, live, or minister. But in reality, most of us are afraid to step out by faith. We are afraid of failing. Why are we afraid to become dependent on a God who has unlimited resources? But if we pray for God to enlarge our borders, we must be dependent on Him and prepared to believe for miracles that only God can bring about.

“God’s bounty is limited only by us, not by His resources, power, or willingness to give. Jabez was blessed simply because he refused to let any obstacle, person, or opinion loom larger than God’s nature. And God’s nature is to bless.”

When reading the book, The Prayer of Jabez, many of us were praying that God would enlarge our territory. God gives us the desires of our hearts and He wants to answer extraordinary prayers combined with extraordinary faith in the impossible. He wants us to live beyond our self-imposed limits. He wants to give us favor, but many of us don’t believe it. I encourage you to begin to pray big prayers, because God is able to bless. I am right now praying for big things for Intercessors Arise; things that are absolutely impossible unless God comes through. I want to believe God for the supernatural in intercession, for the impossible to become possible, for His extraordinary hand of power in situations in nations. I want to believe God for a mighty prayer movement that covers the earth. To do so, I need to be ready to take action according to God’s direction. I know that I must demonstrate my dependence on Him by stepping out by faith in whatever way He leads. Bruce Wilkinson, author of The Prayer of Jabez, says the following:

“The most exhilarating miracles in my life have always started with a bold request to expand God’s kingdom a lot. When you take little steps, you don’t need God. It’s when you thrust yourself in the mainstream of God’s plan for this world – which are beyond our ability to accomplish – and plead with Him, Lord, use me – give me more ministry for You – that you release miracles.”

My willingness and weakness + God’s will and supernatural power 
= God’s unlimited opportunity to bless

What God is trying to teach each one of us is dependence on His strong hand and supernatural power. When we surrender our weakness into the mighty hand of God, then our needs and problems turn into His unlimited opportunity. Then God becomes great through us. Then he can entrust us with an enlarged territory and the fulfillment of our destiny. But we have to take steps of faith even if they are small. God honors these steps and turns them into His unlimited opportunity because at that very point, we become dependent on Him. This is His plan for each one of our lives as intercessors. I encourage you to take time, and meditate on this. If we are willing to give God our weakness and obey His Word by faith, then it opens the door for supernatural power and God’s opportunity to bless. What step of faith is God asking you to take today? What impossibility will you put into His hands and by faith obey what He tells you to do? Will you invite Him today to take over? Will you trust Him? Will you put everything into His almighty hands, adjust your life to what you are praying for, and step out by faith in whatever way He leads. When you do this, you become dependent in His dependable hands. He is waiting for your invitation to enlarge you in faith.

Notice that Jabez did not begin his prayer by asking for God’s hand to be with him. At that point, he didn’t sense the need. Things were still manageable. His risks, and the fears that go with them, were minimal. But when his boundaries got moved out, and the kingdom-sized tasks of God’s agenda started coming at him, Jabez knew he needed a divine hand – and fast. He could have turned back, or he could have tried to keep going in his own strength. Instead he prayed. If seeking God’s blessing is our ultimate act of worship, and asking to do more for Him is our utmost ambition, then asking for God’s hand upon us is our strategic choice to sustain and continue the great things that God has begun in our lives. That’s why you could call God’s hand on you ‘the touch of greatness.’ You do not become great; you become dependent on the strong hand of God. Your surrendered need turns into His unlimited opportunity. And He becomes great through you.” Unnamed quotes by Bruce Wilkinson

“In every revival in history we read a similar testimony. When God responded to His people by sending His presence, He didn’t just work himself into their routine religion – He overtook them by His power and glory! He left a trail of glorious chaos in His wake – weeping, repenting, rejoicing, reconciling, changing of habits, healing of families! Nobody wondered if Jesus was involved in these meetings. There was no doubt in their minds and no lack in their hearts.” Rhonda Hughey

The purpose of our life is to pursue God. It is what we were created to do. God wants us to seek and long passionately for His presence. His presence is real and tangible. It will change our lives completely. The problem is that most of us are not aware of what is available to us. Our hearts are not burning for God, and we have settled for lesser things. As I mentioned last week, right now we are involved in a month-long prayer meeting where several churches in the area of southern Spain called Campo de Gibraltar are seeking God’s presence. What is happening in the midst of this prayer meeting is that our level of hunger for God’s presence is increasing. We are discovering in a deeper dimension that God’s presence is needed to reach the city, that God’s presence needs to be pursued and that we cannot live without it. I encourage you today to seek God fervently for His presence in your own life, in your own church and in your city. This is what real life is all about. God loves to be sought after. His presence and Spirit will move us forward into realms of fruitfulness beyond our wildest imagination. But we must hoist our sails and catch the wind of His Spirit. The breath of His Spirit will change the face of everything, including our own lives.

 “The breath of God’s Spirit must fill the church, empowering it to move forward into God’s destiny. God’s Spirit births every movement of the church. Without being Spirit or presence-driven, the church sits listlessly in time, like a sailboat going nowhere in a calm sea. We can use our paradigm as paddles and row as hard as we like, but the forward progress is negligible. Or, we can hoist our sails of worship, catch the wind of His Spirit and move forward into His purpose, plans and productivity (fruit) in ministry.” Ministries Today

The Bible and Pursing God’s Presence

 “We must become hungry and thirsty for more of Jesus in our midst. We must cry out in desperation for God’s presence to be restored in our lives, our churches, and ultimately in our cities. We must treasure the manifest presence of God, because as Jesus said in John 15:5, ‘Without Me you can do nothing’” Rhonda Hughey

The question we must ask ourselves is, “Are we hungry enough to pursue God’s presence?” Are we desperate for God to transform our cities? The cost is high. This month we are finding that out that as we spend hour after hour in prayer, we are being stretched in our capacity to seek after God. It will cost to seek God’s presence. It will take diligence and time. We will have to clear our schedules of so much busyness if we want city transformation. We will have to sacrifice. But it will be worth all the pain. Are we willing to pay the price? Are we willing to pray with others of different denominations and backgrounds? It will take the churches in the city coming together to see city transformation.

The Bible has so much to say about God’s presence. God longs for us to build a house where He dwells. The following are verses to challenge you to pursue God’s presence.

• 2 Chronicles 7:14 – “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

• Isaiah 66:1 – “Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build for Me? And where is the place of My rest?”

• Isaiah 56:7 – “Even them will I bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on My altar; for My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.”

• 2 Chronicles 7:15-16 – “Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place. For now I have chosen and sanctified this house, that My name may be there forever; and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually.”

• Isaiah 62:4 – “No longer will they call you Deserted, or name your land Desolate.”

• Ephesians 3:17-19 – “I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

The testimony to what happens when God’s presence arrives is quite astounding! Are we ready for it? Can we handle the depth of work His Spirit will do in our own individual lives that will prepare and empower us to reach this desperate and dying world? Here is a testimony of what actually happened when God showed up! “In that old building, with its low rafters and bare floors, God took strong men and women to pieces, and put them together again, for His glory. It was a tremendous overhauling process. Pride and self-assertion, self-importance and self-esteem, could not survive there. The religious ego preached its own funeral quickly.” When God’s presence touches our prayer meetings and our churches, all flesh must die. We see the futility of our own ways of doing things, and we begin to see the majestic wisdom of God and the attractiveness of Jesus. We begin to line up with His ways, and what once was a barren way of trying to produce life becomes a supernatural encounter with the presence of the living God. This brings forth amazing fruit in every dimension of our lives. Doesn’t this seem to be a better way of life than what many of us have tried for so many years?  

 “Shouldn’t Jesus himself be the preeminent attraction? We can promote our church programs with precision and good marketing techniques, but when somebody who is blind or deaf gets healed, or a political leader gets saved, or once-barren land produces a bountiful harvest, people will flock to church. God is His own best promoter! He just shows up and effortlessly turns our routines into supernatural encounters that are life changing.” Rhonda Hughey

        Training Links

• Training Introduction
• Breakthrough Faith At The Gates
• The Dark Night Of The Soul
• Dependence – God’s Unlimited Opportunity To Bless
• Destroying Personal Strongholds
• Fasting The Right Way With The Right Heart
• Forgiveness Is A Choice
• The Hiddenness of God
• History Belongs To The Intercessors
• A Humble Heart
• Jesus’ Passionate Prayer Life
• A Lifestyle of Worship
• Prayer Discovers God’s Agenda
• Prayer For The Lost
• Prayer Is The Strategy of Heaven
• Presenting Your Petitions In The Courtroom Of Heaven
• The Providential Care of God
• A Royal Priesthood – Authority In Intercession
• Victory In Spiritual Warfare
• The Worship Warrior
• Hearing God’s Voice
• Enthroning God Through Prayer Mapping
• Making Prayer Visible
• Pursuing God’s Presence
• A Steadfast Spirit in Warfare
• The Providential Care of God
• A Royal Priesthood

“Making prayer visible in our churches makes it more likely to happen and encourages more people to participate. We must do everything we can to make prayer appealing, from investing first-class prayer materials to raising up comfortable, inviting places for people to seek God. Prayer does not have to be mercenary in order to be spiritual.” Terry Teykl

Making prayer visible will help promote prayer and intercession in your church. There is something that is extremely motivational when we see a place that is designated for prayer and for prayer alone. Recently we were in a large church in Mexico that had a wonderful prayer room and it was called “Casa de Oracion” (House of Prayer in Spanish). My husband and I were staying for a week in their guest apartment not far from that prayer room. I remember hearing the loud prayers of the pastoral staff and at another time awaking to the fervent prayers of the youth in that church. What a pleasant joy to hear the cries of passionate prayer in a room designated and designed just for the purpose of prayer. It was powerful – it was strategic – it was inviting – it was fruitful! That church is seeing 35-50 individuals accept the Lord every Sunday! In addition, they have churches planted throughout the city of Puebla, Mexico which are equally fruitful! When we make prayer visible in our churches, God makes His name known throughout the city.

Making prayer visible can touch the lives of the lost in a most amazing way. Terry Teykl shares a testimony about prayer when his small church was in an obscure storefront along a small strip of businesses. He was praying alone at 10:00 AM when suddenly a man came to the door wanting to find Christ. This happened again at 4:00 PM when he was praying alone at the church during the next week. He was the pastor, and this happened without him preaching. God was speaking to him and said, “If you will find Me, others will find you.”

“Prayer evangelism works. When we pray targeting the Great Commission, people are drawn to Christ, not by our sign or our building, but by the Holy Spirit.” Terry Teykl


Why a Prayer Room?  

“Prayer must have organization and accountability to be effective. The greater the order, the more likely the ministry will last.” Dutch Sheets

The above testimony is one big reason why we should have a prayer room in all of our churches. But there are many additional reasons. Here are a few:

• You can schedule prayer in a systematic way – Prayer does not happen if you don’t plan it. There are too many things that will crowd in for your attention because the devil will always try to keep you too busy. A prayer room provides a regular place to pray consistently. Scheduled prayer is Biblical!

• You have a place where prayer can be practiced and can grow – Everyone needs to grow in prayer, even well-seasoned intercessors. When there is a place where individuals know they can go and pray at almost any time, it becomes a tremendous encouragement for growth in prayer. It becomes your church’s prayer training center!

• You have a room where everyone can come to one place to pray – This becomes a place where the presence of God is nurtured. How much easier it is to pray spontaneously when everyone knows where to go and when everyone knows that it is the place where God’s presence dwells.

• You have a room where prolonged, persevering prayer can be encouraged – Prayer rooms encourage perseverance and become places of breakthrough. God answers persistent prayer, and this takes time. A prayer room can make all the difference in creating this type of environment.

• You can promote the church’s vision for prayer in a tangible way – This also becomes an encouragement to your city of the importance your church places on prayer.   Prayer becomes central to your church and others learn of it both inside and outside your church walls.
• You can record and remember God’s answers to prayer as a church – Often it is easy to forget God’s answers to our prayers. But when there is a place where you can record His answers, your church become more thankful. This encourages fervent praise.

• You can gather prayer requests from your church congregation to pray over – This promotes agreement in prayer. It is easy to forget to pray for a particular need because the distractions of life are so demanding. But when the requests are gathered and displayed in the prayer room, there is a tangible reminder of the need to pray for specific requests.
• You have a control center for the strategic prayer ministries in your church – Prayer becomes central to your church. All the ministries represented in your church know that they have a place where they can gather to pray for the needs of their particular focus. This empowers every ministry in your church, whether it be evangelistic, youth oriented or for the children.

“One of the simplest and yet most profound things a prayer room offers is a place to be alone and still before God. It promotes humility and a visible dependence on God. Prayer rooms also generate and facilitate other prayer ideas given by the Holy Spirit to affect the whole ministry of the church in the community.” Terry Teykl

Recently our pastor preached a message on prayer in a most amazing way. He preached only for 15 minutes about prayer, using the example of Daniel. He then stressed that we probably don’t need to hear another sermon on prayer, but we need to pray! We then practiced various methods of prayer – prayer for the nation, group prayer, silent prayer and prayer together with worship (“Harp and Bowl”). It was powerful – it was strategic – it was inviting – it was fruitful! All the prayer meetings in the church were printed in the bulletin, and church members were invited to participate. This can be an initial step in making prayer visible in your church because you begin to spark an interest in the powerful ministry of prayer.

Aren’t you convinced? Will you not consider and pray towards making prayer visible and having a prayer room in your church? Designating a room for prayer is of great value and extremely strategic for any church. If you put a high priority on prayer, I promise you that God will use your church in a most powerful way. When God enters into our every purpose, we enter into His Kingdom plans for our church, our community, city and nation.

“It is not enough for the pastor to pray fervently, or is it sufficient for a leadership team to pray ardently on behalf of the congregation. Until the church owns prayer as a world-class weapon in the battle against evil and cherishes prayer as a means of intimate and constant communication with God, the turn-around efforts of a Body are severely limited, if not altogether doomed to failure.” George Barna
 

       Training Links

• Training Introduction
• Breakthrough Faith At The Gates
• The Dark Night Of The Soul
• Dependence – God’s Unlimited Opportunity To Bless
• Destroying Personal Strongholds
• Fasting The Right Way With The Right Heart
• Forgiveness Is A Choice
• The Hiddenness of God
• History Belongs To The Intercessors
• A Humble Heart
• Jesus’ Passionate Prayer Life
• A Lifestyle of Worship
• Prayer Discovers God’s Agenda
• Prayer For The Lost
• Prayer Is The Strategy of Heaven
• Presenting Your Petitions In The Courtroom Of Heaven
• The Providential Care of God
• A Royal Priesthood – Authority In Intercession
• Victory In Spiritual Warfare
• The Worship Warrior
• Hearing God’s Voice
• Enthroning God Through Prayer Mapping
• Making Prayer Visible
• Pursuing God’s Presence
• A Steadfast Spirit in Warfare
• The Providential Care of God
• A Royal Priesthood

 “The social and political climate of the world today calls for a massive mobilization of intercessors with a strategic battle plan for focused prayer. It seems that God is speaking to the church in an urgent manner in this very regard.”   Dick Eastman

The battle in the nations is raging between the powers of light and the powers of darkness. In reaching our cities and nations through prayer and intercession, we are dethroning Satan and enthroning God. We are enforcing the victory of God by transferring the seat of power and authority from the enemy and enthroning God through strategic prayer. Is it any wonder that we as intercessors run in to such heavy spiritual battles? We are laying siege to the enemy through prayer! We are actually enthroning the King of Kings through our intercession.

“The Lord is exalted over all the nations, his glory above the heavens. Who is like the Lord our God, the One who sits enthroned on high, who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth?” (Psalm 113:4-6)

One strategic way to enthrone God in a city is through praying over a map of that area. I have often used maps to pray over nations, and I encourage you to do the same. Maps can helps us to stay focused and faithful in prayer. In Spain, we had a big map of southern Spain (Andalucia) on the wall. I would often go to that map, lay my hands on it, and pray for that area of the world. I found that it would help me to pray with more fervency and with a focused vision for Spain.

The missionary ship that I lived on for several years – that brought the gospel to nations all around the world – was started through prayer. The founder of Operation Mobilization, George Verwer, and others were praying numerous times over a map of the world. A God-idea came to him one day while praying over the map. Water touches many cities in the world. Why not pray for a ship to bring the gospel to these cities? They began to pray fervently for God to provide a ship to reach the nations of the world that were surrounded by water. God provided not one, but two ocean-going ships to bring the Good News of Jesus throughout the nations. These men and women were enthroning God through praying over a map. Little did they realize the strategic plan that God was giving them at that time to literally touch millions with the Gospel. Many, including myself, have been deeply impacted by this ministry.

Praying over a map can bring insight and strategy into our prayers as we see with our eyes the cities and nations we are praying for.    

Praying over a map was used in the Bible. God commissioned Ezekiel to lay siege to Jerusalem by using a prayer map. Ezekiel actually drew the city of Jerusalem on a piece of clay and laid it in front of himself to prayer. Ezekiel 4:1-2 says, “Now, son of man, take a clay tablet, put it in front of you and draw the city of Jerusalem on it. Then lay siege to it: Erect siege works against it, build a ramp up to it, set up camps against it.” It is not a new thing. It is Biblical.

“Siege means ‘the act or process of surrounding and attacking a fortified place in such a way as to isolate it for the purpose of lessening the resistance of the defender and thereby making capture possible.’ Another definition reads, ‘any prolonged or persistent effort to overcome resistance.’ A third, more ancient definition is ‘seat of rule.’ So to lay siege in prayer would suggest a strategy that involves interceding for our neighbors or the nations to lessen their resistance to the gospel.” Dick Eastman

When God told Ezekiel to lay siege to Jerusalem, it was a powerful command. It is a strategic way to intercede for the city. It is a way to lessen the resistance of enemy forces. It is a way to enthrone God in the city. Because darkness and evil inhabit our cities, we must visually lay siege to them in prayer. Getting a map of your city or nation can help you to lay siege to it in prayer. You are breaking down the resistance to the gospel as you surround the city with your prayers. Praying over a map can help you to break down the powers of darkness that are holding people in captivity.

Praying Over Your Map

“Fighting from her knees in many parts of the world, Christ’s bride is already beginning to push back the forces of darkness for periods of time, during which millions are having the opportunity to hear the gospel for the first time and to be saved. We are literally living in the day of Psalm 2:8 – we are asking the Father for the nations and they are coming to Him!” Eddie and Alice Smith

In praying for your neighborhood, you may want to draw a map of the houses and families you are praying for. Define your mission field. Are you praying for a street, block, apartment complex, group of households or a rural section? Map households in your community by making a homemade map or a simple list of persons in your neighborhood. Then begin to pray for guidance as you pray over your map. You may want to prayerwalk your neighborhood. You may also want to get a map of your city and begin praying over your city map. All of this will help you to visually lay siege to your neighborhood or city, breaking dramatically the resistance of the enemy in your area. God will begin to work as you visually pray in this manner. He will give you strategic insight as to how to pray.

We encourage you to get a free world prayer map and begin praying for the nations. To receive a free world prayer map, see http://www.ehc.org/index.php?contentID=11. This is a helpful tool for intercessors that would like to pray daily over a map of the world. Every Home for Christ is a ministry that has distributed gospel literature house-to-house to over 2.2 billion people in 191 nations with over 278 million decisions for Christ! Isn’t that incredible?

“The beauty of praying over a map of the world (as well as a hand-drawn map of our neighborhoods) is that it helps us contend for the lost in a far more specific manner. We’re targeting actual nations and very real neighbors. This is far more meaningful than shallow prayers like ‘God bless all the people of the world, everywhere!’” Dick Eastman


Training Links

• Training Introduction
• Breakthrough Faith At The Gates
• The Dark Night Of The Soul
• Dependence – God’s Unlimited Opportunity To Bless
• Destroying Personal Strongholds
• Fasting The Right Way With The Right Heart
• Forgiveness Is A Choice
• The Hiddenness of God
• History Belongs To The Intercessors
• A Humble Heart
• Jesus’ Passionate Prayer Life
• A Lifestyle of Worship
• Prayer Discovers God’s Agenda
• Prayer For The Lost
• Prayer Is The Strategy of Heaven
• Presenting Your Petitions In The Courtroom Of Heaven
• The Providential Care of God
• A Royal Priesthood – Authority In Intercession
• Victory In Spiritual Warfare
• The Worship Warrior
• Hearing God’s Voice
• Enthroning God Through Prayer Mapping
• Making Prayer Visible
• Pursuing God’s Presence
• A Steadfast Spirit in Warfare
• The Providential Care of God
• A Royal Priesthood