Tag Archives: power

Evangelism and Kingdom Living

12373256_1069628439766929_8331322635533185901_n“But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him”
(2 Corinthians 2:14).

Every intercessor should be involved in some form of evangelism. You cannot pray without reaching out to the people around you. Intercession and outreach to the needy must be cultivated. God is preparing us for the final harvest. He wants us to see the big picture and be His kingdom people. We are called to pray in the Kingdom of God (Lord’s prayer) and take part in bringing in God’s kingdom rule on earth. We are taking back the earth for the Lord Jesus. Every time you witness, every time you pray for someone, every time you bring encouragement, every time you lead someone to the Lord, you are bringing in God’s kingdom.

The kingdom of God by definition is the arena of God’s rule, the place where God is king.
 We need a vision of the big picture, because there is a big gap in the tapestry of what God is doing if we don’t do our individual part. There is an enormous significance to your life and ministry because you are in a worldwide tapesty of what God is doing in bringing in His kingdom. Your individual responsibility and part is so important right now. It is assigned to you by God, and you are united to a worldwide prayer and evangelistic movement.

Paul said, “The kingdom of God does not consist in words but in power” (1 Corinthians 4:20). We are now entering into a time where the power of God is of utmost importance. God wants us to be men and women of power who proclaim and live the kingdom of God. The true word is verified by the true power of God. Jesus often performed miracles before he taught. He knew that if people had an encounter with God, they would be more open to what he had to say. The kingdom of God is now. Jesus came to teach the way of life in the kingdom of God, and He does it in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7. The Sermon on the Mount is the description and instruction for kingdom living. The kingdom is mentioned 160 times in Scripture. It is here available to everyone.

Everything revolves around bringing God’s kingdom on earth. Christ will rule on earth. We must reclaim our high ground of hope for the future. We can live in the reality of the age to come and experience his glory right now. The great hope that Jesus gave us about His kingdom was that it was at hand (Mark 1:15). Our message of the kingdom is that Jesus is king. When darkness is covering the earth, the glory of the lord will arise. We can build for the age to come. We can enhance our worship of the king. We can live as God’s kingdom people practicing the Sermon on the Mount right where we live and work. As we begin to bring God’s kingdom into our neighborhoods and work environments, here are four powerful ways to begin to practice kingdom living in your own life.

Ways to Practice Kingdom Living

  • Study the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7 – Begin to pray it into your own life.
  • Worship God as king, and give Him extravagant praise – God’s power is released as you worship over the area you desire to reach.
  • Study verses on the Kingdom of God – Prophetically proclaim God’s kingdom over the land God is giving you.
  • Understand the tremendous authority you have in Christ in praying God’s kingdom on earth, and live it out in your daily life – Demonic spirits fled wherever Jesus walked, because He walked in holiness and practiced kingdom living (Mt. 5-7).

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOPKC

The Power of Encouragement

12392004_1073333009396472_8317351932599636537_n“Let no foul or polluting language, nor evil word nor unwholesome or worthless talk (ever) come out of your mouth, but only such (speech) as is good and beneficial to the spiritual progress of others, as is fitting to the need and the occasion, that it may be a blessing and give grace (God’s favor) to those who hear it” (Ephesians 4:29, Amplified).

Someone has once said, “Be kind to everyone for everyone is going through some kind of battle.” This is so true because we all are going through various battles in life. If we are not in a present battle, we are either entering one or coming out of one. The days are getting more difficult in the world, and we must do everything we can to support and encouragement one another along the way. We read in Hebrews 10:25, “but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” A positive word of encouragement can make a huge difference. There have been times of difficulty when a simple word of encouragement changed my whole perspective on my situation.

We all know how deeply we long for others to encourage us. But let us be the ones to lift the burdens of another through a simple word of encouragement. The word “encourage” in Webster’s Dictionary means: “to give or increase confidence of success; to inspire with courage, spirit, or strength of mind, to embolden, to incite, to inspirit.” We need to represent Jesus Christ to others by increasing the confidence and courage in them to do great things for God. Just as He is our refuge and our tower of strength, we need to be a safe and encouraging place for others.

In looking at the whole need of encouragement, we first need to realize the power there is in the tongue. Proverbs 18:21 says, “Life and death are in the power of the tongue.” We all have problems with the tongue. We often are not tongue conscious, and instead of inspiring others with courage, we may bring great discourage with our words. It takes a baby 2 years to learn to talk and 60 years to learn to keep his mouth shut! If you filled a library with a lifetime of your words, what would be the titles of the books in it? Our tongues have potential to build up or cause destruction.

The Bible speaks much about the tongue. The book of Proverbs speaks of both the evil and good side of the tongue. Tongue, lips, mouth and words appear 150 times in Proverbs. James 3:1-12 speaks with greatest authority and impact on the subject of the evil side of the tongue. James compares the tongue with the rudder on a ship. It has a powerful influence. A rudder on a ship, though small, steers a ship to its destiny. We lived on a ship for years, and I am amazed at how that small rudder steered our ship all over the world. James also speaks of the tongue as like a fire’s spark which can set a whole forest on fire!

“Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark” (James 3:4-5).

God wants us to stimulate others to love and good deeds. He wants us to use our tongue to edify and build up, to encourage and set free. The purpose of our life is to be a blessing to others. Most people are afraid, especially now with the threat of terrorism and the increase in natural disasters. We live in a fallen world. Those who are serving God in the nations know that the spiritual battle is not easy. Instead of pulling one another down, let us help each other to really live for Christ in a greater way. We can do this in a number of ways – wise counsel and advise, spiritual exhortation, encouragement, comfort, etc. We need to learn to tame our tongue, so that blessing can flow to others freely and unhindered.

How can we tame our tongue?

“A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver” (Proverbs 25:11).

  • Acknowledge your dependence on God – You cannot control your tongue yourself. You need to ask God for help. Even David had difficulty in controlling his tongue. See Psalm 39:1-3.
  • Admit and confess sins of the tongue – We need to admit the sins of the tongue. We need to come into the presence of God, and ask Him to reveal any sin areas in our speech. God promises to forgive us. See I John 1:9.
  • Be sensitive in your speech towards others – Think before you speak. Ask God to give you sensitivity towards others and alert you to negative speech even before you say it. The tongue is the showcase of the heart. See Ephesians 4:29.
  • Fill your mind with Scripture on a daily basis – What we feed into our spirit, comes out of our mouths. If we fill our minds with God’s Word, we can better help and encourage one another. God’s Word can judge the thoughts and attitudes of our heart. See Hebrews 4:12.
  • Don’t listen to negative speech or gossip – It will only bring you down and tempt you to sin in your speech as well. Gossip hurts deeply and is a snare. See Proverbs 18:7-8.
  • Cultivate the art of listening to others – Many of us are good talkers but not good listeners. We need to cultivate the art of listening carefully to others. The Bible says that we should be quick to listen and slow to speak. See James 1:19.
  • Spend time in praise and thanksgiving to God – Spending lots of time in praise and thanksgiving puts us into the atmosphere of encouragement. We then become more heavenly minded with a greater ability to bless others in our speech. See Psalm 50:23.
  • Think of ways you can build others up with words of life – We must consider and give attention to how we can stimulate others to love and good deeds. By nature we are self-focused, but God wants to make us other-focused. See Hebrews 10:25.

“An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up” (Proverbs 10:25)

I exhort you to make it a point to encourage others through your speech this month. Whether it is through a telephone call, writing a note or e-mail, or through verbal words, make a conscious effort to put courage into others. Consider and give attention to how you will do this. It does not come naturally for most of us. Some of you may need a breakthrough in your life regarding your future. Taming your tongue and using it to bless and encourage others could open the way for God to bring you to the next level in your walk with Him and your future ministry. Study how you will stir up and stimulate others to love and good deeds. You may be surprised, because often when we encourage others, we ourselves are encouraged.

“And let and give attention, continuous care to watching over one another, studying how we may stir up (stimulate and incite) to love and helpful deeds and noble activities” (Hebrews 10:25).

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOPKC

The Power of Forgiveness

“We have been sent into the world to implement the rule of God on earth. Where there is discord we are to replace it with harmony. Where there is hatred we are to replace it with agape. Where there is an offense simmering into a murderous conflict, we are to replace it with forgiveness. When we choose to forgive, we invade the realm of darkness and defeat those dark forces with the power of a resurrected life.” Dudley Hall

Forgiveness is one of the most powerful responses that we could ever have, yet the steps in forgiving others may be difficult. Forgiving others is very hard. The love of Christ is the only way we can set free those who have deeply wounded us. The love of Christ gives us the only context we have for believing God has forgiven us.

There is perhaps no greater gift you can offer God than a heart that knows the power of forgiveness and decides to set others free. Forgiving shows that the love, grace, and mercy of Jesus are operating in our lives. It is time to access this life-changing grace of forgiveness.

Is there someone who has offended you? Are you able to release the person in forgiveness? God gives us divine power to forgive. We who have received the freedom of forgiveness have the power to set one another free. This is a power that truly sets the captive free and can affect the whole world. Forgiveness defeats darkness on a massive scale because it involves the resurrection power of Jesus. Nothing can defeat the greatness and glory there is in one act of forgiveness.

The need for forgiveness can be seen in a story of a father and his son in Spain. They had become angry and bitter toward one another. The son finally left home and ran away. His father began to search for him but was unable to find him anywhere. After months of frantically searching, the father came to the end of his resources and sat down sadly in a coffee shop. Suddenly he had an idea!

He put an ad in a Madrid newspaper. The ad said something like this: “Dear Paco, meet me in front of the men’s clothes shop at 2 p.m. on Friday. You are forgiven. I love you. Your father.” On Friday at 2 p.m., eight hundred Pacos showed up! They were all looking for forgiveness and love from their fathers. How important it is that we seek forgiveness and offer forgiveness to one another. It is critical to our lives in every dimension—spiritually, physically, emotionally, and relationally.

“Would you like to see the Lord shatter the spiritual prisons in your life, the areas where you feel trapped? Then forgive those who put you there, for surely the walls of your imprisonment are made of your own anger and unforgiveness toward others.” Francis Frangipane


Steps in Forgiving Others

“Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you” (Colossians 3:13).

Here are some basic steps toward extending and receiving forgiveness:

  • Recognize and call sin what God calls it – Be specific and thorough. Remember that forgiveness is not excusing and approving of inappropriate behavior or saying that an offense isn’t important. Be honest with yourself 
and recognize your emotional response. You may feel angry, sad, let down, or disappointed. It isn’t wrong to have emotions. They are natural. It’s what you do with your emotions that can be sinful. Make sure there is no offensive way in you.“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24).
  • Share with God honestly and let Him heal you – Tell God what happened to you and how you feel. Look at His evaluation of the situation. Focus on Him and His faithfulness. Spend time with Him, and let Him restore where sin has destroyed. Forgiveness releases God’s divine healing power.“O lord my God, I called to you for help and you healed me” (Psalm 30:2).
  • Set the offender free, understanding that it is a process – Declare forgiveness. Say, “I forgive [name the individual
 or group] for [name the offense].” Don’t say, “I want
 to forgive.” It takes time to go through the process of forgiveness. The hurt can come up at different times, 
and we must choose to forgive again. It doesn’t mean we automatically forget the offense.“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).
  • Release the offender to God – Repent of your desire to punish or take revenge. Let God deal with the offense. Focus on today rather than the past. Let the offender off the hook. Declare God as judge over the person and the situation.“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” (Romans 12:19).
  • Bless the offender – Apply God’s forgiveness. Trust and reconcile when possible, but realize that forgiveness does not always mean we have to relate to the person in the future. In some cases, this is not possible. Know God’s protection and justice. We are God’s called-out people, who know who we are in Christ and walk in love with God and one another. We become partakers of His resurrected life. Forgiveness is essential if we want to walk in personal and corporate revival.“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse” (Romans 12:14).

God will give us the grace to fully set everyone free. May we be like Jesus, who was the first one to love. When God forgives us, He gives us the power to forgive. May the river of God’s life flow through us in that we bless everyone we meet. May we remind people of how much they are loved by God. As we give our lives away in love and forgiveness, we become free ourselves. Many of us don’t realize the power there is in truly forgiving one another. It is much greater and has a far greater consequence than any of us have ever realized.

Dear Lord, I thank You for the power of forgiveness, and I choose to forgive everyone who has hurt me. Help me set [name anyone who has offended you] free and release them to You [Romans 12:19]. Help me bless those who have hurt me [Romans 12:14]. Help me walk in righteousness, peace, and joy, demonstrating Your life here on earth. I choose to be kind and compassionate, forgiving others, just as You forgave me [Ephesians 4:32]. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“Forgiveness is the very spirit of heaven removing the hiding places of demonic activity from the caverns of the human soul. It is every wrong made right and every evil made void. The power released in forgiveness is actually a mighty weapon in the war to save our cities.” Francis Frangipane

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
International House of Prayer (IHOPKC)
deb@intercessorsarise.org