Tag Archives: prayer

Practical Wisdom to Apply in the Prayer Room

November 28, 2015 Debbie Leave a comment

“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. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power to us who believe.” (Ephesians 1:17-19a)

Pray specific Scripture – God’s Word is filled with wisdom and so you can pray through most Scripture. I highly recommend the book called Praying the Bible by Wesley and Stacey Campbell.
Pray the promises of Scripture – Claim God’s promises in Scripture over your city, church and families. God’s Word will not return void. When you pray God’s promises over your family, neighborhood or nation, you are planting seeds of God’s Word that will eventually grow and produce a harvest.
Pray the apostolic prayers – The apostolic prayers are prayers that we should pray over and over again. Some good apostolic prayers are: Acts 4:24-31, Ephesians 1:15-20, 3:14-21, 6:18-20, Philippians 1:3-6, 9-11, Colossians 1:2-6, 4:2-4, 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13, 5:23-25, 2 Thessalonians 1:1-3, Titus 2:11-13, Jude 24-25.
Pray for revival in your church, city and nation – It is wise to bathe your area in prayer for revival. This releases God’s Spirit in the city.
Pray for things that are familiar with others in your geographical area – Pray for the needs in your area that are common to those in the prayer meeting. People can best agree in prayer over common concerns in the city.
Don’t pray long prayers – Realize that 3-5 minute prayers are long enough. In a corporate prayer meeting, you want many to be involved. When one person dominates the prayer room, others who desire to pray can feel frustrated.
Don’t inform God or others of the details of specific circumstances – God know the circumstances and others do not need to be informed.
Don’t teach or preach to others in your prayers – Always remember that you are praying to God and not others. Concentrate on Him, seek His face. Pray to Him directly.

“Knowing God and having Him reside within you is a treasure of infinite value. Jesus likened this value to that of a perfect pearl. The collector would readily sell everything he had in order to possess this one matchless pearl (Matthew 13:45-46). Your relationship with God places an immeasurable value on your life. The treasure of God’s wisdom and knowledge are available to you through Christ (Col. 2:2-3). His love now fills you. His incomprehensible peace surrounds your heart and mind (Phil. 4:7). When Jesus dwells in your life, everything available to Christ dwells within you (Eph. 3:19). Don’t focus on outward appearances and physical strength, for these deteriorate. Rather, allow the Holy Spirit to convince you of the infinite treasure that is within you because of God’s presence.” Henry Blackaby 

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOPKC

New Testament Apostolic Prayers of Jesus, Peter & John

July 2, 2015 Debbie Leave a comment

New Testament Apostolic Prayers of Jesus, Peter & John

 The Apostolic Prayers of Jesus

“Consider the Apostle…of our confession, Christ Jesus.” (Hebrews 3:1)

The Lord’s Prayer.
“In this manner, therefore, 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 this day our daily bread. And FORGIVE US our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And DO NOT LEAD US into temptation, but DELIVER US from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen” (Matthew 6:9-13).

Prayer for anointed laborers in the Harvest.
“Then He said to His disciples, ‘The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore PRAY THE LORD OF THE HARVEST TO SEND OUT LABORERS into His harvest'” (Matthew 9:37-38; Luke 10:2).

Prayer for the release of the Holy Spirit’s ministry.
“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, HOW MUCH MORE WILL YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER GIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT TO THOSE WHO ASK HIM!” (Luke 11:13)

Prayer of strength in temptation.
“Then He came to the disciple, ‘What? Could you not watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation'” (Matthew 26:40-41) .

Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer – John 17

Jesus prays to keep the saints in the Father’s name.
“I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are” (John 17:11).

Jesus prays to keep the saints from the evil one.
“I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one” (John 17:15).

Jesus prays that the saints might be sanctified by truth.
“Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth” (John 17:17).

Jesus prays that the saints would experience the fulness of God’s glory.
“that they ALL MAY BE ONE, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also MAY BE ONE IN US, that the world may believe that You sent Me. The glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they MAY BE ONE JUST AS WE ARE ONE: I in them, and You in Me; that they MAY BE MADE PERFECT IN ONE, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them AS You have loved Me. Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, THAT THEY MAY BEHOLD MY GLORY which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. And I have declared to them Your name, and WILL DECLARE IT, THAT THE LOVE WITH WHICH YOU LOVED ME MAY BE IN THEM, and I in them” (John 17:21-26).

The Apostolic Prayer of Peter and John

Prayer for the impartation of Holy Spirit boldness through the release of signs and wonders.
“they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: ‘Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them, who by the mouth of Your servant David have said: Why did the nations rage, and the people plot vain things? The kings of the earth took their stand, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against His Christ. For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done. Now, Lord, look on their threats, and GRANT TO YOUR SERVANTS THAT WITH ALL BOLDNESS THEY MAY SPEAK YOUR WORD, BY STRETCHING OUT YOUR HAND TO HEAL, AND THAT SIGNS AND WONDERS MAY BE DONE through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus. And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:24-31, Ephesians 6:19).

The Central Role Of Singing Prayers In The New Testament

July 2, 2015 Debbie Leave a comment

12391980_1071090049620768_1484740700338134049_n  1. The vital place of making melody and singing from the heart in Spirit filled living.

“…be filled with the Spirit, (by) speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and SPIRITUAL SONGS, SINGING AND MAKING MELODY IN YOUR HEART to the Lord . . .” (Eph. 5:18-19).

The necessity of singing the Word in our spiritual songs.
“Let the WORD OF CHRIST dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and SPIRITUAL SONGS, SINGING WITH GRACE IN YOUR HEARTS to the Lord.”
(Colossians. 3:16).

The central role of singing with our spirit (singing in the Spirit). Note its value and importance in the apostle Paul’s life.
“For if I pray in a tongue, MY SPIRIT PRAYS, but my understanding is unfruitful. I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I WILL SING WITH THE SPIRIT, and I will also sing with the understanding” (1 Corinthians 14:14-16).

The necessity of praying in the Spirit with all perseverance.
“…praying ALWAYS with ALL PRAYER and supplication IN THE SPIRIT, being watchful to this end with ALL PERSEVERANCE and supplication FOR ALL the saints” (Ephesians 6:18).

The central role of singing the Word in the spiritual songs in the Tabernacle of David in the Old Testament.
King Hezekiah and the leaders commanded the Levites to sing praise to the lord WITH THE WORDS OF DAVID AND OF ASAPH the seer. So they sang praises with gladness  (2 Chronicles 29:30).

Harmony In Song And Intercession

July 2, 2015 Debbie Leave a comment

“In the unity of faith, love, and the Spirit, the power of the name and of the presence of Jesus acts more freely, and the answer comes more surely. The evidence that there has been true, united prayer is the fruit – the answer, the receiving of the thing for which we have asked. ‘I say unto you… it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.’ What an extraordinary privilege united prayer (and worship) is! What a potential power it has!” Andrew Murray

There is a harmony that God is creating among His people throughout the earth, and you and I are a part of it. This harmony that is beginning is powerful as 24-7 prayer is spreading from city to city and nation to nation. And within the circle of prayer that you are involved in, creating this harmony is of extreme importance. The enemy loves to bring disharmony and disunity, but the new thing God is creating is a beautiful song of unity that will break through tremendous spiritual strongholds of the enemy.

So as you attempt harmony in your own prayer room, remember you are part of a bigger whole that will bring tremendous effect in the spirit realm all throughout the earth. And in your city in particular, you are the ones called to bring the release and freedom of the Kingdom of God into your sphere of influence. This is absolutely exciting.

“Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them” (Matthew 18:19-20).

God is a musical God, and He has created us as people who function best when there is a song in our heart. Music motivates us. The greatest entertainment in the world is music, because the human spirit is musical. There is power released in song. If you question this, for some of you in mid-life, think back to the songs you heard on the radio as a teenager. If the music comes on the radio now, you know the words to the songs just as if it were yesterday.

The devil wants to rule the domain of music because he knows that there is power in it. This is why intercession combined with music and the Word is a dynamic combination and of utmost importance at this time. When the Word of Christ dwells in our hearts richly through psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, nothing will stop us from God’s purposes in our lives both individually and corporately. Music combined with words of truth move us deeply into spheres of active commitment that we would never imagine otherwise.

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God” (Colossians 3:16).

Antiphonal Singing

“Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ”
(Ephesians 5:19-20).

Antiphonal singing is responsive singing. The antiphonal singers interact with the intercessors and musicians in singing the Word. 24-7 prayer is team ministry where the team works together. Nobody gets the spotlight except God Himself. This is the beautiful thing that God is doing with his end-times Church. He is beginning to get all the glory. Therefore everyone takes part in 24-7, and nobody takes the spotlight. Everyone gives way to one another because there is the understanding that all of us in harmony are better than one of us alone.

This is a learning experience for some of us who like to be up front because we are good musicians or strong intercessors. We realize that we must give way to others. But in the end God brings a beautiful harmony that we couldn’t have done on our own. There is no more room for lengthy ten-minute prayers or a personal concert showing off our musical talents. No, it is all for God and Him alone, an audience of one, and we all work together to bring about His will in the prayer room for His glory.

It is time that we join in unison as with one voice.

“The trumpeters and singers joined in unison, as with one voice, to give praise and thanks to the Lord. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, they raised their voices in praise to the Lord and sang: ‘He is good; his love endures forever.’ Then the temple was filled with a cloud, and the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the temple of God”
(2 Chronicles 5:13-14).

God will invade your prayer environment with His presence and power. This will eventually spill over into your city and nation. This team ministry is God’s end-time way. He uses musicians, antiphonal singers, spoken intercession and proclamation. Worship and prayer become dynamic. It makes prayer enjoyable and not boring. It brings about intensity without exhaustion. And revelation takes place right in the midst of it all. Every meeting becomes a joyous occasion. I say this because I see it happening and personally experience it myself. I have seen worshippers and intercessors come in with the burdens of the week and leave with the joy of the Lord. Some find it hard to wait until the next prayer meeting.

This corporate setting for 24-7 is so important because there needs to be an actual place where God’s presence dwells because the world is getting uglier by the day, and we need this breath of fresh air to carry us through with power. This also enhances our own prayer times during the week.

24-7 “harp and bowl” prayer is not a burden; it is a gift of God for the end-times church.   Singing and praying the Word partners with God’s heart. The worldwide prayer movement needs to learn that this is key in the final days. The Word of God provides fuel for prayer and keeps it alive. His Word is His will. Praying the Word connects with the singers in singing the Word, and there is a powerful interaction that takes place.

I am an intercessor and when the singers sing what I have prayed, it moves me into more intensity and faith in my next prayer, and this goes on and on. The prayers and singing together rise up to a new level. This really does happen in a most marvelous way. You will see it yourself as you begin. There is no greater strength than the power of the Church with one heart and one goal united before the throne. The diversity of types of intercessors, the diversity of different musicians, and different singers intensifies this oneness.

It’s powerful, it’s dynamic, and it inspires awe in God because He creates it, and it’s all of Him.

“Christians cannot reach the full blessing God is ready to bestow through His Spirit until they seek and receive it in fellowship with one another. It was to the hundred and twenty praying together in full agreement under the same roof that the Spirit came from the throne of the glorified Lord. In the same way, it is in the union and fellowship of believers that the Spirit can manifest His full power.” Andrew Murray

What happens when intercession and singing is combined? When these two come together with the Word, then revelation increases, the intercession hits the mark, the body of Christ is encouraged and empowered, and evangelism takes place as one leaves the prayer room.

As I left a prayer meeting for Israel, I went to the post office. I could not contain the joy from that prayer time and began to witness to a woman standing in line. She accepted the Lord on the spot and two other Christians standing in line were greatly encouraged. I felt the glory of the Lord in that post office. 24-7 prayer is definitely going to lead to dynamic evangelism because the human heart will not be able nor want to contain what happens in the prayer room.

5 Keys in Antiphonal Singing

“They held harps given them by God and sang the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb: ‘Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the ages” (Revelation 15:2-3).

Sing short – This is not the time for singing a whole song. Short phrases are the key and should be only a few words in length.
Stay on the same theme – Keep with the theme that is prayed in the Word.
Pay close attention to what is happening – Remember you are a team, and the Holy Spirit will give you a natural flow. It may take time but stay in tune with what is happening.
Sing one at a time – This will keep from confusion. Antiphonal singers alternate in their singing. The prayer meetings I have been involved with usually have three or four antiphonal singers. Especially in learning, it is good to go from one to the next and then the next.
Echo phrase, paraphrase, repeat or develop the phrase – The singer may want to sing exactly the same phrase as the last singer or what the intercessor prayed. A repeated phrase can be powerful. A singer may want to paraphrase or summarize the phrase. He may want to develop the phrase by expanding the same idea or repeat a phrase for impact

“And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation” (Revelation 5:8-9).

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOPKC

Raising Up Young Prayer Warriors

July 2, 2015 Debbie 1 Comment

“When we train our children how to pray we must begin teaching them why and how we pray. But teaching them how is more than just giving the facts; this will be empty and infective unless we ourselves are devoted to prayer. If we come to the place of maturity in prayer where it is a living and a true love of our life, our teaching on it will come from our ‘innermost being’, our hearts… If we ourselves have a passion for prayer, when we pray our children will become infected with the same passion.” Rick Joyner

Do you realize that God is raising up young prayer warriors? Children are learning to pray and in a most powerful manner. There is a growing emphasis in ministries and churches to train children to pray. The incredible thing about children is that they have a simple, childlike faith. This type of faith is what is so desperately needed in the prayer movement. Children just believe. They pray from trusting hearts. They believe that God hears their prayers. God reveals truth to them. We need to tap into the powerful prayers of children. We can humbly learn from their childlike faith and trust.

“And he (Jesus) said, ‘I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. There-fore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3-4).  

The Bible speaks of several children who had a heart for God and for prayer. Jesus, Himself, wanted to be in His Father’s house when he was twelve years old. Josiah was a king at the age of eight who turned to the Lord with all his heart, soul and strength (2 Kings 23:25). Samuel heard God’s voice as a young boy.

“And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and favor with the Lord and with men” (1 Samuel 2:26).

Children need to be cultivated in prayer. If we want to be in tune with God’s plan for this time, then we must take the effort to train children in the ministry of prayer. This training in prayer must come from the passion of our own hearts. We must be dedicated to prayer. We must model our love relationship with God to children. It will never work to teach them about prayer and not practice it ourself.

I have been personally blessed during worship services when I have watched little girls following adult dancers in worship and praise. Their dancing is glorifying to the Lord, and they dance with incredible ease as they watch and learn from the adults. We read in Matthew 21:16, “From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise.” I have also been blessed when well-behaved, small children were allowed to stay in the main service during evening meetings that sometimes lasted late. They brought their little sleeping bags and pillows, books and crayons, and went to sleep right beside their parents when it got late. I am sure they learned so much as they watched and participated in the worship and prayer.

“Training is more than just teaching. You can teach a man how to fly an airplane from books, but until he has actually taken the controls and experienced real flight, he will never be a pilot. Training is combining teaching with experience. In preparing our children for life, they need more than just teaching – they need training.”  Rick Joyner

Cultivating Prayer in Children

“When adults attempt to teach children to pray, they should encourage the children to keep doing what they do naturally: retain a simple, conversational approach to prayer.” Alvin Vander Griend

Encourage children to pray – Teach them to pray short one-sentence prayers, especially the very young ones. Help them to understand that they are developing a deep love relationship with God.
Pray together as a family – There are several good books for family devotions. Make sure that the children pray during these times. Encourage families to become lighthouses of prayer in their neighborhood, and make sure that the children are included.
Teach prayer through modeling – Children learn by watching and observing. They grow in prayer by watching adults to see if they prioritize prayer. They copy everything. They learn from our attitudes and actions. They catch enthusiasm for prayer from our lives.
Teach children to pray together – Help provide an accepting atmosphere in group prayer. Affirm their prayers. Let them see you pray for them.
Help children to learn to listen to God – Help them to grow in silent prayer. Teach them to listen to the still, small voice of God.
Prayerwalk the neighborhood with your children – They know the area and can often know how to pray for their friends and the families of their friends. Go on short prayerwalks with children. Realize that God may open up divine contacts through them.
Give children special prayer assignments – Teach them to pray for their school, the sick and unsaved friends. Let the children give testimonies of answered prayer.
Invite children to pray in church – They can pray in the Sunday school classes and other prayer meetings. Let them participate, because children learn by involvement. It is good for church prayer meetings to become intergenerational. All ages should be included in praying in church.
Plan prayer events and include the children – Children learn by doing. Let them experience prayer. They like to use their senses to see, touch, taste, feel and hear.
Teach children to pray for the nations – Be creative and use maps, pictures, etc. to help them see what they are praying for. Teach them to pray for missionaries and adopt countries as prayer assignments.
Pair the children with adults and young people – They will learn so much about prayer in this way. Realize that adults learn so much from children in prayer as well. Let children be part of the prayer ministry in the church.
Teach children to read and pray God’s Word out loud – They learn the Bible and begin to pray what is on God’s heart. They learn to pray biblical prayers.
Allow some fun during prayer – In her book When Children Pray, Cheri Fuller says, “Remember that prayer times don’t have to be all work and no play. Kids transition easily from the seriousness of prayer into the fun of play and laughter. So if you lead children on a prayerwalk, also stop by a playground to hop on the swings, or visit an ice cream shop.”
Teach children good prayer habits – Show them variety in prayer such as folding your hands, kneeling, and lifting your hands in worship. Teach them to give all their attention to someone who is praying, teach them to close their eyes, etc.
Encourage children to talk about everything to God – Show them that prayer is not just asking for things, but also praising and giving thanks. Teach them to confess their sins to God.

See the prayer resources for children on this website. Here is another prayer resource for kids called Kidzmatter and another on Pinterest. I also highly recommend the International House of Prayer conferences that also provide full teaching tracks for children. For more details, e-mail equipchildren@ihop.org or see IHOPKC/cec. Morningstar also has training for children at their conferences. In order to move forward with what God has for us in the prayer movement, we must begin to put a high priority in training children in prayer and intercession.

“Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6).

“We will teach the best that which we love the most. We will teach nothing well that we do not love ourselves. Living waters can only come from ‘the innermost being’. The purpose of training our children is to ignite in them that which they were created to be – lovers and worshippers of God… Those who have a passion for Jesus, who are continuing learning about Him, drawing closer to Him, are the most contagious people in the world – they will infect everyone they touch with a passion for God, including their children.” Rick Joyner

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOPKC

A Prayer Movement Among Children

July 2, 2015 Debbie Leave a comment

The Lord values and encourages the prayers of children. Many children are called to the ministry of intercession. Jesus, Himself, wanted to be in His Father’s house at the age of twelve. Samuel learned to discern God’s voice as a young boy. Josiah became king at the age of eight.We read in 2 King 23:25, “Neither before or after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the Lord as he did with all his heart, and with all his soul and with all his strength.” We read in Mt.
21:16, “From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise.”

Children needed to be cultivated in prayer. They need to be included in adult prayer activities because they learn by example. Prayer lives grow and expand as people are given encouragement and opportunity to pray. Children pray from trusting hearts. They have a childlike faith that we can all learn from, and they believe God hears their prayers. They have a natural ability and heart to cry out to Jesus from a very early age. Jesus is tender towards the prayers of a child. Powerful intercession can come from the lips of those with simple, childlike faith.

We need to encourage a movement of prayer among children throughout the world. We have the opportunity to develop young intercessors. They need to be encouraged to pray individually, with others of their age and with the rest of the body of Christ. We can tap into the powerful prayers of children.  

You can help mobilize a powerful intercessory army among the children. If you have a burden to develop children in prayer and intercession, please contact deb@intercessorsarise.org. We believe that there are several intercessors and children’s workers who have a heart for seeing children released in intercession throughout the world.

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOPKC

Looking into the Heart of God for the Nations

July 1, 2015 Debbie Leave a comment

“Nothing was more pressing than that the nations and multitudes who are marching to a Christless eternity should be saved. How I saw the agendas of men: so many and varied and all of such vital importance to them, but there was only one paramount agenda to God: The nations. I instantly realized that the entire task of the glorious triune God was completely and utterly devoted to this one supreme purpose for which Jesus had so freely given His life. All else was rather trivial in comparison and we all had majored on the trivial.” Michael Howard

While at sea for days on a ministry trip and with our ship bobbing up and down in the vast and seemingly limitless ocean, it was easy to feel low or even seasick. I found it was a prime opportunity to seek to see things from God’s point of view. Undistracted by the business of the usual routines, I was able to look at God’s world, taking time to hear His heart of love for the nations. “When thou didst say, ‘Seek My face’ my heart said to Thee, ‘Thy face, O Lord, I shall seek'” (Psalm 27:8).

God’s heart is full of compassion. His heart takes in the whole world. What does this mean to us as intercessors and a people who want to grow in prayer? Our focus should also include the world, the nations and cities around us. We are the ones who can impact the nations with our prayers.

God is looking across this whole earth to find those whose hearts are as His heart, those who will intercede for the nations. Will you be one to stand in the gap? God is looking for intercessors. Will you be one that intercedes for the nations? Will you let God lay a nation on your heart for the purpose of prayer? Can God give you His passion for the world? A key to our authority is when our heart-beat aligns with the heartbeat of our Almighty God. He desires to use you in a powerful way to touch the nations.

“The one great need in the modern missionary movement is intercess-ors. They were scarce in the days of Isaiah. This was his complaint: ‘And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor’ (Isaiah 59:16). So today there is great need of intercessors: first, for the needy harvest fields of earth, born of a Christlike compass-ion for the thousands without the Gospel, and, then, for laborers to be sent forth by God into the needy fields of earth.” E. M. Bounds 

How to Pray for Nations

“The only condition that is to give worldwide power to this Gospel is prayer, and the spread of this Gospel will depend on prayer. The energy that is to give it marvelous momentum and conquering power over all its malignant and powerful foes is the energy of prayer.” E. M. Bounds

Begin to pray for the nations. Ask God to lay a burden on your heart for a nation, a people group or for a region of the world. You may want to pray for troubled areas of the world you hear about on the news. God wants every one of us to open our eyes, enlarge our vision, and begin to pray for the needy world around us. There are many ways to pray. Some intercessors like to pray through prayer cards with prayer requests for different nations. Others like to pray over a large map of a country. Some like to use the book Operation World that has detailed requests for every nation. Each way is good, but the main thing is to begin.

Here are several points of prayer that apply to the nations, plus some scriptures to start you off as you pray. These prayer requests are excellent when interceding for any nation. During your time of prayer, God may have you focus strongly on one or on a few of these items. Be creative, be led by the Holy Spirit, and let God burden your heart for different parts of the world with His particular emphasis for that day. Don’t think you have to pray through the whole list but let God direct you by His Spirit. Pray the Scriptural truth over the nation as well.

Adding countries into your prayer life develops your effectiveness in a powerful way. Your burden for the world will grow, and you will begin to see the world and life in a new way. Our own problems seem smaller when we focus on the needs of whole nations and people groups.

Thank God for how He is working in the nations – “How awesome is the Lord most High, the great King is the Lord Most High, the great King over all the earth! God reigns over the nations; God is seated on his holy throne” (Psalm 47:2, 8) .
Pray for unity in the body of Christ – “I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me” (John 17:23). “Pray for revival among God’s people – “Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you” (Psalm 85:6) .
Pray for government leaders and spiritual leaders – “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone – for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness” (1 Timothy 2:1-2) .
Pray that God’s people will walk in holiness and obedience – “Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God” (2 Corinthians 7:1).
Pray for the fear of the Lord among Christians – “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (Proverbs 1:7).
Pray for God to send His workers from every nation into the harvest field – “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20) .
Pray that the Church will reach out to the poor, needy and imprisoned – “Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering” (Hebrews 13:3).
Pray for the salvation of the lost – “And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Acts 2:21).
Pray that God will use children and youth mightily for His glory – “At that time Jesus said, ‘I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children'” (Matthew 11:25) .
Pray for just laws and righteous moral standards – “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people” (Proverbs 14:34) .
Pray that the Word of God will be given its rightful place – “Your statutes are wonderful; therefore I obey them” (Psalm 119:129).
Pray that 24-7 prayer and worship will start in every major city in all nations – “How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. Blessed are those who dwell in your house. They are ever praising you” (Psalm 84:1,2,4) .
Pray that God’s people will know how to effectively wage spiritual warfare – “Finally be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes” (Ephesians 6:10-11) .
Pray the promises of God in His Word over the nations – “The nations will fear the name of the Lord, all the kings of the earth will revere your glory” (Psalm 102:15) .
Praise God for prayer for the nations – “These will I bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations” (Isaiah 56:7) .

Praying for the nations has rewards that will endure through all eternity. This may be one of the most strategic things we ever do. One day we will worship God around the throne in heaven with people from every tribe and tongue and nation. We will then realize the value of every prayer we prayed for a nation while we were on the earth.

Are you willing today to pray for the nations?
Are you willing to invest your time in a task that is so rewarding?

“And they sang a new song: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation'” (Revelation 5:9).

“While I am very excited about what is happening, yet as an intercessor, I can never forget that over half of the world’s population has never heard of Jesus. The task ahead is still enormous. As darkness covers the earth in the last days and darkens the people, the glory of the Lord will shine brighter and brighter, brighter and brighter in the face of a people who love Him absolutely and uncompromisingly. In this way, the whole world will know that there is a God who reigns in the Heavens and man will be left without excuse on the day of Christ’s appearing. The Spirit is still heralding a call for watchmen to join the great choir of intercessors.” Michael Howard

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOPKC

Presenting Your Petitions  In The Courtroom Of Heaven

July 1, 2015 Debbie Leave a comment

“Truth alone, empowered by the Spirit, can wither the deception and oppression of the enemy. In 2 Cor. 10:3-6, Paul says that the weapons we fight with have divine, dynamite-like power to demolish argu-ments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God. He is describing subtle thoughts, beliefs, and mindsets that have been sown into our thinking by the enemy. Truth, spoken in faith and empowered by prayer – especially in agreement with others – will root out faulty thinking and bring our minds into obedience to Christ.” Tom White

It would be absolutely ridiculous to go to war without having a weapon of offense. Yet you and I are involved in spiritual warfare daily and often enter the frontlines of battle spiritually without using the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17). This must not be. The Word of God is a sword that pierces truth into enemy strongholds. The enemy loses in the courtroom of heaven as we present our case with the truth of God’s Word. As the quote says above, the Word of God has divine, dynamite-like power to demolish every scheme of the enemy.

The truth of God, spoken in faith can annihilate the enemy’s plans against you and all that you are praying for. Don’t underestimate this powerful weapon. You and I must have it ready for quick use as we bring our petitions before God.

Major breakthrough in prayer is beginning to happen worldwide because prayer groups around the world are beginning to pray the Word of God. Intercessors are more and more opening their Bibles in the prayer room and claiming the truth of God’s Word in the courtroom of heaven. The worship and intercession meetings (Harp and Bowl) I am involved in are using the Word of God to launch into powerful prayers combined with powerful worship and antiphonal singing. It is amazing how taking a verse of Scripture and bringing it before the Throne of God leads into such powerful Holy Spirit-led petitions. The Holy Spirit knows how to take the Word and launch it into extraordinary declarations of truth and intensive prayers before the Throne of God.

Using the Word in the Courtroom of Heaven

“Anyone who trusts that he can be an intercessor without knowing and being heavily dependent upon God’s Word is hopelessly deceived. The Spirit works on the Word. It is for this reason that Jesus taught that true worshippers must worship in Spirit and Truth, or according to the Word. He is the Holy Spirit who quickens Scripture in intercession and sets such as legal precedence upon which to base our battle, for indeed the enemy is a legalist and must be beaten in the law court of Heaven before He is ever defeated in the heavenly and then in the natural.” Michael Howard

We hear the battles in the courtroom on a daily basis, but often we don’t realize that there is a law court in Heaven. If you study law in any nation, you realize that without law and order, there is extreme chaos and that wickedness prevails. We fail to realize that in heaven, God is the lawmaker and judge. So when we present our case before God in heaven, understand that the Word of God is extremely important, because it is the absolute Truth that you and I stand on.

When we intercede before God, we can list the petitions that we want God to answer. In understanding the language of the law court of heaven, we must know the Word of God and be thoroughly familiar with God’s law. The evidence from Scripture supports our petitions. Many years ago, I was a legal secretary, and so I know the importance of legal evidence. As a secretary, I had to have the sentence structure right and every word perfectly spelled. One mistake, and I would have to start over. This is before the computer age. We couldn’t even use “white-out” to cover up the mistakes. Legal papers had to be perfect.

When you and I pray, we should ask specifically and clearly. We can state our requests, telling God why we hold that position. You may want to write out your requests just as a lawyer would. Find Scripture that corresponds with your requests and use them as you pray. Claim those promises from Scripture. The positive declaration of Scripture is a powerful defensive and offensive weapon. The enemy wants to keep us vague and without faith in our asking. The Word energizes our prayers.

Using the Word of God is one of the major keys in intercession. When we bring God’s Word in our intercession and cry out to God in the courtroom of heaven, bringing again and again before Him the truth of what He says in Scripture, victory must come. God cannot deny His Word. When God spoke the word in creation, the Spirit and the Word quickened life. When you speak the Word by the direction of the Holy Spirit, life will come forth in power. Martin Luther knew the potential of God’s Word in defeating the enemy. One Word spoken by the power of the Holy Spirit can make the enemy fall.

“‘One little word shall fell him.’ This line from Martin Luther’s historic hymn refers to a basic principle of spiritual warfare: Standing on and speaking out God’s Word slams the adversary and brings us onto victory ground.” Tom White

The Word of God reveals the power and the greatness of the Word. Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible (176 verses), and it is a prayer that reveals the greatness of the Word and the passion of the Psalmist for the Word of God! We read in Psalm 119:12-15:

“Praise be to you, O Lord; teach me your decrees. With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth. I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.”

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOPKC

Prayer Is The Strategy Of Heaven

July 1, 2015 Debbie Leave a comment

“Intercession is standing before the court of heaven and pleading a case or cause before an awesome God. There are things that deeply touch the righteous Heart of the Father and above all, He is jealous of His glory…”

Our God is a mighty warrior. He is a God who has a strategic plan. And you and I can take part in this strategic plan. I doubt if very many of us wake up in the morning and enter the day realizing that we are at war and that strategy is of utmost importance. The truth is that prayer is the greatest strategy in the world. Prayer is the strategy of heaven. As we use this weapon of prayer, God then gives us His strategy for life on earth.

The majority of the Church worldwide has not yet awakened to this strategic weapon of prayer and intercession. If we did, we would be using it, and our prayer meetings would be packed to overflowing. I envision that day coming. We will begin to realize more and more that nothing happens without prayer. Often in the natural we look to man-made methods and schemes to get the job done. We think big money and promotion will reach the world. We try harder with our human ingenuity. No! That will never work, at least not long-term. Prayer and intercession will prepare the way for the harvest. We must set our hearts above. We must choose to use heaven’s strategy rather than man’s human devices. We must set our minds above and learn to intercede. Prayer is the strategy of heaven.

“Since, then you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” (Colossians 3:1-2).

It is in prayer that God gives us heavenly strategy to do the work on earth that will touch the world. I have seen this over and over again. In intercession God gives us the greatest plan. In the quiet place God opens to us His greatest secrets. Everything that will make a difference has to have the touch of the supernatural. God does the work through us, and He gives us His plan in prayer. Multitudes did use the strategy of prayer on the Global Day of Prayer. Corporate intercession took place in 169 nations. But it must continue with increasing intensity and commitment. The days we are living in are evil, and nothing but intense intercession will bring in the harvest. These are days of opportunity, and God is raising up intercessors to take back the land in every nation as they use this heavenly strategy. Never underestimate the true potential of prayer and intercession.

Never fail to realize that an hour in prayer can make a huge difference in the strategic outcome of your day.

“Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15-16).

Ways to Touch Heaven’s Strategy of Prayer

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3).

I find in my life personally that a quicker way to enter into the throne room of God is through worship, praying the Word of God and fasting. This brings us quickly into heaven’s perspective. We touch heaven through our praise, we touch heaven through praying the world, and we touch heaven when we deny ourselves through fasting. We are then able to concentrate more fully on God’s heart.

Worship and Praise – Worship, praise and thanksgiving should be incorporated into our lives as much as possible. When you are down or discouraged, try the medicine of praise and thanksgiving. It is a good medicine because it puts our attention back upon the greatness and the glory of God.
“We can never underestimate praise as one of the greatest and most powerful weapons of war which the Lord has placed in our hands. And, when praise becomes high praise, it commands the unlimited resources of heaven because it gives absolute glory to the Lord. In a way which is beyond our understanding, deliverance and redemption are wrought through praise with great power for such conclusively speak of the supreme victory of Jesus.”
Pray the Word of God – If you want to grow in your prayer life, grow in your study of the Bible and in praying it. God loves us to pray His Word. God loves us to use the sword of the Spirit, His Word, in intercession for the lost. It keeps us on-target, and we begin to think the very thoughts of God.
“The promises and blessings of God’s Word are conditional. What God has done before, He will do again under the same climate and by the same standards. It is for this reason that intercession must be solidly built upon and directed by the Word. This means that the intercessor must know and quote the word. This is not so the devil can hear but because a case must be made before the Lord… God is committed to His word and the fulfilling of it.”
Fast and Pray – Fasting is a key to a powerful prayer life. Fasting together with prayer will help you to tap into heaven’s riches and strategy in a way nothing else can. It quiets your outer man so that your inner man can hear the heartbeat of heaven.
“Jesus was always ‘prayed and fasted up’ while the disciples were not. This is why He always had authority in any situation. It is too late in the crisis to ‘get fasted and prayed up,’ so to speak… The benefits, blessings and powers of fasting are clearly revealed in the Word. Firstly, fasting brings the flesh into submission in all areas and herein lies the secret of the power… Fasting is a total denial of self which is mandatory if one is to be a true disciple of Jesus ( 16:24). Thirdly, there is a mysterious relationship between fasting and the power of heaven intervening on our behalf.”

Is it always easy to go heaven’s way? No, we are tempted by earth’s attraction. We are tempted by quick results and man-made schemes, by things that look so good. We are attracted by fleshly fame and fortune. But in reality prayer is what really will get the job done. Prayer and intercession will bring glory to the King and touch earth with heaven’s riches. Prayer is the strategy of heaven. Prayer is the work, the strategic work, of the Kingdom. Prayer will prepare the way for the King.

Never forget this, because your enemy will tempt you in every way possible to get the job done through human resources. He will promise you a quick, painless way to get results. But the quickest way is go straight to the King yourself in prayer. And He will reveal to you a strategy of life that will release His greatest glory through you here on earth. Why is this true? It is because you will be living and doing exactly what you were made for.

And I promise you that this is a joyful and fulfilling way to live.

“God puts no limitations on His ability to save through true praying. No hopeless conditions, no accumulation of difficulties, no desperation in distance or circumstances can hinder the success of real prayer. The promises of prayer are linked to the infinite rectitude and to the omnipotent power of God. There is nothing too hard for God to do. God is pledged if we ask, we shall receive. God can withhold nothing from faith and prayer.” Quotes by Michael Howard

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOPKC

For additional training on the intercessor and strategic prayer, read Deeper Still: Secrets to a Deeper Prayer Life by Debbie Przybylski.

The Dark Night Of The Soul

July 1, 2015 Debbie Leave a comment

“John of the Cross, a 16th century believer, coined this term to describe a unique kind of spiritual suffering. Distinct from the pain God’s children feel when their fellowship with Him is broken because of sin, this sense of darkness seems actually to be inflicted by God in order to do a deeper work in those who long for more of Him. By stripping us of things we’ve come to rely upon – even good things like answers to prayer, or feelings of joy, or experiences of His presence – God brings us to a new place where we know and love Him for who He is alone.”

The dark night of the soul is a common occurrence to all who are seeking hard after God. I wish I had understood it many years ago when my husband and I entered into a season of darkness that lasted a number of years. I didn’t understand at the time what was happening to us, but now in looking back, I see it as the most important time in our spiritual journey with God. It not only brought us personally into a depth with God that we had never known before, it has been the key and the stepping stone into the ministry we are now involved in called the Elijah Company, Inc. and Intercessors Arise.

“I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remain (just one grain; it never becomes more but lives) by itself alone. But if it dies, it produces many others, and yields a rich harvest” (John 12:24, Amplified).

In order to bring us deeper, God needs to strip us of ourselves. He needs to remove all the wisdom and ways of the world, all the sense of human accomplishment we may have in our ministry, and all of our nervous energy and soulish activity. He wants to draw us to Himself alone, and He even takes away the good things in order to give us the best. Although this time may seem bewildering, God has His perfect plan, and He knows every moment what He is doing. He lets us experience a dry and lonely desert experience where He, alone, sustains our spiritual life. He teaches us the ways of the Spirit.

Moses, Job, Joseph, Paul and a number of Biblical characters went through a dark night of the soul. This is where they learned valuable spiritual truths. This is a special class in the school of God’s Spirit from which we gain much spiritual strength for whatever we do for God in the future. It is personalized with our name on it, and it is designed to change us from the inside out.

It is a choice place to be. We can learn a lesson from the Jewish potters.

“When Jewish potters make new pots, they set aside the very best pots and pottery for special treatment. After they put their name on the underside of these extra good pieces, they put them away in a cold, damp room for storage, away from the public view. It is only when the more selective buyers ask for the ‘very best’ of the potter’s products that the craftsman will retrieve the chosen pots from their hidden storage place.” Lori Wilke

The dark night of the soul is the most difficult experience for each one of us. God doesn’t seem to tell us what we are going through. It would be easy if He would just say, “This is only a test.” It seems as if our life has reached a place where there is no way out except God. This is where He wants us, which is a place of absolutely dependent and at the very end of our human ability and resources.

I remember this dark night well. It has become a memorial in my everyday experience for I was marked for life by the lessons I learned during those days and years of loneliness and loss. It is the place where we find our deepest treasure and where we find true hope in God alone. It is the place where we are set free from ourselves in a deeper way. The dark night of the soul has been the place where our life ministry was truly birthed in all its fullness. But I must admit that it was extremely difficult each and every day, and it seemed as if that dark season would never end. But God always knows what He was doing. He is developing a hidden place where true faith and fruitfulness is birthed.

“The Master Potter may have placed you in a cold storage room for a season while you mature and grow strong in the silent darkness. You can only wait for the appointed time of the Lord when He, with pleasure, places you into His service. To believers, though, the life of faith doesn’t always make sense. You may feel lost in that dark night of the soul, seemingly gathering dust in the Lord’s storage room of the wilderness. Set your heart and desire on the Master Himself, not merely on the outward activities and blessings of his household.” Lori Wilke 

How to Face the Dark Night of the Soul

“Yet how do you pray when the heavens are silent, when you go to the fountain only to find that it seems to have dried up? Prayer through the dark night is unlike any other kind; by necessity, it draws upon some untapped reservoir of raw faith.”

Trust God and rely on Him – You may feel that you made some mistake during this dark time, but God is really maturing you for greatness.
Study the Biblical characters – Realize that they spent time in the desert. Study the lives of Moses, Elijah, David, John the Baptist and Paul. All of them experienced the dark night of the soul.
Obey God, and walk in repentance – Let God touch every area of your life with His refining fire. Repent as He lets the weaknesses and sin in your life come to the surface.
Cling to God and His Word – He is the one who will carry you through this season of your life. Don’t hurry it along but learn to cling to God even when He seems far away. Hold onto Scriptural promises.
Wait on God in persistent prayer – Keep on pursuing God, and cry out to Him in persistent prayer. Wait on God for He has an appointed time to release you.
Love God for who He is – Learn to be a lover of God for Himself and not what He can give you. Worship and praise Him throughout the day.
Thank God for this hidden place – Recognize that it is a necessary part of your growth. Character is not developed overnight. There will come a time where you are eternally grateful for this season in your life. Thank Him now.
Recommit your soul to God afresh – Don’t give up or complain. It will only lengthen this time. Commit your life afresh to God’s purposes and plans. Allow Him to re-fashion your life according to His design.

“Who among you fears the Lord and obeys the word of his servant? Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God” (Isaiah 50:10).

“Proven vessels have been oven-baked and refired again and again in the kiln of commitment until they’ve proven their ability to withstand the pressures and temperature of the fire. Once you cry out, ‘God, I want to be like you,’ then you will probably be broken up, made over into a brand-new vessel, and whisked out of the bright light into a deserted and dark back storage room until the appointed time. Remember, diamonds were just pieces of coal formed in a dark, pressurized environment.” Lori Wilke

I thank God for every day I spent in the dark night of the soul. Without it, I could never do what I am doing today. It was the hardest time in my life, but it changed me forever. Now I treasure the seclusion I learned during that season of my life. I can now look forward in a new way to desert moments when God brings me alone to Himself because I know how He is deepening the quality of my life.

I do not know how any of us as intercessors can do without this dark night of the soul, because through the dark night God brings forth the brightest faith, the greatest freedom, and a diamond that could be formed in no other way, not just for ourselves alone but for the world. For those of you who are facing a dark night, I encourage you to embrace this season for you will truly receive memorial stones that will change you forever for God’s glory and for your greatest good.

A glorious dawn awaits you.

“I know now that for every dark night, a glorious dawn awaits. Wherever you may be in your spiritual journey, I pray that this truth will encourage you to reach for all God is, regardless of the cost. He will not hide Himself from you even one minute beyond His sovereign plan. He holds you, even when you feel completely deserted, and He’s shedding His love into your heart. Cling to Him through the darkness. The trials that overwhelm right now will one day appear as memorial stones – monuments that testify to His great love and power to redeem. This is the legacy of the soul’s dark night.” Unnamed quotes by Tracey McCary Rhodes

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOPKC

For additional training, read Deeper Still: Secrets to a Deeper Prayer Life by Debbie Przybylski.

Igniting the Fire of Prayer Worldwide