Tag Archives: prayer

History Belongs to the Intercessors

12341416_1070126429717130_3088997648226849866_n-2“God’s purpose may be thwarted or it may be accomplished depending, to one degree or another, on the obedience of His people and their willingness to use the weapons of spiritual warfare that He has provided. God is powerful enough to win any battle, but He has designed things so that the release of His power at a given moment of time often is contingent upon the decisions and the actions of His people. A principle weapon of spiritual warfare is prayer. Not just routine or mediocre prayer, but prayer powerful enough to move God’s hand in order to determine the destiny of a whole nation.” C. Peter Wagner

If we are involved in intercession, then we are working with God to determine the future. Certain things in history will happen through our intercession if we pray the way God wants us to pray. We have authority in prayer to actually see our cities changed. In many ways history belongs to the intercessors. When we pray, things happen in the spirit realm. God remembers every prayer we pray, and every one of them prayed through the power of the Holy Spirit has effect on earth. Not one prayer is forgotten.

Last year when I was in a particular city in Turkey, I remembered a prayer I had prayed in that very city several years before. It was as if at that moment, God showed me that He had remembered my prayers from several years before, and that it was extremely important and would have a powerful effect in that city one day.

“Prayer is power and strength, a power and strength that influences God, and is most salutary, widespread, and marvelous in its gracious benefits to man. Prayer influences God. The ability of God to do for man is the measure of the possibility of prayer.” E. M. Bounds

The prayers you pray influence God. He remembers every single one of them. Do not ever think that God hasn’t heard you or that your prayers do not matter. One day you will see that they have mighty effect in the spiritual realm. Do not give up or think it is not important to pray today. If ever there was a need for intercession, it is now. We are in a key (kairos) time in all of history. The Greek word “kairos” in the New Testament means the appointed or opportune time that God has set for something to occur. During a kairos time, we must respond in prayer and press through in intercession in order to see God’s plan fulfilled.

We are in a time of opportunity, and we must seize it in prayer. This is the appointed season for change and for intercession to increase. We must not fear the future. Instead, we must know our authority in prayer to see powerful change on earth.

We can pray God’s future plan into being through our intercession.

“This is a kairos time for God’s people to understand authority, for authority is the key to power. This is a time for us to deal with the spirit of fear that has imbedded itself into the heart of the church. The spirit of fear creates an unsound mind, it weakens power, and it negates love. God has given us an awesome responsibility… But, as we see through history, God makes the fulfillment of His desire contingent on the obedience of His people. Apostles, prophets, and intercessors play a crucial role. If the apostles, acting on the word delivered through the prophets, effectively mobilize the intercessors, and if the intercessors, in turn, enter into powerful, strategic, prophetic intercession, we in the body of Christ will truly be praying the future into being. It will be God’s best future for us, and our nation(s) will be blessed as never before.” Chuck Pierce


Pray for Your City

“Millions of feeble, sickly Christians, thousands of wearied workers, could be blessed by intercession. Churches and missions sacrificing life and labor with little result often lack the power of intercession. Souls, each one worth more than worlds – worth nothing less than the price paid for them in Christ’s blood – are within reach of the power that can be won by intercession. We surely have no conception of the magnitude of the work to be done by God’s intercessors, or we would cry to God above everything to give us a spirit of intercession.” Andrew Murray

How can you be the history maker for God’s purposes in your city? Below are some ways you can pray for your city and make a difference. You may want to pray these prayers for your nation, church or neighborhood as well. Know the areas where God wants you to intercede, because He will give you authority in those areas. God is seeking for intercessors. He will accomplish His will through the prayers of His people on earth.

  • Pray that a spirit of intercession falls on your city – If intercessors cry out for a spirit of intercession to invade their city, people will change and prayer will increase. Christians who had never felt like praying before will begin to pray. Prayer can be activated in your city.
  • Pray for corporate worship and prayer to arise in your city – Pray that the church begins to come together in corporate worship and prayer. United worship tears down the powers of darkness in your city. Pray for state gatherings of worship and 24/7 Houses of Prayer to be raised up.
  • Pray for the key authority structures and spiritual leaders in your city – Pray for all pastors and government leaders. Pray for faith, wisdom and holiness in the leaders in your city. Pray that God will help them to lead His people into holy living in difficult times.
  • Pray for God to reveal the lawless structures in your city – Pray that all terrorist plans and evil hidden plans will be exposed in your city and nation. Pray that unjust laws will be overturned. Pray for Godly rulers in your nation to be elected and put into place.
  • Pray for the church in your city to be empowered by God – Pray for the churches to arise in prayer, godliness and spiritual strength. Pray that the Church becomes a light to the lost in your city.
  • Pray for God to remove complacency in your city – Pray that the churches in your city becomes fervent and on fire for God and His ways. Pray that complacency stops and that the Church awakes to its destiny and calling in the last days.

“God seeks intercessors. He longs to dispense larger blessings. He longs to reveal His power and glory as God, His saving love, and more abundantly. He seeks intercessors in larger numbers, in greater power, to prepare the way of the Lord.” Andrew Murray

History belongs to the intercessors. Your city needs intercessors that will cry out to Him day and night with great boldness and expectation. God is seeking for intercessors. Will you be one?

“God seeks intercessors. He sends His servants out to call them. Let ministers make this a part of their duties. Let them make their church a training school of intercession. Give the people definite objects for prayer. Encourage them to make a definite time for it, even if it is only ten minutes every day. Help them to understand the boldness they may use with God. Teach them to expect and look for answers. Show them what it is first to pray and get an answer in secret, and then carry the answer and impart the blessing. Tell everyone who is master of his own time that he is as the angels: free to tarry before the throne and then go out and minister to the heirs of salvation. Sound out the blessed tidings that this honor is for all God’s people.” Andrew Murray

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOPKC

Simple Steps In Establishing A Lighthouse of Prayer

12342810_1071086426287797_4528222219828104224_n“Prayer is the key to reaching the world with the Gospel of Jesus.
The greatest forces of power in the universe are mobi-lized, and history 
is made when we pray. God is looking for men and women 
who will stand in the gap on behalf of the land.” 
Ezekiel 22:30, Isaiah 59:16, 63:5

There are three essential elements of a Lighthouse of Prayer lifestyle:

Prayer, Care, Share. Firstly, we want to pray for individuals and families in our communities. Secondly, we want to show that we care through acts of kindness. Thirdly, these two combined will open opportunities to share our hope in Christ.

Pray

  • Begin praying for a few neighbors you know who do not know Christ – Then start praying for them. You may choose to find a Christian friend or two to pray with.
  • Make a simple map of your neighborhood – You may choose your school or place of employment.
  • Identify your neighbors by name – Add your neighbor’s names to the map as you begin to identify them.
  • Begin prayerwalking your neighborhood – Walk and pray through your neighborhood, or pray around your map for your neighbors while at home.
  • Pray regularly as you learn more about your neighbors – Continue to add information to your prayer map. You may want to add children’s names, etc.
God gets people’s attention when He answers prayer. We recommend that Lighthouse individuals select from five to twenty people who are not presently in Christian fellowship.A simple means of praying is to make a commitment to pray for:

    1) 5 people
    2) 5 weeks
    3) 5 minutes a day
    4) 5 days a week
    5) asking 
5 requestsThis 5 by 5 plan allows even busy people a way to strategically minister to their neighbors.

    The five requests are based on the accrostic B-L-E-S-S.

    B – Body – For health, safety, and physical needs.
    L – Labors – For the success and prospering of their work and/or studies (Jeremiah 29:7).
    E – Emotions – For peace and joy to replace fear and anxiety (Matthew 10:13).
    S – Social life – For families to function well together and in their community.
    S – Salvation – For each to understand salvation in Jesus Christ and grow in their spiritual lives.

Care

  • Be friendly – Greet the people on your list and others God sends across your path. Cultivate friendliness. Many people are very lonely. One quick wave or “hi” may be their only contact with anyone all day or week.
  • Build relationships – Allow yourself time to be outside in your yard when neighbors are usually out. In an apartment, be friendly while checking your mail or doing the laundry.
  • Be ready to listen – People need to know that you care about what is important to them.
  • Watch for needs they have or share – Let them know you will pray for them.
  • Be quick to reach out with “random acts of kindness” – Pick up trash on their lawn, put their paper by the door, or do anything that you see to do.
  • Invite a neighbor in whenever they stop by – Openness will make you a real friend.

Share

  • Seek natural opportunities to share your faith in Christ – Share a portion of God’s Word when appropriate. Pray and ask God for the right timing and when to share more.
  • Be prepared to share some material with them – The Jesus video, simple devotional guides, non-threatening tracts, etc. are excellent materials to leave with them.
  • Know that God may give you an opportunity to share your personal testimony – Make sure that you are ready to share a testimony of how Christ has changed your life.
  • Tell the people you are praying for about any Christian events they can attend – It may be a Bible study, Christian women or men’s luncheon, church event, etc. Invite them to attend with you.
  • Take your time – Know that God will lead you.

For more information, see the Lighthouse Movement website.

Bringing The Touch Of Jesus Through Prayer

946444_1077690778960695_8044411060511755856_n“That a marvelous thing it is that Christ uses us, His body, to introduce His power to heal into the fabric of everyday life. Whether in a phone call, a chance meeting on the street, in our homes and work places, or within the church walls, bringing the touch of Jesus to others, one prayer at a time, is a profound privilege and wondrous joy for every believer.”

Each of us needs the personal touch of Jesus that we receive from one another through prayer. Personal prayer is such a powerful way to touch the lives of those who do not know Christ. A single prayer prayed with the anointing and direction of the Holy Spirit can actually change the course of someone’s lives. It can show an unbeliever that Jesus is alive and cares. Therefore, we always need to be ready to pray for others at a moments notice.

In traveling to different nations and in meeting all kinds of people, I have experienced the joy and power in praying for people. I am convinced that it is a simple, easy-to-do ministry that we can easily forget or neglect, but has a great impact in the lives of others and carries a great eternal reward. Over and over again, I see God impacting the lives of individuals as a result of the personal touch of Jesus that comes through prayer. Everything changes!

Jesus’ power brings hope and life to those who do not know Him.

The touch of Jesus through prayer has no limitations. Once my husband and I were walking in France when a man collapsed on the ground nearby. His granddaughter on her bike was crying, people begin to gather around, and he was helpless with his face in the dirt and hardly moving. Not knowing the language, we tried to find out what had happened but with no success. We finally bent down, put our hand on his body and began to pray. After a few minutes, he sat up. An ambulance soon came, he was able to talk, and they took him away in a wheelchair. I believe that our simple prayer made a difference at that moment.

Do we realize the power of God that extends to others as we bring the touch of Jesus into the lives of individuals through prayer? 


Personal prayer is a key in life both in the area of giving and receiving it. There are times when we feel the attack of the enemy or are going through a low time, where personal prayer is like a breath of fresh air for a weary soul. It can lead us in a new direction, it can encourage our hearts, and it can change the wrong ways we are thinking about our life circumstances. We need people to pray for us. We also need to be willing to let the Lord use us in our day-to-day encounters with people.

There is a man named Gary on the ship we were visiting who is praying for the 300 people on board on a regular basis. He has a list of all their names, he asks various ones for prayer requests, and sometimes he tells them he is praying and finds out how they are doing. He is bringing the touch of Jesus to others in a hidden, unseen dimension that will make a huge difference. Personal prayer ministry is extremely rewarding. When we pray for the lost, they see that God is real for them personally.

“There is great joy in knowing that you have made a difference in someone’s life – that you prayed a prayer that brought Jesus’ life and power into the situation.” Jan Niel

How to Bring the Touch of Jesus Through Prayer

“Personal prayer ministry is one person ushering another 
into God’s presence through prayer.” 
Terry Teykl

  • Be aware of the needy world around you – Enter each day with a desire to minister the life of Jesus to others in some way. Pray and ask the Lord, “Who can I minister to today?” “Make me aware of the needs of others, and show me who you want me to pray for. Lead me to a lost person who is seeking for truth.”
  • Expect God to lead you because He will open doors of opportunity – Have an expectant heart, and believe that God wants to use you every day in some way to bless others with the touch of Jesus. Walk through the day with an open heart and a willingness to serve others through prayer, and the Holy Spirit will guide and give you opportunities.
  • Ask God for guidance and learn to listen and wait – God will guide you in prayer that will touch deeply into the spirit of others. Learning to wait before praying has helped me so much in praying the prayers God desired rather than ones I thought were important.
    “When we pray for others, we need to wait upon God for guidance. We can’t automatically claim God’s power is present to heal and plow through someone’s pain with assurance our Father may not be giving. Often when we listen to the Holy Spirit, He will lead us to pray along a completely different track.”
  • Go forth in faith, and ask individuals if you can pray for them –  We train others in prayer evangelism and encourage people to pray for the felt needs of their neighbors. Many are afraid, because they think that lost people don’t want prayer. Actually the opposite is true. People in the world are more willing for us to pray for them than we realize. We must be courageous and ask if there is anything we can pray for. Try it, and I believe you will be surprised at the response.
    “Jesus sees our willingness to bring people to Him as an act of faith. He loves to reward the small seed of faith that we demonstrate when we choose to pray for someone else.”
  • Realize that spiritual needs are the most important – Many times physical and emotional problems are connected to the spiritual realm so be sure to pray through possible areas of sin and any strategies of the devil. Often someone comes to me with a surface problem, and I find a spiritual stronghold at the core. When we pray about the spiritual stronghold and bring it before the cross, we find that the surface problem takes care of itself.
  • If God reveals a course of action, encourage the person to follow through with it“Sometimes as we listen and wait on the Lord, he will reveal a course of action for the person we’re praying for. It may be confession and renunciation of sin, restitution toward others, affirmation of a biblical truth, or some other act of obedience. Here we need to take a step back and encourage that person to follow the Lord to complete the healing He desires.”
  • Stop when you are done – Sometimes we try to help the Holy Spirit, but He may want the person to step out on their own. We need to know when we are finished.
    “We must allow them to take the action Jesus has laid out for them, lest they lose the ground they have gained.”
  • Keep your motives pure, making sure God gets the glory – Personal prayer ministry changes lives. We want God to be glorified. Let us continually give God praise and thanksgiving after we have ministered in prayer to others, knowing that it was all His work and we were His privileged vessels.
    “Pride can’t fit in a heart that’s full of praise and wonder at the God who answers prayer.”

“As we learn to minister like Jesus, we will listen more and talk less, wait longer, and make fewer proclamations. When we can see what the Father is up to, we find a new authority and power in personal prayer ministry.” Unnamed quotes by Tricia Rhodes

“. . . and all who touched Him were healed.” Matthew 14:36



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