Tag Archives: victory

How to Position Your Life in the Greatness of God

13339549_1187097144686724_6693058996771599785_n“The LORD reigns, he is robed in majesty; the LORD is robed in majesty and is armed with strength. The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved. Your throne was established long ago; you are from all eternity. The seas have lifted up, O LORD, the seas have lifted up their voice; the seas have lifted up their pounding waves. Mightier than the thunder of the great waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea – the LORD on high is mighty” (Psalm 93:1-4).

God promises us an abundant life, but we can’t have abundance unless we position ourself in the greatness of God. The Bible says that without a vision the people perish (Proverbs 29:18). We must have a vision of the greatness of God and pray to be God-focused rather than self-focused. If we are God-focused we can walk in true freedom. Then we can walk every day with a greater vision of what God is like, what He is saying, and what He can do.

The truth is that we are a desperate people. I became a Christian when I was 18 years old. Before that time God seemed so far away and out of reach, but I was hungry to find truth. I knew there was a purpose to life and that I would find it someday. I searched for three long years and became quite desperate to find the answer to life. Finally through reading a Bible given to me, I found the truth that set me free. Jesus was my answer. The end of myself was the beginning of God. This is true of each one of us who know God personally. This is where we started and where we must live every day. We don’t have it all together but God does.

God loves to answer desperate prayers. Psalm 60:3 says, “You have shown your people desperate times.” Have you noticed in your personal life that when you pray desperate prayers, the answer often comes quickly? We read in Psalm 79:8, “May your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need.” God wants us to live in that place of dependence. We can’t live a day without Him. When we were first saved we came to Him weak and vulnerable, and it’s still the same today. We all struggle with life. I heard it said that we are either entering a trial or coming out of one. But right in the midst of our trials, He wants to give us an abundant life.

God wants to position you in the greatness of God. He wants to give you a new belief and expression of the power of prayer in your own life. He wants to give you a new freedom in your walk with Him. God is preparing you. He wants to impart to you new life. His training is supernatural training. You and I are in the process of becoming. We are changed from glory to glory as we grow into a Christ-like person.

In 1994 my husband Norman and I came back from the mission field, and God put us on the backside of the desert for several years. I said to God, “Lord, if you don’t pull us through, we are bankrupt. We have no second plan. We left and burned all our bridges behind us when we went on the mission field.” But in the dark night as we desperately sought Him, we found God. I came out of that desert leaning on God. In that quiet place I received a greater vision of Who He is and a stronger belief in the power of prayer. God brought me into a new dimension of victory.

Are you desperate today in some area of your life? Do you have questions where there are no answers but God? He uses ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances to show His mighty power. When you are desperate, you are in the prime place to shift into the greatness of God. Your impossibility opens the way for the possibilities of God – the very God who is greater than the universe and greater than every obstacle you may be facing. Desperation opens the way for the greatness of God.

You may have lost your hope and think that there is no one who understands your situation. God understands. The Bible is full of hope. Here are just a few verses:

  • Psalm 25:3  – “No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame.”
  • Psalm 130:5 – “I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.”
  • Isaiah 40:31 – “but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
  • Jeremiah 29:11 – “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”
  • Romans 15:13 – “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
  • Proverbs 23:18 – “There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.”
  • Lamentations 3:21-22 – “Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.”

Norman collects tools to fix things broken in our house in order to help us live in our home with greater ease. Today I want to give you some tools to help you to walk in a greater position of victory. These are tools to teach you how to face life in difficult days. There is incredible freedom available for us in spite of all that we are facing in our changing world. These tools will help change your outlook on your life challenges. God is in the process of training us for reigning through the very difficulties that we face every day.

Positioning Yourself in God’s Greatness

“God is big enough to take care of your smallest need.” 

How are you looking at life? Do you see the greatness of God in the midst of it all? Open your heart to the great God who is with you and can take care of your smallest need. May these practical steps help unlock the treasure chest of God inside of you. Apply these tools wholeheartedly and with all diligence in your life:

  • Speak life words over your circumstances – There is power in the tongue. Break the power of hopelessness by speaking life words rather than death words. Pray the above verses of hope over your life. Put your name in the verses.
  • Ask God for a great vision of who He is – Ask Him to help you walk in a new level of trust. Study and meditate on verses in the Bible about the greatness of God. Pray verse by verse Psalm 145 back to Him in your own words. It’s a Psalm of praise by King David about the greatness of God.
  • Praise God for His greatness and splendor – Do it even if you don’t feel like it. There is enormous power in a thankful heart. Rise to a new dimension of praise and thankfulness to God. Praise the attributes of God from A to Z (i.e. “I praise and glorify you because You are Almighty,” “You are Beautiful,” “You are the Creator of the Universe,” “You are my Deliverer,” etc.).
  • Position yourself for victory – There is a new way of looking at life. We have been shifting into the end-time season. We have to choose to align with God, to step out of our comfort zone, and make his presence our central theme. Consciously think of God during the day. Talk to Him in the midst of your activities.
  • Start a prayer journal – Let God speak to you and write down what He says. Write crafted prayers to Him that you can pray over and over again. Use Scripture in your prayers that proclaim God’s greatness; Psalm 93, 96, and 98 to name a few.

In your daily life pray against hopelessness, lack of vision, and dampened dreams. Pray that the Church rises up with a new vision of Who God is and what He can do. Rise up to an abundant life, to a greater vision of God, and a new perspective of being the victorious end-time Church.

Position yourself for victory – Position yourself in worship and thankfulness to God – Position yourself in positive speech.

Right now thank God for the most difficult thing in your life. Thank Him that he will use it for your good. When you get down about a situation in your life, think deeply about the God who lives inside of you. Is anything too hard for God? Is He not your conquering King, the Great I Am? In your desperate situation, is not your hand in the hand of the Almighty One who is on your side and who can do all things on your behalf?

 “I will extol You, my God, O King; and I will bless Your name forever and ever… Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall praise Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts. I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, and on Your wondrous works. Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts, and I will declare Your greatness…

All Your works shall praise You, O Lord, and Your saints shall bless You. They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom, and talk of Your power, to make known to the sons of men His mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of His kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures throughout all generations… The Lord is righteous in all His ways, gracious in all His works. The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth… My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord, and all flesh shall bless His holy name forever and ever” (Psalm 145:1, 3-6, 10-13, 17-18, 21).

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

Victory in Spiritual Warfare Through Prayer

11083625_966469566749484_4867782459189578450_n“When Adam and Eve fell, they relinquished rulership of the earth to Satan, a fallen angelic being. Spiritual warfare is the reversal of that procedure. It is the unseen power encounter between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness. Through prayer, fasting and exercising the authority of Christ and His cross, believers indwelt and empowered by the Holy Spirit are forcing angelic beings to relinquish rulership of the earth!” Eddie and Alice Smith

The enemy does not like intercession because we exercise our authority in Christ when we pray. It is one of the greatest things he will attack. I have been to so many prayer meetings over the years that were stopped or hindered because of enemy attack.

Let us realize that our fight is not against flesh and blood. It is an attack in the spiritual realm and is an unseen power encounter between two kingdoms. The enemy is on an all out attack to stop prayer, because he knows that there is power in intercession. There is power in even one intercessor that knows his/her authority in prayer. Please do not take your prayers and intercession as a small ministry of no importance. The enemy knows full well how mighty you are in pulling down his strongholds, and he will try to intimidate, discourage, divide, or defeat you.

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

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

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


How to Maintain Victory in Warfare

  • Love God with all your heart, and abide in Him – I find that loving God is the most important thing in life. I am personally, by nature, a warrior but my relationship with God is the best antidote against the enemies flaming missiles. We must know God intimately, and abide in that intimacy. “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you” (John 15:7).
  • Know in your heart the sovereignty and greatness of God – Speak out the attributes of God, and praise him daily. Worship is a powerful form of warfare. “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God” (Philippians 2:9-11).
  • Know your identity in Christ – Your identity in Christ is the enemy’s strategy of attack against you. Know in your heart God’s incredible love for you. You are the beloved of God, a royal priest, the apple of God’s eye, etc. Remind yourself of these things. “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:13-14).
  • Depend on God’s wisdom and not your own – Understand the ways of God, and rely on His sufficiency. “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better” (Ephesians 1:17).
  • Know God’s Word as your weapons against the enemy’s lies – The Bible is your main defensive, for it is the truth that sets free. Pick up your shield of faith, and protect your mind with the helmet of salvation. Speak out truth and faith. Strongholds come in through the mind, and God’s Word is a mighty weapon against them. “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32).
  • Grow in holiness and humility – Humility enables you to receive the grace of God. It is opposite of the enemy. When you are submitted to God, the enemy flees. “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship” (Romans 12:1).
  • Guard your relationships, and practice peace and love – Know the power of words, and watch your tongue carefully. Speak life words of peace and love rather than death words. Watch all criticism. “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves” (Romans 12:9-10).
  • Forgive quickly, and walk in unity – Learn to forgive quickly, and bless others. We can have no authority over a nation, city, or area when we have unforgiveness in our hearts. Release forgiveness and blessings to all. “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them together in perfect unity” (Colossians 3:13-14).
  • Grow in the area of prayer and fasting – Learn to exercise the authority you have in Christ. Extended times in prayer and fasting increase spiritual authority. You are seated with Christ.
    “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6).

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

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

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOPKC

Strategic Joy in the Midst of Warfare

11351336_964567213606386_5770670982150967644_n-2“Joy and gladness are the currency on which heaven runs… Joy is deep-rooted happiness in the presence, person and nature of God. It sits in our heart and directs our life, displacing grief, mourning and sadness. When we have a quiet, God-given joy bubbling up inside us, the negative is pushed out.” Graham Cooke

Living strategically in the end times is a key to victory. The strategy of the enemy is to steal your joy. God’s strategy is that we are joyful in the midst of spiritual warfare. This may seem quite difficult when facing hard, strenuous battles. I went through some difficult warfare when praying towards and pressing through in battle to get books on prayer published,  new prayer websites up and running, and an International School of Prayer developed. There seemed to be no forward movement, and anything to do with prayer faced the greatest spiritual attacks. I knew this. Yet the enemy really tried to bring discouragement into my life. Along with this was a battle  with my health. But God is greater, and there was another way of looking at all of this. We have the hope and reality of heaven! It is time we bring the joy of heaven to earth.

Joy is our strategy against the works of the devil.  

“Heaven is a place of exuberance, and we must bring that enthusiasm to earth. All of heaven – the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, the angels, the saints – they all love to rejoice. Everything that God makes and touches manifests His happiness. It is embedded into our DNA.” Graham Cooke

God began to speak strongly to my heart. He was saying, “Do not despair or give up.” At that point, I realized that the enemy wanted to invade my life with a spirit of discouragement and despair, but God wanted to give me joy. I began to study about joy.

Did you know that there are nearly 300 verses in the Bible about joy? The Bible commands us to be joyful always, and pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:16), to be joyful in God (Hebrews 3:18), to consider it pure joy when we encounter trials (James 1:2), to tell of God’s works with songs of joy (Psalm 107:22), and the list goes on and on. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22), there is joy in God’s presence (Acts 2:28), and the Holy Spirit gives joy (Luke 10:21). God wants to anoint us with the oil of joy (Hebrews 1:9), and He wants us to pray with joy (Philippians 1:4). Throughout Scripture, we are exhorted to shout and sing for joy (Psalm 118:15, Isaiah 52:9). Even the heavens, the earth, the mountains and trees are commanded to sing for joy! We are called to a high quality of life that includes joy in the midst of difficult circumstances.

“We are called to this same thriving quality of life, that no matter our circumstances, we live in the promise of God’s joy. It is impossible to keep God from being happy, and because of that, His Church cannot be denied joy either. Sadness and grief can only overlay our joy; it cannot prevent a breakthrough into it. We may have to look hard on days for that cheerfulness, but it is always present in the heart of God. Sadness must be infiltrated by joy.” Graham Cooke

 Why then do we sometimes get heavy-hearted? We are in spiritual warfare, and Satan hates prayer so strongly. He doesn’t mind when we do many other ”good” things, but he trembles when we pray. He actually attacks us with a spirit of despair or discouragement. He will do everything he can to stop the advance of the prayer movement.

When a heavy weight of discouragement threatens to overwhelm you, and if there is no known sin in your life, you can be sure that the enemy is attacking you with a spirit of despair or discouragement. When you pray against the spirit of despair in your life, it can lift. I pray for each one of you to know the joy of the Lord which is your strength, and that every trace of discouragement or despair is lifted from your life in Jesus’ Name. I pray that the stronghold of hopelessness will be broken in the Name of Jesus. I pray that the joy of the Lord will permeate your prayer life and everything that you do.

God does not want you to be disheartened but He longs to fill you with His joy. He has anointed you to help others who are going through difficulty, and to actually bestow the oil of gladness, joy and praise on those who have a spirit of despair. This is the job description of Jesus. We are to be like Jesus.

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom to the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners… to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion – to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair” (Isaiah 61:1, 2b-3).

A few years ago when we lived in Virginia Beach, we had tropical storm Ernesto pass through our city. Rain was pouring down, the streets were flooded, and clouds and wind were everywhere. People were told to stay in their homes due to the flooding. It was hard to imagine sunshine in the midst of the storm. On a flight, I experienced the plane flying through many clouds on the right and the left as it was ascending. Suddenly the plane came out into the sunshine above all the threatening clouds.

Circumstances can be like both of these examples. Heaviness and darkness can invade our lives because of what is happening around us, when we can’t see past the clouds and trials, and the devil takes the opportunity to attack us with a spirit of discouragement or despair. This is when we must rise above the clouds, and see life from God’s perspective and vantage point through His Word. The sunshine will one day return. We do not have to live in gloom or despair. God has provided a way out.

If you are feeling down and can’t seem to get out of it, take the authority in prayer that is rightfully yours, and break that discouragement in Jesus’ Name. Then ask God to fill you with His joy and peace. Write down the positive things in your life, and thank God for each one of them. God is able to push the negatives out as we begin to praise Him and dwell on the positive things that God has provided for us.

Don’t live your life according to your earthly circumstances but according to your position in Christ. Remember that you are seated in heavenly places (Ephesians 1:3-6), are God’s possession (Ephesians 1:14), are chosen of God (Ephesians 1:11), are complete in Him (Colossians 2:9-10), are a kingdom of priests and a royal priesthood (Revelation 1:6, I Peter 2:9), are the temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16), are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17) and are able to do all things through Christ (Philippians 4:13).

Strategic joy in the midst of warfare is yours. This is how you will live victoriously. This is your birthright!

“Don’t deny yourself that which is your birthright as a child of God. Don’t be satisfied with a joyless life. There ought to be in every Christian a deep, settled fullness of the joy of Christ that no circumstance of life can dispel. This comes as you allow the Holy Spirit to express Himself in your life. One of the fruits of the Spirit is joy (Gal. 5:22). This joy is unlike any happiness that is produced by the world. It fills you and permeates everything you do. Jesus did not pray that you would merely be happy or even that you would escape grief. He prayed that you would have the same joy that the Father had given Him: a divine joy, a joy that comes from a deep and unwavering relationship with the Father. It is a joy that is grounded so firmly in a relationship with God that no change in circumstances could ever shake it. This is the kind of joy that Christ is praying will be in you.” Henry Blackaby

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOPKC