“Of what infinite importance is the place the intercessor holds in the Kingdom of God! Is it not indeed a matter of wonder that God should give men such power? Yet there are so few who know what it is to take hold of His strength and pray down His blessing on the world.” Andrew Murray

If we are to be empowered for the harvest,  we must learn how to pray. Prayer is the strategy to change nations. And as we go to the nations, we must be men and women of prayer. Intercession must be combined with everything we do as we go.

There is a tendency for the enemy to get us too busy in important matters where we actually miss out on the best. Intercession is going to cost us. It is the key strategy in reaching nations and cities. We read in Colossians 4:2, “Devote yourself to prayer, being watchful and thankful”.

This is not some half-hearted endeavor, but it will cost sleep, time, and energy. We have to devote ourselves to prayer. It’s a personal choice to pray and not give up because prayer is hard work.

We must see with the eyes of faith and vision the potential and power of intercession. Vision determines priorities, and our priorities determine our destinies. It must be a high priority if you want to be used by God. It must be a high priority if we want to maximize our purpose in God’s Kingdom. You and I will never see results without it. Andrew Murray in his book Andrew Murray on Prayer writes about the glory of intercession:

“What a mystery of glory there is in prayer! On the one hand we see God in His holiness, love, and power waiting and longing to bless man. On the other hand there is sinful man, a worm of the dust, bringing down from God by prayer the very life and love of heaven to dwell in his heart. But the glory of intercession is so much greater: when a man is bold and asks from God what he desires for others. He seeks to bring down on one soul, or it may be on hundreds and thousands, the power of the eternal life with all its blessings.”

There are many practical ways that will help you to develop a life of prayer and intercession.  Here are listed some keys, enough for each day of the week.

Why not meditate and pray about one on each day? Ask God to develop these in your life and begin practicing them day-by- day. This will prepare you in the greatest way for reaching your neighborhood, workplace, city, or nation for Christ.   In order to be empowered to go into the harvest, we must lay hold of prayer and intercession with all our heart. God is maturing us for harvest. These keys, if taken seriously and applied, will open a wide door into maximizing your potential in God’s Kingdom:

• Cultivate praise, worship and thanksgiving – Worship and praise God throughout the day. Worship changes how we see our situation. It is a joyful way to live successfully in the end time. As we ascend to the throne room in worship, then we can descend back into the harvest field here on earth, pray, and war for its release. God can give us keys during our seasons of worship that unlock the path before us and bring glory into our situations here on earth.  Everything in us should give praise to the Lord. David says in Psalm 34:1, “His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” Practicing praise and worship will lead you into a more fruitful life for God. It will empower you for the harvest.
• Raise your view of God – He wants to give you a bigger picture of Himself. Raise your expectation level of what God can do in your life supernaturally through prayer. What glasses are you looking through? How do you see God? How does He see you? Whenever God brings us to a new level spiritually, we must adjust how we see God. Warfare is not primarily taking authority over the devil but it is discovering the majesty of God and His supremacy. Our view of God is most important in reaching nations and will bring us into a more powerful life of intercession because we begin to view everything from the greatness and supremacy of Christ.
• Let God stretch your faith – Believe Him for something bigger than yourself. Faith and prayer move God to work on your behalf. Are you trusting God for something that is bigger than yourself that only He can do? Are you stepping out of your comfort zone and asking Him for things that are God-sized and not man-made?  Let us keep in mind that God will not do anything without believing prayer. We read in Hebrews 11:6, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Exercising faith empowers our prayer life.
• Practice purpose-driven prayer – Focus on God’s plan rather than your own needs. When we focus on the negatives and our own needs, we are practicing problem-driven prayer. Purpose-driven prayer focuses on God’s overarching plan.  By faith you can pray for his maximum glory to be achieved in any situation. This frees the Lord to replace your problem with His provision. God wants to move us into a much higher realm of His purposes for the nations. As our hearts touch the heart of God, we begin to have His desires and goals.  We see things as he sees them. We are committed to His glory. A powerful life of intercession is a life that practices purpose-driven prayer.
• Practice God’s Presence – Become a best friend of God. Learn to abide and walk in peace even in the midst of the storms of life. There is a place in the spirit far above all principalities. The enemy wants to get you out of the place of abiding. Learn to take thoughts captive and forgive quickly. Look at everything through the eyes of Christ, and practice meditating on God’s Word. “Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long. They are con-stantly in my thoughts. I cannot stop thinking about them” (Psalm 119:97, 77:12). As you practice God’s presence, the spirit of intercession will permeate your life.
• Have a Kingdom of God mentality – Practice holiness in your lifestyle. God wants to bring us into a new level of holiness. Kingdom living is living a life of holiness and living out the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5 -7. It is letting God be the King in every area of your life. It is submitting to His Authority. It is letting God refine you and teach you to walk in love and forgiveness. This is where the enemy is defeated. There is power in prayer for those who live a holy life. James 5:16 says, “The fervent prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” As you walk in holiness, the Kingdom of God will rule in your life.
• Learn to wait on God in prayer – It brings forth his maximum purposes. In order to move with God’s direction in the end times, we must learn this secret. The truth is that it is in waiting that we will accomplish the most for God.  It is in waiting that He will give us His secrets to kingdom living. How much time is wasted when we run down the wrong road? It is in waiting that the very highest direction for your life can come forth on a daily basis. What may look like a loss of time is really only time multiplied on your behalf.  God is able to do things with a lot more efficiency than you are.“My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him” (Psalm 62:5). As you wait on God, He will give you strategy in reaching nations.

The harvest is ripe, and you have a great destiny and purpose in God’s Kingdom. May you be passionate and prayerful as you go forth to do great works for Him. You are living in days of harvest, and it’s time to fly. God wants you to soar on wings like eagles. You may get tired like youth but your strength is renewed as you hope in Him. He empowers you for the harvest.

“Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 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” (Isaiah 40:30-31).

My Prayer to God

 As I go forth into the harvest fields, give me Your vision and make me passionate for what You are passionate about (Proverbs 29:18). Fill me with a passion for my purpose in Your Kingdom. Make me fervent in prayer (Isaiah 64:7, 62:6-7). Teach me to praise You even in the midst of difficulty. Raise my expectation level, and help me to view everything through Your greatness and supremacy. Help me to focus on Your over-arching plans and not my problems. Empower me in my call. Empower me in my character, my relation ships, in purity, and in spiritual warfare. Give me a vision for Your Kingdom. You have empower me to go forth into Your harvest. I thank You for Your presence with me. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOPKC