Dear Sisters,
Sunday evenings from 5-7 Faith Community is having a regular intercession gathering.
Yesterday, the time was sort of "teach, do, teach,do"
First, two books were recommended: Intercession by Dutch Sheets and Intercession by Beth Alves.
We looked at what intercession is and how it is different from supplication or petitioning prayer. Supplication or petition is when we bring our "heart’s list" to the Father. We’re telling him what’s on our hearts and the needs we know about. We’re asking Him to act in power in our lives and world. He is pleased when we do this. He Wants us to come to him with everything. He tell us that sometimes we don’t have because we don’t ask. So ask!
One of the unique facets of intercession, according to Alves and Sheets, is that we’re not just asking God to act. We’re acting, too – and that action is our intercession.
There are many unique facets to intercession and ways to intercede, but one characteristic of intercession is: to seek and ask God what is on His heart. Then, to put our agreement with what’s on God’s heart.(remember Mary Beth’s teaching where the children added their "agreement" by pulling on one end of the rope – on God’s side and against the opposite "pulling" of the enemy. Our agreement is our "yes" to what God says)
We practiced praying our agreement with Psalm 111.
We also explored another feature of intercession, which is releasing…this involves first asking the Father what’s on His heart. Second, saying Yes to (agreeing with) that with our words, our hearts, and in our spirits. Third, we asked GOD to act on what was on His heart. fourth, WE acted on what is on God’s heart…by declaring and releasing that in the spirit and in the natural world with our words.
We spent 10 minutes just listening and writing down what Holy Spirit was saying to each of us. Sure, it’ seems risky to do that…what if we "get it wrong?" What if we’re not hearing God at all but it’s only ourselves?
"So what?" Our father would rather have us come to him, wanting to hear what’s on His heart so we can agree with and pray for it – even if we "get it wrong" than NOT come to Him out of fear.
Releasing and declaring means we are acting in the authority Jesus has given us, speaking out our agreement with what we believe is on God’s heart…..Listen, hear…agree with what Holy Spirit says…express our agreement by asking God to act. Then, agree with all the authority Jesus has given us by declaring and releasing with our own words.
What does that look like?
a respected "elder brother" in our body heard the Lord speak to him about His heart’s desire to deliver people from idolatry and darkness. God reminded him of a verse in Acts (26:18) that speaks of being brought from darkness into light, deliverance from the power of satan to the Power of God…and receiving forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those people sanctified by faith in Jesus.
What we did was to agree that those things are all God’s will for the people in our area.(darkness to light, deliverance…receiving forgiveness and an inheritance).
We agreed that God had given us authority in the spirit (and thus, in the natural) because He put us here at the corner of Park and Regent and called us to pray.
Then, we spoke in the authority Jesus has given us, "releasing" those things that are on God’s heart over the people around us. It gave me goose bumps to hear our "elder in the deepest sense of the word" saying, "In Jesus’ name I release deliverance from idolatry over the people of Bayview. I release forgiveness. I release light into darkness."
We ended the evening with prayer for everyone there, following that pattern of intercession (what’s on God’s heart? Put our "yes" of agreement with that. Ask God to move in power in that area. Then, act on our agreement by releasing and "speaking out" or declaring what we believe God’s heart is). A good time was had by all!
Here’s what people heard from Holy Spirit during our 10 minutes of listening:
* means a new person’s sharing.
* Abraham interceded for Lot when God was going to destroy the city where he lived.
* Teenagers without fathers are on God’s heart
* What I want from you is not a ministry to such and such. but I want yourself. I want you. (I think this was an image) a bowl of cherries in someone’s apartment – a symbol of intimacy.
* Father, what do you say to me (us)?
* Wash your minds of your thoughts and receive mine.
I AM grace
I AM love
I AM the anointing (for ministry)
I AM the gifts
You can’t DO it right. But the more I inhabit you, your church, your home, your life, my goals will be accomplished because I will bring them to pass by my Spirit within you.
It’s about you and me. The rest will flow from our intimacy.
* Another person saw ragged, runaway kids. The Spirit said, Lost. Lost. Speak the word "Found" over them. Call them home. Call them. Say, Come Home.
* Excerpts from a longer text:
I want my people to know that I am not running around scared or wondering how I am to reach people. I call each person to myself I woo them. YOU are my fragrance through whom I woo them. As you worship me…love me…love others…you are releasing that fragrance.
I am speaking in dreams and visions to the lost. Release dreams and vision to the lost. What you release on earth is released in heaven. What you bind on earth is bound in heaven. Release my love. Bind up the enemy’s ability to lie. Bind up the spirit of drunkenness. the political spirit. Intellectual spirit. Humanistic spirit. Release MY spirit.
Be a place where my spirit is free and released. Be a person who releases my spirit.
I send this to all of you who are pray-ers. All of you who are intercessors and want to hear what’s on God’s heart and pray that into reality.
Where has God put You? FCBC’s "corner" is Park and Regent. We have authority there. Where is your corner? Where is God waiting and wanting You to speak and act with authority?
Pray On Everybody. God’s heart is filled with His longings and desires. He wants us to agree and speak out what’s on His heart.
Love, Julia