Kingdom of God Reality: Keys to Prevailing Prayer Part Two

Beloved of the Lord,

In our microwave or instant American society we enjoy things at a lightening quick pace. We go to an ATM and get money in minutes. We can use a microwave oven to cook something in minutes instead of hours. We can talk to someone anywhere in the world in seconds, and get around the world in hours.

 Today, that influence has a wide impact on the church and how we do the work of God. Our “services” are time sensitive to the demands of what people can bear. Our prayer meetings are often relegated to “weekly prayer time” perhaps an hour or two at most. Our personal prayer time is little or non-existent, and I mentioned in the last post the average Pastor spends 18 minutes a day in prayer.

Being part of the National Day of Prayer for many years. We would do so much planning for the event and very little praying on the day of the event or even before it. Much of the work done, ideas given came from “good suggestions” and not the very heart of God.

We often confuse “mans wisdom” for God’s ideas. Just because an idea sound goods and even uses biblical references to legitimize it does not mean it is from God. I mentioned in my last post the “new revelation” that is now become a “fixture” in the present 2nd day church system prayer movement from Christian television, to the “big boys and girls of Christiandom,” men and women of “repute” amongst the prayer circle is to “declare and decree” such a thing.

The “buzz words” of the Apostle and Prophets of the the 2nd day church system prayer movement is “declare and decree” and it is based on the scripture in Job 22:28, “You will decree a thing and it will be established for you and light will shine on your ways” (Job 22:28 NASB)”

This is the latest version of what we knew in the 80’s as “name and claim it prayer.” The root of this is “taking a scripture” out of the bible and basically demand God to do what we say because it is in the Word of God. I am not going to take the time to expound on that because I did that in the first post on this topic.

LAZY MAN LASAGNA PRAYERS:

Hidden at the root of this teaching is what I call “lazy man lasagna praying.” To declare and decree such a thing is “quick and easy” since Christ is in us and He gave us His authority we can speak and say His word from our “own understanding” and God has to do it. Really?

So much of the present prayer movement is about “prophesying and speaking” from your place of being of “Christ being in us” alone gives us the authority just to speak things and they will happen.

There is truth in these scriptures and teaching, but the truth is, the authority to speak those words can never come from human origin or from human reason.The authority to speak comes from God speaking His words in us and through us as a “rhema words” for them to come into reality.

Beloved, Because God’s word says it, doesn’t mean He is speaking that word presently in us and through us and we must not dare pronounce things God is not presently saying. Jude wrote about the “heart attitude” needed to speak as an oracle of God.

Jude 1:9-11: But Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!" 10 But these men revile the things which they do not understand; and the things which they know by instinct, like unreasoning animals, by these things they are destroyed. 
 
11Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain, and for pay they have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam, and perished in the rebellion of Korah  12 These are the men who are hidden reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you without fear, caring for themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted;

13 wild waves of the sea, casting up their own shame like foam; wandering stars, for whom the black darkness has been reserved forever carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted; 13 wild waves of the sea, casting up their own shame like foam; wandering stars, for whom the black darkness has been reserved forever.

14 It was also about these men that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, "Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones, 15 to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him." 16 These are grumblers, finding fault, following after their own lusts; they speak arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of gaining an advantage.

When Jude wrote this, there were men who came amongst God’s people who tried to walk in authority God did not give them. They used their prophetic gifts like Balaam the prophet to “make money” for themselves.

These are men like Korah who challenged Moses authority to lead God’s people astray from His ways. God judged Korah and all those who agreed with him that challenged Moses authority by the Earth opening up and swallowing them straight to hell.

Verse 10: But these men revile the things which they do not understand; and the things which they know by instinct, like unreasoning animals, by these things they are destroyed.

Notice: these men revile that things they do not understand, and the things they know my instinct they speak. Could it be possible to “assume” we know the "mind of God”  and then “declare and decree Gods’ words" out of those assumptions? Yes, we can!

Now I am not saying that people in the 2nd day church system prayer movement motives are trying to lead people astray from the Lord, but there is a lot of presumption and assumptions in the movement that try to tell people to walk and talk in authority that God has not worked in them yet. There are assumptions made that God will do “what we say” because His word says so. This is a very dangerous place to be in assuming if God is not presently speaking those things.

GOD GIVES AUTHORITY:

Beloved, God gives authority, we are never to take it. Taking it is stealing. God gives authority to those who seek His face and desire to know His ways. He gives authority to those who will decrease for God to increase like John the Baptist. He gives authority to those who will take the lowest place instead of the highest place.

Jesus talked about the “prayer movement” of His day. Let us hear what He has to say about the religious leaders who were leading the prayer in Israel. Matthew 6: 5  Also when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward [d]in full already.

6 But when you pray, go into your [most] private room, and, closing the door, pray to your Father, Who is in secret; and your Father, Who sees in secret, will reward you in the open.

7 And when you pray, do not heap up phrases (multiply words, repeating the same ones over and over) as the Gentiles do, for they think they will be heard for their much speaking.

Beloved, if we are going to win in prayer, we need a completely new paradigm shift of what prayer is, how prayer works, and what it was meant to be under the authority of our High Priest Jesus Christ who is ever living to make intercession for us. We must come out of the present current 2nd day church system prayer models and methods and find the heart of God in the 3rd day Kingdom of God on how to pray effectively.

NEW METHODS: NEW MODELS: NEW STRUCTURE BEING BUILT:

What are the new methods and models that God wants to reveal to us as the “keys of the Kingdom” for prevailing prayer that will always work and will get the answers we so desperately need. How can I say that they will always work? Because we are going to learn what it really means to be a “priest” and function as a ROYAL PRIEST HOOD!

For God has made us to be Kings and Priest to Him alone. "Thou…hast redeemed us unto God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth" (Rev. 5:9-10).

THE HEART OF INTERCESSORY PRAYER:

Here ares some keys that need repeating from my last post on prayer:

Intercession is not just praying and asking God one time for an answer to prayer.

Intercession is asking until you receive. It is seeking until you find. It is knocking until the door is opened for you.

Intercession is not telling God what to do, It is finding God’s heart and what He desires.

Intercession is “identification with God’s heartbeat.” What does He want? Where does He want it? What does He want us to pray and how should we pray it.

Intercession is one of the deepest forms of intimacy with God. It is the Holy Spirit’ work to reveal to us what Jesus is praying and asking the Father for and then it is His work to manifest it on Earth as it is in Heaven. 


Intercession is our connection and identification with our Lord Jesus High Priestly Ministry.

PRAYER THAT PREVAILS: COME AND KEEP ON COMING!

Beloved, I started this post talking about the “microwave and instant” society we live in. Because of that we expect God to “answer right now” our prayer request because we asked him to do it. We expect God to just “do it right now” because we prayed.

Some have taught that you never ever have to ask God more than one time for anything or you are not in faith since God heard you the first time and answered you. Asking more than once for the same thing is unbelief?

Yet, the word of God says this in Joel chapter 2 concerning our need to seek God in repentance is not a one time thing. Joel 2:12: Therefore also now, says the Lord, turn and keep on coming to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning [until every hindrance is removed and the broken fellowship is restored].

Notice two important things in the above verse: 1: turn and keep on coming to Me with all your heart. 2: You keep seeking God until every hindrance is removed and the broken fellowship is restored]. Notice what it takes to win in prayer: KEEP ON COMING TO ME UNTIL!  Until what? Until you get the answer from God!

IT IS THE GLORY OF GOD TO CONCEAL THINGS:

The keys to the Kingdom work in prayer when you “come and keep on coming” until you understand and receive the authority, ways, instructions and directions from the King on how to pray! The word of God teaches us the following in Proverbs 25:2

"It is God's privilege to conceal things and the king's privilege to discover them. (NLT), Another translation says:  “It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honor of kings is to search out a matter. (KJV)"

In this verse we begin to understand the process required and the heart of God on what it takes to prevail in prayer. Prayer is not a magic wand! It is work that requires us to diligently seek God for His ways, His desires, how to pray and to get His answers!

It requires a “going up” spiritually to the Throne of Grace “until we receive mercy in our time of need." It requires us to truly be lifted up to be seated (in reality) in heavenly places with Jesus in prayer.

In the present prayer movement we are taught to “declare and decree, name and claim, just ask God one time, He heard you the first time, mentality” This teaching often sounds good, and it even can make us feel good because “we are taking the authority God gave us” and "we can demand God” perform His word because we say so because He told us to do it.

Yet with all the praying we are doing in our nation, cities, churches and homes where are the results? Are we as a people of God returning to our first love and turning our backs to the world? Is repentance seen in the House of God, our national religious leaders or even in our churches? 

Are we not going along as business as usual convinced the present prayer we are doing is enough to change this nation. Why are our prayers not effective? Why are we not seeing the answers to prayer we need personally? These are all legitimate questions we must ask of the Lord.

KEYS FROM THE WORD OF GOD:

To prevail in prayer we must begin with understanding of God’s ways in prayer, and how He desires us to find Him and His answers. The following scriptures and more to come are the “pointers” we need to release or bind on Earth what is already released or bound in heaven through prayer.

The following scriptures are keys to help us be connected to God and His heartbeat through intercession  that will cause to walk in prevailing prayer that will avail much.

Proverbs 25:2 “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, and the honor of Kings to search it out.”

Isaiah 55:8-9: For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, says the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.

Isaiah 40:31: But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired.

Jeremiah 29:11-13: For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.12 Then you will call upon Me, and you will come and pray to Me, and I will hear and heed you. 13 Then you will seek Me, inquire for, and require Me [as a vital necessity] and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him. For whoever would come near to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him [out]. 

Matthew 11:12: From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.

In these scriptures we find the secret of Jacob’s ladder and His Encounter with God in His wrestling with him that God caused Jacob’s name to be changed from “surplanter” to “one who prevails with God and won.” Israel!

Jacob's life represents the paradigm shift God wants us to make out of the 2nd day church system prayer model to the 3rd day Kingdom of God method and model on releasing on Earth that which is in Heaven? Are we ready to learn His ways?

Beloved, We are the Israel of God. We are a Royal Priesthood and a Holy Nation. We are being formed into Priests and Kings unto our God to take dominion over the Earth as God intended us to do in Genesis. We are the generation that will "contend with God in prayer and win." 

God is now revealing us the “new weapons of war” for this hour in history. They are not new to God, but new to us as they are being revealed in us and through us by the Holy Spirit.

In the next post by the grace of God we will learn what the Holy Spirit is working in us right now as we become full grown sons and daughters in prayer that will avail much.