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"Pray? Why
Should I?"
By Bobbie Jean Merck
John related a concern he had with someone who attended our Prophetic Intercessors Conference. The lady told him, "I don't pray in the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues, but I do believe I am called to be an intercessor." John's statement to me was, "Surely there is a place for people to pray who are not baptized in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking with other tongues." (As I write this, my heart is leaping with joy.)
Of course my response to John was, " Absolutely. There is a place for people to pray who don't speak in tongues. And yes, they too can be an intercessor. There are many kinds of prayer and we need all of them."
Prayer is so awesomely diverse we can think of it as we picture the complete body of Christ. There are many and differing members in His body: There are also varying gifts, calls, and anointings. We need them all.
Today is a call to maturity. When you are seasoned, mature, and wise you have a different mind-set or attitude about people. While others may be different, you are able to respect, appreciate, and see their virtues. When God directed us to raise up prophetic intercessors in every state of America (and whosoever will, abroad), He gave specific orders that we were to pray or intercede for the Church of America. Our vision was to be enlarged beyond our denominational and camp borders. We were to see all the churches of God as He does: The Church of America. An example of this is in Revelation 2 and 3.
His church is pictured in Revelation 5:9:
"And they sang a new song, saying: You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; For You were slain, and you have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation...."
New King James Version
Please
note the words 'out of'. When we were translated through redemption out of the kingdom of darkness into the
Kingdom of the Son of His love (Colossians 1: 13), we became a new nation of people. For this reason, it is foolish to argue over cultural and racial issues. We are a new race in Jesus Christ. We should all live by the royal law of liberty and law of the
Kingdom of God as His ambassadors in this world.
It is very interesting to receive a new challenge. Of a certainty, it can keep us out of deep-seated ruts that bog us down and prevent our moving forward to achieve greatness. In short, it can deflate our small-minded little balloons of pride.
As related to the question, is there a place for every believer to pray and intercede? The Bible from 26 Translations says it very well in Ephesians 6:18.
"Use every kind of prayer and entreaty, and at every opportunity pray in the
Spirit." If we could comprehend the richness of prayer and intercession as simply our conversation with our friend, God, our lifestyle in prayer would greatly increase.
The Wuest Word Studies in the Greek New Testament, Volume I, says that praying in Ephesians 6: 18 is the Greek word proseuche, which means praying in
general. It speaks of this as being in the Spirit, that it is special supplication in the sphere of the Spirit, prayer that is directed and empowered by the Spirit. Therefore, whether we pray in our known language (such as English), or in an unknown language (other tongues), it must be prayer empowered and directed by the Holy Spirit. Prayer of this kind releases the power of God.
Effectual prayer is impossible without the help of the Holy Spirit, whether we pray in our known or an unknown language. For prayer to be effectual, the person who prays must be a righteous person, i.e., one who does what is right in the eyes of God. However, because each of us has our peculiar infirmities or weaknesses, we do not look to the goodness of man but to the mercy and grace of God, as did Elijah (see James 5).
When we pray, we do so in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, we should pray what God wants us to pray according to His will. Our prayer must be in accordance with the character of the Lord Jesus Christ. Would Jesus pray such a prayer? Knowing His lifestyle through the Four Gospels will enhance our prayer effectiveness. As Jesus depended on and submitted to the Father God, so must we have the same spirit, attitude, mind, and motivation for and in prayer.
All prayer must have redemption as its desired end result!
Jesus came to save, not to destroy. Effectual prayer is redemptive, i.e.,
it redeems from all works of darkness.
When we pray,
we do so in the
Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, we should pray what God wants us to pray according to His will.
All prayer must
have redemption
as its desired end result.
When we pray, we are asking for His favor and blessing to be upon us and upon others. Wilson's Old Testament Word Studies quotes prayer as "being sweet, pleasant, acceptable; to be gracious (full of grace)." Praise God! Jesus came full of grace and truth!!! Wilson also says prayer is a "whispering and a secret speech." Hannah.is an example of whispering and secret speech in prayer. Did you note that Hannah's prayer brought about miracle conception and birth?
As prophetic intercessors, that is one of our goals. It results from intimacy with God.
The prophet Isaiah also confirms this manner of prayer: "/ will answer them before they even call to Me. While they are still talking to Me about their needs, / will go ahead and answer their prayers" (Isaiah 65:24
The Bible from 26 Translations).
Another reference to prayer made by
Wilson, speaks of prayer thusly: to entreat, to make earnest and fervent prayer, which ascends like incense before God. He states the word also implies power and abundance as well as sweet odor. Saints, our prayers are a sweet odor of incense to God. He loves our prayers. Through Hannah and Isaiah, we have no doubt that God is eagerly waiting to receive and answer our prayers! This reminds me of a song!
What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
0h, what peace we often forfeit; Oh,what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer!
Another line says, "We should never be discouraged, Take it to the Lord in prayer." The words of this song are shouting words! When we pray, we have power and abundance. The entire Bible is a documentation of this truth. The prayers of Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Daniel, Moses, and Jesus are only a few examples of such prayer resulting in power and abundance. None of these men prayed in tongues. But they were intimate with God and therefore understood the times and seasons and prophetic will of God.
Jeremiah is one example of praying without stopping before the answer comes, even when God told him not to pray anymore. Consider these things about Jeremiah: 1. For the greater part of his ministry, he was one man against a whole nation; 2. Timid and shrinking by nature, he proclaimed the message of God fearlessly to ruler, noble, priest, and people alike; 3. He was tender like Hosea, fearless like Amos, and had the stem majesty of Isaiah; 4. He was first of all, preaching repentance, threatening judgment, and, at the same time, offering the promise of restoration; 5. Even in his darkest moments, his faith and trust in God did not forsake him; 6. In all that he went through, he maintained his attitude toward Israel, "turn to God in perfect trust, call Him your Father and His love will regenerate you." What a
prophet!
I am drawn today to the word entreat. Prayer is entreaty. Within the Greek context of this word is the word comfort. All of us have experienced fear, turmoil and anxiety. Comfort, ease and rest were lacking during these assaults. But we have also experienced the moment we turned to, and prayed through to
God, His comfort came to us and relieved us of those fears, anxieties and cares. We know what it is to cast all our cares upon Him.
Another meaning related to entreat is, ready to obey. In a respectful, holy manner, let me refer this to our God Who is ever ready to answer our prayers. In one sense, He is ready to obey our godly prayers. You can well imagine that we must position ourselves to obey and be doer~ of His Word and will if our prayers are to be answered.
Remember, the Holy Spirit helps our infirmities in prayer. When we are weak, His strength is made strong in us as we reach out to pray. Prayer is absolutely one of the things in the spiritual realm which needs His power.
Of Romans 8:26, Denney says, "Broadly speaking, we do know what we
are to pray for
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the perfecting of salvation, but we do not know what we are to pray
for according to what is necessary
-
according as the need is at the moment; we know the end, which is common to all prayers, but not what is necessary at each crisis of need in order to enable us to attain this end" (See Wuest Word Studies in the Greek New Testament).
"And in like manner also, the Spirit lends us a helping hand with reference to our weakness, for the particular thing that we should pray for according to what is necessary in the nature of the case, we do not know with an absolute knowledge; but the Spirit Himself comes to our rescue by interceding with unutterable groanings"
Romans 8:26 Wuest
"To our rescue " I love that!
We should think of every prayer and every kind of prayer as a means whereby God comes to our rescue! And to the rescue of all that concerns us!
By the way, do not ever say.
groaning or travail is not for today.
Let us obey the Holy Ghost and participate in every good and perfect gift and gifting that comes to us from our Father - God! Let us not despise any. Neither let us think, act, or say that we do not have any need of the other or you.
"Is there a place for me? Can I pray? Am I an intercessor?" If the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit
live in you, the answer to each of these questions is, "yes." They are the Intercessors. Therefore, they long to intercede through and by us.
"Where to begin?" Where you are. The Lord repeatedly instructed us to "keep it simple" as we approach prayer. Simplicity is the order of the
day.
You may ask, "Will I be opposed if I pray?" The answer is "Yes!"
In April 1983, on the Saturday night of the Secrets of Intercession Conference in Los Angeles, California, as I stood to minister the power of God came so strongly upon me I could hardly stand. Phil Halverson and Rachael Teafatiller came and stood beside me and took my arms to hold me up. All three of us instantly fell under the power of God. I began to have a vision. I was taken to the time of Abram and his experience in Genesis 15. The blackbirds came to consume the sacrifice.
God spoke to me during this vision,
"The blackbirds are coming to steal the sacrifice of intercessory prayer. They will succeed
if
you do not fight them off."
Do you remember the nine years of warfare from1983
-
1992 against intercessory prayer? But suddenly, the seed came up. Today, the Church
of America is emphasizing prayer. The blackbirds failed in their strategies.
The birds of prey in Genesis 15: 11 symbolically foreshadow the obstacles in the way of the taking possession of the land. But Abram successfully drove them away. The attempts to frustrate God's design would not, did not, and will not succeed.
Let us pray and if and when the birds of prey come to hinder and stop us, let us fight them off and refuse to stop praying. God's kingdom, will, plan, and purpose shall not fail. The ages have proven His success in achieving His purposes! He has determined this
time for us. He has appointed us to this time. His counsel is fixed and unchangeable. He has marked out the boundaries and limits for all things. God never fails. In Him, neither will we. This is why I should pray!
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