Seven Prayer Tactics

May this article below encourage you to press on in prayer. Be blessed today Sister Jan

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Seven Prayer Tactics
Many people look for a rulebook for prayer. They want step one, two, three and so on so that they don't have to think or really pour that much of themselves into their prayers. They want to just check off the steps and feel that they've done their duty. But prayer doesn't work like that. Spiritual warfare doesn't work like that.

What follows isn't a list of rules for prayer but of different prayer strategies that can act as guidelines to your prayers.

Consider it like having a loaded prayer arsenal of different tactics alongside you as you go into prayer, and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in how to pray effectively for whatever supplication or intercession you are bringing to God.

1) Pray faithfully.
When you pray, ensure that you don't waver in your faith. Hold fast to your relationship with Christ. God can resurrect a dead life, a dead dream—anything that is dead—if you have faith: "God ... gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did" (Rom. 4:17).

He can bring your marriage, business or faith back into alignment with His promises. But this takes more than a quick "Help me, God!" It takes dedicated, faithful, faith-filled prayer in which you fully present yourself to God.

 2) Pray decisively.
You can't be wishy-washy when you pray—one day you trust God, the next day you don't. One day you pray this, the next day you want the opposite. You say one thing to God in faith, and then you go have coffee with your friends and talk about how it can never happen.

As the Bible says: "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful" (Heb. 10:23).

Make a deliberate and conscious decision to agree with the Word of God, and then set your heart to believe it and your mouth to speak it no matter what.

3) Pray forcefully.Don't be a wimp! Matthew 11:12 tells us that, "The kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force."

You aren't begging, you aren't crying and you aren't persuading; you are coming to take what is legally yours according to the Word of God. You must come boldly as a child would to a father, as a prince or princess would to a king, as a wronged plaintiff would to a court of law.

Hebrews 11:6 tells us, "Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."

4) Pray lovingly.We aren't called to take vengeance on anyone. If vengeance is to be taken, it will be God taking it, not us. We are not called to be judges over the perpetrators of any crimes, disasters or diseases. We are called to be deliverers, rescuers and healers. We're called to put ourselves between the people and the harm, lifting up Jesus so that those who will look up from this world to Him might also be saved (see John 3:14-15). We must pray to see the people we are praying for or those who hurt us through the eyes of God. We must pray that God stops them in their tracks as He did Paul and turns them around.

We can't have faith if we aren't walking in love, for the only thing that avails is "faith working through love" (Gal. 5:6).

5) Pray truthfully.There are times when we are in denial about the truth of a situation, or we could just be mistaken about the facts or in how we are interpreting things. We don't necessarily need to be praying "the facts;" we need to be praying the truth.

The facts might be that the doctor said you will die in six months, but the truth is "by His stripes we are healed" (Is. 53:5). God doesn't need us to tell Him the facts; He knows them better than we do. But He does need us to agree with His promises so that we can receive the provision He desires to provide.

After all, the Bible says, "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32).

 6) Pray earnestly.
Life throws us curveballs, and though we have different backgrounds and personal histories, we all have emotions, dreams and passions. When we're emotionally involved in a struggle, we tend to pray less rather than pray more. If we are to have overcoming prayer lives, we need to turn those emotions and passions into prayer rather than let them become a hindrance to it.

We are told: "Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit" (James 5:17-18).

7) Pray authoritatively. 
 Praying in Jesus' name is not just a closing we're supposed to use before we say, "Amen." Praying in the name of Jesus is coming to the throne of God just as an ambassador would come to the throne of a foreign king "in the name of" his own king. Using the name of Jesus is another "in Christ" privilege and signet of our authority as a representative of Jesus.

John 14:13-14 says: "And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it."

Prayer is a journey that is unique for everyone. Just as each of us has a different calling or job to do for God, each of us will travel a slightly different road in understanding what prayer really is. God will speak to each of us in different ways, and the way God speaks to one person can be markedly different from the way He speaks to another.

God isn't interested in getting us to learn rules and requirements and living life merely by following the dictates of a rule book, but He wants us to come to Him that we might know Him for ourselves.
 He wants a unique relationship with each of us just as He created each of us as unique individuals.

He wants to partner with us in our journey and live it out with us day by day. It's why He created humans, and it is His great joy when we come to Him without doubt or compromise to wholeheartedly get to know Him and let ourselves be fully known by Him. God is all about relationship, and the key to it is masterful prayer.

Source: Part Message from new book: When Kingdoms Clash - Strategies For Prayer In The Heat Of Battle -Cindy Trimm

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Note from Cindy: When Kingdoms Clash is the third book in my prayer warrior series. If you haven't read The Art of War for Spiritual Battle or The Prayer Warrior's Way, this might be a good time to add all three to your collection. While The Art of War gives more background, history, and a broader-stroke picture of prayer, Prayer Warrior takes you on a personal journey into the heart of God. I wrap up the trilogy with strategies and tactics that will help you battle on the front line – anywhere the kingdoms of dark and light clash – enabling you to stand in the gap and fight the good fight wherever you are.

There is no force more powerful on the face of the earth than prayer. My heart's desire is to equip and empower you to change the world through maximizing your potential to pray—that you would never be without the strategies and tools you need to overcome in every area of life.

Don't neglect the power of prayer. Prayer changes circumstances, Prayer changes lives. Prayer changes everything. Prayer is the game-changer God has given believers to not only take back their personal power, but to take back their families, communities, schools, governments, and the world. Become the game-changer God created you to be. Change the game through prayer. Together we can change the world!

James 5:16 NCV:
When a believing person prays, great things happen. 

Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem

This Sunday 7th October 2012 is being widely recognised around the world as a Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem. Millions of Christians around the world will pray in accordance with Psalm 122: 6 The prayer below has been distributed to enable Churches, Prayer Groups and Individuals to pray as one on this day.

Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem

Almighty God, Lord God of Israel, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Yeshua the Messiah: In accordance with Your command in Psalm 122:6, we join in agreement with our brothers and sisters all around the word to pray to You today for the peace, the shalom, of Jerusalem. Your only begotten Son, our Saviour, died and rose from the dead in Jerusalem and is coming back to rule from Jerusalem, the city where You will dwell (Zech 8:3). We cannot keep silent; we pray that the righteousness of Jerusalem will shine out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch. We cry out to You to establish her and make her the praise of the earth. (Is 62:1,6).

We speak comfort to Your people and speak tenderly to the heart of Jerusalem and proclaim to her that her time of service and her warfare are over and her iniquity is pardoned: for she has received from Your hand double for all her sins. (Is 40:1-,2). We pray for peace and protection wherever there is enmity and strife within Jerusalem - between: Jew and Gentile, Palestinian and Jew, Moslem and Jew, Christian and Jew, Jews who believe in Yeshua and the Orthodox Jews, and between the Christian denominations.

Whenever Your enemies attack or try to divide Your city, we stand upon your promise Lord, that like a great lion over Your prey, so You, the Lord of hosts will come down to do battle on Mount Zion. Like birds hovering overhead, You will defend Jerusalem; You will protect it and deliver it; You will pass over and spare and preserve it (Is 31:4,5). Will You create over all of Mt Zion, over every dwelling place and over those who assemble there a cloud and smoke by day, and a glow of flaming fire by night; over all the glory let there be a canopy, a defence of Your divine love and protection. (Is 4:5-6).

We declare: No weapon forged against you, Jerusalem, will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from Me, declares the Lord. (Is 54:17). We pray these prayers in the name of Jesus Christ, Yeshua the Messiah, the Prince of Peace, who alone can bring true peace. (Eph 2:14,16).

Thank you, Lord, that You are able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to Your power that is at work within us. Amen.

(Eph 3: 20-21). Scriptures taken from NIV and Amplified Bibles.

Source: Australian House of Prayer for all Nations

PRAY

PRAY

"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful."  Colossians 4:2

Pastor Ha's church in Vietnam grew from twenty-nine to over 5,000 in just a few years during the communist regime in the late 1970's. When asked the secret of this phenomenal church growth, Pastor Ha replied, "I have a very simple theology.

When you have problems, pray! When you have more problems, pray more!"

Every morning this church had a well-attended prayer meeting at six A.M. And the church grew and grew. Although they were constantly living under pressure, there was one Scripture text chosen for the wall of their sanctuary, "In everything give thanks."

And yet after his years of imprisonment, Pastor Ha said,

"When I had my freedom, I worked with prayer sometimes in the background. In prison, I discovered that prayer is everything. It's like a pilot using a checklist before he takes off. If he skips the first item, many lives might be in danger. The first item on our checklist should always be prayer.  If we skip it, the whole mission is in jeopardy."

Vietnamese Pastor Cuong also spent over six years in prison. He says this about prayer:

"In my work I was so busy I had no time to pray. But in prison, I was thankful to God that He gave me time for prayer. I had about six hours of prayer every day. I had time to recall every member of my congregation to pray for them. Before that, although I served the church, I didn't have enough time to pray for them. I learned about the real presence of God in prayer there. 

When you kneel down and pray wholeheartedly with the Lord, you feel His answer right there."

All of the world's major religions emphasize prayer. The Buddhists repeat their prayers fervently, although they do not believe anyone is listening. The Hindus pray regularly, believing one of their many Hindu gods may be listening, but they do not really expect any response to their prayers. The Muslims pray five times a day. They believe that Allah is listening, but he will not alter his plans to meet their needs.

Devout Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims consider Christianity a prayerless faith, because they rarely see Christians praying.

Yet we believe and know we have a God who not only hears our prayers, but also will answer them in mighty power!      

         
Response:  Today I recommit to spending time in communication—prayer—with my Lord.

Prayer  Pray that all Christians in prison will experience God's presence in a special way today.

"When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever." Proverbs 10:25

Source: STANDING STRONG THROUGH THE STORM (SSTS) -A daily devotional message by Paul Estabrooks © 2010 Open Doors International. Used by permission

Reflective Thought: Right now millions of Christians face persecution because of their faith in Christ. Join alongside thousands of others praying for our brothers and sisters worldwide to stand strong in the midst of their struggles. Learn more about countries where the persecution of Christians is most severe by visiting the Open Doors website today  http://www.opendoorsusa.org/ 

Real Reason for Joy

The Real Reason for Joy: Reflection

Do you remember these lyrics?

I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart
Where?
Down in my heart
Where?
Down in my heart
I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart
Where?
Down in my heart to stay!

I sang this tune as a kid in Sunday school. Back then, joy meant a whisker rub from my grandpa, a trip to the candy store, playing with my friends, riding my bike around town, mastering a new song on the piano, and buying new school clothes each September. Simple things they were, but they brought a smile to my face and a song to my heart.

Some things never change. Today joy means cuddling with my grandkids, hearing their giggles, and seeing their fascination with a ladybug. It means riding motorbike with my husband. Receiving an email from a reader saying one of my books has changed her life. Planting flowers in my backyard and watching them flourish. Sipping hot chocolate with friends on a cold evening. Seeing the sunset's reflection on Mt. Baker. Meeting with God every morning.

But the greatest joy of all comes from something I may never fully understand:

For love's sake, Jesus gave up His heavenly throne to dwell among us. He endured ridicule and torture, was forsaken by His Father, hung on a rugged cross until His life ebbed from Him, and was buried in a borrowed tomb.

Everything changed three days later. Angels appeared. Boulders moved. Soldiers fainted. Resurrected life conquered death and birthed hope. Sorrow bowed and opened the door for joy.

 I'll never fully understand the scope of Jesus' work on mankind's behalf, but this I know the Good News brings joy that bad news cannot thwart.

How should we respond? The Psalmist says it well:

"Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you! I will praise you as long as I live, lifting my hands to you in prayer. You satisfy me more than the richest feast. I will praise you with songs of joy" (Psalm 63:3-5).

Take time .. to reflect on Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. Let it awe you. Let it change you. And let it fill you with unquenchable, unending songs of joy in your heart!

Source: Growing with Grace April 2012 – Issue 70 http://www.gracefox.com/
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Do you know anyone who needs to understand or know more about Israel's Geo- political history and the middle East conflict? Israel 101 is a free must read available at link below. http://www.salemoffers.com/campaign/red-refresh/rc/newslettersSWN

"Who is Jesus?"

Do you know Jesus?

If you do not know Jesus and would like to know more - when you have time to spare go to this site and browse reflectively - there is a small booklet, videos and testimonies available.  http://www.whosjesus.com/
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To Those Who Do: What would you say if someone asked you "Who is Jesus?"

Are you prepared to give an answer?

 It is important to know our own testimony of what Jesus has done and be able share the basics of the path to salvation. How do we do that?

We start by reading our Bible, meditating upon God's word - spending time waiting upon Him and listening. May you truly be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.

"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." Jer 29:11 NIV
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Don't Rush - Just Trust

Don't Rush - Just Trust
When our day is filled with plans... we must remember to stay in His hands.
We must remember that only He can know... how our day will really go.
We must not yield to our own way... but abandon our will to Him and pray.

He alone is who we must trust when we feel the urge to rush.
When we're tired and feel alone... we must take refuge at His throne.
So often things tell us to rush... while there's a gentle voice saying...

"just trust"
His love in us yet abounds... through all our ups and all our downs.
So when you leave your house today remember to ask yourself

"Did I pray?"
Remember when life presses you to rush...
Take a coin from your pocket and read the words that say "In God We Trust"

Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the LORD our God. (Psalm 20:7) (NKJ).

David knew what kings and their people usually trusted in – human strength and the ways it is often expressed (in chariots and in horses).
In 21 century humans can say something like, "Some trust in nuclear weapons and some trust in tanks or bank balance."
It is part of human nature to put our trust in such things.

But David put his trust in God almighty.

He didn't carry the name of the Lord as a magical incantation;
rather the name speaks of the comprehensive character of God and is an expression of His faithfulness to His covenant with His children.

Source: AGAPE LOVE DIVINE MINISTRIES
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A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could, and it could go no further.

So the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon.

The butterfly then emerged easily But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings.

The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time.

Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly.

What the man, in his kindness and haste, did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were Life's way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives. Remember nature needs no help, just no interference. There are processes of life, things we all go through. The struggles are a part of our journey and are preparing us for what awaits. They are preparing us to fly.
Source:-unknown  

Discerning the Call to Prophetic Intercession

Discerning the Call to Prophetic Intercession 

There's plenty of talk about prayer, prophetic intercession, standing in the gap, making up the hedge, prayer burdens, and, of course, spiritual warfare.

But how do we discern the call to prayer? How do we recognize a proverbial prayer burden?

These questions may seem simple, but far too many saints have come to me carrying burdens they thought were their own when in reality they were feeling the weight of oppression over a person or a city. I know how they feel.

It took me some years to learn to accurately divide soul and spirit.

The turning point for me was during a mission trip to Nicaragua. I woke up feeling severely depressed for no apparent reason. I felt down and out, like giving up, throwing in the towel, calling it quits and running home to pull the covers over my head. It felt like my best friend had just died. I sat there for about 20 minutes trying to figure out what was wrong with me and crying out to God to help me escape these oppressive feelings.

As I persisted, I heard that still small voice in my spirit saying, "Despondent. This is how the people of this nation feel. Pray."

Despondence is a feeling of extreme discouragement, dejection or depression. Once the Lord gave me that insight, I joined with others in a circle to pray against the oppression with the weapons of our warfare, which are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds (2 Cor. 10:4).

That was a memorable lesson for me, and it was later reinforced by the teachings of E.M. Bounds, a saint who lived from 1835 to 1913. He may or may not have known it, but he was prophetic. He was certainly a man of prayer. He said things like this:

"We have in the Holy Spirit an illustration and an enabler of what this intercession is and ought to be. We are charged to supplicate in the Spirit and to pray in the Holy Spirit. We are reminded that the Holy Spirit 'helpeth our infirmities,' and that while intercession is an art of so divine and so high a nature that though we know not what to pray for as we ought, yet the Spirit teaches us this Heavenly science, by making intercession in us 'with groanings which cannot be uttered.'

"How burdened these intercessions of the Holy Spirit! How profoundly He feels the world's sin, the world's woe, and the world's loss, and how deeply He sympathizes with the dire conditions, are seen in His groanings which are too deep for utterance and too sacred to be voiced by Him. "He inspires us to this most Divine work of intercession, and His strength enables us to sigh unto God for the oppressed, the burdened and the distressed creation. The Holy Spirit helps us in many ways. How intense will be the intercessions of the saints who supplicate in the spirit. How vain and delusive and how utterly fruitless and inefficient are prayers without the Spirit!" E.M. Bounds understood prayer burdens. He understood how to recognize them.

Do you?

Sometimes God places someone on your heart and you pray. That kind of prayer burden is not difficult to recognize.

 But many times there's a spiritual weight that comes with a prayer burden like the one I felt in Nicaragua. I'd describe it as:
• A heaviness of heart
• A restless mind
• A spirit of mourning
• Depressed emotions that seem to come on us out of nowhere

When this happens, we may think it's just our own emotions. So what do we do?

We focus on ourselves rather than pressing into intercession. A wise prophetic friend once explained it this way: "When these feelings come to us, the flesh wants us to focus on me, me, me and turn it inward. The Spirit wants us to focus on them, them, them, and turn to intercession." With that in mind, let's consider some Scriptures that compare the flesh to the Spirit to drive this wisdom home:

Jesus said to watch and pray. He said the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak (Matt. 26:41). Jesus also said, "The Spirit gives life, the flesh counts for nothing" (John 6:63, NIV).

The apostle Paul said, "Let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won't be doing what your sinful nature craves" (Gal. 5:16, NLT).

What does your sinful nature crave? Self-gratification.

Paul also said,

"For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. ... So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you" (Romans 8:5-9 KJV).

A few chapters later, Paul said, "Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof" (Romans 13:14).

He also said, "For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would" (Gal. 5:17). And again, "For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting" (Gal. 6:8).

So what's my point?

When you feel heavy-hearted, when you feel depressed, when you feel oppressed, when you feel out of sorts, don't get into your mind about it.

Even if it is your own personal problem, getting into your mind is not going to solve it. Pray in the Spirit. He is willing to help you with your infirmities and He wants to pray through you to help the infirmities of others.

Remember, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. Walk after the Spirit and you won't fulfill the lusts of the flesh. And get passionate about intercession. In closing, I'll leave you with another quote from E.M. Bounds:

"Desire burdens the chariot of prayer, and faith drives its wheels. Prayerless praying has no burden, because no sense of need; no ardency, because none of the vision, strength, or glow of faith. No mighty pressure to prayer, no holding on to God with the deathless, despairing grasp, 'I will not let Thee go except Thou bless me.' No utter self-abandon, lost in the throes of a desperate, pertinacious, and consuming plea: 'Yet now if Thou wilt forgive their sin—if not, blot me, I pray Thee, out of Thy book.'"

Are we ready to pray?

Source: Jennifer LeClaire news editor at Charisma. She is also the author of several books, including The Heart of the Prophetic.