Intercessory Prayer: How God Can Use Your Prayers to Move Heaven and Earth (Large Print 16pt)

by Dutch Sheets

  Looking Good, Lacking Anointing

  When Mary was seated at the feet of the Lord and Martha was busy in the kitchen (see Luke 10:40), the passage says Martha was distracted with all her preparations. The word "distraction" is the word perispao. It means literally "drag around in circles."" The word for "preparations" is the New Testament word for "ministry"-the same word we would use for a person in the ministry. Even pure ministry for Jesus can become a weight we drag around.

  Spiritual warfare and prayer in general can also become a weight we drag around. It often loses its life, becomes legalistic and a chore-something required and endured. We become so busy for Him that we don't have time to be with Him. We're dragging our ministry around in circles, going nowhere and accomplishing nothing for the kingdom of God.

  Several years ago I was going through a difficult place in my life. Al Straarup, a dear friend of mine, called me and said, "I was praying for you with a friend this morning and God gave him a picture."

  I thought, Thank You, Jesus. Here comes my answer.

  Al continued, "There was a circle on the ground." (I was ready for a great revelation-the wheel in the middle of a wheel or something!) "You were walking on that circle."

  I replied, "Yeah? Yeah?"

  He said, "That's it. You were just walking in circles."

  "That's my word from God?" I asked.

  He responded, "Yeah, that's it. Sorry."

  I hung up the phone and said, "I guess it's true. That's what I'm doing, Lord-walking in circles . . . busy, but going nowhere." I stepped off that treadmill and into the presence of the Lord. I stopped walking and started waiting.

  Jesus looked at Martha and said, "Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her" (Luke 10:42). "Good part" is the word agathos. It's contrasted to another word for "good" in Greek-kalos, which means something is "constitutionally good"" or, in other words, is made well. But kalos doesn't necessarily imply any practical usefulness or benefit. It may simply look good. Nothing is wrong with it, but it may not have any practical purpose.

  On the other hand, agathos-the word for "good part" that Mary chose-is a word that means "good and profitable; useful; beneficial."" It is often translated "good works." The Lord is saying, "If you spend time waiting upon Me, seated at My feet, it puts something in you. You will not only look good, but you'll also be good for something." We often look good, but lack anointing. We must wait in His presence and allow all ministry, including our warfare, to be born of relationship.

  God's Timing, God's Terms, God's Method

  Waiting upon the Lord will keep us from becoming reactionary to the devil. Our response is not to the devil. We do nothing on his terms, nor are we to do anything in his timing. God chooses the times and the terms of battle. He told Joshua at Jericho (see josh. 6), as he was on his face in worship, "Seven days, Joshua. Not a moment before. Don't do anything until I tell you." He was saying, "I choose the timing of battle."

  God chose the terms, also. "Take no prisoners-only Rahab escapes. The spoils are to be given to Me. I choose the termsyou don't, Satan doesn't, no one else does. If you do it My way, you'll always win. Do it the devil's way and you will find yourself walking in circles." God chose the timing, the terms and the method. Warfare is not a responsive reaction but responsible action. It must be born from obedience, not necessity. We follow our Captain, not our foe.

  The Lord told David to go to battle when the wind blew in the treetops, not until then (see 2 Sam. 5:24). He told Saul to wait seven days for Samuel to come and offer the sacrifice (see 1 Sam. 13:8-14). The enemy was encamped about them and the people were getting nervous, so Saul finally said, "I'm going to have to offer this sacrifice myself-do it my way-because we've got to get on with the battle here." Samuel showed up immediately after the sacrifice and gave him God's perspective: "You blew it, Saul, and the kingdom is going to be taken from you and given to someone after my heart. I can't have a warrior or leader who is reactionary-who leads the people according to his own wisdom and ideas. It has to be My way. You wait on Me!"

  At times, God may say that worship is the key, as it was for Jehoshaphat on the battlefield (see 2 Chron. 20:1-30) and for Paul and Silas in the jail (see Acts 16:16-36). As we ministered on the streets of the Mardi Gras several years ago, the Lord led us on one occasion, 200 strong, to march silently down the street. An awesome fear of the Lord and presence of God began to hover over the entire area. The Lord had established His awesome presence and silenced His foes. A literal hush came to the streets.

  On another occasion, however, He led us to march down the middle of Bourbon Street singing the poignant worshipful song "Emmanuel" by Bob McGee. This time a spirit of conviction began to hover over the street as we sang this powerful song that speaks of humanity's true destiny. As before, a silence came. It seemed as though the Lord had totally taken charge. At one intersection, which was blocked off for foot traffic, we gathered in a circle on our knees and continued to sing. As we knelt worshiping, a man literally ran into our circle, crying out that he wanted to know God.

  That's praise warfare! It's also intercession (paga) -attacking the enemy. As Christ is enthroned in worship, Satan is dethroned in the heavenlies (see Pss. 22:3; 149:5-9). As we lift up the Son, we pull down the serpent.

  The strategy of the Holy Spirit at other times might be love-acts of kindness, giving, forgiving. I was part of a reconciliation ceremony at Confluence Park in Denver, Colorado, on November 12, 1992, between Native Americans and several European Americans. I emceed the gathering, in fact, which was sponsored by Reconciliation Coalition, a ministry led by Jean Stephenson.

  The strategy was really quite simple: repent and ask their forgiveness for stealing their land, breaking covenants and killing their ancestors. When one of them, on behalf of his people, extended forgiveness to us and welcomed us to this land, something broke in the spirit realm. It was a cold, dreary day, but the moment he spoke those words the sun broke through the clouds and shone upon us. That day marked the beginning of a major work of reconciliation between these two people groups. Why? Our act of humility and love, along with theirs, was also an act of warfare that tore down strongholds in the spirit realm. . . . Warfare through humility. . . . Violent love. Paradoxical, isn't it?

  On other occasions the Holy Spirit may lead a person to join with others in agreement to break the back of the enemy. John G. Lake, a missionary to South Africa in the first half of this century, tells the story of a fever epidemic that in a single night struck a portion of South Africa. The devastation was such that in one month a fourth of the entire population of that region died. There were not caskets enough to meet the need and people were being buried in blankets, so great was the devastation.

  Lake tells of a powerful intercessor who began to pray. For days-all day long and into the night-he stationed himself under a tree and prayed against the plague. Several times Lake asked the man, "Are you getting through?"

  He would reply, "Not yet." But one day he said to Lake, "I feel today that if I had just a little help in faith my spirit would go through." Lake got on his knees and joined the man in prayer. What happened next is amazing. It is recorded in Lake's own words:

  As we prayed, the Spirit of the Lord overwhelmed our souls and presently I found myself, not kneeling under the tree, but moving gradually away from the tree. . . . My eyes gradually opened, and I witnessed such a scene as I never witnessed before-a multitude of demons like a flock of sheep! The Spirit had come upon him also, and he rushed ahead of me, cursing that army of demons, and they were driven back to hell, or the place from whence they came. Beloved, the next morning when we awoke, that epidemic of fever was gone.Z°

  A Time to Shout

  Truly, there is a time for aggressive, violent spiritual warfare in intercession. I realize many would shrink from such extreme action in prayer-running and shouting at the enemy. There is, however, a time for such spiritual intensity. More than once I have found myself shouting at spi
ritual powers or mountains of adversity while in intercession. I'm not spiritually ignorant enough to believe a certain volume level is required to rebuke evil forces, but the Scriptures do allow for it and even suggest that, at times, it unleashes something in the Spirit:

  • Zerubbabel shouted grace to a mountain (see Zech. 4:7).

  • Israel shouted at Jericho (see josh. 6:16).

  • Gideon's army shouted before the battle (see Judg. 7:20).

  • Jesus shouted on the cross (see Matt. 27:50).

  • Israel shouted when the Ark of the Covenant would lead them to a new place: Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered (see Num. 10:35; Ps. 68:1).

  I'm not trying to start the First Church of the Screaming Warriors, but I am trying to demonstrate that warfare, even intense and sometimes loud warfare, is valid. Joash, the king of Israel, was rebuked and suffered defeat because of his lack of spiritual intensity in striking with the arrows (see 2 Kings 13:14-19).

  At other times, the strategy of the Lord may be to simply speak the Word as a sword or make biblically based declarations into the situation. When led by the Holy Spirit, this strategy is devastating to the enemy.

  On one occasion I was trying to mediate a peace between three parties. The circumstance had reached a potentially violent point, and I had been assured by one party that on the following morning he was going to get physical. I knew he meant it and that someone would be hurt and others would be in jail. I was up quite late praying, pleading with God to stop this when, at around 2:00 A.M., the Lord shocked me with these words: Why are you begging Me to do this? You know My will in this situation. And the problem is being caused by a spirit of anger and violence. Bind it! Declare My Word and will into the situation.

  I did and went to bed. The next morning, for some "unexplainable" reason, without any discussion, everyone had a change of heart. Peace and harmony ruled where the night before violence and anger had reigned. What had happened?

  Paga happened.

  Calvary happened.

  Psalm 110:2 happened: "The Lord will stretch forth Thy strong scepter from Zion, saying, `Rule in the midst of Thine enemies.' "

  Seizing and Securing Our Inheritance

  A word of caution is necessary at this point. As we involve ourselves in spiritual warfare, it is imperative that we remember we are not trying to defeat the devil. He is already defeated. We do not re-defeat, we re-present, the victory of the Cross. All that we do in our praying intercession must be an extension of what Christ did through His work of intercession.

  Christ paga'ed the devil. He attacked him and crushed his headship over the earth (see Gen. 3:15). The Hebrew word for "head" in this verse, rosh, is actually speaking of headship or authority.2'

  Psalm 2:9, speaking prophetically of Christ, says, "Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron, Thou shalt shatter them like earthenware." The crushing of Genesis 3:15 and the breaking and shattering of Psalm 2:9 all have essentially the same meaning: to break something into pieces and scatter it. Christ shattered and scattered the headship of the serpent like a broken piece of glass. It was a total defeat.

  But what Christ did, we must release and enforce. What He provided for us, we must seize by faith with spiritual weapons. Timothy was told in 1 Timothy 6:12, "Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses." Timothy already had eternal life, yet he was told to "take hold of" it.

  Is that interesting to you? You can have it and not have it. You can own it and not possess it. The word is epilambanomai and means "to seize"22 something. Like Israel in the Old Testament, who had been given their inheritance by God yet still had to take it, so it is with us. Their inheritance was not necessarily their possession. Ours won't automatically fall into our laps either, just as theirs didn't.

  Moffatt translates the verse as "Fight in the good fight of the faith, secure that life eternal to which you were called" (emphasis added). Wuest's translation reads, "Take possession of the eternal life into a participation of which you were called."

  As one would seize and secure territory in war, so we must seize and secure our inheritance in Christ. Who are we to seize it from? Certainly not God! We must take it from the world, the flesh and the devil.

  Jack Hayford gives an enlightening amplification of Matthew 16:18-19, based on what the Greek literally says:

  Whatever you may at any time encounter (of hell's counsels which I'm declaring my church shall prevail against), you will then face a decision as to whether you will or won't bind it. What transpires will be conditional upon your response. If you do personally and consciously involve yourself in the act of binding the issue on earth, you will discover that at that future moment when you do, that it has already been bound in heaven!23

  Amazing! So much depends on our obedience and responsible action. Our inheritance in Christ is not guaranteed or automatic.

  She Stepped Forward

  Sue Doty shared the following testimony regarding doing spiritual warfare in her city. She stepped forward!

  I sensed the Lord wanted me, along with a team of intercessors, to go on a prayer walk over a specific route, but that some preparation was necessary. First, I talked with my pastor about this and then went to drive along the route I knew we were to prayer-walk. As I approached a theater (X-rated movie house, video shop and bookstore), the Holy Spirit started to give me specific instructions. He told me to cast out the spirits of pornography and lust, and I did so. He also told me to pray in the Spirit. After a short time I was released from praying, and I continued on the rest of the route before going home.

  On that Friday the Lord revealed to me what had actually happened. I turned on the local news to hear that this particular theater had been ordered by the city to close its doors. The day after I had been there to pray, the city conducted a surprise inspection. The theater was cited for several violations and its doors were immediately closed and locked.

  What was so remarkable was that the city had already inspected the building a short time before and it had passed inspection. But without warning, and for no apparent reason, it was being inspected again. God had really moved! The theater did meet code violations and was re-opened for a short period of time before a judge ordered it to close for one year. Now the property is up for sale.

  I had taken the course "Intercessory Prayer-The Lightning of God" by Dutch Sheets and I knew many charges had been placed in the wall, but this was the kairos time and the wall fell under the power of God. [By "charges" she is referring to the dunamis-dynamite-of the Holy Spirit that I teach about in the previously mentioned course.]

  A Legal Breaking of Headship

  "But why would warfare ever be necessary if Christ defeated Satan and his demons?" many ask. "Didn't Christ take away his power, disarm him and destroy his works? Didn't He deliver us from Satan's power?"

  The answer to these questions lies in an accurate understanding of what Christ actually did when He defeated Satan. Satan's destruction wasn't a literal one, but rather a legal breaking of his headship or authority. Nowhere does the Bible say Christ delivered us from Satan's power. It says He delivered us from his exousia-authority-or in other words, the right to use his power on us:

  Colossians 1:13: "For He delivered us from the domain [exousia] of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son."

  Luke 10:19: "Behold, I have given you authority [exousia] to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power [dunamis] of the enemy, and nothing shall injure you."

  Colossians 2:15: "When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him." The word "disarmed" is the Greek word apekduomai and means Christ divested Himself of the rulers and authorities.24 That's theological jargon for, "He whipped them!"

  Power never was and never will be the issue between God and Satan. Authority was the issue-the authority Satan had obtained t
hrough Adam. Jesus did not come to get back any power, nor to remove Satan's power. He came to regain the authority Adam lost to the serpent and break his headship over the earth.

  Satan still has all the inherent powers and abilities he has always had. He "prowls about like a roaring lion" (1 Pet. 5:8). And, contrary to what some teach, he still has his teeth. He still has "fiery darts" (Eph. 6:16, KJV). If you don't believe this, try going without your armor. What he lost was the right (authority) to use his power on those who make Jesus Lord. However, Satan is a thief and a lawbreaker and will use his power or abilities on us anyway if we don't understand that through Christ we now have authority over him and his power. Authority is the issue. Power does the work, but authority controls the power.

  This truth is well illustrated in the battle between Israel and Amalek in Exodus 17:8-13. In this famous passage Moses went to the top of a hill with the staff of God in his hand while Joshua led the army on the battlefield below. As long as Moses held up the rod of God, Israel prevailed; when he lowered it, Amalek prevailed.

  The victory was not decided by the strength or power of Israel's army. If this had been the case, they would not have faltered when the staff was lowered. Nor was it a morale thing-they weren't watching Moses for inspiration while in hand-to-hand conflict! An unseen battle in the heavenlies actually decided the outcome on the battlefield. And when the rod, representing the rule or authority of God, was lifted by the authorized leader of Israel, Joshua and the army prevailed. In other words, it was not power on the battlefield-though it was necessary-that was the deciding factor, but authority on the mountain. Authority is the key issue; power never has been.

  Approaching the Father