The Intercessors Handbook

by Jennifer Eivaz

  I had a great week at the school and came home very encouraged. That Saturday, I went to our prayer chapel to pray on my own for a few hours before the evening prayer service. I was in good spirits and entered into prayer happy and peaceful. Then, as I began to worship, the atmosphere took a sudden shift. I could tell I was dealing with a strong demonic power, the strongest I had ever encountered.

  Words of judgment began to flow out of my mouth, something I had never done or heard anyone do before. My words were not nearly as poetic as those spoken by the Old Testament prophets when they pronounced their judgments, but what fueled my words felt similar, and I could feel the power underneath them.

  “You’re done,” I declared. “I am destroying you. I’m taking you out!”

  I called our associate pastor’s wife, Bernice Hammond, to come to the church and pray with me. We prayed, and then I asked her a question without knowing why.

  “Have you had any dreams lately?” I asked.

  “Yes,” she said. “But I don’t want to tell you.”

  I encouraged her to share it.

  She hesitated and then responded, “I dreamed you hired a hit man to kill a blonde woman!”

  When she said that, I knew in my heart what was going on and had a sense of what to do about it. We left the chapel and drove to the location depicted in the dream three years ago. As we stood in the middle of the field, I looked up to the sky and shouted out the prophetic word: “Release the angel”—in other words, the hit man—“to destroy the Jezebel spirit, in the name of Jesus!”

  Bernice and I are both prophetic seers and could hardly believe what we then saw in the spirit realm. We watched an angel come and destroy the Jezebel spirit that had been warring against me. The Bible says the saints will worship God with a sword in their hand and execute the written judgment (see Psalm 149:6–9).

  Bernice and I drove back to the prayer service, which was now almost over. We told the attendees what had happened and ended up praying together outside. As we were praying, the Lord gave us another sign of victory: The ground began to shake under our feet, and we could all feel it (see Acts 4:31).

  I went home that night and told Ron everything that had happened. I continued to hear much activity in the spirit realm in connection to the breakthrough. I perceived that very night that we were finally out of the rough season and were in a new place of spiritual authority. Sure enough, the church began to see an increase in salvations, healings and deliverances. What was most notable was the increase in deliverances, a sign of the increase of authority we had just received (see Revelation 2:26).

  The complexities of the spirit realm mystify all of us at times. Yet in all circumstances, God remains the Lord of the breakthrough. Prophetic intercession opens the spirit realm to us so we can prophesy in prayer more intelligently. Even so, we will encounter unyielding circumstances that seem to be untouchable. There is an answer in God, but we need to find the right key. That is the point at which we need to add fasting to our prayers, because fasting is a game changer. Let’s turn to the power of fasting next.

  Kingdom Prayer Principles

  Prophetic intercession is a sharp and powerful prayer communicated as a prophetic word.

  When we understand the power of the word to create, we will better understand the power of prophetic intercession.

  In prophetic intercession, we prophesy to the dark, chaotic places and command God’s light and order to come.

  We can determine and prophesy God’s will only to the degree that we know Him and recognize His voice.

  As we learn to hear God’s voice, we will also learn the ebb and flow of the “river.” We learn to flow in His timing and prophesy the appointed times and seasons in the context of prayer.

  Prophetic intercession becomes the sharp sword of God’s word that pierces through spiritual barricades to release what God has promised us.

  Prophetic intercession opens the spirit realm to us so we can prophesy in prayer more intelligently.

  Thoughts for Reflection

  What is your response to the gift of prophecy that flows in tangent with intercession? Have you ever prophesied in the context of prayer?

  Do you have the gift of prophecy? If so, how do you know? If not, would you like to receive this gift?

  In general, to prophesy is to say what God says. Do you recognize the voice of God speaking to you about specific situations? Are you ready to turn His words into a command as you pray about your circumstances?

  Are you aware of the upcoming times and seasons as you pray? If so, are you ready to speak those out as you pray?

  8

  Fasting Is a Game Changer

  Prayer minister and evangelist Lou Engle came to our church in 2008 as part of his statewide summons for an event known as TheCall, an all-day event attended by thousands and presented as a solemn assembly of prayer in various locations. During his visit, Lou charged us not only to have prayer meetings but also to develop a culture of prayer. He then shared a personal story about fasting—specifically, how the Lord had impressed upon him to go on a forty-day fast.

  Lou confessed he did not do the fast at first because he was afraid he would die. Then he received a prophetic word through a prophetic friend. The message was clear: “If you fast for forty days, you won’t die.” With that, Lou obeyed the Lord and went on an extended fast, only ingesting liquids—and he lived to tell about it.

  Lou’s story can be inspiring and intimidating all at the same time. I might love the idea of going on a forty-day fast, but I believe I would die, too. I laughed out loud, then, when the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart, asking me to write a chapter in this book about fasting.

  I struggle with fasting. It is not a discipline or theological issue for me. I just happen to be one of those kind, loving individuals who turns into a monster if they do not eat regularly. Hopefully, you hear my humor in that statement, but to a certain extent it is true. People with sensitive physiology and low-blood-sugar problems can take on a certain form of crazy when they have not eaten on time.

  Even so, despite this reality, I fast on a regular basis. I just do not fast nearly as long as others, or I do partial fasts. (I will explain this concept later in the chapter.) But stories like the one Lou told used to challenge my confidence.

  That is, until I understood the heart of God concerning this discipline.

  In the Bible, we find a story about a widow who dropped her last two pennies into the offering box. She did this in front of the wealthier givers and was observed by Jesus in doing so. In response, Jesus called His disciples to Him and said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on” (Mark 12:43–44).

  If you struggle with fasting, too, I want to assure you that Jesus sees the little you do and counts it as being a lot. We do what we can do instead of what we cannot do. Our confidence then rests in knowing the heart of Jesus toward us, rather than in comparing ourselves to others.

  We Are Meant to Fast

  When Jesus introduced the Lord’s Prayer to His disciples, He began by saying, “When you pray . . .” (Matthew 6:6). Notice that prayer is not an if but a when matter. The same is true of fasting, as Jesus said in that same teaching, “When you fast . . .” (verse 16).

  Jesus taught prayer with fasting, and this was a regular practice of the early Church. It ought to be the same for us.

  Accordingly, our church enters each year with either a 21-day or a 40-day fast. We encourage congregants to fast from food as God leads them to do so. Some fast one or two days each week. Some fast a meal each day. Others fast the entire time.

  Our church also gathers to pray during that time for specific ministry targets for the next year. In addition, individuals are encouraged to pray for their personal goals and needs.

  We have discovered that fasting contains a real turnaround element. It changes circumstances i
n our favor. For instance:

  Nathan and Elaina moved into his parents’ home in order to save money to buy a house. After a few months, some large expenses came up that made it difficult for them to save money. They fasted and prayed and felt led to give a special offering to the church, in faith for a miracle. Soon after, a woman in the church offered to rent them her home at an affordable price. Later, that same woman sold them her home for a below-market price. Nathan and Elaina became blessed home owners at just 25 years of age.

  Michelle is the only saved person in her family. She did a partial fast for 21 days and then a water fast for seven more days while praying for the salvation of her mother. When she made a surprise visit to her hometown for her mother’s birthday, Michelle asked her mom to receive Jesus into her heart. Her mother said yes and has faithfully attended and served her church ever since.

  Sean and Kate fasted and prayed for their children to get better jobs and to find affordable housing. Both children had experienced a mix of delays and setbacks, and things were not opening up or working out. After the time of fasting and prayer, both children received new and better jobs and new housing that accommodated their specific needs.

  Roslyn needed a roommate and a weekend job to make her budget. She felt like she was hitting wall after wall, trying to bridge the gap in her finances. She fasted and prayed, and the Lord dropped a key to obedience in her heart. He told her to give to Him first and trust Him for the rest. As soon as she did that, she found the perfect roommate and was given three weekend jobs to choose from.

  The truth is, fasting is a game changer when it comes to unanswered prayer. Add fasting to your prayers, and your answers will come speedily (see Isaiah 58:6–9, especially verse 8). Fasting purifies our bodies, yes, but it also purifies our hearts. It empties us of unbelief and aligns our faith in such a way that we gain triumph over our enemies. We are expected to fast! Fasting is a when, not an if, matter.

  We Can Fast Three Ways

  In the Bible, we see three types of fasts: the absolute fast, the normal fast and the partial fast.

  An absolute fast is a fast of abstaining from food and water. Since the body cannot sustain itself without water for more than three days, these fasts are very short. Queen Esther called this kind of fast when her people, the Jews, were being threatened with death (see Esther 4:16). When her people sought God through fasting, they gained a complete turnaround against their enemies. I know of no person who has fasted in this manner myself, although I have read a few stories of those who have tried.

  A normal fast is one of abstaining from food but not liquids for a certain number of days. The apostle Paul fasted once for three days and another time for fourteen days (see Acts 9:9; 27:33). Moses and Elijah fasted for forty days (see Exodus 34:28; 1 Kings 19:8). The valiant men of Jabesh Gilead fasted for seven days (see 1 Samuel 31:13). There is no formula for how many days you should fast for a normal fast; it depends on your circumstances. I know many people who have participated in normal fasts for varying lengths of time. They have encountered God in very deep ways through this kind of fast and have experienced turnarounds in difficult circumstances because of it.

  Finally, there is the partial fast. This is a fast that allows the consumption of food and liquids but is restricted in some way. In the beginning of Israel’s captivity to King Nebuchadnezzar, for example, Daniel and his three friends resolved not to defile themselves with the king’s rich foods. They proved this to the guard by eating just vegetables and water for ten days with positive results (see Daniel 1:8–16). Later, Daniel submitted to a 21-day fast in order to seek God concerning the release of His people from captivity (see Daniel 10:2–3). He fasted in similar fashion, with no choice foods, wine or meat for 21 days, and he received a heavenly revelation as a result.

  I most often participate in partial fasts, as they are something I can sustain for longer periods of time. My husband, however, prefers a normal fast to a partial fast, saying that, for him, eating too little is harder than not eating at all.

  Fasting is an exchange. We exchange food for the Word, for worship and for prayer. It is always done in combination with prayer; otherwise, it is just a diet. Rather, we crucify our flesh and appetite to teach our bodies what to be hungry for. As Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matthew 5:6). Those who are hungry for God will be filled with Him.

  We Receive a Reward

  When we fast, we are not fasting to be seen and admired by people for being spiritual. If we are fasting for those reasons, the Bible says that is all the reward we are going to get (see Matthew 6:16). Rather, when we fast, we are fasting to be seen by God. Therefore, we do not behave in a way that makes it obvious to others that we are fasting.

  There is a promise to this kind of fasting. In the words of Jesus, “And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you” (Matthew 6:18). God rewards what we do in secret. Do you see a person who is marked by God? That person was marked in the secret place.

  It reminds me of the experience of our church prayer director, Caroline, who was involved in a serious car accident. While heading to a young adult meeting, she drove onto the freeway, only to enter behind a transport truck that slowed down too quickly. To avoid a collision, she overcorrected, causing her car to spin out of control and roll over twice.

  “There were sirens coming from every direction, so I knew it was serious,” she said.

  Caroline did not break any bones, but her car was totaled. The aftermath of the trauma, however, was intense. She had flashbacks, headaches and migraines. She was easily irritated and felt like she was losing her mind. During our church’s annual fast, she joined us and prayed for the church’s concerns, including just one personal request for herself: that God would take away all the symptoms that were still with her from the crash.

  Within two weeks of fasting, Caroline noticed all of her symptoms had disappeared and she was finally free. Isn’t that wonderful? She would have been justified to skip our church’s fast completely, given her symptoms. Instead, she chose to fast, making her request known in the secret place, and God rewarded her out in the open.

  So, yes, there is a reward to fasting. And the reward, in my mind, is connected to the notion of humility. When we fast, we not only humble ourselves, but also make ourselves weak on purpose—something God rewards with exaltation. So many passages of Scripture speak of the way God exalts the humble (see Matthew 23:12; James 4:10; 1 Peter 5:6).

  Believe it or not, we learn humility from God. We were so low in our sin that we could not reach God. God was so high in His righteousness that to reach us, He would have to lower Himself into our messy world to do it. And through the womb of a virgin, He did just that. Jesus entered into our world. He lowered Himself all the way to our level so He could reach us and then save us. As Paul wrote of Jesus, “And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:8).

  But that is not the end of the story. As Jesus humbled Himself all the way to the cross, the Bible says His Father responded to Him lavishly: “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name” (verse 9). It is the same principle at work I was just describing, that when we humble ourselves, God will lift us up.

  We ought never be afraid to humble ourselves, because on the other end of humility is a reward. Fasting is one such form of humility.

  We Receive a Breakthrough

  Throughout its eighty-year history, our church had purchased and built on various properties, and we were blessed as new pastors to find ourselves in a ministry that was property rich, knowing many ministries cannot purchase or even find property.

  Unfortunately, the buildings had not been touched in more than fifty years. Paint was cracking and peeling off the exterior, the interiors were musty and dark, and many infrastructure and safety upgrades were needed. My husband presented a chal
lenge to update the main building, and the congregants stepped up with a fierce determination. Deep personal and financial sacrifices were made across the board to transform the facility. In the end, we had a revitalized, modern building and a deeply encouraged congregation.

  As soon as the remodeling was complete, Ron began talking about acquiring a second campus. He sat down with a previous pastor of the church, Robert Carrington, and shared his vision. To Ron’s surprise, Pastor Carrington had attempted to acquire a second campus forty years before us. He did not succeed, however, because of the same political and spiritual issues we had faced inside the church as new pastors.

  We knew acquiring a second campus was going to be next to impossible. We even went into escrow on a piece of land in town but had to give it up because of the economic crash of 2007–2008. So we put the matter to fasting and prayer.

  In 2011, during our annual forty days of prayer and fasting, I began having terrible nightmares of death that made modern-day horror films look like child’s play. I would wake up with a clear sense of death around me, and it would not lift.

  I contacted my lead intercessors for help.

  One night, I woke up again with a strong feeling of death and began feeling desperate. I decided to go to our church’s prayer chapel and stay there until I was free of it.

  As I prayed, the Lord spoke clearly to my heart, saying, This battle is about life.

  It was a powerful word to my heart. I messaged Ron and shared what the Lord had spoken to me. As I was texting, he was emailing me a message he had received from one of our intercessors. The intercessor had emailed him the details of a dream she had the night before.

  “I saw all the dead bodies,” she wrote. “You and Jen were arranging them in such a way that the life of God was being poured into their mouths. They were resurrecting!”