“Intercession is standing before the court of heaven and pleading a case or cause before an Holy awesome God. There are things that deeply touch the righteous Heart of the Father and above all, He is jealous of His glory…” Michael Howard
Our God is a mighty warrior. He is a God who has a strategic plan. You and I can take part in this strategic plan.
I doubt if very many of us wake up in the morning and enter the day realizing that we are at war and that strategy is of utmost importance. The truth is that prayer is the greatest strategy in the world. Prayer is the strategy of heaven. As we use this mighty weapon, God then gives us His strategy for life on earth.
The majority of the Church worldwide has not, yet, awakened to this strategic weapon of prayer and intercession. If we did, we would be using it daily, and our prayer meetings would be packed to overflowing. I envision the day coming when we will begin to realize more and more that nothing happens without prayer.
Often in the natural we look to man-made methods and schemes to get the job done. We think big money and promotion will reach the world. We try harder with our human ingenuity. That will never work, at least not long-term. Prayer and intercession will prepare the way for the harvest. We must choose to use heaven’s strategy rather than man’s human devices. We must set our minds above and learn to intercede. We read inColossians 3:1-2:
“Since, then you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”
It is in prayer that God gives us heavenly strategy to do the work on earth that will touch the world. I have seen this over and over again. In intercession God gives us the greatest plan. In the quiet place God opens to us His greatest secrets. Everything that will make a difference has to have the touch of the supernatural. God does the work through us, and He gives us His plan in prayer. The days we are living in are evil, and nothing but intense intercession will bring in the harvest.
A woman came to a missionary in India asking him to prevent a certain Christian from praying for her anymore. She was asked how she knew that Christian was praying for her. She replied: “I used to perform my worship to the idols quite easily before and now I can’t. He told me he was praying for me and my family, and now my son and daughter have become Christians. If he continues to pray, I may become a Christian as well! Things happen when he prays. Somebody must make him stop!”
This Christian knew that prayer was the strategy of heaven and so did the idol worshipper who did not want to experience the power of prayer! God wants us to go deeper in strategic prayer. These are days of opportunity, and God is raising-up intercessors to touch people’s lives in every nation. Never underestimate the true potential of prayer. Ephesians 5:15-16 says:
“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”
Never fail to realize that an hour in prayer can make a huge difference in the strategic outcome of your day and in the lives of others. But how do we touch this heavenly strategy?
Ways to Touch Heaven's Strategy of Power
I find in my life personally that a faster way to enter into the throne room of God is through worship, praying the Word of God, and fasting. This brings me quickly into heaven’s perspective. These are three secrets to a deeper prayer life. This is what we practice regularly at the International House of Prayer here in Kansas City. You and I have every spiritual blessing in Christ. Ephesians 1:3 says:
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.”
We touch heaven through our praise, through praying the Word, and when we deny ourselves through fasting. We are then able to concentrate more fully on God’s heart. Let’s look at these three ways along with quotes from Michael Howard, a mighty intercessor, in his book called Proven Arrows of Intercession:
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Worship and Praise. Worship, praise and thanksgiving should be incorporated into your life as much as possible. When you are down or discouraged, try the medicine of praise and thanksgiving. It is a good medicine because it puts your attention back upon the greatness and the glory of God. Praise is a powerful weapon of war.
“We can never underestimate praise as one of the greatest and most powerful weapons of war which the Lord has placed in our hands. And, when praise becomes high praise, it commands the unlimited resources of heaven because it gives absolute glory to the Lord. In a way which is beyond our understanding, deliverance and redemption are wrought through praise with great power for such conclusively speak of the supreme victory of Jesus.”
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Pray the Word of God. If you want to grow in your prayer life, start praying the Bible. God loves us to pray His Word and use the sword of the Spirit in intercession for the lost. It keeps us on-target, and we begin to think the very thoughts of God.
“The promises and blessings of God’s Word are conditional. What God has done before, He will do again under the same climate and by the same standards. It is for this reason that intercession must be solidly built upon and directed by the Word. This means that the intercessor must know and quote the Word. This is not so the devil can hear but because a case must be made before the Lord… God is committed to His Word and the fulfilling of it.”
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Fast and Pray. Fasting is a key to a powerful prayer life. Fasting together with prayer will help you to tap into heaven’s riches and strategy in a way nothing else can. It quiets your outer man so that your inner man can hear the heartbeat of heaven.
“Jesus was always ‘prayed and fasted up’ while the disciples were not. This is why He always had authority in any situation. It is too late in the crisis to ‘get fasted and prayed up,’ so to speak… The benefits, blessings and powers of fasting are clearly revealed in the Word. Firstly, fasting brings the flesh into submission in all areas and herein lies the secret of the power… Fasting is a total denial of self that is mandatory if one is to be a true disciple of Jesus (Mt. 16:24). Thirdly, there is a mysterious relationship between fasting and the power of heaven intervening on our behalf.”
Is it always easy to go heaven’s way? No, we are so often tempted by earth’s attraction. We are tempted by quick results and man-made schemes, by things that look so good. We are attracted by fleshly fame and fortune. But in reality prayer is what really will get the job done. Prayer and intercession will bring glory to the King and touch earth with heaven’s riches. Prayer is the strategy of heaven. Prayer is the work, the strategic work, of the Kingdom. Prayer will prepare the way for the King.
Never forget this truth, because your enemy will tempt you in every way possible to get the job done through human resources. He will promise you a quick, painless way to get results. But, the quickest way is go straight to the King in prayer. And He will reveal to you a strategy of life that will release His greatest glory through you here on earth. Why is this true? It is because you will be living and doing exactly what you were made for.
And I promise you that this is a joyful and fulfilling way to live.
Please pray for the last week of our month of ministry in Spain. We are excited to report that in our travels in several cities that many have a desire to start a House of Prayer. We have prayed in several locations where a House of Prayer is beginning. Young people everywhere are eager to pray as well as church leaders and pastors. We are absolutely amazed at how prayer is spreading all over this nation and around the world. We just arrived in the nation of Gibraltar and will be praying with many here this week. We anticipate Houses of Prayer all throughout Spain as well as one here in Gibraltar.
“God puts no limitations on His ability to save through true praying. No hopeless conditions, no accumulation of difficulties, no desperation in distance or circumstances can hinder the success of real prayer. The possibilities of prayer are linked to the infinite rectitude and to the omnipotent power of God. There is nothing too hard for God to do. God is pledged if we ask, we shall receive God can withhold nothing from faith and prayer.” E. M. Bounds