Prayer-Leader-Training Revised May 2013

IHOP-LI: The Ark House of PrayerPrayer Leadership

I. AN INTRODUCTION TO WORSHIP-FILLED PRAYER

Of all of the many joys we have as a people in restored relationship with God, worship-filled prayer, in the flow of faith, is easily the most exhilarating. It creates the transformational space where we meet with God and each other heart to heart, breath to breath.

A. Worship and prayer ought not to be separated. True prayer is agreement with and proclamation of the Glory and purposes of God. The definition of worship is identical. For that reason, we will use the phrase “worship-filled prayer” as a fused idea that better conveys the interaction taking place in the House of Prayer.

B. Worship-filled prayer is the primary love language between God and humanity. It is not the only expression of love. Obedience, generosity, compassion, justice, etc. are also love languages. However, worship-filled prayer is primary because it most directly relates to the first commandment, i.e., to love the Lord with all of our heart, mind, soul and strength. It conveys our devotion, “deep unto deep” (Ps. 42:7), to the thoughts and intentions of God.

C. Worship-filled prayer is also the primary means of expressing God’s Government on behalf of the earth and it is the fountain from which all treasures and adventures spring. Evangelism, prophetic utterances, apostolic foundations, teaching, healing, etc. all spring from agreement in worship-filled prayer with the Word, The Lord Jesus our Christ. Our joy is found in His desire for communion with His creation. We are matched by our desire to see His Glory and the knowledge of His Glory cover the earth as the waters cover the seas. (Habakkuk 2:14)

D. Worship-filled prayer is a cultivated environment and an intentional activity where we set our gaze, albeit in a dim reflection, on Jesus’ Beautiful face where the knowledge of God dwells (2 Cor. 4:6). We agree with Him regarding all He is as He unfolds His Glory, all that He says as He unfolds His Wisdom and all that He desires as He unfolds His Love. It’s a rather simple process. As we gaze at God, the Truth of His Glory, His defining Beauty and His Wisdom expressed in Love fascinate, inspire and instruct us. As we agree with the Truth, we agree with His thoughts and we pray for Him to receive what He instructs us to pray for from that revelation. Then, He releases the very thing He inspires us to pray for and all of us are overjoyed because His Majesty is displayed both in Heaven and on Earth. Isaiah 41, Psalm 2

It is a grace-filled dynamic that is intentionally woven into the fabric of His creation. By His design, the Kingdom of God is expressed and established by means of agreement forged in the context of worship filled prayer. It manifests in mercy /justice. It is an

IHOP-LI: The Ark House of Prayerwww.IHOP-LI.com

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intentional, interdependent aspect of our relationship with God that operates in unity with His Spirit and forms our part in the testimony of our Lord Jesus, the Christ. It is within this dynamic that we discover unending treasures of joy as God’s love proves to be both enormously generous and highly interactive (see Luke 18 and Isaiah 56-58).

Consider the relationship within the Godhead as a model: Father loves His Son. He has entrusted all things to Him. He is “The Manifest Word/Name” of God, i.e., the fully expressed revelation of the Father. By Father’s design, His thoughts were/are/will always be communicated to His Son and, in joy, Jesus speaks, “Let there be…” (“…all things have been created through Him and for Him” Colossians 1:16) His voice both creates and upholds His creation. (See Colossians 1.)

Jesus absolutely loves Father and joyfully seeks the desires of His Father. He agrees with the Brilliance of Father’s Thoughts and Will and He affirms it verbally. That is why He does nothing but what the Father says and does. It is because He enjoys His Father’s Genius. Holy Spirit joyfully proceeds from both Father and Son to bring us into ‘One”. Father and Holy Spirit joyfully agree upon Jesus’ spoken word. Holy Spirit releases His fiery power to accomplish the will of Father and Son and what is spoken from Their Heart and Mouth IS. This is the dynamic that accomplishes God’s intentions.

You send forth Your Spirit, they are created; and You renew the face of the earth. Ps. 104:30

So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:11

II. THE MATRIX OF JOY

The dynamic described above is, in fact, also a model for our relationship with Him in prayer. It’s stunning in simplicity and wisdom. By His design, He has invited His “image bearers” into the same process described prior. The dynamic was set in place from the beginning when He breathed life into those He formed into the image of God and instructed to tend the garden in Eden He placed them in. Look at the dynamic in Genesis 2:Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.” Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field, but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him. So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. The Lord God fashioned into a woman the rib, which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man.

God knew what Adam needed before Adam did. It was already in His heart to fashion Eve from Adam’s side. In His wisdom, He was waiting for the revelation and need to


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emerge in Adam so He could delight Adam’s heart. First, He expresses wisdom and insight that Adam knows nothing of by determining that Adam’s existence, as a singular entity, was not good. Here we also see God’s motivation, i.e., what is good.

In order to establish the revelation that leads to prayer, He, in humility, parades His own creation before Adam and commissions Adam to name the creatures. In that process, Adam discovers that there is no one suitable to help him. It is a moment of revelation, poverty and need emerges and there is agreement between God and Adam that there is no suitable creature. Adam did not know that was being primed for joy.

Like Adam, we first look to creation to fulfill our need. In God’s wisdom, we find that joy does not come from the revealed creation but from God Himself and His Goodness revealed. The Lord had placed Adam’s Bride within Adam so she would be exegeted from Adam himself and then fashioned by God’s own hand as a gift. What a delightful and generous God. He is always plotting goodness.

In this brief picture we also get a glimpse of the wisdom of God’s intent to do the same one-day through Jesus and His Bride, i.e., Israel and the Church. Can you imagine the joy and wonder in Adam and Eve as they are given the God prescribed answer to the longing in their hearts? They are joined to one another within the safety of God’s intention and answered by mutual desire. It is a preview of Jesus’ Joy.

Agreeing with God, trusting Him and His intentions and tending our charge according to His wisdom forms the joy of a growing relationship. The dynamics of this relationship are heaven based. They have never been revoked. We may have neglected the dynamics of this relationship and its beauty but God never has. He built it into the atmosphere surrounding His Throne and it is thoroughly woven into the fabric of His creation. Things like thunder and lightening, fire and smoke are all reminders of the dynamic of worship and prayer that fills the Throne Room of Heaven. Worship-filled prayer is starkly present or absent in every story. It is clearly illustrated in scripture and is especially evident in the Blueprints of the Tabernacles of Moses and David and later Solomon’s Temple. Jesus is the fulfillment of this relational dynamic. He is the House of Prayer, the object of our affection/worship and it is in Jesus that we see joy fully realized.

Since Jesus ascended to His Father to prepare a place for us to dwell together, prayer has become His/Our language of longing as we await His return. The new Eve longs to find herself completely “one” with the new Adam. From generation to generation it is a desire/prayer slowly being restored to the forefront and its worth is being revealed with increased understanding. His Bride, namely those who believe in and have traded their lives for Jesus’, are leaning in to it toward maturity. Paul understood this dynamic as a mystery that he was graced to proclaim to all, including the Gentiles, as good news, “to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things; so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 1:9-10


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To God’s glory, we are being fashioned, through voluntary love in worship-filled prayer and deeds of mercy/justice, into the expressed revelation of Jesus by the Holy Spirit living in us; conforming us by the “word” into His image as the Bride and Bridegroom become One. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren Romans 8:29

He is central. He is Sovereign. The dynamic is holy. Anything done outside of this relational dynamic is established by our own designs. It will bear the fruit of the “Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil”, not the “Tree of Life”. In other words, whatever we do outside of first seeking and then declaring in faith God’s thoughts and Heart in worship-filled prayer – even though it may be seem good – is still going to produce the fruit of our own independent spirits.

III. THEOLOGY FOR EFFECTIVE PRAYER/WORSHIP LEADERSHIP

A. The Grace of Agreement

The subject of agreement is at the heart of worship-filled prayer. It is verbalized as being “one”. The Lord our God is “One”. We are called to be “One” with Jesus as He is “One” with Father. We are called to be of “One” heart and mind with each other. Becoming “one” is being in complete agreement with one another as we abide in Christ. Although not an exhaustive list, we can see and experience the idea of “one” expressed in the science of origin, binary code in mathematics, the blending of color and light into “white”, the expression of marriage in communion where the two become “one’ and in music, where melodies and harmonies complement each other to form “one” symphony. It is in this last arena that we can clearly view and illustrate how worship and prayer can serve the idea of “one” as “agreement”.

There are two words closely linked together in Hebraic tradition, “tehillah” (praise) and “tephillah” (prayer). Both are expressed in song. The “Old Testament” tells us that: "God is enthroned on the praises (tehillah) of Israel" (Ps 22:3). “Tehillah” is a praise that can only emerge from the human heart that has encountered God. It is a song that is unique to the individual and the relationship with God that forms it. When sung in a corporate context, it becomes a symphony because each individual song is woven together to fashion the larger song. This is the kind of praise that God dwells in (i.e., is in the middle of).

“Tephillah (or tefillah)” is a heart cry of intercession that also emerges from the human heart that has encountered God. It is the kind of prayer that God dwells in the midst of. It’s root meaning is to “judge oneself” or to “assess if we are one” with God’s heart and thoughts. “This surprising word origin provides insight into the purpose of Jewish prayer. The most important part of any Jewish prayer, whether it be a prayer of petition, of thanksgiving, of praise of G-d, or of confession, is the introspection it provides, the moment that we spend looking inside ourselves, seeing our role in the universe and our relationship to G-d.” http://www.jewfaq.org/prayer.htm


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http://www.jewfaq.org/defs/g-d.htm


Tehillah, a song of uniquely intimate praise and Tephillah, a song-prayer of uniquely intimate intercession/supplication are virtually synonomous and biblically dwell together in thought. In essence it is “Worship-filled Prayer”. “The tephillah or song-prayer is a prayer of intercession or supplication expressed in song. The Hebrews often sang their prayers (Isaiah 1:15). There are Hebrew and Greek words for prayer that suggest a direct petition or short, sharp cry of a distressed heart (Ps 30:2; 2 Cor 12:8) sung out in supplication. Habakkuk's “tephillah” in Habakkuk chapter 2 is a well-known song-prayer of this sort.” http://www.angelfire.com/adazio/page59.html

“The Mishna,… enumerates five principal parts of the service of the synagogue: (a) the recital of the Shema,… (b) the prayer; (c) the reading of the law; (d) the reading of the prophets, and the benediction; (e) the translation and explanation of the Scripture lesson… There is strong ground for saying that praise was included under “the prayer.” There is such a close connection between prayer and praise that they could easily go under one name. Prayer includes the giving of thanks to God. Praise may include confession and petition, as well as the giving of thanks.” http://exclusivepsalmody.com/2010/09/11/question-3-how-do-we-know-that-christian-worship-is-based-on-the-worship-of-the-jewish-synagogue/

Worship and prayer are inextricably connected. So are the roles of a Worship Leader and a Prayer Leader. There is a dynamic between the two that mimics the connection between “tehillah” and “tephillah”. They are virtually synonymous in attitude and expression. They operate best when they are together and in agreement.

The dynamic is grounded in the idea that Father, Son and Holy Spirit are so unified in heart and agreement that they are One. Jesus’ prayer in John 17 is one long discourse on unity/agreement. As a matter of course, we could say that there is a theology of agreement.

Agreement alone and without God is powerful (consider the Tower of Babel). However, agreement forged in the fire of God’s love is the ultimate creative force and it produces joy in the midst of transformation. As illustrated prior, we see this agreement forged in love expressed within “The Marriage Motif”. It begins with God in agreement with Himself (Let Us make man in our own image). It continues with God forming Adam and fashioning Eve from His side, and it is revealed in glory as The New Adam (The Lord Jesus) is joined to The Bride (the Church) formed from Jesus’ pierced side and it culminates in the dwelling of God with man. Union/agreement with God is powerfully revealed in this mystery of marriage. Two are transformed into “one”. It is meant to communicate a deeper mystery, i.e., Christ and the church. Marriage is designed to flourish in agreement and release joy. It’s a profound motif that can be followed from beginning to end in the scripture.

Let’s look a little deeper. Psalm 45 is a beautiful description of the wedding between the Bridegroom King and His Bride. In verse 7 we discover that Father has anointed Jesus, the Bridegroom King with the "oil of joy." From where does the joy spring? It springs from the Bridegroom’s agreement with His Father and Holy Spirit. They love righteousness and hate wickedness. In case you think the Psalm refers to Solomon or


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David, the writer of the book of Hebrews quotes this passage when speaking of the Messiah: “But of the Son He says, "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, and the righteous scepter is the scepter of his kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your companions." (Hebrews 1:8-9, quoting Psalm 45:6-7) The first agreement is between Father, Son and Spirit.

The second tier of agreement is for humanity to break agreements with the fathers of this earth (including and especially the father of lies) and agree with THE Father, God. “Agree with God, and be at peace; thereby good will come to you. Job 22:21

In verses 6-9 the Bride is described in gorgeous language and then in verse 10, she is instructed to turn from her “father’s house” and her people in order to do one thing, to be desirable to the King. She must turn from agreement with the many to come into agreement with the “one”, her King. In place of her fathers, she will produce sons with the King to whom she has joined with as one.

The third is agreement with one another. Psalm 133 says, “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robe. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.”

Consider this: There is a physical reality the scriptures are picturing when they speak of Zion and it is attached to Jerusalem and the covenant God has with Israel. However, we, as the ekklesia, are grafted in to Israel and are also “Zion”, i.e., the dwelling place of God (according to the writer of Hebrews12:21-23). Applying the dynamic of unity to both dimensions is permissible. For our purposes, we’re focusing.

Both Psalms (45 and 133) give tender insights into the glorious joy of agreement forged in love.

“If we would rightly “agree with God, and be at peace,” we must know him as he has revealed himself, not only in the unity of his essence and subsistence, but also in the plurality of his persons. God said, “Let us make man in our own image”—let not man be content until he knows something of the “us” from whom his being was derived.

Endeavor to know the Father; bury your head in deep repentance, and confess that you are not worthy to be called his son. Receive the kiss of His love, let the ring which is the token of his eternal faithfulness be on your finger, and sit at his table and let your heart make merry in his grace. Then press forward and seek to know much of the Son of God who is the brightness of his Father’s glory, and yet in unspeakable condescension of grace became man for our sakes. Know him in the singular complexity of his nature: eternal God, and yet suffering, finite man. Follow him as he walks the waters with the tread of deity, and as he sits upon the well in the weariness of humanity. Be not satisfied unless you know much of Jesus Christ as your Friend, your Brother, your all.


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http://www.esvbible.org/search/Gen+1%3A26/


Forget not the Holy Spirit and endeavor to obtain a clear view of his nature and character, his attributes, and his works. Behold that Spirit of the Lord who first of all moved upon chaos and brought forth order. He now visits the chaos of your soul and creates the order of holiness. Behold him as the Lord and giver of spiritual life, the Illuminator, the Instructor, the Comforter, and the Sanctifier. Behold him as he descends upon the head of Jesus, and then afterwards rests upon you. Such an intelligent, scriptural, and experimental belief in the Trinity in unity is yours if you truly know God, and such knowledge brings peace indeed.” ~Charles Spurgeon ..Adapted from Morning and Evening

B. The Symphony of Love

Let’s expand this concept of agreement by looking at a commonly quoted passage on in Matthew 18 (We’ll look at the passage in context later on but the conclusions we come to by singling out this text will not be affected adversely by our treatment here.) In verse 19-20,The Lord Jesus says:

"Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. "For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst."

Consider another translation based upon the more simplistic translation of the Greek: If (duo) two are (sumphoneo) symphonious (harmonious) on the earth over the ( pragma) defined deed they ( aiteo) ask/crave/ desire they will ( ginomai) cause it to be known/generate it to them from/beside/near/around/by ( para ) my Father in Heaven”. For where two or three (sunago) lead together in My (onoma) character/name/identity/authority, I am in the (mesos) middle.

The Greek text reveals beautiful nuances illustrating the effect of harmony/agreement on both Heaven and earth.

In the context of Matthew 18, Jesus is telling us that effective prayer (tephillah) exists between people who work through their desires until they are all in agreement, i.e., relationship is worked out together until there is such unity in their hearts with each other AND the character/nature (onoma) of the Lord Jesus that their heart’s cry forms a beautiful, symphonic sound/song of praise (“tehillah”); to the Lord, with the Lord and around the Lord. This song moves the heart of The Father and releases a powerful response. This dynamic answers at least part of Jesus’ prayer in John 17:21 “that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.” Jesus instructs us that the key to effective prayer is relationship in communion in agreement.

What a marvelous thought. God is moved by the symphony of the hearts of His children, harmonizing with their Messiah, His Son and the communion is expressed in sound/song (a foreshadow of the sound of the Bride and the Bridegroom). In response, He engages with the song and it elicits a beautiful sound from His heart that affects Heaven and earth. Remember, the Lord created the Universe the same way, i.e., with the sound-song “Let there be…”


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http://www.amazon.com/MorningandEveningANewEditionoftheClassicDevotionalBasedonTheHolyBibleEnglishStandardVersionHardcover/dp/158134466X/?tag=marshillchu0d-20


This idea also implies that there is a different sound produced when we gather together than when we are alone. Solos can be beautiful and the Lord hears them and even witnesses to their beauty. However, there is something more powerful and beautiful than one alone – the symphony of Family. Father loves “family”. He puts the lonely in families (God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land. Ps. 68:6). And he looks for us to help one another BE a family. As we do, the goal is to become “harmonious” with Him and with each other. “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” James 5:16 He wants us to help each other pray together in the confidence of a clean conscience by being found in His righteousness and by restoring one another so we can all pray in love, boldness and unity.

Paul tells us though that any sound that does not have love is a “clanging cymbal” – an offensive sound that produces nothing of worth.

1Corinthians 13:1 If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.

Love brings sound into symphony. Only love in agreement produces a beautiful song before the Lord. When we are in agreement with what the GOD WHO IS LOVE says about His creation; when what we are asking for is in harmony with His heart, we pray with His character and it touches His heart in a marvelous way. A powerful sound leaps from Father’s heart as we do so and as ALL are enjoyed, the prayer is answered and there is “joy” in His house.

“If God is a DJ, Life is a dance floor, Love is the rhythm, You are the music, If God is a DJ, Life is a dance floor, You get what you're given, It's all how you use it.” ~Pink

Whom we agree with, whom we define ourselves by/align ourselves with, and how we express the relationship defines the affect and effect of our prayers. Therefore as we look at leading in prayer and worship, all we do must be viewed through the lens of agreement/symphony/love.

C. The Stewardship of Government

One of the primary roles of humanity on earth is Governmental Stewardship in agreement with God. The role of both the Worship Leader and the Prayer Leader must be seen through this lens if intercession is to be led in faith and government is executed with right motives.

Genesis 1: 26-28 Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."


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God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth."

Genesis 2:7,15 Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being… 15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

Psalm 8:4-6 “What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him? Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with glory and majesty! You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet”

Psalm 115:16 The heavens are the heavens of the LORD, But the earth He has given to the sons of men.

Each of these passages highlights the role of humanity as a steward entrusted with the care of the earth and all that is part of it. We are intimately tied to it by our very nature in that God created us out of the dust of the ground. He formed us from the earth and then, by His breath, released us into life. We are the only creatures established this way. We are made of the earth but carry the breath of Heaven.

By the Lord’s mysterious wisdom, in intentional partnership, He has charged us to be stewards. Our choices affect His creation. Paul tells us that the earth and all of creation is tied to the consequences our choices.

Romans 8:19-22 “For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.”

Clearly, we are made to be in relationship with God and His creation. All that we do has an impact upon creation: past, present and future. The most intriguing aspect to Paul’s statement is that The Lord Himself subjected His creation to our identity because of “Hope”. There is a confidence in His heart regarding Hope and it is tied to the revelation of Hope for His “sons”, i.e., “the freedom of the glory of the children of God”.

Paul also informs us that Christ in us (corporately) is this very Hope (the hope of Glory). Jesus identified Himself with us by becoming human; i.e., part of His creation. God became flesh and was endowed with the Breath of Life. Then, after His victory on the Cross-and His Resurrection, He re-enacts the creation of man when He breathes His Spirit into the disciples (i.e., the new-born “church”).


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John 20:21-23 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

Note what we are now charged with government expressed in a different form: the power and responsibility to forgive. In this exchange, He not only renews our charge but He adds to it. The foremost thought in the Lord’s mind before He ascends is reconciliation and forgiveness. Incredible. The government of our stewardship as a new creation is now defined by forgiveness.

D. The Mark of Authority: Sonship

We are identified by whom we align ourselves with and call our Father, based upon our relationship with Jesus. “If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” (John 8:19) We choose to whom we will submit to (agree with), i.e., the father of lies or the Father of Lights. We are created from the earth and from Heaven. We choose lies or Life, darkness or Light.

John 8:12-47 is a treatise on the choice of Fathers. It’s very explicit and too important to shorten:

12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” The Pharisees challenged him, “Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid.” Jesus answered, “Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going. You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one. But if I do judge, my decisions are true, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me. In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is true. I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me.” Then they asked him, “Where is your father?” “You do not know me or my Father,” Jesus replied. “If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” He spoke these words while teaching in the temple courts near the place where the offerings were put. Yet no one seized him, because his hour had not yet come. … But he continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins.” “Who are you?” they asked. “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning,” Jesus replied. “I have much to say in judgment of you. But he who sent me is trustworthy, and what I have heard from him I tell the world.” They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father. So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.” Even as he spoke, many believed in him. To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone.


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How can you say that we shall be set free?” Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me, because you have no room for my word. I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence, and you are doing what you have heard from your father.” “Abraham is our father,” they answered. “If you were Abraham’s children,” said Jesus, “then you would do what Abraham did. As it is, you are looking for a way to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. You are doing the works of your own father.” “We are not illegitimate children,” they protested. “The only Father we have is God himself.” Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me. Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say.

You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”

Whom we identify with as “Father” defines whose desire we carry out. Whom we agree with and what we agree upon has an effect upon what we say and do. When we align ourselves with the father of lies, we are unable to hear Jesus and all we do hear is accusation and twisted words, therefore, that is all we release around us. We dwell in accusation and lies. The effect is death, i.e., “murder”.

When we align our hearts with Father God’s heart and agree with each other in prayer by faith, the effect is the release of life, truth, freedom, and love for Jesus, Father God and the Holy Spirit. The Will and Kingdom of Heaven is expressed here upon the earth in partnership with the Church.

Ephesians 3:10-11 “His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

In our abiding relationship with Jesus, we are able to hear and to see what Father God is doing and then naturally do what pleases Him. If we pay close attention to Jesus’ pattern, we see that the true mark of mature authority is Sonship that says and does what Father is doing. The following statement defines maturity: “The Son only does what the Father is doing”. Immaturity would find a son doing as he alone pleases. We see that worked out in Luke 15 where the immature son demands his inheritance ahead of time and squanders it. Within the Kingdom, maturity is measured by joyful obedience.

When we pray, we also identify with our Father as the source of our provision. Who we identify with governs Who we go to when we are in need as well as what we see, hear


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and proclaim in all circumstances. What we believe as Prayer and Worship Leader sets the tone and direction of thoughts for the entire room. Our position as sons is to point to the Father and that pointing, in faith, helps to release joy.

John 16: 22-24 So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. 23 In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.

Now, the prayer that the Lord taught us as disciples has a renewed fervor in it for all of us. Read it again as a steward of the earth and as a son of God, endowed with forgiveness:

Matthew 6: 9-13 “This, then, is how you should pray: 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. 'For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

E. The Mark of Intimacy: The Bride and The Bridegroom releasing Biblical Justice together

Biblical justice is powerful motivator for prayer. Luke tells us in Chapter 18 that the Lord releases justice quickly when His “chosen” pray night and day. In order to pray for justice with confidence, we must understand that biblical justice is very different from our own thoughts of bringing down punishment. It needs to be transformed in our thoughts from a fear-based term into a love-based redemptive term emerging from intimacy.

Our first view of justice is found in the model of early Israeli Judges. Later, we see it through the pathos of God expressed in the prophetic books. (Abraham Heschel does a wonderful job defining this topic in his book, “The Prophets”.) However, it must be reviewed maturely through the perfect lens of Jesus, the Righteous Judge. It must be defined by what He has to say about the subject and also by what He DID to both establish it and fulfill it.

Simplified, the Hebraic view is that “justice” is expending one’s strength on behalf of the weak and setting things right. In its maturity, however, it is ultimately agreeing with Father’s assessment of what is good (as Jesus says, “Only God is Good.”) and adjusting all things to the Plumb line: Jesus. (John 13-15 gives us a great deal of instruction about these ideas. Please take the time to re-read these chapters.) Things like love, forgiveness, healing, emancipation, redemption, reconciliation; deliverance, salvation, etc. are more accurate pictures of Jesus’ interaction with humanity and therefore exemplify true biblical justice.


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John and Paul both wrote letters to the church that succinctly describe the relationship between fear and punishment regarding justice and then they distance us from them both by redefining our lives as children in Christ by love. Listen for the echoes of John 8 as we are placed, in Christ, into the same relationship that Jesus has with the Father and we are given instructions to love the same way:

1John 3: 1 “How great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.

1John 4: 4-19 You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us.

Romans 8:15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!”

Suffice it to say, as we abide in Jesus, Our Bridegroom-King-Judge and align our prayers with Him, our requests are aligned to be answered with true justice because the Son only does what the Father is doing and He alone judges rightly (John 8). He is LOVE.

Now, if Jesus is God, and God is Love (1John), He is perfect love and love casts out fear because fear involves punishment (1 John 4). If the son judges righteously and mercy triumphs over judgment, (James 2:13) and we are now sons, what sort of judges should we become? How shall we pray?? Should we be ones who hurl punishment like fire


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(Luke 9:54)? Or ones who intercede in love like God, Our consuming fire? (Hebrews 12:29) Consider this: “A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering (dimly burning) wick He will not quench, till He brings justice and a just cause to victory.”(Matthew 12:20)

The sons of God, connected rightly with their Father, are entirely redemptive. We are given the ministry of reconciliation (2Cor. 5:18). As we align with Father, we also align with His assessment (rather than our own) of what is good and what is evil. We gladly leave judgment to Him and we draw from the Tree of Life now instead of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

Matthew’s Gospel gives us another glimpse into God’s heart for justice and once again it entirely merciful and redemptive. (Note: verse and chapter are artificially applied to scripture. In this case, what is referred to as Chapter 18 is often taken apart and used out of context. I have removed the markers for the sake of context.) Here, Jesus is speaking to his disciples about the heart posture of those who are considered “great” in His Kingdom and He points out the meek, humble, joyful freedom of a child as our model. He then connects that thought to each of us and expresses His desire that we cherish, protect and honor each other in that posture; taking care to not be a source of pain, separation or harm for anyone. As we pick up in verse 12, we find He focuses our attention on just how much He cares for all of us as well as highlighting how we should care for one another:

Matthew 18: 12-“What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish. If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. ‘If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector. (Personal note: Jesus hung out with tax collectors. Matthew, the writer of this Gospel was one!) Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be

bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them. Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times? Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

Look at the key postures:

1. The fullness of purpose (i.e., 100% of the sheep)

2. The intention of salvation for all

3. Redemption of the circumstances


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4. Discrete admonishment with the goal of immediate restoration

5. Agreement with one another and the Lord for the purpose of releasing Heaven on earth

6. Forgiveness without measure

In the roles of Worship/Prayer Leader, these postures should always guide and guard the prayer meeting. We are to guard the meeting from assessments and accusations.

Remember the lessons from the enticement of the ultimate accuser in Genesis 2 & 3:

Genesis 2:15-17 “Then the LORD God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it. The LORD God commanded the man, saying, "From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die."

Genesis 3:4-6 “The serpent said to the woman, "You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.

We made a decision that usurped God’s assessment of what was good and evil. We made a poorly advised, immature, independent grab at judgment and wreaked havoc. Now, because of Jesus, the “New Adam”, we as His Body get a do over! We get to relinquish our judgments and agree with His. He alone can judge what is good or evil. We get to agree and with Him make things right through Him and to Him.

John 5:22-30 Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him. Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man. Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned. By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.

Jesus, the Christ is the anointed King of The Kingdom of Heaven/God as well as the kingdoms of this earth. We are being trained in humility and mercy to reign in and with Him. Together, in agreement and faith, He has given us the joy an honor to impact the kingdoms of this world. The end result defines the “means” i.e., Love, Grace, Mercy, Blessing, Forgiveness, Salvation, Redemption, Resurrection, Sanctification, and Pre-


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destination! ALL of our prayers should line up with these intentions. We should have nothing to do with the accuser – including accusing!

Daniel 7: 21 "I kept looking, and that horn was waging war with the saints and overpowering them until the Ancient of Days came and judgment was passed in favor of the saints of the Highest One, and the time arrived when the saints took possession of the kingdom. "Thus he said: 'The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on the earth, which will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth and tread it down and crush it. 'As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings will arise; and another will arise after them, and he will be different from the previous ones and will subdue three kings. He will speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make alterations in times and in law; and they will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time. 'But the court will sit for judgment, and his dominion will be taken away, annihilated and destroyed forever. 'Then the sovereignty, the dominion and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him.”

Revelation 11:15 "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever."

Revelation 12:10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: "Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.

1 Corinthians 15:20-28 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For he "has put everything under his feet." Now when it says that "everything" has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.

In Ephesians 2 we are told where we are positioned in Heaven with Him now and it is from this position that we pray.

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”


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http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation+12:10&version=NIV


And finally, consider this thought: Oddly enough, when we have been seasoned in mercy and forgiveness, we eventually DO judge – but this time everything is different and we are no longer making a grab as babies but are instead in partnership with Jesus, through the lens of His Victory on the Cross, now formed into a matured Bride.

1 Corinthians 6:2-3 “Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? If the world is judged by you, are you not competent to constitute the smallest law courts? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more matters of this life?”

Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians 1:4-14, reveals our identity in this role as well as our goal:

“…He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation--having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, Who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory.

In verses 15ff, he then provides us an instructive model for corporate prayer:

“For this reason I too, having heard of the

7. Faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints

a. Faith in the Lord Jesus

b. Faith that is corporate

c. Love for all of the Saints

8. Do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers;

a. Thanksgiving surrounding those who are in our affection in prayer


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9. That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.

a. Our focus is anchored upon Father

b. Understanding that it is Him Who gives value and worth to the one who is loved (you). (That is glory – the value and worth of the one loved.) He alone is the source of your value.

c. Operating in a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him should elicit thought. True wisdom is the ability to apply knowledge revealed by God to the end that the result is in line with what is intended, blessed and ordained by God.

Timothy O. Smith wrote “As this concerns the knowledge of the things of God, the wisdom of God enables us to apply the knowledge of God effectively to produce good results. Through revelation we gain understanding of truth and our knowledge of the things of God increases. Through a spirit of wisdom we are enabled to apply the truths we have learned and as a result we become very fruitful. If I am to know anything about Him, it must be revealed to me. If I am to walk in the light of the knowledge I have, I need His wisdom.

Some of us have been facing situations that need to change. We have prayed, tried to believe, confessed the promises, rebuked the devil, fasted, wept and all but given up. We tried everything we know. We have had revelations from God and we know many things about scripture. Yet for all we know, some things just don't change. You see we are not to just have a spirit of revelation, so we can know truth; we are to have a spirit of wisdom so we can apply truth. When we follow the wisdom the Spirit gives for the things we are facing we will see change…. A spirit of wisdom and revelation means I come alive with wisdom. I come alive with revelation, because it is the Spirit of a thing that makes it alive.” http://limitlessreality.blogspot.com/

10. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, SO

a. For God, who said, " Light shall shine out of darkness," is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. 2Cor. 4:6

11. That you will know what is the hope of His calling

a. This idea is tied both to our inheritance as the saved and as “over comers”

12. What are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and


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a. We are His portion/inheritance of priesthood and He is ours!

13. What is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe

These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

F. The Mystery of Faith, Hope, Love

When all is said and done, there are occasions when we struggle to discern and pray or when we have worked through agreement and faith in wisdom and revelation and yet the outcome differs from our hopes and expectations. It is in this place that we discover we must rest in the mystery of “faith, hope and love” where we believe all things, endure all things, hope all things” (1Cor.13) and trust…. that God knows and He is the One Who “will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away." Revelation 21:4 “Those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting.” Psalm 126:5

IV. ADDITIONAL METAPHORICAL IMAGES OF A PRAYER LEADER:

A. A Warrior: Militancy in the Context of Worship

Psalm 144:1-2 “Blessed be the LORD my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle. My lovingkindness and my fortress, my high tower and my deliverer, my shield, and He in whom I take refuge, who subdues my people under me.”

This passage describes a crucial posture for the Prayer Leader and the entire Team. It is The Lord who trains us and we cannot rely upon our own “wisdom”. His ways are much higher than ours and we are engaging in an arena that requires complete dependence upon Him. All that we engage in as worshiping intercessors is both a training event and the real deal all at the same time.

First, consider the opening word “Blessed”. It implies kneeling on our behalf and setting our thoughts in honor toward Him. We begin in Worship. It is the place we set out from. It serves to anchor us in the emotional posture of the Lord. The Lord is entirely Happy (Blessed) and at Peace. He is the One with true wisdom and “The Commander in Chief.”

Understanding that God is at peace and happy/blessed secures us in this truth: He always relates in loving kindness toward us which in turn encourages us to stay close; i.e., in the shadow of His protection. Abiding in the One whom we take refuge in is not an intellectual exercise but the frame of mind and heart that we


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must not step away from. As such, the picture it creates is a novice protected by Abba’s giant Father figure. His shield is in front of us defending us as He moves us forward with Him teaching us to battle our enemies. It also implies an honor and authority that is released upon us from the people we serve. The instruction is simple. Stay inside Papa’s love.

After further development in scripture, we find that our weapons are not carnal at all but are the alignment of all things with the Truth of Christ.

Compare Psalm 144:1-2 to Ephesians 6:10-18 and 2 Corinthians 10:3-6

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete

All of this is a necessary prelude to engaging effectively in prayer as a community and a leader under the overall Leadership of God.

The Prayer Leader and the team do not engage in criticism of the Body of Christ or even of the world. We instead align our thoughts and hearts with God’s Loving Kindness. We are ministers of reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5:17-19

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the


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world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.

B. A Bride: Intercession from Intimacy

“As women are called to be sons of God, so men are called to be the Bride of Christ. Both describe a position of great privilege before God for the redeemed. These privileges do not point to something that is intrinsically male or female, but to that which transcends gender (Gal. 3:28). 28There is…neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Gal. 3:28) As sons of God, we are in a position to experience God’s throne as heirs of His power. As the Bride of Christ, we are in a position to experience God’s heart, His deep desire for us. … Our longing to be wholehearted and abandoned to God requires the impartation of God’s love to our hearts (Rom 5:5). Only by living abandoned to Jesus can we know the joy of lovesickness. The heart of the Bride desires to walk in the power that enables her to give the deepest affection of her heart to Jesus (Mt. 22:37), to have an enlarged capacity to love Jesus more, and the power to be loyal in love.” Mike Bickle

Isaiah 61:10 I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

John 3:29 The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete

We, as the corporate church are betrothed to Christ (see Ephesians 5) and anticipate the great Marriage of the Lamb (Revelation 19:6-8). This speaks of intimacy in partnership. We are presently learning to operate from this reality. In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus instructs us in prayer; comparing the tenacity of a widow’s interaction with an uncaring judge to the release of Justice by the Lord at the request of His “betrothed”. If a widow can enjoin God for justice, how much more will God respond to the one He has chosen?

Luke 18:1-8 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’” And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”


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We are to pray from a position of transparency and intimacy as one “accepted in the Beloved.” (Ephesians 1:6)

C. A Priest: Ministry to God and Man

"For the Lord your God has chosen him out of all your tribes, to stand to serve in the name of the Lord, him and his sons forever." (Deut. 18:5)

“Who are the Priests? The first kohen, the founder of the priestly clan, was Aaron, brother of Moses, of the tribe of Levi. All of Israel is descended from the twelve sons of Jacob. Jacob's third son was Levi, and Aaron was a fourth generation descendant of Levi. Aaron and his four sons were designated as the first priests; Aaron served as the first High Priest. All of his male descendants were chosen by God to be priests forever; it is an eternal covenant. Thus even today, a kohen amongst the Jewish people is genealogically a direct descendant of Aaron.

The Role of the Priests: The Holy One chose these men to be in a position of spiritual leadership. In the days of the Temple, they were responsible for the sacred service. The Hebrew word kohen actually means, "to serve," and a deeper linguistic connection can be found in the word ken, meaning, "yes," itself related to kivvun, "to direct." Thus a kohen is called upon to direct himself, and others, in the proper service of God: "And you, separate your brother Aaron and his sons from among the Israelites, and bring them close to you... so they can serve me." (Ex. 28:1)”

A Conduit for the Reception of Divine Blessing: The reader is undoubtedly most familiar with the primary role which the priests perform in the Temple, that of officiating at the sacrifices and other parts of the service. But more importantly, by attending to the various aspects of the Divine service, the priests serve as a conduit to bring down God's radiant blessing and influence into this world. In fact, it is on this account that they are commanded to deliver God's blessing of peace and love to the people, as well: "Say to Aaron and his sons... Thus shall you bless the people of Israel: 'May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord shine His face upon you, and be gracious unto you. May the Lord lift up His face to you and may He grant you peace'." (Numbers 6:22 - 26) “http://www.templeinstitute.org/red_heifer/levitical_priests.htm

Jesus is our High Priest. There is no other now. However, our “priesthood” is in Him, like a “seed” that is being formed in to maturity. In Jesus, the “priesthood” does not lose identity from one covenant to another; it is transformed. It is defined by Him and expressed in a “symphony” with His “church”; i.e., the new creation. It is no longer a religious role or foreshadow. It is an identity – kind of like Pinocchio becoming a real boy – and the identity has gained depth, grace and Glory in Truth because it is defined perfectly by Jesus, i.e., Christ in us the Hope of Glory. Colossians 1 is ALL about this transformation. Beginning in verse 9:

…We have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all


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power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, (That’s the role of a “priest”.) …Who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light” For He rescued us… transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (The mediation of a priest) … through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; (priestly sacrifice) … He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach-- if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard… the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.

As “priests”, defined in Christ Jesus, we continue in the joy of blessing and proclamation to people and to the Lord. It’s just got a glory to it that shatters our “dirty, earthen vessels” with HIS righteousness, surpasses our wildest imaginations and dives deep into the eternal glory that is defined by His worth and value in Love. We get a view into this reality from a Heavenly perspective in The Book of Revelation

Revelation 5: 6-10 Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. 8 And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. 9 And they sang a new song , saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God , and they will reign on the earth.”

V. LEADERSHIP IN THE CONTEXT OF HARP AND BOWL

In this House of Prayer, we are learning to cooperate with the Lord in worship-filled prayer through a model we call “Harp and Bowl”. It is a relational model that employs music, spoken/sung word and teamwork so we can engage in worship-filled prayer for extended periods of time as a community. The model simply serves us in working together to hear God’s heart and agree with him in praying for the Kingdom of God to be fully manifested here on earth “as it is in Heaven”.

The Harp and Bowl Team should be understood as the entire group gathered for prayer.


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The core H&B Team consists of:

A. The Prayer Leader

B. The Worship Leader

C. Musicians

D. Antiphonal Singers (i.e., intercessory singers who sing their prayers)

E. The Chorus Leader (i.e., an intercessory singer who takes the prayers being sung and forms a “chorus” that captures the prayer and leads the room into singing it until all are in agreement vocally and emotionally)

F. Other Artists participating in leading worship (i.e., Dancers, Writers, Illustrators, etc.)

G. The Room full of Worshiping Intercessors (a more fluid part of the team but they should always be considered part of the team of the day)

The Prayer Leader is partnered with the Worship Leader to give direction to the Harp & Bowl Team for the purpose of agreement in prayer.

The Prayer Leader is a key role, although the entire team shares the burden. Its purpose is to facilitate corporate unity, worship and agreement in prayer. The Prayer Leader sets the tone and focus of prayer for the core H & B team and, later, for the more fluid emerging team that we refer to as “the room”.

The Prayer Leader is primarily a servant and a facilitator; keeping their heart tuned to following the leading of the Holy Spirit while assisting the room to flow in agreement.

VI. FUNCTIONAL IDENTITY OF A PRAYER LEADER

A. A Lead Worshiper

B. A Watchman and Listener

1. Watching for movement by the Holy Spirit on the room and listening to His heart in prayer

2. Watching for the movements of the team (core & room) and listening for what is needed to pull together corporate agreement

C. A Facilitator and Team-builder

1. Helping the room see itself as part of the team

2. Assisting them to pray on the microphone


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3. Looking for opportunities to move the room into individual ministry, small group prayer or rapid-fire prayer

D. A Navigator

The Prayer Leader leads the core H&B team into partnership with the room, leading both into a cooperative expression of worship, prayer and the prophetic by:

1. Seeking and communicating the rhythms being established by the Holy Spirit

2. Identifying/declaring the object or intention of the prayer cycle,

3. Identifying passage of scripture being prayed and then

4. Narrowing the biblical passage/prayer to an isolated phrase of roughly 3-5 words that can be meditated upon by the antiphonal singers and the larger community.

E. A Conductor

The Prayer Leader, during the praying segment of Harp and Bowl, directs the musicians/singers and the worshipers/intercessors in the room in the timing of their participation so they may do so with boldness and confidence. This leadership helps us navigate the journey together. The entire community is a team serving the needs of the whole and preferring one another individually and corporately. The Prayer Leader and Worship Leader partner together so that, we, i.e., the entire room:

1. Engage in God’s Beauty

2. Minister to the Lord in song, dance, other arts

3. Meditate on the Lord and His “Word”

4. Pray in the Spirit and with our minds

5. Add agreement to the prayer focus with our thoughts and emotions

6. Lead/participate in small group prayer & ministry to individuals

7. Becomes the battering ram of prayer in the rapid fire sequences

8. Cultivates thankful hearts; blessing God and His Kingdom

F. A Coordinator


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The Prayer Leader also serves as a coordinator for the room so prayer can either be engaged in as a whole, in small groups, individually- in ministry to one another, or by leading a “rapid fire succession” as 15-30 second prayers that are targeted and released specifically upon the identified focus.

G. A Redeemer

Sometimes the room can move off target or a prayer is prayed that has a more negative tone to it; pulling the direction into discordance or dissonance (i.e., a bad note – no harmony). The Prayer Leader is then a “redeemer” of thoughts and “notes” (i.e., one who gives focus and often re-focuses the room on the target at hand) by adjusting the prayers of the room to be edifying and restoring “the harmony/symphony”.

VII. THE PRACTICAL FUNCTIONS OF THE PRAYER LEADER

A. Seeks the Lord for the overall focus and scriptures to be used prior to the meeting (although there is certainly room to switch by the prompting of the Holy Spirit)

B. Partners with the Worship Leader to communicate the agenda of the prayer meeting to the Harp and Bowl core team

C. Pays attention to the Holy Spirit’s prompting for direction during the meeting

D. At the appropriate time in the H&B cycle, communicates the focus to the room by leading these steps out loud and amplified by the microphone:

1. Identify the prayer focus, e.g. The Church on Long Island, Missionaries- Local and Abroad, etc.

2. Identify the scripture to be prayed, e.g., Ephesians 1:17-21

3. Read the scripture

4. Pray the scripture verbatim

5. Pray in line with the scripture out of own heart and with the announced prayer focus as the target (e.g. Father, we pray for the Church on Long Island; that she would be filled with a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of You…)

6. Narrow the prayer to a 3-5 word phrase (roughly) from the scripture that was identified (e.g. release to her the spirit of wisdom and revelation that she might know You)


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7. Repeat the phrase 2-3 times so the antiphonal singers identify it (e.g. release a spirit of wisdom and revelation)

8. Finalize the identification of the phrase by declaring it in Jesus’ name (e.g. “In Jesus’ name release a spirit of wisdom and revelation to know You.”)

9. Highlight the phrase spaced through the antiphonal singing until you and the team are ready to move on and then let them know that you are moving on by saying “Amen”

10. If the Chorus or Worship Leader has picked a chorus to unite the room, they will signal by tacking on “Oh, Lord” to the chorus to signal an end so the Prayer Leader can confidently move forward.

11. Introduce the next phrase in the overall prayer (e.g. “that the eyes of her heart would be enlightened”) or a new scripture with the same target (e.g. Tell the room that you are still praying for the Church but are now praying Ephesians 3:14-21. Start again by reading and praying the scripture, etc.)

12. When you are ready to move on and introduce a new cycle, do so by saying “Thank You, Lord” and looking at the Worship Leader who will refocus the room on worship and the H&B cycle begins again. (2-3 songs, singing in the spirit, chorus by Worship Leader, signaling the prayer leader with “Let’s pray” when ready and then launching a 2-4 chord progression to serve the prayer.)

VIII. A SUMMARY PRAYER PRIMER

Accepting Love . . . by accepting God's love for us, we fall in love with Him and only then do we have the fuel we need to obey. In exchange for our humility and willingness to accept the charity of God, we are given a kingdom. And a beggar's kingdom is better than a proud man's delusion." -Donald Miller, Blue Like Jazz

What follows are some basic biblical foundations that, when understood in succession, ought to release faith for partnered intercessory prayer with God; prayer that is birthed through the power of love and releases life from the dead. We will begin to believe in this partnership as we know and believe in our partner and in His love.

Indeed, I tell you truly, the one believing into Me, the works which I do, that one shall do also, and greater than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you may ask in My Name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. John 14:12-13


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In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not tell you that I will petition the Father about you; for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came out from God. John 16:26-27

1. Our God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit is Love. 1John 4:16

2. He fully knows us and loves us. Psalm 139, John 1 & 3:16

3. We didn't start out broken and we don't end up that way either. The universe was made to reveal God’s incredible goodness (“and the Lord said it was good”). When the Lord created mankind, He said “very good”. The crowning moment of creation was the woman exegeted out of ha’adam which is a picture of the relationship between the church and Christ. (Ephesians 5 & 6) It ultimately points to this: we were made for Love. (see Colossians 1 & 2) The Lord Jesus Christ, who is Love, is the King of kings and the Lord of lords and because of Him, we are now a kingdom of priests destined to rule and reign with Him as a Bride made ready. (Genesis 1 & 2, 1Peter 2, Hebrews 7, Revelation 1:5-6, 17:14, 19, 21)

4. As much as we hate the idea that we could be responsible, we, as a race, not God, are responsible for bringing sin and suffering into our world because of our agreement with the father of lies rather than the Father of Lights. "Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, so death spread to everyone, because all have sinned." Romans 5:12

5. The result of our sin-filled agreement is death and injustice and it affects all of Creation. Once it was initiated, there was no way we could fix the problem, and no way to stop its repercussions. So God, who is Love, came to our rescue. He cut us off from the Tree of Life to protect us from an eternity in this condition until, at just the right moment in time, He brought all things together in Jesus and came to our rescue; paying the price Himself for sin in its maturity, and releasing us from its bondage. Jesus saved us and sanctified us; restoring us to righteousness before the Father. "For He made the One who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." 2 Corinthians 5:21 6. It was THE FATHER who sent His only begotten Son (John 3:16, 5:36). Our Father loves us and endured the painful tearing of separation; a broken heart if you will; in order to inflict the full wrath of holiness judging-conquering sin upon His deeply loved Son instead of us. In that act, He made us sons. That gave Him great pleasure. Isaiah 53:10

(Take the time to hang out with Isaiah 53 and look into Ephesians 1-3. They are crucial passages for us to consider because they reveal this foundational truth: Jesus took on all of our iniquities, transgressions and sins. "Iniquities" refer to our nature of perversity; i.e., our downward bent away from God and toward sin. "Transgressions" refer to our willful rebellion; our choices that say "we will not obey" to God.

In Isaiah 53:10 we are told that the "stroke was to Him". In the King James Version, the word is translated "stricken" for our transgressions. The word "stricken" is the same word used to describe leprosy. In essence, He became a leper for our sakes as He took our sins upon Himself.


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We're also told that He took upon Himself the iniquities of us all. He endured crucifixion and took the full blow of judgment; conquering all of our enemies, including sin and death.

He demonstrated that Love is not just as strong as death, but stronger than death and because of that, He is worthy and the only One strong enough to break the seals of Revelation and bring about the redemption of creation. God is to us a God of deliverances (salvation) and to God belongs escape from death. Psalm 68:20, Song of Songs 8:6-7) 7. This Beautiful One; this Bridegroom-Redeemer loves us so much He always makes intercession for us, even now. And the Holy Spirit; the comforter, teacher and power of God in action reveals the truth to us, lives in us and makes intercession with us so we can be in union with God. Isaiah 52:10, 53:5, Zechariah 12:10, John 3:16, John 1:29 John 14:16, Hebrews 10, Romans 8:26, Revelation 5

8. When Jesus, our forever High Priest, paid fully for our sins, iniquities and transgressions, He completely clothed us in His righteousness and He has taken away our shame. He didn't just pay for those sins we committed before our born again encounter, He also paid for the sins we still struggle with as we work out our salvation. We can boldly approach the Throne of Grace to find mercy and grace because we are IN Him and Christ is in us (plural, corporately) the Hope of Glory. John 1:29, Colossians 1, Hebrews 10 9. Our destiny as the Body and Bride is to operate from the same identity as our Bridegroom-Redeemer, Jesus. Our Adamic DNA (both inherited and perpetuated) carries a sin bent nature and a destiny of death. In the grace of God, through faith in Jesus, we get the opportunity of a lifetime so to speak. We are identified with Him in faith and that original identity is crucified with Him in an event that transcends time and space. We emerge from that death into His love bent nature and a destiny of eternal life. We are born anew into/with a new identity. We are a brand new creation. We are clothed with Him and given His DNA. We are in essence and in truth, completely immersed in His name/character/identity. (As a matter of meditation, we are actually baptized in the name/ character/ identity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Chew on that one for awhile.) To be baptized in a name means we are fully immersed in; wet with; clothed with; covered in . . . in this case God. Therefore, we are called to live and love from this identity.

But faith coming, we are no longer under a trainer; for you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many as were baptized into Christ, you put on Christ. There cannot be Jew nor Greek, there is no slave nor freeman, there is no male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are of Christ, then you are a seed of Abraham, even heirs according to promise. Galatians 3:25-29

That the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of revelation that you may know what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe which He worked in Christ when He raised Him and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places He put all things under His (Jesus as a Man) feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him Ephesians 1:17-23


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Raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ... Ephesians 2:6

For we are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones. "For this, a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall be one flesh." Gen. 2:24 The mystery is great, but I speak as to Christ and as to the assembly. However, you also, everyone, let each one love his wife as himself, and the wife, that she give deference to the husband. Ephesians 5:30-33 10. God is good. The Hebrew word "good", when describing God's goodness, isn't a small word or concept. It doesn't mean "nice". It means "wildly good"; tremendously, extravagantly good. His goodness and lovingkindness is completely full and bent toward His own. We can rest in that always. . . .

The Lord is good; His loving-kindness endures for ever, and his faithfulness unto all generations. Psalm 100:5

For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his loving-kindness toward them that fear him. Psalm 103:11

11. He is unfathomably rich in grace and mercy. We may draw upon the riches of His grace and mercy every time we turn to Him, even as we struggle with the remnants of our pre-Christ nature; i.e., our sins, again and again.

12. When we confess our sins and repent, He is incredibly faithful and quick to forgive us; He is our victory. We overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word; the kiss if you will, of our testimony. As a result, we can ascend the hill of the Lord with clean hands and a pure heart. Ephesians 1-3, 1John 1:9, Psalm 24:4, Revelation 12:11

13. The Father loves us and loves us and loves us . . . . and hears us because of the gift of righteousness we receive in Jesus. 1Kings 8, 2Chronicles 7:12, Psalm 5:2, John 3:16, John 11:41-42,1John 3:1

14. We are seated at the right hand of God with Christ Jesus and we can and ought to pray from that position (Heaven to earth) Ephesians 2:6

15. We are given governmental responsibility for the earth. Genesis 1:27-31, The heavens are the heavens of the Lord; but the earth He has given to the sons of men. Psalm 115:16

16. We are made from the fabric of Creation. It has been subjected to futility because of us until the sons of God are revealed. Creation's destiny is entirely tied into us. Genesis 1- 3, Romans 8:18-23 Walking in our true identity and agreeing with God in prayer makes all the difference.


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17. Now, considering the fact that WE are ZION, (“But You are come to Mount Zion . . . to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are enrolled in Heaven.” Hebrews 12:22-23 also, see Malachi 3) read Psalm 110 and note our relationship in the exercise of this government

The Lord shall send the rod of Thy strength out of Zion: rule in the midst of your enemies. Psalm 110:2

18. We engage in that responsibility with authority by agreement with God and each other in prayer Matthew 17:21,18:20, John 17, James 5:17, Revelation 8:3

19. This responsibility is rightly released through love/justice/humility. What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8; also see Luke 11: 2-1318. John 15-17, Isaiah 66, John 1:47-51

20. Power/authority in Christ is directly related to “Sonship”. John 1:12-13, Gal. 3:26-4:7 The sons of God are identified as "the peace makers". Matthew 5:9 We become "peace makers" as we embrace our identity in "the Prince of Peace" Isaiah 9:6 and are conformed to His image as the image bearers. Genesis 1:27,Romans 8:29

21. Jesus taught us that as "peace makers" we could choose to love our enemies, and pray for those that persecute us; so that we may be sons of our Father who is in heaven: for he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust. Matthew 5:44-45. That means, through the gift of prayer in love, we don't have to expend useless energy maintaining our anger, our bitter wounds and the chains of un-forgiveness. What a relief! And, as we forgive, we are forgiven. As we are merciful, we receive mercy. It's the sowing/reaping model of Kingdom living.

22. Love and prayer are intimately connected. Prayer is one our love languages. It is how we engage with God throughout our day; how God helps us with our choices; and how we release love/justice; transforming the scenarios we face. More than that . . . love can be prayed into people and situations. And this is my prayer that your love will keep on growing more and more in full knowledge and perfect insight. Philippians 1:9

23. Our hearts are softened in prayer. (That is at least one reason that we are called to pray for our enemies - so that they won't be our enemies anymore. One less thing to worry about.)

24. Revelation and salvation for the world comes through prayer (See the progression of John 14, 15 & 17)

25. God likes prayer. It was His idea. Prayers are incense (a pleasing smell) before the Lord. The elders around God's Throne have harps and gold bowls filled with the prayers of the saints. Our prayers are mixed with the fire on the altar and hurled toward the earth with the purposes of God directing them. Psalm 18, Revelation 5:8, 8:1-5


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26. God receives thanksgiving and praise because of answered prayer and through that our joy is made complete. Until now you asked nothing in My name; ask, and you will receive, so that your joy may be full. John 16:24, also see Philippians 4:6

27. One final note: Our Father's House is Jesus in us and all of us in Christ (see “Christ in us, the hope of glory” & the abiding of John 15 & Revelation 19-21). HE said that it is to be a House of Prayer and in the House of Prayer we will find joy. Isaiah 56:7, Matthew 21:13

The Prayer of Love"I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." Ephesians 3


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Documents

Prayer-Leader-Training Revised May 2013