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Intercession

REVIVAL AND INTERCESSION by the late Gillian Asagba

Let’s begin by looking at a song which is a favourite of many people:-

THESE ARE THE DAYS OF ELIJAH.

These are the days of Elijah

Declaring the word of the Lord

And these are the days of your servant Moses

Righteousness being restored

And these are days of great trial

Of famine darkness and sword

Still we are the voice in the desert crying

Prepare ye the way of the Lord

Behold he comes riding on the clouds

Shining like the sun at the trumpet call

Lift your voice it’s the year of jubilee

Out of Zion’s hills salvation comes

These are the days of Ezekiel

The dry bones becoming as flesh

And these are the days of your servant David

Rebuilding the temple of praise

These are the days of the harvest

The fields are as white in the world

And we are the labourers in your vineyard

Declaring the word of the Lord.

We all sing this song with great enthusiasm, but do we really mean what we sing? Have we really thought about the words?

Are these the days of Ezekiel, the dry bones becoming as flesh?

We can find the account of Ezekiel and the valley of dry bones in Ez 37: 1 -11

V 1 Ezekiel had a vision of dry bones, what does this signify? Probably a situation of no hope.

V 2 The bones were very dry. You can’t get anything more dead than very dry bones! This was a very hopeless situation.

V 3 God said “Son of man, can these bones live?” Ezekiel replied, “O Lord God thou knowest”. The fact that God asked indicates that there was hope.

V 4- 6 God said “Prophesy unto these bones ---- hear the Word of the Lord—Say to them I will cause breath and spirit to enter into you and ye shall live” There is tremendous power in God’s word – creative power. Remember that the whole universe was created by the Word of God.

V 7- 10 Describes how the bones came together, and sinews and flesh came upon them, and they were covered in skin, but there was no breath in them, in other words they were still not alive until God ordered spirit and breath to come into them.

So God brought life into an apparently impossible situation and brought about revival.

These verses represented the state of Israel at that time. They were in captivity, crying that they were like dry bones with no hope, but God said He would raise them to life and restore them as a nation.

There is no situation so discouraging that God cannot bring life into it.

How does God do it? By the creative power of His Word and by the Holy Spirit.

The question now is – can God breathe life into our dead churches and bring about revival? Without the Holy Spirit the Churches are the living dead, out of touch with God and powerless.

There are many churches in Ware, but what is our impact on the community, what service are we rendering to the community? What happens on Sundays? Do people flock to Church? – No – Why? – because they regard the church as irrelevant to their lives. They are washing the car, gardening, watching T.V., having a lie in etc.This attitude reflects back on us as Christians

Too many Christians are in a comfort zone, being bench warmers, living mediocre lives. Certainly not fulfilling Jesus instructions to preach the Gospel to all the world, We must aim for excellence – it is a big challenge. We have to be careful not to fall into the same trap ourselves. It’s easy to be zealous when the adrenalin is flowing. We’re in an exciting time now, but what happens when the excitement dies down and we are no longer on a high? This is crucial to our role in the town.

We are all anxious for new people to come into the church but this won’t necessarily mean that we’ve made it. Why are they coming? Is it nice comfortable Sunday – Sunday Christianity? Is the true gospel being preached or is it diluted to give a Gospel of convenience – what people want to hear? Remember that on one occasion Jesus’ congregation walked out on him leaving only the apostles! It’s not a question of numbers but of achievement.

Lk 12: 32 “Fear not little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” ( KJV)

Derek Prince, an international minister, commented about this verse,” The comfort of this assurance doesn’t depend on numbers of the flock, for it is a “little flock”, a company of “sheep in the midst of wolves” (Mt 10 ; 16)

We must ask ourselves if the Holy Spirit is moving in the services and in people’s lives. Are there miracles of deliverance, healing, casting out devils even raising the dead?

To return again to our song, are we like Elijah “declaring the Word of the Lord. Are we labourers in God’s vineyard?”

If God’s power is moving in our church we have to realise that we are going to be attacked by Satan, even to the extent of sending in people with the intention of disrupting the church.

Gal 2: 4 “---- because of false brethren unawares brought in ----“ (KJV)

We must be spiritually perceptive to discern people sent in by Satan to cause division and strife. We shouldn’t underestimate the determination of Satan to carry out his own evil purposes and even try to thwart God’s. In Russia KGB agents were trained to infiltrate Pentecostal churches. They were taught the Pentecostal “lingo”, and how to speak in fake tongues!. They were found out because some of them got born again! Poetic justice! Many times the churches greatest enemies come from within.

2Cor 11 :13-15 “For such workmen are false apostles (spurious, counterfeit), deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles (special messengers) of Christ (the Messiah). And it is no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. So it is not surprising if his servants also masquerade as ministers of righteousness.(But) their end will correspond with their deeds”. (Amp)

Now, revival won’t fall on our heads like manna from heaven. God wants to give us revival, but we have to prepare the way for it to happen and prepare ourselves also. There have been several prophesies that God has great plans for us, a significant role in the town, but prophesies don’t necessarily come to pass. Revival has been prophesied before but it hasn’t happened. I believe that this mantle has now fallen on us as a church, and I believe it is our responsibility to bring about its fulfillment. This depends on all of us, not just the leadership but the whole body. Paul likened the members of a church to the parts of the body. If one part is not functioning properly it will affect the whole. As the bible says “A little leaven leavens the whole lump”.

Rees Howells, the eminent Welsh intercessor, who founded the Bible College of Wales, said this about prophesy: “Prophesies must be believed and prayed into manifestation as well as foretold.” We have to work to get it.

There are principalities and powers over Ware adversely affecting it. Two pastors have recently commented that Ware has a strange, oppressive atmosphere. This is due to the practice of witchcraft and the occult, mediums conducting seances which involve familiar spirits, and the use of ouija boards and tarot cards. Unfortunately many people don’t take these practices seriously until they are inescapably embroiled in them. Some people think, mistakenly, that Halloween is fun, but it is a festival of death and originally involved human sacrifices. We certainly don’t want anything to do with it and we should try to discourage the celebration of it as far as possible. These practices are highly dangerous and cause people to be under demonic influence, being possessed and oppressed by evil spirits. Because of mind –blinding and witholding spirits they are adamant in rejecting the Gospel.

Eph 6: 12 “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world against spiritual wickedness in the high places”. (KJV)

2 Cor 4: 3,4 “But if our gospel is hid, it is hid from them which are lost. In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God should shine upon them.” (KJV)

So the bottom line is, are we ready to intercede for God’s plans to be established, for His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven, so that the Holy Spirit can bring revival to this town, so that the plans of the enemy are destroyed? Satan is desperate to stop any revival coming to this town. We are in a war with him and he opposes everything we do. We must be aware of what we are up against.

2 Cor 10: 3- 5 “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” (KJV)

Ja 5: 16b “The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available (dynamic in its working)”. (Amp)

We can see that revival is seeded on prayer. Without prayer there is no revival, talking about it won’t bring it, praying for 10 minutes won’t get it, it needs the burden of intercessory prayer. Prayer is our gun, the Word of God our ammunition and the Holy Spirit gives the power to pull the trigger and to reach the target.

Eze 22: 30 “And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none”. (KJV)

God is looking for intercessors to stand in the gap and intercede for the town. God responds to the prayers of His people. If they do not pray, He will not act. God seeks for an intercessor to plead, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”.

To INTERCEDE means to offer petitionary prayer to God on behalf of others, entreating, continued strong and incessant praying until prayer is answered. In the Bible intercessors are called “watchmen”.

Isa 62:6,7 “I have set watchmen upon the walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day and night: ye that make mention of the Lord keep not silence. And give him no rest until he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.” (KJV) (underlining added)

This verse reminds us of the widow and the unjust judge, an example of persistence in prayer until the answer is obtained

A good example of intercessory prayer is found in Daniel Chapter 9. Daniel found, in the book of Jeremiah, God’s promise that the Israelites would return from captivity in Babylon after a period of 70 years.

Jer 25: 11,12 “And this whole land shall be a desolation and an astonishment: and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon 70 years. And it shall come to pass when 70 years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation saith the Lord for their iniquity and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations.” (KJV)

Daniel saw that the seventy years were up and so he set himself to intercede for the Israelites. Refer to Daniel : 1- 19 and notice these points :-

V3 “And I set my face unto the Lord God to seek by prayer and supplication, with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.

V4,5,6 “ We have sinned, neither have we listened”.

V 7- 8 “ but to us confusion and shame”.

V 9 “we have rebelled”. (Amp)

Daniel took the sins of the people on himself – he was taking the place of those he was interceding for. In the same way we have to take the place of the unbelievers in this town, and intercede for them.

If Daniel hadn’t prayed in this way the prophecy wouldn’t have been fulfilled and the Jews would have stayed in captivity until someone did pray. But Daniel was able to prevail in a wonderful way for the return of God’s people, after he had seen that the 70 years captivity had ended.

2Chr 7: 14 “If my people which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from heaven, and forgive their sins and heal their land” (KJV)

Like Daniel, we must humble ourselves, take the sins of the people on ourselves and plead for the healing of the town,

Prayer is reinforced by fasting _ it doesn’t change God, it changes us. Remember Jesus said “This kind cometh not out but by prayer and fasting. (Mt 17: 21)

We should all pray individually, but, on the other hand corporate prayer, involving the whole church is very powerful,

Mt 18:19 “If two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my father which is in heaven” (KJV)

You cannot pray a prayer of agreement if you are at loggerheads with somebody.

Amos 3:3 “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” (KJV)

Differences of opinion don’t have to lead to strife. This is why unity in the church is so important Rees Howells, whom we have already mentioned, had a team of intercessors from the Bible College of Wales, and they were lead by the Holy Spirit to pray for world events. They prayed for victory in the Battle of Britain when it looked to all intents and purposes that this country was done for! The Nazis had about 200 well equipped bombers whereas Britain had only 26 squadrons of outdated mosquitoes and spitfires. Winston Churchill recorded in his war memoirs the extraordinary event of the Luftwaffe turning home when victory was certain.

Air Chief Marshall Lord Dowding, Commander- in-Chief of Fighter Command in the Battle of Britain commented after the war, “Even during the battle one realised from day to day how much external support was coming in. At the end of the battle one had the sort of feeling that there had been some special divine intervention to alter some sequence of events which would otherwise have occurred.”

Many Nazi planes were shot down and the pilots captured. They were asked why they had turned back when only two planes were attacking. “Two!” exclaimed one pilot, “there were hundreds”. Another pilot said, “where did you get all the planes from that you threw into the Battle of Britain? Yet another pilot said, “You used a secret weapon which we did not understand. It was very powerful and we could find no countermeasure against it.”

What was this secret weapon and what caused the appearance of so many British planes? It was the power of prayer!

The same prayer team led by Rees Howells, prayed through the evacuation of Dunkirk, D-day, El-Alamein and all the major battles of the second world war, and the establishment of the State of Israel. The prayer for Israel started in 1938. The Holy Spirit revealed that Hitler was a tool of Satan, and his purpose was to stop the formation of the state of Israel and to exterminate the Jews, and so disrupt God’s end-time plan.

Cindy Jacobs, who has an international prayer ministry, said this :-“The Law of Prayer is greater than all the evil purposes and designs of Satan”.

We can stop the purposes and plans of Satan in the spiritual realm from manifesting in the natural realm by prayer.

If God is to bring revival we have to get ourselves prepared so that he can act. Firstly we have to have the organisation on the ground to mentor large numbers of new believers and secondly we have to be personally prepared.

To go back to our song once more :-

“And these are the days of your servant Moses

Righteousness being restored.”

Disobedience or wrong doing of one or more persons can affect the whole body of the church and make it less effective. It gives a foothold for Satan to come in.

2 Cor 4 : 2 “But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by the manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God”. (KJV)

2 Cor 6 : 3 “Giving no offence in anything that the ministry be not blamed”. (KJV)

The Bible talks about “The breastplate of righteousness”,( Eph 6: 14); “Hunger and thirst after righteousness” (Mt 5:6); “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness”, (Mt 6: 33);“The desire of the righteous shall be granted, (Pr 10: 24).

Righteousness is obviously very important – what do we mean by righteousness? One definition states that it means morally acceptable behaviour to God.

We attain to righteousness through Jesus.

1 Pe 2 : 24 “ Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we being dead to sin should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes we were healed”. (KJV)

Unrighteousness can prevent God from working through us. For example, pride is a negative trait which can have devastating results.

2 Cor 4 :5 “For we preach not ourselves but Christ Jesus the Lord”. (KJV)

2 Cor 4 :7 We have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us”. (KJV)

1 Ja 4 : 6, 1 Pe 5 : 5 “God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble”.(KJV)

God has called us to a special assignement – are we up to it? Paul tells us to be worthy of our calling. (Eph 4:1, 2Th 1: 11-12).

Joel 2 : 23 “---for He gives you the former early rain in just measure and in righteousness, and He causes to come down for you the rain, the former rain and the latter rain as before”. (Amp)

“---for the rains He sends are tokens of forgiveness. Once more the autumn rains will come, as well as those of the spring”. (TLB)

Derek Prince commented thus on this verse. “Through the latter rain of the Holy Spirit God is now restoring His church to His own ordained standards of purity, power and order. The church thus restored, will then be enabled to fulfil its God appointed destiny in the world and to bring to a triumphant climax God’s purpose for the close of this age.”

Eph 5: 26,27 That he might cleanse it with the washing of water by the word. That he might present it to himself, a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle or any such thing; but it should be holy and without blemish. (KJV)

Can we be this church? A glorious church walking in the anointing of the Holy Spirit?

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