INTERCESSION AND MINISTRY
Prayer, in my opinion, before, during and after ministering the Word affects the quality and power of the Word that goes forth, without which we miss the fullness of God's intention. Other factors would be our corporate agreement and binding together. The partaking of communion is a spiritual agreement to the Lord (and to the powers of air) about that unity. If we are not really bonded, and just getting along, or we have some unspoken and unresolved things, then that will definitely affect the power of the spoken message. This is critical. Are we together enoough in God's sight to really see a release of a quality of power through the Word? It's just not the speaker as being the one bringing across the Word, but we are all to carry it together with the speaker, participating in it with them.
The Word is birthed by the spasms and contractions of intercession before it can finally be brought forth. The speaker is only being affected by what is being released by this effectual prayer and support. For the most part, we don't see the spiritual connection, and so our prayers are often nominal. We are religiously performing something that is expected of us, but our heart and our guts are not in it, not because we are lazy or indifferent, but just because we have not understood the spiritual reality of it.
Whomever you are joined in life with will affect the proclamation, even though it's only a person expressing it. Peter's first sermon, which led to the salvation of thousands of people, is an example:
"But Peter, taking his stand with the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them: 'Men of Judea, and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give heed to my words.'" (Acts 2:14)
The key to the power of this address was: "but Peter taking a stand with the eleven." Peter was in perfect agreement with those who stood with him. What he said is just what they would have said. They were in agreement, not only with the Word, but also with each other, because they experienced a Pentecost themselves TOGETHER. The fire that was upon their heads also forged them into ONE.
The Church has lost this understanding because we have become "professional" in a "professional" age where people are not only celebrated in the world, but also in the church. There's very little emphasis on the Body as the corporate expression and channel of of the life of God. The message may find expression through one person, but the power that comes forth in not what can come from authentic spiritual agreement and participation in the Spirit realm. Life and death are always hanging in the balance, and the issue becomes OUR agreement in order to touch the anointing, power, Word and boldness.
The world has schooled us into an observer mentality rather than to be a participant, and also to a sense of individual separation from one another. But in the Kingdom of God, we are as much responsible corporately for the Word as we are for the person through which the Word comes.
We must so much want the Word that our only satisfaction is for the Word to come forth in fullness and power through whoever the Lord has appointed. We should see it as being ourselves doing the speaking because we are ONE with them.
AS LONG AS PRAYER IS GOING FORTH, THEN THE WORD IS GOING FORTH, AND THE MOMENT PRAYER STOPS, THEN THE WORD STOPS.
The Word is birthed by the spasms and contractions of intercession before it can finally be brought forth. The speaker is only being affected by what is being released by this effectual prayer and support. For the most part, we don't see the spiritual connection, and so our prayers are often nominal. We are religiously performing something that is expected of us, but our heart and our guts are not in it, not because we are lazy or indifferent, but just because we have not understood the spiritual reality of it.
Whomever you are joined in life with will affect the proclamation, even though it's only a person expressing it. Peter's first sermon, which led to the salvation of thousands of people, is an example:
"But Peter, taking his stand with the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them: 'Men of Judea, and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give heed to my words.'" (Acts 2:14)
The key to the power of this address was: "but Peter taking a stand with the eleven." Peter was in perfect agreement with those who stood with him. What he said is just what they would have said. They were in agreement, not only with the Word, but also with each other, because they experienced a Pentecost themselves TOGETHER. The fire that was upon their heads also forged them into ONE.
The Church has lost this understanding because we have become "professional" in a "professional" age where people are not only celebrated in the world, but also in the church. There's very little emphasis on the Body as the corporate expression and channel of of the life of God. The message may find expression through one person, but the power that comes forth in not what can come from authentic spiritual agreement and participation in the Spirit realm. Life and death are always hanging in the balance, and the issue becomes OUR agreement in order to touch the anointing, power, Word and boldness.
The world has schooled us into an observer mentality rather than to be a participant, and also to a sense of individual separation from one another. But in the Kingdom of God, we are as much responsible corporately for the Word as we are for the person through which the Word comes.
We must so much want the Word that our only satisfaction is for the Word to come forth in fullness and power through whoever the Lord has appointed. We should see it as being ourselves doing the speaking because we are ONE with them.
AS LONG AS PRAYER IS GOING FORTH, THEN THE WORD IS GOING FORTH, AND THE MOMENT PRAYER STOPS, THEN THE WORD STOPS.
posted by BEAUTY FOR ASHES @ 3:07 PM
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