A Patchwork of Protective Prayer
Background
A major shift on my spiritual journey came decades ago when the Spirit of the Lord persistently, and uninvitedly, challenged me to change my prayer life. Whilst the outstanding dimension of this was the call to pray each morning at least hourly, another indispensable, more private, factor, was to set up a personal prayer team. Whilst the immediate origin of this strategy was Peter Wagner’s, Prayer Shield, I have developed it in personal way. As over the years I noticed individuals showing unusual interest in my life and ministry, I sensed to invite them to join my personal “prayer team”. A small group that receives periodic prayer letters mentioning major issues/events in my own life and ministry, plus some wider marital and family concerns. Over time I have challenged numerous Christians in leadership roles, not just pastors, to develop such a much-needed team. The inspiration for today’s teaching came from challenging a friend’s wife, employed in the education sector, to start her own prayer support team.
Prayer Shield
Paul’s exhortation to the whole Church reads, “In all circumstances take up (plural participle) the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish (plural participle) all the flaming darts of the evil one” (Eph 6:16). Given such “flaming darts” include false testimony, accusation, blame and misrepresentation, we are constantly confronted by the habitual drive of the demonic power to deceive us (Rev 12:9). Prominent examples of this are in the Old Testament, first in the libel of the devil against the High Priest Joshua (Zech 3:1-10), then where Satan appears in the heavenly divine council (Job 1:6ff; 2:1ff.) and accuses Job of insincere love for God that demands testing (cf. Luke 22:31-32). As long as the Lord protected Job, his motives for walking righteously invited testing. This is a global reality. Recently I have been troubled by news that an older member of our local church, suffering from serious health issues, has “fallen out of love” for Jesus (cf. Rev 2:4). Whilst this man will never seek the prayer covering of the community of faith (which is what ἐκκλησία/ecclesia/church means https://revjohnleach.com/2014/02/12/whats-church-for-church-as-qahal/), at the very least the weekly prayer meeting of the congregation is called to pray for his faith. Assuming your faith community has a regular prayer time!
Jesus and Ascended Prayer
A great struggle of the Western Church underlying our pathetic attempts to pray is that we rarely understand the position from where we are praying! It was only after Jesus ascended into heaven (Luke 24:51; Acts 1:1-9; Eph 1:19-20; Rev 12:5) that Michael was empowered by Christ’s complete victory to cast the Deceiver down to earth (Rev 12:7-11). Prior to that, Satan had direct access to the heavenly divine council to relentlessly accuse God’s people (Job 1:6; 2:1; Dan 7:25; Rev 12:10). But now our prayers are immediately heard in heaven before the throne of God (Rev 5:8; 8:3-4). We are kneeling before “the golden altar”, and in union with the perpetual intercession of our ascended-glorified High Priest (Heb 7:25) our prayers are being heard in him (cf. John 11:42). As the intercession of Jesus subverted the demonic arrows of accusation directed at Peter the denier (Luke 22:32), he will thwart “every evil” design (2 Tim 4:18) yielded to him in prayer. Believers take heart, “for your life is hid with Christ in God” (Col 3:1-3).
The Tapestry
A year ago I posted a piece called The Tapestry (https://cross-connect.net.au/the-tapestry/), expounding some dimensions of the Spirit’s last times plan to engage the whole Church in Perth in united prayer for expansion of the kingdom of God. This is a great missions vision whose final completion depends on the engagement of a passionate younger generation. Jesus prophesied that new wine can only be received fruitfully in “new wineskins” (Matt 9:17). If the “new wine” is the gospel, the “new wineskin” speaks of holy intimacy, between us and Jesus, and between each other. This will take place when we share together the revelation that every Christian without has “been raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2:6). Whatever you pray “in the name of Jesus” (John 15:16; 2 Cor 1:20 etc.) is answerable, because you are enthroned with Christ on the throne of mercy and grace itself (Heb 4:16). Given these remarkable realities, what is holding back a prayer revolution within the Church in Perth?
What is Missing?
We are desperately lacking models of life in the Church. Paul is categorical, “For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. 16 I urge you, then, be imitators of me.” (1 Cor 4:15-16). Children are wired to imitate parents, spiritual and natural. Paul freely asked his churches to pray for him and his mission (Rom 15:30-32; 2 Cor 1:10-11; Eph 6:18-20; Phil 1:19; Col 4:2-4; 1 Thess 5:25; 2 Thess 3:1-2; Phm 1:22). (Galatians and Corinthians are excluded, as they were close to deflecting from the faith.) In trepidation (Phil 2:12-13) I suggest that the greatest need of the hour is for God to raise up a humble apostolic leadership who will openly entreat the Church in the city to intercede for them and their missionary call. This is the living model God shall bless (Acts 13:1-3 with 1 Cor 11:1).
A New Vision for Prayer
A new living texture of united prayer is beginning to emerge in Perth. It flows on from a revelation to local ministries that open admission of personal weakness is needed to precipitate a deluge of prayer in their congregations. When Church leaders set the pace in prayer by their visible practice the Spirit will stir up others to follow. All this began with the public example of Jesus, “Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” The outcome is the Lord’s Prayer (Luke 11:1ff.). The transmission of the impulse to pray from Jesus to the apostles, then down to us, is an indispensable dimension of the impartation of glory for which Jesus PRAYED (John 17:22).
Conclusion
Our Church needs to be united in prayer until the fire falls (Acts 1:14; 2:1ff.) (I commend this Salvo’s classic https://hymnary.org/text/thou_christ_of_burning_cleansing_flame). The glory of God’s plan for the Church in our city encompasses all generations, ethnicities and Christian spiritualities, i.e., it involves whole church participation. The gospel is simple, humiliation precedes exaltation (Phil 2:5-11), so only those who “bow the knee before the Father” (Eph 3:14) will come to understand their enthroned position in prayer.