It's time to intercede and declare the will of God!
By Amanda Shiflett
While in thought and prayer about the recent horrible shooting at the school in Florida, I asked the Lord, “What can Your people do about these kinds of tragedies?” I felt very sad that it seems the enemy is compelling people, inspired by demons, to do wicked and evil things, while God's people seem to be able to do nothing about it. Honestly, it makes me more than just sad…it makes me angry! We are the Church, and we have the same Spirit that raised Christ Jesus from the dead, living on the inside of us….surely we can do something about this! Yes, we can console, yes we can be there for the families…but surely, the most powerful force on this earth (His Church) should be able to do something more?! For too long, many have assumed there was nothing to be done, and we can only endure the “darkness” that is taking over the earth. Well, I say…I don't think so! It's time for the Glory of the Lord to be seen among His people! (Isaiah 60:1-2) “Arise, shine;For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; But the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you.”
As I pondered on what God's people can do, I heard – “They can pray…they can intercede and declare My will!”
Wow…what a concept! You mean Christians can actually pray, declare the word of the Lord and see things happen? Why yes…they can! As I drew further into this, I realized the Lord was talking about much more than “God help us!” prayers. He was talking about a determined, structured, and trained part of the “Ekklesia” that needs to arise and sit in it's place. It's time for the true intercessors to arise in this hour! It's time for the intercessors to be more than a few that meet at the church on a Tuesday night for a short time of prayer for personal needs. Those meetings are great in their place, but the call of intercessor is so much more!
It is time for a mighty army of prayer warriors, who are trained, equipped, and up to the task, to take their place and make a difference…in their schools, in their governments, in their cities, and in their nations! It's time to be a set apart people, dwelling in His Presence, living in His holiness, and hearing His voice with clarity. It's time to stop adjusting and compromising to the standards of the culture to try to reach the world…instead of creating a culture of heaven that the world cannot deny, and is drawn to without even knowing why!
I see large teams of prophetic intercessors & watchmen arising in the days and weeks to come, that will begin to thwart the enemies plans in neighborhoods, schools, cities, and even regions. I see teams of intercessors arising that will prayer walk specific areas in their city & region, applying the blood of Jesus, and foiling the plans of the enemy for that territory! I see many who will begin to declare a Psalm 91 boundary around the territory they are assigned to, and an exposing of the enemies plans to come to fruition. These intercessors and watchmen will see and hear what the enemy is planning and where, and they will “intervene” in the spirit realm, so that the appropriate exposing will happen.
Let me be clear here…I am not saying they will come against the principalities or powers ruling over a particular city or region, unless the team leaders are being led to do so, as this should be done by a select few who have authority and training for that type of warfare. However, they will begin to intercede and warn their leaders as to what the Lord is showing them, and strategic plans will be formed by these leaders to pray and do war against the destructive plans of the enemy for cities and regions.
As these “Kingdom Advancers” rise up and hear the assignments of the Lord for their cities & regions, the Spirit will reveal the enemies tactics, in order for his plans to be exposed & thwarted through prophetic prayer and intercession. What they see & hear, along with their intercession, will be a huge part of the major exposing that has already been prophesied and is coming in the days ahead. These intercessory teams will be led by mature prophetic people, who know the protocols and rules of engagement in the Kingdom, and they will train and equip others to walk with them on specific assignments to push back the darkness that is attempting to overtake certain areas. Many of these assignments will be done “undercover”, and without much fanfare, yet they will be strategic and very impactful in their mission.
Let me say, that I do know that there are many, many intercessors who have declared God's word and interceded for years and years, and have done much to fight against the enemy's plans. To you the Lord would say, “Well done!” Continue pressing forward, and doing what you are called to do…the Lord is sending reinforcements your way! Now is not the time to grow weary in your task, but to ramp up your call to intercession. Although many have prayed for years, there has not been enough of the body of Christ praying and interceding. I am not saying this to be harsh or mean in any way, but it is simply the truth. The body of Christ as a whole, has forgotten the importance of intercession and prayer. For those who have gotten weary, and came down off the wall, it is time to re-engage.
There are many intercessors who have been called to be watchmen on the wall also, who have become weary in their task, because many have not wanted to hear their cries of warning. The Lord would say, you must not give up, and you must not give in to those who would attempt to silence your voice! (Ez.33, 1 Corinth 14) They do not want to hear your warnings, because they know that it will require things of them that they are not willing or ready to give. The Lord is going to bring you into relationship with others that will be a reinforcement to you, and you to them. He is drawing the intercessors and watchmen together during this time, for His purposes, and for the enemies plans to be thwarted in the earth. You will be a vital part of His army in the days to come. It is time to be prepared and ready for your assignments from the Lord, as it will be more vital now than ever.
“So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.” Ezekiel 22:30
Pastors, Apostles, and leaders in churches and ministries, it's time for you to begin to lead and be a major part of the intercessory prayer times…instead of turning it over to the intercessors to do. Listen to those with a call as watchmen or intercessor, and hear with an open ear what the Lord may be warning about through them. Just because they hear and see in dreams and visions, and that is different from how you hear and see, does not mean you should not heed what they are receiving. The Lord has sent many prophetic intercessors and watchmen to help Pastors & leaders in the body, but many have not heeded what the Lord was sending through them, and have not used their giftings to the fullest capacity as it could have been. Leaders, now is the time to come into a close relationship with the intercessors and watchmen in your ministry or congregation. They have been sent as a gift to you, and you should see them as such.
The Lord is also wanting to dispel the errant belief that only those called specifically as “Intercessors” are the ones that need to intercede and intervene in prayer. Too many believers in the body have been led to believe that all the Lord cares about, is their happiness and success. They believe all they are to pray for is their own issues and problems, and those of their family. This is so far from the truth. ALL believers are called to intercede on some level. As we mature in the Lord, He will lead us to intercede for other believers in the body, and those who are not yet believers, as well as cities, regions, and even nations. He will lead us to intercede for our governments, schools, businesses, and places of influence. Yes, those called specifically as Intercessors will have much more of a drawing to intercede than others, but it is our job as believers to be in a state of prayer “without ceasing” (Rom.1:9), which means we are to always be ready and available to intercede for anything the Lord lays on our heart. As a whole, the Western church has gotten away from prayer and intercession. It is time to return back to it! The Lord says His house will be called a “house of prayer” (Isaiah 56, Matt. 21), so if we are the temple of the Lord, we need to be a “house of prayer”. It is time for the Body of Christ to again become a people of prayer, that are as concerned with praying heaven down, as they are for their own pleasures and happiness!
For those intercessors and watchmen (and some who are both), who have been wounded and hurt in the past seasons, now is the time to release your pain and come into wholeness. Many of you have felt isolated and alone, and have had a major fear of rejection that has become a stronghold in your life, and it is causing you to see everything through the lens of your rejection and pain. This has caused many leaders to not be able to hear what you are receiving and releasing, where they perhaps would have. When your identity and acceptance are rooted in whether your words are received, you become overly sensitive, needy, and prone to hurt feelings or aggression when you do not feel heard. Due to this behavior, leaders tend to listen to you less and less, even if what you are receiving is from the Lord, because they do not want to listen to someone who displays such behavior. Your words must be seasoned with grace and “salt”, and you must realize, that if they do not receive what you are hearing, it is no harm to you, only to them if it is the true word of the Lord. You must stop taking these things personally, and release those feelings to the Lord.
Intercessors and watchmen, if you have had this type of pain and hurt, and the subsequent behavior that is a result, now is the time for you to seek out deep healing for these issues, and deliverance from this fear of rejection. Now is time for the intercessors and watchmen to come into wholeness and maturity, so they can be used by the Lord fully as the extremely important gift to the Body that they are.
I call for the prophetic intercessors and watchmen to arise in this hour, to stand in your place in the Kingdom! May you begin to lead others into a place of intercession and strategic prayer, that will cause major ADVANCE in the Kingdom of God, and major impact AGAINST the kingdom of darkness. May His people once again be known as a people of continual intercession, receiving advance warning and instruction from heaven, to thwart the plans of the enemy. May the intercessors and watchmen realize the great weight of their calling, and stand in their place of authority, to see drastic change in our cities and our nations. May the fire of intercession begin to burn hotter and brighter than ever, and may the fires spread until thousands upon thousands are consumed by day and night prayer and intercession. May the fire of intercession be kept burning on the altar, and may it never go out!
“A fire shall always be burning on the altar; it shall never go out.” Leviticus 6:13
Amanda Shiflett is a heralding voice of truth, holiness, and purity within the prophetic, and calls others to stand in a place of no compromise in their callings. She longs to see reformation come to the prophetic movement, as well as the other parts of the 5-fold within the body of Christ.
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