Prayer Breakfast 2020

Speaker: Apostle Dr Lucille Baird
2. Does God hear us when we prayer?

Types of prayer and intercession. There are seven types of prayer:
1. Communion – all day – all of the time.

2. Supplication – lifting up your needs

3. Intercession - on behalf of others

4. Spiritual warfare two (2) types
1. Dealing with yourself (your mind is a battlefield)
Repentance
Forgiveness.
2. Dealing with Satan and Demons
Putting on the full armour
Binding and loosing.

5. Prayers of agreement (corporate prayer)

6. Watch and Pray (continual state of awareness as a watchman on the wall)

7. Prayers of Thanksgiving (counting your blessings naming them one by one)
a. WHAT IS INTERCESSORY PRAYER?
Intercession is prayer that pleads with God for your needs and the needs of others.
But it is also much more than that. Intercession involves taking hold of God's will and refusing to let go until His will comes to pass.
Intercession is warfare -- the key to God's battle plan for our lives. But the battleground is not of this earth.
The Bible says, "We are not fighting against humans.
We are fighting against forces and authorities
And against rulers of darkness and spiritual powers in the heavens above"
(Eph. 6:12)

Intercessory prayer takes place in this spiritual world where the battles for our own lives, our families, our friends and our nation are won or lost.

A PLAN FOR BATTLE
If you are born again, you are God's son or daughter-
(John 1:12)
12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—

As His child, you have a direct "hotline" to God.
At any time, you can boldly come into His presence
(Heb. 4:16)
16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

This incredible access to God is the basis for intercession. Once you are in God's presence, you can now discover His battle plan for the situation you are facing. Because prayer alone is not enough -- you need a target for your prayers!

To discover God's plan, all you have to do is ask. The Bible says that "if any of you need wisdom, you should ask God, and it will be given to you"
(James 1:5)

When we ask God for wisdom, His desires will become the focus of our prayers.

"Let God change the way you think.
Then you will know how to do everything that is good and pleasing to Him"
(Romans 12:2)

ARMED FOR BATTLE
Intercessory prayer is a serious matter.

And just like soldiers who are preparing for battle, we cannot take on the enemy if we leave our weapons behind.

That's why we must go into "battle" armed for spiritual conflict

(2 Cor. 10:3, 4)
3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.
4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world.

On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
First, recognize that Jesus is in control of the situation.

(Eph. 1:21)
Jesus "rules over forces, authorities, powers, and rulers ... over all beings in this world and will rule in the future world as well"

He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Then, put on "all the armor God gives" so that you will be ready to fight with God's weapons.

(Ephesians 6:10-12)
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.
12 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.

These are the "weapons of our warfare" that can pull down strongholds in the spirit world

(2 Cor. 10:3, 4)
They will also protect you from the attacks that are sure to come once you begin the spiritual battle.

Next, bind the work of Satan, knowing that Jesus has given you authority "to defeat the power of your enemy" (Luke 10:19). If God shows you the identity of specific spiritual strongholds that are at work, take authority over these strongholds in the name of Jesus.

(1 John 4:4)
And always remember that "God's Spirit is in you and is more powerful that the one that is in the world"

Finally, as you begin the spiritual battle, take comfort knowing that you are not alone: Jesus is interceding on your behalf!

The Bible says that Jesus "is able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them"
(Heb. 7:25, NASB;)
(Romans 8:26, 27, 34)

PERSISTING IN BATTLE

Intercessory prayer is also prayer that doesn't give up.

It's the kind of prayer that endures all setbacks and overcomes every obstacle.

It's prayer that "presses on" until we "apprehend" God's will in whatever situation we are facing

(Phil. 3:12, KJV)
12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.

This kind of prayer is the key to seeing breakthroughs in your life and in the lives of those around you.

Jesus gave a great model for intercession in the Parable of the Persistent Friend. Here we see a friend who knocks on his neighbor's door at midnight to ask for three loaves of bread. The neighbor does not want to get up, but Jesus said, "because of his friend's persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs" (Luke 11:8, NASB)

Then Jesus said, "Everyone who asks will receive, everyone who searches will find, and the door will be opened for everyone who knocks"
(Luke 11:10)

Those words mean keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking.

In God's time, your persistence in intercessory prayer will reap a spiritual harvest in your life and the lives of those around you!

BATTLING FOR YOUR NATION
Throughout the Bible, God searched for those willing to fight the spiritual battle for their land. In Ezekiel, God says, "And I searched for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found no one" (Ezek. 22:30, NASB)

Through intercession…
You can take the offensive in the spiritual battle, building up your community, your nation and your world.
As you follow God's call to rise up and take your place in the spiritual battle, God promises to "heal their land"
(2 Chron. 7:14, NASB)

JOINING THE BATTLE
God is calling Christians to join His battle plan for this world -- to join in intercessory prayer. He is not looking for perfect prayer warriors, just willing hearts who want to see His will come to pass on the earth. All you have to do is turn to the Lord in prayer:
"Father, I come into Your presence and ask You to give me the heart of the intercessor. Help me to be persistent in prayer until the breakthrough comes. Thank You for this powerful weapon of spiritual warfare -- and for Your faithfulness in my life. In Jesus' name. Amen."

GOD'S WORD ON INTERCESSION
We live in this world, but we don't act like its people or fight our battles with the weapons of this world.
Instead, we use God's power that can destroy fortresses.
We destroy arguments and every bit of pride that keeps anyone from knowing God.
We capture people's thoughts and make them obey Christ"

(2 Cor. 10:3-5)

SCRIPTURES FOR STUDY
Isaiah 59:16; Galatians 6:2; 1 Timothy 2:1 -- Our responsibility to intercede
Genesis 18 -- The importance of righteous believers
Isaiah 58:6-7 -- The need for intercession
Romans 8:26-34 -- Help to intercede
Ephesians 6 -- The "armor" for spiritual battle.

Intercession is prayer that pleads with God for your needs and the needs of others. But it is also much more than that.

Intercession involves taking hold of God's will and refusing to let go until His will comes to pass.

b. WHO IS AN INTERCESSOR?

An intercessor is “one who pleads in behalf of another” (Webster).

One can look at the condition of the world and see the need for an intercessor. Christians should plead in prayer on behalf of the world, our family, our pastor, our church –– wherever there is a gap between God’s grace and man’s need, the believer must step in and intercede.

Praying for others should be a natural part of us, but we are so focused on ourselves that we forget the many millions of people that are hurting, the millions of people that are lost and will go to hell if they die in their lost condition.

The former chaplain of the United States Senate, Dr. Richard C. Halverson, said about prayer: “You can organize until you are exhausted. You can plan, program and subsidize all your plans. But if you fail to pray it is a waste of time.”

“Prayer is not optional; it is mandatory. Not to pray is to disobey God”
(Bryant 1984)

Another said, “Intercession is the self-sacrificial work of pouring one’s self out for others in prayer.”

We can see a perfect example of intercession in the famous Intercessory prayer of our Lord Jesus Christ recorded for us in the Gospel of John, chapter seventeen.

c. WHAT ARE THE POSTURES FOR PRAYER?
When we pray, does it make any difference whether we kneel, sit, or stand? Why do we close our eyes when we pray?

We usually fold our hands and bow our heads. Is this "custom" or does it mean something? All of this is included in the posture for prayer.

It is good for young people to be concerned about prayer. From time to time we have had the privilege to lead discussions on this subject. Usually young people show interest in this subject. I suspect one reason is that we are confronted so frequently with the need. To pray. It is not exceptional for us to pray up to ten times a day. Sometimes we have to partake by listening, other times by leading. Besides this, we all sense the spiritual importance of prayer, it can be such a meaningful experience

And make such a difference in our lives if we pray sincerely.

The opposite is also true, nothing can make us feel more guilty than when we neglect to pray or pray out of habit, it is hypocrisy and the Lord abhors hypocrites.

d. THE HOLY SPIRIT’S IMPACT ON PRAYER AND INTERCESSION
Acts 1: 8
8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you:
and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

1) The Holy Spirit prayers through us.
2) The Holy Spirit guides us on How to prayer.
3) The Holy Spirit sets the pace for our prayers and Intercessions.
4) The Holy Spirit makes the defining time between prayer and Intercessions.
5) The Holy Spirit gives you your prayer Agenda.
6) The Holy Spirit anoints you for the difficult matters.
7) The Holy Spirit tells you when to prayer and intercede and when to hold your peace.
8) The Holy Spirit tells you when to stop the wait.
9) The Holy Spirit tells you what to say and how to say it.

e. THE MUSLIM AGENDA:
The Muslim Mission:
To Take the Nations
House by House
Street by Street
Village by Village
Parish by Parish
Island by Island (Barbados, Trinidad, Guyana…)
Country by Country (America, UK, India, Africa…)
They sell goods
They buy property
They are united

1. Islam a religion of peace?
2. The Muslim prayer of hate (in Barbados)
3. Counteracting the Muslim prayers (Four Prayer Initiative slides included, handouts of this prayer are available and PowerPoint can be emailed.)
Below is an example of Christian declarations to counteract the prayers and declarations of the Adhan:

Allahu Akbar (God is great )
Yahweh-Elohim, You the LORD God, are the greatest.

I bear witness that there is no god except the one god.
I bear witness that there is no god except You Yahweh-Elohim, the LORD God.

I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of god.
I bear witness that, Jesus Christ His Son is Sovereign Lord over Barbados.

What is a child of God’s response:
4. You just weep and cry

1)Hannah wept and cried. 1 Samuel 1 verse 9-28
2) David wept and cried. 2 Samuel 12 v 16-23

5. You just worship
1.David worshipped with all his might
2 Samuel 6: 14
14 Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the LORD with all his might,

2.The Apostles Paul and Silas worshipped.
Acts 16: 25
25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.

3.Jehosphat and his army worshipped.
2 Chronicles 20 : 18
18 Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the LORD.

6. You just stand still and watch
1.You speak to “it”

Exodus 14:13
13 Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again.

Declare and Decree a thing, and it will come to past.

7. THE CHURCH’S RESPONSE - CONCLUSION:
THE WAY FORWARD FOR THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH
1. Pray without ceasing
2. Be united
3. Be wise and alert
4. Be like the sons of Issachar know the times we are living in and what to do