..praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, Ephesians 6:18
Once you’re aware of His Voice in your mind and are alert to what He might have to say to you in any and every situation, you’ll begin to have ‘conversations’ with Him throughout your entire day. Example? I was talking with one of my closest spiritual brothers today on a topic that quickly went to the spiritual aspects of our lives and what the Lord is having us do. My brother and I don’t always see certain prophecy, or doctrines, or viewpoints the exact same way. But we’re still VERY good friends, and we find our discussions very helpful to both of us. (Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17).
And we’ll go a couple of rounds navigating through certain viewpoints. During the discussion he was telling me what the Lord has him preparing for in a couple of assignments where he will speak to today’s corruption and evil facing our community’s children. Right away I knew he would be facing some real opposition, both in the meeting from both the physical and spiritual realms, and I knew he would need prayer cover and intercessors to be praying for him and those participating. He would need intercessors to be ‘standing in the gap’ to hold back the forces that would want to distract anyone from hearing the Voice of God in their hearts. And I wanted to ask him if anyone was specifically called to pray during that time, and when I did … he was hoping there would be those who would be praying. During that conversation the Holy Spirit asked me “Why don’t you commit to pray for him and all those standing the meeting? Why don’t you stand in the gap?”
It’s one thing to give out ‘advice’ to someone else but it’s another thing to receive it at the very same time from the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will keep us humble as long as we’re willing to listen to Him. The moment we allow our pride to take front and center HE will shut up and stop advising us. It’s my opinion that most times the battle is won first in the spirit before it even reaches the physical realm. I’m thinking of Elisha in 2 Kings chapter 6 as an example.
Prayer in my opinion is much more powerful than we will ever realize this side of Heaven. We’ve got to learn to pray in direction and flow with the Holy Spirit. By His instructions and guidance we can be partakers in spiritual battles alongside God’s spiritual army. We often minimize those who have the calling of intercession. Yet those prayer warriors are able to pray with His Heart and Voice when it is most needed. What have you learned about intercession? Has He ever asked you specifically to pray for someone? Have you ever prayed until He told you to stop? Or did you just pray for a few seconds and then move on to something else?
What did He say to you today? Were you having a day long conversation with Him?