by Dutch Sheets
Later in the passage (Deuteronomy 32:18) yalad and chuwl, the primary Hebrew words for "travail" or "giving birth," are used: "You neglected the Rock who begot you and forgot the God who gave you birth" (emphasis added). The identical words are chosen in this passage to describe the Holy Spirit's hovering over Abraham and Sarah to bring forth life as were used in the Genesis Creation and in Isaiah 66:8. The hovering that brought forth natural Israel will also bring forth spiritual Israel.
Our third example of the Holy Spirit's bringing forth life as He hovered or brooded over is found in Luke 1:35, the conception of Christ in Mary. The angel of the Lord came to Mary telling her that she would bear a child. She responded by asking, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?" (v. 34).
The answer was, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you." "Overshadow" is the Greek word episkiazo, which means "to cast a shade upon; to envelope in a haze of brilliancy; to invest with supernatural influence."" It is in some ways a counterpart for the Hebrew word rachaph. Thayer says it is used "of the Holy Spirit exerting creative energy upon the womb of the Virgin Mary and impregnating it."13
The word is only used three times in the New Testament. At the transfiguration of Jesus in Matthew 17:5, the passage says the cloud of the Lord "overshadowed" them. It is also used in Acts 5:15 when people were trying to get close to Peter-in his shadow-that they might be healed. Have you ever wondered how Peter's shadow could heal anyone? It didn't. What was actually happening was that the Holy Spirit was "moving" out from Peter-hovering-and when individuals stepped into the cloud or overshadowing, they were healed.
Perhaps you have seen this phenomenon. I have. I've been in services where God was moving in such a strong way that before people were ever prayed for or touched by anyone, they were saved, healed or delivered. They came under the episkiazo or hovering of the Holy Spirit.
Maybe you've been in a meeting where the Spirit of the Lord began to hover over the whole room and move in a particular way. At times God has even done this over entire communities. In many of the classic revivals of the past, stories are told of an individual driving close to a church where God has been moving in mighty ways and the person begins to weep, goes to the church, walks inside and says, "Something drew me here and I want to get saved."
What happened? The moving or hovering of the Holy Spirit became so great that He brooded over an entire geographical area to bring forth life. I believe this will even happen over nations as more and more prayer is generated for the unreached people of the earth. There has never been a time in history with the amount of prayer that is currently being offered for the lost. The Spirit of the Lord is being released through this intercession to hover over not only cities, but entire nations. We will see dramatic revivals as this hovering continues and intensifies through the prayers of the saints.
Can a Land Be Born in One Day?
I was preaching in Ohio in 1990, shortly after the fall of the Berlin Wall and some of the Communist nations in Europe. This was the season, you will recall, when governments were falling like dominoes and events were happening weekly that would normally have taken decades to occur. It was indeed extraordinary.
As I preached under a very strong anointing, the Holy Spirit came upon me and I began to prophesy. In the course of my message, I said, "Just as you have seen nations fall politically in a day, so you will see nations fall before Me spiritually and be born again in a day." Even as I said this, I found myself wondering if it could really happen. After the service I went to the Lord in prayer, saying, "Father, I do not want to speak in Your name when it is not You. Nor do I want to hype Your people with sensational statements. I need to know if that was You speaking through me."
The Lord's answer to me was surprising. He gave me the reference Isaiah 66:7-8 in which I knew verse 8 said, "As soon as Zion travailed she also brought forth her sons." What I did not realize until looking up the reference was that the preceding verse is a question: "Can a land be born in one day? Can a nation be brought forth all at once?" "As soon as Zion travailed she also brought forth her sons" is actually an answer to this question.
I knew the Lord was assuring me that He was, indeed, declaring through me that nations would be born again in a day. There would come such a move of the Spirit, such a hovering and brooding, such a power released by the Spirit of God over areas that entire nations would come to Christ overnight. I don't know if overnight is literal or figurative, but I'll accept either, won't you?
The passage in verse 8 informs us that this will be through the travail of Zion. If Zion includes the Church, which it certainly does (see Ps. 87; Heb. 12:12; 1 Pet. 2:4-10), and those being born are sons and daughters of Zion, this is a promise that not only pertains to Israel, but also to us, the Body of Christ. We can birth sons and daughters through travail.
A Sense of Birthing
Carol Millspaugh, also of our fellowship in Colorado Springs, tells of an experience she had in Germany several years ago. At the time, she worked in counseling, first as a psychotherapist, then in full-time ministry as a Christian counselor. Carol would spend time interceding for her clients' situations and for their salvation.
One particular couple she counseled had many problems: addictions, eating disorders, family problems, and others. Neither were believers; in fact the wife was an atheist. Carol said she felt as though she were pregnant with them, that she was carrying them in her spirit. She would intercede for them daily, often moaning and crying for hours. This went on for several months.
During her times of intercession, the Lord would reveal things about them to Carol and she would share this information with them on an individual basis. Carol wasn't aware of it initially, but the Lord was preparing them for salvation.
Then one day the Spirit powerfully hovered over them during their session, enabling them to be able to hear and understand as Carol shared Scriptures with them. The next time she met with them, both of them received the Lord together. Carol said a strong sense of a birthing was happening. Then began the time of growing and maturing as Carol nurtured them and helped them find solid biblical teaching and Christian relationships.
Based on these examples from the Scriptures-Creation, the birth of Israel and Christ's conception-I would like to offer the following as a definition of spiritual travail: "Releasing the creative power or energy of the Holy Spirit into a situation to produce, create or give birth to something." Travailing intercession would simply be prayer that causes this. At the risk of redundancy, I want to restate this phrase, using it to offer a formal definition of travailing intercession: "A form of intercession that releases the creative power or energy of the Holy Spirit into a situation to produce, create or give birth to something."
I use the words "produce" and "create" because travail is spoken of in the Scriptures not only in the context of someone being born again, but also of bringing forth other things. For example, when the Holy Spirit was hovering through Peter, He was bringing forth healing (see Acts 5:15). Through Elijah it was rain (see 1 Kings 18:45); through Paul it included maturity (see Gal. 4:19).
Christ's Travail
Let's look at the two previously mentioned examples from Christ's ministry where He was involved in travail or birthing prayer. The first is John 11:33-44, the resurrection of Lazarus. Just before going to the tomb, verse 33 says Jesus "was deeply moved in spirit, and was troubled." A more literal translation of this phrase is that Jesus "was moved with indignation in His spirit and deeply troubled Himself." 14
The word "troubled" is tarasso. It means "to stir up or agitate," like an agitator in a washing machine. Jesus was stirring up the anointing within Himself. Verse 38 literally says He again was moved with indignation.
According to these verses, the tears Christ shed were not merely tears of sympathy, but of indignation and the stirrings of His spirit. We also know they were taking place in the context of prayer because verse 41 informs us that before raising Lazarus from the dea
d, Jesus said to the Father, "I thank Thee that Thou heardest Me." He then gave the command, "Lazarus, come forth."
Although it cannot be conclusively proven, I believe Christ was in strong travail, releasing the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit before He ever gave the command, "Lazarus, come forth." As I stated earlier, I do not believe it is necessary to weep and groan, etc., in order to release the birthing power of the Holy Spirit (travail). It can and will happen at times, however, when we move into deep intercession, as it did in this circumstance with Jesus.
This is what took place when I interceded for my aunt. I was involved in a form of travail. Although not groaning, I was weeping heavily. It was obviously not the emotion that caused her salvation, but my response to the prompting of the Holy Spirit, allowing Him to move through me. This released Him to go hover around my aunt, enveloping her with His power and life, convicting her of sin and possibly breaking some strongholds.
It doesn't always happen quickly. Occasions do occur when we move into a time of intercession and almost immediately see the results, as was the case with my aunt. However, as with Polly and her son, a season of prayer is usually necessary when, on a regular basis, we allow the Spirit of God to intercede through us. This releases Him to go hover around an individual with His life-giving power, doing what is necessary to cause the person to be born again.
Another occasion when Jesus was involved in travail was in the Garden of Gethsemane. Without any question, Christ's redemption of humanity-the work of intercession-began with His travail in the Garden. Isaiah prophesied of Him, "He shall see of the travail of His soul and shall be satisfied" (Isa. 53:11, KJV, emphasis added).
In fulfillment of this, Jesus cried out in Gethsemane, saying, "My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death" (Matt. 26:38, KJV). It was in the Garden of Gethsemane that redemption began and the victory of the entire ordeal was won.
We know that redemption was beginning in this travail for a couple of reasons. Luke tells us Jesus began to shed great drops of blood. Jesus was not simply sweating so profusely that it was like a person bleeding. He was literally bleeding through the pores of His skin, a medical condition known as hematidrosis. We must understand that when the blood of Christ began to flow, redemption was beginning, for it is through the shedding of His blood that we have the cleansing from sin (see Heb. 9:22).
We also know that redemption was beginning in the Garden because when Jesus said, "My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death," the word used for "death" is thanatos. This word is often used for death as the result and penalty of sin." This is the death Adam experienced when he fell.
Two other words could have been used that mean simply physical death. When thanatos is used, however, it frequently implies death as a result of sin. For Christ to use this word quite possibly meant that the sin of the world was already being laid upon Him.
Through these two occurrences, we see that the redemption that ended at the cross most likely began in the Garden travail. I believe the term "travail" was used, not so much because He was working hard, but because He was bringing forth the new birth. It also seems logical that because our intercession releases the fruit of this birthing, it too is called travail.
Bringing Forth the Fruit of Calvary
In summary, the Holy Spirit desperately wants to release His creative, birthing powers through us, bringing forth the fruit of Calvary. He wants to use us in tohuw (lifeless, fruitless, desolate, barren) situations, releasing His life into them:
• As He did at Creation. But through our intercession, He wants to bring forth "new creations" in ChristJesus.
• As with Israel when He hovered over the barren bodies of Abraham and Sarah, bringing forth a nation, He wants to bring forth "spiritual Israel" from us.
• As with Mary when He hovered, bringing forth or conceiving the Christ in her, He desires to bring forth Christ in people through our intercession.
• As happened with Lazarus's resurrection, through our intercession He wants to bring forth spiritual life from death.
• As in Gethsemane when the fruit of our redemption was pressed from the vine, Christ Jesus, He wants the fruit of that work to be pressed forth again through our intercession.
• As through Peter people were healed, He wants to heal people through our intercession. He wants to hover around them, releasing His life.
Not only does He want to do this for salvation and healing, but travail is also to be done for maturing and developing believers. Paul said in Galatians 4:19, "My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you" (KJV). He called them his children because he had travailed once until they were born again. Then he said he was in travail "again" until Christ was formed in them. These people were already born again. Paul was obviously referring to their maturing process. This is an aspect of intercession we can involve ourselves in to help believers mature.
Hospitals have intensive care units where the staff is able to keep a close eye on patients who have undergone organ transplants. Even when the operations are successful, it is routine procedure to classify these patients as being in "critical, but stable condition" and keep them in ICU until they gain strength.
Spiritual organ transplants occur as people become Christians and receive new hearts. To grow strong in the Lord, they must receive intensive nurturing. It is exciting to be part of the birthing process-praying them into the kingdom of God. However, it is also necessary to intercede for them through their critical but stable condition stage.16
When the Lord first taught me this truth, I was counseling with four or five people who were in very difficult situations. Three of them were extremely suicidal. I was spending hours each day with these people, trying to help them through their situations. There were times when they would call me saying they were going to take their lives right then. I remember one of these people calling at 2:00 A.M., saying, "I have a gun to my head right now and I'm going to blow my brains out." It was a stressful season, to say the least.
It was at that time the Lord revealed to me this concept of our prayers releasing the Holy Spirit to hover around individuals, birthing life in them. He clearly spoke these words to my heart: If you spent a fraction of the time releasing My Holy Spirit to go and hover around them bringing life as you do talking to them, you would see many times the results.
I know a good deal when I hear it! I began to spend a couple of hours every day praying for them. Most of my prayer was in the Spirit. I would simply say, "Father, I bring so and so before You now, asking that as I pray the Holy Spirit would be released to go hover around so and so, bringing forth Christ." Then I would usually just begin to pray in the Spirit. I saw immediate results. Maturity came quickly. Almost overnight bondages began to fall off. Victories occurred in their lives. It was remarkable.
What was taking place? The Holy Spirit was being released through my prayers to go hover-rachaph, episkiazo-around these individuals, releasing His power and life.
Releasing the Rain of the Spirit
The Bible speaks of travailing for other things as well. In 1 Kings 18, Elijah prayed fervently seven times for rain. We are told in this passage that the posture he maintained while praying was the position of a woman in that day giving birth.
The symbolism is clear. Elijah was in travail. He was birthing something. Without any question, the posture of Elijah is to symbolize this for us. Why else would God give us the position he was in while praying? And please don't miss the implication of this passage. Even though it was God's will to bring the rain and it was also God's time for the rain, someone on Earth still had to birth it through prayer.
In this example, travail released literal rain. We could take the story to its fullest symbolic picture and say that our travail releases the rain of the Spirit. I'm sure that would be valid because the physical drought pictured Israel's spiritual dryness, and the rain pictured God's ability to bless again after the purging of the idolatry earlier in the chapter.
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Our prayers can and do cause the Holy Spirit to move into situations where He then releases His power to bring life. We do have a part in producing the hovering of the Holy Spirit. The power that created the universe through His "rachaph-ing" has been deposited in the Church-while untold millions await their births into the kingdom of God.
Like Elijah, we must take up our position, believing that the prayers of mere men can accomplish much. We must release the power of the Holy Spirit through our intercession to hover, bringing forth the fruit of what Christ has already done. We are an integral part of the Father's birthing process into the kingdom of God.
As I said while coaching my wife, "Come on, Church, push!"
Questions for Reflection
1. How have we defined travail improperly and how has this hindered intercession?
2. Explain the connection between Genesis 1:1-2; Deuteronomy 32:10-18; Luke 1:35 and travail.
3. What do we mean when we speak of the "moving" of the Holy Spirit?
4. When and where can one travail? For what can one travail? Can you think of a situation in which God might want to do some birthing through your prayers?
5. Does God answer prayer?
C H A P T E R N I N E
PRO WRESTLERS
Brother Wonderful and His Interpreter
"Resist the devil and he will flee from you! How many of you talk to the kingdom of darkness once in a while?" I asked in my most anointed preaching voice.
I was on a roll. Preaching up a storm, as we said back in Ohio where I was raised. I was fresh out of Bible school and feeling like God's latest edition to the Brother Wonderful Fraternity of World Changers International. Had those people right where I wanted them-hanging on every word. If Mom could have seen me then! She and God would probably have found a place for me at the Lord's right hand-next to James and John.