Intercessory Prayer: How God Can Use Your Prayers to Move Heaven and Earth (Large Print 16pt)

by Dutch Sheets

  Recently, I believe the Lord showed me what sometimes happens when we come to Him with a need, asking Him to accomplish what He says in His Word. In answer to our requests, He sends His angels to get our bowls of prayer to mix with the fire of the altar. But there isn't enough in our bowls to meet the need! We might blame God or think it's not His will or that His Word must not really mean what it says. The reality of it is that sometimes He cannot do what we've asked because we have not given Him enough power in our prayer times to get it done. He has poured out all there was to pour and it wasn't enough! It's not just a faith issue, but also a power issue.

  I hope this doesn't alarm you. I get excited when I think about it. I didn't know it at the time, but when I was standing over the comatose girl, every time I spoke the name above every name, every time I prayed in the Spirit, every time I laid hold of His Word and promises, every tear I shed was put in a bottle (see Ps. 56:8)-or a bowl-and God was just watching until finally it was full.

  Get Radical-Pour on the Power

  And on a Saturday morning in 1986, the Almighty looked over at one of the angels and said, "See the little girl over there whose brain is no longer functioning that has to be fed through her stomach and breathe through a hole in her throat and is lying there like a living dead person and the doctors say there's no hope and that she's going to die? Do you see her? Take this bowl that's been filled, mix it with My fire, and go dump it on her head." The rest is history.

  Go into your child's room if he or she is not born again and, preferably when they're not there, put prayer power-substance-in everything they touch. This power can go into clothing or handkerchiefs and minister to people. Enough anointing and power from the river flowed out of Paul's innermost being and went into his handkerchief that notable miracles took place when people touched those handkerchiefs. Enough of it was in Jesus' clothes that when they reached out and grabbed the very bottom edge of it, something flashed out of Him.

  You will recall the testimony of Polly Simchen who came to me with a handkerchief and said, "Would you pray over this? We're going to cut it up and put a piece everywhere our son goes. We're going to hide it everywhere we can." As she shared earlier, Polly would come to me every once in a while and say, "I've run out of them. I need another one." So we would pray and douse another one in the anointing of God.

  She hid one piece under the insole in her son Jonathan's shoe and he loaned his shoes to a friend. This was the most radical, drunk, burned-out freak I'd seen in a long time. The friend made a mistake! He wore the wrong person's shoes! No, actually his life was saved-radically saved, filled with the Spirit of God and turned on for Jesus. Jonathan lost a rowdy friend because the friend became so filled with the presence of God that Jonathan couldn't stand to be around him anymore. As we mentioned earlier, Jonathan is now also living for the Lord.

  Smear everything your children have with the anointing! The Old Testament word "anoint" means "to pour or smear with oil." It's okay to get a bit radical. Jesus liked it when people tore roofs off, crawled on hands and knees pressing through crowds, climbed trees, shouted obnoxiously crying out for mercy, bathed His feet with tears and hair-He simply loves wholeheartedness.

  John Killinger tells about an interesting method used in the past to break a wild steed by harnessing it to a burro. The powerful steed would take off across the range, twisting and bucking, causing the burro to be tossed about wildly. What a sight! The steed would run away, pulling the burro alongside, and they would drop out of sight-sometimes for days. Then they would return, with the proud little burro in charge. The steed had worn himself out, fighting the presence of the burro. When he became too tired to fight anymore, the burro assumed the position of leader. And that's the way it is many times with prayer. Victory goes to the persistent, not to the angry; to the dedicated, not to those who can provide great demonstrations of emotion and energy. We need committed, determined, systematic prayer, not once in a while fireworks.'5

  Forgive Us, Father

  Father, why is the thing we need the most, the thing we do the least? Why are most of us so busy we don't have time? You must have many frustrated days when Your eyes roam to and fro throughout the earth in search of someone whose heart is completely Yours. You must weep often when You seek for a man or woman to stand in the gap to fill the breech and find no one. Your heart must ache at times for us, Your people, to rise up and be what You've called us to be.

  We humble ourselves before Your throne and ask You to forgive us for our lack of prayer And forgive us as leaders, Lord, who have not told Your people the truth. Forgive us as a churchthe Body of Christ for allowing evil to rule in this land when You have more than enough power in our wombs to change it.

  Forgive us, for it is not Your fault that we have a generation marked X. It is not Your will that we kill the next generation before it takes its first breath. It is not Your plan that we still have not overcome the principality of hatred that divides this land.

  Forgive us, Lord. Cleanse us now and break the curses we have allowed to rule over us. Forgive us and cleanse us from the sin of apathy, complacency, ignorance and unbelief. Wash us with the water of Your Word. Break off of us this lethargic prayerlessness, which we justify a thousand different ways. It really boils down to disobedience, unbelief and sin.

  Father, please forgive us and deliver us. Set us free from being hearers of the Word only, and not doers. Give us homes and churches that are founded on the rock of obedience to Your Word. Rise up in Your people with the stubborn tenacity that Jesus had, that the Early Church walked in. Cause us to cast off everything that would oppose Your Spirit, and move us into a realm that pays a price and lays hold of the kingdom of God.

  Fill us with Your Spirit. Baptize us in fire. Let there be an impartation of the Spirit ofgrace and supplication. Let there be an anointing that comes from Your throne to hungry people who are tired of status quo, of mediocrity, of death and destruction. We are tired of it, God. We are tired of being defeated by a defeated enemy. We are tired of being held back from our destiny, both individually and as a nation. We are tired of lack and disease. We are tired of sin. We are hungry for something-the God of the Bible!

  Questions for Reflection

  1. Can you explain the real lesson being taught by the story in Luke 11:5-13? Is "the prayer of importunity" a good phrase to use in summarizing this passage?

  2. What is meant by "the substance" of prayer? How does this relate to perseverance?

  3. Provide some Scriptures demonstrating that spiritual things are measurable. Now apply this truth to prayer using Ephesians 3:20-21 and James 5:16.

  4. Can you think of any situations where you may have stopped praying before your "bowl" was filled? Are there any current situations in your life that might need more power released to receive an answer?

  5. Do you love Jesus?

  C H A P T E R T H I R T E E N

  ACTIONS THAT SPEAK AND

  WORDS THAT PERFORM

  A Most Amazing Prayer Meeting

  In 1988 I was invited to England with a dear friend of mine, Michael Massa, to teach for a week. Two intercessor friends of ours from England, Derek Brant and Lew Sunderland, had invited us to minister to a group of about 40, representing the four British Isles (England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland).

  I didn't realize several things going into that week. First, I didn't factor in the combinedyears of intercession represented by the group-Lew alone had been interceding for England nearly 30 years. This small, insignificant detail meant simply that anything could happen.

  Second, I didn't know the Holy Spirit was going to show up with such intensity that on the final evening I wouldn't be able to finish my message. When I paused and said, "The presence of God is so strong, I just cannot continue," a spirit of repentance and intercession for England came upon everyone and lasted all night.

  Without question, it became one of the most amazing prayer experiences of my life. The prophetic actions and declarations that wen
t forth-terms that I'll explain shortly-were incredible. We spoke Ezekiel 37:1-10 over the land in the same way Ezekiel himself prophesied to the dry bones of Israel and to the breath of God. We sat silently for over an hour-no one moving or uttering a word-in deep repentance and the fear of the Lord. The men among us walked the grounds all night in repentance and prophetic intercession, standing in the gap for the men of the land. It was truly an amazing night.

  Third, I wasn't aware at the time that God was calling me to and giving me spiritual authority for the nation of England. I had received prophetic words and Scriptures from individuals speaking of a call to the nations. And I had certainly felt this was true, but I wasn't aware of a particular call for England, nor of the divine authority accompanying it.

  I had been given Jeremiah 1:10 on more than one occasion: "See, I have appointed you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant." However, I wasn't sure I wanted such a calling, and must admit I didn't fully embrace it.

  England's Call to a Reluctant Prophet

  In May 1994 this same group invited me back to England, along with a worship team from the States, led by a close friend and associate, David Morris.

  "It is time to follow up our last meeting by marrying the Spirit and the Word through anointed prophetic worship, followed by you, Dutch, speaking a prophetic message over the nation," they told me. "We're going to rent some of the old cathedrals around England and have the services in them. We feel this will release some things in the spirit and further pave the way for God to move."

  "I don't have a prophetic message for England and besides, I'm too busy," was my response. I maintained this position for months, up until several weeks before the meetings were to take place. At that time three different intercessors told me within the span of one week that I had missed God's leading and was supposed to go to England.

  Oh, they were nice about it and very respectful, but the Holy Spirit was a little more blunt in interpreting for them: Wake up, Sheets!

  Being the spiritually astute man that I am, three independent words of correction were enough. After the last one, I immediately picked up the phone and instructed my secretary to call England, informing them that I had missed God and would come if they had no one else.

  "No, we don't have anyone else," they told her. "We knew he was supposed to do it. We've just been waiting for him to hear."

  It makes you feel terribly unspiritual when everyone in the world knows God's will for your life, but you!

  Lest you begin to mistake this book for an autobiography, I'll get to the point. In the last of our meetings in England, all of which were very powerful, we were ministering in Westminster Chapel.

  As I was preparing myself to preach in this well-known church laced with a rich and wonderful heritage, located just a block or two from Buckingham Palace, I heard these words deep in my spirit (I trust you're ready for this. You probably know by now that I can be a bit on the radical side.): You are not preaching to the people in attendance tonight. You are preaching to this nation. You are to declare My Word to it, calling it back to righteousness, to holiness, to repentance, to Me. Call forth My anointing, My fire and My presence to this land again.

  Not wanting my hosts to think me too strange, I informed them as to what I intended to do. Then I did it!

  I preached to the air.

  I preached to the government.

  I preached to the sinners of England.

  I preached to the entire Body of Christ of England.

  And I've never worked harder in my life. I felt as though I was warring against and trying to push through hordes of demons. At the conclusion of my message, I sat down behind the platform totally exhausted, drenched with perspiration and almost in a daze. I had no sense of victory or defeat, only of exhaustion from the battle.

  Lew Sunderland, the matriarchal intercessor responsible for inviting and praying me there, a true mother in the faith, approached me with a sweet and understanding smile. Placing my cheeks in her hands, she assured me, "It's all right, darling, you made it through. You accomplished what was needed." She then said to me later, "You have accepted now, haven't you, dar- ling"-to Lew everyone is darling-"that God has called you to this nation and has given you authority here?"

  "Yes, ma'am," I said meekly and submissively, as would a small child to its mother after having just learned a valuable lesson.

  "You won't question it any longer, now, will you?"

  "No, ma'am."

  "That's good. We'll just have you back when the Lord says it's time. Okay?"

  "Yes, ma'am."

  I returned the next month!

  We received a call from England the week following our ministry. The message was, "Revival has broken out in London." Renewal had, indeed, hit the nation, with many people coming to Christ and thousands receiving a renewing touch of the Holy Spirit.

  The Boomerang Anointing: Action and Declaration

  I would never presume that revival came solely because of our ministry. The years of intercession by many and the countless hours of selfless labor by hundreds of godly men and women had much more to do with it than anything our team ever could have done. What part did we play? Prophetic worship-declaring through pageantry and song the splendor, greatness, rule and authority of God, and prophetic declaration-proclaiming the will and Word of the Lord into the spirit realm.

  There is an interesting aspect of intercession few people understand and still fewer do. It is prophetic action and declaration. What do we mean by this? When we say something is "prophetic," we mean it's foretelling (speaking about or predicting future things) or forthtelling (actions or words that declare something for God). In the latter case it may not be futuristic at all. Something that is prophetic in nature can be one or bothforetelling or forthtelling.

  Either of them can have a forerunning or preparatory purpose. Prophetic words or actions prepare a way, in the same sense that John the Baptist, the prophet, prepared the way with his words and actions for the Messiah to come and for the glory of the Lord to be revealed (see Isa. 40:1-5). Prophetic ministry releases the way for the glory of the Lord and the ministry of Jesus to follow. Prophetic actions and declarations prepare the way for God to work upon the earth.

  In a sense, they release God to do something, as they become the implemented means or method through which He has chosen to work. They do not release Him in the sense that He is bound-God obviously is not bound. But they release Him in the sense that:

  1. Obedience to God brings a response from God. As we shall see later in the chapter, prophetic actions and declarations mean nothing if they are not directed by God. In the same sense, when He gives instruction, it must be obeyed. He chooses to do things a certain way and when that way is implemented, it releases God to do what He wants to do. He doesn't always explain why we must do it a particular way. Being God, He has that right. But when His chosen way is implemented, He does what He needs to do.

  2. Faith releases God. When He says, "Do this," faith and obedience release Him.

  3. They release Him in the sense that His creative and effectual Word is released upon the earth. God's creative power, energy and ability that come forth through His Words are released upon the earth through prophetic declaration! If you are not open to revelation, you'll never be able to embrace this. Open your heart to enlightenment.

  A more complete definition would be: Prophetic action or declaration is something said or done in the natural realm at the direction of God that prepares the way for Him to move in the spiritual realm, which then consequently effects change in the natural realm. How's that for God and man partnering? God says to do or say something. We obey. Our words or actions impact the heavenly realm, which then impacts the natural realm. Maybe this is the "boomerang anointing"!

  I'm sure by now you could use some biblical examples of this, so let me give you several. First, I want to give you biblical examples of prophet
ic action that preceded and/or released literal action in the earth. Then we'll examine some prophetic declarations.

  Prophetic Action

  Moses stretching forth his rod over the Red Sea is an example of prophetic action (see Exod. 14:21). Why did he have to stretch forth his rod? Because God said to. He wanted the symbolic rod of authority to be stretched over the Red Sea. If there had been no extending of the rod over the sea, there would not have been a rolling back of the sea. God essentially said, "I want a prophetic act to release Me to do this!"

  Another example of prophetic action is Moses' holding up the rod of authority at Rephidim where Israel was battling with Amalek (see Exod. 17:9-13). I shared the story in chapter 9 to point out the difference between authority and power, but it is also a vivid demonstration of prophetic action.

  Moses was up on the mountain with the rod of authority lifted. When he held it up, Israel prevailed. When he let it down because of fatigue, Amalek prevailed. Morale wasn't the issue. Do you think those soldiers on the battlefield, instead of fighting, were watching Moses? It had nothing to do with moralethey probably didn't even see the rod going up and down.

  It had to do with something happening in the realm of the spirit. This prophetic action was releasing something in the heavenlies. As it did, the authority of God was bouncing back to earth and giving victory to the Israelites. I can't explain it any more than that. Some things, when dealing with God, simply cannot be explained.

  God's Way, Even When It Makes No Sense

  Moses' hitting the rock in Exodus 17:6 is another example of prophetic action. He took the rod of authority, struck the rock and water came out. Why? Because God wanted it done that way. We could elaborate on all the symbolism of these actions and possibly understand why God did them, but the bottom line is: When He chose to do it a certain way, someone had to perform an act upon the earth that often made no sense, but when performed, released something in the spirit, which released something upon Earth. A person doesn't normally get water out of rocks when he or she hits them with a rod ... unless God says to do it. Again, when He tells us to act, it impacts the spirit, affects the earth and produces results-like bringing water out of rocks. That's prophetic action!