If God lets you see future promises, it’s because He wants to hook you and cause you to hunger for them. It’s through a desperate heart that you’re able to bring the fulfilment of those promises into your day. Contending shapes us and makes us capable of carrying more than we’ve ever been able before. All the promises God reveals to us will be realised in time, but the acceleration of events can be determined largely by the desperation and cries of His people.
Occupy and advance!
Regardless of how and when you believe we’re going to be taken to heaven, we must rid ourselves of the idea that Jesus is coming to rescue His Church. It has put the Church into a defensive posture of occupation to protect what we have, instead of positioning us for the purpose of increase. The strategy of occupation for the purpose of advancement and increase is a Kingdom mandate and principle.
Because it’s our responsibility to “loose here what is loosed in heaven” (Matt 16:19), we need to have a revelation of heaven along with the power of agreement. For all of God’s promises find their “yes” of fulfilment in Him. And as his “yes” and our “amen” ascend to God, we bring him glory! (2 Cor 1:20) There are sounds in heaven that earth has never heard. When a corporate amen and unity of prayer taps into that reality and communicates that sound here, heaven finds agreement and invades. It’s in the realm of heaven where our answers lie.
In the Book of Revelation, the Bible describes golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints (Rev 5:8). In other words, the prayers of God’s people collectively fill heavenly bowls with a sweet aroma, much like the burnt offerings in the days of old. As these bowls fill, the prayers are mingled with incense creating a pleasing aroma to God. As they brim over, an angel takes the censor dipped in incense and prayers, and showers the fire of God to the earth.
This is what I’m sensing the Holy Spirit is saying to us – “To pull tomorrow into today with the power of agreement. Agreement leverages the manifestation. The prayer of agreement is a force-multiplying authority, releasing prayers that ascend into heaven. Move heavens and shake the earth, God shall answer our prayers by fire.”
What are the prayers that ascend to God?
1. The Prayer Of Agreement
“Again I (Jesus) say unto you, that if two of you shall AGREE on earth as touching any THING that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of My Father which is in Heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matt 18:19,20).
As believers, we can legally place a demand on our covenant. The word that Jesus used for “agree” in the above verse literally means “to stipulate (demand) by contract, to arrange definitively by covenant.” In the Old Testament, a more literal translation of the force- multiplying authority in agreement can be found in Deut 32:30-31: “Two of us can put ten thousand enemies to flight because when we agree together their god deserts them and runs.”
2. The Prayer Of The Righteous/Faith
Effective, fervent prayer is always filled with faith. But to be effective, our prayers cannot be like bullets, popping off towards God like He’s a target. No, our prayers must be Spirit-led and intentional. “The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working]” (James 5:16).
3. The Prayer Of Dedication
This is another picture of how heaven responds with fire: “When Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the temple” (2 Chron 7:1).
Here is our charge, is there anyone hungry enough for what He’s shown us in the Scriptures that we’ll pull into our day something that’s reserved for another? Is there anyone willing to lay him/herself down to bring more of God’s promises?
Send the fire, Lord. Let the sacrifice be made ready!
