prayer leader training

8/7/2019 Prayer Leader Training

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IHOP-LI: The Ark House of Prayer

I. AN INTRODUCTION TO WORSHIP-FILLED PRAYER

Of all of the many joys we have as those in relationship with God, worship-filled prayer

in faith is the most exhilarating. It forms the transformational space where we meet with

Him and each other heart to heart. It is the fountain from which all other treasures andadventures spring. Evangelism, prophetic utterances, apostolic foundations, teaching,

healing, etc. all spring from agreement in worship-filled prayer with the Word, The Lord

Jesus. Our joy is found His desires.

Worship-filled prayer is the place where we agree with God regarding all He is as He

unfolds His Glory, all that He says as He unfolds His Wisdom and all that He desires asHe unfolds His Love. Its a rather simple process. As we gaze at God, the Truth of His

Glory, Wisdom and Love fascinates us. As we agree with the Truth, we agree with His

thoughts and we pray what He instructs us to pray. Then, He releases the very thing weprayed for and all of us are overjoyed because His Majesty is displayed both in Heaven

and on Earth. Isaiah 41, Psalm 2

Nothing happens in Gods economy outside of this established wisdom: Jesus is The

Manifest Word of God, i.e., the fully expressed revelation of the Father. By Fathers

design, it was Jesus voice that spoke, Let there be and it is STILL His voice that

both creates and upholds His creation. He absolutely loves Father and joyfully seeks theWill of His Father. He agrees with the Brilliance of Fathers Thoughts and Will and He

affirms it verbally. His word is joyfully agreed upon and enjoined with the fiery power of

the Holy Spirit and what is spoken from His Heart and Mouth IS. This is the dynamic thataccomplishes His intentions.

So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty,

Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I

sent it. Isaiah 55:11

By His design, He has invited His image bearers into that same process. The dynamicwas set in place from the beginning when He breathed life into those He formed into the

image of God and then instructed them to tend the garden in Eden that He placed them in.

He watched as Adam named the creatures and responded in delight as Adam realized thatthere was no one suitable to help him. It was already in Gods heart to fashion Eve from

Adams side. He was just waiting for the agreement prayed from Adams heart so He

could answer with Adams Bride. Adam was being primed for joy and the rejoicing overthe gift gave the Joyful God more joy. Agreeing with God, trusting Him and His

intentions and tending their charge according to His wisdom was being formed by the joy

of a growing relationship.

The dynamics of this relationship are heaven based. They have never been revoked. We

have neglected the relationship and forgotten its beauty but God never has. It is built into

the atmosphere surrounding His Throne and it is thoroughly woven into the fabric ofcreation. It is starkly present or absent in every story. It is clearly illustrated in scripture

and is especially evident in the Tabernacles of Moses and David and later in the Temple.


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Jesus, though, is the fulfillment of this relational dynamic. He is the House of Prayer, the

object of our affection/worship and it is in Jesus that we see the joy fully restored.

Since Jesus ascended to His Father to prepare a place for us to dwell together, it has been

the language of longing that His Bride has adopted as she awaits His return. From

generation to generation it is slowly being restored to the forefront and its worth is beingre-established with increasing fervency. His adopted; namely those who believe in and

have traded their lives for Jesus are leaning in to it toward maturity. Paul understood this

dynamic as a mystery that he was graced to proclaim to all, including the Gentiles, asgood news, to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages

has been hidden in God who created all things; so that the manifold wisdom of Godmight now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the

heavenly places. Ephesians 1:9-10

To Gods glory, we are being fashioned, through voluntary love in worship-filled prayer

and deeds of mercy/justice, into the expressed revelation of Jesus by the Holy Spirit

living in us; conforming us into His image.For those whom He foreknew, He alsopredestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be thefirstborn among many brethren Romans 8:29

He is the center. He is Sovereign. Anything done outside of this relational dynamic is

established by our own designs. It will bear the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of

Good and Evil, not the Tree of Life. In other words, whatever we do outside of firstseeking/declaring in faith Gods thoughts and Heart in worship-filled prayer even

though it may be seem good is still going to produce the fruit of our own independent

spirits.

II. THEOLOGY FOR EFFECTIVE PRAYER/WORSHIP LEADERSHIP

A. The Theology of Agreement

There are two words closely linked together in Hebraic tradition, tehillah (praise) andtephillah (prayer). The Old Testament tells us that: "God is enthroned on the praises

(tehillah) of Israel"(Ps 22:3). Tehillah is a praise that can only emerge from the human

heart that has encountered God. It is a song that is unique to the individual and the

relationship with God that forms it. When sung in a corporate context, it becomes asymphony because each individual song is woven together to fashion the larger song.

This is the kind of praise that God dwells in (i.e., is in the middle of).

The tephillah or song-prayer is a prayer of intercession or supplication expressed insong. The Hebrews often sang their prayers (Isaiah 1:15). There are Hebrew and Greekwords for prayer that suggest a direct petition or short, sharp cry of a distressed heart

(Ps 30:2; 2 Cor 12:8) sung out in supplication. Habakkuk's tephillah in Habakkuk

chapter 2 is a well-known song-prayer of this sort.http://www.angelfire.com/adazio/page59.html


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Tehillah (praise) and Tephillah (prayer), a song-prayer of intercession/supplication are

virtually synonomous and biblically dwell together in thought. In essence it is Worship-

filled Prayer.

The Mishna, as quoted in The Encyclopedia Biblica, enumerates five principal parts of

the service of the synagogue: (a) the recital of the Shema, (b) the prayer; (c) thereading of the law; (d) the reading of the prophets, and the benediction; (e) thetranslation and explanation of the Scripture lesson. There is no mention made of the

singing of songs, of praise. But there is strong ground for saying that praise was

included under the prayer. There is such a close connection between prayer andpraise that they could easily go under one name. Prayer includes the giving of thanks to

God. Praise may include confession and petition, as well as the giving of thanks.http://exclusivepsalmody.com/2010/09/11/question-3-how-do-we-know-that-christian-worship-is-based-on-the-worship-of-the-

jewish-synagogue/

In order to understand the role of a Prayer/Worship Leader, we need to understand there

is a dynamic between the two that mimics the connection between tephillah andtehillah. They are virtually synonymous in attitude and expression. They operate best

when they are together and in agreement.

As a matter of course, we could say that there is a theology of agreement. It is grounded

in the idea that Father, Son and Holy Spirit are so unified in heart and agreement that they

are One. Jesus prayer in John 17 is one long discourse on unity/agreement. Agreementalone is powerful (consider the Tower of Babel). Agreement forged in love is the ultimate

creative force. Its a profound motif that can be followed from beginning to end in the

scripture. It is The Marriage Motif. It begins with God forming Adam and fashioning

Eve from His side and ends with The New Adam (The Lord Jesus) The Bride (theChurch) formed from Jesus pierced side and the dwelling of God with man.

Union/agreement with God is likened to joy in marriage. Psalm 45 is a beautiful Psalmdescribing the Marriage of the Bridegroom King. Verse 7 refers to the anointing oil

poured out upon the king as the "oil of joy." The writer of the book of Hebrews quotes

this passage when speaking of the Messiah: But of the Son He says, "Your throne, O

God, is forever and ever, and the righteous scepter is the scepter of his kingdom. You

have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore God, your God, has anointedyou with the oil of gladness above your companions."(Hebrews 1:8-9, quoting Psalm

45:6-7) Psalm 133 says, How good and pleasant it is when Gods people live together

in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, runningdown on Aarons beard, down on the collar of his robe. It is as if the dew of Hermon

were falling on Mount Zion. For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life

forevermore. We are Zion, the dwelling place of God (according to the writer ofHebrews12:21-23). Both Psalms give tender insights into the glorious joy of agreement

forged in love.

B. A Symphony of Love

Lets expand this concept by looking at a commonly quoted passage on agreement inMatthew 18 (Well look at the passage in context later on but the conclusions we come to by singling outthis test will not be affected adversely by our treatment here.) In verse 19-20,The Lord Jesus says:


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"Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask,

it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven.

Consider another translation based upon the more simplistic translation of the Greek:Heres the provision if (duo) two are (sumphoneo)symphonious (harmonious) on the

earth over the (pragma) defined deed they (aiteo) ask/crave/desire they will(ginomai) cause it to be known/generate it to them from/beside/near/around/by (para)

my Father in Heaven.

"For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their

midst."

For where two or three (sunago) lead together in My (onoma)character/name/identity/authority, I am in the (mesos) middle.

The Greek text reveals a beautiful nuance illustrating the effect of harmony/agreement on

both Heaven and earth.

In the context of Matthew 18, Jesus is telling us that effective prayer (tephillah)exists

between people who work through their desires until they are all in agreement, i.e.,relationship that is worked out together until there is such unity in their hearts with each

other AND the character/nature (onoma) of the Lord Jesus that their hearts cry forms a

beautiful, symphonic sound/song of praise (tehillah); to the Lord, with the Lord andaround the Lord. This song moves the heart of The Father and releases a powerful

response. This dynamic answers at least part of Jesus prayer in John 17:21 that theymay all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us,

so that the world may believe that You sent Me. Jesus instructs us that the key toeffective prayer is relationship in communion.

What a marvelous thought. God is moved by the symphony of the hearts of His children,harmonizing with their Messiah, His Son and the communion is expressed in sound/song

(a foreshadow of the sound of the Bride and the Bridegroom). In response, He engages

with the song and it elicits a beautiful sound from His heart that affects Heaven and earth.Remember, the Lord created the Universe with sound-song Let there be

This idea also implies that there is a different sound produced when we gather together

than when we are solo. Solos can be beautiful and the Lord hears them and evenwitnesses to their beauty. However, there is something more powerful and beautiful than

one alone Family. Father loves family. He puts the lonely in families (God sets the

lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a

sun-scorched land. Ps. 68:6). And he looks for us to help one another BE a family. As we

do, the goal is to become harmonious with Him and with each other. Thereforeconfess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The

prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. James 5:16 He wants us to help

each other pray together in the confidence of a clean conscience by being found in His

righteousness and by restoring one another so we can all pray in boldness and unity.


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Paul tells us though that any sound that does not have love is a clanging cymbal an

offensive sound that produces nothing of worth.

1Corinthians 13:1 If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love,

I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and

know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains,but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and

if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.

Love brings sound into symphony. Only love in agreement produces a beautiful song

before the Lord. When we are in agreement with what the GOD WHO IS LOVE says

about His creation; when what we are asking for is in harmony with His heart, we pray

with His character and it touches Fathers heart in a marvelous way. A powerful soundleaps from Fathers heart and as ALL are enjoyed, the prayer is answered and there is

joy in His house.

If God is a DJ, Life is a dance floor, Love is the rhythm, You are the music, If God is aDJ, Life is a dance floor, You get what you're given, It's all how you use it. ~Pink

Whom we agree with, with whom we define ourselves by/align ourselves with, and how

we express the relationship defines the affect and effect of our prayers. Therefore as we

look at leading in prayer and worship, all we do must be viewed through the lens of

agreement/symphony/love.

C. Governmental Stewardship

One of the primary roles of humanity on earth is Governmental Stewardship. The role ofPrayer Leader must be seen through this lens if prayer is to be led in faith and executed

with right motives.

Genesis 1: 26-28 Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our

likeness; andlet them rule overthe fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and overthe cattle and overall the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."

God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and

female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful andmultiply, andfill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the

birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth."

Genesis 2:7,15 Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and

breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being15

TheLORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care ofit.

Psalm 8:4-6 What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You

care for him? Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him withglory and majesty! You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put

all things under his feet


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Psalm 115:16 The heavens are the heavens of the LORD, But the earth He has given to

the sons of men.

Each of these passages highlights the role of humanity as a steward entrusted with the

care of the earth and all that is part of it. We are intimately tied to it by our very nature inthat God created us out of the dust of the ground. He formed us from the earth and then,

by His breath, released us into life. We are the only creatures established this way. Weare made of the earth but carry the breath of Heaven.

By the Lords mysterious wisdom, in intentional partnership, He has charged us to be

stewards. Our choices affect His creation. Paul tells us that the earth and all of creation is

tied to the consequences our choices.

Romans 8:19-22 For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing

of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of

Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slaveryto corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the

whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.

Clearly, we are made to be in relationship with God and His creation. All that we do has

an impact upon creation: past, present and future. The most intriguing aspect to Paulsstatement is that The Lord Himself subjected His creation to our identity because of

Hope. There is a confidence in His heart regarding Hope and it is tied to the revelation

of Hope for His sons, i.e., the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

Paul tells us that Christ in us (corporately) is this very Hope (the hope of Glory). Jesus

identified Himself with us by becoming human; i.e., part of His creation. God becameflesh and was endowed with the Breath of Life. Then, after His victory on the Cross and

His Resurrection, He re-enacts the creation of man when He breathes His Spirit into thedisciples (i.e., the new-born church).

John 20:21-23 Again Jesus said, Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am

sending you. 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, Receive the Holy Spirit. 23

If you forgive anyones sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are

not forgiven.

Note what we are now charged with: the power and responsibility to forgive. In this

exchange, He not only renews our charge but He adds to it. The foremost thought in theLords mind before He ascends is reconciliation and forgiveness. Incredible. Thegovernment of our stewardship as a new creation is now defined by forgiveness.

D. Sonship: The Mark of Authority


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We are identified by whom we align ourselves with and call our Father, based upon our

relationship with Jesus. If you knew me, you would know my Father also. (John 8:19)

We choose to whom we will submit to (agree with), i.e., the father of lies or the Father ofLights. We are created from the earth and from Heaven. We choose lies or Life, darkness

or Light.

John 8:12-47 is a treatise on the choice of Fathers. Its very explicit and too important to

shorten:

12When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, I am the light of the world. Whoever

follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.The Phariseeschallenged him, Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not

valid. Jesus answered, Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I

know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I come fromor where I am going. You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one. But if I

do judge, my decisions are true, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who

sent me. In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is true. I amone who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me. Then theyasked him, Where is your father? You do not know me or my Father, Jesus replied.

If you knew me, you would know my Father also.He spoke these words while

teaching in the temple courts near the place where the offerings were put. Yet no oneseized him, because his hour had not yet come. But he continued, You are from

below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you

would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in yoursins. Who are you? they asked. Just what I have been telling you from the

beginning, Jesus replied. I have much to say in judgment of you. But he who sent me is

trustworthy, and what I have heard from him I tell the world. They did not understand

that he was telling them about his Father. So Jesus said, When you have lifted up theSon of Man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own but

speak just what the Father has taught me. The one who sent me is with me; he has not

left me alone, forI always do what pleases him.Even as he spoke, many believed inhim. To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, If you hold to my teaching, you are

really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. They

answered him, We are Abrahams descendants and have never been slaves of anyone.How can you say that we shall be set free? Jesus replied, Very truly I tell you,

everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family,

but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. I knowthat you are Abrahams descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me, because

you have no room for my word.I am telling you what I have seen in the Fathers

presence, andyou are doing what you have heard from your father. Abraham is our

father, they answered. If you were Abrahams children, said Jesus, then you

woulddo what Abraham did. As it is, you are looking for a way to kill me, a man who

has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. You are

doing the works of your own father. We are not illegitimate children, they protested.The only Father we have is God himself. Jesus said to them, If God were your

Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own;


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God sent me. Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hearwhat I say.

You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your fathers desires.

He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, forthere is no truth in

him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! Can any of you prove me guilty of sin?

If I am telling the truth, why dont you believe me? Whoever belongs to God hears what

God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.

Whom we identify with as Father defines whose desire we carry out. Whom we agree

with and what we agree upon has an effect upon what we say and do. When we align

ourselves with the father of lies, we are unable to hear Jesus and all we do hear isaccusation and twisted words, therefore, that is all we release around us. We dwell in

accusation and lies. The effect is death, i.e., murder.

When we align our hearts with Father Gods heart and agree with each other in prayer byfaith, the effect is the release of life, truth, freedom, and love for Jesus, Father God and

the Holy Spirit. The Will and Kingdom of Heaven is expressed here upon the earth in

partnership with the Church.

Ephesians 3:10-11 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of

God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms,

according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.

In our abiding relationship with Jesus, we are able to hear and to see what Father God is

doing and then naturally do what pleases Him. If we pay close attention to Jesus pattern,

we see that the true mark of mature authority is Sonship that says and does what Father isdoing. The following statement defines maturity: The Son only does what the Father is

doing.

When we pray, we also identify with our Father as the source of our provision. Who weidentify with governs Who we go to when we are in need as well as what we see, hear

and proclaim in all circumstances. What we believe as Prayer and Worship Leader sets

the tone and direction of thoughts for the entire room. Our position as sons is to point tothe Father and that pointing, in faith, helps to release joy.

John 16: 22-24 So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you

will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.

23

In that day you will no longer ask meanything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 24

Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and

your joy will be complete.

Now, the prayer that the Lord taught us as disciples has a renewed fervor in it for all of

us. Read it again as a steward of the earth and as a son of God, endowed withforgiveness:


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Matthew 6: 9-13 This, then, is how you should pray: 'Our Father in heaven, hallowedbe your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us

today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And

lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. 'For if you forgive men when

they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive

men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

E. Biblical Justice

Biblical justice is powerful motivator for prayer. Luke tells us in Chapter 18 that the Lord

releases justice quickly when His chosen pray night and day. In order to pray for justice

with confidence, we must understand that biblical justice is very different from our own

thoughts of bringing down punishment. It needs to be transformed in our thoughts from afear-based term into a love-based redemptive term.

Our first view of justice is found in the model of early Israeli Judges. Later, we see itthrough the pathos of God expressed in the prophetic books. (Abraham Heschel does a

wonderful job defining this topic in his book, The Prophets.) However, it must bereviewed maturely through the perfect lens of Jesus, the Righteous Judge. It must bedefined by what He has to say about the subject and also by what He DID to both

establish it and fulfill it.

Simplified, the Hebraic view is that justice is expending ones strength on behalf of theweak and setting things right. In its maturity, however, it is ultimately agreeing with

Fathers assessment of what is good (as Jesus says, Only God is Good.) and adjusting

all things to the Plumb line: Jesus. (John 13-15 gives us a great deal of instruction about

these ideas. Please take the time to re-read these chapters.) Things like love,

forgiveness, healing, emancipation, redemption, reconciliation; deliverance, salvation,

etc. are more accurate pictures of Jesus interaction with humanity and thereforeexemplify true biblical justice.

John and Paul both wrote letters to the church that succinctly describe the relationship

between fear and punishment regarding justice and then they distance us from them both

by redefining our lives as children in Christ by love. Listen for the echoes of John 8 as weare placed, in Christ, into the same relationship that Jesus has with the Father and we are

given instructions to love the same way:

1John 3: 1 How great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called

children of God; and such we are For this reason the world does not know us, because

it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared asyet what we will be We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will

see Him just as He is.

1John 4: 4-19 You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; becausegreater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. They are from the world;

therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God;

he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us.By this we


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know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. Beloved, let us love one another, for loveis from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does

not love does not know God, for God is love. By this the love of God was manifested in

us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through

Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be

the propitiation for our sins.Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love oneanother. No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us,

and His love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us,because He has given us of His Spirit. We have seen and testify that the Father has sent

the Son to be the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God,

God abides in him, and he in God. We have come to know and have believed the lovewhich God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and

God abides in him. By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in

the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. This is how love is

made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In thisworld we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear,

because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.We love because he first loved us.

Romans 8:15 Foryou have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fearagain, butyou

have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!

Suffice it to say, as we abide in Jesus, Our Bridegroom-King-Judge and align our prayerswith Him, our requests are aligned to be answered with true justice because the Son only

does what the Father is doing and He alone judges rightly (John 8). He is LOVE.

Now, if Jesus is God, and God is Love (1John), He is perfect love and love casts out fear

because fear involves punishment (1 John 4). If the son judges righteously and mercy

triumphs over judgment, (James 2:13) and we are now sons, what sort of judges shouldwe become? How shall we pray?? Should we be ones who hurl punishment like fire

(Luke 9:54)? Or ones who intercede in love like God, Our consuming fire? (Hebrews

12:29) Consider this: A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering (dimlyburning) wick He will not quench, till He brings justice and a just cause to

victory.(Matthew 12:20)

The sons of God, connected rightly with their Father, are entirely redemptive. We are

given the ministry of reconciliation (2Cor. 5:18). As we align with Father, we also alignwith His assessment (rather than our own) of what is good and what is evil. We gladly

leave judgment to Him and we draw from the Tree of Life now instead of the Tree of the

Knowledge of Good and Evil.

Matthews Gospel gives us another glimpse into Gods heart for justice and once again itentirely merciful and redemptive. (Note: verse and chapter are artificially applied to

scripture. In this case, what is referred to as Chapter 18 is often taken apart and used outof context. I have removed the markers for the sake of context.) Here, Jesus is speaking tohis disciples about the heart posture of those who are considered great in His Kingdom


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and He points out the meek, humble, joyful freedom of a child as our model. He then

connects that thought to each of us and expresses His desire that we cherish, protect and

honor each other in that posture; taking care to not be a source of pain, separation or harmfor anyone. As we pick up in verse 12, we find He focuses our attention on just how

much He cares for all of us as well as highlighting how we should care for one another:

Matthew 18: 12-What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them

wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one

that wandered off? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep

than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father inheaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish. If your brother or sister

sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you

have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so thatevery matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. If they still

refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat

them as you would a pagan or a tax collector. (Personal note: Jesus hung out with tax collectors.

Matthew, the writer of this Gospel was one!) Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will bebound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, truly I

tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done forthem by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with

them. Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, Lord, how many times shall I forgive my

brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times? Jesus answered, I tell you,

not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

Look at the key postures:

2. The fullness of purpose (i.e., 100% of the sheep)

3. The intention of salvation for all

4. Redemption of the circumstances

5. Discrete admonishment with the goal of immediate restoration

6. Agreement with one another and the Lord for the purpose of

releasing Heaven on earth

7. Forgiveness without measure

In the role of Prayer Leader, these postures should always guideand guard the prayer meeting. We are to guard the meeting from

assessments and accusations.

Remember the lessons from the enticement of the ultimate accuser in Genesis 2 & 3:

Genesis 2:15-17 Then the LORD God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden

to cultivate it and keep it. The LORD God commanded the man, saying, "From any tree


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of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil youshall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die."

Genesis 3:4-6 The serpent said to the woman, "You surely will not die! For God knows

that in the day you eat from ityour eyes will be opened, and you will be like God,

knowing good and evil."When the woman sawthat the tree was good for food, and thatit was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took

from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.

We made a decision that usurped Gods assessment of what was good and evil. We made

a poorly advised, immature, independent grab at judgment and wreaked havoc. Now,because of Jesus, the New Adam, we as His Body get a do over! We get to relinquish

our judgments and agree with His. He alone can judge what is good or evil. We get to

agree and with Him make things right through Him and to Him.

John 5:22-30 Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the

Son,

23

that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honorthe Son does not honor the Father, who sent him. Very truly I tell you, whoever hears myword and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has

crossed over from death to life. Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come

when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. For asthe Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And

he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man. Do not be amazed at

this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and comeoutthose who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is

evil will rise to be condemned. By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my

judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.

Jesus, the Christ is the anointed King of The Kingdom of Heaven/God as well as thekingdoms of this earth. We are being trained in humility and mercy to reign in and with

Him. Together, in agreement and faith, He has given us the joy an honor to impact the

kingdoms of this world. The end result defines the means i.e., Love, Grace, Mercy,Blessing, Forgiveness, Salvation, Redemption, Resurrection, Sanctification, and Pre-

destination! ALL of our prayers should line up with these intentions. We should have

nothing to do with the accuser including accusing!

Daniel 7: 21 "I kept looking, and that horn was waging war with the saints and

overpowering them until the Ancient of Days came and judgment was passed in favor of

the saints of the Highest One, and the time arrived when the saints took possession ofthe kingdom. "Thus he said: 'The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on the earth,

which will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth and

tread it down and crush it. 'As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings will arise;and another will arise after them, and he will be different from the previous ones and will

subdue three kings. He will speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of

the Highest One, and he will intend to make alterations in times and in law; and they will

be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time. 'But the court will sit for


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judgment, and his dominion will be taken away, annihilated and destroyed forever.

'Then the sovereignty, the dominion and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the

whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His kingdom

will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him .

Revelation 11:15 "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord andof his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever."

Revelation 12:10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: "Now have come thesalvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ.

For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has

been hurled down.

1 Corinthians 15:20-28 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of

those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of

the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made

alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those whobelong to him. Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the

Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. Forhe must reignuntil he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

For he "has put everything under his feet." Now when it says that "everything" has been

put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything

under Christ. When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him

who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.

In Ephesians 2 we are told where we are positioned in Heaven with Him now and it is

from this position that we pray.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, evenwhen we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace

you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, andseated us with Him in the

heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the

surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

And finally, consider this thought: Oddly enough, when we have been seasoned in mercy

and forgiveness, we eventually DO judge but this time everything is different and weare no longer making a grab as babies but are instead in partnership with Jesus, through

the lens of His Victory on the Cross, now formed into a matured Bride.

1 Corinthians 6:2-3 Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? Ifthe

world is judged by you, are you not competent to constitute the smallest law courts? Do

you not know thatwe will judge angels? How much more matters of this life?

Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians 1:4-14, reveals our identity in this role as well as our

goal:


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He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy andblameless before HimIn love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ

to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His

grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption

through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His

grace, which He lavished on us.In all wisdom and insight He made known to us themystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a

view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up

of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him also we

have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who

works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first tohope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. In Him, you also, after listening to

the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation--having also believed, you were sealed

in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, Who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, witha view to the redemption of God's own possession,to the praise of His glory.

In verses 15ff, he then provides us an instructive model for corporate prayer:

For this reason I too, having heard of the

8. Faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love

for all the saints

a. Faith in the Lord Jesus

b. Faith that is corporate

c. Love for all of the Saints

9. Do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of youin my prayers;

a. Thanksgiving surrounding those who are in our affection in

prayer

10. That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may

give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge

of Him.

a. Our focus is anchored upon Father

b. Understanding that it is Him Who gives value and worth to the

one who is loved (you). (That is glory the value and worth of

the one loved.) He alone is the source of your value.


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c. Operating in a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the

knowledge of Him should elicit thought. True wisdom is the

ability to apply knowledge revealed by God to the end that theresult is in line with what is intended, blessed and ordained by

God.

Timothy O. Smith wrote As this concerns the knowledge of the things of God, thewisdom of God enables us to apply the knowledge of God effectively to produce goodresults. Through revelation we gain understanding of truth and our knowledge of the

things of God increases. Through a spirit of wisdom we are enabled to apply the truths

we have learned and as a result we become very fruitful. If I am to know anything aboutHim, it must be revealed to me. If I am to walk in the light of the knowledge I have, I

need His wisdom.

Some of us have been facing situations that need to change. We have prayed, tried to

believe, confessed the promises, rebuked the devil, fasted, wept and all but given up. We

tried everything we know. We have had revelations from God and we know many things

about scripture. Yet for all we know, some things just don't change. You see we are not tojust have a spirit of revelation, so we can know truth; we are to have a spirit of wisdom so

we can apply truth. When we follow the wisdom the Spirit gives for the things we are

facing we will see change. A spirit of wisdom and revelation means I come alive withwisdom. I come alive with revelation, because it is the Spirit of a thing that makes it

alive. http://limitlessreality.blogspot.com/

11. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, SO

a. For God, who said, " Light shall shine out of darkness," is the

One who has shone in ourhearts to give the Light of the

knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. 2Cor. 4:6

12. That you will know what is the hope of His calling

a. This idea is tied both to our inheritance as the saved and as

over comers

13. What are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,

and

a. We are His portion/inheritance of priesthood and He is ours!

14. What is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us whobelieve

These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought

about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand inthe heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every

name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all

things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church,which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.


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A. The Mystery of Faith, Hope, Love

When all is said and done, there are occasions when we struggle to discern and pray or

when we have worked through agreement and faith in wisdom and revelation and yet the

outcome differs from our hopes and expectations. It is in this place that we discover wemust rest in the mystery of faith, hope and love where we believe all things, endure all

things, hope all things (1Cor.13) and trust. that God knows and He is the One Whowill wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there

will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away."

Revelation 21:4 Those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting. Psalm 126:5

III. ADDITIONAL METAPHORICAL IMAGES OF A PRAYER LEADER:

A. A Warrior: Militancy in the Context of Worship

Psalm 144:1-2 Blessed be the LORD my Rock, who trains my hands for war,

my fingers for battle. My lovingkindness and my fortress, my high tower and

my deliverer, my shield, and He in whom I take refuge, who subdues my peopleunder me.

This passage describes a crucial posture for the Prayer Leader and the entire

Team. It is The Lord who trains us and we cannot rely upon our own wisdom.

His ways are much higher than ours and we are engaging in an arena that requirescomplete dependence upon Him. All that we engage in as worshiping intercessors

is both a training event and the real deal all at the same time.

First, consider the opening word Blessed. It implies kneeling on our behalf andsetting our thoughts in honor toward Him. We begin in Worship. It is the place we

set out from. It serves to anchor us in the emotional posture of the Lord. The Lordis entirely Happy (Blessed) and at Peace. He is the One with true wisdom andThe Commander in Chief.

Understanding that God is at peace and happy/blessed secures us in this truth: Healways relates in loving kindness toward us which in turn encourages us to stay

close; i.e., in the shadow of His protection. Abiding in the One whom we take

refuge in is not an intellectual exercise but the frame of mind and heart that wemust not step away from. As such, the picture it creates is a novice protected by

Abbas giant Father figure. His shield is in front of us defending us as He moves

us forward with Him teaching us to battle our enemies. It also implies an honor

and authority that is released upon us from the people we serve. The instruction issimple. Stay inside Papas love.

After further development in scripture, we find that our weapons are not carnal atall but are the alignment of all things with the Truth of Christ.

Compare Psalm 144:1-2 to Ephesians 6:10-18 and 2 Corinthians 10:3-6


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Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of

God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 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. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so

that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, andafter you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth

buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and

with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In

addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish

all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the

sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all

occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and

always keep on praying for all the saints. Pray also for me, that whenever I

open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known

the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I

may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The

weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they

have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every

pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive

every thought to make it obedient to Christ. And we will be ready to punish

every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete

All of this is a necessary prelude to engaging effectively in prayer as a communityand a leader under the overall Leadership of God.

The Prayer Leader and the team do not engage in criticism of the Body of Christor even of the world. We instead align our thoughts and hearts with Gods Loving

Kindness. We are ministers of reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5:17-19

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the

new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through

Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the

world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has

committed to us the message of reconciliation.

B. A Bride: Intercession from Intimacy

As women are called to be sons of God, so men are called to be the Bride of Christ.

Both describe a position of great privilege before God for the redeemed. These privileges

do not point to something that is intrinsically male or female, but to that which transcendsgender (Gal. 3:28). 28There isneither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ

Jesus. (Gal. 3:28) Assons of God, we are in a position to experience Gods throne as

heirs of His power. As theBride of Christ, we are in a position to experience Gods

heart, His deep desire for us. Our longing to be wholehearted and abandoned to God


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requires the impartation of Gods love to our hearts (Rom 5:5). Only by living abandoned

to Jesus can we know the joy of lovesickness. The heart of the Bride desires to walk in

the power that enables her to give the deepest affection of her heart to Jesus (Mt. 22:37),to have an enlarged capacity to love Jesus more, and the power to be loyal in love. Mike

Bickle

Isaiah 61:10 I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he

has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of hisrighteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a brideadorns herself with her jewels.

John 3:29 The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the

bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the

bridegrooms voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete

We, as the corporate church are betrothed to Christ (see Ephesians 5) and anticipate the

great Marriage of the Lamb (Revelation 19:6-8). This speaks of intimacy in partnership.We are presently learning to operate from this reality. In Lukes Gospel, Jesus instructs

us in prayer; comparing the tenacity of a widows interaction with an uncaring judge tothe release of Justice by the Lord at the request of His betrothed. If a widow can enjoin

God for justice, how much more will God respond to the one He has chosen?

Luke 18:1-8 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should

always pray and not give up. He said: In a certain town there was a judge whoneither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that

town who kept coming to him with the plea, Grant me justice against my

adversary. For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, Even

though I dont fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keepsbothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she wont eventually come

and attack me! And the Lord said, Listen to what the unjust judge says. And

will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day andnight? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice,

and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the

earth?

We are to pray from a position of transparency and intimacy as one accepted in the

Beloved. (Ephesians 1:6)

C. A Priest: Ministry to God and Man

"For the Lord your God has chosen him out of all your tribes, to stand to serve in thename of the Lord, him and his sons forever." (Deut. 18:5)

Who are the Priests? The first kohen, the founder of the priestly clan, was Aaron,brother of Moses, of the tribe of Levi. All of Israel is descended from the twelve sons of

Jacob. Jacob's third son was Levi, and Aaron was a fourth generation descendant of Levi.

Aaron and his four sons were designated as the first priests; Aaron served as the firstHigh Priest. All of his male descendants were chosen by God to be priests forever; it is an


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eternal covenant. Thus even today, a kohen amongst the Jewish people is genealogically

a direct descendant of Aaron.

The Role of the Priests: The Holy One chose these men to be in a position of spiritual

leadership. In the days of the Temple, they were responsible for the sacred service. The

Hebrew word kohen actually means, "to serve," and a deeper linguistic connection can befound in the word ken, meaning, "yes," itself related to kivvun, "to direct." Thus a kohen

is called upon to direct himself, and others, in the proper service of God: "And you,separate your brother Aaron and his sons from among the Israelites, and bring them

close to you... so they can serve me." (Ex. 28:1)

A Conduit for the Reception of Divine Blessing: The reader is undoubtedly most familiar

with the primary role which the priests perform in the Temple, that of officiating at thesacrifices and other parts of the service. But more importantly, by attending to the various

aspects of the Divine service, the priests serve as a conduit to bring down God's radiant

blessing and influence into this world. In fact, it is on this account that they are

commanded to deliver God's blessing of peace and love to the people, as well: "Say toAaron and his sons... Thus shall you bless the people of Israel: 'May the Lord bless youand protect you. May the Lord shine His face upon you, and be gracious unto you. May

the Lord lift up His face to you and may He grant you peace'."(Numbers 6:22 - 26) http://www.templeinstitute.org/red_heifer/levitical_priests.htm

Jesus is our High Priest. There is no other now. However, our priesthood is in Him, likea seed that is being formed in to maturity. In Jesus, the priesthood does not lose

identity from one covenant to another; it is transformed. It is defined by Him and

expressed in a symphony with His church; i.e., the new creation. It is no longer areligious role or foreshadow. It is an identity kind of like Pinocchio becoming a real

boy and the identity has gained depth, grace and Glory in Truth because it is defined

perfectly by Jesus, i.e., Christ in us the Hope of Glory. Colossians 1 is ALL about thistransformation. Beginning in verse 9:

We have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the

knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will

walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit

in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened withall power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness

and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, (Thats the role of a priest.)

Who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in LightFor Herescued us transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have

redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (The mediation of a priest) through Himto reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of Hiscross; (priestly sacrifice) He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body

through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond

reproach-- if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast,

and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard themystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, buthas now

been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the


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riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you,

the hope of glory. We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every

man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.

As priests, defined in Christ Jesus, we continue in the joy of blessing and proclamation

to people and to the Lord. Its just got a glory to it that shatters our dirty, earthenvessels with HIS righteousness, surpasses our wildest imaginations and dives deep into

the eternal glory that is defined byHis worth and value in Love. We get a view into this

reality from a Heavenly perspective in The Book of Revelation

Revelation 5: 6-10 Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at

the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. TheLamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out

into all the earth. 7 He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who

sat on the throne. 8 And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the

twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were

holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of Gods people.

9

And theysang a new song, saying: You are worthy to take the scroll and to

open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased forGod persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have

made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign onthe earth.

IV. LEADERSHIP IN THE CONTEXT OF HARP AND BOWL

In this House of Prayer, we are learning to cooperate with the Lord in worship-filledprayer through a model we call Harp and Bowl. It is a relational model that employs

music, spoken/sung word and teamwork so we can engage in worship-filled prayer for

extended periods of time as a community. The model simply serves us in workingtogether to hear Gods heart and agree with him in praying for the Kingdom of God to be

fully manifested here on earth as it is in Heaven.

The Harp and Bowl Team should be understood as the entire group gathered for prayer.

The core H&B Team consists of:

A. The Prayer Leader

B. The Worship Leader

C. Musicians

D. Antiphonal Singers (i.e., intercessory singers who sing their prayers)

E. The Chorus Leader (i.e., an intercessory singer who takes the prayersbeing sung and forms a chorus that captures the prayer and leads the

room into singing it until all are in agreement vocally and emotionally)


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F. Other Artists participating in leading worship (i.e., Dancers, Writers,

Illustrators, etc.)

G. The Room full of Worshiping Intercessors (a more fluid part of the team

but they should always be considered part of the team of the day)

The Prayer Leader is partnered with the Worship Leader to give direction to the Harp &Bowl Team for the purpose of agreement in prayer.

The Prayer Leader is a key role, although the entire team shares the burden. Its purpose isto facilitate corporate unity, worship and agreement in prayer. The Prayer Leader sets the

tone and focus of prayer for the core H & B team and, later, for the more fluid emerging

team that we refer to as the room.

The Prayer Leader is primarily a servant and a facilitator; keeping their heart tuned to

following the leading of the Holy Spirit while assisting the room to flow in agreement.

V. FUNCTIONAL IDENTITY OF A PRAYER LEADER

A. A Lead Worshiper

B. A Watchman and Listener

2. Watching for movement by the Holy Spirit on the room and

listening to His heart in prayer

3. Watching for the movements of the team (core & room) and

listening for what is needed to pull together corporate agreement

A. A Facilitator and Team-builder

4. Helping the room see itself as part of the team

5. Assisting them to pray on the microphone

6. Looking for opportunities to move the room into individual

ministry, small group prayer or rapid-fire prayer

A. A Navigator

The Prayer Leader leads the core H&B team into partnership with the

room, leading both into a cooperative expression of worship, prayer andthe prophetic by:

7. Seeking and communicating the rhythms being established bythe Holy Spirit

8. Identifying/declaring the object or intention of the prayer cycle,


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9. Identifying passage of scripture being prayed and then

10. Narrowing the biblical passage/prayer to an isolated phrase of

roughly 3-5 words that can be meditated upon by the antiphonal

singers and the larger community.

A. A Conductor

The Prayer Leader, during the praying segment of Harp and Bowl, directs

the musicians/singers and the worshipers/intercessors in the room in thetiming of their participation so they may do so with boldness and

confidence. This leadership helps us navigate the journey together. The

entire community is a team serving the needs of the whole and preferringone another individually and corporately. The Prayer Leader and Worship

Leader partner together so that, we, i.e., the entire room:

11. Engage in Gods Beauty

12. Minister to the Lord in song, dance, other arts

13. Meditate on the Lord and His Word

14. Pray in the Spirit and with our minds

15. Add agreement to the prayer focus with our thoughts and

emotions

16. Lead/participate in small group prayer & ministry to individuals

17. Becomes the battering ram of prayer in the rapid fire sequences

18. Cultivates thankful hearts; blessing God and His Kingdom

A. A Coordinator

The Prayer Leader also serves as a coordinator for the room so prayer can

either be engaged in as a whole, in small groups, individually- in ministryto one another, or by leading a rapid fire succession as 15-30 second

prayers that are targeted and released specifically upon the identified

focus.

B. A Redeemer

Sometimes the room can move off target or a prayer is prayed that has amore negative tone to it; pulling the direction into discordance or

dissonance (i.e., a bad note no harmony). The Prayer Leader is then a

redeemer of thoughts and notes (i.e., one who gives focus and often

re-focuses the room on the target at hand) by adjusting the prayers of theroom to be edifying and restoring the harmony/symphony.


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VI. THE PRACTICAL FUNCTIONS OF THE PRAYER LEADER

A. Seeks the Lord for the overall focus and scriptures to be used prior to the

meeting (although there is certainly room to switch by the prompting of

the Holy Spirit)

B. Partners with the Worship Leader to communicate the agenda of the

prayer meeting to the Harp and Bowl core team

C. Pays attention to the Holy Spirits prompting for direction during themeeting

D. At the appropriate time in the H&B cycle, communicates the focus to theroom by leading these steps out loud and amplified by the microphone:

2. Identify the prayer focus, e.g. The Church on Long Island,

Missionaries- Local and Abroad, etc.

3. Identify the scripture to be prayed, e.g., Ephesians 1:17-21

4. Read the scripture

5. Pray the scripture verbatim

6. Pray in line with the scripture out of own heart and with theannounced prayer focus as the target (e.g. Father, we pray for the

Church on Long Island; that she would be filled with a spirit of

wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of You)

7. Narrow the prayer to a 3-5 word phrase (roughly) from thescripture that was identified (e.g. release to her the spirit of

wisdom and revelation that she might know You)

8. Repeat the phrase 2-3 times so the antiphonal singers identify it

(e.g. release a spirit of wisdom and revelation)

9. Finalize the identification of the phrase by declaring it in Jesus

name (e.g. In Jesus name release a spirit of wisdom andrevelation to know You.)

10. Highlight the phrase spaced through the antiphonal singing untilyou and the team are ready to move on and then let them know

that you are moving on by saying Amen

11. If the Chorus or Worship Leader has picked a chorus to unite the

room, they will signal by tacking on Oh, Lord to the chorus to

signal an end so the Prayer Leader can confidently moveforward.


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12. Introduce the next phrase in the overall prayer (e.g. that the eyes

of her heart would be enlightened) or a new scripture with the

same target (e.g. Tell the room that you are still praying for theChurch but are now praying Ephesians 3:14-21. Start again by

reading and praying the scripture, etc.)

13. When you are ready to move on and introduce a new cycle, do so

by saying Thank You, Lord and looking at the Worship

Leader who will refocus the room on worship and the H&B cyclebegins again. (2-3 songs, singing in the spirit, chorus by Worship

Leader, signaling the prayer leader with Lets pray when

ready and then launching a 2-4 chord progression to serve theprayer.)

VII. THE MECHANICS OF HARP & BOWL: A CYCLICAL PATTERN

A. Corporate Worship (2-3 songs)

B. Spontaneous Singing: Devotional, Scriptural, in the Spirit

C. Development of a Biblical passage through prayer and antiphonal singing

2. The Prayer Leader:

a. Establishes prayer focus

b. Communicates prayer direction by reading through the prayer

c. Prays the main burden 1-2 min

d. Isolates a phrase (to 3-5 words) Choose phrases that are easy

to express our heart responses to God

e. Keeps the phrase before the team and the people

f. May continue to contribute 5 10 sec. prayers within flow of

HS

g. Keeps each developed theme to 1-2 minutes only unless there

is unction on it Usually use one Stanza and 1-3 isolated

phrases within the stanza per cycle - 5 Min of antiphonal tops


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VIII. WORSHIP CYCLE 3 PARTS (WL= WORSHIP LEADER, PL= PRAYER

LEADER)

A. Worship songs: for approx. 20 minutes to give the team and the room time

to focus on the Beauty of the Lord and sync their hearts with Him

B. Spontaneous singing/engaging with The Holy Spirit in Song: for approx. 5

minutes (feel free to go longer if there is life on it)

2. Singing Freely

3. Singing in Tongues

A. Develop a Biblical passage: The Prayer Leader and the Antiphonal Singers

(i.e., singing intercessors) develop themes through isolated phrases andresponsive singing (10-15 minutes). They are, in essence, forming

agreement by:

4. Isolating a phrase : the PL clearly designates (echoes) one key

phrase from the biblical sentence that the prophetic singers may

develop by singing around it.

a. The PLs goal is to make one phrase obvious to the propheticsingers as the phrase from which to develop a theme.

b. The PL isolates only 3-7 words from the biblical sentence. Thismakes an easy target for the singers so that we reach a swell

or crescendo in singing the Word.

c. In this relationship, the PL is to speak only short phrases (3-7

words), not sentences and paragraphs to keep us on target

d. The PL may isolate phrases that cause us to branch out into

other themes within the cycle. They may emphasize this by

exactly repeating a phrase that a singer just sang, or by

repeating their own phrase twice or by saying In the name

of Jesus before a phrase. Often there will be more energy inthe worship cycle if we would not linger too long in developing

a passage.

5. Spontaneous Choruses : the Chorus leader/ WL establishspontaneous choruses for all to sing (8-10 times so the room

catches onto the chorus) at anytime. Choruses are the mosteffective way to engage a room in any prayer format. Sing one of

Gods names to signal the last time a chorus is to be sung.


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IX. RIGHT OF WAY/SEQUENCE OF SINGING

A. Worship Leader

B. Associate Worship Leader

C. Chorus leader/Singer #1 (Nearest to the Prayer Leader)

D. Singer# 2, etc. down the line

E. Singers on Instruments

F. Prayer Leader is last

X. ADDITIONAL NOTES FOR THE ROOM (FROM THE KC PRAYER

MANUAL)

The power to engage in night and day prayer is found in having a heart that enjoysGod. Encountering Gods beauty and desire for us is where we most enjoy our

primary reward, which is God Himself.

Our primary reward is not the breakthrough of revival. Revival is fantastic, but it

is our secondary reward. Jesus Himself is our primary reward. We carry thisreward inside our hearts. We live with a fascinated heart as we drink deeply of

Gods beauty and desire for us. That is our joy. Here are some tips to engage:

A. Ask God to reveal His beauty to you

B. Read the Word, turning it into dialogue with God.

2. When we dialogue with God about His Word, we invite Him to

tell us about who He is and we open our hearts to the very nature

and therefore, beauty, of God.

A. Pray in the Spirit and sing spontaneously

I will SING WITH THE SPIRIT, and I will also SING WITH

THE UNDERSTANDING.(1 Cor. 14:14-15)

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching andadmonishing one another IN PSALMS AND HYMNS AND SPIRITUAL SONGS,

SINGING WTH GRACE IN YOUR HEARTS TO THE LORD.(Col. 3:16)

Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, SINGING

AND MAKING MELODY IN YOUR HEART TO THE LORD.(Eph. 5:19)


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3. Our personal prayer language edifies us by renewing our inner

man, or, charging our spiritual battery. It tenderizes our spirit

with the knowledge of God. Praying in the Spirit makes ussensitive to small fragments of divine information. The Lord

imparts divine information about whom He is and how to pray.

4. Singing spontaneously releases both the faith and intensity to

encounter the manifest presence of God. This opens the human

spirit to the Holy Spirit in an enhanced way.

A. The Benefits of Praying and Singing in Tongues:

5. It is a universal benefit. It is not just reserved for those with aspecial calling.

6. It is easy to operate in tongues. It does not require specialtraining.

7. It is a free gift to all without the need to earn anything.

Therefore, there is no pride of attainment.

8. It unifies intercessors instead of isolating them in individual

prayer.

9. It inspires our spirit rather than leaving us with spiritual dullness

before God.

10. It focuses our spirit on God rather than requiring the need for

constant creative language.

11. It has a deep impact reaching the inner man and not just ourintellect.

12. It expands our capacity in the Lord. In other words, when ourspirit is engaged, our mind can still receive from God and others.

13. It gives us the ability to continue long hours in prayer without

being limited by our human language and affection.

14. It is a springboard into other spiritual gifts.

A. Experience Gods desire

This means to understand and sense, or feel, what God wants do in us, in

others and in the events of human history on the earth and into eternity.

When the Holy Spirit reveals this information to us, we can actually feelthe emotions of Gods heart inside of us. It is an exhilarating sensation

that energizes and frees us from wrong mindsets. How do we experience

Gods desire?


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B. Pray the prayers of Scripture.

Praying the prayers that come from Gods heart enhances the enjoyment

of our intimacy with Jesus. Apostolic prayers are prayers that the apostles

prayed. The chief apostle is Jesus, and the twelve apostles have prayersrecorded in the New Testament. These apostolic prayers are Gods very

prayers, or desires.

C. Practice Praying Positive Prayers.

When we pray positive prayers, we enter into the delight of asking for the

things that bring pleasure to God. This is a gateway into feeling His desirein our inner man. New Testament Biblical prayers focus on releasing

Gods grace instead of hindering or removing negative realities like sin or

demons. There is a positive focus on the impartation of good instead of anegative focus on removing the realities of sin. The New Testament focus

usually flows along themes of joy, thankfulness and victory.* We do incorporate the negative dimensions of prayer that target confessing,

repenting, etc. However, we recognize that they are not the major focus of theNew Testament model of praying.

D. Tips to Support Positive Prayer

15. Pray to God instead of talking to people when you praycorporately. Focus on asking instead of explaining.

16. Speak directly to God be more conscious that He is watchingand listening than that others are watching and listening. This

will prompt you to direct your heart toward Him in love and

partnership.

17. Lift specific promises of Scripture up to God and ask for their

fulfillment in our present day context.

18. Ask for the in-breaking of positive things rather than the removalof negative things.

Example:

Negative Prayer: Father, I ask that You would remove darkness and deception from the

church on Long Island!Positive Prayer: Father, I ask that Your light and truth would break in upon the church

on Long Island!

*Note: God hears, cares about and discerns all prayer, whether positive or negative. Because

of our natural human tendency to become weary and discouraged, praying positive prayer

enables us to maintain prayer day by day; helping us engage in joyful supplication rather than

trying to bear the emotional weight of negative realities expressed through negative prayer.

This is especially relevant in a 24-7 prayer ministry such as IHOP. It is because of both the

Biblical model and human dynamics that we encourage positive prayer.


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XI. IHOP VALUES WHEN PRAYING ON THE MICROPHONE:

Everyone is welcomed and encouraged to pray on the microphone. Praying on themicrophone is in no way mandated, but encouraged as a way to engage your heart

in intercession and to help lead the prayer meeting. Anyone can do this, no matter

what his or her personality, style, or disposition. When you pray on themicrophone, you are helping to lead a prayer meeting. The goal is to serve the

room. These are some of our values on microphone

A. Team ministry we go farther together

B. Inclusiveness everyone can participate

C. The centrality of the scripture Gods language unifies our heart with His

and others.

D. Practical Instructions

2. If you wish to pray on the microphone, make your way toward

the prayer leader.

3. Be prepared to wait for your turn since the prayer meeting is

intermingled with worship and other prayer focuses.

4. Select a New Testament prayer or Old Testament

psalm/prophetic decree to pray out of. The key apostolicprayers list is a great place to start.

5. Please do not shout on the microphone, rather speak at amoderate volume level.

6. You have the option to pray with the singers or not. If you pause,

the singers on the platform will begin singing spontaneous

prayers. Within every 2-3 short phrases sung, you may interject

more short prayerful phrases. In this way, we are going back andforth in team ministry in intercession.

7. When you are finished, feel free to simply set the microphone

down and walk away.


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Important Note: This is not the proper forum for instruction,

teaching, preaching, correction or admonishment through the

guise of prayer. Please guard yourself from slipping this in as

part of your overall prayer. There is also no need for story

telling/context. God knows the details and all of these forms of

communication set the room up to guard their hearts ordisengage from the flow. The Section Leader alone has the

option of group instruction if there is no pre-meeting briefing

but that should be limited and only to help structure the over

all flow of the meeting.

XII. DYNAMICS ON THE MICROPHONE

A. Volume

Though it is necessary to hold the microphone very close to your mouth and to speakclearly, there is no need to shout on the microphone. A moderate volume level is

encouraged. The room is not engaged by continual shouting, but rather by dramaticcontrasts. Authority is not manifested by volume, but by Divine activity.

B. Clarity

This means that it is clear to the room what your prayer focus is. Your main points areclearly defined and prayed through and they follow each other in a logical way.

Repeating key phrases and using concise statements creates clarity.

C. Topic

Is your prayer focus one that the majority will be eager excited to partner with you on?

Praying for the Church on Long Island/NYC, or the government of our nation, etc., are

examples of focal points that the majority can join with you in.

Note: Praying for a friend or relative, especially those not known to the corporate meeting, maycause disengagement for others However, that does not imply that there is no opportunity to pray

for them on the microphone. They are certainly important!!! There are designated times as wellas Spirit led times where the Prayer Leader will turn our attention toward that as a community

and then we will do that corporately in small groups or in a rapid fire context. Please feel freeto quietly pray individually or with a friend somewhere more private in the room at any time.Again, we pray on the microphone to lead and serve the room in intercession. Praying on themicrophone does not make our prayer any more important to God; rather, it is a tool that helps

us join together in prayer.

D. Enthusiasm

This does not mean shouting or exaggerating your emotions. This means being aware thatothers are hearing you and your role is to bring them along with you in intercession.

E. Length of Prayer


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2-3 minutes is a pretty good length; 5-7 when you engage the singers and musicians. Any

longer, often the room will lose interest and disengage. Also, there are usually others

waiting to pray after you.

F. Timing

You may want to add little 2-3 second phrases in between the singers singing notduring their singing to reiterate your point to the room. Please do not shout over the

choruses. Also, it is helpful to read the room in terms of when to begin warring in the

spirit.

XIII. RAPID FIRE PRAYER

Rapid Fire Prayer is a series of short prayers, prayed on the microphone

one after the other, interspersed by choruses from the prophetic singers.Rapid Fire Prayer provides an opportunity for more people to pray on

the microphone per intercession set and it also can bring energy to a

prayer meeting because of the energizing dynamic of the short bursts ofprayer from several different voices.

A. How does a Rapid Fire Prayer cycle work?

b. The prayer leader will announce a rapid-fire cycle

c. He or she will announce what the prayer focus is and willinvite 10 15 people (anyone who wants to) to come up and

pray a ten to fifteen second prayer on the microphone.

d. The Rapid Fire cycle leader will start by praying a one or two

minute prayer.

e. After that prayer, the singers will sing a chorus.

f. Then one by one, those in line will pray a ten to fifteen second

prayer.

g. In between every few intercessors prayers, the singers will

sing a chorus.

h. Then, the next pers

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