CITYWIDE PRAYER
WHAT IS CITYWIDE
CORPORATE PRAYER?
If you have ever been curious regarding: "The Bride has made herself ready" - (See: Revelation 19:7) ... the following writing will play a BIG part in the matter.
The spirit world is at war, folks, and the war between good and evil is ever-increasingly intensifying. Satan and the demons under him fully well know that if the Bride of Christ ever got consistently - fully unified in world-wide corporate prayer - it would be their most feared threat.
When Christians don't pray and fast against evil corporately on a consistent basis - evil intensifies around this planet. God called His house (Disciples of Jesus Christ) to be "a house of PRAYER." -- not JUST a house of worship and praise, preaching and teaching with the omission of corporate prayer. Consistent individual prayer AND corporate prayer (and HUMBLING fasting) are powerful spiritual weapons God has given to His Church that are essentially worthless if not USED by soldiers of Jesus Christ. Prayerlessness can be likened to trying to fire your rifle at your enemy without having any bullets in your gun. Satan has effectively fogged the minds of way too many Christians in believing that is NOT so.
The Army of God (Christ's worldwide universal Church) is to be BOTH fearless WARRIORS and worshiping LOVERS ... not just passive lovers. If the Bride of Christ is not willing to fight for her Husband against the evil trying to destroy her Husband's desires ... what Husband would truly want to marry her ... or STAY married to her?
There is more power against evil released (More POWER from God released in angels fighting on our and His behalf) from God when Christians put aside their minor doctrinal differences and meet together corporately to pray and fast against evil that is spreading - gaining ground - like a fast-moving cancer.
The single greatest reason the Body of Christ is not engaged in consistent - unified corporate prayer (with fasting) is because Satan's relentless brainwashing of DOUBT and UNBELIEF against them has been hugely successful. When Jesus asked the question: "Yet will the Son of Man (Jesus Himself) find faith when He returns?" (See: Luke 18:8) - Seasoned prayer warriors realize He was addressing this very issue of DOUBTING believers who allowed Satan to destroy their FAITH that prayer matters. Saints - the intensity in which Satan seeks to destroy our confidence that our self-less prayers MATTER HUGELY to God can be likened to the intensity in which Satan pursued Adam and Eve to sin. Once they sinned ... it granted Satan and his demon followers power over the human race they would never had otherwise.
Therefore, I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence, for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:1-4)
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God, and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippian's 4:6-7)
Franklin Graham, son of Evangelist Billy Graham, had this very important exhortation to say in October 2014 about praying for those in authority over Christians.
Jack Hayford also shares some CRUCIAL insights regarding corporate prayer the Body of Christ in America and around the world would do well to grasp hold of:
Believing Prayer Can Change Your World and another: Believing Prayers Are Decisive
WHAT IS CITYWIDE PRAYER?
CITYWIDE - CORPORATE PRAYER is born again Christians meeting together under the headship of our Lord Jesus Christ to praise, pray and fast -- to intercede on behalf of the Father's will as the Holy Spirit leads them, because born again Christians are God's representatives on Earth.
It is not intended to be the place where individual Christians eat up precious time asking for personal prayer requests.
It is not intended to be the place where Christians eat up precious time sharing about the personal trials they are experiencing.
It is not intended to be the place where Christians eat up precious time seeking out personal counseling.
It is not intended to be a bible study.
It is not intended to be the place to be taught in the Word of God through preaching or teaching.
Thus it is not intended to replace the function of the local church fellowship.
Its INTENT is to be a place where disciples of Jesus Christ corporately assemble at convenient times and locations to help advance His Kingdom in the lives of people around this planet simply through prayer and fasting as the Holy Spirit leads ... much like the 120 disciples of Jesus Christ did in the upper room shortly after Jesus Christ ascended up into the highest heaven after His resurrection from the dead.
A number of Christians have chosen the first Sunday of every month to be the designated date to start out with, starting in the early evening and making certain people have the liberty to leave whenever they want to. (For those who can't attend a group prayer gathering on that day at that time ... they can pray in the privacy of their home, or wherever it is convenient).
Pray to see if the Lord would want to use YOU to provide a location to start a CITYWIDE - CORPORATE prayer outreach in YOUR respective area. Wisely - personally invite trusted friends to start out with who you can trust. Be aware - the enemy will do everything in his power to hinder your core group of prayer warriors from gaining any sustained momentum.
SOME TRUTHS REGARDING PRAYER
Talking intimately and passionately with God is NOT something we have to do -- it's something we GET to do and have the highest privilege to do. If we feel driven to have to pray all the time, it is not the Holy Spirit doing our thinking for us, but rather, the devil's. Tuck this away ... Satan wants to rob Christians of their JOY regarding prayer (having intimate, meaningful conversation with God). Satan never stops working that strategy, because the greatest joy a Christian can experience in their relationship with God is to have the knowing that the Creator of life desires to commune with each of us individually as He desires to commune with anybody and/or everybody else.
Think about it moment. What purpose would God have to create you if He never desired to have intimate conversation with you? That makes no sense whatsoever. Would YOU create another life intending to never have intimate conversation with that individual? It is NOT God who wants you struggling with having intimate conversation with Him. It is the enemy of your soul. His name is Satan.
Holy Spirit energized prayer always makes things better between the person praying and God, when done with reverence, gratefulness and expectancy.
Holy Spirit energized prayer always makes us more sensitive to the voice of God when we purpose to pray unselfishly for others. Saying it a little differently ... unselfish prayer for others always equips us to be more filled with the Holy Spirit so we can walk more fully IN the Holy Spirit.
Holy Spirit energized prayer changes things for the better and going prayerless allows things to inevitably get worse.
Holy Spirit energized prayer doesn't bring about everything we want, but it sure increases our odds of getting it.
Holy Spirit energized prayer doesn't change everything we would like changed, but it sure increases our odds that things will change.
Our heavenly Father wants to answer every one of our unselfish prayers, as long as those prayers doesn't go against the plan that He has ordained for those we are praying for.
If prayer didn't work, why would Satan assign warlocks and witches to spend so much time engaging in it? The same applies to fasting. If fasting didn't work, why do Satan's people engage in it? God's intention for us when we fast is to help make our spirit more passionate and sensitized to our master - whether for Satan if you're a Satanist (sadly) - but most importantly for the One who created and will judge our spirit: Father, Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit.
[Tip: If praying has become difficult for you, you seriously need to engage in some persistent fasting (be wise about it however) to let God help you tap into the energizing power of His Holy Spirit. Trying to pray (or simply continuing to try to "dog in out" in prayer yet realizing there is no joy in doing so for you) without the energizing help of the Holy Spirit is like expecting your car to work fine by putting water in the gas tank instead of gasoline.]
Pray Without Ceasing - 1 Thessalonians 5:17
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, - Ephesians 6:18
I feel to leave certain readers of this writing a couple of thoughts to ponder: Jesus is initially (maybe secretly?) returning for 5 wise virgins. Would one assume that these "5 wise virgins" understands the importance of "Precious intimacy with their lover"? What was the most precious intimacy Jesus had with His Father? In His times in His greatest intimacy with the Father ... would one think that was when He received His matching orders to 'do only that which He saw His Father doing'?
Lastly ... to reinforce what is said at the start of this writing - what did Jesus say His house was to be? "A house of ..."
Dear Reader - are you at peace with God? If not, you can be. Do you know what awaits you when you die? You can have the assurance from God that heaven will be your home, if you would like to be certain. You can even have that assurance RIGHT NOW! Either Jesus Christ died for your sins, or He didn't (He did!). Are you prepared to stand before God on the Judgment Day and tell Him that you didn't need the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the Cross to have your sins forgiven and get in right-standing with God? We plead with you...please don't make such a tragic mistake.
To get to know God, to be at peace with God, to have your sins forgiven, to make certain heaven will be your home for eternity, to make certain that you are in right-standing with God right now ... please click here to help you understand the importance of being reconciled to God. What you do about being reconciled to God will determine where you will spend eternity, precious one. Your decision to be reconciled to God is the most important decision you'll ever make in this life, because in Christ, it is impossible to put a value on the worth of your soul in light of eternity.
PLEASE HELP US HELP YOU SHARE THE BEST NEWS GOD HAS FOR EVERY PERSON BECAUSE...
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Remember: All that we do in this life comes back to our God-given purpose which is to serve and glorify God. The money and assets we accumulate, the fame and power we've attained or seek to attain - all of the things of this nature will one day pass away, but those lives of others we impact for Jesus Christ will last for eternity, and we will be rewarded for the part we helped play by impacting those lives ... for eternity. (Matthew 6:19-20 is our assurance)