INSIDE THIS ISSUE
june 2010
13 A Time to Bind; A Time to Loose
The Cycle of Prayer
part 2
I Declare! 9
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FEATURES 9 THE CYCLE OF PRAYER - part 2 After God takes His Breath and speaks His Word, the second phase of the cycle of prayer begins. It’s the manifestation of God’s desires becoming tangible in the physical realm through His Word. 13 A TIME TO BIND; A TIME TO LOOSE The principle of binding and loosing is about releasing what is legal in Heaven down here on earth and binding what is illegal in Heaven, making it bound here on Earth. Our Father will always agree with Himself and His ways. 19 I DECLARE! Whether eloquent in speech or not, we all talk. Everyone has something to say, and some folks say more than others. When we speak, we can do so quietly or boldly; we can speak wisdom or nonsense. Speaking is a privilege.
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Prayer Matters Magazine 3 June 2010
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
june 2010
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23
Solomon’s Temple
THIS MONTH 05 FRONTLINE
PRAYER SECRETS
Book Reviews
07 KNOWLEDGE 17 Q & A 21 PRAYER SECRETS 23 BOOK REVIEWS
Calendar
25 CALENDAR
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On The Cover: One of the greatest gifts we have is the privilege of praying to the Father - made possible by the sacrifice of His Son Jesus.
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JUNE | frontline
“Father’s Day”
PEOPLE OF PRAYER Father’s Day is celebrated on the third Sunday of June in 52 countries and on other days elsewhere around the world.
When I think of my dad, I have vivid memories as a kid growing up - like the time he helped me make a pizza when mom was gone. He burned himself as he was taking the pizza out of the oven, and dropped it on the floor. He then proceeded to wash the pizza off under the kitchen faucet! It wasn’t the best pizza I ever had, but it was the funniest. I also remember the great times of fishing, swimming, hunting and camping. However, some times weren’t so good, like when I was caught smoking in the hayloft of the barn. I can remember his head popping up over the loft, then the deafening silence as he marched me and my buddy down to the house. First of all, a 6th grader shouldn’t have been smoking in the barn, and secondly the cigarette ashes could have started a fire in the hayloft and killed us! I have a good dad. He is kind and really cares about people. He made sure that his wife and kids were taken care of. Dad, thanks for being you. I hope your Father’s Day is a great one! To the ones who don’t have it so well, first know that God says He is the “Father of the Fatherless”(Psalm 65:5), then try to be a father to someone that’s in need. In doing so, you may help break the negative cycle in someone’s life, and just as important, you may experience some emotional healing in your own. Happy Father’s Day to all! v RICK THORP, Publisher
PRAYER MATTERS MAGAZINE is a premier online publication that educates, empowers and engages Christians around the world. It challenges readers to take responsibility to advance the Kingdom of God. The mission of PMM is to equip individuals to become more effective in prayer, fasting and spiritual warfare. To submit an article to be considered for publication; if you have comments or questions; or for advertising opportunities, email: contact@prayermattersmagazine.org Copyright Notice: The written and visual contents of this magazine are protected by copyright. Excepting translations, you may not reproduce our articles online or in print without first obtaining written permission. Once you receive permission, inform us where and when the article will be reprinted. Prayer Matters Magazine articles cannot be reprinted without obtaining permission and notifying the magazine. Prayer Matters Magazine is a ministry of The Joshua Group. Copyright © 2010 Prayer Matters Magazine. All Rights Reserved. 5
Prayer Matters Magazine 3 June 2010
Have you been touched with a miracle? SHARE YOUR TESTIMONY! Needs to be 1000 words or less in Word format. Attach photo and email to : contact@thejoshuagrouponline.org
Solomon’s Temple
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JUNE | knowledge The Bible’s description of Solomon’s Temple suggests that the inside ceiling was 180 feet long, 90 feet wide, and 50 feet high. The highest point on the Temple that King Solomon built was actually 120 cubits tall (about 20 stories or about 207 feet). According to the Tanach (II Chronicles): 3:3 The length by cubits after the ancient measure was threescore cubits, and the breadth twenty cubits. 3:4 And the porch that was before the house, the length of it, according to the breadth of the house, was twenty cubits, and the height a hundred and twenty; and he overlaid it within with pure gold. He spares no expense in the building’s creation. He orders vast quantities of cedar from King Hiram of Tyre (I Kings 5:2025), has huge blocks of the choicest stone quarried, and commands that the building’s foundation be laid with hewn stone. To complete the massive project, he imposes forced labor on all his subjects, drafting people for work shifts lasting a month at a time. Some 3,300 officials are appointed to oversee the Temple’s erection (5:27-30). Solomon assumes such heavy debts in building the Temple that he is forced to pay off King Hiram with twenty towns in the Galilee (I Kings 9:11). When the Temple is completed, Solomon inaugurates it with prayer and sacrifice, and even invites non-Jews to come and pray there. He urges God to pay particular heed to their prayers: “Thus all the peoples of the earth will know Your name and revere You, as does Your people Israel; and they will recognize that Your name is attached to this House that I have built” (I Kings 8:43). v
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T HE C YC L E OF Last month we discovered that prayer is more than a lineal form of communication between God and man - it is actually something that is cyclical. Just like the seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter, prayer has a cycle too. It begins somewhere, but always comes back around to where it started. When we pray in accordance with God’s will, our prayers do not actually originate from us, but from God.
as a physical being and gave him charge over the physical realm. Obviously, God is ultimately in charge of His creation, however, He ordained and blessed man with the responsibility of managing and dominating it.
Genesis 1:26 says, “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have DOMINION (radah) over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth The study begins with creation. Genesis 1:1-2 says, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’” “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the SPIRIT of God was hovering over the waters.” The Hebrew for Spirit is “Ruwach Elohim”, and it’s meaning in this passage is: the breath of God, wind of God, blow, exhalation. God was breathing His Spirit upon the earth; taking something from Himself and blowing it over His creation; manifesting something from His inner being and exhaling it; depositing His essence in the form of wind to the foundations of the earth. When God created the heavens and the earth, something came from the spiritual realm to create the physical realm. Something came from the unseen to make the visible. God breathed, then spoke, then the physical came forth. Something that could not be seen before, could now be viewed. God released His Breath and He spoke and created something that humans could see. Hebrews 11:3 states, “By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.” After God takes His Breath and speaks His Word, the second phase of the cycle of prayer begins. It’s the manifestation of God’s desires becoming tangible in the physical realm through and by His Word. To understand this part of the prayer cycle, it is important to be aware of the way that God relates to man and the physical realm. The Bible says that God is “spirit” (John 4:24) - not God is “physical”. From the beginning, it is clear that He created man
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The word “dominion” is “radah” in the Hebrew and means: to tread down; prevail against; reign; rule; take. God gave man dominion over all the works of His hands and put all things under his feet: Then in Psalms 8:3-8: 3 When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have or-
PR AYE R
( pa r t 2 )
By Pastor Rick Thorp
dained, 4 What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him? 5 For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honor. 6 You have made him to have DOMINION (“mashal”) over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, 7 All sheep and oxen—Even the beasts of the field, 8 The birds of the air, and the fish of the sea that pass through the paths of the seas.
only way that God would reestablish that relationship was for Him to become physical Himself. The following scripture brings to light that God’s Word, Jesus, was the answer: Hebrews 1:1-2 says, “ 1God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds”;
In verse 6 we find the word dominion again, but this time it is the Hebrew word “mashal”, meaning: to exercise dominion; to rule; have dominion; to cause to rule; reign.
God, by His Breath (Spirit), spoke a Word…”And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14).
Other passages declare that man is to “subdue” the earth (Genesis 1:28), “tend” and “keep” it (Genesis 2:15), and that Heaven is the Lords, but the earth He has given to man (Psalm 115: 15,16). The cycle of prayer is related to this dominion that God gave man. He created the physical realm and placed man in charge over it. This was a sovereign act that God won’t breach. He placed so much credence on this decision that after the fall of man, because of sin, the only way reconciliation could come to man was through the physical realm. That is why Jesus had to become a physical being. Why is this important to understand when talking about prayer? Because it will help us grasp how vital our prayers are in partnership with God to release His power on the earth and into peoples lives. We are an intricate part of God’s will being accomplished on the earth. We are His representatives and His voice is heard through our mouths. The Word Becomes Flesh God’s creation of man and woman, the ones who were to be responsible for and tend to the earth, sinned against Him and broke the sacred relationship that once was. Because of God’s system for man to dominate the physical, the
(continued on page 11) John 1:1-3 says, “1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning. 3Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made”. continued on page 11
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JUNE | 2010 And 1 John 1:1-2: “1That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life— 2 the life
true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. 4I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. 5And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.” (John 17:1-5). God’s Word was sent forth to do a work. Jesus accomplished what He was sent to do, then was received back to the Father. It was a cycle, beginning first from the mouth of God. Once God speaks His Word into the physical realm, it becomes pregnant with life, and at the proper time, needs to be birthed. Jesus was the carrier of God’s will - His very voice on the earth. He was literally God’s Word physically walking on the land that God created and he was obedient to the will of the Father. Just like Jesus, when God speaks a word to us, that word is spoken for a purpose. It is birthed in us from the spirit, united with the physical so that it can accomplish its work through us.
was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, Our prayers are vital; our prayers are important; and declare to you that eternal life which was with our prayers are the very Word of God destined to bring about His will. The Word begins with the Father and was manifested to us. God, then is planted inside of His children who Jesus, God’s Word, who was there from the begin- then need to release it so that it can accomplish ning, had to live in the physical realm to realign its work. More on this next month. v man to God’s original purpose and ordained will. Pastor Rick Thorp is the FoundIf this selfless act could have been done via the er and President of The Joshua spiritual realm, God would have done it. However, Group, a multifaceted prayer because of the system that He set up in the beginministry that includes Prayerning, He could not violate His own will. He had to Map - a unique prayer program become flesh. for churches; Prayer Matters When the Word became flesh, He had a job to do. God’s Word is living and active (Hebrews 4:12), full of purpose and power. There is a destiny in His Word. When God speaks, it is not in vain. His Word always has a mission. Jesus, God’s Word in the flesh said this: “1Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, 2as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should[a] give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. 3And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only
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Magazine; Pray-For-A-Million Project; and Prayer Move America – an intercessory prayer curriculum. He is an ordained minister and has been in church leadership for over 31 years. Pastor Rick is a passionate writer, speaker and teacher with a mission to spread revival and the power of God to the saved and unsaved alike. He resides in Tacoma, Washington, USA, with his wife Jennifer; has a daughter Ashley and two grandchildren. For more information, go to: www.thejoshuagrouponline.org
“Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.�
~ Jeremiah 3:33
a time to bind &
a time to loose By Deborah Cozzetti
W
hether you pick up the newspaper, read a news article over the net, listen to the most recent radio talk show host or watch the evening news…these are days to marvel over! Back in the 70’s when I gave my heart to the Lord, Hal Lindsey had come on the scene with his book ‘The Late Great Planet Earth’. We all thought for sure those were the End Days. Some 30 years later I look around and hear myself saying, “Surely these are the End of Days!” There are so many prophecies coming to pass that had been written in the Word of God. Words and scenes written in the book of Revelation that years ago we scratched our heads wondering, “How could that be?”, and now we understand.
With so much unfolding, how do you keep yourself balanced between having knowledge of the times and not getting overcome by that knowledge? Prayer and knowing where our authority lies, and whose kingdom we serve, keeps our feet on solid ground during turbulent times. God knew exactly what He was doing when He planned for you to be alive during these days. He fashioned the very days for you to live and equipped you with every talent and ability you would need to fulfill His plan. Part of the equipping He gave you as His child was to equip you with the very Keys of His Kingdom. Keys to lock and keys to unlock according to what is illegal and legal in His Kingdom. Matthew 16:19… “And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Part of understanding these days is understanding how the Kingdom of our Father works. We
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must understand His principles and what He allows and what is not allowed in His Kingdom. It’s really that simple! As a parent, you have rules in your house in order for it to run so that your children will be safe, grow strong and be healthy. Our heavenly Father has a Kingdom that also has rules and a universe that was set in motion according to His principles. We are here on this earth to bring His Kingdom principles back into a world that was cursed by the fall. The authority of Jesus Christ gives us that ability. This is our cause: “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.” It’s also about agreement. Matthew 18:19-20 says, “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” Agreement is a binding contract -- a vow. In the world we live in, many agreements are broken and one’s word not taken seriously. But in the spirit realm, an agreement is a legal contract, binding unless one is released from it by one who has the authority to do so. Numbers 30:2 says, “If a man makes a vow to the LORD, or swears an oath to bind himself by some agreement, he shall not break his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.” Many in the Body of Christ suffer because of the words of their own mouth, or by an agreement made by their own words, or the words of another. If we look around at the condition of the world, the lack of morality, good being
called evil, evil being called good, without realizing it, we could come into agreement with what is wrong with the world instead of being the voice of the only true authority that can bring about real change; a voice releasing the heart of the Father into the world. The principle of binding and loosing is about releasing what is legal in Heaven down here on earth and binding what is illegal in Heaven, making it bound here on Earth. Our Father will always agree with Himself and His ways. He sent His Son Jesus Christ to restore what was lost, and as the Father sent the Son, so the Son has sent YOU! So look around at your life, whatever issues that surround you, circumstances that you know are not the Father’s plans for you, and ask yourself, “How did this happen, and by whose authority and agreement has it been able to stand?” When trouble was walking your way, did you say in your heart, “I knew this would happen?” That’s agreement and the legal right for that trouble to manifest in your life. Next time you see trouble coming your way, see it for what it is -- not God’s plan for your life. If it’s not from God, it’s not for you. Stop it in its tracks and release the purpose of your Father into your life instead. Stand on that; believe on it; agree with that. In Exodus 23:20-33, the Lord sent the Angel of the Lord before Israel to deal with their enemies. He sent His fear before them to push back the plans of those who hated them.
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JUNE | 2010
Verse 20, “See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared; 23 My angel will go ahead of you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites and Jebusites, and I will wipe them out; 27 “I will send my terror ahead of you and throw into confusion every nation you encounter. I will make all your enemies turn their backs and run.” We can’t ultimately stop how things are going to prophetically play out in this world but we can understand what our part in this world is and why we are here - and that our Father is for us. Your Father, My Father, has uniquely fashion us to live in these times and with the ability to hear His voice, and see the world through His eyes. Binding and loosing is not some formula for you to get all tangled up in wondering if you are praying correctly, but a principle of understanding the way Your Father’s Kingdom operates and bringing those same principles here on this earth for the salvation of mankind - for His glory...For His Namesake. Ask yourself… “Is what is happening in my life, in my neighbourhood, at work, in my church, in my city, in my nation, according to how my Father’s Kingdom operates?” You won’t have to look far to say, “No.” Then ask Your Father, “How should it be?” Remember, ask Him how it should be, and not ponder how you think it should be. They could be very different! This is part of having the Mind of Christ. You’ll also find your heart being renewed in the process. There is a Judge in heaven waiting to hear from you ...waiting to agree with you on what is to be declared legal and illegal here on earth. “Bind”- “stop”, whatever words you use…just remove the ability of the enemy of our Lord to move in your life and in your realm of in-
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fluence. Loose, release, declare that only what is allowed in heaven is allowed in your life, ministry, family, church, nation, you call it... you declare it, you believe it...you agree with your Father in Heaven. Thy Kingdom come… Thy will be done...my Father…in my life and on Earth as it is in Heaven. v Deborah Cozzetti is Founder and President of ROAR Ministries, in Puyallup, Washington. Deborah is strong in prophetic intercession, worship and teaching the prophetic word. ROAR Ministries believes in being a voice in the community and with that, Deborah helped to start a local school district coalition named Franklin Pierce YOUTH FIRST! in 2001 and was chair for the first two years of operation. She currently is co-chair but stepped down as chair in 2003-2004 to help start a nonprofit organization on behalf of homeless and displaced youth in her county. In February of 2004, ‘Youth Resources’ became a recognized nonprofit organization. Deborah has been the Executive Director of Youth Resources since 2004. Under “Dabar Ministries”, a writing ministry, Deborah teaches the Word of God, declaring the heart & truth of the Lord and destroying the false spirit of this age. www.roarministries.com
“I have held many things in my hands, and I have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God’s hands, that I still possess.” ~ Martin Luther
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Q JUNE | q and a
How often is prayer mentioned in the Bible?
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A JUNE | q and a
In almost every book. Which is inhumanly curious since the 66 different books were written over a period of 1500 years, on different continents, in three languages, by people most of whom knew nothing about the others, from all walks of life: kings, priests, farmers, fishermen, tanners, shepherds, men and women, young and old. But what is unique about this particular collection is that when the books are brought together, they exhibit an underlying common theme and purpose, all pointing toward a coming individual, Jesus the redeemer, who would come and suffer to reconcile the injured relationship with their loving but benevolent Creator. v
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I Declare! “We make decrees, as Christ did, to reinforce the power of the Kingdom.”
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Whether eloquent in speech or not, we all talk. Everyone has something to say, and some folks say more than others. When we speak, we can do so quietly or boldly; we can speak wisdom or nonsense. Speaking is a privilege. There is a power in our tongue (Proverbs 18:21) and we need to wield the power wisely. Every time we speak we have an impact on our world and so we should choose when, how and what we speak carefully. There are times when we should listen more than we speak. There are times to be gentle and compassionate. And then there are times when we are to demonstrate leadership and authority. We need to be in tune with the Spirit of God so we speak words which are properly selected for our purpose and our audience.
ing an expectation of how the world should be. He used His words to bring what God wanted into the earth - we can do the same.
Every word Christ spoke had meaning; His words provided hope and understanding and evoked power. Before His ascension, He stated “all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” (Matthew 28:18). He identified Himself as King Jesus. With that rank, He could make declarations. To declare (anangello) is to announce or report, speak and tell in such a way to make it be. As the commander that God the Father has given power over the earth to, Christ declared decrees that spiritual forces and mankind are both subject to. In a Kingdom, subjects respond to the word of their King. Simply put, the earth Christ is our example. Christ and heaven are bound by the spoke in love, but Christ also rules of Christ and these rules spoke firmly when need- are all stated through the use ed. He issued many decrees of words. What is stated by a about the Kingdom of God King is a declaration. during his ministry. A decree (Gr: dogma) is a law, or- Amazingly, Christ tells us that dinance, opinion or command His authority is shared with expressed with authority; a us. “And I will give unto thee civil order that is binding over the keys of the kingdom of heavthe citizens under the rule of en and whatsoever thou shalt the authority that made the bind on earth shall be bound in command. Christ revealed heaven; and whatsoever though the mystery of the Kingdom shalt loose on earth shall be and established what the law loosed in heaven.” (Matthew or command of God by speak- 16:19). We are charged to
man. As God’s ambassadors on earth, we are the ones to declare the decrees of the Kingdom of God into situations that are not currently aligning with God’s Will. We don’t have to ask for the King to come take care of something He has given us the authority to address. We simply need to do what we have been charged to do. We must take on the leadership function that God created us for. We are called to use the power and privilege of words for God’s purpose. We all hold spiritual leadership positions on this earth. As such, we not only carry the Gospel across the globe according to the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20, but we also have authority to release God’s power by declaring His word. Authority has been entrusted to us as members of Christ’s embassy or legislative assembly here on earth. This world has to respond when the Word of God bind and loose in order to continue the reign is spoken with authority. We should speak as of the Kingdom of God. We make decrees, as persons with a message to share that must be Christ did, to reinforce the power of the King- yielded to. We should present ourselves as dom. Our actions take place here on earth, people of authority; we should consider this but when our commands/words/messages are earth our audience that needs to hear what we consistent with the decrees of God; then heav- have to say. The Apostles in Acts did! (See Acts enly, spiritual results follow. Please note that 5:12-16). How do we continue their tradition? Jesus did not always pray and ask God to do We find what God said applies to His Kingdom, things. He didn’t pass the authority back to then we speak and release those decrees into God. He took on the authority given to Him the atmosphere as one given authority by the and declared that the world around Him would King. God will take it from there! v respond to His words. •
Jesus commanded the lame to walk. (Matthew 9:1-8) Jesus declared the women with the issue of blood to be whole. (Matthew 9:20-22) Jesus declared the blind to see. (Matthew 9:27-29)
ROXANNE MILES is currently the Founding Director of Pur• poseful Progress Strategic Solutions, which is dedicated to helping faith and community based • nonprofit organizations succeed through training, group facilitation, project management and Jesus had an expectation that his declarations strategic planning. Mrs. Miles would be yielded to simply because of who He has been in church leadership for almost 20 years and was and the authority that had been allocated is a licensed evangelist, leader of intercession, Bible to Him. We are to do the same. In our case, course instructor and regular conference presenter for it is to speak the spiritual reality of God’s law women. Additionally, Roxanne uses her creative gifts or principles into a situation. When we de- via her ministry “Eden’s Gate”, to demonstrate God’s clare God’s Word, we act upon and apply the heart through illustrated sermons, drama and dance. decrees made by Christ. We are saying that She lives in Tacoma, Washington, USA, with her husGod’s answer is more binding than the laws of band and two sons.
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Twelve
Powerful Prayer Secrets By Pastor Terry Harris
Joel 3:14 states, “Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision”. Life is filled with decisions. When we are in the valley of decision, it is a big place and the decision we are trying to make is gigantic. No one on this earth outside of Jesus always makes the right decision. We can all make a decision that turns out to be a disaster. We can make a decision that lets negative consequences flow in our life. We all come to crossroads where we have to choose a course of action and where we have to live with the consequences of that decision. There are seasons in our lives where we are in the valley of decision. There are small decisions and big decisions. There are times where we can make a decision we think means nothing
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and find out later that it has huge implications and we are stuck with a mess! Sometimes we make the right decision, other times we don’t. God has a wonderful solution when we make a wrong choice. It is to rev up your RPM’s - revolutions per minute. Think of a car or an engine. When we’re in the valley of decision and make a bad choice, we need to rev up our RPM’s! Let’s start with the “R”. Acts 17:28-30 says, “for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’ Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising. Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent,”. The “R” in RPM’s stands for repent. The Greek defi-
nition for repent is to have another mind; to change your mind. When you make a decision and you realize that it was not the right decision, the first thing you want to do is repent. When you realize that your decision wasn’t the right decision you want to go to God and say, “God, I didn’t make a good decision. God, I have changed my mind. I don’t want to go forward with the decision that I should not have made. God I messed it up, I made a choice and it was wrong.” Repentance is an important place to start when you need God to move for you and step in and get you through the situation, especially if consequences are coming to you. Let Him know you have a change of mind and that you made a bad decision. This revs up the first of the RPM’s - repentance. The second component of RPM’s is found in Psalms 107:31 “Oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness and His wonderful works to the children of men.” The “P” in RPM stands for praise. After you repent, praise God. Praise is “yada” - a combination of verbal words and expression with your hands. Praise, praise, praise and crank it up. You just made a decision that wasn’t good; you understand that it wasn’t the right decision. You’ve gone to God and repented, and He heard you. Just knowing that you can go to Him is all you need to give praise. God is always good even when our choices aren’t. Let God wash you and rejuvenate you through the power of praise. With repentance you’re saying, “God I changed my mind” but with the praise you’re letting God know that it’s not His fault and that you’re not blaming anyone else. “God, I blew it, but You’re good”. On my own, I messed things up but with You, I have confidence of a better result. Praise is a huge part of the RPM’s. The third component of the RPM’s is found in Psalm 25:6 “Remember thy tender mercies and thy loving kindnesses for they are from of old.” Psalm 52:8-9 says, “But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God, I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever”. David continues, “I will praise thee forever for thou have done it and I will wait on Thy name because it is good before Thy saints.” The “M” is for mercy. The Hebrew word for this particular use of mercy is to re-
ceive God’s loving-kindness. You’re asking God for his steadfast love, His goodness and His compassion when you cry out for mercy. Now remember, you need it because you were in the valley of decision and the decision you made was not a good one. You need God to bring forward something good when you didn’t earn or deserve it. You are asking for Him to change what you know should be coming to you so you need His mercy, you need His loving-kindness, you need His goodness, you need His compassion. Ask God for His mercy. When you know that the decision you made should or has had negative consequences that you need to end, you can only pray for mercy. You need His loving-kindness to show up in the midst of the consequence of the bad choice. He loves hearing from you and He loves His people to talk to Him. He loves to hear you own up to your part of the problem and to express your faith and confidence in Him to be the solution. Use your RPM’s – repentance, praise and cry for mercy – when you make a bad choice. The bottom line is that you usually cannot go back in time and reverse the bad decision that was made. God has graciously provided a way to turn things around and get rev’d up and back to cruising speed. The thing that was going down a crazy direction will stop, turnaround and come to a close. God will do that if you will perform your RPM’s. v
TERRY HARRIS is the Founder and Senior Pastor of Tacoma Christian Center in Tacoma, Washington. With Pastor Harris’ leadership, the church, with over 1200 members, has been a powerful force in the city and the entire Western Washington region. After close to 30 years of vision and commitment, the church campus encompasses over 1-1/2 city blocks, and along with the sanctuary and offices, it includes a restaurant and a state-of-the-art gymnasium named Winners. In addition to operating a large church, Pastor Harris has taught God’s Word via a weekly television broadcast, serves on numerous Boards, has authored a book and continues to be a integral leader of the community.
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EDUCATION | bookshelf
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BOO B book
learn Becoming A Prayer Warrior Beth Alves
Elizabeth Alves is a living testimonial to the biblical truth that prayer is both a privilege and a responsibility. Heartfelt prayer not only ushers us into the presence of God but also has changed the course of history. Becoming a Prayer Warrior is an excellent basic guide to help beginners and longtime Christians alike build their faithfulness to pray and experience God’s power as never before and then apply it in their lives, their homes and the world at large. Includes the following topics and many more: •Section I: The Purpose of Prayer •Section II: Hearing from God •Section III: Weapons of Warfare
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EDUCATION | bookshelf
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educate
GROW study
For these and other Spirit-led books, go to www.arsenalbooks.com
How to Pray Morris Cerullo
Go beyond ordinar y prayer and into the supernatural realms of prayer to touch God and release the supernatural in your life. How to Pray covers subjects not normally found in traditional books on prayer. From his 60 years of experience in global ministr y, Dr. Morris Cerullo shares how you can receive the end-time prophetic prayer anointing , a power ful anointing that will spill over into dimensions of your life that have only been known by Old Testament prophets. You will never again experience defeat in your prayer life.
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EVENTS | calendar
ap penings
june~july June 4-5 | Kansas City, MO WORLD REVIVAL CHURCH LEADERSHIP SUMMIT Steve Gray, J.D. King, Tom Trout www.worldrevivalchurch.com World Revival Church 9900 View High Drive Kansas City, MO 64134 (816) 763-0708 June 13-18 | Fort Worth, TX REVIVAL Dr. Rodney Howard-Browne www.revival.com Calvary Cathedral 1701 Oakhurst Scenic Dr. Fort Worth, Texas 76111 817- 332-1246 June 18 & 20 | Austin, TX Arise Ministries Dr. Bill Hammon www.ariseministries.com Arise Ministries International 8231 Burnet Road Austin, TX 78757 512-451-8260
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June 23-25 | Mesa, AZ PRAYERQUAKE Francis Frangipane, Tudor Bismarck, R.T. Kendall, Pete Greig, Lance Wallnau, and many more. www.prayerquake.org City of Grace Church 655 East University Drive Mesa, AZ 85203 877-557-51111 June 26 | San Diego, CA REDEEMING THE RUBIES Rev. Yana Haulsey, Laura Rhinehart, Ann Keane & More
www.redeemingencountersministries.com
Handlery Hotel & Resort 950 Hotel Circle North San Diego, CA 92108 425-314-5965
June 24-26 | San Diego, CA AWAKE GEORGIA National Leaders will come to release Apostolic-Prophetic revelation over our state and region as we pursue Awakening in our Day . . . Reformation in our Lifetime. Mike & Cindy Jacobs, Dutch Sheets, John Benefiel, Jacquie Tyre
www.kairostransformation.org
Victory World Church 5905 Brook Hollow Parkway Norcross, GA 30071
EVENTS || calendar December.09 calendar June 28-30 | Fort Mill, SC THE GREAT AWAKENING CONFERENCE Bill Johnson, Jerame Nelson, Todd Bentley, Jason Hooper, Robin McMillan, Rick Joyner www.morningstartministries.org Heritage International Ministries 375 Star Light Drive Fort Mill, SC 29715 877-446-3836 July 9-11 | Cincinnati, OH OPEN HEAVEN CONFERENCE Matt Sorger and Randy Rice www.lifechurchwestchester.com Cincinnati Life Church 8480 Cincinnati Columbus Rd. Cincinnati, Ohio 45069 513-777-4771 July 22-24 | Mount Prospect, IL MOVING FORWARD Chuck Pierce, Barbara Wentroble, James Nesbit, Anne Tate & Roxie Elliott www.freeindeedministries.net Northwest Assembly of God 1400 N. Milwaukee Ave. Glenview, IL 60025 847-253-4902
July 30-31 | Oklahoma City, Ok REACHING FOR THE STARS, PULLING HEAVEN TO EARTH Patricia King and Katie Souza www.expectedendministries.com St Luke’s Methodist Church 222 NW 15th St. Oklahoma City, OK 73101 623-444-5366
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