2 Peter 3:11-12 “…what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed it’s coming.”
Wow! This scripture seems to say that we have some ability to hasten the Day of God! As we see things around us seeming to spiral out of control in the natural, I’m eager to hasten the coming of the Lord and His rule of righteousness. I believe God actually has given us some keys to participate in that process and one of those things is prayer. Paul Billheimer in Destined for the Throne speaks about this life as being ‘on the job training’ for ruling and reigning with Christ Jesus in His Kingdom. As we pray, we are proclaiming and releasing His rule now on earth as in heaven. As I study the Bible, I notice that there are actually several things mentioned that seem to act as accelerants to our prayers.
An accelerant is: Any substance that can bond, mix, or disturb another substance and cause an increase in the speed of a natural or artificial chemical process. In the spiritual realm, there are accelerants which can increase the power or effect of our prayers toward achieving God’s purposes on the earth.
Agreement. Scriptures indicate in the Old Testament that one could put one thousand to flight, but two could put ten thousand to flight. “And if one person is vulnerable to attack, two can drive the attacker away. As the saying goes, “A rope made of three strands is not quickly broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:12 And “If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you.” Matthew 18:19 The prayer of agreement is one such accelerant. Unity in prayer increases its power.
Alignment. 1 John 5:14-15 “We live in the bold confidence that God hears our voices when we ask for things that fit His plan.” When our prayers are aligned with His will, we can be very confident that He answers. He reveals His will in His Word. Praying prayers based in scripture is an accelerant that assures us of His response.
Faith. In Matthew 17:20 the disciples asked Jesus why they couldn’t cast out the demon. “You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.” Frequently, Jesus talked about those who He recognized to have faith, and He chided those with lack of faith. The prayer of faith, confident in God’s hearing and answering, brings results.
Fasting. The disciples had just failed at casting out a demon. In Mark 9:28-29 “After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer and fasting.” Fasting is another accelerant to prayer. The spiritual discipline and sacrifice involved in fasting with pure motives increases its effectiveness.
Fervency. James 5:16 “Confess your faults one to another and pray one for another, that he may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” George Otis, Jr. said, “Specificity fuels fervency and fervency yields results.” Praying specific prayers acts as an accelerant, energizing those prayers.
Purity. Psalm 24:3-4 “Who can possibly ascend the mountain of the Eternal? Who can stand before Him in sacred spaces? Only those whose hands have been washed and hearts made pure, men and women who are not given to lies or deception.” In prayer, we approach God through the righteousness of Jesus Christ, sins forgiven, hearts devoted to seeking and obeying Him. Purity positions us in His favor and acts as an accelerant to our prayers.
Worship. Isaiah 30:18 “Meanwhile, the Eternal One yearns to give you grace and boundless compassion; that’s why He waits. For the Eternal is a God of justice. Those inclined toward Him, waiting for His help, will find happiness.” We incline ourselves toward Him as we worship. Our abandoned devotion to Him attracts His attention and affection. Our prayers are His delight when birthed in the atmosphere of worship and adoration.
Quantity. Scriptures indicate that our prayers have a certain volume and are in the process of filling golden bowls in heaven.Revelation 5:8 “And when he took the scroll, the four living beings and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they held gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.”When those prayers have filled the bowls, the Bible indicates they are poured out on the earth resulting in tangible manifestations connected to their answers. So, the greater the quantity of our prayers, when prayed in according with God’s will and purposes, the sooner the answers seem to be manifested.
Prayer exercises the authority we have in Christ Jesus to override the forces of the Evil One attempting to kill, steal and destroy. Let’s make every possible use of this powerful key at every opportunity, as we look forward to and hasten the day of His appearing!
Article by Liz Adleta, Fellowship of Prayer Strategists
A Historical Story of Mountain Moving Faith
Can we really move mountains? Christine & Peter Darg of the Jerusalem Channel examine the remarkable story of a miracle in Cairo, Egypt, when Coptic Christians faced imminent destruction and persecution from an Islamic caliph. Their example in church history underscores the saying of Jesus that mountains can be moved–literally. Pray for the ongoing work of Revival in this Bible Land as promised in Isaiah 19:25 when God will declared, “Blessed be Egypt My People!” View the story here: https://vimeo.com/11186796
August 11th Next Ethne Prayer Call, 7am Central, on Zoom.com. Join us to hear a short briefing from a local expert on Unreached Buddhists in South Asia, to pray for God’s move among them, and to hear more about plans for birthing a ‘30 Days of Prayer for the Buddhist world’ (similar to the existing ‘30 Days of Prayer for the Muslim world’). Email prayer@ethne.net for the Zoom link.
Looking for 2 Champions! God is moving powerfully in response to many prayers for the Muslim world, including the past 23 years of prayer during Ramadan through 30 Days of Prayer for the Muslim world! What would He do if we prayed in a similar fashion for the Buddhist world and the Hindu world! Many pieces are in place but we need a champion to organize and facilitate these efforts. Is God calling YOU to take that role? Contact prayer@ethne.net if you sense His call in that direction!
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