It is time to tell how a watchman prays. The Spirit is saying that there are seven thousands of ordinary people like him hidden in obscurity being now raised to pray and intercede. “The number seven thousand” is limitless. It is an appointed number in the spiritual realm. He was told not to think of the natural number literally.
Indeed, farmers like Amos and Elisha are everywhere. Old widows and retired old men like Anna and Simeon are numerous and available. Yes, God can use even uneducated fishermen like the Lord’s disciples, poet musician shepherds like David, priest teachers like Ezra, housewives like Hanna, little weaned children like Samuel, cup-bearers like Nehemiah, young descendants of priests/prophets like Ezekiel, Zechariah, Jeremiah and Isaiah, retired old prophet like Haggai, or even bright young men hidden in influential positions in the enemy camp like Joseph and Daniel (all their lives). There are many more possible candidates. The list is inexhaustible.
How to pray? This is a big question. In fact this is the only question that matters for intercessor/watchman.
The watchman shares his own prayer journey in the Holy Spirit as follows:
1. He waits upon the Lord by reading the Bible, singing hymns or spiritual songs, worship and praise as the Holy Spirit leads him.
2. This is done at a specific time, depending on the appointment set by the Lord. Initially he tried fixing a time for himself like rising early in the morning when he feels fresh and focussed and can listen better the instructions from the Spirit.
3. After sometime, he discovers that the Spirit calls him when needed and he just has to respond and rise to the call, no matter how tired and sleepy he may feel initially.
4. Then he discovers that by being obedient, he does not feel tired or sleepy as soon as he reads the Word or prays.
5. Obedience to the Holy Spirit rewards. He can read the Word and pray better. The prayers just flow without his own effort. He feels close to the living God. He does not even know how time flies. At the end of the session he feels reluctant to go as he has enjoyed the Lord’s presence tremendously.
6. Does he fast before he prays? It depends on how the Holy Spirit leads him. Most times he fasted mainly for physical reason as he does not want to feel drowsy. Sometimes he fasted for specific reasons, such as urgency and critical issues involved requiring responses like those displayed by Ezra, Daniel, Samuel and Jehoshaphat.
7. He is blessed with a quiet environment and a prayer attic. He can spend time alone and wait before the Lord. He can carry out prophetic act (faith in action) without disturbances in his attic room or in his garden. His only audience in his garden is his faithful dog.
8. Sometimes he is urged to do Jericho march by faith and he is blessed with a house with five flights of steps. He can march round freely with invisible banners. Right now he is learning how to blow the ram horn. However he is still forbidden to blow when someone is around as he sounds like he is trying to chase away ten thousand humans, beasts and demons with one frightful blast (sigh).
9. He used to use a list of prayer items to help him concentrate. However the closer he seeks the Lord and learn to listen to the Holy Spirit, the less he needs any human prompts. He just rises and goes to the prayer attic and reads the Word of God. The Spirit would normally point him to read particular Bible passages and then lead him to pray based on those passages. Sometimes visions come and alert him to intercede specifically. He has also been alerted by requests, headlines, key words, dreams, recalls of sermons, books, communications from others like him etc. Often the Holy Spirit gives him the issues, points and wordings to pray.
10. His experience is that without the Holy Spirit’s fresh guidance, prayers can become a chore and tiring. He understands why many people are reluctant to commit to prayer meetings or being on the 24 hours prayers chain. His advice is that, seek God first. Hear God. Do not underestimate God’s ability to talk to you and raise you to the faith level he has planned.
The biggest problem ‘Christians’ encounter is that they cannot be still before the Lord. Practicing to “Be still before the Lord and know that He is God” is our narrow gate and difficult path. In fact that is the only way you can learn from the Holy Spirit.
The watchman at times asked the Lord why He is not talking. Then he heard, “That is because you are talking too much!”
Learning to be still means learning to be silent. Silent in our body, our mind and our spirit.
“O watchman, be still before the Lord, then arise, watch and pray!”
No comments:
Post a Comment