I was recently a guest on Jerome Butlers Podcast “Moments of Grace.” You can find his podcast on iHeart radio, and it is a great show with many interesting and god-fearing people! He asked me to share what prophetic prayer is. As I pondered and prayed over how to answer that question, I realized how important it was for me to share the answer to that subject with my own listeners!
You may have accessed this podcast through my website “Stormingthegates.net. There, you see a sub-heading: “Applying Prophetic Prayer. “
“Prophetic prayer” may be a foreign phrase to many of you. Nonetheless, there is a good chance that as you listen today you will realize that you have often “prayed prophetically. ”
Possibly, it is a familiar term, but you have never taken the time to consider it on a deeper level. When we hear the phrase “prophetic prayer” you may imagine someone has “spoken a word” over someone about their future or a need, and then prayed for that thing. Indeed, that is prophetic prayer. But that is only scratching the surface.
Prophetic Prayer is not just for robe-clad, mysterious stranger coming to you across the desert. Even though some have a specific prophetic calling, It’s not for an elite group of rare individuals. It is something that we all can, and should actively participate in.
When I began this podcast, I knew that I had a heart to share the glorious opportunity God gives us to partner with Him through prayer. Often times when people realize I have a passion and a call to prayer, they will come to me with prayer requests. I am truly honored by those requests. If I am asked, I do my best to remember that need. Yet in the hustle and bustle of life I sometimes forget other’s pressing problems. I certainly wish I had both the time and energy to pray well for all of the prayer requests that come to me.
In fact, I guess that’s the term that I would say makes all the difference to me. It’s the term “pray well” for something. Praying prophetically enables us to do just that.
As a new Christian, I always wanted to ask other, more mature believers to pray for my various needs. And every time I went to ask someone God would stop me. I would hear his gentle voice within my soul say “why don’t you ask me yourself? Well, I found I didn’t want to ask God myself. I wanted to let someone else pray for that need. But God kept making it clear “I don’t want you to ask others about these things. I want you to ask me.”
Grudgingly, because I didn’t think I had what it takes to get the job done, I began to take time to pray for the various things on my heart, alone, and with God. And that was how I came to understand what a tremendous blessing it was to not just pray words for things but to learn to listen for God’s voice. To hear what God wanted to tell me about the situations I was bringing before Him!
This is why Prophetic prayer is a way to pray well for a thing. When we take time to listen to the heart of our Father, we discern HIS will concerning what we are bringing before him! Once we are armed with the knowledge of the will of the father, we can press in and press through!
That may sound ethereal. You might think: Hear God’s voice? That sounds hard! How can I do that?
God desires first and foremost a relationship with you! Relationships are not one-sided! God longs to be with you and share His heart. Our part is simply to give Him the time and be open to hearing His voice as we read the Bible, as we worship, as we simply give God the time.
That’s what I would like to cover in the upcoming weekly podcast series called “The Elements of Prayer.”
Let me close with a short story from my life: I was visiting California for a pastors conference one year, where my brother lived while preparing for future ministry. At that time my brother Kenny was leading an evening service. My husband and I were staying with his parents, and a good friend and pastor were also staying with us.
My brother was leading an evening service, and I invited Mike to come along. We enjoyed the service. Afterward, as we waited for my brother to finish chatting with the attendees I asked Mike what he thought of my brother’s message.
Pastor Mike hesitated, looking down at his shoes as he contemplated being honest with me. “You’re brother is a good teacher. As good as any I have ever heard. But…” Mike chewed his lip thoughtfully. “He needs to pray.”
I was taken aback. Mike had never even met my brother! I knew my brother believed in prayer. How could Mike say that? “I’m sure he prays..” I muttered, somewhat defensively.
Mike didn’t back down at all. He explained. “There wasn’t the sense of the Holy Spirit working, moving throughout the room that we sense when someone prays.”
Just then my brother Kenny ambled up.
“Hi,” He announced, with a broad smile. After greeting us warmly. He then asked us what we thought of the service.
“It was great!” I replied honestly, sharing a few details about the things I most enjoyed.
Kenny smiled but added “I keep feeling like it needs more prayer. I just struggle to find the time to pray well for this meeting. I am thinking of asking a group of people I know if they will become my official prayer partners.”
I was astonished. This was exactly what Mike just said. I watched Mike’s face light up at Kenny’s admission. He took a step closer to Kenny and spoke directly and firmly.
“Nothing can replace your prayer, brother.” He told Kenny.
Kenny nodded in agreement.
Later I shared with my brother how Pastor Mike had told me he knew Kenny was not praying. I have long remembered that amazing moment. Here are three takeaways to contemplate before we dive further into our new series “Elements of Prayer.”
1) Prayer does indeed change the atmosphere around us
2) No one can pray as powerfully as you for whatever God has placed in your life.
3) Pastor Mike, being a man of prayer, discerned a situation clearly and naturally because he walked in the Spirit. He just “knew in his knower.” And THAT is what it looks like to be mature, prophetic people.
My main goal in creating “Storming the Gates” is to activate individuals in their prayer life to hear from God personally and gain the strength they need to be successful in the arena God has placed them. Nothing can replace your personal time with God, and nothing will cause you to feel more excited and alive in your walk with God than to hear from God and see His hand in the details of your life!
