Words from the Lord: "I am revitalizing the faithful and raising..."

Have you ever had an urgent thought, a vision or a dream about someone you know personally or even a stranger? The Lord has done this many times in my life. 

This is what the Lord is saying to His people at this time in this season: 

"I am revitalizing My faithful prayer warriors. I am also in the midst of raising a new generation of prayer warriors. I am looking for people who are willing to stand at the frontline upon My call. I am looking for people who seek to pray according to My leading. I am looking for people who know their prayers stir up the spiritual realm and in due course, change the natural world. I am looking for people who are unsung heroes in the natural world but shining bright in the spiritual world. I am looking for people who are humble yet understand their significance in My Kingdom. Take heed, My people! Receive My anointing and My revelation to make a difference through your prayers." 

The Lord is reaching out to two groups of people. The first group is people who are experienced in praying according to the leading of the Lord. The second group is people who have yet to learn how to pray according to the leading of the Lord. No matter which group you are in, gear up yourself in the spirit and His Word today! Start expecting for a new revelation from Him to pray!

Prayer warriors know that both spiritual realm and natural world exist concurrently. They have learned that whatever happens in the spiritual realm is going to affect the natural world. They are convinced that whatever they pray will impact the spiritual realm and in turn change the natural world. 

Let's look at Moses in Exodus 17:8-11. 'Now Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim. And Moses said to Joshua, "Choose us some men and go out. Fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand." So Joshua did as Moses said to him and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed. And when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.'

Do you see how Moses' prayers impacted the battle of God's people with the Amalekites? It's the same when you lift up your hands to pray according to the guidance of His Spirit. It impacts both the spiritual and natural realm. 

In Exodus 17:12-13, 'But Moses' hands became heavy. So they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. And his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.' 

If you have been praying but lately you have got exhausted spiritually, or maybe you have been disappointed by certain people you prayed for or prayed with, do not give up. The Lord is with you and He understands you. Allow Him to strengthen you again, and get back to your spiritual position, even stronger than before!

Now we know that the prayers of prayer warriors involve spiritual warfare. So, it is important that prayer warriors pray only according to the leading and guidance of God's Spirit. When the Lord instructs prayer warriors to pray, He will make sure that they are under His protection. Hence, when the prayer warriors pray with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, they are keeping themselves within the sphere of protection the Lord puts them in. This is no different from taking instruction from the Lord for every other ministry decision and action. 

So, prayer warriors need to take heed that they neither do more than what they are told, nor ruthlessly follow their own desires and pride to pray or make prophetic act. Because this will result in them stepping out of the sphere of protection to fight unnecessary spiritual warfare by themselves. 

Therefore, humility and obedience are important key traits of the prayer warriors. 

Let's look at Daniel 12:4. "But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase." 

It is crucial to know that the Lord entrusts the prayer warriors with His secrets. Therefore, they are supposed to conceal and keep the revelation to themselves to pray. They are to reveal the revelation they have received only upon God's instruction in His perfect timing. Showing off how anointed they are and self-exaltation will only cut off the flow of revelation in their lives. 

There are many ways prayer warriors can receive revelation and instruction from the Lord to pray. I will share some of my experiences here. 

1. Urgent prompting in the spirit

2. Seeing vision while praying to God

3. Night vision through dream 

Urgent prompting in the spirit

Most of the time when the Lord drops a name in my mind and I felt the urgency to pray for the person, I would immediately put the person in prayer. I would pray in tongue first until the Lord gives me the understanding to pray in words. 

And many times, it's true that the people I prayed for were facing difficulties or troubles in their lives, but they came out victorious. Praise the Lord! 

Here's an example on urgent prompting in the spirit. One time, we were told about someone with depression who went missing in another country. We felt the urgency to pray, and the Lord showed me exactly where the person was. The person fell down somewhere beside a creek. And with the revelation we received and the overseas phone call connected throughout our prayer, the rescue team found the person on time. 

Seeing vision while praying to God

There were many times when I was spending time with God, the Lord gave me a vision of someone and told me to pray for the person. Usually when I receive a revelation through vision, it is about God's calling for the person's life or ministry works. 

Night vision through dream

There were also many times the Lord showed me people I know or even strangers in my dream to pray. Most of the time, it is to pray for their salvation, or for them to come out of their problems in life. 

No matter how prayer warriors receive the instruction to pray, their part is to take heed of the instruction and to pray according to the guidance of God's Spirit. There's no greater blessing than to know that God is close to you, that He is willing to disclose secrets to you, and He is showing you the result because you take heed to pray. 

Let us pray: 

"Father God, I pray that those who have faithfully responded to Your call to pray, Your anointing and revelation will flow freely in their lives and ministry. Your protection will always be with them and their loved ones. As they choose to humble themselves to pray and cause impact in both the spiritual and natural worlds, may You exalt them in ways You know best for them, and may You honor them with great blessings upon their lives and the lives of their loved ones. In Jesus' name. Amen." 

If you have any question that you would like to ask us, or if you have testimony of how God has led you to pray and you would like to share with us, you're always welcome to email us. God bless you and have a nice day!

Click here to watch the video in TiC YouTube Channel

The God who answers prayer

Are you among the people who have lost hope in seeing change in your life? Is it healing that you need, or restoration in relationship, or financial freedom? If you have tried everything that you know but ended up in despair and hopelessness, this message is for you.

In entering the coming year, the Lord says, “Restore your Altar of Incense!”

What does it mean to restore your Altar of Incense? You can find the Bible mentioning about the Altar of Incense in Exodus 30:1-10.

1.   This small altar was made of acacia wood and overlaid with gold (v1-v5). Thus, it’s also called ‘the golden altar’. The people of God would pray outside the Tabernacle when the incense was burned at the altar by Aaron the high priest. So, the burning of incense at the Altar of Incense is the symbol of your prayer and worship to the Lord. I asked the Lord why the Altar of Burnt Offering was overlaid with bronze but the Altar of Incense was overlaid with gold, and the Lord said it’s because He treasures your time spending with Him in prayer and hearing from Him more than all the sacrifices you can make for Him.

2.   The Altar of Incense was put in the centre of the Holy Place before the veil that was before the ark of the Testimony, where God’s presence was in the Most Holy Place (v6). Once a year, Aaron the high priest would burn incense on the golden altar first before he could go through the thick curtain to enter the Most Holy Place to meet with God on behalf of His people. However, the thick veil/curtain that separated the Altar of Incense and the presence of God has been torn into half the moment Jesus died on the cross (see Matthew 27:51; Mark 15:38; Luke 23:45). Now, Jesus is the only high priest you need for He has opened the way for you to pray and meet with God personally (see Hebrews 7:27-28). Therefore, in the New Covenant in Christ, you can access God’s presence without any veil/hindrance once you start praying to Him.

3.   The high priest was to burn incense on the altar day and night and throughout their generation (v7-v8). Who do you confide in and consult first whenever you meet a challenge in life? Is it your habit to call your family members, or type in Facebook for suggestions and search in Google for answers? Know that the Almighty, Omnipotent and All-powerful God avails Himself for you to call on Him day and night. When is the best time to pray? Anytime you can avail yourself! So, instead of feeling regretful that you haven’t been spending enough time with the Lord, why not start praying to Him now? For parents and grandparents, blessed are you because your prayers for your children and grandchildren last for generations to come even after you have graduated from this earth to heaven, just like the incense that’s being burnt throughout the generation.

4.    The high priest should not offer strange incense or other offerings on the altar (v9). The time with the Lord is irreplaceable. Getting yourself busy with lots of church activities such as attending cell groups, Christian conferences, or even doing ministry works do not replace your time with God. When you spend the time to meet with God, there will be impartation of His wisdom and revelation (see Proverbs 3:5-6). As you apply His wisdom, you can do your Christian ministry with the least effort, yet bearing significant results. That’s how God’s people can maintain the joy of serving in Christian ministries without stress and pressure.

5.   Once a year, Aaron the high priest had to make atonement upon the 4 horns of the Altar of Incense with the blood of the sin offering of atonement (v10). In the New Covenant, Jesus sacrificed Himself, died on the cross, and shed His blood to sanctify those who believe in Him, once for all. Therefore, you as a believer are able to receive eternal redemption and are made righteous to enter God’s presence to meet with Him (see Hebrews 7:27; 9:12; 10:10, 19). Horn is a symbol of power. The blood of sacrifice upon the horns of the altar also means there is power in the blood of Jesus. Whenever you pray, remember the power of His blood and thus the power of praying in His name (see John 14:13-14).

The Lord also gave a specific instruction on the making of the sweet incense in Exodus 30:34-38. There were 11 spices plus salt in the ingredients of sweet incense. Why salt? Salt was expensive and given as a gift of peace offering in those days. When you pray to God, the peace of God will take over all the anxieties in your heart and mind (see Philippians 4:6-7).

Moreover, as it’s written in Exodus 30:37, no one should make the same incense for themselves or for their own use. The Lord wants us to pray not according to the wants of our flesh but according to His will because He knows best and He has the best answers for us (see 1 John 14-15).

Then you may ask, “How to pray according to God’s will?”

There are 2 categories of praying in God’s will. One is the general will of God for all believers alike, while the other is the specific will of God for individuals.

The general will of God for all believers can be found in Luke 4:18, “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.” Jesus quoted the book of Isaiah 61:1-2 in the synagogue after His 40-day fast in the wilderness and proclaimed the anointing was available for Him to start His ministry. Today, Jesus and His anointing dwell in those who believe in Him. Is it God’s will for you to be saved, restored, renewed, healed, delivered, and prospered? The answer is ‘yes’! So, dig into the words of God that are related to His general will for believers, agree with His Word, and pray accordingly. It is definitely the will of God for you to be saved, restored, renewed, healed, delivered, and prospered in Christ!

The specific will of God is sought when you need specific direction and wisdom to go about in personal life, vocation, and ministry. It is written in Romans 8:26-27, “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” When you spend time with the Lord praying and singing in the spirit, the Holy Spirit is praying on your behalf according to the specific will of God for you. Also, by praying in the spirit, you allow God’s Spirit to bring His revelation and wisdom to your understanding. And when your mind prospers with His wisdom, you’ll prosper in every work of your hands too (see 3 John 2). So pray in the spirit/pray in tongue often, and whenever you can.

Dear friends, restore your ‘altar of incense’ by spending time to pray and be in the presence of the Lord again. All your prayers according to the will of God are heard and will be fulfilled in due time. Do not lose hope but continue to ‘burn your spiritual incense’ (i.e. pray) upon ‘your spiritual altar of incense’ (i.e. Jesus). Your God is a God who answers prayers. Let’s believe that your breakthrough and miracle is at hand. Amen!

Praying in tongues

A week or two before I preached on this topic at church, I met a Canadian friend who asked me about praying in the spirit.  I share it here because I believe many Christians who have both the interest yet hesitation about praying in the spirit should know. Below are the questions she asked and the answers I gave her.

Q.     Is praying in the spirit the same as praying in tongues?

A.      Yes. They are the same. Let’s refer to 1 Corinthians 14:14-15. In v14, Paul said that when he prayed in tongue, his spirit prayed but his understanding was unfruitful. Then in v15, he concluded that he would pray both in the spirit and in the understanding. So, praying in the spirit is praying in tongues.

Q.     Is praying in tongue the evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit?

A.      There is no direct statement in the bible that says so. But, there are 3 strong evidences here proving that believers all prayed in tongues after they are baptized in the Holy Spirit.

In Acts 2:1-4, all the120 disciples who took heed of Jesus’ command to wait at Jerusalem and to be baptized in the Holy Spirit were praying at the upper room during Pentecost. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues.

In Acts 10:44-46, the Holy Spirit fell on the Gentile believers while Peter was preaching at Cornelius’ house. There and then, they were heard speaking with tongues and magnifying God.

In Acts 19:6, Paul laid hand on his 12 newly recruited disciples at Ephesus. The Holy Spirit came upon them, they spoke with tongues and prophesied.

Q.     Is it necessary to pray in the spirit/pray in tongues?

A.      Let’s refer back to 1 Corinthians 14. Paul wrote that when you speak in tongues, you speak the mysteries of God (v2) and edify yourself (v4) because your spirit prays (v14). He wished that all spoke with tongues (v5) and gave the conclusion that it’s beneficial to pray both with tongues and understanding (v15).

In Jude 20-21, Jude linked praying in the Holy Spirit to keeping your faith and love strong in God.

In Ephesians 6:18, Paul told us that, after putting on the whole armor of God, we are to pray always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, in order to be alert in the spirit and stand strong in this end time.

Whatever your decision is after reading this sharing, my sincere prayer is that you will not be deprived of one of the great signs that will follow those who believe, ‘they will speak with new tongues’ as written by Mark in Mark 16:17.