MY HOUSE WILL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER

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At Jesus resurrection, the Scriptures clearly reveal that God, our Heavenly Father, enthroned Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all government and authority, all power and dominion, and any title or sovereignty that can be named.

“that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.
And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. Ephesian 1:17-21

The amazing thing is we share this position on the throne with Jesus, “even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,” Ephesians 2:4-6

Sadly, most have not received this revelation which the Holy Spirit, through the scriptures, makes available to us, so instead of reigning as kings, we find ourselves still toiling as slaves.

Similarly, God declared to Israel in Exodus 19:6, the purpose for which he redeemed them from Egypt; “And you shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation.” “A kingdom of priests” speaks of a dominion restored – kingship in place of slavery. God offered Israel a double privilege: to minister as priests and to reign as kings. For the most part , the nation failed to live up to God’s gracious promises. A few of the OT  saints were the exception such as Daniel.

To those redeemed by faith in Christ, God renews the calling He gave to Israel. In 1 Peter 2:5 Christians are called “an holy priesthood” and our ministry is “to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” In 1 Peter 2:9 Christians are further called “a royal (or kingly) priesthood. In the book of Revelation the same phrase is applied twice to those redeemed by faith in Jesus Christ (Rev. 1:5-6 and Rev. 5:9-10).

Such is the double ministry that Jesus now exercises at the Father’s right hand. As King, He rules. As Priest, He intercedes: “Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” Hebrews 7:25

The “spiritual sacrifices” offered up by us are the various forms of prayer – particularly worship and intercession. As priest we share Jesus ministry of prayer and intercession. If we would rule as kings, we must serve as priests. The practice of our priestly ministry is the key to our exercise of our kingly authority. It is through prayer and intercession that we administer the authority that is ours in the name of Jesus.

In Psalm 110: 1-4 David paints a picture of Christ reigning as king and priest together with His believing people. Verse 2 describes the way in which Christ’s kingly authority is exercised: ” The Lord shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion; Rule in the midst of Your enemies”.

This is the situation in the world today. The enemies of Christ have not been finally subdued, they are still actively at work opposing His rule and His Kingdom. However Christ has been exalted and given authority over them all. Thus He rules now “in the midst of His enemies.”

In the world the forces of evil are rampant on every hand rejecting the authority of Christ and opposing the work of His kingdom. But “in the midst” Christians (the church) need to assemble in divine order as kings and priests. Out of our assembly the rod of Christ’s authority, exercised in His name “is sent forth” through our prayers. 

Want to be challenged on role of prayer in the lives of Christians then listen to Jim Cymbala on My House Shall Be Called A House Of Prayer.

https://youtu.be/p5ZsV5hrc14

THE POWER OF PRAYER TO CHANGE NATIONS

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Some prophetic voices believe the United States of America shifted, spiritually, Oct. 21, 2016, on what may go down as one of the most important days in American history. Did this National Day of Prayer for First Nations affect the outcome of the November Presidential election? Does America get another chance to repent and change its course? Yes is does, under Trump. Under Hilary Clinton its course was clear, further moving away from God and increased marginalisation and then persecution of Christians.

Largely unnoticed, 1,000 Native American Indian tribes from the United States and Canada collectively forgave the U.S. government for breaking treaties with their ancestors during a public ceremony on the National Mall.

The National Day of Prayer for First Nations, held near the Washington Monument, included intercessory petitions, proclamations and declarations of forgiveness by leaders from All Tribes D.C., a fellowship of Christians representing 1,000 American Indians from the U.S. and Canada.

all-tribes-met-prayer

A full-blooded Euchee (Yuchi) Indian, Negiel Bigpond coordinated the first-ever national prayer gathering of Native Americans in the nation’s capital.

Like the annual May observance of the National Day of Prayer, signed into law by President Harry S. Truman in 1952, First Nations intercessors will convene again in 2017 during the third week of October.

Dr. Billy Graham, whose son and daughter have served on the National Day of Prayer Task Force, is a prophetic voice who believes that forgiveness by Native Americans might be part of a spiritual awakening within the nation.

“The Native American has been a sleeping giant,” Graham writes. “He is awakening. The original Americans could become the evangelists who will help win America for Christ. Remember the forgotten people.”

Bigpond agrees that Native Americans have taken a good first step toward aiding national awakening by extending forgiveness to the nation.

“We chose to forgive the U.S., whether it asked for it or not,” said Bigpond, a fourth-generation pastor who offered forgiveness and spoke blessings over the nation alongside other tribal prayer warriors.

Bigpond, who has evangelised on 143 reservations, believes the U.S. has suffered spiritual consequences for breaking treaties with Native Americans.

In Scripture, breaking a vow or treaty brings a curse on the land, and the U.S. government broke every treaty it made with the Native American tribes, according to prophetic voice Rick Joyner, who called the prayer event one of the most important in the nation’s history from his ministry headquarters in North and South Carolina.

“This is very real,” Joyner said. “National injustices are a major issue we’re facing now, whether we want to or not, and this is a big one.”

Bigpond is an apostle at Morning Star Evangelistic Center in Oklahoma, which is affiliated with Joyner’s MorningStar Ministries.

The nation’s crises parallel conditions on the reservations, according to Bigpond, a certified drug- and alcohol-abuse counsellor.

“We don’t want the nation or our people to suffer further,” said Bigpond, who holds a doctorate in divinity and is a Euchee tribe chief.

Mary Faus, who represented the Ojibway and Cree tribes at the prayer event, said the unity and power of forgiving a nation that’s never apologised or asked for it was amazing.

“We believe this has shifted the nation and we are already feeling the effects of what was accomplished in D.C.,” said Faus, who is the director of a house of prayer in Pennsylvania and lead intercessor with husband Jon at Hope of Nations Christian Centre.

Joyner agrees that forgiveness and love are major weapons in waging spiritual warfare on behalf of the nation.

“This is one of the most noble acts of true Christian charity I have ever heard of by any people group,” Joyner said. “Very few may even know that anything special happened.

“Some of the greatest things happen that way, and only a very few who have their eyes open looking in the right direction, see them,” Joyner said.

Portions of a proclamation posted on the All Tribes D.C. website were read by tribal leaders gathered on the National Mall.

The proclamation reads in part, “We forgive every atrocity and broken covenant ever designed to destroy us as a race of people. We break every curse and renounce every lie purposed to decimate us as human beings.

“We forgive the government, the church and the educational system for the use of residential schools that attempted to destroy our culture and silence our voice as people by stealing our language.

“We stand in the gap for those who are unable or unwilling to forgive, and call upon the Master of Life, to forgive us for harbouring unforgiveness, resentment, hatred, bitterness and rage.

“We repent of every curse spoken over America by our ancestors and we release the power of forgiveness to bring healing and the peace of Creator God to this land.

“We declare and decree that our voice will no longer be silenced and that this nation and the world will hear our voice as we speak life and blessings over the Americas and the world.

“We stand in faith believing that our citizenship lies in heaven, and we too, all await the return of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

“Being all of one mind and heart, having compassion for one another, we declare our love as brothers; not returning evil for the evil perpetuated against us, but on the contrary we choose to release a blessing, knowing that the Father of us all has called us as his children to bless and not curse, that we may inherit a blessing. Amen.”

God is doing something in Australia as well, our Christian Aboriginal brothers and sisters are planning a Solemn Assembly Gathering in Canberra, hopefully in 2017, to join with Christians from all denominations to ask repentance from God and to forgive one another for past sins.