- by Gretchen Rodriguez

We love the Lord’s presence, we desire to see Him (John 14:21), touch Him (John 20:27), eat with Him (Rev 3:20) and be besides ourselves in the rapturous bliss of His presence (2 Cor 5:13-14). We are those with burning hearts; those who desire to remain in the awareness of God’s presence at all times. When we have set apart times with the Lord, we close our eyes and turn our gaze upon Him and allow ourselves to be immersed by His love and glory.

But as we seek Him, let’s remember something very important. Regardless of our great need for His love, let’s remember to take our eyes off of ourselves and our need and bring Him our love. Honor Him as King, Savior and Friend. Bring not just your heart to Him, but words with you, speaking forth His greatness, beauty, righteousness, faithfulness, etc.

Let words of love flow from your lips, not just so you can sense His presence, but because He is deserving of your adoration.

His presence will come as we express who He is, but even if it didn’t, this is a place of blessing Him, loving Him, and honoring Him.

We love to be wrapped in His love and glory! But let’s take time, often, to declare who He is to us. Let us make declarations of our love for Him a part of our vocabulary that will spill over into our everyday conversations! Remember, Jesus is our Love, but He is also our Friend (John 15:15). Honor your friendship with the Lord as well. Friends love doing things for one another & true friendship is not self seeking.

“His mouth is most sweet. Yes He is altogether lovely. This is my Beloved, and this is my Friend, O daughters of Jerusalem!” Song of Solomon 5:16

Dear readers,

Below is a blog entry from one of our team members. It is written so beautifully we thought we would share it with you. But before we share the note from our friend I thought I would share a little bit of insight the Lord shared with me several years ago that ties in with this…..

What does dance have to do with intercession?

To me Intercession is a beautiful dance.

When we are in the beautiful dance of intercession we are in movement and time and step with our bridegroom King and He leads.

As He leads we follow His movement and heart. How beautiful. When we are in prayer we are often times, waiting on the Lord, The Father to share His heart. Why do we do this? So our hearts can beat in time with HisJ that is prayer. Jesus said in the word, “I only do what I see my Father doing”. But Jesus didn’t just see or hear what His Father was doing, He joined in, He put feet and movement to this. we too can join in the beautiful dance and intercession is just one way.

Enjoy the Dance!

Kim Hadaway

Song of Solomon 6:13: 

“Return, return, O Shulamite; Return, return, that we may look upon you!” Then the Bride asks, “What would you see in the Shulamite?” They respond, “As it were, the dance of two camps?”

The daughters of Jerusalem (regular Christians) were telling the Shulamite they wanted her to come back to them. They saw in her the reflection, the mirror image, of the Bridegroom (Jesus) and yearned for what she carried. They knew they needed what she had, but had been satisfied to receive it through her instead of going directly to the Lord themselves. When asked what they saw in her, they responded that she was the dance of two camps. 

You, like the Shulamite, are the dance of two camps! You are the convergence of two realms. You are the living substance of heaven and earth. When God created Adam, He formed Him of the earth, but also breathed His Spirit into Him. This symbolized that man, unlike anything else God created, was the symbol of two kingdoms. Right now you are on earth, but also in Heaven. (Eph 2:6) You are the beautiful harmony, the graceful pas de deux of God and man, Heaven and earth, in one body -mystically united in Christ! You are a citizen of Heaven while taking up residency on earth. (Eph 2:19) You have every legal right to access Heaven now.

You were created to experience the reality of Heaven on earth; the atmosphere of Heaven in your life!

Do you dare to believe? Do you dare to explore the realm of Heaven? Many Hebrews during the time of the Old Testament, lived tapped into realms of spirituality; it wasn’t unusual to them. They had books like those of the Dead Sea Scrolls, which weren’t Scripture, but books that were a normal part of their lives. Angels came and talked to them and it didn’t freak them out! Why are people freaked out when people say they see angels now? We don’t worship the angels, but we don’t ignore them either. 

When we begin to realize who we are in and through Christ, we will live differently. Experiences in His glory are becoming normal to Christians again. HOWEVER, I want to really emphasize a couple of things. First, seek JESUS not just to experience something, but because you love Him. Secondly, your experiences with Him do not make you better or more anointed, etc. and should catapult you into a deeper relationship with Him which is evident in your character and love towards others. When you live like Heaven and earth are dancing through your life, others will declare, 

“Return to us so we can be near you. We see Jesus in you – the dance of two realms!”

By Dr. Linda Smith, Prayer Shield

With so much trouble in the world that needs prayer, I sometimes feel overwhelmed by the magnitude of the task.  God’s word tells us to pray without ceasing and I can see why.  Even praying 24 hours a day, I could not cover all the needs I see.

Recently I came into an enlarged revelation of the interaction of first, second and third heaven and the authority and dominion of believers in each.  You see, second heaven is not just a place of spiritual warfare where the principalities and powers of spiritual wickedness are active, but it is a place that has been restored to us as believers; restored through Jesus Christ.  How dare the wicked forces utilize the heavens, the ‘air’ to victimize the world!

Therefore, this is how I get my prayer assignments: I go boldly before the throne of grace. Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. This takes place in the third heaven.  As I commune with God, I ask to assist the kingdom in prayer and ask for my assignment(s).  “Father, what shall I pray about today that would assist and advance the kingdom purposes?”

Once I have downloaded the assignment(s), I pray into 2^nd heaven, changing the atmosphere, and most importantly, taking dominion.  Sometimes I am assigned against particular demonic forces to bind, spoil and dispatch them to Jesus. Then I claim that ‘territory’ for the kingdom of God.

I noticed differences in results by doing this process.  Prior to this understanding, I would pray a good prayer about a situation, but over time, see little result.  One day I was driving past a triple x adult business and asked God why it hadn’t closed yet since I had been praying that for several years.  God said, “You’ve been praying from earth. Pray from a higher position.”  Aha!  I get it! I needed third heaven strategies applied in the second heaven!

So I went before the throne. “Father, I need mercy and grace to frustrate the forces over the adult sex trade industry.” As I communed with God, I was told how to pray.  I took that strategy to second heaven and began to apply it as God had instructed.  This time the strategy also included rescuing the people that worked in the trade.  I know I will see more results.

I believe this is the stronger position. I believe just as Jesus only did what He saw the Father do, that Jesus prayed the way Father said pray.

Do you have a situation over which you have prayed with less than satisfactory results?  Go before the throne to access new prayer strategies!  God bless you.

by Benay Shapiro – XP Email Intercessor

To me the heart of worship is Davidic as my role model; to worship with all your heart, mind, body and soul with complete abandon, with zeal even fervor with no inhibitions (even in your underwear). Worship like no one is watching you but your Lord. Don’t worry what others will think. Let loose and let the adoration flow. For those who have distain for your freedom be reminded of Michal’s outcome scorning and mocking her husband David. Not pretty!

We praise till we worship, we worship till the glory that heavy weighty goodness His kabod comes so simple. We are in His divine presence when we worship it is sweet, intimate and extravagant. It is what we were born for; to worship and adore the one true living God because He is so worthy of all our worship, all our praise, all the honour and all the glory. We are changed and healed in His presence we truly go from glory to glory!

Think about it, in heaven we will be throwing down our crowns and singing Holy, Holy, Holy with all the saints and angels. We will worship Him loudly, very loudly with all exuberance and with all abandon.

There are actually 58 Hebrew words for praise and worship. Ps. Karl has preached on all the types of worship but here is a quick definition of the 7 main the types:

1.YADAH – yaw-daw – To worship with the extended hand. The giving of oneself in worship and adoration. To lift your hands unto the Lord. It carries the meaning of absolute surrender as a young child does to a parent – “pick me up, I’m all yours”.

Psalm 33:2  Praise the Lord with the harp; Make melody to him with an instrument of ten strings.
Psalm 61:8  So I will sing praise to your name forever, that I may daily perform my vows.
Psalm 18:49 Therefore I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the Gentiles, and sing praises to your name.

2.TEHILLAH - teh-hil-law – To sing, to laud. A spontaneous new song. Singing from a melody in your heart by adding words to it. This refers to a special kind of singing – it is singing unprepared, unrehearsed songs. Brings tremendous unity to the body of Christ. Singing straight to God we can move into tehilah anytime. It is the praise that God inhabits, sits enthroned on. God manifests Himself in the midst of exuberant singing

Psalm 34:1 I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
Psalm 40:3 He has put a new song in my mouth — praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, and will trust in the Lord.
Psalm 149:1 Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song, and his praise in the assembly of saints.

3.BARAK - baw-rak – To kneel or to bow. To give reverence to God as an act of adoration. It implies to continual conscious giving place to God. Blessing the Lord, extolling virtue. There is a sense of kneeling and blessing God as an act of adoration. In the word Barak I am acknowledging Him as KING and GOD and I yield to Him. The type of lifestyle that I am supposed to be living. Psalm 103 tells us how to bless the Lord and then goes on to enumerate those blessings: loving kindness, satisfaction redemption, honor, renewal. We bless the Lord by remembering all of these things.

Psalm 34:1  I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
Psalm 100:4  Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise. Be thankful to him, and bless his name.
Psalm 95:6  Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the Lord our maker.

4.HALAL - haw-lal – To praise, to make a show or rave about, to glory in or boast upon, to be clamorously foolish about you adoration of God  The word Halal appears over 110 times in the OT.

Psalm 22:23 You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, glorify him, and fear him, all you offspring of Israel!
Psalm 44:8  In God we boast all day long, and praise your name forever. Selah
Psalm 63:5  My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth shall praise you with joyful lips

5.TOWDAH -to-daw -To give worship by the extension of the hand in adoration or agreeing with what has been done or will be. This word is commonly found in connection with sacrifice-applying the giving of thanks or praise as a sacrifice before reception or manifestation especially healing. Thanking God for something that I don’t have in the natural. Agreeing with His Word – faith in His Word. This form of praise goes in operation just because His Word is true. The lifting of the hand symbolizes agreement. The right hand symbolizes my covenant with my Father. When He extends His right hand to me, He’s saying to me – all that I am is your’s, and when I extend my right hand to Him, I am saying “All that I am is yours and I agree with what You’re saying. It is the sacrifice that God honors by His performing of miracles.

Psalm 50:14  Offer to God thanksgiving, and pay your vows to the Most High.
Psalm 69:30  I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.
Psalms 100:4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise. Be thankful to him, and bless his name.

6.ZAMAR – zaw-mar – To touch the strings or parts of a musical instrument play upon it, to make music accompanied by the voice, to celebrate in song and music, give praise, sing forth praises, psalms.

Psalm 66:2 Sing out the honor of his name; Make his praise glorious.
Psalm 71:22 Also with the lute I will praise you — and your faithfulness, O my God! To you I will sing with the harp, O Holy One of Israel.
Psalm 144:9 I will sing a new song to you, O God; on a harp of ten strings I will sing praises to you…

7.SHABACH – shaw-bakh – To address in a loud tone, a loud adoration, a shout! Proclaim with a loud voice, unashamed, the glory, triumph, power, mercy, and love of God. This word implies that testimony is praise. The phrase “shout unto the Lord” can be understood as the action of Shabach. It is not just being loud. You should have the attitude of putting your whole being into it, an attitude of being totally uninhibited.

Psalm 63:3 Because your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise you.
Psalm 106:47 Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the Gentiles, to give thanks to your holy name, to triumph in your praise.
Psalm 145:4 One generation shall praise your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.

So many choices just worship Him, it is an honour and a privilege. We are so blessed to have this freedom so let us take full advantage of this liberty. Remember, Abba inhabits the praises of His people. Hallelujah! (You know that actually means I command my body to praise the Lord!)

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submitted by Melissa Fisher, itinerant minister with Patricia King ministries

Early in my walk with the Lord I used to experience frustrations because it seemed as though God was not answering my prayers.  During that time I heard fellow brothers and sisters say things like he will answer in His timing, or the Lord’s ways are mysterious I even heard that all you needed to do was pray once and if you really had faith you wouldn’t need to pray again.  Needless to say, this left my confused and a bit frustrated.  I would wonder why, were my prayers so “sub-par” and where I could get some more of this “faith”?  Maybe you can relate to this on some level.

If you were like me, I prayed a few of times and then when I seemingly saw no results I thought God wasn’t going to answer or that He didn’t hear me etc.  Thankfully, as I matured in Him, the Lord gave me a key to seeing results in prayer that I want to pass on to you out of Mark 2:1-6:

And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house. Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them.  Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying.When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.”

When you read the above passage of scripture you see a story unfold of some men who are carrying a friend on a mat to Jesus.  Think about this for a second.  They carried this man for who knows how long of a distance and when they get there the door is blocked; so then they must push through a crowd, carry their friend up on top of the roof!  This is no small task!  What does this speak of?  PERSEVERANCE!   The odds were clearly against them and but they did not give up and in their perseverance got a very creative strategy (another key)!  Next, thing to note is they had radical faith in Jesus as healer.  I don’t believe they would have done what they did if they did not know in within their innermost beings that Jesus could heal the paralyzed man.

Then, in verse 5 which says, “When they had “broken through” the roof and Jesus saw “their” faith and forgave and healed the man.”  This creative strategy (given by God), which came through perseverance in prayer, with faith attached brought the BREAKTHROUGH.  Think of this, who knows if the man who was being carried had any faith at all.  Maybe he protested the whole way!  Maybe he was so sick he didn’t know what was going on.  However, the man was healed because of the faith of his friends.  This is a key for you as well.  You may be praying for someone who is “paralyzed” in sin and death, but if you will have faith and perseverance Jesus will free them from bondage!

I love in James 5:15-17 where it says the prayer of faith will save the sick and raise them up and that the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much! This passage also compares us to that of Elijah, who was a man like you and me, who had the ability to control the weather through his perseverance in prayer.  How much more you and I in our situations?  Our God is well able to do the impossible.  He is simply looking for ones who will run the race with endurance!

In closing, I want to encourage you to begin to go after those “prayer projects” once again, pray with perseverance, pray with faith and God will give you creative strategies that will eventually bring breakthrough!