Christians For Israel: Together We Stand (3 of 4)

Part 3 What’s My Duty? How Do I Pray Effectively?

Derek Prince in his book “Prayers and Proclamations” shows us that ‘proclaim’ is a strong word from a Latin word that means “to shout forth.” He continues to explain that a related word in the New Testament means “to confess” meaning “to say the same as” and as Bible believing Christian confession involves saying the same thing with our mouths as God has already said in His Word. 

When we make this alignment, we position ourselves to receive the full backing and authority of Jesus. Derek further explains that a proclamation is a confession that is made aggressive, a word that speaks of spiritual warfare. 

We’ve been given the breath of prophecy to proclaim and release the authority of God’s word into people, situations and circumstances because the Holy Spirit is in us, He gives life and power to every word and manifests it.

Death and life are in the power of the tongue (Proverbs 18:21). His word shall go forth and it shall not return to Him void but it shall accomplish what He please and it shall prosper in the thing for which He sent it (Isaiah 55:11). Jeremiah 1:12 shows us that God Himself watches over His Word and is ready to perform it.

Derek Prince during his lifetime showed in his book Shaping History Through Prayer and Fasting, how fasting has changed and could change the course of history. One example from the Bible in 2 Chronicles 20:1-30 is Jehoshaphat, king of Judah who proclaimed a fast throughout Judah when faced with invasion large army territories. Derek Prince states, “No doubt there were jealousies or rivalries between some of the represented cities but in the face of the enemy invasion, these were set aside.

God’s people were called upon to protect their common inheritance rather than to promote their individual differences.” After uniting in prayer, fasting, proclaiming prophetic utterances, praise and worship God’s people didn’t even have to use any kind of military weapon to destroy their enemies, God fought for them.

Derek Prince highlighted three practical lessons that can be learned from Jehoshaphat’s victory that apply with equal force to Christians in this age.

Lesson #1:

He states that anti-Christian forces that are at work in the world today are just as hostile and just as formidable as the army that threatened Judah. It’s even far worse as we see in our current day than in the days of Derek Prince. 

Prince continues by stating that those enemy forces were united in hatred and opposition toward all who truly love and serve the Lord Jesus Christ. They are not concerned about internal denominational distinctions among Christians.

He goes on to highlight that this is no time for Christians to emphasize sectarian or denominational issues that have in the past divided us. Rather, it is time for all God’s people to follow the example of Judah and to unite in fasting and prayer. Again, this fact reigns more true today than in Prince’s time.

Lesson #2:

Derek Prince states the second lesson we learn is the need for spiritual gifts since it was the gift of prophecy that gave both encouragement and direction. Supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit are just as much needed in the church today. He states that based on Acts 2:17-18 that supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit are to be more and more manifested, the nearer we come to the end of the age. 

Have you been baptized with the Holy Ghost and fire? When you are baptized by the Holy Spirit and fire, just like the disciples in the upper room you receive supernatural manifested power by evidence of speaking in tongues as the Spirit enables (Acts: 2:4) and are able to work in the gifts of the Spirit and walk in boldness, power, and authority to fulfill the great commission. If you’d like to be baptized by the Holy Spirit and receive and walk in power check my blog post here: READ MORE

According to Kenneth Hagin about speaking in tongues: “I have found in my own life over a period of more than 60 years that the more I speak in tongues—the more I pray and worship God in tongues—the more manifestation of the other gifts of the Spirit I have in my life too. And the less I speak in tongues, the less manifestation of the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit I have operat­ing in my life.”

Lesson #3:

Thirdly, Derek highlights the supremacy of spiritual power over carnal power. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but are mighty through God (2 Corinthians 10:4). Jehoshaphat purely used spiritual weapons over carnal weapons and demonstrated its supremacy. 

Derek Prince summarized the spiritual weapons used by Jehoshaphat, which were first, collective fasting; second, united prayer; third, the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit; fourth, public worship and praise. These weapons, scripturally employed by Christians in this present day will gain victories as powerful and dramatic as they gained for the people of Judah in the days of Jehoshaphat.

What we also learn is that lead Jehoshaphat to victory is that he “resolved to inquire of the Lord” (2 Chronicles 20:3), he sought the Lord, inclined his ear to God to hear Him and listened to God and obeyed Him. Whoever is of God hears the words of God (John 8:47). If we are His sheep, we hear His voice and we follow Him (John 10:27).

The LORD says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you” (Psalm 32:8). Therefore today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion (Hebrews 3:15) but truly listen and obey because obedience is better than sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22).

This is a spiritual battle for we not war against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 6:12) so we are to fight in the spirit. 

The spiritual realm is more real than the natural realm. Things are first accomplished in the spiritual realm and then it manifests in the natural realm. It’s in the spirit real power is seen, known and harnessed. Ephesians 1:3 shows us that we are blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ which include the ability of prophetic utterance. 

Prophetic decrees and proclamations of God’s word holds tremendous power to transform. Fasting further strengthens prayers and proclamations tremendously. Utilizing these and the other spiritual warfare tactics Prince highlighted such as praise, worship and supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit, harnesses and releases great supernatural power and fight in the spiritual realm to further transform. These tactics could also be used to fight battles in your personal life to shape your history and those around you.

Beware! Pride is a barrier to the answer to our prayers therefore let us all kill any pride within us.

Blow the trumpet in Zion,
Consecrate a fast,
Call a sacred assembly;
Gather the people,
Sanctify the congregation,
Assemble the elders,
Gather the children and nursing babes;
Let the bridegroom go out from his chamber,
And the bride from her dressing room.
Let the priests, who minister to the Lord,
Weep between the porch and the altar;
Let them say, “Spare Your people, O Lord,
And do not give Your heritage to reproach,
That the nations should rule over them.
Why should they say among the peoples,
‘Where is their God?’
(Joel 2:15-17)

Three important categories of people are mentioned in Joel 2: 15-17 the priests, ministers and the elders.

Derek Prince highlights that here shows the responsibility of the leadership in the Church, it’s to set the example and to take the lead in front of their congregation. These people are the ones to make sure the conditions in verses 15-17 are performed once we have met these conditions and, in His time, God will fulfill Joel 2: 28.

And it shall come to pass afterward
That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh;
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
Your old men shall dream dreams,
Your young men shall see visions.
(Joel 2:28)

On the day of Pentecost, they were all with one accord in one place (Acts 2:1) and God then poured out of His Spirit upon them in the upper room. It was only a portion of His Spirit He poured out. With that portion that was poured out, great and radical power and manifestations of the Holy Spirit were seen. This was still just a taste or foreshadow of what is to come.

The Last Great Outpouring of the Holy Spirit: Therefore, could you imagine if all His Church in this time, comes together in unity with one accord, like they did in Acts, again, once we have met His requirements and in His time, Joel 2:28 very well will be fulfilled where God pours out His entire Spirit where we shall see and experience an unsurmountable level of the power of God and such profound manifestations of the Holy Spirit that the world has never and will ever see and achieve the billion-soul harvest, the Great Revival, the Last Great Outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

With one accord, 3661 in the Strong’s Concordance translates from the Greek “homothumadon” means with one mind, unanimously and at the same time.

The vital church grew by keeping together in one accord, breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people and it’s only then the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved (Acts 2:46). Therefore, it’s crucial to note continuing daily in unity, with one accord, one mind, unanimously and at the same time is essential to achieve this incredible move of God, the billion- soul harvest.

Before you start your intercession and spiritual warfare of praying, fasting, prophetically decreeing and proclaiming and worshipping and praising, please read the below are guidelines on how to pray For Israel and the situation in the Middle East by Derek Prince.

Before you start your intercession and spiritual warfare of praying, fasting, prophetically decreeing and proclaiming and worshipping and praising, please read the below are guidelines on how to pray For Israel and the situation in the Middle East by Derek Prince and a short preview of our final Part 4 of our series.

Guidelines On How to Pray For Israel

(Click on each guideline arrow below for more!)

Be sure to check out our final Part 4 of Christians For Israel: Together We Stand to access powerful prophetic proclamations and prayer points and to find out exactly what to pray and prophetically proclaim for victory and what to do when you don’t know what to pray. Make sure to not miss the critical Final Exhortation at the end as well!

References

Hagin, K. (n.d.). How important is speaking in tongues? Kenneth Hagin Ministries. https://www.rhema.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1050%3Ahow-important-is-speaking-in-tongues&catid=53&Itemid=145#:~:text=Through%20speaking%20in%20tongues%2C%20you,power%20of%20the%20Holy%20Spirit.&text=Tongues%20are%20also%20used%20as,14%3A4). 

Prince, D. (2010). Prayers & Proclamations. Whitaker House. 

Prince, D. (n.d.-a). Shaping history through prayer and fasting. https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/a7fcc973-5214-4f45-b706-10ed453c2e4a/downloads/Shaping%20History-Prayer%20Fasting-Derek%20Prince.pdf?ver=1626003445662 

Prince, D. (n.d.-a). Seven ways to pray for Israel. Derek Prince Ministries. https://www.derekprince.com/teaching/c-l151