Aspire Ministries
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Aspire To Be All That God Created You To Be

A New Way Of Prayer

 
Sandra Bontemps
 


And He said to them," When you pray, say:  Our Father Which is in heaven Hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread.  Forgive us our trespassess as we forgive those who trespass against us.  Bring us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.  For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the Glory  for ever and ever, Amen." Matthew 6:9-13
 

“FOREVER CHANGED”
A NEW WAY OF PRAYER

 
In Crafted Prayers, Graham Cooke has written a strong word on “A New Way of Prayer.” When I read it, it changed so many paradigms I have from my strict upbringing.  It changed how I saw God. It changed how I saw myself.  Never before had I thought of prayer as a two-way conversation.  Although I always have believed in and have had a strong prayer life, not ever wanting to go one step, or make any big decisions without praying first, I have realized within the past few years, that my prayer life has not been as effective as God wants it to be.  Because although I prayed often, I really never heard God’s answers clearly, nor thought that He definitely wanted to speak to me.
 
Not long before this, I had been given an insightful impartation, which actually means encouragement, but is also a prophetic word of knowledge that someone receives from God, at times for someone they do not even know. This impartation was prayed over me, by a mighty anointed woman of God. When she spoke over me that God was raising me up a powerful, mighty intercessory prayer warrior woman of God, while this scared me just a little, it also challenged me greatly.
 
When someone speaks into your life in this way, imparting great wisdom, or calling forth gifts that God has placed within you, you do need to heed them and search them out. First pray and ask God for further confirmation, and be sure everything lines up with the Word of God. And write them down. Sometimes prophetic words are carried forth in our lives later.
 
So when I read, “The time has come for a new way of prayer,” I pressed in.    Paradoxically, this new method as Graham Cooke described it, is actually an ancient way of prayer, one in which God’s faithful servants like David and Paul flourished. I found such a joy in being able to pray and asking for God’s exact will in my life, and seeing His answer unfold before my very eyes.  Although I had seen God answer prayers, mine and so many others time after time all my life, this type of prayer actually transformed me.  It turned what had become, I am sorry to admit, a rather mundane prayer life bearing little fruit into joyous, bride like intercession.  Instead of the attitude of thinking I had to pray for a certain time every day, and go through my "laundry list", I began to cherish the time I spent with God in fervent prayer.  And I learned more to listen to Him. Sometimes, I’d just sit for hours and listen to Christian instrumental music. Soaking God in.  Breathing Him out.  And oh, the joy, because He began restoring my barren parched soul, with wells of Living Water.
 
I believe that God is taking many people into this new season of intimate, bride like prayer.  Because what happened was I began to spend more intimate time with Jesus.  God is calling forth His sons and daughters to bring His Kingdom down to earth.  And to do this battle, we must spend intimate time alone with Jesus.  For years I would storm the gates of heaven in prayer.  And don’t get me wrong there are times we do need to do this!   But I had become a little battle worn and weary.  So I learned to enter into a new place of intimate prayerful petition.  And the more I entered into this quiet rest, the more Jesus just filled and satisfied my longing soul!
 
Too many intercessors become exhausted and they burn out as they continue praying the way the Church has been advocating for so long.  As I learned to become conformed to God and His nature He began a transformation in my heart, mind and personality.  One day as I was praying, God whispered to me, “Sandra just ‘be’. Just 'be'.” Be. Be. Be.” I smiled and relaxed, took a deep, deep breath in, realizing that I never took too many deep relaxing breaths, and said a heartfelt, “Thank You, Father.” God has been good and merciful to me. He has many times been very gentle. But I have had to repeat many mistakes two or three times, before He finally could get my attention. How many of us have to learn the hard way?
 
 
I smiled at that time, because as I was learning to hear, recognize and heed God’s voice, I knew I’d really come far!  A while before this, God had told me to “Stand. Stand. Stand.”  Well, He actually wrote it to me in a dream.  So I was just so overjoyed, because instead of taking a long time to hear God, much less obey, God was accelerating me more quickly.  And now I hear Him repeat words to me, three times, within a minute!  He still wants to be sure that I hear Him.  And this is the most awesome part, women!  God is teaching me to look beyond the natural into the supernatural realm, and see the Kingdom of heaven at work in every need.  He knows my every need!  I find such rest in Him, assured of His loving promises.  
 
And it no longer matters what life, people or even the enemy throws at me, because God is helping me to clearly hear Him, yes, from His Throne Room in Heaven and understand that He is at work all around me.
 
So ladies, I am so excited to tell you that God is raising up an army of Esther’s, an army of bridal intercessors, and it is a time to rest in the throne-room Presence of God - in our secret place, hidden in Him.
 
God even had me to understand and establish new boundaries, so I could become more balanced in Him.  I had to stop working in areas of ministry that God had not led me to, so I could move into the discipline of resting in God.  God wanted me to have more balance, spiritually, emotionally and physically.  And it starts with our spiritual being first.  When we align ourselves with God’s perfect plan and will for our life in all the different seasons of our life, and there are seasons, ladies, then everything else lines up.  How refreshing it was for me to enter into this discipline of rest.  It was a time of laying down ministry to gain fresh intimacy in Jesus.  He literally became “the air that I breathed.”  I finally understood the scripture, “In Him we live and move and have our being.” Acts 17:28
 
I found out what it was like to really delight myself in the Lord.  And to understand His amazing grace and favor.  And when we delight in Him then He delights in us.  And from out of our innermost being flows life.  Rivers of Living Waters. And God manifest Himself in a greater way so we will be better equipped in helping to heal others spiritually, emotionally and physically.
 
And when I read the following from Graham Cooke, oh, what a timely word for me at this time in my life!  You see, when you seek God with all your heart, soul and mind, He gives you just what you need at just the right time.  His timing is always perfect.  Pray ladies, that God will surround you with people who will encourage you in His ways.  And pray for what He wants you to read.  Continue to stay in His Word first and foremost.  And pray.  Pray.  Pray. 
 
Seeking after God, this glorious journey to know Him more, and the fullness of His love, and the power of His resurrection has been such a joy unspeakable!
 
"Pray not against the enemy, but let your delighted prayers and praise cause the King Himself to come down in all of His Glory.   God can give you special blessing, favor and anointing that will cause you to intercede with joy so that His glory will fill the earth.  What is the glory of God?  In Exodus 33:18-19, when Moses asked God to show His glory, God said He would cause His goodness to pass before him. One of the glories of God is that He is good! As mighty intercessory prayer warriors, it should be our joy and delight to pray for the goodness and power of God to come down so that the Church can learn that we really do overcome evil with good. The Holy Spirit will give us a new strategy for prayer and perseverance."
 
He has spoken much recently to me about strategy, especially for Aspire Ministries.  He will give you strategy for any area of your lives.   And He will give you great joy.  He will fill your heart with great delight and laughter.  He will show you what it is like to live in the fullness of Christ, bathed in His righteousness.  You will be spiritually accelerated forward, and have a more ardent and passionate love for God, that will flow out of you, in fresh worship and praise. This is what is birthed out of a deeper intimacy with Jesus.  The crafted prayer that Graham Cooke talks about is part of this shift.
 
As you come and petition the Lord out of this place of closeness, He will be pleased to speak into your hearts.  He will give you new favor and blessings.  In this glorious journey into the heart of God, not only will your prayers more effectively move God’s heart and hands, but the words you receive from Him will be like a balm of Gilead. 
 
God is calling His new army of Kingdom people to rise up!  Arise.  In the name of Jesus!  He wants to deliver and restore His church. This calls for crafted prayer and new strategy.  He wants us to come together in repentance. Humility. Purity. And Unity.  God wants our focus and attention to be taken off the enemy.  We give the enemy too much place and importance in our lives.  God wants us instead to focus on Jesus, the King of kings.  And Lord of lords. He wants us to pray His Kingdom come.  His will be done.  On Earth as it is in Heaven.  We as sons and daughters of the Kingdom of God can bring about great change by calling things that are not as though they were. The Kingdom of Heaven is available to us.  God wants to bring the supernatural power of His Holy Spirit into the natural realm.  We can take back our rich inheritance that we have allowed the enemy to steal from us. (Watch for a message soon on “How to Reclaim Your Dream"  and "Take Back What the Enemy Stole from You.”)
 
Let us pray that a revelation of the Lord’s love for us will fill our hearts.  Pray that God will open up your spiritual senses.  Your minds, souls and spirits.  Pray that God will lead you to come into a whole new place of spirituality, a new place of walking with Him! God wants you to know that He loves you with an everlasting perfect love.  He cares for you. And He wants to give you fresh hope for a future rich in Him.  And get ready for the journey!  Get ready to cultivate the awareness of God’s Presence within you.  Get ready for a transforming, life changing journey as you experience God in a supernatural, super-rational way!  For Moses the reality of God’s Presence was real and tangible.  So can it be for you.  The Bible tells us that Enoch walked and talked with God.  So my friend, can you.  And remember, when you can no longer walk, Jesus will carry you.  This reminds me of the familiar story, "Footprints", by Margaret Fishback Powers.
 
Remember that Jesus has greater strength and power than yours or your enemies. He can protect, shield and can even carry you.  God sent His Holy Spirit to lead, guide and direct us. (See “Holy Spirit Gifts and Power.”)                     
 
 
(A personal “Thank You!” to Graham Cooke, who has so greatly inspired me by his book, “Crafted Prayer”, and so many other books and cd’s. I highly recommend them to you. They are life changing. For more on Graham Cooke's Ministry go to www.grahamcooke.com)

 

 

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