“Through all the chaos and noise in the world, God can still hear the whispered prayer of His child.” –unknown
 
"Mom, do you know why I pray with my hands folded together?" asked my daughter, Xaris, who went on to explain to me that her prayers go into her hands and as she releases her hands the prayers fly up to the heavens and into God's heart.  Micah, my youngest went on to explain that his prayers are between his hands like a laser! As he prays his prayers shoot out like the Laser in the Light Saber from Star Wars! Kids have a wonderful imagination that empowers them to believe!
 
Prayer is a Wonder and Intercession is the Ministry of Jesus Himself and we are called to join Him in it. 
To Intercede means to: intervene on behalf of another, to mediate, to negotiate, to commit to praying for another.  I too have a wild imagination like my kids and God has let me use it, so allow me to give you a picture of what Intercession is.  I see intercessors as the Spiritual Police or Law-enforcers of the spirit realm.  They stand in the gap with “Sword” in hand like Micah’s Light Saber, weapons of praise and worship drawn, ready to fight in the spirit, on their Knees!
I heard someone say once that, when a Prayer Warrior gets on his or her knees the battle is not over, it’s only just begun.  
I believe Intercession is the responsibility of all of God’s children.  We are all called to pray and pray for everything and everyone.  But is everyone ready or able to engage in Spiritual Warfare?
 
Like Xaris’ intimate interpretation of her prayers that were released from her hands to God’s heart, we are also, invited into a loving, heart-to-heart, relationship with God as Father and friend.  Our Journey to intercession begins here.  God loves to commune with us because He loves us and we are His children and as a bonus for spending time with Him we are renewed.  He desires that our mind is renewed and transformed into the image of His son Jesus Christ so that we become Re-presenters of Him here on earth and the spirit realm where we go into war. Communion with Him is a pathway to renewal and effective service.
 
Intercession begins with Intimacy and we should be motivated by love. 
​
1. God wants our friendship more than he wants our good works.  In Mark 16 we read how Jesus appeared to the Disciples first before He gave them instruction to “go and preach the good news to everyone”. 
Intimacy, spent in prayer and reading scripture is a place of impartation where God imparts his love for others into us.  As we become His friend we then become his partners in ministry.  He invites us to share in some secrets.  He let’s us in on some things- Discernment becomes stronger. 
2. Before we can engage in Spiritual warfare we need to get to know God’s heart.  And we can only know Him in a place of intimacy.  It is there that he can purify us and sanctify us so that we can become, first, His Friends, then His messengers, vessels, and intercessors.   (How can we declare and decree if we don’t know the heart of the Father?)
3. Friendship with our Father makes us powerful over comers.   As we are sanctified we are empowered.  Holiness is for Power.  But we are made holy (set-apart, changed, transformed), as we become Friends of God.  Intimacy is everything!
4.Intimacy with God will cause your intercession to defeat the Giants of your life and the life of others.  
 
2 Cor. 10:5 …casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
 
In Conclusion
In a time of prayer early in my walk with God, I had a vision as I asked God to help me submit my own emotions and thoughts to Him.  I saw a Tornado and instantly I knew that the Tornado was my emotions and that I have been a tornado of emotions and thoughts destroying everything in the way.  I began to cry and I saw a lasso being tossed around the neck of the Tornado.  I felt the Lord lead me to pray that my thoughts and emotions are to submit to the authority of Christ like a bull submits to the lasso of a cowboy.  He was taming them as I gave in to His mind and His heart. As I released my heart to Him, He in turn released boldness and assistance as I took captive my thoughts and emotions.  2 Corinthians 10:5 became alive before my eyes that day and changed my life in prayer. 
I began to thank the Lord for the sensitivity He was awakening me to in times of intimacy with Him. That day He taught me an effective prayer that heals and delivers.  He was my Father, my Friend and Partner in ministry all at once, but it started with my own repentance and submission to Him. 
When we begin there, our heart softens and gets filled with the Love of God so that we can intercede with Love and Humility and not suspicion, anger, bitterness or from a place of pride or arrogance. 
 
If we come to the Lord with a heart ready to encounter Him first in that place of prayer and intercession, He promises to hear us from Heaven and Heal our Land (2 Chronicles 7:14).   
Brisyo

There we were sitting at Dunkin Donuts and a  4-year-old boy sits fidgeting in the small booth next to us.  He is waiting for his ice cream cone.  We carry on with our conversation minding our business when suddenly I notice from the corner of my eye, a little head full of angelic, blonde hair bobbing up and down, he is now licking his arm! Sadly, his cone had fallen and hit his arm, he knew he couldn’t eat the cone that was on the floor so he proceeded to lick what was left, off his little arm.  His parents got him another cone and as they began to settle into their seat to enjoy their iced coffee, the fidgety carefree, little boy knocks over his mother’s iced coffee.  It was a mess!  Some splashed on me and it was all over the floor and booth.  It would have been laughable but the air got thick with the awkwardness of the situation.  My heart broke for the parents as they struggled to clean as much as they could and move their son into a place where he wouldn’t cause any more trouble.  He ended up in a corner of the store, waiting with his eyes wide open, probably wondering, “What just happened?” 
As I meditated on this situation I remembered that parenting in general is messy and sometimes awkward. But growing up is messy too.  Our spiritual walk can be very much like this scenario.  One minute we are being obedient to our parents, sitting still waiting for our treat, then we get excited in the process as we receive and drop, misplace, mishandle the blessings.  We get messy. We lose our cool. We get desperate and like this little boy who resorted to licking his arm, we try to find whatever we can to satisfy our need, hunger or desire.  We look silly some times. We become out of control.  God gives us second chances and starts over with us, we begin our course again only to get fidgety and knock things over in our lives.  For some of us the process is long and repetitive until we find ourselves in a corner wondering, “what just happened?”. 

Those corners that we come to are places of reflection, places where we recalculate and think about what just happened.  It’s the secret place of our heart reserved for God.  It’s a place of correction and repentance.  Have you been there lately? We’ve all seen it, some kids just don’t stay there very long.  They want out, right away! The parent has to pin them down to that “Time-Out”.  But we know that those times are necessary.
That sweet mom looked so stressed out.  I went to her after a few minutes and asked her if I could give her a hug.  She melted into my arms and began to cry as I prayed for her.  Parenting is not easy.  As a matter of fact, sometimes it can be a down-right nightmare.  It may seem like you will never get past this stage, but it will pass, and as I told the mother of this 4-year-old, 10 years from now you are going to look back at all this and laugh!
beloved, you are growing up.  Whether you are the child or the parent, we are all in a continuous demand to grow.  The process is hard.  The process is messy.  But if you stay the course, have ears to hear instruction and allow the Lord to redeem you in the secret place, I promise you, one day, you will look back at all of this with a full heart and laugh!
 
Earth2brisy
Stillheavenbound
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So Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:17 

I was meditating on this scripture today and found that if we want increased faith we must HEAR.  Hearing comes by the Word of God.  As you read His word you begin to hear His heart and your faith is increased and developed.  As we hear Him more, we are washed as our faith grows.  Washed by His word. 
Here is a step by step to help you get this principle deep down in your spirit: 

1. read and listen to His Word
2. as you read His word your ears are open to His heart and voice
3. as your ears are opened to His heart and voice your Faith grows
4. as your faith grows your spiritual heart / spirit man grows stronger renewing your mind by the Washing of the Word. 

It all begins with reading His word.  can't get away from that; it's the Bread of Life.  it must become an essential part of your day.   


Brisy O. 

 This was Posted on May of 2012. I thought it was worthy of being reposted, enjoy: 


Pastor Nate continues to teach on Transition and change, it is an exciting time in our lives as we move forward in Christ to advance His Kingdom.  
In life we will face those "Decision Making" moments: Should I go to school?, should I get married?, Should I move out of town?, should I cut ties with some people?, etc.  Those "moments" can be trying to our Faith.  At those times we may face confusion or doubt and we may even grow increasing weary of "THINKING".  
Well, the Bible has a lot to say about decision making and I want to share that with you on this post.  
The Bible tells us that wisdom, which is what we need to make decisions, comes from God.  In those moments of making decisions we should seek God's wisdom and understanding.  today Pastor Jesse Duplantis tweeted: "If you want to be successful in life, you need to know everything in the Bible." studying the Word of God will open up your eyes to His heart for you.  You will know what to do when you draw close to Him.  Here are some scriptures to help you get started:  -Brisyo

Proverbs 1:7
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Proverbs 2:2-6
So that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding; yes, if you cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding, if you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. 
For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding…

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.Proverbs 22:3
A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself, but the simple pass on and are punished.

Proverbs 18:13
He who answers a matter before he hears it, it is folly and shame to him.

John 7:24
"Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment."Proverbs 11:14
Where there is no counsel, the people fall; but in the multitude of counselors there is safety.

Last night a few people from 2 churches gathered around the Musicians at their instruments at RED and sang in unity "The Lord has Given Us Freedom, Given Us Freedom, Given Us Joy"  
As we sang that I felt an amazing Joy like a bubbly spring of water rising up.  THe Joy of the Lord is our strength. Nehemiah 8:10 says: "Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” 
In the story before getting to this verse, the people had asked the Prophet Ezra to read the Laws of Moses to them.  They eagerly sat around the Prophet and Elders who helped them to understand the scriptures.  As they heard the Words written in the Scrolls they wept with conviction and in worship they bowed down with their faces to the ground.  Nehemiah then told them what we read in verse 10: "Do not be sad, instead rejoice for the JOY of the Lord is your strength."  
I believe last night I saw, yet again, a beautiful picture of God's freedom.  As we worship and HEAR the word of the Lord we are brought to humility and then the Lord fills us with Joy which strengthens us to continue the journey set before us.  
May you continue to hunger after God's amazing presence and that your JOY may be full!! Worship Him and see the Glory of God.   

 I see the hand that reaches in
Digging deep into my heart,
mixing the rich, fine loose soil
His hand toils the powder of my heart.
Pain surges as He examines the content
 to find the things that hide, the things that
hold back and block the growth of the seed, like Pride.
I feel every touch and hear his heart that says, 
"hold on, be patient, believe and have Faith". 
I clamber within, resistance sets in;
I cry out in agony, "Lord, please, is it over yet?"
Finally I surrender as I see at the distance
 the little seed He plants, the little seed He whispers. 
Gently He folds in the now fertile soil and smiles in delight
as he sees the work of His hands and my future in sight. 
Seed, Time and Harvest my dear",
 His words ring gently in my ear. 
Surrender into growth,
and see in you the Lord's Wonder.  - by BrisyO

He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side . . . —Mark 6:45


We tend to think that if Jesus Christ compels us to do something and we are obedient to Him, He will lead us to great success. We should never have the thought that our dreams of success are God’s purpose for us. In fact, His purpose may be exactly the opposite. We have the idea that God is leading us toward a particular end or a desired goal, but He is not. The question of whether or not we arrive at a particular goal is of little importance, and reaching it becomes merely an episode along the way. What we see as only the process of reaching a particular end, God sees as the goal itself.

What is my vision of God’s purpose for me? Whatever it may be, His purpose is for me to depend on Him and on His power now. If I can stay calm, faithful, and unconfused while in the middle of the turmoil of life, the goal of the purpose of God is being accomplished in me. God is not working toward a particular finish— His purpose is the process itself. What He desires for me is that I see “Him walking on the sea” with no shore, no success, nor goal in sight, but simply having the absolute certainty that everything is all right because I see “Him walking on the sea” (Mark 6:49). It is the process, not the outcome, that is glorifying to God.

God’s training is for now, not later. His purpose is for this very minute, not for sometime in the future. We have nothing to do with what will follow our obedience, and we are wrong to concern ourselves with it. What people call preparation, God sees as the goal itself.

God’s purpose is to enable me to see that He can walk on the storms of my life right now. If we have a further goal in mind, we are not paying enough attention to the present time. However, if we realize that moment-by-moment obedience is the goal, then each moment as it comes is precious.

When you are in the dark, listen and God will give you a very precious message. -Oswald Chambers

When I think about making a covenant with the Lord, I remember two scriptures that tell us what God wants from  us.  Micah 6:8 which says, "But he's already made it plain how to live, what to do, 
   what God is looking for in men and women.
It's quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love,
And don't take yourself too seriously— 
   take God seriously" and the great commission, Love God and Love your neighbor. Along with these instructions from God i'm also reminded of Repentance and Forgiveness which are also essential to a good covenant relationship with GOD. 

In the book of Romans we also read that offering up our bodies as a living sacrifice is our REASONABLE service. 

My covenant to God is as follows:

Lord, I promise to serve you all the days of my life.  I dedicate my hands, my feet, my mouth, my eyes, my ears and my entire life for your service. (Romans 12:1)

I promise to walk humbly, love mercy and seek justice. (Micah6:8)

I promise to live a life of repentance; always being careful to search my heart when things don’t go my way.  (2Chronicles 7:14)

I promise to be quick to forgive, not allowing offenses to fester in my heart. 

I promise to read your word daily. 

I promise to pray daily and without ceasing as you instructed us in your word.

I promise to tell the truth.

I promise to be faithful, that is, be full of Faith, to believe, and hope even when I can’t see in the fogginess of circumstances because it is my Faith that pleases you. 

Lord, I promise to Love you and love my neighbor even those who are unloveable.

I promise to take time out to rest in you because you said I should strive to find rest.

I promise to worship you and only you because you are the only and Holy God who saves.  

My Sisters and Brothers will you make a covenant with God today?  -brisyo

We are headed out to the high seas of My Spirit says the Father.

You will know the billows of waves of My fullness of Love breaking over you.

I will take you down into My deep; and those on the shore will wonder what happened to you.

And you would know… we have become one in spirit.

So take a good long and last look over your shoulder says the Father. The shoreline you will see no more.

I've heard your cry. You have cried out to Me that you might know my Kingdom and its limits which I will show unto you in this season

Relinquish those petty things and petty relationships and useless time wasting soul- destroying distractions.

The TIME has COME.

I have seen your stepping…and I was the one who order them.

Here is where the difference is made says the Father between those who have known the calling and those who have accepted My choosing.

You are headed out to the high seas of FAITH.