INTERCESSORY PRAYER – THE WATCHMAN MINISTRY.
The subject of Intercessory
Prayer is one of the most profound and far reaching realities of our day. It opens to us the most
effective weapon we have today in our battle against the powers of darkness. If you learn the
lessons and principles of these studies and begin to put them into practice you will become a real
threat to the enemy.
GOD IS GATHERING A COMPANY OF PEOPLE
WHO WILL BE ON THE CUTTING EDGE
AND AT THE FOREFRONT OF WHAT HE IS DOING TODAY.
I. WE NEED WATCHMEN
We need to move ahead of the enemy – that is why WE NEED WATCHMEN. Most of you are
familiar with Ezek. 3:17,
Ezek. 3: 17 Son of man, I have made thee a Watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my
mouth, and give them warning from me.
Ezek. 33:7 So thou, 0 son of man, I have set thee a Watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt
hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me.
A Watchman - one of the functions of intercessory ministry is to function as a Watchman. In
order to be a Watchman, you got to be ahead of the enemy, too late once the horse has bolted.
You’ve got to, as a Watchman, PICK UP IN THE SPIRIT WHAT IS COMING and AVERT IT WITH
YOUR INTERCESSION. That’s the Watchman Ministry.
Whatever POSITION God has put you in, you hold the GATEWAY to That Position
In the process of that, there is a principle that when you hold any position in God, I’m not
talking about self-appointed positions but you have a position in God, say Sunday School teacher, an
appointed intercessor for a certain thing, a pastor, whatever position you have in God, YOU HOLD
THE GATEWAY TO THAT POSITION. You are responsible for the door.
Jesus talked about, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.” John 10:9 He also used the same kind of language about the shepherd of the door. And what used to happen is that the shepherd would take the sheep at night, he would put them into a stone-walled corral which has a high stone wall and he would sleep over the door. The doorway wouldn’t have a door on it, it’s just that they were made right through the fields and at night he
would bring them back in. They would sleep across the doorway so that if anything comes to get into the sheep, it has to first get past him.
I have noticed through the years that this is a very very important principle - WHATEVER
POSITION YOU HOLD, YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DOOR. If it gets past you, it gets to
the rest of the flock. That gives us a concept of a Watchman.
Intercessors hold that kind of a position as Watchman
Intercessors also hold that kind of position as Watchman and the gates past the intercessors, you will be in trouble.
Intercessors – you are the WATCHMAN - PICK UP IN THE SPIRIT WHAT IS COMING. You will be the first one to be hit before the group you are looking after as a Watchman. Once it gets past the Watchman, it affects the people. And it is really really important. If anything get past the Youth Leader, it will get into the whole Youth Department. And so he sits there at the door, he stays there as a Watchman at that door. And if it gets past him…
Quite often, an intercessor or a Watchman would pick up what is coming, they will FEEL THE SYMPTOMS OF THAT THING. For instance, let me give you a classic example, if say there is an unclean spirit trying to get into the youth group, who’s going to be the first one that is going to be
hit by that? The Youth Leader, he’s going to wonder what’s happening to him. But he’s running into that spirit. If he doesn’t…if it gets past him, it will get into the Young People. So you’ll stand there as a Watchman. Or if a spirit of division or whatever, if it is seeking to get in or come in, it has got to pass you first. If it gets past you, it’s in. And IT’S MUCH HARDER TO GET IT OUT,
ONCE IT’S IN.
So what we’re talking about this concept as watchmen, and when intercessors are appointed to be intercessors for a pastor or whatever thing, we’re looking at there are levels of intercession,
but those intercessors have their hands full, because WHAT’S GOING TO COME AGAINST THAT PASTOR IS GOING TO HIT THEM, and they stand as Watchmen. It sounds great, but I’ve been an intercessor and it’s not that glamorous. Believe me, it is hard work and it is dangerous, and we need to understand that, we need to appreciate that. And quite often I’m aware of things
which are seeking the end of the church and it hits me. And I think, ‘Ohhh, what’s this?’ I’ve got to make sure and deal with it. If I’m having trouble dealing with it, I’ll call a Warfare Meeting - an
Intercessory Praise Warfare Meeting to deal with it. But it mustn’t get past me, because once it gets past me, it starts infecting the people. And this is a basic principle that we need to understand, the Watchmen Ministry.
The Watchmen Ministry
‘I have set thee a Watchman unto the house of Israel.’ We are to watch and ‘to watch’ means TO SEE,
TO BE AWARE OF WHAT’S HAPPENING. IT MEANS WE HAVE TO BE AWARE AHEAD OF
TIME WHAT THE ENEMY IS SEEKING TO DO. The first symptom ahead of time quite often is that you begin to feel the emotion of that spirit, the intent of that spirit in your own emotions and
feelings. And usually that’s an early warning sign, ‘Ohhh, what is this?’ And so it’s important that
we understand how this principle works.
This next study is we’re going to start to understand the basics of intercession. But if you keep this in the back of your mind, what you’re learning is that you can take your position in God and stay at your post. And if you remain at your post as a Watchman, that’s what God requires of us.
And it’s hazardous, it’s dangerous and it takes time and commitment and effort, because once you’ve locked into a conflict with something that is seeking to come against the church or the pastor, you’ve got to see it through. It might take a few weeks to see it through, but you can’t just
let it go. And so the Watchman would stand in the walls, surrounding the city and watch for the enemy. And so that is the picture. And so, when we’re dealing with Intercessor Prayer, we’re talking about that whole area.
Moving you up into the greater purposes of God and that which He is calling you to.
Now the thing is, in God, what we need to understand is GOD IS NO RESPECTER OF PERSON, and secondly, God doesn’t have any favorites, but HE DOES HAVE THOSE WHO FIND FAVOR WITH GOD. God doesn’t have favorites, but He does find people who find favor with God. Now there’s a difference, and you need to always set your sights for something higher in God for yourself, greater in God. Never settle for the way you are. Through this course God might even enlarge in your heart something in God, there must be something imparted by the spirit of God and we want to believe for that to happen so that there’s an impartation of giftings
and callings taking you one to another level in God, moving you up into the greater purposes of God and that which He is calling you to.
Earnest pursuit of God and His ways is important. God reveals things to people who are hungry, determined and one hundred percent involved with God. It’s like there comes seasons in God when things are up for grabs. There comes a time when God is saying, ‘I’m going to release
these gifting, these ministries, these things into the church,’ and you have to be able to get hold of it and say ‘Yes God, I’m going to go with that,’ and God takes you higher. And there comes periods of time when God opens it up again. It’s like we remain on a plateau and God says, ‘I’m going to open
something greater.’ Those who press into it will move into it. But it takes a pressing into and a determination to say, ‘Hey, I’m not going to be satisfied with where I am, I’m going to be moving into something greater in God.’ And as you do that, then God takes you into something greater. And
that is true in every sphere of our Christian life and I trust that you have that heart.
There will be those who will dare to take God at His word and cross the spiritual deserts of our time, finding their way through to God’s answer for this generation. I TRUST THAT YOU WILL BE ONE OF THEM.
II. JESUS IS THE INTERCESSOR
Okay, we’re going to look on Jesus first of all as the Intercessor, because there is the foundation stone, there is one truth that is the foundation stone of all intercession is this - that
JESUS IS THE INTERCESSOR, we need to understand that. Everything we do is dependent upon and relative to our understanding of this.
THE PRINCIPLE OF INTERCESSION IS RELATED TO MAN’S REDEMPTION. Only as you understand that can you understand effective intercession. What I want to kind of…without damaging any cherished ideas, you know, quite often people have a picture of Jesus in heaven interceding for them. I’m not so sure that’s a correct aspect, because whatever Jesus does, He does through His people. We’ll look on that in the next lesson.
III. MAN’S ROLE IN THE EARTH
Jesus has accomplished an incredible work of intercession on the Cross WHICH WE THEN ENFORCE IN THE EARTH. Now I want us to understand this because first of all man’s role in the earth. You see, most Christians don’t understand the extent of God’s decision to make Himself dependent upon man and the far riches of that. The implications are profound and we need to
understand if we don’t understand intercession. I really believe the plans of God are greatly hindered because we have a wrong understanding of the sovereignty of God. And because of our wrong understanding of the sovereignty of God, many, many things do not happen which God
purpose to happen.
A. God works through Man
GOD WORKS THROUGH MAN - WHATEVER GOD DOES, HE DOES THRU HIS PEOPLE,
and from the beginning God determined right from Adam and Eve that THE AFFAIRS OF THE
EARTH WILL BE GOVERNED BY MAN. How many of you know that after the fall that didn’t
change? The affairs of the earth, God determined they will be governed by man. God made man
to rule. He was created to be an extension of the family of God in heaven, HE WAS TO BRING
AND MAINTAIN THE RULE OF GOD IN THE EARTH, he was to make earth like heaven, and he
himself was to reflect God.
Man was given dominion over all the earth!
Gen. 1:27-28 26And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion
over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every
creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27So God created man in his own image, in the image of God
created he him; male and female created he them. 28And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be
fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and
over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
Man made in the image of God, an extension of God and a family of God. When he came, was
put in the earth, he was given dominion over everything in the earth - everything, all of God’s
creation – he was given dominion and he was to rule over it.
In Psalm 8, David asked the question: What is man, that thou art mindful of him? Thou has made him to
have dominion over the works of your hand, the scriptures says. So, understanding that - MADE TO RULE,
and that situation hasn’t changed.
Psalm 115:16 tells us the heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD's: but the earth hath he given to the children
of men - THAT THE EARTH WAS GIVEN TO MAN, the earth He has given to the children of men.
1 Cor. 11:7 MADE IN THE IMAGE AND THE GLORY OF GOD.
Okay, made in God’s image and glory to rule in the earth, to govern the earth for God.
Man was to be the mediator, the mouthpiece of God in the earth
MAN WAS TO BE THE MEDIATOR, THE MOUTHPIECE OF GOD IN THE EARTH. That
has not changed. We are the mouthpiece of God in the earth.
SO COMPLETE WAS MAN’S AUTHORITY
IN THE EARTH THAT HE HAD
THE RIGHT TO GIVE IT AWAY (to Satan).
THIS RIGHT WOULD HAVE
GRAVE CONSEQUENCES ON
MAN’S FUTURE IN THE EARTH,
because he had the right so complete to the extent that the earth was given to Adam, Adam
had the right to give to whomsoever he will. That’s how much God, that’s the extent that God’s
decision to become dependent upon man and work through him went to that extent. Adam chose
– he had the right to give it away. We’re familiar with the story, and we don’t have to go through
the theology of all that - we know that Satan obtained authority in the earth because when Adam
submitted to Satan, he came under his rule and everything that man ruled was placed under
Satan’s rule. So everything that Adam had, he submitted to Lucifer.
B. Satan Obtained Authority in the Earth
Luke 4:6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is
delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.
Jesus did not contend that because it was true - Satan had the LEGAL RIGHT. He was talking
about the kingdoms of the earth, the kingdoms of the world, he showed to Jesus all the kingdoms
of the earth and he said, “I will give you all of this, it’s mine. This was delivered to me.” Who delivered that
to him? Adam. It was his.
In John 12:31, 14:30, and 16:11, it says that Satan is what called the prince of this world.
In 2 Cor. 4:4 talks about that Satan is the god of this world.
We understand that it came to the hands of Satan through Adam who gave it to him. The
authority which Adam had been transferred to Lucifer and that was a legal authority even when
he was confronting Jesus, he said, “I have the right to give this to you, it’s mine.” Jesus did not contend
that, it was true.
The plans and purposes of God are greatly hindered by wrong conception of the sovereignty of God
The plans and purposes of God are greatly hindered by wrong conception of the sovereignty of God.
God can do all things, we know that, but that does not mean that He does. THE WILL OF GOD IS NOT AUTOMATIC IN THE EARTH NOR IS IT AUTOMATIC IN YOUR LIFE. You’ve got to grasp that. The will of God is not automatic in the earth, in this city or in your life. It is not automatic. It’s really really important.
GOD IS IN CONTROL TO THE DEGREE THAT WE PUT HIM IN CONTROL. Adam,
(Man) gave his authority over the earth away to Satan. Now understanding this is very very
important. See, people think, ‘I’ve had prophecy in my life, these have been prophesied over me.’ And
people have come to me many times, ‘Ten years ago, this was prophesied over me, and it hasn’t come to
pass.’ Was this a false prophecy? Was it not from God or what? You see, just because somebody
prophesies something over you and for you, it doesn’t mean to say that it is going to come to pass.
It will not come to pass unless you press into God in obedience and take hold of that thing in God
and make it happen. If you don’t do that, it will not happen. It’s not automatic. It doesn’t just
happen.
If somebody prophesies over you, something in God, that thing is going to be
contested by the enemy
Not only that, IF SOMEBODY PROPHESIES OVER YOU, SOMETHING IN GOD, THAT THING IS GOING TO BE CONTESTED. Look, people run here and there all over the place for prophesy. When it happens over your life, you are going to go through hell. Everything will be contested until it comes to the end and you think ‘That wasn’t God, it’s not just happening.’
When the prophecy came in the garden of Eden about the seed of the woman striking the head of the serpent, remember that? That seed of the woman came under attack right through the Old Testament. Though Satan at times lost the direction where that seed was going from, particularly
when the children of Israel multiplied, but you see, why did Cain kill Abel? The seed was going through him. Pharaoh killed all the male children, what was behind that, wipe a whole generation, stop the nation from existing? Why stop the seed that was prophesied in the Garden of Eden? The
seed is going to come through this nation, and later God kind of let the cat out of the bag by telling them what tribe it was going to come through, that tribe was almost destroyed.
Just because you have prophecy over your life, when you have prophecy over your life it is going to be contested. You are in for trouble. It always happens. ‘It never came to pass, what happened to me?’ Was it God? Yes, it was God, but the will of God is not automatic. It requires your cooperation with God to bring it to pass, and if you don’t cooperate with Him, it will not come to pass. Just because it’s prophesied, it doesn’t mean to say it will happen. You have to cooperate with God. The will of God is not automatic. What did you do about it when it was prophesied? ‘Well, I just waited for it to happen.’ I said, ‘Well, I’ve got good news for you – you can come wait another 10 years and it will not happen.’ It requires your cooperation and it will, will, will be
contested.
So complete was man’s authority over the earth that he had the right to give it away
So complete was man’s authority over the earth that he had the right to give it away. Adam, (Man) gave his authority over the earth away to Satan. That would have grave consequences over the earth - the far, far reaching consequences in the earth. When Adam did that, when he gave it
away, Satan had that legal authority even which the Lord couldn’t touch because it was legal and it was right. He had the legal right, he had the title deeds of this Earth. He became the god of this world, and he said without flinching to Jesus, “This is mine and I can give it to you.” Jesus did not
contest him on that, it was true.
When Adam, man gave away his authority of the earth to Satan, in order to get this back, God
has to do it through a Man, thus the incarnation. Jesus, God became man.
Rom. 5:14-15 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the
similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. But not as the offence, so also
is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by
grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many, many will live.
C. Man would forever be linked to authority over the earth
Man would forever be linked to authority over the earth, still is - that’s the reason for prayer
because we are linked to this. God is not going to sovereignly move because He has given
dominion/authority to Man. He has chosen to work through His family in the earth, and originally
He gave this earth to men and said “It is yours, you have the title deeds to this earth, you rule over it. I
have given you dominion over everything in this earth.” When he lost it, it set the plan back. But God
knows the beginning from the end – 6000 years is but a blink in the eye with God, He set in motion
a plan of recovery, the plan of redemption. But man is forever linked to this authority in the earth.
EXAMPLES
For example, Elijah stopped the rain. (1 Kings 18, James 5) IT WAS GOD’S IDEA, BUT
ELIJAH HAD TO TRAVAIL, he had to intercede, he had to do it, his head between his knees, the
travailing position. It was God who determined the nation to do that.
Daniel (in Dan. 9) discovered the prophecies of Jeremiah regarding the seventy years of captivity. Reading this prophesies back in Babylon and he went over them again and thought, “Seventy years, 70 years, it kind of add up and he said, ‘Seventy years is up.’” How many of you know
that would have never come to pass unless somebody had interceded? Even though the seventy years were up, Jeremiah said, ‘Seventy years ago, it would be seventy years captivity and he said when the seventy years has accomplished God will bring you back to your own land again.’
BUT IT WASN’T AUTOMATIC. Daniel had to come before the Lord with fasting and prayer.
It’s very interesting to see how this links with the book of Zechariah, the fasting and prayer of
Daniel and in the intercession there that took place. The time was up, but he had to co-operate
with God in prayer. He had to be consistent and diligent in prayer. Sometimes you see the time is
up for what God has spoken to you about and the time passes, the fullness of time comes for that thing in your life. But it is still not automatic, it has to be birthed. Every change in God has to be
birthed. EVERY CHANGE IN YOUR LIFE HAS TO BE BIRTHED IN PRAYER.
Ezekiel in Ezek. 22:30-31, God looked for a man, an intercessor to stop judgment in the land.
Because he could not find a human being to intercede, judgment came.
Thy Kingdom come! - a COMMAND, not a passive rpraye
Matt. 6:10, Jesus is teaching us to pray, “Thy kingdom come.” That word ‘come’ in Greek word
is A COMMAND actually. It is not ‘Oh Lord, Your kingdom come.’ It is ‘In the name of Jesus, let your
kingdom come in this situation!” It’s a command, not just a passive prayer. It’s a command, ‘Your
kingdom come!’
God kingdom comes when we, with authority, command it to come and to be established. IF
WE DON’T, HE WON’T. We need to grasp that. If you don’t in your life, God won’t. We’ve got
to cooperate with God, He needs our cooperation. He has designed it that way, didn’t have to
design it that way, but He has.
‘All things work together for good’ will not true unless the previous verses 26 and 27
are in place, unless there is intercession, only after PRAYING IT THROUGH
Rom. 8:28 tells us that “all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called
according to his purpose.” Is that true? Well, it’s not true unless the previous verses 26 and 27 are in
place, unless there is intercession, only after PRAYING IT THROUGH.
26Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but
the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27And he that searcheth
the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to
the will of God.
Okay, all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His
purposes. That is not true unless these two verses are in place. All things work together for good if
there is intercession. That verse follows these verses, vs. 26-27. Verse 28 then says ‘Then all things
work together for good.’ Well you say, ‘We love God, we are called according to His purposes, all things will
work together for good in our life.’ NO, THEY WON’T unless there is in place INTERCESSION.
He who searches the heart knoweth the mind of the Spirit because the Spirit makes intercession for us, through us
according to the will of God. The things will not work together for good in your life unless you pray the
purposes of God, you intercede and you get through for them to come to pass. They’re not
automatic. And you cannot just take that verse and say, ‘Praise the Lord, nothing bad will happen to
me. All things will work together for good.’ And you claim those promises and then somewhere
down the line, you’re completely knocked out and things go wrong and you say, “Well, I don’t
know about this Christian business, it doesn’t always work together for good.” It’s not automatic; likewise
the Spirit helps us in our weaknesses, for we don’t know how to pay as we ought but the Spirit itself makes intercession
for us with groaning that cannot be uttered.
I had things go wrong in my life which was not in the will of God, and it‘s simply because I
did not cooperate with God and bring them to birth, and that was not God’s intention for those protection. Those things had to be birthed, and I failed to understand that principle. How many
times when things go wrong long enough, you look, particularly hard look, how it should be hand
and why is this taking place?
Just because things go wrong, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re out of the will of God
Let me just say another thing - JUST BECAUSE THINGS GO WRONG, IT DOESN’T NECESSARILY MEAN YOU’RE OUT OF THE WILL OF GOD. Job lost his house, he lost his
children, he had major problems with his wife. You look what happened to Job. I’ve heard some
terrible sermons about Job. I tell you if you have the faith like Job, you’d be doing fantastic. He
was the man, the Bible says, without fault, nobody like him in the earth. But things did go wrong
in his life. But the issue is just because things go wrong, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re out of
the will of God.
You know, when I lost my daughter four years I go, I thought “Dear God what did I do?” And I
had to go through this period of coming before God, and say God, “How could this happen to me?” I
remember the day she was downstairs in this hall and it was Sunday, I preached and put my arms
around her to hug her and she went out to airport and never saw her again. That was the end to it.
She never came back except in a coffin. And I thought, ‘God, why did You allow this?’
God gave me a very clear understanding, a very clear dream on this - that God could have
awakened me for intercession. He could have very easily laid a burden upon my heart, and I
believe I was sensitive enough to pick up a burden from the Lord. He said, ‘Intercessors around you
could easily pick this up.’ And then He said, “THIS IS NOT IN YOUR CONTROL, IT’S IN MY
CONTROL.” You see, it was not that I was out of the will of God, that I missed it. We need to
understand when things go wrong in your life, you don’t necessarily have missed it. Job didn’t
miss it. His house was destroyed.
A couple came to me a few years ago, their house was burned to the ground. They said, ‘How
could we miss this? What have we done, what sin is in our lives for this to happen?’ And I went to pray
for them, and all I could say was, all I could prophesy was the goodness and grace of God and God
is pleased with you. ‘Why did this happen?’ You see, sometimes we don’t know until years down
the way, we don’t understand all the insights of God. They’re painful.
But if God has spoken something clearly over you, it will not come to pass unless you birth it
in His will. I have things prophesied over me, all kinds of things. But those things have to be
birthed, we have to take hold of God for those things. It will not come to pass and it will not
happen.
God does not work in the earth apart from redeemed man - you and me
GOD DOES NOT WORK IN THE EARTH
APART FROM REDEEMED MAN - YOU AND ME.
HE HAS CHOSEN TO ADMINISTER HIS AFFAIRS IN THE EARTH
THROUGH THE CHURCH.
OUR CO-OPERATION WITH HIM IN THIS IS VITAL
FOR THE WILL OF GOD TO BE DONE.
If you will not cooperate with God, the will of God will not be done in your life. You have to
cooperate with God. And if you don’t , it won’t happen. COOPERATION IS NECESSARY.
Pray the purposes of God – in your life, family, nation!
Cooperate with God, BRING THEM TO BIRTH.
GOD WORKS THROUGH MAN - through you, through us.
