One day, as I was traveling from Southern California up to the Central Valley north on the Grapevine, the Lord gave me an important vision. If you have never encountered the "Grapevine," it is indeed an experience in which driving north drops down a six percent grade in the last five miles, descending 1,600 feet straight down to the vast valley below. On this rare occasion, the valley air was clear and I could see about 250 miles from the high level.
However, suddenly in the spirit I was given a vision from the Lord, superimposed on my natural view, of billions and billions of dry seeds, all packed tightly under the ground of the entire valley. The seeds looked like mustard seeds, so I inquired of the Lord for a word of wisdom to interpret this vision. What He explained was certainly not what I expected.
True Intercession
He said that those seeds had been planted by saints who had prayed for many years, but the seeds had not been "watered" and given life by prophetic intercession led by Holy Spirit. True intercession must be prophetic in that we first pray in the spirit, then ask of the Lord; He answers with what He directs us to do or say, then we follow through on His orders. This works one hundred percent of the time because Holy Spirit is directing and fully knows what needs to be done.
Jesus only did and said what He saw the Father do and say (John 5:19; 12:49). He is our Great Intercessor, our divine example that we should follow and do as He did, following Holy Spirit.
The Bible says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight" (Proverbs 3:5–6 NIV). In petitioning the Lord for something, we must not lean on our own understanding, as this can cause us to pray amiss with no results (James 4:3). As we submit or yield to Him and follow Holy Spirit, that is when we get perfect outcomes.
"Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered." (Romans 8:26 NKJV) (Photo via Pxhere)
The only word in the entire Bible that signifies intercession is huperentugchanó, in Romans 8:26, and means "to light upon" and "confer benefit." All other words in the Bible denote types of prayer, not intercession. As Rick Renner states in his teaching, Different Kinds of Prayer, "There is only one Person who knows how to pray accurately in every situation you face, and that is the Holy Spirit." It takes Holy Spirit to "light upon" those seeds of prayer and water them when we submit to Holy Spirit and His direction.
In the Old Testament, words for prayer do not include intercession because the people of God did not have Holy Spirit to help at that time... but thank God, now we do. Holy Spirit wants to give us the roots and solutions to problems. We seem to make things complicated and spend so much time praying with our minds.
The Word of God is very clear that we cannot accomplish much without Holy Spirit since "He revealeth the deep and secret things: He knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with Him" (Daniel 2:22 KJV).
Did Jesus give us Holy Spirit just to comfort us? Absolutely not. Holy Spirit leads, reveals, guides, speaks, and teaches us as well. The Godhead knows all deep-rooted issues and histories of all nations, states, cities, and people, even before any history has been written. He knows what has defiled the land and its people; He knows what traumas people have faced; He knows what is needed for healing, and so much more.
We cannot rely on our brains, or on our flesh. The Godhead is the omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent Creator. We humans do not possess these attributes. He is the one full of power—not us! So... plug into the power source and yield to Holy Spirit. He is the all-knowing, all-seeing, and all-powerful God.
Breathing Life Into Seeds of Prayer
Why aren't we using that precious, vital component of the Trinity who was given to us by Jesus for purposes like this to help guide us and set people free? The Message translation says it so well by stressing that His words, including those spoken through intercession, always accomplish what He says:
"'I don't think the way you think. The way you work isn't the way I work.' GOD's Decree.
"'For as the sky soars high above earth, so the way I work surpasses the way you work, and the way I think is beyond the way you think. Just as rain and snow descend from the skies and don't go back until they've watered the earth, doing their work of making things grow and blossom, producing seed for farmers and food for the hungry, so will the words that come out of My mouth not come back empty-handed. They'll do the work I sent them to do, they'll complete the assignment I gave them.'" (Isaiah 55:8–11 MSG) (Photo via Public Domain Pictures)
Before His ascension, Jesus said in Luke 24:49, "Listen carefully: I am sending the Promise of My Father [the Holy Spirit] upon you; but you are to remain in the city [of Jerusalem] until you are clothed (fully equipped) with power from on high" (AMP).
How did the first Church change the world? By following Holy Spirit whom Jesus sent. It is the same for us in this age.
Who breathed life into all of us so we could live? Holy Spirit. Breathe life into seeds of prayer with Holy Spirit in prophetic intercession.
Let us drop our pride, follow Holy Spirit's lead, and reap great benefits from His rhema revelations so we can change atmospheres and bring Kingdom transformation. When we ask Holy Spirit for solutions, we reap nations changed and souls saved with joy everlasting.
Psalm 126:5–6 says, "Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them" (NIV).
He can do so much better than we can ask or imagine—always.
"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us..." (Ephesians 3:20 NIV)
The seeds of prayer need life by His might, not ours. As the Lord said to Zerubbabel in Zechariah 4:6, "...Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the LORD of hosts" (KJV).
Hallelujah!
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Melissa Nordell
Strategic Prayer Command Ministry
Email:Â strategicprayercommandmin@yahoo.com
website:Â www.strategicprayercommandmin.com
Melissa Nordell is a graduate of Wagner Institute and founder of Strategic Prayer Command Ministry. She is an ordained teacher of Intercession who teaches about gifts of prophecy and intercession. She was the former lead intercessor of The Dwelling Place Church in Hemet, the "Transformations Church," featured in George Otis Jr.'s first "Transformations" video, and has continued to teach intercession, spiritual warfare, and transformational intercession ever since. She is also a writer and editor who has written articles for The Elijah List, Breaking Christian News, and God Reports.com, giving glory to God for all of this. Melissa has a hunger to see intercessors learn more effective and safer spiritual warfare, to see the world transformed for God, more souls reach Heaven, and more cities and lives transformed through proper intercession.
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