Prayer precedes glory

2 Chronicles 7:1 (NKJV): When Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the temple.

The glory of the Lord was so 'thick' that the priests couldn't even enter the house of the Lord (2 Chronicles 7:2), and when all the children of Israel saw how fire came down, and the glory of the Lord on the temple, they bowed their faces to the ground on the pavement, and worshiped and praised the Lord, saying: "For He is good, for His mercy endures forever." (2 Chronicles 7:3)

And you know what? It all started when Solomon had finished praying! Such is the importance of praying in this end-time, and as the Body of Christ (the Bride) prepares for the glorious coming of the Bridegroom!

Prayer precedes glory! Prayer leads to glory! In other words, prayer is the key to the glory of the Lord that comes! According to the Oxford Dictionary, 'to precede' means 'to come or go before (something) in time, in order, in rank, etc'.

In cross-reference, and in New Testament, Acts 1:14 says, 'These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers'. Notice the word 'prayer' here? And only then did the glory (the outpouring of the Holy Spirit) come! Acts 2:1-2 says, 'When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting'. This glory in turn led to about three thousand souls being saved on that day (Acts 2:41), and it also marked the beginning of the church age (Acts 2:46-47).

By the way, the word 'prayer' here in Greek is 'proseuche', from the word 'pros' meaning 'to incline towards (that direction)', and 'euche' (pronounced 'yoo-khay') meaning 'to come near, to visit, to approach, to consent to, to hold the mind towards, to pay attention to, to attend to, to take heed unto'. In other words, 'to pray' is 'to incline ourselves towards (God) in order to take heed unto (Him)'.

Recently, I heard these words from the Lord:
"This is a time to pray! There's a call for such right now. Not that you don't pray at other times, but this is a key time to pray! Incline your ears and hear Me for the coming glory! A new wind is blowing, a wind of change, and there'll be new assignments for many of My people."

As I received these prophetic words from the Lord, the word 'proseuche' became all the more clearer, that this is a crucial time for God's people 'to incline themselves towards (Him), and to take heed unto (Him)'!

How do you pray then? In 1 Corinthians 14:13-15, the apostle Paul wrote that you can pray with the spirit (in tongues) and also pray with the understanding (in the language you know). Do both. Also, 'prayer' is talking with God and communing with Him (i.e. communicating and in union with Him). You talk to Him, and He talks to you. Two-way. Not one way. In other words, 'prayer' is to have friendship with God. It takes two to have a friendship. And it is based on mutual trust and affection. In Exodus 33:9, the Lord talked with Moses. And in Exodus 33:11, the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.

What then is a true friend?
- one whom you can trust, and therefore you take heed unto.
- one whom you know will never lead you into trouble.
- one whom you know will always wish the best for you.
- one who has deep, genuine love and affection for you.
- one who has personal attachment to you (one who feels for you).

In John 15:13-15, Jesus Himself said, "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you."

I used to have questions why Jesus said, "You are My friends if you do whatever I command you." It sounded a bit 'dictatorial' to me. But I understand now. God is not 'dictatorial', but just that He sees farther than you and me. He knows your future long before you know it, and He also knows the dangers that lie ahead! It therefore pays to take heed what He says! To take heed unto (Him) is also to act on what He says to do!

Abraham was an example of 'one who takes heed and acts on what God has spoken to do'. James 2:20-24 says, 'But do you want to know... that faith without works (i.e. acting on what God says to do) is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works (i.e. acting on what God says to do), faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." And he was called the friend of God'.

People of God, like Moses and Abraham, as you abide (i.e. stay, dwell, continue, being present, remain) in Him (John 15:4-5), may you also be counted as His friend, whom He will share all things with you, even the things that 'eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for those who love Him' (1 Corinthians 2:9). Amen!

Incline your ear and hear Him for the coming glory!

Proverbs 4:20 (NKJV): My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.

The word ‘incline’ here is ‘natah’ in Hebrew, which means 'to bow down, to bend towards, to cause to yield'. Notice 'natah' does involve humility and 'yieldedness' on the hearer’s side.

People of God, this is a crucial time to incline your ear and hear Him! Not that you don't hear at other times, but there's an urgency in the spirit to release these words at this juncture. 

I heard these words as I was communing with the Lord recently: 

"There has been a stagnancy in many of My people far and wide, but a new glory is coming! There will be a new hunger and a new thirst, a 'deep calling unto deep'. I am going deep into the hearts of many, even nations and governments. Watch My hand reach into the deepest most, where no one had reached before. There will be a setting free! And there will be a release!" 

And then, I heard:
"I am raising the 'Samuels' of today, those who would incline their ears and hear Me for this coming glory!"

In 1 Samuel 3:10, the Bible says, 'Now the Lord came and stood and called as at other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel answered, "Speak, for your servant hears."' 

The name ‘Samuel’ here is ‘Shemuw-El' in Hebrew, coming from two words - ‘Shama’ and 'El'. This word 'Shama' literally means 'to hear with attention, to hear with obedience, to hear with an understanding heart', while ‘El’ is the name of God. Notice the words 'attention', 'obedience' and 'an understanding heart' here? These qualities in him were also the very reasons why 'he grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground' (1 Samuel 3:19).

During a time of worship and prayer recently, I heard and declared these words to the congregation: 

"This is the time to receive the anointing of the Holy Spirit to break every stone that hinders you from hearing in the spirit! These stones have been put up by the enemy to block you from hearing clearly from the Lord. But God has released this holy anointing oil today, and your 'ear' will be clear to hear again!" 

In Ezekiel 11:19-20, the Lord said, "Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit (i.e. the anointing of the Holy Spirit) within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in My statutes (instructions) and keep My ordinances (blueprints) and do them; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God."

In Ezekiel 36:25-28, the Lord then said, "Then I will sprinkle clean water (speaks of 'the ministry of the Word and the Spirit') on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit (i.e. the anointing of the Holy Spirit) within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes (instructions), and you will keep My judgments and do them. Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God."

People of God, on a more personal note, this holy anointing oil is also here right now to destroy every stone that may have hindered you in the recent months. The yoke is broken, and the stones are being removed, in Jesus' name! Receive these words by faith, and be set free to hear anew and afresh from the Lord again, even on what He has in store for you in the coming half of this year! I declare that your spirit is sensitized to hear clearly again! You will dream dreams and you will see visions again! And there's going to be a fresh new outpouring of His power and a fresh new flow of His revelation in your life again! Amen! 

Mark 16:3-4 says, 'And they (Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome) said among themselves, "Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?" But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away - for it was very large.' 

You see, nothing whatsoever could stop Jesus from being set free and to walk free on that day! As He is, so are you in this world! (1 John 4:17) And no matter how large the stone around you may have been in your past, His hand and His power is strong enough to roll it away from you today.

People of God, like Jesus those days, the time of being set free is now, and your time of glory is at hand! This is only the beginning of the ever-increasing glory! I pray that you’ll continue to walk from glory to glory in Him, now and forever more. In Jesus' name. Amen!

No evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling!

Psalm 91:9-10 (NKJV): Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling.

The word 'made' here is from the word 'suwm' in Hebrew, which means 'to regard, to look to'. In other words, as you continue to regard Him, and look to Him, the Most High, as your dwelling place, He promises that 'no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling'!

Today, as a believer in the New Covenant, 'to make the Lord your dwelling place' is 'to know that you are in Christ'. And here in this 'dwelling place', there is the covering of His blood shed for you on the cross!

In Exodus 12:13, the Lord spoke to Moses, "Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt."

Notice the Lord said, "... when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt." He did not say, "When I see your good deeds", "When I see your own righteous deeds", or "When I see your good family name or background", but He said "When I see the blood"!

"So, what is God's antidote (or answer) to any evil or plague?" 

The blood of Jesus! 

'The blood (of the lamb) sprinkled on the two doorposts and on the lintel' (see Exodus 12:7) here was a 'shadow' of what was to come, i.e. the blood of Jesus shed on the cross when He died for you two thousand years ago.

In Exodus 30:11-15, the Lord gave another set of instructions to Moses: "When you take the census of the children of Israel for their number, then every man shall give a ransom for himself to the Lord, when you number them, that there may be no plague among them when you number them. This is what everyone among those who are numbered shall give; half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary. The half-shekel shall be an offering to the Lord. Everyone included among those who are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering to the Lord. The rich shall not give more and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when you give an offering to the Lord, to make atonement for yourselves..."

The word 'plague' here in Hebrew is 'negeph', from the root word 'nagaph' meaning 'to smite, to strike, to put to (make) worse, to inflict'. A 'plague' can therefore be a disease (usually), but it can also be in any other form of evil, danger, or trouble.

'Ransom' means 'the release of a captive in return (in exchange) for money'. When a captive is freed, it means someone has already paid the price for his/her release. So, the expression 'every man shall give a ransom for himself to the Lord' here is a 'picture' of 'Jesus who has already paid the price in full on your behalf (when He died for you on the cross)'.

The expression 'those who are numbered' here simply means 'those who are owned by the Lord', and as His children, you certainly belong to Him!

And 'everyone included among those who are numbered, from twenty years old and above' here speaks of 'those who have come of age, ready to make their own decision (choice)'.

‘Half a shekel’ here speaks of 'the blood of Jesus Christ'. 'Shekels' are made of 'silver', and 'silver' in Hebrew symbolizes 'redemption (buying back), or the price of a soul'. The blood of Jesus is therefore the heavenly currency to redeem you (to buy you back) from being taken captive, just as dollars and cents are the earthly currency in the earthly realm!

The expression ‘the rich shall not give more and the poor shall not give less’ here speaks of 'Jesus did not suffer more for Mr A and suffer less for Mr B, but He suffered for us all the same when He died on the cross'. 

People of God, as you can see from all the verses above, He has never intended for you (His children) to suffer any evil or plague! In fact, His will (or desire) for you is that you would prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers (3 John 2). By the way, the Greek word for 'prosper' here is 'eu-od-oo', which actually means 'to be helped (in every good thing), or to succeed in reaching (all that God has called you to be)'.

In Christ, know that you have already been bought by the blood of Jesus. 'Blood-bought'! When He died for you and His blood was shed for you on the cross, He has suffered all for you. Always look to the blood and remember the blood! It is the blood that saves you, and it is also the blood that protects you. And if He has already paid the price in full for you with His blood, and has suffered every form of evil and plague on your behalf, how then can any evil or plague come near you?