I apologize in advance – some of you will be sleeping even less this summer!
Fear is a unique feature of our existence.
There is a part of our brain that uses fear to trigger flight or fight. There is the fear treadmill that we can spin incessantly in our minds. While following God’s Spirit, fear can ignite intercession. The fear that induces intercession can be a warning, a tingling, or a sleepless night.
Discerning fear is key to health and victory.
I read all of Sherlock Holmes one winter. Every now and then Sherlock would disturb his companion Watson and say, “Let’s go, the enemy is afoot!” (OGV)
I have led many short term mission trips. Many times a person will consider not going on a mission trip because of a dream they had about a plane crashing (or other fear). I explained the dream was a hindering fear used by the evil one and that in pressing through the fear they would receive blessing.
In the past two weeks, I’ve listened to my friends the ‘intercessor’ types and they report a troubling in their spirit. They are awake at night praying. Some awaken crying. I sense this too. There is a fracture in the world that we know … something deeper than Covid … and even deeper than the tension on our streets.
In response, God is awakening the gift of intercession.
Fear, a sense of foreboding, deep concern, weeping, trembling, middle of the night terror — are all a part of this awakening. The powerful giftings of intercession and prophecy are needed today more than ever.
In 1 Samuel, the young boy Samuel hears a voice calling to him in the middle of the night. He runs to the priest Eli who tells him to go back to bad. Samuel hears the voice again and again. And Eli, tired of being awakened, tells Samuel to say, “Speak, Lord for Your servant is listening.!”
Please start saying to your fears, concerns, and sensing of the Spirit, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening!”
Accept your gift of intercession and walk through your fears, pray in the middle of the night, allowing God to align your prayers to God’s latter agenda of repentance, revival, miracles, and the gospel preached to the end of the world.
Through the next four of five days I will write about the ‘Interruptions‘ that God has been bringing to my sleep lately. Our battle is not about flesh and blood or what you can see on media — it’s about principalities and powers that are colliding in the heavenlies.
I’m not minimizing legitimate cultural repentance needed today. I know that through intercession, God’s mercy and grace will be released. Other historical revivals had power without a legitimate repentance for oppression. The latter day revival begins with forgiveness and then release.
Awaken Intercession, Lord God! Anoint and call your Intercessors. The Golden Age of prayer is upon us.