Transcript

Sermon Transcript: 5 Handles on Prayer

7/10/2023 Jon Gaus 27 min read

Pastor Jon Gaus:

Father, we are going to battle this morning, but you didn't leave us empty-handed, you have given us, in our heart and in our hand, the sword of the spirit, your living act of Word. Holy Spirit, I pray, as the author of scripture, that you will be our teacher this morning and you will equip the saints in everything they are in Christ and all of the power and privileges that they have in their new identity so that when we leave here, we leave here with a holy boldness and a humble certainty. We ask this in the name that's above every name. In fact, we bind any demonic spirits that are attempting to distract us from this holy Word. We bind them in that name, the name of Jesus, and we cast them into the pit, it's in His name we pray. Amen and amen.

Now, the title of this message is Five Handles on Prayer, why five handles? What does that even mean? Well, there was a great theologian who once said, "If you've been entrusted with the spiritual gift of preaching or you've been entrusted with the spiritual gift of teaching, your job is to take doctrine from God's word, put a handle on it so God's people can grab it and carry it into their everyday life." So my prayer for you this week is that you will grab a hold of at least one handle on prayer this morning. If you grab a hold of two, praise God. If you grab a hold of three, you may be preaching here next week or somewhere, we'll see.

All right, church, if we're really going to understand the supernatural power of prayer, then here's handle number one. This is where we have to start. This is the filter. Number one, we must fix our focus on the spiritual realm. If we're going to understand the supernatural power that we have in prayer, we have to fix our focus on the spiritual realm. Now, you know the spiritual realm is that realm, that is the dimension that's all around us. It's full of angels and demons. It's where all spiritual activity and spiritual warfare takes place. If you and I are going to experience all of the supernatural power that we have in prayer, the Bible says we need to start fixing our focus. Not on the seeing, temporary, horizontal realm, but you and I need to start fixing our focus on the spirit realm. In second Corinthians chapter four, the apostle Paul is comparing and contrasting the natural realm to the supernatural realm. And he is calling us to keep our focus on the supernatural realm, that spiritual dimension that's all around us.

Let's start at verse 16, the Spirit through Paul says, "So we do not lose heart, though our outer self is wasting away. Our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light, momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison. As we look not to the things that are seen, but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal." Later in his letter to the church at Ephesus, he says the same thing. He says, "We wrestle not with flesh and blood." That's the natural realm. "We wrestle not with flesh and blood, but with rulers and authorities and powers of the spirit realm."

Now, when it comes to the spirit realm, we who live in the western world has some catching up to do, and this was all caused back in the 18th century when the enlightenment movement came into western civilization. When the enlightenment movement came in, it did away with everything that was supernatural and tried to replace it with everything that is rational and all weights and measures. So you and I grew up in a culture where if you couldn't weigh it, you couldn't measure it, you couldn't see it, you couldn't touch it, it didn't exist.

Okay, here's the good news. Chapin University says by a recent study they did that Americans are growing in their belief in this spirit realm. Now, for those of us who have been overseas to Africa, Asia, maybe the Third World, we realize that their cultures never stopped believing in the spirit realm. If you go over there and you talk about spirits, they know exactly what you're talking about. It's part of their every day reality. When I was overseas once, the spirit gave me the wisdom to use the spirit realm as the connector to share the gospel. So I was talking to a guy and I said, "Do you believe in all the spirits?" "Oh yes, I believe in all the spirits."

And I said, "Well, I do too. And in fact, I was sent here by the one great and true spirit, the Holy Spirit, and he brought me here because he's been pursuing you in love and all these other spirits have been lying to you and they'll only lead to eternal death. And all those other spirits are underneath the feet of the one true spirit, the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ, and he is here to give you eternal life." It's interesting, in our first church plant, we had a young lady who came from South Korea. She grew up a Buddhist. She grew up down the street from a Buddhist temple. Praise God, she repented and received Christ. The one great true spirit. About a week after she became a Christian, she frantically called my wife one morning and she said, "Ms. Beth, I had a dream last night and there was a lion and it was battling a dragon and the lion bit the dragons head off. What does that mean?" And my wife flowing with the spirit said that Jesus is the lion of Judah and he has defeated sin, Satan and hell. Because she knew, don't fight it, she knew.

Okay, church, once we fix our focus on the spiritual realm, it doesn't stop there. Listen to this next teaching point. We must recognize our position in the spirit realm. Okay, we've fixed our focus on the spirit realm. Now we need to understand what is our position in the spirit realm. Ephesians 2:4-6 tell us what our new place is, our new position in the spirit realm. The spirit through Paul says, "But now being rich in mercy because of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ. By grace, you have been saved." Okay? That's a great place for an amen. By grace, you have been saved and raised up with him and seated us with him in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

God's word is telling you, if you're born again, this is how you're positioned, your body will be redeemed. 1 Corinthians 15, it's wasting away. You know your body is wasting away, right? Because every Sunday morning it takes longer to get ready, longer to get up because your body is wasting away. We will receive a new body. When we get to heaven, it's going to be glorified, sinless, sickless. So our body will be redeemed. Colossians 3 says, "Our mind is being redeemed." That's why we're to set our mind on things above, not earthly things. "But our spirit has been fully redeemed." That means at the very moment that you repented and received Christ, your spirit was transported immediately into the spiritual realm to be seated with Christ at the right hand of the Father.

This makes you a major player in the spiritual realm. There's a lot of Christians who are ignorant about that. They're walking around like five-year olds with a flamethrower. They have no idea what they have or how powerful it is. If you are born again, you are seated with Christ right now in the heavenlies, in your spirit, and you are a major player in the spiritual realm. That's why Satan is after your identity. That's why he keeps lying to you because he doesn't want you to know that you have that spiritual flamethrower in your possession. Now, that's not all, it keeps getting better. Look at this next truth. We must embrace our authority in the spiritual realm. We said the Bible commands us to fix our focus on the spiritual realm. We talked about our position in the spiritual realm, but now we must embrace the authority that we have in the spiritual realm.

Look at what Jesus said to the 72 disciples after they returned from life on mission. He said in Luke 10:19, "Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall hurt you." Okay, if there was ever a verse that you should have underlined in your Bible, it's that one. If there was ever a verse that you should have memorized, it's that one. Because if you are born again in Christ, behold, you have been given the authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall hurt you. This is staggering. This should change the way that you pray. You can pray with all authority over all the power of the enemy.

Picture it this way, think of a football field. You've got 22 behemoths out there who are strong and powerful. And then you got four guys that are about 150 pounds each dripping wet, but they have authority over the whole field. The players cannot touch them. The players cannot change their call. They're the referees. They're not stronger than the football players. They don't have more power than these football players, but they are wearing the striped shirt of authority.

At the moment you and I got saved, we were clothed in Christ's righteousness and we in the heavenly realms now wear the striped shirts of all authority over everything demonic. That's who we are in Christ. Next handle number two, ways to grow in recognizing the spiritual realm. How can I get more discerning about the spiritual realm that's all around me? How can I become more in tune with what the Holy Spirit is doing around me? How can I learn to put up my spiritual radar so I can really see with the eyes of my heart what is going on in the spiritual realm? I mean, I'm positioned there already. I have all authority already. How can I grow in recognizing the spiritual realm?

Here's a few ways. Number one, renew your mind daily. That's what Romans 12:2 says to us, "Do not be conformed to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind with the word of God." Every day the world is trying to wear us down. The enemy is lying to us, and he wants us to focus horizontally and only in the natural. That's why every day we need to renew and cleanse our mind of that kind of thinking so that we can be thinking again about where the real action is. It's in the spirit realm. It's vertical. We need to renew our mind. I'm going to go CS Lewis on you. When CS Lewis wrote about Narnia, the way you got into Narnia was you opened up the wardrobe. And it opened you up to a whole new realm, a whole new dimension. When you and I open the word of God, we're opening up the wardrobe, the entrance into the spiritual realm.

A second way we can grow is choosing daily to walk in the spirit. Galatians 5 says that you and I have a choice every morning. We can get up and walk in the flesh like our old sinful days and be self-centered and self-focused, or we can get up and willfully give that day to the Holy Spirit and choose to walk in the spirit. And say, "Spirit, I'm submitting my life to you today. I'm cooperating with you. I'm surrendering to you and your sanctifying work in me." That makes us very in tune with the Holy Spirit. We have our spiritual radar up and watch who God brings across your path. Now, you and I have the choice to get up and resist the spirit, squelch the spirit, quench the spirit. But if you and I choose to walk in the spirit, we will see many more things that are taking place in the spiritual realm.

Next, ask for a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit every day. Jesus said in Luke 11:13, "But you then being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children. How much more will your father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask?" We need a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit every day, and he makes us very in tune with the spiritual realm. The late Dr. Bill Bright who founded Campus Crusade for Christ. He called this daily spiritual discipline, spiritual breathing. That you and I should get up, that we should breathe out and confess any knows and sins in our life. And once we've done that, we should inhale a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit.

Next, pray for and earnestly desire spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. Do you know that that is a command to every believer? That you would, 1 Corinthians 14:1, you would pursue love and earnestly desire spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. That's not just for pastors, that's not just for missionaries, that's not just for bishops, that's for every born again believer. It is a command from God that you and I would pursue love first and foremost, and we would earnestly desire, ask for, pray for, anticipate spiritual gifts, especially that we may prophesy.

Now, Acts Chapter 2 says that this is how our church should look. "In the last days, declares the Lord. It shall be that I will pour out my spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy. And your young men shall see visions and your old men shall dream dreams." Now, we know we're in the last days because that dispensation started at the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and when I hear that in the last days, our sons and daughters are going to prophesy and your young men will see visions and your old men will dream dreams. I don't see a lot of that happening at Brave Church. Because we're not obeying the command of 1 Corinthians 14:1. Pursue love and earnestly desire spiritual gifts. Now, when you start praying and asking for spiritual gifts, that puts your spiritual radar up. Watch out because the Holy Spirit has a whole bunch of spiritual gifts on the shelves of heaven. He has been waiting to pour out on Brave church.

Now, for months, I have been earnestly desiring spiritual gifts. The gift of prophecy, words of knowledge, words of wisdom, the gift of healing. To operate in them biblically not to keep for myself, I'm just the mailman. I'm to deliver them to other believers in the church. 1 Corinthians 14:3 says, "For their comfort, their strengthening and their encouragement. Then you know it's biblical. A few weeks ago, I had a couple come up for prayer and I said, "What would you like prayer for?" And they said, "We just got engaged and we would like prayer for our engagement period in our new marriage." And I said, "I would love to do that because God created marriage, so I'd love to pray his blessing over your marriage." So I started praying for them and right in the middle of my prayer, the Holy Spirit gave me a gift of prophecy. He gave me a picture, a vision of prophecy to give to them. I did not have paralysis by analysis. I just let it flow right in my prayer.

So I go from blessing this couple with God's blessing on the marriage and I said, "And I pray for this young man that he will faithfully walk the borders of his marriage. That he will faithfully walk the borders of his new family. And he will protect his new wife physically, spiritually, emotionally, and mentally from toxic attacks, from dysfunction from her extended family. In Jesus' name, amen. They looked up, she's in tears and he's shocked. And he starts smiling and he said, "Did she call you?" I said, "No, God loves your marriage. That was a gift from the Holy Spirit. I'm just the mailman that was from him to you."

God wants to do a lot more of that in Brave Church and I know it because it's a command. Pursue love and earnestly desire, spiritual gifts. Okay, the last way to be still, the last way to grow in looking at the spirit realm is, be still and know that he is God. Does that sound familiar? That is Psalm 46:10. That's a way that you and I can start seeing more into the spirit realm of the eyes of our heart, is that you and I are still and know that he is God. You and I live into the tyranny of the urgent, don't we? With all kinds of distractions and all that those things do is it make us focus temporarily in the horizontal.

You're never really going to hear the spirit. You're never going to really see what's going on in the spirit realm. But if you obey that command, be still and know that I am God and you take time to sit in silence before God almighty, pretty soon you start recognizing things. You start hearing things from the spirit. You start seeing visions from the spirit. It's just like walking into a room that's totally dark. If you and I walk into a room that's totally dark, at first we don't see anything, but then if we sit in there a while and let our pupils adjust to the surroundings, pretty soon we're making out little shapes and things and faint rays of light. That's what you and I need to do. If you want to become attuned to the spirit realm, God will not be rushed. He will not be microwaved. We must be still and know that he is God. It's an act of worship and God will honor that.

Okay, saints, look at handle number three. We must believe that our prayers don't stop at the ceiling. Have you ever been dry in your prayer life and lacking faith in your prayer life and you're like, "Is this even mean anything? Am I just saying words out loud? Is God even listening? Do my prayers matter? Sometimes I say them and I feel like they're just floating away and they hit the ceiling and just fall to the ground." God knew that we would have doubts like this, about the supernatural power of prayer. So he gave us a picture of what happens to our prayers if we pray in a New Testament way. In Jesus' name, with proper motives because that's how we're told to pray. He gave us this picture in Revelation Chapter 5. Now, let's set up the context of what Revelation 5 is. It's about 95 AD. The Apostle John is getting old.

The Roman government wants to get rid of him and his Christian influence, but they don't want to martyr him because they're thinking then he's really going to spread. So they exile him to the penal colony on the island of Patmos. And they think they've gotten rid of him and his influence. Well, that was all the sovereignty of God because God needed to take John somewhere we could have his undivided attention because he's about to download the entire book of Revelation to him. And when John is shown what's going on in the spirit realms, specifically the throne room of God, he tells us what happens to our prayers.

Let's read Revelation 5, beginning of verse 6. "And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders, I saw lamb standing as though it had been slain with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne, and when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down before the lamb, each holding a harp and golden bulls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints."

All right, now, who are the four living creatures? Most Bible scholars agree that these are super angels created only to be at the throne of God and to reflect God's glory back to him 24/7. They're also there guarding the throne of God and they will disperse judgment in the last days. Who are the 24 elders? Bible scholars don't agree exactly on who they are. Are they angels? Some Bible scholars believe that 12 of them are the heads of the tribes of Israel, and the other 12 are the 12 apostles bringing together the old covenant and the new covenant. I like that one. Does anyone else like that? I just like it because it's clean. Okay? It makes my Bible make sense.

But no matter who they are, did you catch what's going on in verse 8? "And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down before the lamb, Jesus each holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saint." How precious are our prayers to Jesus that he keeps them in golden bowls before his throne? This means the shortest, simplest, most humble prayer I will ever pray. Lord, help me if I'm doing it in the name of Jesus with proper motives. You know where that prayer goes? It doesn't hit the ceiling and fall to the ground. It is immediately transported into the throne room of God and it's brought before Jesus and is put into golden bowls and my prayers are like incense to Jesus and he loves my prayers.

He loves their fragrance because it's a fragrance of dependence. It's a fragrance of faith. It is a fragrance of worship. Like God, you own everything. I got nothing and all I got are good gifts from you. So they are a fragrant offering. And then those bulls are poured out before Jesus. My prayers are poured out before him and at the proper time, in his perfect timing, he will answer every single one of those. That's where your prayers and my prayers go. Now church, don't miss that divine combination. What again are the four living creatures and 24 elders holding in their arms? Two items, the golden bowls, your prayers and mine, but they also have something else. They have a harp, representing the worship of Christ the king. This is going on 24/7. Harp and bowl worship. Praise, prayer. Praise, prayer.

How many of you have ever been to a first Tuesday here at Brave? Would you say that that's an anointed time?

Congregation:

Yes.

Pastor Jon Gaus:

That you met the presence of God there?

Congregation:

Yes.

Pastor Jon Gaus:

It's because it's mimicking the pattern of what's going on in the throne room right now. We do praise and then we weave together prayer. And then we do praise and then we do prayer. Remember what Jesus said, we should pray like, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." On first Tuesdays, you and I are doing kingdom come prayer and worship, harp and bowl worship. That's why first Tuesday is so anointed with the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Okay. Handle number four. We can't fully appreciate our power in prayer without understanding the ministry of angels. You and I cannot fully appreciate our power and prayer without understanding the ministry of angels. Okay, now we have to do a quick update here.

We have to update some things because back in the Renaissance period, the masters, the painters, what they did is they were inspired by the word of God. They took some artistic license, but they painted several masterpieces with their best idea of what biblical angels look like. And we got paintings like this. Beautiful, but they need to be updated. Taking the artistic license that the masters had, the painters back in the Renaissance period. What if we took a biblical passage like Ezekiel one, where the prophet Ezekiel has a vision of great wheels before the throne of God, right next to warrior angels that are assigned to protect the holiness of God, and we type that all into AI Bible and it's a generator, what do we get? I think that's a lot more accurate. I'm going to tell you it. Might not be perfect, but I think it's a lot closer than those chubby ones.

How about Luke Chapter 1? Where the priest Zechariah is in the temple offering sacrifices to God, an angel appears and he's afraid. The angel showed up with a message from the throne room of God saying, "You will be the son of John the Baptist." If we put that in the AI Bible generator, what do we get? That's probably what it was. Daniel Chapter 12, where Michael is described as the great prince, the archangel and protector of the nation of Israel. Put that in. What do we get? That's probably closer. We're taking some artistic license. I admit it, but I think those are closer and more accurate than the chubby cherub. Am I right?

Okay. Here's a brief overview of how the Bible describes the ministry of angels. This is not exhaustive. Angels, they are created spiritual beings, not in the image of God. Only mankind is in the image of God. They are mighty in strength, mighty in discernment and mighty in intellect. They are most often invisible, though not always. They were created to worship God, be God's messengers, minister to God's people, protect God's people, patrol the earth in spiritual realm and carry out war against the demonic forces. And don't miss this, we see several instances in scripture where God immediately dispatches angels in response to the prayers of his people. Think Acts Chapter 12, Peter is put into prison. He's chained to force squads of soldiers. In the natural, there's no way he's going to get out of there. But there was a prayer meeting going on at Mary's house at the same time, they were earnestly praying to God for the release of Peter and because of their prayers, God dispatched an angel and he released Peter.

What about 2 Kings 19? In history, God's people are surrounded by the Assyrian army and they're way outnumbered. They're about to get slaughtered. And King Hezekiah of Judah. He prays to God a very humble, powerful prayer. He says, "God, we know that you're the most powerful over everything in the universe. Nothing is impossible for you and we are in trouble. If you don't rescue us, we will not be rescued." God loved that prayer and that the word of Hezekiah's prayer, he released an angel. And that night the angel killed 185,000 Assyrian troops. Those are the kind of angels that we have access to. And we have another account in Daniel Chapter 10 that really pulls back the curtain, what's going on in the spirit realm? Daniel Chapter 10, beginning at verse 10. Here's the context. It's 600 BC and the best and brightest of God's people have been kidnapped by Persia and brought into captivity to be indoctrinated and brainwashed. And the prophet Daniel is one of them and he will not be part of anything to do with that pagan nation.

And God is giving him visions and he is fasting for God's people and he cries out to God and said, "If I could just know what this vision is that you sent me." And God, because of that prayer, sends an angel. Let's pick it up in verse 10. And behold a hand touched me and sent me trembling on my hands and knees. He said to me, "Oh, Daniel man, greatly loved, understand the words that I speak to you and stand upright for now I have been sent to you." And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling. Then he said to me, "Fear not Daniel. From the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words. The prince of the Kingdom of Persia," That's a territorial demon placed there by Satan.

"The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me 21 days. But Michael, one of the chief princes came to help me for I was left there with the kings of Persia and came to make you understand what is to happen to your people in the latter days for the vision is for days yet to come." That is what is going on in the spirit realm right now. King Hezekiah's prayer or your prayers can release, can dispatch warrior angels on behalf of you. Here is on behalf of Judah and Gabriel says, "Let me tell you a little bit more about what goes on in the spirit realm. I'm an angel and I got into a battle with a territorial demon over Persia and I was battling him for 21 days and then God sent the Archangel Michael." Remember his beautiful picture? "And he came in together, we defeated them so I could finish my mission to deliver to you the wisdom that you prayed for."

This is way better than Narnia. This is way better than Lord of the Rings because it's actually true. Amen?

Congregation:

Amen.

Pastor Jon Gaus:

All right, listen to how Bible scholar, Dr. John Gill describes our prayers and how they dispatch messenger and warrior angels from his commentary, I'm paraphrasing, a host of angel armies are right now before the throne of God.ready, willing, waiting for their next assignment. They listen with great attention to everything the Lord says, waiting for him to give them the word that they are immediately dispatched. Often this word that dispatches these mighty warriors are the prayers of God's people, the supernatural power of your prayers. A few years ago, my family came under spiritual attack from every side and it was hard and it was pressed and it was a season of darkness. We were going through a season we never expected that we would go through, and I kept praying to the Lord saying, "Would you please bring rescue for us? Would you bring an end to this season of deep, hard spiritual attack?"

I prayed for months and months. Then one day in that same prayer time, the Holy Spirit laid this on my heart, the word 10,000. And I said, "Holy Spirit, are you telling me that you have dispatched 10,000 angels to surround my family and protect my family physically, spiritually, emotionally, and mentally?" And he said, "No, not 10,000 around you, 10,000 deep, all the way around you." Okay, now I'm thinking, am I making this up? Was this bad pizza the night before? Did I hear that? So I did what you should do to test a word from the Holy Spirit. Go to the book. The Holy Spirit wrote the Bible. His words, his prophecies, his words of knowledge are always in harmony with the scriptures. So I did a short study on angels. And Hebrews 12:22 says, "The number of angels are innumerable." Innumerable. That means that that could be true. I believe it is. And for months and months and months, it brought me a great peace to know that I was surrounded by 10,000 angels. Deep dispatched from the throne.

God's waiting for you to ask to dispatch the heavenly armies on your behalf. Remember, most Christians are like five year olds carrying around a flamethrower. They have no idea what it is or what it's capable of. Okay, last one, handle number five. We need to realize that intercessory prayer is win-win. Sometimes prayer is hard. It's difficult, it's a battle. But intercessory prayer, when you're praying for the needs and the circumstances of another, it's always win-win. Here's why. When I intercede for someone else, it's a win for them because I'm covering them with my supernatural powerful prayers for their life. That's a win for them. It's also a win for me because when I'm interceding, I'm sitting at the feet of Jesus.

And so I enjoy the presence of Christ, which is the greatest treasure in the universe. Amen. I'm in the right church. When I am interceding, I sit at the feet of Jesus and I pray through him to the Father. So the guy I'm interceding for, he gets the prayers, he gets that win. And I'm with Jesus and I get the presence of being with him while I'm interceding. And that's my win. Hebrew 7 and Romans 8 says, Jesus is full-time ministry right now in this dispensation until he comes back, he's interceding for you and me. So when you and I intercede for another, the picture that I have from the Spirit is, I'm coming alongside Jesus before the throne, he's ever interceding. He puts his hand on my shoulder and we intercede for that person. We agree, we believe. He teaches me how to pray.

Is that biblical? The guy would put his hand on my shoulder. Revelation Chapter 1, John said, "He put his hand on my shoulder." I love that picture now. It's grown me in my intercession ministry because it's win-win. Plus, I'm here agreeing with Jesus before the throne about what he wants to do in the life of that fellow believer. Now, intercession is a time. It's a prime time that you will receive gifts of prophecy. Words of knowledge, words of wisdom, gifts of healing, because those spiritual gifts are not for us. 1 Corinthians 14:3 says, "There for the strengthening, comfort and encouragement of the body of Christ." So when you and I do something selfless, like intercede for another person, the Holy Spirit knows I can trust them with gifts to deliver to the body.

Now, it was a few weeks ago, Pastor Cal was here. Do you guys remember that? One of our supervising elders. And I was interceding for Pastor Cal early that Sunday morning, like 5:00 AM. While I was interceding for him, the Holy Spirit gave me a vision. And it was a vision of a stainless steel water pitcher. The kind that you can get really, really cold. It almost has frost on the outside. And the spirit was pouring it out. Starting with this section over here all the way across. Because he said that some believers at Brave, their identity is parched. They need a cold drink of spiritual water for their identity. Well, sometimes the spirit will give you a word of prophecy or a vision until you just keep it to yourself. That's for you to pray. So I was driving here and I felt the freedom from the spirit to say, if you get a chance to share that with Pastor Cal, that would really strengthen him, that would encourage him that he is on a mission, a divine appointment preaching at Brave Church.

So we're going through the worship. It's 8:30. I'm sitting right next to Pastor Cal. And I said, "Lord, I don't want to force this, but if you give me a window, I'll deliver it." So all of a sudden we had the greeting time and no one really came over to greet Pastor Cal, thank you for that. And he's just sitting there. And I turned to him and said, "Pastor Cal, in my prayer time this morning, I feel like the Holy Spirit gave me something for you. It's a picture that your sermon is going to be an ice-cold pitcher of water that's going to be poured over all of those who are parched in their identity." And he smiled. He said, "John, thank you so much for delivering that." My job's over. I was just the mailman. He went and preached. And all during that sermon, I'm thinking that vision was dead on.

He preached in identity. People were grown. Did any of you have your parched identity watered that day with Pastor Cal? Amen. That's how the Holy Spirit works. Those are the gifts he wants to give. We're not seen enough according to Acts 2, because Acts 2 says, "In the last days," We're in them, "I will pour out my spirit on all flesh. And your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions and your old men will dream dreams." All right, now, as the worship team comes up to close this, I want to continue with a theme of intercession for just a minute.

One of the places we need some intercessors is the place of prodigal children represented at Brave Church. Those adults, children, those adult grandchildren who maybe be used to walk with Jesus, but they've turned their back. And they're walking down a road that's very dangerous spiritually to them. And could lead to real damage or destruction for their soul. And we have parents and grandparents who are heartbroken over these prodigals. We had a prayer for prodigal night back in September, and we had hundreds of people lined up. It went an hour and 45 minutes. People waited for almost an hour to have their prodigal prayed for. Does that surprise you? They probably wouldn't wait for an hour from almost anything else, but it's so near and dear to their heart. It breaks their heart. It breaks Jesus' heart. They waited. July 30th, Sunday night from 6:00. Well, it's going to start at 6:00. Who know how long it's going to go? We're going to have prayer teams here. We're going to have our elders and their wives here.

We're going to have another prayer for prodigal night on both campuses. And you know what we're going to do? We're going to pray boldly into the spirit realm from our position at the right hand of God, seated with Jesus from our authority over all power of the enemy. That's how we're going to pray for them. Now, as I was even setting this up and praying about it, I felt the Holy Spirit gave me one line that we needed to pray for every prodigal. Amongst the other things we pray for them and it was this line. We're going to pray that they come to the end of themself. That every place they've been wandering, the idols they've been picking up the sins of the old life, they're going to come to the end of themselves. They're going to drop all of those, and they're going to turn and grab onto Jesus for dear life and they're never going to let go.

And this is a perpetual ministry. The mission statement of prayer for prodigals is until every prodigal comes home. Amen. That's what we're going to do. We're going to have our prayer teams come up right now for the last song. I'd like to have the prayer teams come up. If you came here today with a need to the body of Christ. And you just heard everything that God wants to do through the power of prayer, and you leave with that burden, you leave with that need, that would be a tragedy because God wants you to lay that at his feet. He wants to carry it. He's got a good thing that he is going to unfold in your situation. Do not leave here without coming and getting powerful supernatural prayer.

Jesus, thank you for this time and your word. Thank you for giving us some handles. I pray we grew and we will not turn around and go back. I pray for Brave Church that we have more words of prophecy. We have more words of wisdom, we have more words of knowledge, and we have more gifts of healing all completely in harmony Holy Spirit with your word. And we know they're from you for the comfort, for the encouragement, and the strengthening of the body of Christ. In Jesus name. Amen and amen.