By Melissa Nordell
Now is the dawning of a new decade and beyond in intercession! The Lord spoke to me, giving me 5 points of direction concerning how intercession will change and needs to change in these coming times. And maybe we should really call these mandates, not just directives.
#1. Intercession needs to concentrate much more on making the Bride ready, His Church, since He is coming soon – sooner than most realize. How often do you hear leaders, intercessors, or prayer warriors interceding specifically for making the Bride ready for the Holy Groom? I go to many different intercession groups, often on many prayer conference calls as well, but very rarely do I hear anyone interceding for Jesus’ second coming or for the Bride to be ready. We have done fair in transforming cities and nations and need to continue this wholeheartedly, reviving this type of spiritual warfare – but the Lord says that a major boost needs to take place, concentrating on interceding for His return, bringing in the last boatload of souls, and making the Bride ready. Christians mostly assume that we are fully ready and will hear his trumpet blast but that is not necessarily so. The church in every town and every nation needs to be as cleaned-up as possible with true repentance, getting rid of pride and flesh with total devotion to the Lord, deep in true worship. What would change if all Christians repented and forgave those that they do not agree with and those that have transgressed against them, getting cleansed of bitterness and consternation? I believe that when this forgiveness occurs, most of the world will be saved. Forgiveness is so important to Jesus that He even put it in His prayer instruction (The Lord’s Prayer) in Matt 6:12, “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” Rev 19:7-8 says, “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.”
#2. Intercessors, leaders, and prayer warriors need to thoroughly combat witchcraft. There is witchcraft in every town, every city, and every nation, usually more active than we are in warfare. Some ministries and churches have suffered greatly because the witchcraft has not been stopped against them – we must wake up, admit this and do something about it. Some are afraid to war against witchcraft in prayer and intercession, with some teaching in intercession circles that witchcraft is too dangerous. Is there anything too dangerous for our God? Is God not more powerful than a witch, or even a coven of witches? Instead of us turning from the battlefield, the witches and warlocks need to be afraid of us and our God. They have taken too much from us for too long; but of course, it must be done wisely and safely. It is time for intelligent instruction in how to safely deal with witchcraft using keys in His Word. Witchcraft, wizardry, sorcery, Santeria, etc. have all increased in these latter years – but have we increased our warfare against it? No – there is seldom warfare taking down these strongholds. We cannot say that “Jesus paid it all” and do nothing. Yes, He surely paid it all so that we can take dominion and fight the good fight, taking down strongholds of the enemy. 1John 4:4 says, “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” The strongholds do not fall by themselves, but His Blood paid the way for us to be able to take them out. Jehoshaphat was told by God, “tomorrow I will fight for you” (2 Chron 20:17) as His instruction for one battle, but it was part of the bigger battle – later in that same chapter in verse 33, Jehoshaphat failed because he did not take down the “high places.” (“Howbeit the high places were not taken away: for as yet the people had not prepared their hearts unto the God of their fathers. And he began to do wickedly.”) We cannot just say, “We come against witchcraft” – we need to take it DOWN by the Blood of Jesus and call for those operating in this satanic realm to be stopped and powerless in Jesus’ name. We can also declare their words, false prophetic acts, and tools powerless because of the Blood of the Lamb of God. We need to demonstrate the power of God in this hour so those operating in witchcraft may repent, be saved, and use their God-given gifts for the kingdom. Just as Caleb and Joshua saw that they could take down the giants in the Promised Land, so must we with the acknowledgment that since Jesus shed His Blood, it is easier for us to combat giants than it was for them in the Old Testament. Witches and their craft can seem superior to those who do not know their identity, power, and authority but we war with the truth that: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Tim 1:7). In Luke 10:19, Jesus himself says “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”
#3. It is time to act as “Deborah’s” in a righteous way, following Holy Spirit’s direction. Many intercessors are called to be “Deborah’s,” to act as judges in intercession in this hour. There is a difference between unrighteous and righteous judgment. We can judge like Deborah in certain situations that are clearly against the will and Word of God as she did in the Old Testament when the people were in deep sin – but now we do it with Holy Spirit. We can judge things like the murder of the unborn as ungodly. We can judge things like greed, racism, and self-righteousness as ungodly. We are not to be judgmental or religious but can judge ungodliness in the spirit realm and do something about it through Jesus. As an example, we can declare out loud with such words as: “Lord, we declare you are the destroyer of unrighteousness in my nation,” or “Lord, we declare that you now judge racism and corruption in my area.” Notice, this is not judging the people and not warring against flesh and blood but is judging the action and taking these strongholds down. We can also take things to the courtroom of heaven for the Lord’s judgment. It is God’s business to avenge, not ours, but we can judge the sin and declare salvation for the person/persons involved. As another example, we may declare such words as “I decree that pornography is judged in my city and those involved in these acts or the promotion of it are saved in Jesus’ matchless name.” In that, we have become like Deborah. 2 Cor 10:3-4 says, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.”
#4. Intercessors and all those who intercede need to do so with effective improvements, safer, and with less pride and religiosity. We need to examine our motives and do as the Lord says, following His direction. Jesus only did as He saw the Father do and heard the Father speak and He is our example of the best intercessor, ever. John 5:19 says: “Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise” and so should we. How much more do we servants of God need to follow the Father’s direction in intercession? We need to do more than just talking to God or pleading with God but move into declaring what He says to declare, and binding what He says to bind. True intercession is always prophetic, therefore always safe and the most effective way of getting things accomplished for His kingdom. As we are making the Bride ready, the Bride must be a unified, active, and effective, well-taught army with intelligent intercession.
#5. There also needs to be a new understanding and dedication to prophetic dance and dance intercession in the coming days. This can involve anointed schools of prophetic dance. Dance intercession is one of the most powerful forms of intercession, and many times the quickest way to get a prayer answered. When dance and flags are done prophetically and the dancer/worshipper follows Holy Spirit’s direction, it is a profoundly powerful prophetic act. It is time for all dancers and flaggers in the Church to know how to do this prophetically, following Holy Spirit, not planned or just waving a flag. David did not dance in the streets in a planned processional, but danced in full wholehearted worship, with an audience of one unto the Lord, most likely prophetically in 2 Sam 6:14. Dance in the Lord’s Church needs to move to more Holy of Holies worship, more prophetic, with more prophetic acts, and less pageantry and show. Let us recognize that power, and worship profoundly unto the Lord. John 4:24 says, “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (KJV).
It can take some time to shift out of old ways of doing things and into the new, but these are imperative directions from the Lord. Add to that fact that these are serious times. Godly change is good and will lead to great things.
I am excited to anticipate the changes that will be made and what miracles, signs, and wonders will be seen, how many souls will be saved, and how far-reaching revival will take place all over the world when we embrace improvement and act as He directs in these matters. With this, we will have great success.
Don’t stay in the wilderness by wandering around in the same ol’ pattern….in the same state of doing things… but be the change.
(Copyright 2020, SPCM Melissa Nordell)
Strategic Prayer Command Ministry 