Bill Johnson teaches on the impact of constant and fervent prayer. Prayer is co-laboring with God and is designed to shape the course of history. Prayer is more than a wish – it is through prayer that we discover God’s heart and learn to partner with Him in what He is wanting to accomplish in the earth. Not everything happens according to God’s will (although He will use it all for good), and we have the privilege and responsibility of co-laboring with God through prayer to see His will done. Developing a lifestyle of constant and fervent prayer positions you to see significant breakthroughs in your life and the lives of those around you. 0:00 Welcome & Testimony (Lyme’s Disease Healed) 1:33 Prayer for Healing (Lyme’s, autoimmune diseases, terminal illnesses, nerve damage) 9:00 Jokes 12:35 Sermon: The Impact of Constant and Fervent Prayer Subscribe for weekly videos: https://bit.ly/bjmYoutube
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Scripture References: Psalm 107: 20 Acts 12 Matthew 11: 28 John 15: 15 John 4: 34 John 16: 24 Originally shared at Bethel Church, Redding California, on April 28, 2019. Bill Johnson is a fifth-generation pastor with a rich heritage in the Holy Spirit. He is senior leader of Bethel Church in Redding, California, and is passionate about seeing Revival and God’s Kingdom established and revealed in the lives of individuals, families, communities, and nations. Bill’s teaching on the Kingdom of Heaven, hosting the Presence, and the renewed mind has helped thousands around the world to step into their true identity in Christ, God given purpose, and walk in a supernatural lifestyle displaying both purity and power. #BillJohnson #BethelChurch #Prayer #Breakthrough
the Holy Spirit sees what’s going on and
he knows how to lead us into prayers
that make history and bring about
significance through answers and I have
no doubt but that thousands if not
millions of people around the world we
interceding and we’re praying in that
moment for just that kind of a
miracle good morning good
morning glad you showed up
I I got a a letter this week from the
gal that was
healed uh after being afflicted for 38
years uh bed mostly the last 10 years uh
her and her husband set me a note this
last week they’re in Hawaii for their
first real vacation in 34
years and she is
uh they are just Exploring Life what
life looks like now that uh now that
she’s been healed she was bedan for
pretty much 10 years been very uh uh not
capable of functioning normally for 38
years ongoing pain issues because of
limes disease and uh it was just the
coolest thing ever uh to see the Holy
Spirit just fill her body and flush that
disease out that’s exactly how it
happened I I saw it happen and so
finally we had four others healed of the
same thing within a couple weeks right
after that so if there’s anybody here
with uh limes disease any kind of
autoimmune disease uh stand or you have
a family member with that stand up
because we’re going to pray
first yes the good news is Jesus has a
track record of healing this stuff and
uh so we we uh we want to see that done
now church family I want you to join
with me now go to somebody who’s
standing and uh and just begin to pray
for them those of you that are watching
uh by bethl TV join with us in the same
way if you have this Affliction in your
own body we just declare Divine health
over you in Jesus name just stand with
us in faith right now if you can’t reach
somebody extend a hand join your faith
to somebody who is standing we just
declare Jesus heals limes disease he
heals every autoimmune disease
fibromyalgia uh all of these different
uh afflictions we declare this ends
today in Jesus name pray for the
outpouring of the Holy Spirit literally
for his presence to flood their body
until every trace of Affliction is gone
just pray that pray that on them right
now to flood their body until every
trace of Affliction is
gone
every trace of Affliction gone in Jesus
name thank you
Lord amen just just pronounce over them
the Lord Jesus heals
you the Lord Jesus heals You Beautiful
go ahead and be seated uh please give us
reports we’re just going to tap this
lightly uh this morning
but uh please send us a report as as
Miracles unfold throughout your your own
body or your own family um is is there
somebody here that has some sort of a
nerve damage on the right side of your
body some sort of a nerve damage on the
right is that back over here okay oh oh
there’s a couple all right all right
well the Lord Jesus heals we’re going to
pray together again for at least one
more issue here in a moment um a number
of years ago I was in Germany and um woo
of course Germany and uh I was praying
with the leadership before the Gathering
and while we were praying I just caught
this flash of a picture of somebody to
my right who had arthritis head to toe
and uh and in in this flash picture it’s
hard to describe but in this flash of a
picture I just saw I had them stand and
I pronounced over them the Lord Jesus
heals you and I that’s not a magic pill
it’s it’s it’s only powerful if he says
it first and you repeat what he’s saying
you got it so but but that’s what it was
so I I caught that picture so when I got
up the first thing I did was said is
there anyone here that has arthritis
head to toe and a woman stood right over
to my right and she stood up and I said
the Lord Jesus heals you we didn’t pray
for her didn’t do anything she began to
tremble under the power of God she
turned very red uh began to sweat
profusely as the power of God was
literally going through her body body
and in just I don’t know maybe 2 3
minutes I said what’s happened and she’s
just weeping she says it’s impossible
it’s impossible it’s impossible because
she was completely healed through the
declared word I believe that we’re going
to see more of that sort of thing where
we find out what he’s saying and Psalms
107 uh verse2 says he sent his word and
healed them so a big deal for you and me
we’re going to try to mess with this
subject a little bit today is really
hear what he’s saying and then join our
voice with his and make that decree um I
want to pray for the ones with nerve
damage is there anyone here with cancer
or any other kind of terminal disease
put a hand up stand you can stand in for
yeah all right I I want to have nerve
damage and cancer or any other terminal
disease I want you to stand if you have
a family oh there’s somebody here you
broke your right ankle didn’t heal right
who’s
that some who’s who is it is that is
that you all right all right I broke
right in this area here and it just
didn’t heal correctly the Lord’s healing
that right now is that you as well all
right so terminal disease of any kind
you know what we’ve been seeing so many
miracles by people standing in
proxy uh this is we’ve never seen the
level of breakthrough that I’ve seen
just in the last uh six months to year
if you have a family member uh uh dying
of cancer or something stand in their
place we’re going to pray together
together and again I encourage everybody
in our bethl TV family join with us in
this moment because this is a miracle
moment bethl family you’ve got people
standing around you I want you to go to
them and just join with them find out if
it’s them or a family member and just
begin to pray right now again for those
at home we make this
decree that Jesus the Lord Jesus heals
you if you can’t reach somebody at least
extend your
faith extend your faith
we declare for that family member right
now in Jesus mighty
name that healing power would be
released into their
body nerve damage be completely healed
and restored now the right ankle that
broke bones be reset now in Jesus
name be reset now in Jesus
name thank you God
there’s someone else who has some sort
of a numbness I think it’s in the right
shoulder especially in the back area
just keep praying it’s just if this
applies to you I need you to stand
there’s some sort of a numbness maybe
that nerve damage thing again but it’s
that it’s a is it right over here okay
somebody lay hands on this this
gentleman right over here uh
resurrection of the uh of that shoulder
nerve damage be healed now in Jesus
name
yep amen just declare over them this
ends
today in Jesus mighty name amen amen all
right go and be
seated if we
get any more of that through throughout
the meeting we’ll just jump on
it um here’s what I I want to encourage
you
expect miracles during the preaching of
the word I felt I felt like the Lord
really spoke that to me a while back and
it just needs to be declared so uh
expect God to touch you uh when uh
anytime his word is spoken because he
sent his word and healed him
all
right I have something extremely
important to read to
you maybe not as important as what we
just did I’ll have to
admit there hasn’t been one single bacon
recall in
2018 but there have been several
vegetable
recalls just
say
doctors are saying that each piece of
bacon you eat takes 9 minutes off of
your
life based on that math I should have
died in
[Laughter]
[Applause]
1732 and here’s one I haven’t read for a
while it’s the hormone guide I need to
update the men every once in a while
just to help you with your
life there’s three categories dangerous
safer and
safest
dangerous what’s for
dinner safer can I help you with
dinner safest where would you like to go
for
dinner dangerous what are you so worked
up
about I love feeling your
pain what are you so worked up about
safer could we be overreacting
safest here’s my
paycheck dangerous should you be eating
that safer you know there’s a lot of
apples
left that’s not much
safer safest can I get you a piece of
chocolate to go with
that here’s the last one dangerous what
did you do all day
[Laughter]
safer I hope you didn’t overdo it
today safest I’ve always loved you in
that
[Applause]
robe all
right open your Bibles to acts uh chap
12 if you would please acts chap
12 it’s amazing these friends that just
healed I think I just mentioned it to
you the letter I got there on their
first real vacation in 34 years can you
imagine that can you imagine the the
children are I’m guessing to be in their
low 30s can you imagine being children
that have never had a healthy mom and
they were there when she got healed and
suddenly she’s able to do everything and
they actually sent me a video of her
running around the pool and they’re in
Hawaii having a blast doing stuff that
uh normally can’t do so I I just it just
never gets old how many of you the Lord
has done a miracle in your body you’ve
experienced an actual miracle in your
body look at around the room is that
extraordinary it’s amazing thank you
Lord do it again and again and again and
again all right acts chap 12 we’re going
to read a pretty long portion of
scripture so I need you just to kind of
hang with me um I my favorite parts of
the Bible are the stories where the
lessons are easy to get you know like
David and Goliath anyone can get that
one you know you got the little guy
facing the big guy and he wins and uh
it’s just a good story Daniel the Lion’s
Den uh it’s you know just that trust in
God and and uh that you see in these
stories well Acts chapter 12 is actually
one of those kinds of stories the Lord
makes note of something that we had
better make note of and it’s concerning
prayer I want to talk to you about
fervent fiery enduring prayer today
because I I have felt the Summons of the
Lord over my own life and corporately
felt the Summons of the Lord to engage
in a level of prayer that is going to be
new for many people and certainly at the
at the uh um the measure I believe he’s
calling us into will be new for probably
most all of us and so let’s uh let’s go
ahead and read the story verse uh one of
chapter 12 of Acts acts 121 now about
that time Herod the king stretched out
his hand to harass some from the church
church then he killed James the brother
of John with the sword and because he
saw that it pleased the Jews he
proceeded to further seize Peter also
now it was during the days of unleavened
bread stop right there just because I
want to draw your attention to something
please notice that Herod was motivated
by what pleased the Jews and what’s
important to understand is both the
religious spirit and the political
Spirit are governed by the fear of man
both are manipulated by corporate public
opinion and it’s why as we pray as we uh
elect uh officials and we pray for our
leaders one of the things we’ve got to
pray for is that they will have the
courage to to make decisions based on
the values of God not on public opinion
it’s vital but also church leaders
because you’ll notice in Jesus’s day the
Pharisees would have a discussion they
say well if we answer this the crowd
will say this if we answer this this
will happen and so they actually made
their decisions based on public opinion
and uh and we need courageous leaders
both in the church and in the public uh
sector that know how to make decisions
based on what God values based on what’s
right based on what’s wrong so my speech
is over let’s move on verse four once
again when they arrested him put him in
prison and delivered him to four squads
of soldiers to keep him intending to
bring him for the people after
Passover verse 5 Peter was therefore
kept in prison but constant prayer was
offered to God for him by the church
please take note of this constant prayer
was offered to God for him by the church
there’s no record of any prayer for
James I’m not saying there wasn’t prayer
but the Lord took note of the
fervency and the consistency the
enduring nature nature of the prayers of
the Saints um for Peter verse 6 when
Herod was about to bring him out that
night Peter was sleeping bound with two
chains Between Two Soldiers the guards
before the door were keeping the prison
now behold an angel of the Lord stood by
him a light Shone in the prison and he
struck Peter on the side and raised him
up saying arise quickly and his chains
fell off his hands then the angel said
to him G yourself and tie on your
sandals and so he did and he said to him
put on your garment and follow
me when he went out and followed him he
did not know that what was being done by
the angel was real but thought he was
seeing a vision when they were past the
first and second guard poost they came
to the Iron Gate that leads to the city
which opened to them on its own accord
and they went out and went down one
street and immediately the angel
departed from him when Peter had come to
himself he said now I know for certain
that the Lord has sent his Angel and has
delivered me from the hand of Herod and
from the expectation of the Jewish
people stop right there for just a
moment how many of you have read uh
brother yun’s book of The Heavenly
Man in his book uh he was in uh um in
prison in China they had crushed his
legs broke them so severely he was not
able to use he had no use of his legs
could not walk and he was in uh I think
it was in the uh solitary confinement it
was in the prison and an angel came in
touched him he was instantly healed
raised him up and led him through a
series of doors out of the prison into a
waiting cab where he got into the cab
the angel departed and he was led to
safety the Lord still sets people free
from from prison I I don’t know what the
prison guards did you know after they
saw the brother Yun was gone but uh uh
let’s just say he’s a wanted man
um but he has such a wonderful Story one
of the most humble men we’ve had him
here a number of times what a gracious
gracious man um his story is so similar
to Peter’s let’s read on on this story
because I want you to see what else
happened verse 12 when they considered
this he came to the house of Mary the
mother of John whose surname was Mark
where many were gathered uh together
praying and as Peter knocked at the door
of the gate girl named Roa came to
answer when she recognized Peter’s voice
because of her gladness she did not open
the gate but ran in and announced that
Peter stood before the gate it’s
interesting the angel opened one gate
but it took a little girl to open the
next one
so they said to her you are beside
yourself she kept insisting that it was
so they said it was his Angel Peter
continued knocking when they opened the
door saw it was him they were astonished
but motioning to them with his hand to
keep silent he declared to them how the
Lord had brought him out of prison and
he said go tell these things to James to
the Brethren and he departed and went to
another place this is a such a great
story I to me it’s kind of humorous and
I I can relate to all the hum parts of
the Bible uh Peter’s misgivings all all
that stuff makes perfect sense to me but
Peter comes knocks on the gate and
they’re praying for him to be released
from prison and so when they he knocks
on the gate well it it it can’t be Peter
because he’s in
prison our job is to pray for Revival
not have
[Laughter]
one some people become so locked into
what they’re praying for that they never
become open enough to receive the very
thing that God is releasing and that was
the case here and so uh Peter comes in
and of course is the good news but
here’s the part of the story that I want
us to kind of feast on a little bit this
morning
morning my my biggest concern and I bump
up against this wall quite frequently
this theological
barrier is that there are many that just
assume that whatever happens is the will
of
God and they and they say Well it
wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for
a reason don’t misunderstand
me God can use
anything but it doesn’t mean he
orchestrates everything
he’s big enough to reverse the effect of
martyrdom we know for example that
martyrdom throughout church history is
is the seed of the blood of the martyrs
is the seed of the church there is no
questioning there are several hundred,
Martyrs a year to the Gospel of Jesus
Christ in places all around the world
it’s astronomical the amount of people
that are killed for their faith every
year there’s no question but that that
causes it doesn’t cause the the gospel
to retract it actually increases the
focus and intensity we know from our
friends the bishop of Baghdad uh that
how many people there have uh um that
when they come to Christ and they uh get
baptized in water the percentage is very
very high how many will be martyred
within just a few weeks of their water
baptism it it’s just a it’s just a crazy
world that we live in but the point I
want to make is although God can use
such a loss as the death of James when
the church bound together with fervent
prayer Peter’s life was was spared I
would like to suggest that often times
what we are missing in the realm of
breakthrough is because of the absence
of fervent
prayer I’m glad that the Lord answers so
simple prayers short prayers brief
prayers I’ve told you stories before how
I’ve had a passing thought a desire that
I wasn’t even worthy enough to be
mentioned in prayer and in moments he
answers it and I I get so moved by his
heart as a father that he does that for
me I uh years ago I took on the uh
challenge to study of both Nehemiah and
Ephesians because both of them are known
for one- sentence prayers and I thought
it was fascinating that Nehemiah could
pray a prayer pray that was just one
sentence in length that would actually
affect the course of history over
multiple Nations extraordinary I love
the fact that you can pray from a place
of pain and God hears I love the fact
that you can be angry and cry out to God
and he hears you can even do be wrong
and be bitter and cry out to God just
don’t stay there you know whatever
condition you find yourself in that’s a
good place to start praying but pray
until you come into a place where you
can sense and taste the heart of God
because that’s where the breakthroughs
begin and so many people use prayer as
just the complaint session in fact I I
uh I met with a bunch of intercessors
once and I said how many of you battle
with depression and they all almost all
of them rais their hand I said well
you’re you’re the ones that don’t pray
then you’re intercessor you don’t pray
because you’re supposed to True prayer
is where you come in and you make an
exchange if you’re praying there’s no
change in you then you weren’t praying
you were
complaining he said come to me you who
are weary heavy laden I will give you
rest what is he saying bring me the
heavy I’ll give you the light let’s make
the exchange prayer is supposed to be
the exchange moments where we taste we
touch the heart of God all right let’s
move on so here is this story where an
answer came because of United prayer
first of all United prayer is very
difficult it’s it’s
it’s at the level of intensity we’re
talking about here is very challenging
and I’ll tell you
why let’s say I have 10 people together
here and we’re going to have a prayer
meeting so we’ve got somebody over here
we’ve got Tom who’s working with the
youth we’ve got Kathy was working in the
school of ministry we’ve got uh Jay is
working in counseling so we’ve got all
these different people we’ve got people
with children’s ministry we’ve got
people who work with the homeless and we
have people who work over here with the
Outreach and if we have a pray meeting
typ typically what’s going to happen is
that each person is going to pray for
their area of of concern and burden is
that right absolutely it’s right but
here’s the problem when we only pray
what we brought to the table so to speak
we don’t recognize when the favor of God
is released over a specific prayer why
is that important because we may be
praying along and praying for um God we
need provision for this Youth Camp or we
got kids that want to come just can’t
afford it God we just pray it’s a right
prayer next person prays and say Lord we
just we’ve got to have greater
breakthrough with the homeless on the
streets and we pray that prayer somebody
else then begins to pray for uh drug
addiction in our County and all of a
sudden there’s this faith that enters
the
room every prayer that’s prayed is
valuable but when we learn to pray in
unity it’s because we’re learning to
pray what he’s breathing on what he’s
adding favor on and what you do in that
moment is you don’t repeat the prayer
you just find another angle to be able
to pray again and lay add another layer
on it does that make any sense to you is
if I just repeat the same prayer then it
does nothing but I’m I’m praying I can
sense the heart of God for this issue of
drug drug addiction God I I asked that
you would close up reading to the supply
of drugs that you would cause people who
bring drugs into the area that they
would be caught that whole procedure
would be stopped in its tracks and then
somebody else prays God we pray even for
those who are dealing drugs that that
their Christian backgrounds should there
be any that they would come to a place
of conviction for what they know is
actually wrong and that you would deal
with their hearts that they would come
to a place of repentance what are we
doing Li line after line precept precept
layer after layer of of praying
consistent with what the holy spirit is
saying and what the holy spirit is doing
that is a key to United prayer and it’s
very difficult because we all bring our
own stuff to the table and what happens
in United prayer is everybody lays their
agenda down to find out what he’s
breathing on that’s that’s the term that
I use it’s it’s where you can tell he’s
extending his favor in a subject it
doesn’t mean it’s the only thing we pray
about it just means we pray until
there’s
breakthrough I remember oh so many years
ago my my my little
brother was once actually little and he
was I think 11 months old or so and he
came very very close to death
and uh I remember our obviously our
whole family is concerning he in
intensive
care at the hospital I remember the home
we lived in I can give you the address
but I
won’t I’ll just say it was on Flamingo
Way but I know the number I even know my
phone number I don’t know what my number
is now but I know my number then
so I’m I’m
kidding I remember my
grandfather my my mom’s uh dad he went
into the living room and he knelt by the
couch you know I’m like 11 years old and
so prayer for me was Jesus heal Bobby
amen you know about the extent of my
prayer life Grandpa went into the living
room our fman was down here he went
living room he was there for quite a
while I’ll never forget it he got up and
he announced to the family Bobby will be
okay
why because he prayed until there was a
breakthrough I don’t remember how long I
was there it’s been so many so many
years
ago but he was there probably a couple
hours and he was praying and when he
could tell there was breakthrough he got
up and announced to the family Bobby
will be fine so he he literally came
within hours I think it was 8 hours 12
hours something like that of death uh
Bobby did and my parents went to the
hospital went in and the doctor said
something happened about 2 o’clock this
afternoon which was when Grandpa got up
off his knees something happened and
changed and he’s going to be fine and
they just helped in the recovery
process it’s that it’s that is that
Relentless
prayer that has confidence because we
know the heart of God see when you pray
as a
servant you beg for the Master’s
Invasion but when When you pray as a son
you pray as a daughter you are joining
in a colloring role to see his heart
manifest and demonstrated in a specific
way I remember how many remember the uh
or old enough to remember when President
Reagan was shot remember that day oh man
it horrible I I remember the day
obviously for that reason but for
another reason as well that particular
morning I was sitting at my piano
I was singing This Little Chorus I just
want to see your
face I just want to see your face oh
king of glory enter in I lift up the
gate of Praise And while I was singing
this phrase I just want to see your face
I looked up on the piano and we had a
picture of my grandparents my dad’s mom
and dad sitting
there and as I came to that phrase I
just want to see your face I looked at
that photo and the Lord spoke so clearly
to me he said that’s your grandpa’s
desire I’m bringing him home
today it so shock me I stopped playing
the piano it that was
clear I thought this is exactly what I
thought I thought well it shouldn’t take
too long to find out whether or not that
was from the Lord or that was from pizza
or or you know some something else and
uh so I continued to play and just a
little bit longer half hour or something
later my mom called and she said uh we
just received news
uh that uh Grandpa went home to be with
Jesus today so it happened that that day
that moment and so I told her the story
of of what I had just heard and
experienced about the Lord taking
Grandpa home and and it was just a
little while later we got the phone call
that President Reagan had been shot so
of course we’re we’re you you just you
don’t want that happen to any anybody
and uh uh so we began to pray for him
turn the news on and uh and watched uh
the reports and I remember I I would
watch for a little bit then I’d just go
back into my bedroom and I’d kneel uh
next to uh my chair and would just pray
and pray and intercede for God to spare
his life but something happened during
this time I would be praying for
President Reagan and every time I would
go to pray for him my heart would turn
to pray for uh James Brady uh the press
secretary and and I couldn’t figure out
why I I I would pray for President
Reagan I’d pray for him like I was like
you’re supposed to you’re supposed to
pray for your leader but we’re just
interceding for God to spare his life
help the doctors to do what they need to
do and so we’re just praying but then my
heart I could just feel it being pulled
into prayer intercession for for James
Brady and and so I pray for him a bit
I’d come back out didn’t hear much news
about James Brady but I’d hear about
Reagan I’d go back in in fact one time
when I went back in Eric had gone into
his bedroom and he was kneeling next to
his chair I’m not sure if he knew what
we were praying for but he was just a
little guy and he was in there praying
as well so so that was good so um so I
went back in i’ praying that my heart
again would be turned from praying for
President Reagan I’d pray for him but
especially just felt grieved uh burdened
might be a good term to pray for James
Brady and uh and so I I did throughout
that day that that was my routine
throughout the day and of course we got
the news that uh President Reagan was
going to be fine setion fast forward
several years I don’t remember how long
2 3 4 years dick Mills who was a
wonderful friend of ours he’s home with
Jesus now but a wonderful Prophet friend
he would come to serice frequently in
Weaverville and and did the same here in
Reading uh he came to the church in
Weaverville and he and he he told us a
story he knew some I I don’t remember if
it was a friend of his I think it was a
friend of his that was in the emergency
room when Reagan and Brady was brought
into the emergency
room and Brady they had covered with a
sheet because he was gone there was no
help for him they they put him off to
the side and they’re working on the
president and somebody looked over and
saw some sort of movement and they went
over and they were able to resuscitate
him and and life uh life came back to
him um I I don’t know the extent they
just had just given up so the the point
was
is the holy spirit sees what’s going on
and he knows how to lead us into prayers
that make history and bring about
significance through answers and I have
no doubt but that thousands if not
millions of people around the world were
interceding and were praying in that
moment for just that kind of a miracle
to happen for God to restore life to
this man that had been shot who was uh
uh President Reagan’s press secretary
the point is is I have an opinion on how
to pray but when I get into the
presence I tap into his opinion on how
to pray and that’s the whole deal is to
learn how to pray from the one who is
directing traffic from the one who knows
the ins and the outs and the real issues
you know you may be praying for example
uh somebody has an obvious problem uh
let’s let’s take drug addiction again
and you start praying and every time you
start praying for them you actually end
up praying for them to be healed in a
relationship with their
father and you don’t know why you keep
going to that but you keep going to that
issue and as you do eventually that
reconciliation takes place and the drug
addiction was only a symptom of what was
actually happening the point is is in
prayer he brings this you brings us
behind the scenes to see what’s actually
going on a good excuse me good scripture
for this is John 15 where Jesus says I
no longer call you servants I call you
friends and then he adds a a a
clarifying phrase he says because
servants do not know what the master is
doing so what’s the point is that there
is a point in a relationship with God
where the Lord lets you go behind the
scenes to see his motive his heart his
thought his ambition his dream his
desire all that stuff becomes exposed
now let’s change it from uh the friend
to the son the daughter when you get
into that position you start feeling the
heart of God for something in a way
where you know that there is an answer
that is available and it’s possible but
it must be pursued with Relentless
prayer I believe that the Lord’s about
to give us a pretty extreme upgrade I’ve
been feeling this for months i’ I’ve
made mention of it here and there but I
feel like there’s an upgrade being
released over us as a body of Believers
in the area of prayer and let me me be
more
specific
unrelenting fervent fiery prayer that
contends for breakthrough contends for
answers until an answer
comes I’m thankful for the things that
happen so simply I am I I I don’t like
the notion that I have to pray for three
weeks to have something happen I I I
don’t like that one of the things that I
was so thankful for and being exposed to
what the Lord’s been doing in the area
of healing for example um I was just so
encouraged to see that that you could
pray simply I I mean we’ve had we’ve had
situations where you know somebody has a
disease did I mention hepatitis C here
I’m sorry it’s the third time I’ve been
talking so I um somebody was uh
diagnosed with he hepatitis C they did
all the tests and and they’ve got that
disease and they shared it in a small
group and one of our small group leaders
went over and P him on the shoulder and
said well then be healed and walked on
that was it and I went back to the
doctor and there’s no trace of it
anywhere there’s just no trace of it I’m
I’m I’m glad that that happens I’m glad
that sometimes there’s just the decree
that’s made that’s long long term
sometimes in a group like this pray for
somebody sent a text and that person is
healed I’m glad for that but that is
supposed to give us confidence in his
nature it’s not supposed to teach us to
be spoiled to only celebrate the quick
answers but because we know his nature
in his heart we’re willing to stick with
something until we see the Breakthrough
it’s the revelation of his heart that is
to endear us to the process of working
until the Breakthrough
comes
[Applause]
I
in my thinking and and I’m in process
like everybody else in my
thinking when there is an immediate
breakthrough in an area is because there
are
circumstances that are wrapped around
that problem that we don’t yet know how
to
dismantle and the thing about fervent
prayer is you never have to completely
understand why you just don’t stop you
don’t stop it’s not prayer to ease my
conscience that I said I’d pray it’s not
that kind of prayer it’s the kind of
prayer that lives from the conviction
God’s will must be
done I remember years ago a friend of
mine was was uh in a a court case he was
on a jury and the Lord spoke to him when
he walked into the trial room that
Justice must
Prevail and when it was a hung jury uh
10 said guilty two said not guilty the
Lord still spoke to him said Justice
must
Prevail and uh so the judge asked
everybody in the jury can you guys come
to agreement and everybody said nope we
are it’s a hung jury they’ve been
laboring forever it was 10 to two and
yet in his heart he still had this word
of the Lord Justice must Prevail so when
the judge asked him he says no I think
we can come to a conclusion
not knowing why he would say that but he
still had that word that meant you can’t
stop what you were assigned to do you
may not know how to fix the situation
but you can’t stop you don’t have the
luxury of stopping the
assignment and the judge said okay I
give you 30 minutes everybody in the
jury is now mad at him because they’ve
been working forever to try to come to a
conclusion he walks out the
door as soon as he does he looks at the
two people who said no and he said you
say he’s no you you say he’s not guilty
because of this sin in your life and he
identifies through a word of knowledge
what he’s got secretly going on in his
life and he turns to the second one and
he says and you say he’s not guilty
because of this that’s going on in your
life and these two guys their eyes are
like this because they just got exposed
and the word of the Lord was Justice
must Prevail and these two jurors looked
at each other and they Saidi change my
vote if you change yours’ and in moments
of time Justice was
served you you you carry out the will of
the Lord stop adding political opinions
to to what’s going on stop adding your
own personal flavor the will of God is
what we hunger for the will of God is
what we have an appetite for Jesus put
it this way he said his food feeds me my
food is to do the will of him who feeds
me my do my f is my food is to do the
will of him who who sent me who teaches
me who speaks to me and it’s the it’s
the will of God that nourishes and
challenges us but here’s the big prize
at the end of the journey and it’s not
at the end of our life it’s at the end
of every day the
scripture tells us that answered prayers
gives us access to this realm in God
called fullness of
joy in God’s economy there’s a link
between answers to prayer co-laboring
with God seeing history Chang through
your prayers and access to extreme
fullness of joy it’s in John 16 I think
it’s verse 24 Jesus said ask and it will
be given to you that your joy may be
full the fullness of joy is somehow
connected to you and me learning who
he’s made us to be in that place of not
just praying occasional casual prayers
but hearing the heart of God what’s on
his heart what’s on his mind what does
he have a passion for in this moment I
join by praying what is on my heart but
when I begin to sense what he’s
breathing on I cannot let go until
there’s breakthrough why because we’re
in the position of shaping the course of
history and we shape it through
prayer
Peter Peter was
spared because of constant fervent
prayer father I ask that you’d release a
a mantle like that that garment that
Elijah carried that in the spiritual you
would release a mantle of a Grace over
this family of Believers over our bethl
TV family for
prayer that you’d help us to Taste Of
Joy through answers through breakthrough
that at a level we’ve never ever known
before that you would show us what it is
to partner with you to C- labor with you
to join our hearts with yours to see
your will done on Earth as it is in
heaven this is our cry this is our cry I
pray this in Jesus wonderful
name amen all right you still ow me
7even minutes so don’t go
anywhere according to the clock I’m just
going by the
clock yeah I I really do believe that
the Lord is is calling us I can feel it
in my own life so uh I I don’t always
try to uh pass on to everybody else what
he’s doing with me but in this case I I
feel a very strong mandate that he’s
going to give us access to some things
in him that are new for us anybody else
ready to learn
some new things make some adjustments in
prayer yeah I I I pray for that it means
changes in order you can’t come into
that kind of breakthrough without making
some changes and so just the the fact
that we have said Yes means we’re
willing to make whatever adjustments and
changes are necessary so Amen to that
now before we uh dismiss I want to give
opportunity for anyone here that
uh you would say Bill I don’t know what
it is to be born again I want to be
forgiven of sin I want to be a follower
of the Lord Jesus Christ I want to be
adopted brought into his family I want
to know what it is to be changed from
the inside out I want to know what that
looks like I really desire to have peace
with God and if there’s anybody in the
room that would uh just say Bill I don’t
want to leave the building till I know
I’m at peace with God then I want you
just to put a hand up Right Where You
Are we’re just going to make a a quick
agreement with you put your hand up if
that’s you don’t uh don’t pass a moment
where you can know what it is to be
forgiven of sin real quick anybody is
there somebody where at I’m sorry is
there a hand raised right over here okay
all right anybody else put your hand up
if that’s
you real quick okay I want you to go
ahead and stand I I just uh anymore I
don’t ever want to have a meeting where
we don’t have opportunity for people to
come to know Jesus and uh so if there if
anyone who raises their hand uh hold on
just a moment folks anyone who raises
their hand that would say Bill I I I
really want to be right with God then
we’ve got a team over here that we know
and trust I’m going to ask you to go to
them I’d like to have our ministry team
come up to the front and Tom are you are
you taking this now Ministry team if
you’d come up to the front we really
want to agree with you and believe for
miracles right now so if that’s you in
just a moment Tom will release you and
you still owe me 4 minutes and 48
seconds