Prayer Leader Training

Prayer Leadership
IHOP-LI: The Ark House of Prayer
I. AN INTRODUCTION TO WORSHIP-FILLED PRAYER
Of all of the many joys we have as those in relationship with God, worship-filled prayer
in faith is the most exhilarating. It forms the transformational space where we meet with
Him and each other heart to heart. It is the fountain from which all other treasures and
adventures spring. Evangelism, prophetic utterances, apostolic foundations, teaching,
healing, etc. all spring from agreement in worship-filled prayer with the Word, The Lord
Jesus. Our joy is found His desires.
Worship-filled prayer is the place where we agree with God regarding all He is as He
unfolds His Glory, all that He says as He unfolds His Wisdom and all that He desires as
He unfolds His Love. It’s a rather simple process. As we gaze at God, the Truth of His
Glory, Wisdom and Love fascinates us. As we agree with the Truth, we agree with His
thoughts and we pray what He instructs us to pray. Then, He releases the very thing we
prayed for and all of us are overjoyed because His Majesty is displayed both in Heaven
and on Earth. Isaiah 41, Psalm 2
Nothing happens in God’s economy outside of this established wisdom: Jesus is “The
Manifest Word” of God, i.e., the fully expressed revelation of the Father. By Father’s
design, it was Jesus’ voice that spoke, “Let there be…” and it is STILL His voice that
both creates and upholds His creation. He absolutely loves Father and joyfully seeks the
Will of His Father. He agrees with the Brilliance of Father’s Thoughts and Will and He
affirms it verbally. His word is joyfully agreed upon and enjoined with the fiery power of
the Holy Spirit and what is spoken from His Heart and Mouth IS. This is the dynamic that
accomplishes His intentions.
So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty,
Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I
sent it. Isaiah 55:11
By His design, He has invited His “image bearers” into that same process. The dynamic
was set in place from the beginning when He breathed life into those He formed into the
image of God and then instructed them to tend the garden in Eden that He placed them in.
He watched as Adam named the creatures and responded in delight as Adam realized that
there was no one suitable to help him. It was already in God’s heart to fashion Eve from
Adam’s side. He was just waiting for the agreement prayed from Adam’s heart so He
could answer with Adam’s Bride. Adam was being primed for joy and the rejoicing over
the gift gave the Joyful God more joy. Agreeing with God, trusting Him and His
intentions and tending their charge according to His wisdom was being formed by the joy
of a growing relationship.
The dynamics of this relationship are heaven based. They have never been revoked. We
have neglected the relationship and forgotten its beauty but God never has. It is built into
the atmosphere surrounding His Throne and it is thoroughly woven into the fabric of
creation. It is starkly present or absent in every story. It is clearly illustrated in scripture
and is especially evident in the Tabernacles of Moses and David and later in the Temple.
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Jesus, though, is the fulfillment of this relational dynamic. He is the House of Prayer, the
object of our affection/worship and it is in Jesus that we see the joy fully restored.
Since Jesus ascended to His Father to prepare a place for us to dwell together, it has been
the language of longing that His “Bride” has adopted as she awaits His return. From
generation to generation it is slowly being restored to the forefront and its worth is being
re-established with increasing fervency. His adopted; namely those who believe in and
have traded their lives for Jesus’ are leaning in to it toward maturity. Paul understood this
dynamic as a mystery that he was graced to proclaim to all, including the Gentiles, as
good news, “to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages
has been hidden in God who created all things; so that the manifold wisdom of God
might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the
heavenly places.” Ephesians 1:9-10
To God’s glory, we are being fashioned, through voluntary love in worship-filled prayer
and deeds of mercy/justice, into the expressed revelation of Jesus by the Holy Spirit
living in us; conforming us into His image. For those whom He foreknew, He also
predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the
firstborn among many brethren Romans 8:29
He is the center. He is Sovereign. Anything done outside of this relational dynamic is

established by our own designs. It will bear the fruit of the “Tree of the Knowledge of
Good and Evil”, not the “Tree of Life”. In other words, whatever we do outside of first
seeking/declaring in faith God’s thoughts and Heart in worship-filled prayer – even
though it may be seem good – is still going to produce the fruit of our own independent
spirits.
II. THEOLOGY FOR EFFECTIVE PRAYER/WORSHIP LEADERSHIP
A. The Theology of Agreement

There are two words closely linked together in Hebraic tradition, “tehillah” (praise) and
“tephillah” (prayer). The “Old Testament” tells us that: "God is enthroned on the praises
(tehillah) of Israel" (Ps 22:3). “Tehillah” is a praise that can only emerge from the human
heart that has encountered God. It is a song that is unique to the individual and the
relationship with God that forms it. When sung in a corporate context, it becomes a
symphony because each individual song is woven together to fashion the larger song.
This is the kind of praise that God dwells in (i.e., is in the middle of).
“The tephillah or song-prayer is a prayer of intercession or supplication expressed in

song. The Hebrews often sang their prayers (Isaiah 1:15). There are Hebrew and Greek
words for prayer that suggest a direct petition or short, sharp cry of a distressed heart
(Ps 30:2; 2 Cor 12:8) sung out in supplication. Habakkuk's “tephillah” in Habakkuk
chapter 2 is a well-known song-prayer of this sort.”
http://www.angelfire.com/adazio/page59.html

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Tehillah (praise) and Tephillah (prayer), a song-prayer of intercession/supplication are
virtually synonomous and biblically dwell together in thought. In essence it is “Worship-
filled Prayer”.
“The Mishna, as quoted in The Encyclopedia Biblica, enumerates five principal parts of
the service of the synagogue: (a) the recital of the Shema,… (b) the prayer; (c) the
reading of the law; (d) the reading of the prophets, and the benediction; (e) the
translation and explanation of the Scripture lesson. There is no mention made of the
singing of songs, of praise. But there is strong ground for saying that praise was
included under “the prayer.” There is such a close connection between prayer and
praise that they could easily go under one name. Prayer includes the giving of thanks to
God. Praise may include confession and petition, as well as the giving of thanks.”
http://exclusivepsalmody.com/2010/09/11/question-3-how-do-we-know-that-christian-worship-is-based-on-the-worship-of-the-
jewish-synagogue/
In order to understand the role of a Prayer/Worship Leader, we need to understand there
is a dynamic between the two that mimics the connection between “tephillah” and
“tehillah”. They are virtually synonymous in attitude and expression. They operate best
when they are together and in agreement.
As a matter of course, we could say that there is a theology of agreement. It is grounded

in the idea that Father, Son and Holy Spirit are so unified in heart and agreement that they
are One. Jesus’ prayer in John 17 is one long discourse on unity/agreement. Agreement
alone is powerful (consider the Tower of Babel). Agreement forged in love is the ultimate
creative force. It’s a profound motif that can be followed from beginning to end in the
scripture. It is “The Marriage Motif”. It begins with God forming Adam and fashioning
Eve from His side and ends with The New Adam (The Lord Jesus) The Bride (the
Church) formed from Jesus’ pierced side and the dwelling of God with man.
Union/agreement with God is likened to joy in marriage. Psalm 45 is a beautiful Psalm

describing the Marriage of the Bridegroom King. Verse 7 refers to the anointing oil
poured out upon the king as the "oil of joy." The writer of the book of Hebrews quotes
this passage when speaking of the Messiah: “But of the Son He says, "Your throne, O
God, is forever and ever, and the righteous scepter is the scepter of his kingdom. You
have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore God, your God, has anointed
you with the oil of gladness above your companions." (Hebrews 1:8-9, quoting Psalm
45:6-7) Psalm 133 says, “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together
in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running
down on Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robe. It is as if the dew of Hermon
were falling on Mount Zion. For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life
forevermore.” We are Zion, the dwelling place of God (according to the writer of
Hebrews12:21-23). Both Psalms give tender insights into the glorious joy of agreement
forged in love.
B. A Symphony of Love
Let’s expand this concept by looking at a commonly quoted passage on agreement in
Matthew 18 (We’ll look at the passage in context later on but the conclusions we come to by singling out
this test will not be affected adversely by our treatment here.) In verse 19-20,The Lord Jesus says:

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"Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask,
it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven.
Consider another translation based upon the more simplistic translation of the Greek:
Here’s the provision “if (duo) two are (sumphōneō) symphonious (harmonious) on the
earth over the (pragma) defined deed they (aiteō) ask/crave/desire they will
(ginomai) cause it to be known/generate it to them from/beside/near/around/by (para)
my Father in Heaven”.
"For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their
midst."
For where two or three (sunago)̄ lead together in My (onoma)
character/name/identity/authority, I am in the (mesos) middle.
The Greek text reveals a beautiful nuance illustrating the effect of harmony/agreement on
both Heaven and earth.
In the context of Matthew 18, Jesus is telling us that effective prayer (tephillah)exists
between people who work through their desires until they are all in agreement, i.e.,
relationship that is worked out together until there is such unity in their hearts with each
other AND the character/nature (onoma) of the Lord Jesus that their heart’s cry forms a
beautiful, symphonic sound/song of praise (“tehillah”); to the Lord, with the Lord and
around the Lord. This song moves the heart of The Father and releases a powerful
response. This dynamic answers at least part of Jesus’ prayer in John 17:21 “that they
may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us,
so that the world may believe that You sent Me.” Jesus instructs us that the key to
effective prayer is relationship in communion.
What a marvelous thought. God is moved by the symphony of the hearts of His children,
harmonizing with their Messiah, His Son and the communion is expressed in sound/song
(a foreshadow of the sound of the Bride and the Bridegroom). In response, He engages
with the song and it elicits a beautiful sound from His heart that affects Heaven and earth.
Remember, the Lord created the Universe with sound-song “Let there be…”
This idea also implies that there is a different sound produced when we gather together
than when we are solo. Solos can be beautiful and the Lord hears them and even
witnesses to their beauty. However, there is something more powerful and beautiful than
one alone – Family. Father loves “family”. He puts the lonely in families (God sets the
lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a
sun-scorched land. Ps. 68:6). And he looks for us to help one another BE a family. As we
do, the goal is to become “harmonious” with Him and with each other. “Therefore
confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The
prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” James 5:16 He wants us to help
each other pray together in the confidence of a clean conscience by being found in His
righteousness and by restoring one another so we can all pray in boldness and unity.

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Paul tells us though that any sound that does not have love is a “clanging cymbal” – an
offensive sound that produces nothing of worth.
1Corinthians 13:1 If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love,
I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and
know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains,
but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and
if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.
Love brings sound into symphony. Only love in agreement produces a beautiful song
before the Lord. When we are in agreement with what the GOD WHO IS LOVE says
about His creation; when what we are asking for is in harmony with His heart, we pray
with His character and it touches Father’s heart in a marvelous way. A powerful sound
leaps from Father’s heart and as ALL are enjoyed, the prayer is answered and there is
“joy” in His house.
“If God is a DJ, Life is a dance floor, Love is the rhythm, You are the music, If God is a
DJ, Life is a dance floor, You get what you're given, It's all how you use it.” ~Pink
Whom we agree with, with whom we define ourselves by/align ourselves with, and how
we express the relationship defines the affect and effect of our prayers. Therefore as we
look at leading in prayer and worship, all we do must be viewed through the lens of
agreement/symphony/love.
C. Governmental Stewardship
One of the primary roles of humanity on earth is Governmental Stewardship. The role of
Prayer Leader must be seen through this lens if prayer is to be led in faith and executed
with right motives.
Genesis 1: 26-28 Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our
likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over
the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."
God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and
female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and
multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the
birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth."
Genesis 2:7,15 Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and
breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being… 15 The
LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of
it.
Psalm 8:4-6 “What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You
care for him? Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with
glory and majesty! You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put
all things under his feet”

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Psalm 115:16 The heavens are the heavens of the LORD, But the earth He has given to
the sons of men.
Each of these passages highlights the role of humanity as a steward entrusted with the
care of the earth and all that is part of it. We are intimately tied to it by our very nature in
that God created us out of the dust of the ground. He formed us from the earth and then,
by His breath, released us into life. We are the only creatures established this way. We
are made of the earth but carry the breath of Heaven.
By the Lord’s mysterious wisdom, in intentional partnership, He has charged us to be

stewards. Our choices affect His creation. Paul tells us that the earth and all of creation is
tied to the consequences our choices.
Romans 8:19-22 “For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing
of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of
Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery
to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the
whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.”
Clearly, we are made to be in relationship with God and His creation. All that we do has
an impact upon creation: past, present and future. The most intriguing aspect to Paul’s
statement is that The Lord Himself subjected His creation to our identity because of
“Hope”. There is a confidence in His heart regarding Hope and it is tied to the revelation
of Hope for His “sons”, i.e., “the freedom of the glory of the children of God”.
Paul tells us that Christ in us (corporately) is this very Hope (the hope of Glory). Jesus
identified Himself with us by becoming human; i.e., part of His creation. God became
flesh and was endowed with the Breath of Life. Then, after His victory on the Cross and
His Resurrection, He re-enacts the creation of man when He breathes His Spirit into the
disciples (i.e., the new-born “church”).
John 20:21-23 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am
sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23
If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are
not forgiven.”
Note what we are now charged with: the power and responsibility to forgive. In this
exchange, He not only renews our charge but He adds to it. The foremost thought in the
Lord’s mind before He ascends is reconciliation and forgiveness. Incredible. The
government of our stewardship as a new creation is now defined by forgiveness.
D. Sonship: The Mark of Authority

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We are identified by whom we align ourselves with and call our Father, based upon our
relationship with Jesus. “If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” (John 8:19)
We choose to whom we will submit to (agree with), i.e., the father of lies or the Father of
Lights. We are created from the earth and from Heaven. We choose lies or Life, darkness
or Light.
John 8:12-47 is a treatise on the choice of Fathers. It’s very explicit and too important to
shorten:
12
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever
follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” The Pharisees
challenged him, “Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not
valid.” Jesus answered, “Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I
know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from
or where I am going. You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one. But if I
do judge, my decisions are true, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who
sent me. In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is true. I am
one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me.” Then they
asked him, “Where is your father?” “You do not know me or my Father,” Jesus replied.
“If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” He spoke these words while
teaching in the temple courts near the place where the offerings were put. Yet no one
seized him, because his hour had not yet come. … But he continued, “You are from
below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you
would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your
sins.” “Who are you?” they asked. “Just what I have been telling you from the
beginning,” Jesus replied. “I have much to say in judgment of you. But he who sent me is
trustworthy, and what I have heard from him I tell the world.” They did not understand
that he was telling them about his Father. So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the
Son of Man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own but
speak just what the Father has taught me. The one who sent me is with me; he has not
left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.” Even as he spoke, many believed in
him. To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are
really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They
answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone.
How can you say that we shall be set free?” Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you,
everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family,
but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. I know
that you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me, because
you have no room for my word. I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s
presence, and you are doing what you have heard from your father.” “Abraham is our
father,” they answered. “If you were Abraham’s children,” said Jesus, “then you
would do what Abraham did. As it is, you are looking for a way to kill me, a man who
has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. You are
doing the works of your own father.” “We are not illegitimate children,” they protested.
“The only Father we have is God himself.” Jesus said to them, “If God were your
Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own;

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God sent me. Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear
what I say.
You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires.
He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in
him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! Can any of you prove me guilty of sin?
If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? Whoever belongs to God hears what
God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”
Whom we identify with as “Father” defines whose desire we carry out. Whom we agree
with and what we agree upon has an effect upon what we say and do. When we align
ourselves with the father of lies, we are unable to hear Jesus and all we do hear is
accusation and twisted words, therefore, that is all we release around us. We dwell in
accusation and lies. The effect is death, i.e., “murder”.
When we align our hearts with Father God’s heart and agree with each other in prayer by
faith, the effect is the release of life, truth, freedom, and love for Jesus, Father God and
the Holy Spirit. The Will and Kingdom of Heaven is expressed here upon the earth in
partnership with the Church.
Ephesians 3:10-11 “His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of
God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms,
according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
In our abiding relationship with Jesus, we are able to hear and to see what Father God is
doing and then naturally do what pleases Him. If we pay close attention to Jesus’ pattern,
we see that the true mark of mature authority is Sonship that says and does what Father is
doing. The following statement defines maturity: “The Son only does what the Father is
doing”.
When we pray, we also identify with our Father as the source of our provision. Who we
identify with governs Who we go to when we are in need as well as what we see, hear
and proclaim in all circumstances. What we believe as Prayer and Worship Leader sets
the tone and direction of thoughts for the entire room. Our position as sons is to point to
the Father and that pointing, in faith, helps to release joy.
John 16: 22-24 So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you
will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. 23 In that day you will no longer ask me
anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 24
Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and
your joy will be complete.
Now, the prayer that the Lord taught us as disciples has a renewed fervor in it for all of
us. Read it again as a steward of the earth and as a son of God, endowed with
forgiveness:

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Matthew 6: 9-13 “This, then, is how you should pray: 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed
be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us
today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And
lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. 'For if you forgive men when
they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive
men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
E. Biblical Justice
Biblical justice is powerful motivator for prayer. Luke tells us in Chapter 18 that the Lord
releases justice quickly when His “chosen” pray night and day. In order to pray for justice
with confidence, we must understand that biblical justice is very different from our own
thoughts of bringing down punishment. It needs to be transformed in our thoughts from a
fear-based term into a love-based redemptive term.
Our first view of justice is found in the model of early Israeli Judges. Later, we see it
through the pathos of God expressed in the prophetic books. (Abraham Heschel does a
wonderful job defining this topic in his book, “The Prophets”.) However, it must be
reviewed maturely through the perfect lens of Jesus, the Righteous Judge. It must be
defined by what He has to say about the subject and also by what He DID to both
establish it and fulfill it.
Simplified, the Hebraic view is that “justice” is expending one’s strength on behalf of the
weak and setting things right. In its maturity, however, it is ultimately agreeing with
Father’s assessment of what is good (as Jesus says, “Only God is Good.”) and adjusting
all things to the Plumb line: Jesus. (John 13-15 gives us a great deal of instruction about
these ideas. Please take the time to re-read these chapters.) Things like love,
forgiveness, healing, emancipation, redemption, reconciliation; deliverance, salvation,
etc. are more accurate pictures of Jesus’ interaction with humanity and therefore
exemplify true biblical justice.
John and Paul both wrote letters to the church that succinctly describe the relationship
between fear and punishment regarding justice and then they distance us from them both
by redefining our lives as children in Christ by love. Listen for the echoes of John 8 as we
are placed, in Christ, into the same relationship that Jesus has with the Father and we are
given instructions to love the same way:
1John 3: 1 “How great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called
children of God; and such we are For this reason the world does not know us, because
it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as
yet what we will be We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will
see Him just as He is.
1John 4: 4-19 You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because
greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. They are from the world;
therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God;
he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we

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know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. Beloved, let us love one another, for love
is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does
not love does not know God, for God is love. By this the love of God was manifested in
us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through
Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be
the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one
another. No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us,
and His love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us,
because He has given us of His Spirit. We have seen and testify that the Father has sent
the Son to be the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God,
God abides in him, and he in God. We have come to know and have believed the love
which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and
God abides in him. By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in
the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. This is how love is
made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this
world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear,
because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
We love because he first loved us.
Romans 8:15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you
have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!”
Suffice it to say, as we abide in Jesus, Our Bridegroom-King-Judge and align our prayers
with Him, our requests are aligned to be answered with true justice because the Son only
does what the Father is doing and He alone judges rightly (John 8). He is LOVE.
Now, if Jesus is God, and God is Love (1John), He is perfect love and love casts out fear
because fear involves punishment (1 John 4). If the son judges righteously and mercy
triumphs over judgment, (James 2:13) and we are now sons, what sort of judges should
we become? How shall we pray?? Should we be ones who hurl punishment like fire
(Luke 9:54)? Or ones who intercede in love like God, Our consuming fire? (Hebrews
12:29) Consider this: “A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering (dimly
burning) wick He will not quench, till He brings justice and a just cause to
victory.”(Matthew 12:20)
The sons of God, connected rightly with their Father, are entirely redemptive. We are
given the ministry of reconciliation (2Cor. 5:18). As we align with Father, we also align
with His assessment (rather than our own) of what is good and what is evil. We gladly
leave judgment to Him and we draw from the Tree of Life now instead of the Tree of the
Knowledge of Good and Evil.
Matthew’s Gospel gives us another glimpse into God’s heart for justice and once again it
entirely merciful and redemptive. (Note: verse and chapter are artificially applied to
scripture. In this case, what is referred to as Chapter 18 is often taken apart and used out
of context. I have removed the markers for the sake of context.) Here, Jesus is speaking to
his disciples about the heart posture of those who are considered “great” in His Kingdom

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and He points out the meek, humble, joyful freedom of a child as our model. He then
connects that thought to each of us and expresses His desire that we cherish, protect and
honor each other in that posture; taking care to not be a source of pain, separation or harm
for anyone. As we pick up in verse 12, we find He focuses our attention on just how
much He cares for all of us as well as highlighting how we should care for one another:
Matthew 18: 12-“What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them
wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one
that wandered off? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep
than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in
heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish. If your brother or sister
sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you
have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that
‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. ‘If they still
refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat
them as you would a pagan or a tax collector. (Personal note: Jesus hung out with tax collectors.
Matthew, the writer of this Gospel was one!) Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be
bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, truly I
tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for
them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with
them. Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my
brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times? Jesus answered, “I tell you,
not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
Look at the key postures:
2. The fullness of purpose (i.e., 100% of the sheep)
3. The intention of salvation for all
4. Redemption of the circumstances
5. Discrete admonishment with the goal of immediate restoration
6. Agreement with one another and the Lord for the purpose of
releasing Heaven on earth
7. Forgiveness without measure
In the role of Prayer Leader, these postures should always guide

and guard the prayer meeting. We are to guard the meeting from
assessments and accusations.
Remember the lessons from the enticement of the ultimate accuser in Genesis 2 & 3:
Genesis 2:15-17 “Then the LORD God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden
to cultivate it and keep it. The LORD God commanded the man, saying, "From any tree

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of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you
shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die."
Genesis 3:4-6 “The serpent said to the woman, "You surely will not die! For God knows
that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God,
knowing good and evil." When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that
it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took
from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.
We made a decision that usurped God’s assessment of what was good and evil. We made
a poorly advised, immature, independent grab at judgment and wreaked havoc. Now,
because of Jesus, the “New Adam”, we as His Body get a do over! We get to relinquish
our judgments and agree with His. He alone can judge what is good or evil. We get to
agree and with Him make things right through Him and to Him.
John 5:22-30 Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the
Son, 23 that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor
the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him. Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my
word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has
crossed over from death to life. Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come
when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. For as
the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And
he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man. Do not be amazed at
this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come
out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is
evil will rise to be condemned. By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my
judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.
Jesus, the Christ is the anointed King of The Kingdom of Heaven/God as well as the
kingdoms of this earth. We are being trained in humility and mercy to reign in and with
Him. Together, in agreement and faith, He has given us the joy an honor to impact the
kingdoms of this world. The end result defines the “means” i.e., Love, Grace, Mercy,
Blessing, Forgiveness, Salvation, Redemption, Resurrection, Sanctification, and Pre-
destination! ALL of our prayers should line up with these intentions. We should have
nothing to do with the accuser – including accusing!
Daniel 7: 21 "I kept looking, and that horn was waging war with the saints and
overpowering them until the Ancient of Days came and judgment was passed in favor of
the saints of the Highest One, and the time arrived when the saints took possession of
the kingdom. "Thus he said: 'The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on the earth,
which will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth and
tread it down and crush it. 'As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings will arise;
and another will arise after them, and he will be different from the previous ones and will
subdue three kings. He will speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of
the Highest One, and he will intend to make alterations in times and in law; and they will
be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time. 'But the court will sit for

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judgment, and his dominion will be taken away, annihilated and destroyed forever.
'Then the sovereignty, the dominion and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the
whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His kingdom
will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him.”
Revelation 11:15 "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and
of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever."
Revelation 12:10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: "Now have come the
salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ.
For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has
been hurled down.
1 Corinthians 15:20-28 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of
those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of
the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made
alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who
belong to him. Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the
Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign
until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
For he "has put everything under his feet." Now when it says that "everything" has been
put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything
under Christ. When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him
who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.
In Ephesians 2 we are told where we are positioned in Heaven with Him now and it is
from this position that we pray.
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even
when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace
you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the
heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the
surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”
And finally, consider this thought: Oddly enough, when we have been seasoned in mercy
and forgiveness, we eventually DO judge – but this time everything is different and we
are no longer making a grab as babies but are instead in partnership with Jesus, through
the lens of His Victory on the Cross, now formed into a matured Bride.
1 Corinthians 6:2-3 “Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? If the
world is judged by you, are you not competent to constitute the smallest law courts? Do
you not know that we will judge angels? How much more matters of this life?”
Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians 1:4-14, reveals our identity in this role as well as our
goal:

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“…He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and
blameless before Him In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ
to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His
grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption
through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His
grace, which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the
mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a
view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up
of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him also we
have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who
works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to
hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. In Him, you also, after listening to
the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation--having also believed, you were sealed
in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, Who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with
a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory.
In verses 15ff, he then provides us an instructive model for corporate prayer:
“For this reason I too, having heard of the
8. Faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love
for all the saints
a. Faith in the Lord Jesus
b. Faith that is corporate
c. Love for all of the Saints
9. Do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you
in my prayers;
a. Thanksgiving surrounding those who are in our affection in

prayer
10. That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may
give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge
of Him.
a. Our focus is anchored upon Father
b. Understanding that it is Him Who gives value and worth to the

one who is loved (you). (That is glory – the value and worth of
the one loved.) He alone is the source of your value.

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c. Operating in a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the
knowledge of Him should elicit thought. True wisdom is the
ability to apply knowledge revealed by God to the end that the
result is in line with what is intended, blessed and ordained by
God.
Timothy O. Smith wrote “As this concerns the knowledge of the things of God, the
wisdom of God enables us to apply the knowledge of God effectively to produce good
results. Through revelation we gain understanding of truth and our knowledge of the
things of God increases. Through a spirit of wisdom we are enabled to apply the truths
we have learned and as a result we become very fruitful. If I am to know anything about
Him, it must be revealed to me. If I am to walk in the light of the knowledge I have, I
need His wisdom.
Some of us have been facing situations that need to change. We have prayed, tried to
believe, confessed the promises, rebuked the devil, fasted, wept and all but given up. We
tried everything we know. We have had revelations from God and we know many things
about scripture. Yet for all we know, some things just don't change. You see we are not to
just have a spirit of revelation, so we can know truth; we are to have a spirit of wisdom so
we can apply truth. When we follow the wisdom the Spirit gives for the things we are
facing we will see change…. A spirit of wisdom and revelation means I come alive with
wisdom. I come alive with revelation, because it is the Spirit of a thing that makes it
alive.” http://limitlessreality.blogspot.com/
11. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, SO
a. For God, who said, " Light shall shine out of darkness," is the
One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the
knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. 2Cor. 4:6
12. That you will know what is the hope of His calling
a. This idea is tied both to our inheritance as the saved and as

“over comers”
13. What are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
and
a. We are His portion/inheritance of priesthood and He is ours!
14. What is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who

believe
These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought
about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in
the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every
name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all
things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church,
which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
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A. The Mystery of Faith, Hope, Love
When all is said and done, there are occasions when we struggle to discern and pray or
when we have worked through agreement and faith in wisdom and revelation and yet the
outcome differs from our hopes and expectations. It is in this place that we discover we
must rest in the mystery of “faith, hope and love” where we believe all things, endure all
things, hope all things” (1Cor.13) and trust…. that God knows and He is the One Who
“will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there
will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away."
Revelation 21:4 “Those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting.” Psalm 126:5
III. ADDITIONAL METAPHORICAL IMAGES OF A PRAYER LEADER:
A. A Warrior: Militancy in the Context of Worship

Psalm 144:1-2 “Blessed be the LORD my Rock, who trains my hands for war,
my fingers for battle. My lovingkindness and my fortress, my high tower and
my deliverer, my shield, and He in whom I take refuge, who subdues my people
under me.”
This passage describes a crucial posture for the Prayer Leader and the entire
Team. It is The Lord who trains us and we cannot rely upon our own “wisdom”.
His ways are much higher than ours and we are engaging in an arena that requires
complete dependence upon Him. All that we engage in as worshiping intercessors
is both a training event and the real deal all at the same time.
First, consider the opening word “Blessed”. It implies kneeling on our behalf and
setting our thoughts in honor toward Him. We begin in Worship. It is the place we
set out from. It serves to anchor us in the emotional posture of the Lord. The Lord
is entirely Happy (Blessed) and at Peace. He is the One with true wisdom and
“The Commander in Chief.”
Understanding that God is at peace and happy/blessed secures us in this truth: He

always relates in loving kindness toward us which in turn encourages us to stay
close; i.e., in the shadow of His protection. Abiding in the One whom we take
refuge in is not an intellectual exercise but the frame of mind and heart that we
must not step away from. As such, the picture it creates is a novice protected by
Abba’s giant Father figure. His shield is in front of us defending us as He moves
us forward with Him teaching us to battle our enemies. It also implies an honor
and authority that is released upon us from the people we serve. The instruction is
simple. Stay inside Papa’s love.
After further development in scripture, we find that our weapons are not carnal at
all but are the alignment of all things with the Truth of Christ.
Compare Psalm 144:1-2 to Ephesians 6:10-18 and 2 Corinthians 10:3-6

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Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of
God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our
struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the
authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual
forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so
that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and
after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth
buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and
with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In
addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish
all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the
sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all
occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and
always keep on praying for all the saints. Pray also for me, that whenever I
open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known
the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I
may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The
weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they
have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every
pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive
every thought to make it obedient to Christ. And we will be ready to punish
every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete
All of this is a necessary prelude to engaging effectively in prayer as a community

and a leader under the overall Leadership of God.
The Prayer Leader and the team do not engage in criticism of the Body of Christ
or even of the world. We instead align our thoughts and hearts with God’s Loving
Kindness. We are ministers of reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5:17-19
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the
new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through
Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the
world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has
committed to us the message of reconciliation.
B. A Bride: Intercession from Intimacy

“As women are called to be sons of God, so men are called to be the Bride of Christ.
Both describe a position of great privilege before God for the redeemed. These privileges
do not point to something that is intrinsically male or female, but to that which transcends
gender (Gal. 3:28). 28There is…neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ
Jesus. (Gal. 3:28) As sons of God, we are in a position to experience God’s throne as
heirs of His power. As the Bride of Christ, we are in a position to experience God’s
heart, His deep desire for us. … Our longing to be wholehearted and abandoned to God

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requires the impartation of God’s love to our hearts (Rom 5:5). Only by living abandoned
to Jesus can we know the joy of lovesickness. The heart of the Bride desires to walk in
the power that enables her to give the deepest affection of her heart to Jesus (Mt. 22:37),
to have an enlarged capacity to love Jesus more, and the power to be loyal in love.” Mike
Bickle
Isaiah 61:10 I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he
has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his
righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride
adorns herself with her jewels.
John 3:29 The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the
bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the
bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete
We, as the corporate church are betrothed to Christ (see Ephesians 5) and anticipate the
great Marriage of the Lamb (Revelation 19:6-8). This speaks of intimacy in partnership.
We are presently learning to operate from this reality. In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus instructs
us in prayer; comparing the tenacity of a widow’s interaction with an uncaring judge to
the release of Justice by the Lord at the request of His “betrothed”. If a widow can enjoin
God for justice, how much more will God respond to the one He has chosen?
Luke 18:1-8 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should
always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who
neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that
town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my
adversary.’ “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even
though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps
bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come
and attack me!’” And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And
will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and
night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice,
and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the
earth?”
We are to pray from a position of transparency and intimacy as one “accepted in the
Beloved.” (Ephesians 1:6)
C. A Priest: Ministry to God and Man

"For the Lord your God has chosen him out of all your tribes, to stand to serve in the
name of the Lord, him and his sons forever." (Deut. 18:5)
“Who are the Priests? The first kohen, the founder of the priestly clan, was Aaron,
brother of Moses, of the tribe of Levi. All of Israel is descended from the twelve sons of
Jacob. Jacob's third son was Levi, and Aaron was a fourth generation descendant of Levi.
Aaron and his four sons were designated as the first priests; Aaron served as the first
High Priest. All of his male descendants were chosen by God to be priests forever; it is an

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eternal covenant. Thus even today, a kohen amongst the Jewish people is genealogically
a direct descendant of Aaron.
The Role of the Priests: The Holy One chose these men to be in a position of spiritual
leadership. In the days of the Temple, they were responsible for the sacred service. The
Hebrew word kohen actually means, "to serve," and a deeper linguistic connection can be
found in the word ken, meaning, "yes," itself related to kivvun, "to direct." Thus a kohen
is called upon to direct himself, and others, in the proper service of God: "And you,
separate your brother Aaron and his sons from among the Israelites, and bring them
close to you... so they can serve me." (Ex. 28:1)”
A Conduit for the Reception of Divine Blessing: The reader is undoubtedly most familiar
with the primary role which the priests perform in the Temple, that of officiating at the
sacrifices and other parts of the service. But more importantly, by attending to the various
aspects of the Divine service, the priests serve as a conduit to bring down God's radiant
blessing and influence into this world. In fact, it is on this account that they are
commanded to deliver God's blessing of peace and love to the people, as well: "Say to
Aaron and his sons... Thus shall you bless the people of Israel: 'May the Lord bless you
and protect you. May the Lord shine His face upon you, and be gracious unto you. May
the Lord lift up His face to you and may He grant you peace'." (Numbers 6:22 - 26) “
http://www.templeinstitute.org/red_heifer/levitical_priests.htm
Jesus is our High Priest. There is no other now. However, our “priesthood” is in Him, like
a “seed” that is being formed in to maturity. In Jesus, the “priesthood” does not lose
identity from one covenant to another; it is transformed. It is defined by Him and
expressed in a “symphony” with His “church”; i.e., the new creation. It is no longer a
religious role or foreshadow. It is an identity – kind of like Pinocchio becoming a real
boy – and the identity has gained depth, grace and Glory in Truth because it is defined
perfectly by Jesus, i.e., Christ in us the Hope of Glory. Colossians 1 is ALL about this
transformation. Beginning in verse 9:
…We have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the
knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will
walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit
in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with
all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness
and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, (That’s the role of a “priest”.)
…Who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light” For He
rescued us… transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have
redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (The mediation of a priest) … through Him
to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His
cross; (priestly sacrifice) … He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body
through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond
reproach-- if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast,
and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard… the
mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now
been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the

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riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you,
the hope of glory. We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every
man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.
As “priests”, defined in Christ Jesus, we continue in the joy of blessing and proclamation
to people and to the Lord. It’s just got a glory to it that shatters our “dirty, earthen
vessels” with HIS righteousness, surpasses our wildest imaginations and dives deep into
the eternal glory that is defined by His worth and value in Love. We get a view into this
reality from a Heavenly perspective in The Book of Revelation
Revelation 5: 6-10 Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at
the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The
Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out
into all the earth. 7 He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who
sat on the throne. 8 And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the
twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were
holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. 9
And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to
open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for
God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have
made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on
the earth.”
IV. LEADERSHIP IN THE CONTEXT OF HARP AND BOWL
In this House of Prayer, we are learning to cooperate with the Lord in worship-filled
prayer through a model we call “Harp and Bowl”. It is a relational model that employs
music, spoken/sung word and teamwork so we can engage in worship-filled prayer for
extended periods of time as a community. The model simply serves us in working
together to hear God’s heart and agree with him in praying for the Kingdom of God to be
fully manifested here on earth “as it is in Heaven”.
The Harp and Bowl Team should be understood as the entire group gathered for prayer.
The core H&B Team consists of:
A. The Prayer Leader
B. The Worship Leader
C. Musicians
D. Antiphonal Singers (i.e., intercessory singers who sing their prayers)
E. The Chorus Leader (i.e., an intercessory singer who takes the prayers
being sung and forms a “chorus” that captures the prayer and leads the
room into singing it until all are in agreement vocally and emotionally)

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F. Other Artists participating in leading worship (i.e., Dancers, Writers,
Illustrators, etc.)
G. The Room full of Worshiping Intercessors (a more fluid part of the team
but they should always be considered part of the team of the day)
The Prayer Leader is partnered with the Worship Leader to give direction to the Harp &
Bowl Team for the purpose of agreement in prayer.
The Prayer Leader is a key role, although the entire team shares the burden. Its purpose is
to facilitate corporate unity, worship and agreement in prayer. The Prayer Leader sets the
tone and focus of prayer for the core H & B team and, later, for the more fluid emerging
team that we refer to as “the room”.
The Prayer Leader is primarily a servant and a facilitator; keeping their heart tuned to
following the leading of the Holy Spirit while assisting the room to flow in agreement.
V. FUNCTIONAL IDENTITY OF A PRAYER LEADER
A. A Lead Worshiper
B. A Watchman and Listener
2. Watching for movement by the Holy Spirit on the room and

listening to His heart in prayer
3. Watching for the movements of the team (core & room) and
listening for what is needed to pull together corporate agreement
A. A Facilitator and Team-builder
4. Helping the room see itself as part of the team
5. Assisting them to pray on the microphone
6. Looking for opportunities to move the room into individual

ministry, small group prayer or rapid-fire prayer
A. A Navigator
The Prayer Leader leads the core H&B team into partnership with the
room, leading both into a cooperative expression of worship, prayer and
the prophetic by:
7. Seeking and communicating the rhythms being established by

the Holy Spirit
8. Identifying/declaring the object or intention of the prayer cycle,

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9. Identifying passage of scripture being prayed and then
10. Narrowing the biblical passage/prayer to an isolated phrase of

roughly 3-5 words that can be meditated upon by the antiphonal
singers and the larger community.
A. A Conductor
The Prayer Leader, during the praying segment of Harp and Bowl, directs
the musicians/singers and the worshipers/intercessors in the room in the
timing of their participation so they may do so with boldness and
confidence. This leadership helps us navigate the journey together. The
entire community is a team serving the needs of the whole and preferring
one another individually and corporately. The Prayer Leader and Worship
Leader partner together so that, we, i.e., the entire room:
11. Engage in God’s Beauty
12. Minister to the Lord in song, dance, other arts
13. Meditate on the Lord and His “Word”
14. Pray in the Spirit and with our minds
15. Add agreement to the prayer focus with our thoughts and
emotions
16. Lead/participate in small group prayer & ministry to individuals
17. Becomes the battering ram of prayer in the rapid fire sequences
18. Cultivates thankful hearts; blessing God and His Kingdom
A. A Coordinator
The Prayer Leader also serves as a coordinator for the room so prayer can
either be engaged in as a whole, in small groups, individually- in ministry
to one another, or by leading a “rapid fire succession” as 15-30 second
prayers that are targeted and released specifically upon the identified
focus.
B. A Redeemer
Sometimes the room can move off target or a prayer is prayed that has a
more negative tone to it; pulling the direction into discordance or
dissonance (i.e., a bad note – no harmony). The Prayer Leader is then a
“redeemer” of thoughts and “notes” (i.e., one who gives focus and often
re-focuses the room on the target at hand) by adjusting the prayers of the
room to be edifying and restoring “the harmony/symphony”.

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VI. THE PRACTICAL FUNCTIONS OF THE PRAYER LEADER
A. Seeks the Lord for the overall focus and scriptures to be used prior to the
meeting (although there is certainly room to switch by the prompting of
the Holy Spirit)
B. Partners with the Worship Leader to communicate the agenda of the

prayer meeting to the Harp and Bowl core team
C. Pays attention to the Holy Spirit’s prompting for direction during the
meeting
D. At the appropriate time in the H&B cycle, communicates the focus to the
room by leading these steps out loud and amplified by the microphone:
2. Identify the prayer focus, e.g. The Church on Long Island,

Missionaries- Local and Abroad, etc.
3. Identify the scripture to be prayed, e.g., Ephesians 1:17-21
4. Read the scripture
5. Pray the scripture verbatim
6. Pray in line with the scripture out of own heart and with the
announced prayer focus as the target (e.g. Father, we pray for the
Church on Long Island; that she would be filled with a spirit of
wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of You…)
7. Narrow the prayer to a 3-5 word phrase (roughly) from the

scripture that was identified (e.g. release to her the spirit of
wisdom and revelation that she might know You)
8. Repeat the phrase 2-3 times so the antiphonal singers identify it

(e.g. release a spirit of wisdom and revelation)
9. Finalize the identification of the phrase by declaring it in Jesus’

name (e.g. “In Jesus’ name release a spirit of wisdom and
revelation to know You.”)
10. Highlight the phrase spaced through the antiphonal singing until
you and the team are ready to move on and then let them know
that you are moving on by saying “Amen”
11. If the Chorus or Worship Leader has picked a chorus to unite the
room, they will signal by tacking on “Oh, Lord” to the chorus to
signal an end so the Prayer Leader can confidently move
forward.

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12. Introduce the next phrase in the overall prayer (e.g. “that the eyes
of her heart would be enlightened”) or a new scripture with the
same target (e.g. Tell the room that you are still praying for the
Church but are now praying Ephesians 3:14-21. Start again by
reading and praying the scripture, etc.)
13. When you are ready to move on and introduce a new cycle, do so
by saying “Thank You, Lord” and looking at the Worship
Leader who will refocus the room on worship and the H&B cycle
begins again. (2-3 songs, singing in the spirit, chorus by Worship
Leader, signaling the prayer leader with “Let’s pray” when
ready and then launching a 2-4 chord progression to serve the
prayer.)
VII. THE MECHANICS OF HARP & BOWL: A CYCLICAL PATTERN
A. Corporate Worship (2-3 songs)
B. Spontaneous Singing: Devotional, Scriptural, in the Spirit
C. Development of a Biblical passage through prayer and antiphonal singing
2. The Prayer Leader:
a. Establishes prayer focus
b. Communicates prayer direction by reading through the prayer
c. Prays the main burden 1-2 min
d. Isolates a phrase (to 3-5 words) Choose phrases that are easy
to express our heart responses to God
e. Keeps the phrase before the team and the people
f. May continue to contribute 5 –10 sec. prayers within flow of

HS
g. Keeps each developed theme to 1-2 minutes only unless there

is unction on it Usually use one Stanza and 1-3 isolated
phrases within the stanza per cycle - 5 Min of antiphonal tops

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VIII. WORSHIP CYCLE – 3 PARTS (WL= WORSHIP LEADER, PL= PRAYER
LEADER)
A. Worship songs: for approx. 20 minutes to give the team and the room time
to focus on the Beauty of the Lord and sync their hearts with Him
B. Spontaneous singing/engaging with The Holy Spirit in Song: for approx. 5

minutes (feel free to go longer if there is life on it)
2. Singing Freely
3. Singing in Tongues
A. Develop a Biblical passage: The Prayer Leader and the Antiphonal Singers
(i.e., singing intercessors) develop themes through isolated phrases and
responsive singing (10-15 minutes). They are, in essence, forming
agreement by:
4. Isolating a phrase: the PL clearly designates (echoes) one key

phrase from the biblical sentence that the prophetic singers may
develop by singing “around it.”
a. The PL’s goal is to make one phrase obvious to the prophetic

singers as the phrase from which to develop a theme.
b. The PL isolates only 3-7 words from the biblical sentence. This
makes an easy target for the singers so that we reach a “swell”
or “crescendo” in singing the Word.
c. In this relationship, the PL is to speak only short phrases (3-7

words), not sentences and paragraphs to keep us on target
d. The PL may isolate phrases that cause us to “branch out” into

other themes within the cycle. They may emphasize this by
exactly repeating a phrase that a singer just sang, or by
repeating their own phrase twice or by saying “In the name
of Jesus” before a phrase. Often there will be more energy in
the worship cycle if we would not linger too long in developing
a passage.
5. Spontaneous Choruses: the Chorus leader/ WL establish

“spontaneous choruses” for all to sing (8-10 times so the room
catches onto the chorus) at anytime. Choruses are the most
effective way to engage a room in any prayer format. Sing one of
God’s names to signal the last time a chorus is to be sung.

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IX. RIGHT OF WAY/SEQUENCE OF SINGING
A. Worship Leader
B. Associate Worship Leader
C. Chorus leader/Singer #1 (Nearest to the Prayer Leader)
D. Singer# 2, etc. down the line
E. Singers on Instruments
F. Prayer Leader is last
X. ADDITIONAL NOTES FOR “THE ROOM” (FROM THE KC PRAYER

MANUAL)
The power to engage in night and day prayer is found in having a heart that enjoys
God. Encountering God’s beauty and desire for us is where we most enjoy our
primary reward, which is God Himself.
Our primary reward is not the breakthrough of revival. Revival is fantastic, but it
is our secondary reward. Jesus Himself is our primary reward. We carry this
reward inside our hearts. We live with a fascinated heart as we drink deeply of
God’s beauty and desire for us. That is our joy. Here are some tips to engage:
A. Ask God to reveal His beauty to you
B. Read the Word, turning it into dialogue with God.
2. When we dialogue with God about His Word, we invite Him to

tell us about who He is and we open our hearts to the very nature
and therefore, beauty, of God.
A. Pray in the Spirit and sing spontaneously

“I will SING WITH THE SPIRIT, and I will also SING WITH
THE UNDERSTANDING.”(1 Cor. 14:14-15)
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and
admonishing one another IN PSALMS AND HYMNS AND SPIRITUAL SONGS,
SINGING WTH GRACE IN YOUR HEARTS TO THE LORD.”(Col. 3:16)
“Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, SINGING
AND MAKING MELODY IN YOUR HEART TO THE LORD.”(Eph. 5:19)

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3. Our personal prayer language edifies us by renewing our inner
man, or, charging our “spiritual battery.” It tenderizes our spirit
with the knowledge of God. Praying in the Spirit makes us
sensitive to small fragments of divine information. The Lord
imparts divine information about whom He is and how to pray.
4. Singing spontaneously releases both the faith and intensity to

encounter the manifest presence of God. This opens the human
spirit to the Holy Spirit in an enhanced way.
A. The Benefits of Praying and Singing in Tongues:
5. It is a universal benefit. It is not just reserved for those with a

special calling.
6. It is easy to operate in tongues. It does not require special

training.
7. It is a free gift to all without the need to earn anything.

Therefore, there is no pride of attainment.
8. It unifies intercessors instead of isolating them in individual

prayer.
9. It inspires our spirit rather than leaving us with spiritual dullness

before God.
10. It focuses our spirit on God rather than requiring the need for
constant creative language.
11. It has a deep impact reaching the inner man and not just our
intellect.
12. It expands our capacity in the Lord. In other words, when our
spirit is engaged, our mind can still receive from God and others.
13. It gives us the ability to continue long hours in prayer without

being limited by our human language and affection.
14. It is a springboard into other spiritual gifts.
A. Experience God’s desire

This means to understand and sense, or feel, what God wants do in us, in
others and in the events of human history on the earth and into eternity.
When the Holy Spirit reveals this information to us, we can actually feel
the emotions of God’s heart inside of us. It is an exhilarating sensation
that energizes and frees us from wrong mindsets. How do we experience
God’s desire?

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B. Pray the prayers of Scripture.
Praying the prayers that come from God’s heart enhances the enjoyment
of our intimacy with Jesus. Apostolic prayers are prayers that the apostles
prayed. The chief apostle is Jesus, and the twelve apostles have prayers
recorded in the New Testament. These apostolic prayers are God’s very
prayers, or desires.
C. Practice Praying Positive Prayers.

When we pray positive prayers, we enter into the delight of asking for the
things that bring pleasure to God. This is a gateway into feeling His desire
in our inner man. New Testament Biblical prayers focus on releasing
God’s grace instead of hindering or removing negative realities like sin or
demons. There is a positive focus on the impartation of good instead of a
negative focus on removing the realities of sin. The New Testament focus
usually flows along themes of joy, thankfulness and victory.
* We do incorporate the negative dimensions of prayer that target confessing,
repenting, etc. However, we recognize that they are not the major focus of the
New Testament model of praying.
D. Tips to Support Positive Prayer
15. Pray to God instead of talking to people when you pray

corporately. Focus on “asking” instead of “explaining.”
16. Speak directly to God – be more conscious that He is watching

and listening than that others are watching and listening. This
will prompt you to direct your heart toward Him in love and
partnership.
17. Lift specific promises of Scripture up to God and ask for their
fulfillment in our present day context.
18. Ask for the in-breaking of positive things rather than the removal
of negative things.
Example:
Negative Prayer: “Father, I ask that You would remove darkness and deception from the
church on Long Island!”
Positive Prayer: “Father, I ask that Your light and truth would break in upon the church
on Long Island!”
*Note: God hears, cares about and discerns all prayer, whether positive or negative. Because
of our natural human tendency to become weary and discouraged, praying positive prayer
enables us to maintain prayer day by day; helping us engage in joyful supplication rather than
trying to bear the emotional weight of negative realities expressed through negative prayer.
This is especially relevant in a 24-7 prayer ministry such as IHOP. It is because of both the
Biblical model and human dynamics that we encourage positive prayer.

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XI. IHOP VALUES WHEN PRAYING ON THE MICROPHONE:
Everyone is welcomed and encouraged to pray on the microphone. Praying on the

microphone is in no way mandated, but encouraged as a way to engage your heart
in intercession and to help lead the prayer meeting. Anyone can do this, no matter
what his or her personality, style, or disposition. When you pray on the
microphone, you are helping to lead a prayer meeting. The goal is to serve the
room. These are some of our values on microphone”
A. Team ministry – we go farther together
B. Inclusiveness – everyone can participate
C. The centrality of the scripture – God’s language unifies our heart with His
and others.
D. Practical Instructions
2. If you wish to pray on the microphone, make your way toward

the prayer leader.
3. Be prepared to wait for your turn since the prayer meeting is

intermingled with worship and other prayer focuses.
4. Select a New Testament prayer or Old Testament

psalm/prophetic decree to pray out of. The “key apostolic
prayers” list is a great place to start.
5. Please do not shout on the microphone, rather speak at a

moderate volume level.
6. You have the option to pray with the singers or not. If you pause,
the singers on the platform will begin singing spontaneous
prayers. Within every 2-3 short phrases sung, you may interject
more short prayerful phrases. In this way, we are going back and
forth in team ministry in intercession.
7. When you are finished, feel free to simply set the microphone
down and walk away.

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Important Note: This is not the proper forum for instruction,
teaching, preaching, correction or admonishment through the
guise of prayer. Please guard yourself from slipping this in as
part of your overall prayer. There is also no need for story
telling/context. God knows the details and all of these forms of
communication set the room up to guard their hearts or
disengage from the flow. The Section Leader alone has the
option of group instruction if there is no pre-meeting briefing
but that should be limited and only to help structure the over
all flow of the meeting.
XII. DYNAMICS ON THE MICROPHONE
A. Volume
Though it is necessary to hold the microphone very close to your mouth and to speak
clearly, there is no need to shout on the microphone. A moderate volume level is
encouraged. The room is not engaged by continual shouting, but rather by dramatic
contrasts. Authority is not manifested by volume, but by Divine activity.
B. Clarity
This means that it is clear to the room what your prayer focus is. Your main points are
clearly defined and prayed through and they follow each other in a logical way.
Repeating key phrases and using concise statements creates clarity.
C. Topic
Is your prayer focus one that the majority will be eager excited to partner with you on?
Praying for the Church on Long Island/NYC, or the government of our nation, etc., are
examples of focal points that the majority can join with you in.
Note: Praying for a friend or relative, especially those not known to the corporate meeting, may
cause disengagement for others However, that does not imply that there is no opportunity to pray
for them on the microphone. They are certainly important!!! There are designated times as well
as Spirit led times where the Prayer Leader will turn our attention toward that as a community
and then we will do that corporately in small groups or in a “rapid fire” context. Please feel free
to quietly pray individually or with a friend somewhere more private in the room at any time.
Again, we pray on the microphone to lead and serve the room in intercession. Praying on the
microphone does not make our prayer any more important to God; rather, it is a tool that helps
us join together in prayer.
D. Enthusiasm
This does not mean shouting or exaggerating your emotions. This means being aware that
others are hearing you and your role is to bring them along with you in intercession.
E. Length of Prayer

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2-3 minutes is a pretty good length; 5-7 when you engage the singers and musicians. Any
longer, often the room will lose interest and disengage. Also, there are usually others
waiting to pray after you.
F. Timing
You may want to add little 2-3 second phrases in between the singers’ singing – not
during their singing – to reiterate your point to the room. Please do not shout over the
choruses. Also, it is helpful to read the room in terms of when to begin warring in the
spirit.
XIII. RAPID FIRE PRAYER

Rapid Fire Prayer is a series of short prayers, prayed on the microphone
one after the other, interspersed by choruses from the prophetic singers.
Rapid Fire Prayer provides an opportunity for more people to pray on
the microphone per intercession set and it also can bring energy to a
prayer meeting because of the energizing dynamic of the short “bursts of
prayer” from several different voices.
A. How does a Rapid Fire Prayer cycle work?
b. The prayer leader will announce a rapid-fire cycle
c. He or she will announce what the prayer focus is and will

invite 10 – 15 people (anyone who wants to) to come up and
pray a ten to fifteen second prayer on the microphone.
d. The Rapid Fire cycle leader will start by praying a one or two
minute prayer.
e. After that prayer, the singers will sing a chorus.
f. Then one by one, those in line will pray a ten to fifteen second
prayer.
g. In between every few intercessors’ prayers, the singers will

sing a chorus.
h. Then, the next person will pray and so on until everyone in line
has prayed.
XIV. SMALL GROUP PRAYER
What is small group prayer? Small group prayer is the gathering together of a small
number of people to pray for a particular people group, nation, event, etc. It is an

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opportunity to connect our heart with others as we agree together in prayer. This
connectivity strengthens us in community and love for one another and also gives us
energy in continuing in prayer.
A. How does small group prayer work?
2. The prayer leader will announce a small group prayer time
3. He or she will invite anyone so desiring to gather into small

groups of 4-5, all over the room, to engage in prayer over any
burden the group would like to intercede for together. Do not
wait to be invited into a group; simply approach and join a group.
XV. MINISTRY TIME
A format similar to the small group prayer but the room will be engaged in prayers for
individuals. The Prayer Leader sets the parameters for this time vocally by giving the
following instruction:
We’re going to move in a three-step model for physical healing prayer. If you would
like prayer for healing, please raise your hand and others will gather around you and
pray for you.
If you are receiving prayer, may we encourage you to rest in the Holy Spirit’s
presence, quiet your thoughts and allow those who are praying for you to carry the
burden of prayer?
Additionally, this ministry time is not going to meet the need of pastoral counsel. That
can be an important dynamic in healing but it will not take place in this context. If you
would like that, we encourage you to connect with the worship community you identify
with or we can gladly refer you to trusted counsel.
To those ministering in prayer, please keep in mind that the Blood of Jesus is enough
for their healing – Don’t seek to discover a hidden root to their sickness or provide
counsel. Simply agree with Jesus’ healing power over the person’s body. Healing does
not depend upon the minister being able to uncover secret sources of bondage etc. but
rather upon the effectiveness of Jesus’ work on the cross. (Is. 53:5)
The 3-Step Model for Ministering Physical Healing is: 1. Ask 2. Pray 3. Check
A. STEP ONE – ask

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2. Ask, “How can I Pray for you? What do you need healing from?
What is your name? Is it OK to lay hands on you?” (Make sure
to lay hands on the person in a way that does not cause them any
pain or discomfort)
A. STEP TWO – pray
3. Invite the Holy Spirit to come and rest on the person’s body. Ask
God to increase His presence and anointing. Meditate on Jesus as
healer. Worship Him and thank Him for His power. Commune
with the Lord praying quietly in the Spirit. Ask Him for His
thoughts and leading Allow Jesus to lead the ministry time. Ask
for a release of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 14:14)
4. Pray in one of the following ways as the Lord leads you:
a. Petition – Ask God to heal: “Lord, come and heal…”

40
So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be brought to
Him. And when he had come near, He asked him, 41 saying,
“What do you want Me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, that I
may receive my sight.” (Luke 18:40-41 NKJV)
b. Command – Proclaim healing. Command the person’s body to

be healed.
So the Lord said, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can
say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be
planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. (Luke 17:6)
2
The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on
the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over
the face of the waters. 3 Then God said, “Let there be light”;
and there was light. (Genesis 1: 2,3 NKJV)
c. Break - power of enemy/the sickness itself (rebuke, declare)

So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her.
And immediately she arose and served them. (Luke 4:39)
And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity
eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise
herself up. 12 But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him
and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your
infirmity.”13And He laid His hands on her, and immediately
she was made straight, and glorified God.(Luke 13:11-12)
A. STEP THREE – check

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5. Pray with your eyes open so you can see what the Holy Spirit is
doing and how they are responding. What are they
feeling/hearing physically and emotionally? How is the pain
level?
6. Re-engage according to their reply and KEEP PRAYING,

continue soaking them in prayer.
(Taken from Shelley Hundley’s Simplified Biblical Healing Format and John Wimber’s
5-Step Model)
XVI. A SUMMARY PRAYER PRIMER
Accepting Love . . . by accepting God's love for us, we fall in love with Him and only
then do we have the fuel we need to obey. In exchange for our humility and willingness
to accept the charity of God, we are given a kingdom. And a beggar's kingdom is better
than a proud man's delusion." -Donald Miller, Blue Like Jazz
What follows are some basic biblical foundations that, when understood in succession,
ought to release faith for partnered intercessory prayer with God; prayer that is birthed
through the power of love and releases life from the dead. We will begin to believe in this
partnership as we know and believe in our partner and in His love.
Indeed, I tell you truly, the one believing into Me, the works which I do, that one shall do
also, and greater than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you
may ask in My Name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. John
14:12-13
In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not tell you that I will petition the Father
about you; for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have
believed that I came out from God. John 16:26-27
1. Our God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit is Love. 1John 4:16
2. He fully knows us and loves us. Psalm 139, John 1 & 3:16
3. We didn't start out broken and we don't end up that way either. The universe was made
to reveal God’s incredible goodness (“and the Lord said it was good”). When the Lord
created mankind, He said “very good”. The crowning moment of creation was the woman

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exegeted out of ha’adam which is a picture of the relationship between the church and
Christ. (Ephesians 5 & 6) It ultimately points to this: we were made for Love. (see
Colossians 1 & 2) The Lord Jesus Christ, who is Love, is the King of kings and the Lord
of lords and because of Him, we are now a kingdom of priests destined to rule and reign
with Him as a Bride made ready. (Genesis 1 & 2, 1Peter 2, Hebrews 7, Revelation 1:5-6,
17:14, 19, 21)
4. As much as we hate the idea that we could be responsible, we, as a race, not God, are
responsible for bringing sin and suffering into our world because of our agreement with
the father of lies rather than the Father of Lights. "Therefore, just as sin entered the
world through one man, and death through sin, so death spread to everyone, because all
have sinned." Romans 5:12
5. The result of our sin-filled agreement is death and injustice and it affects all of
Creation. Once it was initiated, there was no way we could fix the problem, and no way
to stop its repercussions. So God, who is Love, came to our rescue. He cut us off from the
Tree of Life to protect us from an eternity in this condition until, at just the right moment
in time, He brought all things together in Jesus and came to our rescue; paying the price
Himself for sin in its maturity, and releasing us from its bondage. Jesus saved us and
sanctified us; restoring us to righteousness before the Father. "For He made the One who
knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." 2
Corinthians 5:21
6. It was THE FATHER who sent His only begotten Son (John 3:16, 5:36). Our Father
loves us and endured the painful tearing of separation; a broken heart if you will; in order
to inflict the full wrath of holiness judging-conquering sin upon His deeply loved Son
instead of us. In that act, He made us sons. That gave Him great pleasure. Isaiah 53:10
(Take the time to hang out with Isaiah 53 and look into Ephesians 1-3. They are crucial passages for us to
consider because they reveal this foundational truth: Jesus took on all of our iniquities, transgressions and
sins. "Iniquities" refer to our nature of perversity; i.e., our downward bent away from God and toward sin.
"Transgressions" refer to our willful rebellion; our choices that say "we will not obey" to God.
In Isaiah 53:10 we are told that the "stroke was to Him". In the King James Version, the word is translated
"stricken" for our transgressions. The word "stricken" is the same word used to describe leprosy. In
essence, He became a leper for our sakes as He took our sins upon Himself.
We're also told that He took upon Himself the iniquities of us all. He endured crucifixion and took the full
blow of judgment; conquering all of our enemies, including sin and death.
He demonstrated that Love is not just as strong as death, but stronger than death and because of that, He is
worthy and the only One strong enough to break the seals of Revelation and bring about the redemption of
creation. God is to us a God of deliverances (salvation) and to God belongs escape from death. Psalm
68:20, Song of Songs 8:6-7)
7. This Beautiful One; this Bridegroom-Redeemer loves us so much He always makes

intercession for us, even now. And the Holy Spirit; the comforter, teacher and power of
God in action reveals the truth to us, lives in us and makes intercession with us so we can
be in union with God. Isaiah 52:10, 53:5, Zechariah 12:10, John 3:16, John 1:29 John
14:16, Hebrews 10, Romans 8:26, Revelation 5

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8. When Jesus, our forever High Priest, paid fully for our sins, iniquities and
transgressions, He completely clothed us in His righteousness and He has taken away our
shame. He didn't just pay for those sins we committed before our born again encounter,
He also paid for the sins we still struggle with as we work out our salvation. We can
boldly approach the Throne of Grace to find mercy and grace because we are IN Him and
Christ is in us (plural, corporately) the Hope of Glory. John 1:29, Colossians 1, Hebrews
10
9. Our destiny as the Body and Bride is to operate from the same identity as our
Bridegroom-Redeemer, Jesus. Our Adamic DNA (both inherited and perpetuated) carries
a sin bent nature and a destiny of death. In the grace of God, through faith in Jesus, we
get the opportunity of a lifetime so to speak. We are identified with Him in faith and that
original identity is crucified with Him in an event that transcends time and space. We
emerge from that death into His love bent nature and a destiny of eternal life. We are
born anew into/with a new identity. We are a brand new creation. We are clothed with
Him and given His DNA. We are in essence and in truth, completely immersed in His
name/character/identity. (As a matter of meditation, we are actually baptized in the name/
character/ identity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Chew on that one for
awhile.) To be baptized in a name means we are fully immersed in; wet with; clothed
with; covered in . . . in this case God. Therefore, we are called to live and love from this
identity.
But faith coming, we are no longer under a trainer; for you are all sons of God through
faith in Christ Jesus. For as many as were baptized into Christ, you put on Christ. There
cannot be Jew nor Greek, there is no slave nor freeman, there is no male and female; for
you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are of Christ, then you are a seed of Abraham,
even heirs according to promise. Galatians 3:25-29
That the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of revelation that you may know what
is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe which He worked in
Christ when He raised Him and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places He
put all things under His (Jesus as a Man) feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to
the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him Ephesians 1:17-23
Raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ...
Ephesians 2:6
For we are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones. "For this, a man shall
leave his father and mother, and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall be one
flesh." Gen. 2:24 The mystery is great, but I speak as to Christ and as to the assembly.
However, you also, everyone, let each one love his wife as himself, and the wife, that she
give deference to the husband. Ephesians 5:30-33
10. God is good. The Hebrew word "good", when describing God's goodness, isn't a
small word or concept. It doesn't mean "nice". It means "wildly good"; tremendously,

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extravagantly good. His goodness and lovingkindness is completely full and bent toward
His own. We can rest in that always. . . .
The Lord is good; His loving-kindness endures for ever, and his faithfulness unto all
generations. Psalm 100:5
For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his loving-kindness toward them
that fear him. Psalm 103:11
11. He is unfathomably rich in grace and mercy. We may draw upon the riches of His
grace and mercy every time we turn to Him, even as we struggle with the remnants of our
pre-Christ nature; i.e., our sins, again and again.
12. When we confess our sins and repent, He is incredibly faithful and quick to forgive
us; He is our victory. We overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word; the kiss if
you will, of our testimony. As a result, we can ascend the hill of the Lord with clean
hands and a pure heart. Ephesians 1-3, 1John 1:9, Psalm 24:4, Revelation 12:11
13. The Father loves us and loves us and loves us . . . . and hears us because of the gift of
righteousness we receive in Jesus. 1Kings 8, 2Chronicles 7:12, Psalm 5:2, John 3:16,
John 11:41-42,1John 3:1
14. We are seated at the right hand of God with Christ Jesus and we can and ought to
pray from that position (Heaven to earth) Ephesians 2:6
15. We are given governmental responsibility for the earth. Genesis 1:27-31,
The heavens are the heavens of the Lord; but the earth He has given to the sons of men.
Psalm 115:16
16. We are made from the fabric of Creation. It has been subjected to futility because of
us until the sons of God are revealed. Creation's destiny is entirely tied into us. Genesis
1- 3, Romans 8:18-23 Walking in our true identity and agreeing with God in prayer
makes all the difference.
17. Now, considering the fact that WE are ZION, (“But You are come to Mount Zion . . .
to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are enrolled in Heaven.”
Hebrews 12:22-23 also, see Malachi 3) read Psalm 110 and note our relationship in the
exercise of this government
The Lord shall send the rod of Thy strength out of Zion: rule in the midst of your
enemies. Psalm 110:2
18. We engage in that responsibility with authority by agreement with God and each
other in prayer Matthew 17:21,18:20, John 17, James 5:17, Revelation 8:3

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19. This responsibility is rightly released through love/justice/humility. What does the
Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness and to walk humbly with your
God. Micah 6:8; also see Luke 11: 2-1318. John 15-17, Isaiah 66, John 1:47-51
20. Power/authority in Christ is directly related to “Sonship”. John 1:12-13, Gal. 3:26-
4:7 The sons of God are identified as "the peace makers". Matthew 5:9 We become
"peace makers" as we embrace our identity in "the Prince of Peace" Isaiah 9:6 and are
conformed to His image as the image bearers. Genesis 1:27,Romans 8:29
21. Jesus taught us that as "peace makers" we could choose to love our enemies, and pray
for those that persecute us; so that we may be sons of our Father who is in heaven: for he
makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust.
Matthew 5:44-45. That means, through the gift of prayer in love, we don't have to expend
useless energy maintaining our anger, our bitter wounds and the chains of un-forgiveness.
What a relief! And, as we forgive, we are forgiven. As we are merciful, we receive
mercy. It's the sowing/reaping model of Kingdom living.
22. Love and prayer are intimately connected. Prayer is one our love languages. It is how
we engage with God throughout our day; how God helps us with our choices; and how
we release love/justice; transforming the scenarios we face. More than that . . . love can
be prayed into people and situations. And this is my prayer that your love will keep on
growing more and more in full knowledge and perfect insight. Philippians 1:9
23. Our hearts are softened in prayer. (That is at least one reason that we are called to
pray for our enemies - so that they won't be our enemies anymore. One less thing to
worry about.)
24. Revelation and salvation for the world comes through prayer (See the progression of
John 14, 15 & 17)
25. God likes prayer. It was His idea. Prayers are incense (a pleasing smell) before the
Lord. The elders around God's Throne have harps and gold bowls filled with the prayers
of the saints. Our prayers are mixed with the fire on the altar and hurled toward the earth
with the purposes of God directing them. Psalm 18, Revelation 5:8, 8:1-5
26. God receives thanksgiving and praise because of answered prayer and through that
our joy is made complete. Until now you asked nothing in My name; ask, and you will
receive, so that your joy may be full. John 16:24, also see Philippians 4:6
27. One final note: Our Father's House is Jesus in us and all of us in Christ (see “Christ in
us, the hope of glory” & the abiding of John 15 & Revelation 19-21). HE said that it is to
be a House of Prayer and in the House of Prayer we will find joy. Isaiah 56:7, Matthew
21:13

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The Prayer of Love
"I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His
Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I
pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the
saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know
this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the
fullness of God." Ephesians 3

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Prayer Leadership

IHOP-LI: The Ark House of Prayer

I. AN INTRODUCTION TO WORSHIP-FILLED PRAYER

He is the center. He is Sovereign. Anything done outside of this relational dynamic is

II. THEOLOGY FOR EFFECTIVE PRAYER/WORSHIP LEADERSHIP

A. The Theology of Agreement

“The tephillah or song-prayer is a prayer of intercession or supplication expressed in

IHOP-LI: The Ark House of Prayer

As a matter of course, we could say that there is a theology of agreement. It is grounded

Union/agreement with God is likened to joy in marriage. Psalm 45 is a beautiful Psalm

IHOP-LI: The Ark House of Prayer

IHOP-LI: The Ark House of Prayer

IHOP-LI: The Ark House of Prayer

By the Lord’s mysterious wisdom, in intentional partnership, He has charged us to be

D. Sonship: The Mark of Authority

IHOP-LI: The Ark House of Prayer

IHOP-LI: The Ark House of Prayer

IHOP-LI: The Ark House of Prayer

IHOP-LI: The Ark House of Prayer

IHOP-LI: The Ark House of Prayer

Look at the key postures:

2. The fullness of purpose (i.e., 100% of the sheep)

3. The intention of salvation for all

4. Redemption of the circumstances

5. Discrete admonishment with the goal of immediate restoration

7. Forgiveness without measure

In the role of Prayer Leader, these postures should always guide

IHOP-LI: The Ark House of Prayer

IHOP-LI: The Ark House of Prayer

IHOP-LI: The Ark House of Prayer

In verses 15ff, he then provides us an instructive model for corporate prayer:

“For this reason I too, having heard of the

a. Faith in the Lord Jesus

b. Faith that is corporate

c. Love for all of the Saints

a. Thanksgiving surrounding those who are in our affection in

a. Our focus is anchored upon Father

b. Understanding that it is Him Who gives value and worth to the

IHOP-LI: The Ark House of Prayer

11. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, SO

a. This idea is tied both to our inheritance as the saved and as

a. We are His portion/inheritance of priesthood and He is ours!

14. What is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who

III. ADDITIONAL METAPHORICAL IMAGES OF A PRAYER LEADER:

A. A Warrior: Militancy in the Context of Worship

Understanding that God is at peace and happy/blessed secures us in this truth: He

Compare Psalm 144:1-2 to Ephesians 6:10-18 and 2 Corinthians 10:3-6

IHOP-LI: The Ark House of Prayer

All of this is a necessary prelude to engaging effectively in prayer as a community

B. A Bride: Intercession from Intimacy

IHOP-LI: The Ark House of Prayer

C. A Priest: Ministry to God and Man

IHOP-LI: The Ark House of Prayer

IHOP-LI: The Ark House of Prayer

IV. LEADERSHIP IN THE CONTEXT OF HARP AND BOWL

The core H&B Team consists of:

A. The Prayer Leader

B. The Worship Leader

D. Antiphonal Singers (i.e., intercessory singers who sing their prayers)

IHOP-LI: The Ark House of Prayer

V. FUNCTIONAL IDENTITY OF A PRAYER LEADER

B. A Watchman and Listener

2. Watching for movement by the Holy Spirit on the room and