“The Prayer of Intervention involves a flow of ‘proclaiming, invoking, and enforcing.’ “- John Eldredge
John Eldredge concludes Chapter 6 of Moving Mountains by emphasizing that the believers praying for Peter’s release from prison were “proclaiming the truth, invoking the kingdom, enforcing the kingdom.”- just as Jesus had taught them to do. Yet, when Peter miraculously appeared at their door, they didn’t believe it was him, even though they had been praying all night for that very thing to happen. That simply was a very human reaction.
The believers did not have a naïve view of the situation. They understood full well that they were sheep among wolves. John lists five traits of prayer warriors trained in the ways of the kingdom. Prayer warriors:
- know who they are in the kingdom of God
- believe intervening prayer goes beyond just asking God to do something
- understand the authority they have been given and are bold enough to use it
- choose to unite with others in prayer to maximize their effectiveness
- accept the truth that the authority they have been given extends over creation
John ends the chapter with encouragement to actively utilize God’s power and authority:
“We do not have to be passive victims of life, waiting until a distant God chooses to do something. We are friends and allies of our intimate God; he has given us power and authority to change the course of events ourselves. Human beings are meant to intervene, to engage, to make a difference. We can move mountains.”
Today’s question: How can you weave a flow of proclaiming, invoking, and enforcing into your prayer life? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “I chose you”
