(Excuse the "roughness" of the following teaching...these are the notes I used when speaking to our intercessory group)
Let me start by saying that you all are extremely valuable to Don and I and our family...and it dosn't stop there. Whatever we have accomplished in terms of success or breakthrough is because of prayer. And because of your prayer we credit you. Your sacrifice and your devotion is not ignored and unseen. Although I know that none of you want your "crown" to be here in the earthly form....I still want to tell you thank you. We do not take lightly what you do and what God is doing through you.
Luke 16:12 If you have not been faithful with what belongs to someone else, who will give you what is your own?
You are guardians and carriers of the ministry of both Mercy Gate as well as for your pastor's. Your faithfulness is seen and felt. Answered prayers and conversions are the direct results of your obedience and time. Your actions, behavior, attitudes are all a direct reflection of our ministry. We are very closely connected. And I truly believe that God is going to bless each of you mightily.
Esther Mantle
Now I do know this: that most Pastor's have a love/hate relationship with their intercessors. I hear the term you as: flighty, flaky, nuts, their head is in the clouds, strange, weird etc. There does seem to be a disconnect sometimes where people of prayer are not fully understood. "they always have a word" or a "dream". Ha. Well there needs to be balance in all of these areas with the intercessors and with the pastors. I really feel that this anxiety that most pastor's feel is because of past experiences with their intercessors. (ex. Dance showing spiritual birthing process, Tambourines by children, Flag flying in the church, Words given at inappropriate times) Intercessors are creative and expressive people! The problems we experienced as well as our fellow pastor's; were from the ignorance and lack of experience in how to handle those situations. There is a time and place for the noise, the flags and interpretive dance and the revelations.
One of the biggest issues we run into is pride. (Don told me that he touched on that when he spoke to you guys last month.) He talked about servant leadership and having a humble spirit. All that we are are servants to the people....you may call me pastor's wife or Don pastor but we are in fact humble workers for the kingdom. WE should never forget that we are not doing this for a title, for a position or for people to see us or for self exaltation. When we hit that platform or when we get on our knees...we need to be reminded of our positions.
The enemy surely knows what buttons to push to get some of us to trail off in the wrong direction. You have seen pastor's preach and then find our they were in moral sin and failure....how can that happen? How could he be annointed and hear from God while he is doing THAT? Well...the same can happen with an intercessor. They can pray and hear things from the throne room of God but not be in the right place. You can actually "hear" what you want to hear and function in a role in your own talent and annointing for a time...but it will be lifted eventually. What could happen with an intercessor is that they get a word or a picture of what should happen and present it to the leadership but if they don't do what they want them to do then they start praying prayers of manipulation and develop a haughty spirit that they may know more than the leadership, know more about the direction of the church. Trust me....we have seen this happen over and over again.
Just like me having a best friend in the church can prove to be quite hairy....telling intercessors all the details on something can cause them to lose respect for authority or for the pastor. Everyone has differing opinions on direction and plans but God gave Pastor the vision. Before you know it they are bringing a group to another church because they don't like "the direction". Our group is not going to do that. We are not going to allow each other to go astray.
You need to be accountable to your leader....Annette. if you find yourself feeling like you know more then her or that you don't even want to listen to what she has to say or how she is saying it....welll....that is a sign of pride that leads to the Jezebel spirit...which is just a spirit that uproots authority. You need to hold each other accountable with your attitudes, words, talking about people. Gossip runs rampant in prayer groups. One person "feels" something about somebody and before you know it you are telling each other "in prayer" of course what you think is going on.
We need to all be like Esther. She is a remarkable illustration of intercession. She intervened in a dangerous situation for her people (the Jews) with the King and it resulted in deliverance and victory. She stood against two realms...the natural and the supernatural. In her own power there is no way Esther could have had the outcome she had. She demonstrated an attitude of humility and reverance that can be the difference between intercession that fails and intercession that triumphs.
"Esther demonstrated an attitude of humility and reverance that can be the difference between intercession that fails and intercession that triumphs."
And we all know what happened to Queen Vashti....she refused to obey the king when summoned. She got so wrapped up in "who she was" and with all her attendants and fanfare she lost all respect and forgot about the authority the king actually had. She was wrapped up in her own selfish desires and giftings...that led to her downfall. She was dethroned and is still heralded as the first independent minded feminist. Some say that she was a bad example for all the households in the Kingdom...because she rebelled others rebelled against their husbands as well. Just like Vashti we NEVER want to FORGET who we are...we certainly do not want to cause confusion or trump any pastorly authority as well in the house of God because we may cause others to stumble. We may have a title and we may have some power but the King gave it to us and He can also take it away.
When God calls us it is because of he awesome sovereignty. He has decided what He wants done and He is calling his faithful and beloved. He does not set office hours and like the ER...it's open 24 hours a day. He is looking for availability no matter the costs.
Esther was one of many ladies summonded to the King's palace. She was caught up in something beyond her control. I often wonder what her life plans were...did she have a boyfriend? and now found herself in this situatuion? Whatever was going on in her life...she set it aside...she reordered her priorities and gave way to the purposes of the Kingdom.
Hegai prepares Esther for her meeting with the King. She was already nice to look at. The training would be demanding but she needed to be found pleasing to the King. She had 12 months of beauty treatments...six months of oil of myrhh and six with perfumes and cosmetics and 7 attendants to help her. This truly is a time of patient preparation for ministry. Myrrh suggests death and 1 Corinthians 15:31 says; "I die every day for the cause of christ". Our own ambitions and desires need to die before going before the King and we need a group of people to keep us be accountable to that.
Esther was called the tenth month of the 7th year of the King's reign. It wasn't a full 12! We might be called to intercession but feel "not ready" or inadequate but we must trust and not rely on ourselves but only on His presence, guidance and power of the Holy Spirit. The intercessors primary concern is to please the Lord. When that prevails, the power and blessings of heaven are released on Earth.
The King loved Esther more than all the other women and she won grace and favor in his sight so much that He placed the royal crown on her head and made her his queen. The King was so happy that he declared a remission of taxes and distributed gifts with royal generosity. (Eshter 2:17-18) The Church's first calling is to behave like a bride....the best thing we can do for the World is please God. Esther did not storm around the palace with shrill opinions and moral directives in regards to the administration.....the Church should be a blessing to the World and the Kingdom and she then in turn pleases and delights God. When God is pleased we get His attention and can then change cities and regions with His nod.
Esther approaches the King and asks him to a banquet and the King asks her for her wishes...she never even has to hint or ask him first. When we are in communion with our King He doesn't have to coax the petition out of us, we have entered into a most holy place. But a good intercessor knows that timing is everything and while Esther did not immediately tell the King; things were being worked out behind the scenes. Esther does not strive against the evil one but her strategy is to expose Haman in the presence of the King...not just in front of others...Intercessors are aware of evil but know that how we deal with evil is not how the King will deal with it. Amazingly enough in the story, before Esther can even tell the King what she wants the King remembers something from the past and unsettles Haman's scheme. God never forgets, does he? He has so arranged the ministry of prayer that events and promises from the past shall be recited before him.
Without Esther lifting a finger....Haman stumbles. Blind faith is at work here....sometimes we are tempted to work things out ourselves in the natural realm but we could mess up the perfectly orchestrated supernatural set up. It actually turns into what seems like a movie out of Hollywood. Haman has to announce favor and distinction and honor to Mordecai....the man he was just planning to kill!
Sometimes we are tempted to work things out ourselves in the natural realm but we could mess up the perfectly orchestrated supernatural set up.
The banquet comes around the Haman's plot is revealed and the King gets very angry. Meanwhile Haman begs Esther for his life. When the king returned into the room he sees Haman falling on the couch next to the Queen. It is amazing the deals that the enemy will try to strike with you when He realizes the authority that you carry. But Esther spoke with Mercy to the King always out of compassion and love and not with anger or threats. She maintained her composure....she truly was graceful and knew how to walk with a crown.
Esther and Mordecai took over every deed and every job formerly controlled by Haman in the Kingdom. The ministry of intercesseion participates in the release of Christ's authority.....Mordecai sat outside the gates in sack cloth and ashes untl Esther's intercession prevailed.
We need to prepare ourselves for "such a time as this". We all have a past and varied backgrounds but we have been hand picked by the King and we are royalty. He sees greatness in each of us even if we think we are insignificant and without talent. We need brave women who are willing to draw close to HIM and form themselves in a place of quiet power where His kingdom is being exalted. I desire the mantle of Esther and know that with prayer and unity and keeping our focus on HIM there isn't anything that we cannot do.
You are Graciously Adorned!
❤Jonna
