There are many lessons yet to be revealed and great mysteries locked in the powerful narration of the death and resurrection of Christ.  Old and New Testament scriptures point to the awesome resurrection power in Christ Jesus and unstoppable triumphs available in Christ for the saints.

For instance a shadow of the merciful restoration that defies death and the grave occurred when a  dead man is revived as his corpse is tossed into a tomb and touches a dead prophet as wicked invading Moabites passed. Indeed all glory must go to God and God alone who is in perfect and complete control always… as we pray.

2Kings 13 [20]  And Elisha died, and they buried him. And the bands of the Moabites invaded the land at the coming in of the year. [21]  And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men ; and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha: and when the man was let down, and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet.

I pray not to be as the two disciples on the way of Emmaus with no understanding of the reality of Christ’s resurrection and the implications for glorious victory – also called doubting fools by Jesus Christ.

Luke 24[25]  Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: [26]  Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?

There are 3 sets of points for prayers we can take to the throne of grace and mercy to obtain our victories in His will – based on meditation on scriptures describing the events following His death. As we die to the world and the world dies to us we can equally experience the inheritance of glory reserved for the saints crucified in Christ.

Matthew 27 [52]  And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, [53]  And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

1.The closed graves opening (v.52)…represent huge and massive stones that seal unfortunate circumstances (corpses) from public access.  The grave is the place where dead situations are firmly sealed up as unpleasant decomposition progresses – soon to be forgotten as others get on with their lives.

Prayer: Father, where there is no way out in my situation…let your resurrection power make a way.  Unseal what men have sealed. Remove all spiritual and physical obstacles to the miracle needed for my restoration.  Let every stench of reproach receive a fresh reviving breeze of the Holy Ghost and be changed to an aroma of beautiful testimony. Amen.

2.The bodies of the saints include the body of Joseph (v.52)…who wisely begged that his bones be not allowed to remain in the beautiful and luxurious crypts of Egypt centuries before. Exodus 13 [19]  And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him: for he had straitly sworn the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you; and ye shall carry up my bones away hence with you.

Prayer: Father, in your mercy…give me grace to be repositioned in the right location (released from the doubts and deceptions of worldliness ) that your resurrection power may reach and touch all my dead situations … Let me arise from slumber and all forms of paralysis and begin to soar again like an eagle on the wings of the Holy Spirit. Amen

3.The saints came out of the grave walking to the Holy City and seen by many (v.53)… Even if the saints were now arisen, they still needed to come out of the grave to a destined unlimited space above principalities, powers … to be seated with Christ in heavenly places.

Ephesians 2[6] And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

Prayer: Father, let the power of resurrection bring me out of all earth bound limitations placed on my life.  Let me arise above all wicked principalities and oppression of all earthly powers…to be seated with Christ and reigning with Him in heavenly places.  Lord let me begin to shun other journeys and to rediscover and walk the narrow path leading to Heaven.  Lord, do not let me be restored unto a path that will lead me to perdition.  There is no wealth, popularity, honour or restoration that is worth ending up eventually in hell fire and leading others astray.  Help me O Lord to be a true witness to millions of your unstoppable power that reverses the irreversible that many souls all over the world may come to know you by the testimony of your work of restoration in my life.  Amen

May the meditation of our hearts be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, our strength, helper and our redeemer … O Lord, we need your divine assistance. Help us. Amen

Begin by thanking God for His goodness and kindness. All things are possible to you, if you believe.  Confess your sins, ask for forgiveness, forsake the old ways and your past sins and ask for the impossible things in your life. Receive grace to make needed corrections. And believe in JESUS name!

I summarise below five suggested prayer points linked to current themes.

1.  Middle-East: Let the Holy all consuming fire of God stop every other strange fire from erupting in more riots and chaos.  Let the true fire of heaven lick up every fire that burns to entrench more darkness, stop revival and the spread of the gospel.  Amen

Judges 15[6]  Then the Philistines said, Who hath done this? And they answered, Samson, the son in law of the Timnite, because he had taken his wife, and given her to his companion. And the Philistines came up, and burnt her and her father with fire.

I Kings 18[38]  Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.

The Philistines would rather see their own burnt than be the bride of Samson.

The prophets of Baal knew how to send strange fires on the earth but this time in the presence of Elijah they could not.  The fire of God when it came down…licked up everything on its path.

2.  Election/Leadership Transitions: Lord frustrate every insincere political alliance that will bring hardship to the people with a curse of heaven, that the people may rejoice under new leaders. Amen

Judges 9 [19]  If ye then have dealt truly and sincerely with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you: [20]  But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech.

Abimelech (son of a concubine) sourced funds from Baal and hired vain persons from Shechem and Milo to kill all the sons of Gideon except one that hid himself so he would emerge as leader.  A curse was pronounced on the insincerity of his murderous and greedy rule.  Later we see this alliance culminating in mutual destruction.

3.  Revival : Lord, you had enough mercy and grace to spare Nineveh – a people with no pastors, churches, meetings, prophets or even any prayer intercession, Send revival that will revisit the nations,homes, neighbourhoods and your church – exposing oppression, pride, corruption, secret defeats, vices, ambitions and error ; a revival that will reach far into the uttermost corners of Korea, Middle East, Japan and China.  Lord spare us! Just as you spared Nineveh and ushered revival. Amen

Jonah 4[11]  And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?

4.  Comfort for the Hurting: Holy Spirit…you are the promised Comforter.  Come and calm and comfort the hurting and the pained all over the world (shaken with earthquakes and turmoil) as mortal men cannot.  Give us the Comforter. Amen

John 14[16]  And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; [17]  Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

5.  Let there be Light: Lord, your children are engulfed in strong deceptions and darkness once again seems to have covered much of the earth. Because of mercy, send your light and separate the dark and evil from the pure and true…let the distinctions be clear and unambiguous and make us children of your light.  Darkness could not stop your separation. Do it again.  Amen

Genesis1[1]  In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. [2]  Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. [3]  And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.  [4]  God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. (Amp)

May God answer our prayers and let our cries be acceptable and find His favour at His throne room of grace and mercy.  In Jesus Name we pray. Amen

Also pray for the author and this blog.

In Nigeria, the question that seems prevalent among many is if the President – not seen for over a month – is alive … as rumours of comatose hospitalisation spread and many go on a protest march requesting for clarity on where the leader is and how he stands on the many issues.  Debates on the situation continue in the political arena and some simply resign to the suspense.  A few await his arrival…

The Bible say in 2 Chronicles 7[14]  If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

For the healing of the land, the word of God focuses on the state of the church (my people called by my name) rather than the politics. The responsibility for repentance (if the land is to be healed) is on His people and not unbelievers, leaders, presidents or prime ministers…though of course we are also commanded to pray for our leaders. Perhaps a neglected question that really should be top on our minds is if our “Personal fellowship, relationship and consecration” is dead, alive or comatose? Others may protest..where is the church in all the ethical and many other battles of faith? Why is she so silent?

The Book of Revelation points at a church in Sardis with fame and reputation but really dead. This I compare to a celebrity kept barely alive only by skilled doctors, advanced technology and expensive leading-edge medical life support and facilities.

Revelation[3:1]  And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. [2]  Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. [3]  Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.

S. Michael Craven  (Christian post Columnist) in a recent post concerning the American Church  writes  ”… the “wound” apparent in the American Church is indeed serious and our natures are such that we tend to minimize the spiritual complacency present in our own lives and among God’s people. We say to ourselves, “peace, peace” as if all is well with the world because the reality makes us too uncomfortable; such a view of reality inevitably demands more of us than we are often prepared to give. If we are honest, our inclination is to just get along with our lives rather than throw ourselves unreservedly into the cause of Christ. We assume that such selfless devotion will erase all comfort in our lives never realizing that this is where joy unspeakable and real freedom is ultimately to be found.”

This post is not remotely qualified to comment on the health of the church in the nations. However, somewhere there is the church worship centre, parish, house cell group, or youth fellowship apparently recuperating or seriously wounded or already comatose in the “Worldliness Specialist Hospital” intensive care ward closely supervised by Snr. Consultant, Mrs Feel-Good and eminent surgeon, Mr You-will-make-it  and connected to the best lifesaving technology in the “Religious activities Unit”  watched by the best anaesthetist, Mr Prosperity and other expensive equipment/specialists. She does seem to be doing quite well as has been reported but the land in which she dwells cries for healing.   Like the church in Sardis, although the name continues to thrive and the reputation remains intact, the angel of the Church cries for Revival.  The protest march of the Christian can be different and is often on our knees in a different form of militancy campaign.

Solemn Assemblies

Among already ongoing solemn campaigns is the Pray Daily America’s 40 Days of prayer and fasting that began Jan 4 and will run until Feb. 12. Participants meet daily online at www.praydailyamerica.com to pray, seek God, confess personal and national sins and reaffirm the founding fathers’ covenant with God for the United States. Each day a different prayer topic is posted on the web site.

For the entire month of February, the Redeemed Christian Church of God in Nigeria  is also requesting Christians all over the world to fast and declare a solemn assembly of prayers and watchfulness, repentance and rededication … We need the ultimate physician -The Holy Ghost – to visit His people afresh and send us ablaze again as His soldiers on the field of faith.

God promises to heal the land … if the church humbles herself, repents, fasts and prays.  You can join in the prayers by visiting the sites and reflecting on posted topics and points. Take time out to personally seek God and repent…stand in the gap for weaker brethren, unbelievers and for your nation. We also should continue to pray for complete physical and spiritual healing and divine direction and alignment of our leaders in the nations … according to the will and purpose of God.

Pray also for Christians in nations where faith costs the most (World watch-list 2010)  (North Korea tops this list) because of intense persecution. Pray especially for Haiti and against future natural disasters in all the nations. Pray also against outbreaks of killer diseases and divine protection against terrorism in all forms. Pray for a steady but sure economic recovery all over the world and an end to global recession…  Remember this site in your prayers…

Jesus reigns and He says in John 14[27]  Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

God bless you as you let Jesus win and rule in your heart in 2010.

Enjoy this audio teaching  (click)  Five steps to genuine Revival .

Bode

Discover a new capability to address spiritual hunger and spread truths of God to millions – inexpensively, without large staff/infrastructure or resources and also without  a massive supporting network organisation. The internet offers the speed, scale and the simplicity to stretch in completely new terrains and reach new peoples in record times.

All that seems to be needed is basic interest in Technology (you do not have to be a techie) and a decent internet connection…and of course a passion for God and the gospel.  Is it not wonderful – the endless possibilities for the gospel to be made available to people all over the world…especially to previously unreached civilisations?  How about a new tool to catalyse the much needed awakening amongst comatose believers which also spreads the truths of Godliness and repentance with viral speed – bringing about the much talked about Revival we have been longing and praying for years to see.

The Great Commission is indeed going digital… a new term “Internet Evangelism” has come to stay…a new ministry of Internet Evangelists emerged.  Just a few minutes on the laptop on the plane or in the hotel room can result in an article sent around the world that can move someone closer to God somewhere in the unknown corners of the globe.  Prayer points can be gathered and acted upon from an aching soul somewhere typing an outpouring of her grief and burdens in a comment.  Comforts can be ministered and just-in-time to the hurting. Internet publishers find and send messages to wherever it is needed while content managers find articles and use them to develop even richer content.

So what is God asking us to do?

First, the internet digital channel must be soaked in prayers. We must pray. “Let the Holy Spirit illuminate hearts with the message of truth. Let the message come alive and let it deliver, bless and empower. Let the new Internet Evangelists receive their new commissions with fresh zeal, divine empowerment and boldness.”  We must pray that the Holy Spirit will mobilise His Internet Evangelists with rich persuasive and anointed material and revelation that will usher millions out of darkness to marvelous light.

But there are also many dangers.  Evil is being proclaimed at the rooftops and called good and good called evil. Darkness is termed light and light darkness…More darkening counsel is now so pervasive and seductive becoming a subtle blocker –  highly effective in insulating the mind even further against empowering truth.  The message that there is no absolute truth may have found the perfect tool to propagate anything and everything.  Everyone can now be “the angel Gabriel” with a message of conception. Therefore there must be prayer as Isaiah prayed…to frustrate the counsel of the ungodly.

Isaiah 5: [20]  Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

Intercessors must cry out and declare Proverbs 19[21]  There are many devices in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand.

All other counsel must come to nought. Do not assume the digital revolution will push the gospel message by default.  More likely – without prayers, it will obscure and confuse issues and build fresh walls against the gospel…so we must pray…and NOW.

We must not just pray but diligently embrace the digital revolution and flood the media with the gospel…preaching  more of Jesus and His message of salvation rather than ourselves and our persuasions…lest we fall into the common traps of previous movements.

Bode is also author of new Christian Book Wealth out of Ashes .