Praying for People in Authority

Editor's Note: This word is neither from nor to the Northwest, but the admonition (and warning) it contains is for us. The day that this word was released was the very day that pastor and apostle Elvin Gladney, father and mentor to many in the Northwest, was rushed by wide-eyed medics to the hospital's ICU unite was "promoted to glory" two days later. We have entered a day where lives depend on prayer. James' words are very timely for us in the Northwest.

"...I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." 1 Timothy 2:1-4 (NASB)

Prayers for people who are in positions of authority have high priority in the heart of God. You could even say that 1 Timothy 2:1-4 is an apostolic admonition for prayer. Yes, the prayers that Christians pray for those in authority matter; they are essential to the advancement of the Kingdom. We cannot afford to leave them up to others. Prayer for leaders must become one of the features of our lives as intercessors. Many other Scriptures help us understand how to pray for people who are in positions of authority. Let's look at a few of them:

Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king. 1 Peter 2:17 (NKJV)

Fear the Lord and the king, my son, and do not join with the rebellious, for those two will send sudden destruction upon them, and who knows what calamities they can bring? Proverbs 24:21-22 (NIV)

When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29:2 (NKJV)

Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil.

Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience' sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing. Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor. Romans 13:1-7 (NASB)

Why Should We Pray?

Why should we pray for those who are in authority? I see two reasons in 1 Timothy 2:1-4: (1) "so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity" and (2) so that God can bring those in authority – as well as those under their authority – to Himself. (He "desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.")

I once heard the late international Bible teacher Derek Prince expand on this. He said that it doesn't matter what plans, systems, or programs you devise. If you bypass prayer, you will not have power to carry them out. He compared prayer-less intentions to a building that is wired for electricity – but if it's not connected to a power source, nothing will work, even if the wires are in good order and the light fixtures are beautiful.

Our power-source is prayer, and we are enjoined in the Bible to pray in particular for "kings and all in authority," for good government and wise leadership. Why? So that: (1) we might have peace and order, (2) for the propagation of the Gospel, and (3) because God desires all men to be saved.

Whom Should You Pray For?

Don't limit your thinking to only governmental leaders when you talk about praying for people who are in authority. Of course, from a United States government perspective, you should pray for the sixteen individuals who make most of the key governmental decisions in the United States: our President, the nine justices of the Supreme Court, the two senators from your state, the U.S. congressperson from your district, the governor of your state, your state senator, your state representative, and also for others who work on those levels of government. Each of us has an obligation to pray for these men and women, by name, on a regular basis.

But you can apply these same principles to your prayers for spiritual leaders on all levels – from your local pastor and church staff members to regional leaders, national leaders, and anyone who oversees an aspect of spiritual life in the Church. And you can also pray for marketplace leaders, for the "elders" who "sit at the gates" of your city, for those who drive the commerce where you live.

In ancient Middle Eastern cities, this was literally the case. A city would have more than one gate, and they were connected by broad walls (which you could compare to the "walls of salvation"). At least three offices would be represented or contained at the gateways of a city: Commercial, judicial, and prophetic. Actual real estate transactions were handled at the gateway; deeds were transferred, signatures were collected. Court cases and judicial hearings were held right in the gate and decisions would be announced right there. In addition, prophetic words, the word of the Lord, would be delivered to the priests in the gate (see Proverbs 1:21; Jeremiah 17:19-20; 26:10, 13). So there at the gate, a person would find commerce moving, the justice system operating, and spiritual dynamics taking place.

When you pray for "those in authority," you are selecting, by name if possible, people who oversee certain spheres and assignments. You have to keep in mind the fact that the spheres of authority are different from each other. If you're praying that an election will be handled with integrity, you'll be praying for the election officials as much as you will the candidates. But those prayers will have little to do with the policies in your local school system – which are decided by school officials. If you want to pray for your local schools, pray for the authorities over the school system.

Stick with the right "fields" and pray with the level of faith that God has granted to you (see Romans 12:3) so that you can bring in a bigger harvest in prayer. Also, our participation in the voting process is an adjunct to our prayers in a very real way. Voting can be our "works" that are supposed to match our faith. The book of James tells us that faith without works is dead.

Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. James 2:17, NKJV

Praying is vital, but it can't stand alone.

What Should You Pray For?

We learn from many Scriptures that God exalts rulers and people in authority if they exercise their authority with righteousness. Proverbs expresses it best: "Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people" (Proverbs 14:34, NASB), and "If a king judges the poor with truth, his throne will be established forever" (Proverbs 29:14, NASB). So one of the first things we should pray for is that the authority figure we are praying for will become righteous and will express righteousness, wisdom, and justice in all that he or she does. I pray for those in authority (by name) that they will have God's heart.

Often, I use Scripture passages as the basis for my prayers, something like this: "Lord, make the President's heart like a channel of water in Your hand. Turn it where You wish" (based on Proverbs 21:1). "Lord, help ____ judge the poor with truth and integrity and compassion" (based on Proverbs 29:14, Psalm 25:21, and 2 Corinthians 1:3-4). "Father, make it possible for ____ to humble himself and turn to You and become righteous, for the sake of [the area of the leader's oversight]" (based on 2 Chronicles 7:14). The following points will give you some basic understanding on what to pray.

Proverbs 28:2 (NIV): When a country is rebellious, it has many rulers, but a man of understanding and knowledge maintains order. See also Isaiah 11:1-3. (Pray for leaders to have knowledge and understanding, which is more than mere information; it includes a grasp of history, and roles, and cultures, and God's will.)

2 Kings 19:27-28 (NASB): "...Because of your raging against Me, and because your arrogance has come up to My ears, therefore I will put My hook in your nose, and My bridle in your lips, and I will turn you back by the way which you came." (Pray that God will deal with tyrants for the sake of His people. Pray that He will hedge in such leaders with limits and boundaries.)

Micah 6:8 (NKJV) "He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?" (Pray that leaders will govern honestly, humbly, and with mercy.)

Effective Prayers for Those in Authority

While we each have special prayer assignments, we are all called to pray for people who are in authority (review 1 Timothy 2:1-4). It is God's heart! It is God's Word! It is God's command! So why don't we just stop and tune in to God's heart, praying for leaders and issues that concern them?

Father, in accordance with Your Word we pause and pray for kings and for those in authority. We bring before You the one who is the President of the United States at this time. We pray that You will raise up godly counsel around the President's life and we pray that the voices of advisors that are based on an unbiblical framework will be silenced. We ask You to provide wisdom like that of Solomon, as well as purity, protection, and safety. We release the knowledge of God's will with all spiritual wisdom and understanding. We also pray for our governors and for our members of congress on the national and state levels.

We pray for those in authority in the judicial system, especially the nine Supreme Court Justices of the United States. We bless them in the name of the Lord of Hosts. We pray that all of those in authority would realize and recognize their personal inadequacy to fulfill their role and that You would release to them a revelation of dependency upon God. We pray that You would reverse the trends of socialism and humanism in this nation, all trends that deify man rather than God. Lord, as this nation and different nations go into critical times, we call forth those who are truly appointed by You. Let them rise to the top with favor, as cream rises to the top of the milk. Give them a voice that will be heard. Release favor to righteous men and women and to those who are humble, to those who are wise and have revelatory activity upon their lives – release them into positions of influence, and impact, and authority.

We pray for priorities to be released, revelation to come of the honor of being a public servant. We pray that there would be a reliance upon the Word of God, the will of God, and the ways of God as the source of daily strength and wisdom and courage. We pray that there would be a restoration of dignity and honor, trustworthiness and righteousness in the land. We pray for our spiritual leaders. We pray for our pastors, our apostles, our prophets, our evangelists, our pastors, and our teachers. We pray blessings and protection over them. We pray for purity. We pray for the quality of life in their families. We bless those in authority this day and we declare that this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior who desires all men and women to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.

We thank You in Yeshua's great name. Amen.

Blessings to each of you!

James W. Goll

Encounters Network • PrayerStorm • Compassion Acts
Email: info@encountersnetwork.com

The Rock Has Rolled

by John L. Moore
John is a resident of Montana, close to, but not technically part of, the Pacific Northwest. That's not why this word is included in the NWP Record. 


Several prophetic people have drawn my attention to this word, and declared what my own spirit was saying: This is a word for the Northwest. --Editor

The Rock

On 7-7-11 I said, "The rock has rolled."

The rock before the storm

Recently a freak thunderstorm crossed the north side of our ranch before bringing much destruction to a farming community east of us on the Yellowstone River.

The photo above is a partial look at a landmark on our ranch, a massive rock with horizontal lines (perhaps caused by ocean tides when eastern Montana was on the bottom of an ocean?) and stretching over 100 feet and rising up to 15 feet above the ground.

Little about this rock has changed through the years.

The rock after the storm

After the storm Wally Badgett and I trailed some yearlings past Krumm Spring and I could not believe my eyes. The angry storm had dislodged a horizontal portion of the rock wall and left it standing vertically without rolling it down the hill. This rock is standing on a narrow ledge with its lines now pointing up.

While I was watching the live streaming of the Open Door Conference at Chuck Pierce's church on a recent Friday night, the Lord gave me understanding about this rock.

The total rock represents the Church. For a long time all of the Church's "lines" have been horizontal. The Church has been concerned about fellowship, church growth, activities, social programs, etc...

But a storm broke off a "remnant" without destroying it. Instead, the remnant is now pointing up to the heavens. See how this rock even resembles a hand.

This is a sign for our times. A remnant within the Church will break away from horizontal works and point upward to Christ.

Blessings,

John L. Moore
Email: lazytl@johnlmoore.com

Postscript on the Rock:

• Krumm Spring is a very important water source on the ranch. During our many drought years it was the only spring not to go dry, though it slowed to just a trickle before this year.
• Krumm Spring is two miles south and on the same divide as the Rock Circles where we have done so much land cleansing and warfare. At Krumm Spring is the greenest cedar tree you will ever see (photo available upon request) and above it is a lookout point with teepee rings.
• Krumm Spring was actually named for two single women who homesteaded there about 100 years ago.
• The rock that was dislodged probably weighs one ton and sets on a ledge that is only a couple feet wide. The storm was coming from the northwest to the southeast and the rock should have been thrown off that ledge to topple downhill.

John L. Moore is a cattle rancher, novelist, journalist and prophetic voice from Montana. He is probably best known to Elijah List readers as the friend and mentor of Ching Co Ten. (Only the Lord could put a Montana cowboy and a Chinese prophetess living in the Philippines together.)

An Israel Generation

The Lord says He’s seeking for a Jacob generation that He might turn the Jacob generation into the “inheriting ones”. “And even now, there’s a transition”, says God, “in My Body and those who have sought to seek and find Me are going to discover that I’m the One Who seeks to find them. And in the place of wrestling, there’s a breakthrough.” For God says, “I’m bringing forth My ‘inheriting one.’ I’m bringing forth My Israel. I’m bringing forth My Prince with God. There was a time and there was a season when I sought for those who would be a Jacob generation, but hear the Word of the Lord! Hear the Word of the Lord! Hear the Word of the Lord! This is the day for Me to lay hold of you! This is not the day for you to lay hold of Me! This is the day for Me to lay hold of you – and in Me laying hold of you, it’s time for you to endure! It’s time for you to hold on, and it’s in that place of wrestling that there’s going to come an inheritance – there’s going to come an inheritance!”

The Lord says, “In this house there’s a shift in the Spirit. Don’t seek the thing that was before. Seek that which is beyond that which was before. Seek that which is the increase. Seek that which is the ‘more’. For this is not a time to break away. This is a time to stand fast and say, ‘Our God has come! He has laid hold of us and we will not let go of that which He has laid hold of!’”

The Lord put a Scripture on my heart for you as a house, …it’s out of Isaiah, Chapter 32.
“Behold a King will reign righteously, and princes will rule justly. Each will be like a refuge from the wind and a shelter from the storm, like streams of water in a dry country, like the shade of a huge rock in a parched land. Then the eyes of those who see will not be blinded, and the ears of those who hear will listen. The mind of the hasty will discern truth, and the tongue of the stammerers will hasten to speak clearly. No longer will the fool be called noble, or the rogue be spoken of as generous. For a fool speaks nonsense, and his heart inclines toward wickedness: to practice ungodliness and to speak error against the Lord. To keep the hungry person unsatisfied and to withhold drink from the thirsty. As for a rogue, his weapons are evil; he devises wicked schemes to destroy the afflicted with slander, even though the needy one speaks what is right. But the noble man devises noble plans; and by noble plans he stands.”

Hear the Word of the Lord! Hear the Word of the Lord! Hear the Word of the Lord!

For God says “In My Body, and even in this place, I’ve been bringing forth a shift – a shift in the land. And the land is that which I call My covenant place. It’s not your contract place – it’s My covenant place! And in My covenant place, I have sought for those who would seek Me. But I’ve done a shift now and declared that now I’m seeking to find those who have sought Me, that they might find that I’m the One that seeks them. But the place that I seek them in is a place of endurance. The place that I seek them in is a place of strength. It’s a place of abiding. It’s a place of remaining. It’s not a place of hungering, it’s a place of being satisfied and of seeking to satisfy the hungy.”

And the Lord says, “In this season, I’m going to reveal who the princes are, for the princes are those who can be a refuge from the wind because these are the ones who have endured the wind. And the princes are the ones who can be a shelter from the storm, for these are the ones who have stood fast through every storm. And the princes can be the ones who are springs of water in a dry country because when they stood in a dry country, they didn’t leave the land, but they found water deep. And the princes are those who are the shade of a rock in a parched land because in the heat, they did not melt and they did not fade away. Now is the time when I will raise up the princes!”

And the Lord says, “There’s a mark on this house. There’s a mark upon you, as a people. Don’t look to the side! Don’t look to the right, to the left! Don’t look behind – don’t look before to discover the mark! Look within the heart!” For God says, “The mark is the mark of those who have wrestled with Me, and those who have broken through that find that I’m the One that laid hold of them! And now will come a time of strategy.

Watch and see! That means, be awake and expect it! Be awake and expect it! Be awake and expect it! But don’t expect it to come from Me, apart from My princes, for My princes are those who have wrestled with Me and are ready for the inheritance! And this Word is not just for this place – this is for My Body!” says God, “but you are in the place of discovering what I am doing in this hour.” For the Lord says, “Inheritance is for princes! Inheritance is of fathers! Inheritance is of the Father’s Name! And it’s those who stand fast! Those who stand in the place of My blessing, who release the blessing!”

Get ready, Pastor Cesar, For the Lord says, “A mantle is coming! A mantle is falling! Be ready, people, for when a mantle falls, it’s time to get under! It’s time to come under. When a mantle falls, it’s time to lift up your head, but lift up your head in the place where the mantle resides. For a mantle does not come in multiple places but a mantle comes, to rest upon headship and to come upon a body. And there’s a new mantle that’s coming upon this body,” says the Lord, ”for there’s a new mantle that’s coming upon this man and this woman. There’s a mantle that’s going to cause you to see with greater clarity. Don’t be confused, for the mantle that’s coming is not a mantle because a man is wrestling because he’s hungry. It’s because a man is wrestling because I’m hungry!” And God says, “I’m hungry to find such a people and I’ve laid hold of you! I’ve laid hold of you! And in the midst of adversity, you’ve remained in the place of adversity! In the midst of things not working out quite right, you’ve remained right! So the Lord says a mantle is coming – now is not the time to stretch out from under it, for this mantle will come.”

And the Lord says, “As the mantle comes, vision will come and there will be noble plans, there’ll be noble schemes, noble strategies. But noble plans are not plans for unto one’s self, but noble plans are plans that reach beyond one’s self.” And the Lord says, “This body, this church, this congregation is going to reach farther than you’ve ever reached before because some things, not only have been settled, but some things are being settled – by Me!” says God. “And now the mantle will come! Get ready! Get ready! Get ready! For even in the next nine months – even as nine is the number of My Spirit – both of power and of life; both of charisma and of fruit. And even as nine is the number of pregnancy, so shall this thing be birthed. And there will be a mantle that comes upon. Watch and see, for in nine months, there will come forth a new liberty, and a new clarity. But within these nine months trust the place of pregnancy! Trust the place of headship! Trust the place of family! Trust the womb that will birth what I’m bringing forth. For what I’m bringing forth will not be disconnected from the continuity of that which I have desired, for it’s of inheritance!” says God. “It’s of inheritance! You will see that princes will rule for they will be a refuge from the wind, for these are those who have withstood the wind. They will be a shelter from the storm, for these are those who have stood fast through every storm. They will be water in a dry country, because these are those who have found water in a dry place! They will be shade from a parched land, for these are those who have not wilted in the day and in the heat.”

And God says, “This is the time – this is the time! Come under My mantle of grace!”

An ‘Israel’ Generation – (Audio Version)

I feel that this word is huge for a shift concerning the Body of Christ and that is why I felt compelled to share it in my blog today. We have been the Jacob generation that seeks God, but now God wants to lay hold of us as the ‘Israel’ generation of His name. These are the inheriting ones. It is key to know that a mantle of strategy and noble plans is coming on His inheriting Church. These are the ones who will rule in His character, nature, way, power, and authority. These are the ones who will rule in His name. They will not live constantly seeking to find the blessing of God, for they will know that in Christ they are the blessing of God. These princes will be a refuge from the wind, for these are those who have withstood the wind. They will be a shelter from the storm, for these are those who have stood fast through every storm. They will be water in a dry country, because these are those who have found water in a dry place! They will be shade from a parched land, for these are those who have not wilted in the day and in the heat. The plans and strategies of this ‘Israel’ generation will teach the children of the nations to stand in the midst of the winds of adversity and to become a strength by which generations can stand. They will disciple nations to endure the storms and to become shelters for their own children from every storm. They will show peoples how to find the water of life in the dry places and how to release water for the planting of the trees of generations. They will mentor families to find God as the One who empowers them in the heat of every day and those families will empower others also in God in the midst of the heat of every day. The rivers of the past have been the rivers of a Jacob generation. They have been rivers of blessings. But God is releasing now the rivers of planting. These are the rivers that make us become a blessing. These are the deep waters of inheritance that raise up every man and woman in the inheritance of Christ’s name. If you have an ear to hear, ‘Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church!’

Blessings to you all,

Ted J. Hanson, from his blog.

Ted Hanson is an apostle and prophet who has been pastoring in Bellingham, WA for many years. Recently, he has begun a transition "to establish an equipping and resource ministry that will serve the Body of Christ in the generations to come."

A shift in the force

I’m sensing a blending of two streams of thought within the body of Christ. Years ago when I first starting leading worship the Lord led us into a long season of spiritual warfare and the songs reflected that. There was a strong focus on deliverance ministry as well as healing…this was the time that Cleaning Stream was getting started. This was an awesome time of experiencing God’s power and it help me understand the proper concept of Luke 10:19.

Over the last few years the Lord has had me focus my sermons on His love, His goodness, that we are His beloved, and the ministry focus has been on restoration and healing, especially those that have been hurt by the “church” with an interesting focus on healing needed by women.

This has branched off into obtaining an understanding of new (to me) things and jumping into the wine of His presence, enjoying the wackiness of being intoxicated with His love, embracing my relationship with God as Abba Father and that He has nothing but good for me because He is LOVE! Some of the ministries that are clearly helping me understand that are John Crowder, Ben Dunn, Todd White, and others. To be honest …this is really, really good stuff and desperately needed because the church has to realign it focus back on God and not just a short meeting on Sunday mornings.

In the first season our focus was one facet of God…to the point that many in this type of ministry saw demons behind every rock and every problem that came their way.

In the current season we are still focusing on one facet of God, albeit a much better a needed focus because as I’m learning you can’t conduct spiritual warfare without knowing who you are in Christ and you can’t know that without knowing and embracing His love and goodness.

But now I feel that the Lord is bringing a balance to the force.

Paul clearly tells us that we are in a battle, that we wrestle (fight) not with flesh but with the spiritual enemy, that we are to use spiritual weapons of warfare…in other words we are at war regardless of how good God is. Now don’t jump to conclusion just yet.

We need the time in His presence, the time of refreshing, and the times of wackiness not only for ourselves and our relationship with Abba, but to leak on others as well. Bill Johnston describes it very well…you just go into some place and the presence of God just leaks out you on people nearby and they get healed and touched by God.

We also need to know that the spiritual enemy doesn’t care or respect the goodness and love of God…they see this as a weakness. Remember they were in the very presence of God for a long time until they rebelled and were kicked out of Heaven.

So what do I see happening? An understanding of who we are in Christ, the full awareness of the power of His love, ministering anytime anywhere with the goodness and love of God, but with a clear understanding that we often have to take it to the enemy and use the authority His has given us as sons and daughters of the Most High to set the captives free! So love the person – deal with the enemy.


Marty Best is a prophet and a prince from Shelton, WA.

The Potential Power of the Pacific Northwest

Recently, God dropped the Pacific Northwest (including Alaska) into my spirit. I began contemplating the numerous volcanoes that dot the mountain ranges there. Then it clicked. It was as if the Holy Spirit was showing me just a small glimpse into the dynamics of the Church in that region.

It would be easy to parallel the power held within a volcano as that meant for destruction, but I believe this is more in correlation with the potential of the power of God in individual churches, communities, and cities.

So when I mention volcanoes, I believe you could replace that word with any appropriate city, church, or even individual.

The Ring of Fire

The Pacific Northwest is part of a geological circle known as the Ring of Fire, where many active volcanoes are located. I believe this name to be prophetic nature for the region. The fire of the Holy Spirit is just awaiting to be loosed, much like Jeremiah prophesied that the Word of the Lord was like fire shut up in his bones (Jeremiah 20:9).

At one time, there was no doubt that these mountains were alive, releasing molten rock and changing the landscape around them. But now, years after their initial “eruptions,” these mountains lie dormant, or asleep, iced over and covered in snow; their mouths are now shut and closed off.

Rumbles of Revival

Even though these volcanoes may look asleep, they are very much alive on the inside. Once the pressure reaches a certain level, the mountain will then explode to action, shaking and quaking everything around it.

There have been major eruptions, or revivals if you will, in these mountains. Consider Mt. St. Helens and most recently Mt. Redoubt (whose name suggests another prophetic message all in itself). Let us not “doubt again” the power of the Holy Spirit and His capabilities in this region.

What Does This Mean?

Churches and individuals in the Pacific Northwest have great potential to move in the power of God in these days. It is time now to pray for visitation, just as God did with Mt. Sinai, whose mountain probably looked very much like a volcano. The clouds of glory and the flames of the Holy Spirit can manifest once again with signs and wonders following those who believe. There is such a hunger for the things of God, and this region is ripe for the harvest!

As everything that can be shaken will be shaken, it is a great opportunity for the Church in the Northwest to manifest in power and display the glory of the Lord in a new and powerful way.

Alan Coulter, Secrets of the Lord