Partnering with Jesus in the Night

During perhaps Jesus’ most vulnerable hour, Scripture describes in grave detail the anguish He faced within His own soul as He pursued his mission of crucifixion on the cross. It was now that He would begin to taste the bitter cup of sin in its entirety. Ironically, during this period a profound revelation would be unveiled to the believer. The fact that Jesus called upon His disciples to watch and pray for Him during His darkest hour is not only an anomaly, but also a sort of spiritual quandary. Why would the God-Man, Christ Jesus, the Anointed One task his disciples to watch and pray?  Could it be that the disciples were being invited beyond the veil to a place of divine access, a place Paul called, “The fellowship of His suffering? (Philippians 3:10, NASB).”  For one hour, the disciples were bidden into an assignment of a lifetime: to stand as strength and help to the Savior of the World.

As the days grow dimmer, the Church is faced with the same invitation. Will we stand with Christ during what is arguably the darkest hour in all human history? Will we tarry with Him one hour in the watches of the night to see that He receives the reward of His suffering? Are we able to contend for an outpouring of the Spirit’s power to break the power of bitterness and betrayal? Will it be said of us that at the hour of Bridegroom’s arrival and outpouring that we were wallowed asleep in our comforts?

Prayer: Father, we stand as your watchmen. You bid us to stand with You through Your Psalmist, “Behold, bless ye the LORD, all ye servants of the LORD, which by night stand in the house of the LORD, (Psalm 134:1 KJV).” Lord Jesus, strengthen us, we who are weak, to faithfully stand and minister in worship and intercession to You in the night. You are truly worthy of 1 hour of night.

Darrian Summerville, [M]Watch Director

Praying from the Father's Heart

Jesus, our ultimate example, said that he would only say those things He heard the Father saying (John 12:49-50) and only did what he saw the Father doing and “in like manner.” (John 5:19) As our nation is experiencing mounting racial tensions, lawless outbreaks and violence, where truly many are in fear and hopelessness, the enemy knows if we partner with a political spirit, we risk forfeiting our kingdom influence. As we embrace God’s Word and His definition of heavenly wisdom as the standard for our thoughts and attitudes, let it be said of us that the enemy could find nothing in us (John 14:30).

Let us be encouraged that our prayers are not just competing voices amid the chaos.  The decrees of cleansed hearts release the power of God to overturn the enemy’s plans and shift atmospheres over this nation.  Angels are performing His word as we stand in the gap.  Let’s lean into the heart of the Father and wield our effective, fervent prayers from hearts that are bowed low and imitate His posture.

Scripture: “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.  Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” James 3:17-18

Prayer: Lord, we ask that you search our hearts and cleanse by fire anything in us that would partner with a political spirit or lean on the wisdom of the world.  We ask for the wisdom from above and the revealing of your heart in and through us.  We bind fear, division and violence, and we release the powerful ministry of reconciliation over this nation and ask for the Shalom of God to come mightily in our land.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Hannah Savage, [M]Watch Senior Leadership Team

Your Position of Authority

We are in a great spiritual conflict for our nation, as well as in our personal lives. When the battle intensifies, what should we do? Pray harder? Fast longer? While intensity may need to increase, and more fasting becomes required, one thing is for sure: we must learn to rest in God. The battle against the enemy in Exodus 17 wasn't won until Moses kept his hands up.  We all know that part, but what else did he do? He sat down! True authority can only flow when you recognize that you are seated in the highest heaven in Christ.

We are not looking up at our enemy. We are looking down on our enemy.  And we are doing so from a seated position; a position of rest and victory. So be encouraged and cultivate the art of resting in Him.

Scripture: Exodus 17:12-13 "But Moses’ hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword."

Ephesians 2:6 "And raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,"

Prayer: Lord, we thank You that You love our nation. Continue to teach us how to pray more effectively for our nation and in all areas. We ask that You teach us how to rest in You. Teach us how to use our authority for Your intended purpose for our nation and our personal lives.  In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Paul Hamlett, [M]Watch Senior Leadership Team                                    

The Power of Remembrance in Intercession

“I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds.” Psalms 77:11-12

There is such a powerful theme of remembrance in Scripture. God instructed the Israelites to build family rhythms, feasts and celebrations around the stories of old. Rocks were stacked in memorial in significant places of history so that every time a father would pass by with his children, he could remind the next generation of what God had done and the torch they were meant to carry for the generation after them.

While we live in a time of significant opposition, when evil is called good and good evil, there is encouragement for us as intercessors in the living Word of God. When we study the Word of God in its entirety, we are reminded that nothing is new under the sun, that God never changes, and that He will and always shall respond to a people who fast and cry out to Him with their whole heart.

When a woman finds out she’s pregnant, she often shifts her nutrition and lifestyle to promote the health of her baby. We, like that pregnant woman, are carrying God-sized vision for our families, communities and nation. Let’s incubate these promises in the nurturing environment of testimony and believe God for the greatest outpouring we’ve ever seen in the months ahead.

Prayer: God, thank you for what you’ve already done. By Your grace, I set my heart to remember your deeds and my mouth to declare Your testimony. What you’ve done before, you’ll do again, and the latter rain will be greater than the former! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Hannah Savage, [M]Watch Senior Leadership Team

Shodding Our Feet with the Gospel of Peace

We are living in an hour where we are witnessing unprecedented civil unrest and violence in our nation. We must take hold of the armor of God like never before. One of the Church’s greatest weapons is perhaps the most underused. In Ephesians 6:15, Paul writes to the Church of Ephesus that it is to arm itself by shodding its feet with the “Gospel of Peace.” Friends, the Gospel truly cannot be underestimated. To combat the spiritual and natural forces that are fueling racism, fear and violence, communications within the body of Christ must spring from a place of peace. Our words, conversations and messaging should present a Gospel that is moved to action, offensive in nature, attacking the white noise of passivity and silence with proclamations of peace.  We must show empathy, compassion and love, while equally demonstrating an unwavering courage for righteousness, truth and justice in this hour.

Scripture: “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” (Ephesians 6:14-15, NIV).

Prayer: O Father, cleanse my speech and thoughts. I confess that I have held critical thoughts and conversations that were not plumb lined with Your Gospel. Father, I have contributed to the lawless condition of our nation. Father, we ask that you send the rains of Your Spirit that bring a cleansing and conviction to Your Church and to this nation. Your Word declares, “Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the sons of God” (Matt. 5:9, ESV). God, release Your sons in this hour, your “peacemakers.” 

Darrian Summerville, Director of [M]Watch

The Hiddenness, Humility and Honor of the Night Watch

One of the greatest challenges for those accepting their call to pray in the night is the rigorous physical and spiritual toll it can have on your heart and body. I’ve often thought of the night watch as being the “under-rower” in the kingdom. The word means servant, but the Greek translation is, hypērétēs which means, (hypó, “under” and ēressō, “to row”) – properly, a rower (a crewman on a boat), an “under-rower”.

The “under-rower” was an oarsman who served in the lowest level of a three-banked ship. These men were hidden from view. They were generally slaves who were chained to their post and often perished when ships sank. This word emphasizes service. While they never received recognition or honor for their position, their assignment was directly tied to the success or failure ship.

The Watchmen who prays in the night is much like the “under-rower” in that it’s role is vital for successfully shifting the spiritual atmosphere and climate over our cities. The night watch intercessor requires a diligent and spirited heart who is fit to bear the stigma of being unvalued, unrecognized and unrewarded in man’s eyes for their service. Yet, carry the assurance that God hears the sound of their cries - our cries - in the night. While this may be rare in this day and age, the Holy Spirit is raising a prayer force in the night that will contribute to the greatest breakthrough of deliverance in our nation.

Scripture: “A Song of Ascents. Behold, bless the LORD, all servants of the LORD, Who serve by night in the house of the LORD!” Psalm 134:1

Prayer: Oh Lord, You are my treasure and worth. In you, oh Lord, do I place my heart. When I’m tired, you are my strength.  Father, strengthen my feeble knees to continue to serve you in the night. In mundaneness, encounter our hearts with passion and life!

Darrian Summerville, Director of [M]Watch

Energized by Love

It’s no secret that this kingdom business we engage in requires faith. We’ve answered the call to move mountains in our families, communities and nation through intercession and the good works that spill out of our hidden contending. We lace our life with sacred disciplines, even watching in the night. We know we were born for such a time as this, and yet, in our humanity, we can get tired in our diligence.

I love the story of Jesus is Mark 6. He’d poured out His heart teaching the people, discipling His followers and then found out that His dear cousin John had been killed. Fully human, He needed space. He initiated a plan for some seclusion, only for the multitudes to find out where He was going and show up there. When Jesus saw the large crowd, “He felt compassion for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd.” When Jesus had every reason to be completely tapped out, He taught us that His mission – the very mission we’ve chosen to partner with – is fueled by love.

Galatians 5:6 says, “Faith works by love.” “Works by” here in the Greek means to be operative, to effect and to put forth power. It’s literally the root word of our English word “energy.”  God desires to energize us afresh. This is why it’s imperative that we stay undone by God’s unabashed love for us. As the love of God fills us, we are suddenly able to see through the Father’s eyes afresh. We are quick to petition, but I feel that our faith and prayer would be far more energized if we take a moment like Jesus to consider what’s at stake for souls hanging in the balance of our prayers. To take down our defense mechanisms because we live in an hour of information overload and allow our hearts to hurt with the hurting and be overwhelmed by the Father’s love for the lost. Here we become compelled just like Jesus with an energy source far beyond our limitations, for more powerful than the voice of doubt, and we can pray with joyful anticipation to see what our prayers have rendered for God’s glory on that final Great Day.

Father, give me a fresh revelation of Your great love for me. By faith, I exchange tiredness for the energy of Your lovingkindness. Fill me with that heavenly virtue that flows straight from Your heart, the very essence of Who You are, so that I can be an effective conduit of that love to a generation in darkness. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Hannah Savage, [M]Watch Senior Leadership Team

Dreams and Visions- The Intelligence of the Spirit

Many intercessors associated with TheCall have commented about the increase of dreams and visions in their lives after they begin to take up a more intentional lifestyle of prayer and fasting. There is a clear biblical precedent for this. One of the most significant accounts of the impact of prayer and fasting that produces vision can be found in Daniel Chapter 10. In this chapter Daniel is fasting and praying for three weeks. As he closes near the end of his fast an angel appears to him with knowledge concerning the dramatic events that will happen at the end of the age. Often special information is given through dreams that isn’t released otherwise. This is the result of consistent prayer and fasting. This intelligence proves to be extremely valuable when maneuvering across the spiritual landmines of the enemy. 

Every watchmen and intercessor has at their disposal an arsenal of dream ammunition that can foil the plots and plan of the enemy. Fasting and prayer is the key to unlocking this spiritual faucet of revelation. Many of you will pray for one hour and then return to sleep, but before you go back to sleep, ask the Holy Spirit to give you a dream that can help fuel your intercessions.

Scripture:  Daniel 10:2,“ In those days, I, Daniel, had been mourning for three entire weeks I did not eat any tasty food, nor did meat or wine enter my mouth, nor did I use any ointment at all until the entire three weeks were completed.”

 Prayer: Father, as we stand in the night, we’re asking you by Your Spirit to baptize us with a fresh grace for fasting and prayer. Father, we ask for the spirit of Daniel, a lifestyle of prayer and fasting. We ask for you for dreams and visions in Jesus' name.

Darrian Summerville, Director of [M]Watch