"Raise the Dead" (Mt. 10.8) 4-16-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I believe You have called me to arise and pray through the watch of the night for my friend Stanley, in agreement with my friend Sandra. By sight, his earthly life was taken last night; by faith, yet will he live. Holy Spirit of the Living God, release Your Word through the spirit of those who stand in agreement with Life and rebuke Death in this hour, to the glory of our Father in heaven. ... Lord Jesus, You have "all authority in heaven and on earth" (Matthew 28.18). We thank You for rebuking and overcoming and destroying "the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil" in the lives of those who are under siege to keep them from fulfilling their destiny on earth (Hebrews 2.14). We agree with You and the power of Your Word being released in the spirit, soul, and body of my friend and each of these. You came that we "may have life, and have it abundantly;" it is "the thief who comes only to steal and kill and destroy" (John 10.10). Teach us how to fight in the power of Your might for the lives of those we love, rather than passively sitting back and wishing the enemy of our souls would go away or at least steal away our loved ones with as little pain as possible. Forgive us for the sins of passivity, prayerlessness, faithlessness, and disobedience to Your commands. Death is our enemy and not our friend; and You have defeated our enemy in the victory of the cross (1 Corinthians 15.26). Teach us how to enforce that victory in agreement with Your Word and in the power of Your Spirit. The same Spirit Who raised Jesus Christ from the dead dwells in us (Romans 8.11). Let us believe it true and pray like it is true, because it is. Then we will begin to see our Father's Kingdom come and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven. You sent forth Your first disciples in Your power and authority to overcome the enemy of our souls, who claims to hold power over death and the process of death through sickness and disease. And so You continue to send forth Your disciples today in that same power and authority, commanding and commissioning us: "As you go, proclaim the good news, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give" (Matthew 10.7-8). "As the Father has sent Me, so I send you" (John 20.21). Unless we begin to take the authority You have given us and pray the prayers You have commanded us to pray, we will never see these promises come to pass. We have not because we ask not (James 4.2). Yet You have already told us Your will, proclaiming "the one who believes in Me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these" (John 14.12). Today, we ask. Today, we take the authority You have given us in the power of Your name and by the blood of Your sacrifice. We receive the keys of the kingdom of heaven You have placed in the hands of Your church (Matthew 16.18-19). We bind death and we loose life into every cell in Stanley's body. We agree with You as You rebuke the destroyer and command him under Your feet and ours (Romans 16.20). Father, You are looking for those who would "stand the gap" between Your perfect will in heaven and our current circumstances on earth, that Your kingdom may come on earth as it is in heaven (Ezekiel 22.30; Isaiah 59.16). In Christ, You have come to stand in the gap and repair the breach. You call us to stand in Christ as Christ stands in us (Colossians 1.27). Lord Jesus, You ever live to intercede for us (Hebrews 7.25); and Your Holy Spirit intercedes through us, as Your body on earth, according to perfect will of our Father in heaven (Romans 8.26-27). By Your grace and in Your power, we stand in the gap with Stanley and for him, in praying this Psalm of David on his behalf and on behalf of all those You are laying on our hearts right now and in the future battles to come: "Hear my prayer, O Lord; give ear to my supplications in your faithfulness; answer me in Your righteousness. ... For the enemy has pursued me, crushing my life to the ground, making me sit in darkness like those long dead. Therefore my spirit faints within me; my heart within me is appalled. ... Answer me quickly, O Lord; my spirit fails. Do not hide Your face from me, or I shall be like those who go down to the Pit. Let me hear Your steadfast love in the morning, for in You I put my trust. ... For Your name's sake, O Lord, preserve my life. In Your righteousness bring me out of trouble. In Your steadfast love cut off my enemies, and destroy all my adversaries, for I am Your servant" (Psalm 143). In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth Who came in the flesh; Who was crucified, dead, and buried; Who was raised from the dead and ascended into heaven; we declare "Arise, Stanley, Arise! We proclaim Death is defeated. We fight for your life in the name and the power of the cross, the blood, and the resurrection of Jesus. Come out of the grip of death and fulfill your destiny on earth. Life, and not Death, will have the final say of the number of your days -- in the name of Jesus, Who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life." Lord, we ask this and receive this, in thanksgiving and praise. We magnify this prayer out over all those You are laying on our hearts now and in the future, in agreement with You and with one another. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!