Watch and Pray

Watch and Pray depicts the vigilant prophetic intercessor being alerted to things in the spiritual realm that they might be addressed in prayer, and all the while, Christ reigns supreme.

• Matthew 26:41 (VOICE) Now maybe you’re learning: the spirit is willing, but the body is weak. Watch and pray and take care that you are not pulled down during a time of testing.
• Matthew 6:9-10 (TPT) Pray like this: ‘Our Father, dwelling in the heavenly realms, may the glory of your name be the center on which our lives turn. Manifest your kingdom realm, and cause your every purpose to be fulfilled on earth, just as it is fulfilled in heaven.

As this piece was created, Papa was showing an eagle (representing someone with a high level prophetic gifting) looking over the land. Things in the spiritual were clearly visible to the eagle. I began to understand that Papa was making those things visible for the purpose of intercession. He’s increasing the level of anointing. You’re called to be a prophetic intercessor. There will be things you see, and you’ll be tempted to “do” something in the natural, but He’s reminding you to wait – remember your call first and foremost is to pray. Come into agreement with His heart in every situation He brings to your attention. Then wait on Him for His direction on what is next. Refuse to feel pressured or rushed. Continuing to fly—with your eyes alert and seeing—and then pray and wait. This is your call. 

I hear Him reminding you that simply praying is not “doing nothing.” Though we tend to be more in tune with the natural realm, we must remember the spiritual realm supersedes it, for it is everlasting. So continue to hone your spiritual senses, and trust your innate ability to “see” things, for that is truly a gift. Use it wisely and persist in prayer.

A Prophetic Nugget from “Daily Downloads from Heaven” by Meghan Williams is connected to this. It’s called “Be Vigilant.”

Matthew 26:41 (ASV) Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Beloved, stay alert. Keep your spiritual eyes open and attentive. Then allow My Spirit to move you based on what you’ve seen, that you might know how to pray. Resist the urge to rely on your natural senses, for they are limited and create bias. 

Instead be vigilant in the spirit – be open to what you’re “seeing” and sensing. Then pray. For, beloved, I have called you to a lifestyle of prayer. So be intentional to continually stay in communion with Me as you bring petitions before My throne.

Another Prophetic Nugget from “Daily Downloads from Heaven” by Meghan Williams is connected to this. It’s called “I AM Always Listening.”

1 Thessalonians 5:17 (KJV) Pray without ceasing.

Beloved, stay in ongoing dialogue with Me – all day, every day. Lift each need you see before Me as we talk throughout the day. It doesn’t have to be long, simply be consistent and be constant. I AM always listening. 

Remember that I AM the power. I don’t listen more carefully if your words happen to be more eloquent. I simply desire heartfelt, ongoing communication with you. So share what’s on your heart, and listen as I share what’s on Mine. 

A Meditation of the Word called “The Key is to Ask” from Elisa Eaton of Waiting in the Wings is connected to this.

Jeremiah 33:3 (AMP) ‘Call to Me and I will answer you, and tell you [and even show you] great and mighty things, [things which have been confined and hidden], which you do not know and understand and cannot distinguish.’

For several years, I have been learning how important it is for us to ask questions in our daily walk with God. Persistently inquiring of God about Scripture, its mysteries, or my prophetic encounters with Him has been like a key that opens the double doors of revelation. While God desires that His children would inquire of Him so that we will learn more, we may not realize that the release of His Kingdom is actually dependent upon it.

One night, during a church worship service, in the Spirit I saw a lock hovering in the sanctuary, over the platform of the worship team. The Lord told me to use my key. I knew from a similar experience in the past that my key was to “ask, seek, and knock.” Specifically, I felt the Spirit prompting me to ask Him for more revelation regarding the anointing of the Seven Spirits of God that had been coming up on my spiritual radar for the last few years. So, I asked Him for more revelation about it, though I knew this would be the beginning of a process. Instantly, I saw the lock open and a flood of rainbow paint flowed out. In my prophetic language, paint can represent anointing.

A few minutes later, the Father brought to mind the story of the Azuza Street revival. I remembered that the revival began because a small group of people were personally seeking God for the manifestation of His Kingdom. In fact, I remembered seeing a similar theme in other stories about revival. These individuals were asking questions; they wanted to know why the Church wasn’t flowing in certain manifestations of the Spirit as it did in the First Century. They weren’t pressing in because they were expecting a large revival or wanting to grow a church—they personally weren’t content with the state of the Church as is and the answers they had been given about it. Yet because a small group of pioneers in the Spirit were brave enough to seek God for more, the release of the Kingdom of Heaven to them eventually led to the Azuza Street Revival. The questions this one small group had impacted millions of lives and the Church as we know it today.

That night, God widened the scope of His lesson to me about “asking, seeking, and knocking.” I realized that whether or not the Kingdom comes to earth and how much of it we experience is entirely up to us! We are gatekeepers on the earth, poised to open the door to the King of Glory into our homes, cities, and nations. The release of the Kingdom comes from our fervent pioneering prayers and inquiries, and by having hearts that will not rest until Heaven answers with a heavy rain of God’s Spirit.

Matthew 16:19 (TPT) I will give you the keys of heaven’s kingdom realm to forbid on earth that which is forbidden in heaven, and to release on earth that which is released in heaven.”

A testimony called “As it is in Heaven” from Elisa Eaton of Waiting in the Wings is connected to this.

I remember when the Father dramatically changed the way I approached prophetic intercession. I had a friend who would often share prayer requests with me. Because I’m an intercessor, she knew I would always be willing to stop and pray. One day, she sent me a prayer request for a friend of hers. I had barely uttered a word of my prayer when the Father suddenly downloaded a lengthy vision to me. I sensed it was for her friend, so I wrote down the vision along with the revelation, which came as I wrote. 

The same scenario happened about two more times in the span of a week or so, when the Father finally said to me, “You know, when you pray, you can ask me for revelation about the matter, right?” In my spirit, I suddenly saw things so clearly. So often, I approached prayer from the perspective of the one requesting it. I would automatically pray in agreement or struggle to find the words myself. I also prayed not expecting that the Father would want to have a dialogue about it. But that string of divine “interruptions” taught me that, when we go into the secret place, we are going directly before our King. He not only hears our petitions, but He always has something to say about each earthly matter we face.

Since that time, I have never prayed the same way. When someone passes along a prayer request, I go into the secret place intent on finding out what Heaven has to say about the matter first. As Romans 8:26 tells us, we don’t truly know what to pray for. So, I have learned to seek the Father’s will for each prayer request. I will either pray forth what He is shows me or I will share it with that person if He so desires. 

The Father has shown me that prophetic intercession is about praying from our positions in heavenly places. It truly removes each burden off our shoulders and places it before the One who already has the answers. Through prophetic insight, we can pave the way for the Father’s will to be done “on earth as it is in heaven.” 

Matthew 6:9-10 (TPT) Pray like this: ‘Our Father, dwelling in the heavenly realms, may the glory of your name be the center on which our lives turn. Manifest your kingdom realm, and cause your every purpose to be fulfilled on earth, just as it is fulfilled in heaven.

Matthew 16:19 (VOICE) Peter, I give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

A series of three Prophetic Nugget from “Daily Downloads from Heaven” by Meghan Williams is connected to this. These are based on Matthew 6:9-13. In the King James Version it reads, “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.”

The first Prophetic Nugget of this series is called “Called to Pray.”

Matthew 6:9 (KJV) After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

Beloved, you are called to pray. And the format for doing so has been made clear in My Word. Speak to Me from your heart, in humble reverence remembering who I AM and the magnitude of My authority. Beloved, I reign over all. I AM sovereign. 

Call to Me and I will answer – as I’ve promised. It won’t always be the way that you want or the answer you’re hoping for, but you can rest assured I do not neglect My children nor turn a deaf ear to their petitions. So be intentional to pray to Me, and do so from a heart of steadfast devotion. Share your heart with Me and trust it in My hands, for I AM worthy and able, and you are Mine. 

The second Prophetic Nugget of this series is called “Ask Me to Align Earth with Heaven.”

Matthew 6:10 (KJV) Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

Beloved, ask for Me to align earth with heaven. Ask for My will to be done. Doing so demonstrates a trust in My will and My plans. Doing so yields control to Me rather than attempting to steer things according to your limited view. Trust Me. 

I desire for the supernatural to be natural in your life. I desire to see My people moving in My power under My authority. Ask for My power to come and be made manifest in the earth. Don’t be afraid to ask for the impossible because with Me nothing is impossible, but trust Me to do what is best.

The third Prophetic Nugget of this series is called “Adon Olam (Master of the World/Sovereign of the Universe).”

Matthew 6:13 (KJV) …For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Beloved, see Me for who I AM: Lord of all, Adon Olam – the Master of the World, Sovereign of the Universe – and I AM the ultimate authority. See Me as I AM, for in doing so your faith will rise. And allow that faith to increase your understanding that truly nothing is too difficult for Me.

So declare the truth of who I AM and bring praise to My holy name. Give honor to Me, beloved, and watch how I move. See My power on display. Have eyes to see the miracles both great and small. I AM able to do abundantly above all you can ask or think, for I AM God.

A portion of a post by Meghan Williams from MeghanW.com is connected to this. It’s called “Prayer Burdens and Burden Bearing, an Intercessor’s Call.”

Intercessors tend to be sensitive people. We tend to be very empathetic (thus the term Christian Empath) – constantly feeling things for others – and God wired us that way so we’re able to pick up on the things He wants to prompt us to pray over. But this same sensitivity can create confusion and even depression if you don’t understand it or know that it’s happening. 

Burden bearing is a term that is used by intercessors to describe the sensation we often have when we’re being prompted to pray. If you don’t have a framework for understanding this concept, it can feel a little like your emotions are going haywire. I found for myself and others that simply putting a name to it and acknowledging that it’s happening can be a huge relief – even a paradigm shift – for the one experiencing it. 

What is a Prayer Burden and Burden Bearing

In the same way you might squeeze someone’s arm to get their attention, God will sometimes lay a “burden” on you to prompt you to pray. I find what this looks like can be as individual as each of us are, but the common theme is it will be noticeable (because it’s intended to get our attention).  

For me, I will often find myself experiencing emotions that have no relevance on my current situation or mood. Often these are prayer burdens and they will lift once addressed. But if I don’t know to address them or what they are, they can be the cause of confusion, frustration, and even depression. 

Sometimes I will have an ongoing burden for a person or situation, but I find the “weight” of the burden will fluctuate based on the urgency of prayer need at any given moment. In the same way as when you are ballroom dancing and the one leading will apply increased pressure to give direction, so God will increase and decrease the prayer burden to indicate what He wants you to do. 

I think of burden bearing as the act of carrying a prayer burden. So if you are sensing a prayer burden, ongoing or one-time, that is burden bearing. 

How-to Recognize a Prayer Burden

Recognizing a prayer burden is like developing a language of sorts in the sense that you learn how to communicate effectively over time with the Father (which is the same as with every area of your walk with Him). There are two key things I look for and listen for: anomalies and patterns. 

I look for anomalies in my feelings and emotions. An example might be that I’m having a wonderful and productive day when suddenly I’m hit with a wave of fear. Since nothing in my current situation or mood caused it, it would likely get my attention quickly…

I also listen for patterns when I’m talking with others in the body especially those I know are intercessors. So for example, if everyone seems to be experiencing waves of “funk” and the description of it sounds similar, there’s likely something in the Body of Christ that we intercessors need to band together and pray through. 

A Pitfall to Avoid 

Note the key here is communication; communication with God and each other. As intercessors we often can feel isolated, frequently we’ve been misunderstood by people and likely felt judged by them which often results in us keeping things to ourselves. In doing so, we make the burdens heavier. 

We need each other. We need the reminder we are not crazy. We need the prayerful support. We function better and in a more healthy way when we come together and talk about how intercession happens in our life and how it effects us. It’s also how we learn which allows God to increase the gifting in us. 

I encourage you to resist the urge to retreat. Because we’ve often been judged (and since we’re sensitive in the first place) it is easy for us to retreat to avoid judgement. As an intercessor it’s also easy to become focused on the things we’re pushing through and on protecting ourselves from outside criticism in our execution of our gift. 

I know this is a bit of a sidebar, but this is important. Don’t let yourself be isolated. It makes you too easy for the enemy to target you. Connect to other intercessors or at least with people who don’t judge your gifting and how it flows. 

How-to Press Through the Burden

Once you’ve identified a prayer burden, you also need to know what to do with it. Let’s start by remembering God is the power. This is important to remember because it isn’t about how much or how long you pray, it’s about obedience to what He is asking for and then trusting His power and authority to do the work. 

Sometimes simply saying “yes God” and coming into agreement with Him in your heart is enough for the prayer burden to lift. Sometimes He is asking you to press in more. Sometimes He wants you to rally the troops, gathering other intercessors together to address the burden corporately. Whatever it is, trust His Holy Spirit to lead you. 

Don’t be put off if what He’s asking for seems “silly” or doesn’t make sense. He uses the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, so just obey. If He asks you to blow a shofar over a building, just do it. If He asks you to shout “freedom” over a person, just do it. These prophetic acts often accompany intercession (though they don’t have to), so don’t allow yourself to be derailed or frustrated by them or how you feel doing them. We often don’t understand what our natural actions are doing in the spiritual realm, and that’s ok…

So logically when you sense a prayer burden, put out your spiritual feelers. Ask Papa God what or who you’re supposed to be praying over and what that should look like. Then do what He says. Nothing more, nothing less. 

In Conclusion 

Intercession is a strange and wonderful gifting. It allows us the benefit of deep intimacy with the Lord. He shares secrets with us to pray over. And we need to honor that sacred trust both by holding close what He shares in confidence and by meticulously obeying. As we cultivate relationships with other intercessors, we will find a deeper understanding of our own gifts. What an honor and privilege it is to burden bear. Like an expectant mother, carrying to term and rejoicing in the fruit of her labor, allow the fullness of each burden to take its course and rejoice in the outcome…

A final Prophetic Nugget from “Daily Downloads from Heaven” by Meghan Williams is connected to this. It’s called “Yielded Vessel.”

Matthew 26:41 (AMP) Keep actively watching and praying that you may not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”

Beloved, refuse to allow weakness, distraction, or apathy to keep you from responding to My Spirit’s direction. Knowing that you are susceptible to distraction, be all the more alert for My gentle direction. 

Regardless of the weakness of your flesh, those whose hearts are fixed on Me have willing spirits; therefore, you are more than able to stay ready to respond to My leading. So move past your acknowledgment of weakness, and rather focus on the strength that comes from Me. Then yield, and allow Me to move mightily through My yielded vessel.

And we pray…

Father, thank You for the blessing of this call. Thank You that You choose to share your heart with those who listen, and you trust us to carry those prayer burdens with You. What a blessing! Help us to lean not on our own understanding, but rather on the leading of Your Spirit. We trust You. All glory and honor be unto Your name.