INTERNATIONAL HOUSE OF PRAYER–KC   MIKE BICKLE

A.    In Mt. 24-25, Jesus taught on the End Times (Mt. 24:3-44) then applied it in 3 parables to those He called to leadership (Mt. 24:45- 25:30) before describing His final judgment (Mt. 25:31-46).  These two chapters are “one teaching” that is focused on preparing leaders for the End Times.
 
1.    Parable #1: Jesus’ delay is shorter than expected. The parable of the wise and evil servants in Mt. 24:45-51 describes two types of leaders in the Kingdom. The wicked leaders worked with wrong motives that abused their God-given blessing and authority. Jesus honored the wise and faithful leaders who worked with godly motives.
 
2.    Parable #2: Jesus’ delay is longer than expected. The parable of the wise and foolish virgins in Mt. 25:1-13 emphasizes the need to stay connected with the Spirit to cultivate intimacy with Jesus as our Bridegroom God. Some wise leaders with godly motives work with a wrong spirit that neglects to maintain their intimacy with God.
 
3.    Parable #3: Jesus’ delay is harder than expected. The parable of the faithful steward in Mt. 25:14-30 focuses on being faithful in our ministry assignment in the times it seems small and hard (Mt. 25:21, 24). The majority have a small ministry assignment. Those responding wrongly worked with the wrong evaluation that neglected their assignment.
 
B.    In the End Times the Spirit will emphasize three aspects of Jesus’ personality and ministry in being Bridegroom, King and Judge (Mt. 24-25, Rev. 19; Isa. 61-63; Ps. 45). As Bridegroom, we encounter His desire for us, as King, we encounter His power, and as Judge, His zeal to remove everything that hinders love. Jesus highlights these three aspects of His ministry in Mt. 24-25.
 
C.    In Mt. 24-25, Jesus was preparing the Church to walk in victory in the Tribulation. The Church is raptured at the end of the Tribulation. We are not absent from the Tribulation, but partner with Jesus to release it on the Antichrist through prayer as Moses released judgment on Pharaoh.  
 
29 Immediately after the Tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light…31 He will send His angels…and they will gather together (Rapture) His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. (Mt. 24:29-31)
 
D.    Jesus’ main exhortation to be prepared for the End Times is by watching or developing a heart connection with the Spirit. (Mt. 24:36, 42-44, 50; 25:13; Mk. 13:33-38; Lk 21:36; Rev. 16:15).
 
42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. (Mt. 24:42)

13 Watch…for you know neither the day nor hour…the Son of Man is coming. (Mt. 25:13)
 
E.    To watch is to have an attentive heart to what the Spirit is speaking to our lives and to be “anointed observers” to what He is doing in society with a response of prayer. Getting oil is actively connecting with God, not just being in isolation to “take down-time for myself”.
 
F.    We “watch” to receive strength from the Spirit in order to walk out the First Commandment. It is the place we are empowered to obey. Compare it to taking time to put fuel in your car instead of pushing it. It is presumptuous to seek to love God without being connected to the Spirit.
 
G.    In the first parable (Mt. 24:45-51), Jesus spoke of leaders who rule and feed His people. He described the good leaders as those who were both wise and faithful. In the next two parables, Jesus spoke specifically of what is involved in being wise (25:1-13) and faithful (25:14-30).
 
H.    In Mt. 24:37-41, Jesus taught that the nations will be unaware and unprepared, and prophesied of the great death toll by comparing it to Noah’s flood that took them “all” away in death (v. 39).
 
37 As the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking…until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. (Mt. 24:37-41)
 
I.    The disciples asked, “Where will these be taken?” They will be “taken in death” as indicated by them being in the place where the birds of prey (vultures or eagles) gather over their dead bodies.
 
36 Two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. 37 They answered and said to Him, "Where, Lord?" So He said to them, "Wherever the body (dead body NIV) is, there the eagles (vultures NAS/NIV) will be gathered." (Lk. 17:36-37)
 
J.    At the Armageddon Campaign, birds will eat the flesh of wicked men of war (Ezek. 39:17-20).
 
17 An angel…saying to the birds…, "Gather together…18 that you may eat…the flesh of mighty men…" 21 The rest were killed…the birds were filled with their flesh. (Rev. 19:17-21)
 
K.    Jesus prophesied again of the great End-Time death toll causing many to be offended at Him.
 
8 Power was given to them over ¼ of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger… (Rev. 6:8)
 
L.    To “watch” is to sustain a lifestyle of encountering Jesus. This is done best by praying over the Word with a spirit of faith and obedience. This is essential in hindering Satan from stealing our inheritance. Our primary inheritance is our heart connection with Jesus. Satan seeks to steal this part of one’s inheritance as the way to also take their inheritance in ministry, etc.
 
10 The thief (Satan) does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. (Jn. 10:10)
 
M.    In context to the coming worldwide revival and crisis, many will make wrong decisions because of fear of harm, deception by false prophets and offense at Jesus’ because of His judgments.
 
26 Men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of heaven will be shaken. (Luke 21:26)
 
N.    The primary exhortation that Jesus gave for our preparation in the End-Times is not to store up food or guns but to “watch” (Mt. 24:42-43; 25:13; Mk. 13:33-38; Lk 21:36; 1 Thes. 5:2-4, 6; Rev. 3:3; 16:15). To watch in light of End-Time calamities seems impractical to some, however, if we do this then we will receive instruction, strength and courage to face everything else.
 
O.    In Mt. 25:1-13, the second parable, Jesus’ repeats His exhortation for us to watch or develop a heart connection with the Spirit so that we are not fearful and offended by the End-Time events.
 
13 Watch…you know neither the day nor hour in which the Son of Man is coming. (Mt. 25:13)
 
P.    In the first parable (Mt. 24:45-51), Jesus spoke of leaders who rule and feed His people. He categorized them into wise and faithful leaders in contrast to evil ones. In the next two parables, Jesus spoke specifically of what is involved in being wise (25:1-13) and faithful (25:14-30).
 
45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food…? 46 Blessed is that servant…48 But if that evil servant says in his heart, “My master is delaying his coming…” 49 and begins to beat his fellow servants… (Mt. 24:45-49)
 

1 Then the Kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the Bridegroom. 2 Five of them were wise, and five were foolish. (Mt. 25:1-2)
 
A.    Virgins: All believers are as virgins before God because of Jesus’ righteousness (2 Cor. 5:17).
 
2 I betrothed you to one husband…I present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. (2 Cor. 11:2)
 
B.    Lamp: Each of these virgins had a lamp which spoke of a ministry that brought God’s light to others (Mt. 5:15-16; Rev. 1:20; 2:5; 11:3-6; Zech. 4:2; Is. 62:1; John 5:35).
 
C.    Bridegroom: All these ministries had revelation of Jesus as the Bridegroom God. These are ministries who went out to meet or who encountered Jesus as the Bridegroom God.
 
17 The Spirit and the Bride say, "Come!" (Rev. 22:17)
 
D.    Then: We ask, “When is then?” The word “then” points back to the end of the age theme just emphasized in Mt. 24. This is when the Kingdom functions like virgins meeting the Bridegroom.
 

2 Five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. (Mt. 25:2-4)
 
A.    The “oil” speaks of the presence of the Spirit touching our heart as we spend time with God (2 Cor 1:21; 1 Jn. 2:20, 27). The oil of the Holy Spirit touches our hearts in different ways:
 
1.    It tenderizes our heart enabling us to feel more of God’s desire for us.
 
2.    It enlarges our desire for Him by encountering His desire for us.
 
3.    It illuminates our understanding with revelation of God’s beauty.
 
4.    It imparts zeal for righteousness which helps us in our struggle with besetting sins.
 
B.    The foolish took their lamps (ministry), but took no oil. In other words, they pursued ministry as their first priority over getting oil in their relationship with Jesus.
 
C.    The wise ministries took oil in their vessels with their lamps. In other words, they pursued acquiring oil as their first priority before seeking to expand and network their ministry. Our relationship with Jesus is our most important “dream” not our ministry assignment. The Two Witnesses are “sons of oil” (Zech 4:14).

A.    The oil of the Holy Spirit touches our hearts in different ways. Oil was used as fuel for lamps, as a food, as a scented medicine for the body. Oil is a picture of the Holy Spirit's presence (2 Cor 1:21; 1 Jn. 2:20, 27) and especially of revelation (Zech 4:11-12). The Two Witnesses are referred to as the "anointed ones" or in Hebrew as the “sons of oil” (Zech 4:14).
 
B.    Oil was used to fuel lamps (Ex. 25:6; 27:20; 35:8, 14, 28; 39:37; Mt. 25:3-8; Lk. 12:35); as a food (Num. 11:8; Deut. 7:13; 14:23; 32:13; 1 Kg. 17:12, 14, 16; 2 Kg. 4:2, 6-7; 1 Chr. 12:40; 2 Chr. 2:10, 15; Ezra 3:7; Prov. 21:17; Jer 31:12; 41:8; Ezek. 16:13, 18-19; Hos. 2:5, 8, 22; Hag. 2:12; Lk. 16:6; Rev. 6:6; as a scented cosmetic on the body (Ex 25:6; Deut 28:40; Ruth 3:3; 2 Sam 12:20; 14:2; Est 2:12; Ps 23:5; 92:10; 104:15; 141:5; Prov 27:9, 16; Eccl 7:1; 9:8; Ezek 16:9; Mic 6:15; Lk. 7:46); as medicine (Ps. 104:15; 109:18; 141:5; 2 Chron. 28:15; Isa. 1:6; Jer. 8:22; Jn. 9:6; Mk. 6:13; Lk. 10:34; Jas 5:14; Rev 3:18); to consecrate God’s servants (Gen. 28:18; 35:14; Ex. 29:7, 21ff; Lev. 2:1ff; 8:12; Num. 4:9ff; 1 Sam. 10:1, 6; 16:1, 13-14; 2 Sam. 1:21; 1 Kg. 1:39; 2 Kg. 9:1, 3, 6; Ps 89:20; Isa. 61:1). Oil refers to supernatural joy (Isa. 61:3; Ps. 45:7; Heb. 1:9) and was a commodity used for financial payment (1 Kg. 5:11; Ezek. 27:17; Hos. 12:1; Luke 16:6; Rev 18:13).
 

5 While the Bridegroom delayed, they all slept. 6 At midnight a cry was heard: “Behold, the Bridegroom is coming, go out to meet Him.” 7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. (Mt. 25:5-7)
 
A.    At the midnight hour of history, forerunners will cry out with a 3-fold message to the nations.
 
B.    First, Jesus is coming refers to His manifest victory and judgment. Jesus will “come to us” by progressively releasing waves of revival that build and intensify until He comes in the sky.
 
C.    Second, Jesus is coming as a Bridegroom God with deep desire for relationship with us.
 
D.    Third, we must go out to meet Him or to make the necessary effort to position ourselves in worship, obedience, prayer and the Word with fasting to encounter Jesus.
 

5 While the Bridegroom delayed, they all slept. 6 At midnight a cry was heard: “Behold, the Bridegroom is coming, go out to meet Him.” 7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. (Mt. 25:5-7)
 
A.    They all slept and all trimmed their lamps. Sleeping in this parable is not bad. The wise and unwise both sleep (Mk. 4:27). This speaks of cultivating oil in context to the natural processes of life. We sustain intimacy with Jesus in the midst of the rigors of the routine and mundane of life.
 
B.    Sleeping can be symbolic of being spiritually asleep instead of awake and alert as in the parable of the watchful servant (Mk. 13:33-37; Rom. 13:11; Eph. 5:14; 1 Thes. 5:6-7; 1 Cor. 15:34).
 
35 Watch…for you do not know when the master of the house is coming--in the evening, at midnight…or in the morning-- 36 lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. (Mk. 13:33-37)
 
C.    Sleep sometimes simply signifies living in context to the natural order of life. The wise and unwise both sleep or participate in the necessary (Mt. 25:5; Mk. 4:27).
 

A.    The foolish ministries recognize their mistake in neglecting oil. They grieved over their lack of oil and their diminishing ministry. They made two statements: first, give us your oil and second, our ministry lamp is going out.
 
8 The foolish said to the wise, “Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.” 9 The wise answered, “No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.” (Mt. 25:8-9) 
 
1.    First, they understood that their ministry was going out because it was not fashioned to touch the cry in people for the deep things of Jesus’ heart. Many “ministry lamps” will go out because they will lack the spiritual vitality of the Spirit’s oil and will not able to feed the heart of God’s people in the coming time pressures.
 
2.    Second, they asked for oil from others without knowing that one's secret history in God cannot be given to another. Spiritual preparedness is not transferable.
 
B.    Many “ministry lamps” will go out because they will lack the spiritual vitality of the Spirit’s oil. They asked the wise to give them oil to “bolster” their ministries. The wise understood their limitation knowing that their spiritual history and spiritual preparedness is not transferrable. Therefore, they refused opportunities for increase that were not God’s best for their life in God.
 
C.    Jesus exhorts us to “buy oil” or to engage in the God-ordained process of acquiring intimacy with God. We do not earn this, but invest ourselves in a costly way to receive it.
 
18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich… (Rev. 3:18)
 
D.    We value our relationship with God enough to invest in it in a costly way as David did.
 
24 The king (David) said to Araunah, "…I will surely buy it from you for a price; nor will I offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God with that which costs me nothing." (2 Sam. 24:24)
 
E.    The wise said "No” because they understood their limitations and did not have the ability to give more without losing their oil. Some ministries have a “messiah complex” with an overestimation of their importance to the success of God’s Kingdom in their area. Other ministries are addicted to being popular so they cannot pass up an opportunity to network more or to appear available to everyone. Others are entrenched in the fear of man so they cannot turn people down.
 

10 While they went to buy, the Bridegroom came (progressive seasons of revival), and those who were ready went in with Him to the wedding; and the door (of opportunity for usefulness) was shut. 11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!' 12 "He answered, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.' (Mt. 25:10-12)
 
A.    This passage is not a warning about losing salvation. Jesus did not know or recognize them as those who engaged with Him as the Bridegroom. Jesus saying, I do not “know” you describes their lack of intimacy with Him, not their lack of salvation. He did not refer to them as evil (Mt. 24:48); wicked and lazy or cursed (Mt. 25:26, 41) nor that He never knew them (Mt. 7:23).
 
23 I will declare to them, “I never knew you; depart from Me…!” (Mt. 7:23)

48 But if that evil servant says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming,' (Mt. 24:48)

26 But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant… (Mt. 25:26)

41 Say to those…, “Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire…” (Mt. 25:41)
 
B.    Jesus wants to “know” us in relationship in context to His Bridegroom heart in our private life before He chooses to anoint us with that message on public platforms. The message of loving Jesus with all our heart is one that requires we experience in private before the ministry stage.
 
C.    The ancient Jewish custom of that day involved celebrating a wedding over the course of several nights (ideally 7 nights, for a wealthy family). Those who were closest to the couple to be married were invited on the first night and subsequently each of the following nights.
 
D.    As the Jewish wedding celebration continued over seven days with each evening highlighting something different, so also God is releasing different “waves of the Spirit” that are building up to the fullness of the end-time revival culminating at wedding supper of the Lamb (Rev. 19:7-9).
 
E.    Only those who were ready by being close to the Bridegroom went in to the celebration. This speaks of those who will be prepared to be powerfully used by God in the end-time revival. Only those who were ready went in to celebrate on the first night and therefore, the nights that followed. The others cried out, “Open to us!' – give us a place of usefulness in End Time revival.
 
F.    The foolish virgins said, 'Lord, open to us!' or open a door of opportunity of usefulness for us as you did for the wise virgins (2 Cor. 2:12; Col. 4:3; Rev. 3:8). Many will miss out on future opportunities to be used in their fullest way.
 
9 For a great and effective door has opened to me… (1 Cor. 16:9)
 
G.    Jesus’ advice in light of the great amount of work related to the End-Time revival is to watch or to “open our heart” to develop a heart connection with Jesus as the Bridegroom God. Many will miss future opportunities to be used in their fullest way. Jesus’ advice is to watch or to open our heart to develop intimacy with Him as the Bridegroom.
 
13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor hour in which the Son of Man is coming. (Mt. 25:13)
 
H.    We must be watchful in order to be ready and equipped to fully participate in each ‘night’ of the End-Times revival (wedding celebration). God is now preparing leaders for the future waves of the Spirit. He insists that only prepared vessels with spiritual reality lead each wave. In other words, a lifestyle of pursing ever-increasing ministry opportunities while neglecting intimacy leads to missing the fullness of anointed opportunities (doors of ministry shut).
 

A.    The most substantial way to acquire oil is by regularly feeding on God’s Word. This positions our heart before God to freely receive. These activities do not earn us God’s favor.
 
B.    God writes His Word on our heart as we live by it. We are to live by or be spiritually healthy in our heart by feeding on God’s Word which is  the holy transcript of His heart.
 
C.    NOTE: See end of this document to receive instruction on how to meditation on the Word
 
D.    Prayer, fasting, meditation on the Word, and obedience positions our heart before God to freely receive. These activities do not earn us God’s favor. Analogy: we put our cold heart before the bonfire of God’s presence by seeking Him in the Word in spirit and truth. God opens His Word to us progressively (little portions) and in accordance to the time we feed our spirit on His Word.
 
E.    We must fill our hearts with the Word as a lifestyle as well as use the Word in an intentional way during a time of temptation and/or oppression. We fill our heart for strength and then use the Word like bullets in a gun.
 
F.    It is essential that we have the ability to say “No” not so that we have more time for entertainment and recreation but so that we can seek the Lord diligently in the Word.
 
G.    Jesus only told the lukewarm saints to buy or to acquire in a costly way (Laodiceans and foolish virgins). On only three occasions had the Lord said in Scripture “to buy” in a spiritual way, to the foolish virgins (Mt. 25:9), to the Laodiceans (Rev. 3:18) and in Isa. 55:1-3
 

A.    The essential point in this parable is that the foolish virgins would needlessly miss out on the first night of the wedding celebration. The principle is that many ministries will also needlessly miss out on “part of the End-Time revival wedding celebratory activities”.
 
B.    In this parable the Lord came later than expected. God’s delay is longer than expected causing them to lose their watchfulness due to three giants that are common to all: mundaneness, pressure and temptations.
 
C.    Sincere ministries can still be spiritually superficial (v. 2-4). We can lose ground that we previously gained in our heart and/or ministry (v. 8). What we gain in God today (heart reality and ministry impact) is often lost tomorrow. Over the years, one may develop a larger ministry profile (they are more popular) yet their heart reality and true ministry impact is decidedly less than it was ten years previously. In this parable, all ten virgin ministries started off with oil and a shining ministry that brought light to others. Foolish ministries did not take time to sustain the ‘oil of intimacy’ in their hearts that they had for a season (verse 1). 
 
D.    There are some things that we "can't borrow" (v. 8–9). God’s ordained ‘kingdom order’ is that no one can acquire the ‘oil of intimacy’ for another. Spiritual preparedness is not transferable. This ‘kingdom order’ is based on Jesus’ zeal for our love.
 
E.    We "can be too late" and thus, miss significant opportunities in God that we cannot regain (v. 10). The ‘shut doors’ are opportunities in various seasons of the Spirit’s End-Time purpose. This is not the shutting of the door of salvation, but of our full involvement in the End-Time revival.

A.    Our spiritual inheritance includes God’s power touching our heart and mind in this life.
 
16 "This is the covenant (promise) that I will make with them… “I will put My laws (Word) into their hearts (emotions) and in their minds (understanding) I will write them…" (Heb. 10:16)
 
B.    Mind: God promises to release the spirit of revelation to our mind until we progressively gain living understanding of His Word. We are promised enough insight to succeed in the assignment that God has given us in this life. Heart: God promises to empower our emotions until we feel the power of His Word with new holy desires. God promises to write His Word on our heart and mind (2 Cor 3:3) as He wrote the ten commandments on tablets of stone (Ex. 31:18).
 
32 Did not our heart burn (with desire) within us…while He opened the Scriptures to us?…45 He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures. (Lk. 24:32, 45)
 
C.    God writes His Word on our heart as we live by it. We are to live by or be spiritually healthy in our heart by feeding on God’s Word which is  the holy transcript of His heart. Our heart lives and becomes strong and healthy by feeding on God’s Word in spirit and truth. The opposite is also true. Our heart dies and becomes weak and sick without feeding on God’s Word. The most substantial way in which we feed our spirit and bolster our spiritual strength is by feeding on God’s Word in spirit and truth (each applies this differently). Many are spiritually in the ICU with a sick heart and a diminished spiritual appetite. The “voice of the Spirit and the Word” is stronger than the “voice of sinful lust.”
 
4 He (Jesus) said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" (Mt. 4:4)
 
D.    Prayer, fasting, meditation on the Word, and obedience positions our heart before God to freely receive. These activities do not earn us God’s favor. Analogy: we put our cold heart before the bonfire of God’s presence by seeking Him in the Word in spirit and truth. God opens His Word to us progressively (little portions) and in accordance to the time we feed our spirit on His Word.
 

39 You search the Scriptures (Bible study), for in them you think you have…life; these are they which testify of Me. 40 You are not willing to come to Me (dialogue) that you may have life. (Jn. 5:39-40)

39 Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard (encountered) His word. (Lk. 10:39)
 
A.    It is not enough to study the Word, we must give our heart to God and receive from Him as we read it. Bible study must create an active dialogue in our heart with God. Scripture gives us the “conversational material” in our prayer life. It creates the language of our heart with God. Using the Word in our prayer language with God makes prayer easy and enjoyable. We must actually speak the Word back to God and against Satan’s attack on our lives. Many do not speak the Word back to God or against Satan (they only speak it to others). The power of God’s love touches us as we declare back it to God. We thank Him for the love that He declares over us.
 
B.    Two broad categories of truth related to pray-reading the Word (meditating on Scripture):
 
1.    Scriptures that focus on promises “to believe” in God’s Word. For example, use Scriptures that declare that God loves, forgives, leads, protects, or provides for us, etc.
 
2.    Scriptures that focus on exhorting us “to obey” God’s Word. For example, use Scriptures that command us to bridle our tongue, serve others and give time and money to God, etc.
 
C.    We actively dialogue with God by praying promises that we are “to believe” from His Word. Spiritual warfare: we speak these truths against Satan’s attack on our lives.
 
1.    First, we thank God for a particular truth. We turn these truths into simple declarations of thanksgiving or trust. For example, declare, “Thank you that You love me or have forgiven me. I trust that You will lead, provide and protect me.”
 
8 God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Rom. 5:8)

38 Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you." (Lk. 6:38)
 
2.    Second, we ask God to reveal (release) particular truths to us. Ask God to release a spirit of revelation (Eph. 1:17). For example, pray, “Father, reveal to me the certainty of Your provision, or how much You love me, forgive me, or how I have ravished Your heart.” Or, “Father, release Your promised guidance, provision, and protection, etc.”
 
D.    We actively dialogue with God by praying truths back to Him that exhort us “to obey” His Word. Spiritual warfare: we speak these truths against Satan’s attack on our lives.
 
1.    First, we commit ourselves to obey God in the specific way set forth in a biblical person or passage. Make simple declarations of your resolve to obey the Word or imitate the faith of the godly.
 
37 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart… (Mt. 22:37)

2 For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body. (Jas 3:2)
 
2.    For example declare:
 
a.    “I set my heart to love You and obey You with my speech, time and money, etc.”
 
b.    “I set my heart to love you like David or to endure hardship like Paul.”
 
c.    “I set my heart to pray like Daniel or do miracles like Paul in the Book of Acts.”
 
3.    Second, we ask God to empower us to obey a particular truth or to imitate godly examples of people in Scripture. Ask God for help to give you wisdom, motivation and power to obey in specific areas.
 
4.    For example pray:
 
a.    “Father help me to love You, to bridle my speech, or use my time and money in full obedience.”
 
b.    “Father, I resolve to love You more, give me power to love you like David
 
c.    “Father, lead me away from temptation” (Mt. 6:13), or “deliver me from the works of the evil one” (Jn. 17:15).
 
E.    Two ways to focus our mind in seeking God: God on His Throne (Rev. 4) and God in our spirit
 
14 …The love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all (2 Cor. 13:14, NAS)

38 Out of his heart (belly, KJV) will flow rivers of living water… (Jn. 7:38)
 
F.    Linger in God’s presence: in dialoging with God in the Word. Take time to linger as you speak slowly to God (include declaring your love and praise, praying with your spirit and being quiet).
 
G.    Journaling: take time to record thoughts and prayers as you “pray-read” through Scripture. This helps us capture the truths that the Spirit gives us and to grow in our prayer dialogue with God. The anointing of the Spirit in you is your best teacher. When you pray the Word in spirit and truth, you and the Spirit work together to provide you with a tailor made teaching in the Word.
 
27 The anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things… (1 Jn. 2:27)
 

A.    Jesus promises to reveal the Father’s personality to us as the way to impart love in us for God.
 
26 I (Jesus) have declared to them Your name (Father’s), and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them. (Jn. 17:26)
 
1.    Pray: “I thank You for Your commitment to declare (reveal) the Father’s heart to me, release more. 
 
2.    Pray: “I thank You for imparting Your love to my heart, please release more.
 
B.    God promises to show His power to those who are loyal to Him. Pray: “I thank You committing to show Yourself strong in me, release it. I set my heart to be loyal to the Spirit’s leadership in all that I do with my speech, eyes, actions, time and money. Help me to walk this out.”
 
9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. (2 Chr. 16:9)
 
C.    Jesus promises to manifest His presence to those who obey His commandments.
 
21 He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him… (Jn. 14:21)
 
1.    Pray: “I thank You for committing to manifest Your presence to my heart, release it more. I set my heart to keep (obey) Your Word in my speech, time, money, etc. Holy Spirit, help me to do this.”
 
2.    Note: the Father loves everyone in the sense of valuing, caring for and pursuing them. However, He only loves the lifestyle, choices, sacrifices and fruit of those who pursue 100-fold obedience.
 
D.    We are called to obey the Holy Spirit’s leadership in what we look at Pray: I set my heart to not look on anything that quenches the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit, help me to do this with consistency.
 
1 I have made a covenant with my eyes; why should I look upon a young woman? (Job 31:1)

3 I will set nothing wicked before my eyes… (Ps. 101:3)
 
E.    We are called to obey the Holy Spirit’s leadership in our speech. God promises that our whole body (our human passions) will be bridled as we obey the Spirit in our speech. Pray: “I set my heart to keep (obey) Your Word in my speech. Holy Spirit, help me to do this with consistency.”
 
3 Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips. (Ps. 141:3)

29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. 30 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit…. (Eph. 4:29-30)

2 If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body (human passions)…6. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell. (Jas 3:2-6)

14 Let the words of my mouth…meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight (Ps. 19:14)

14 Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may be blameless. (Phil. 2:14)

18 In everything give thanks…19 Do not quench the Spirit. (1 Thes. 5:18-19)
 
F.    God promises to save or deliver those who lay aside filthiness as they meditate on His Word. Pray: “I thank You for desiring to deliver my soul from filthiness in me, please release it. I set my heart to lay aside all filthiness and to implant your Word in my heart with meditation and meekness. Please help me to do this with consistency.”
 
21 Lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save (liberate, deliver) your souls. (Jas 1:21)
 
G.    God promised that we are a new creation based on giving us the gift of God’s righteousness. Pray: “I thank You and declaration my trust that you have given me the righteousness of God, please reveal it to me more by the spirit of revelation. I declare, that all things are new and the old things of my guilt has passed away in Your sight.”
 
If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new...21 For He (Father) made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Cor. 5:17-21)
 

A.    The principle is that the Holy Spirit hovers and waits to move in power wherever the Word is spoken by those in covenant with the Father.
 
2 The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. 3 Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. 4 And God saw the light, that it was good… (Gen. 1:2-4)
 
B.    Jesus creates, sustains and governs everything under the Father’s authority by speaking God’s Word (Heb. 1:3; Col. 1:17). Jesus was the One who spoke God’s Word to create in Gen. 1. We find the phrase “And God said” 10 times (vv 3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24, 26, 28, 29) along with “Let there be…” 8 times (vv 3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24, 26). We see the Spirit’s work in the phrase, “It was so” 7 times (vv 3, 7, 9, 11, 15, 24, 30) and “God made” 7 times (vv 4, 7, 12, 16, 21, 25, 27).
 
C.    Jesus gave us a model of how to do spiritual warfare as He spoke the Word in power to drive Satan back. When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, He used the Word to strike like a sword cutting into Satan’s domain. This was a clash of powers that sent Satan reeling into retreat. Satan had never confronted a Man saturated in God’s Word and moving in such authority (Mt. 4:3-11). When we speak the Word to Satan, then it strikes him as a sharp sword that injures his kingdom.
 
13 Take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day….17 take...the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God... (Eph. 6:13-17)
 
D.    We must fill our hearts with the Word as a lifestyle as well as use the Word in an intentional way during a time of temptation and/or oppression. We fill our heart for strength and then use the Word like bullets in a gun.