This prayer list is God’s as He directed it to be. It all started in March of 2006 when the Lord woke me up in the middle of the night and I heard Philippians 3:8 repeated over and over again. Ten minutes before the alarm went off, I was awakened and heard yet again, the same thing. I got up and read the verse, then decided that I needed more knowledge and would read the word more often.
Again, in late April of 2006, I was awakened and heard the Holy Spirit pray for the anointing of our church neighborhood and the anointing of the blessings of the beatitudes for every man, woman and child in the church. I didn’t even know you could pray such a thing. If it was important for the Lord to have me hear this, then I knew I needed to pray it. My prayers then started to change in that I was praying more for the spiritual needs of those in the church and for our pastors. I felt lead in all that I prayed As time went on, my prayers took on more depth and I prayed longer.
Then, February 28, 2007, I heard the Lord say to pick up pen and paper and write what He spoke. It said this:
A call to prayer for this country: Revival in the offices at all levels of government. The Lord will destroy the haughty, those who stand on pride and arrogance. Bow on bended knee this country whom I made great. Return to your foundations that the world might know I am the Lord. Stand firm with the Lord your God or see the destruction of that which was once the Lord’s.
When I read this over again, I was startled, a bit frightened and awed. Then I started praying for revival in all offices at all levels of government in my daily prayers. There was an immediate change in that I was having groanings from deep within that could not be stopped when I prayed for our country and church unless I stopped praying altogether. My husband thought I was in pain, but I had to explain that it was of the Spirit. Often I would also weep and feel a sorrow that I knew reflected some of what God must feel for this country and His church.
In July, of 2007, The Lord told me to e-mail my pastor the prayers that I prayed. A couple weeks later He told me to make a list of the prayers that I had e-mailed. In doing this He said that His Son’s time was short and that His church was not ready. He said that too many of His children love the church more than they love Him.
When I sent the list to my pastor, he said that he read it through carefully a couple of times and that it was good and very biblical. A couple of weeks later he said that I should get a website for the prayer list. I was honored by what he said, but put it off. By February 2008, I had been fervently praying and asking God what He would have me do with the list. I heard, "internet", and that was my confirmation.
Later as I was going through some papers, I found a written word that I had forgotten about. Approximately a week before the Lord had given me instruction to write His words regarding our country, He had given me another word in the same manner. It read:
Oh Lord, my God, my love, I give you my will. That you might mold me and make me a clay pot filled with salt. That I might serve and pour out over the land.
When I read this, I was amazed because it was then that I realized this was prophetic. The salt was the list and pouring over the land was the internet. I also realized how much He was molding me and giving me such a depth of understanding of not only the list, but of the great need in His church and our country. In giving my will, I was being obedient to Him.
The Lord has since said that His children will not understand the list fully until they start to pray it regularly for the church and for themselves. I'm still learning and understanding the fullness of what is in this list.
My pastor is now asking our church to include the list in their daily prayers. I’ve tried to add a few things to the list but I’ve had to remove them. The Lord has edited the list and it is truly His.
I cannot go into all the details of how this list came about. What I will say is that we serve a mighty and awesome God.
Starting in October of 2007, He had me reading Philippians for six months until I understood it. I now read Philippians 3:8 and understand how profound this verse is. It is the attitude that God wants each of His children to have in their hearts and to reflect in their lives. When you truly understand the list, then will you better know and understand this verse. It has become my favorite verse.
Philippians 3:8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ. (NKJV)
I pray that each of you will be truly blessed. My name is Mary, I'm a homemaker and I live in Portland, OR. with my husband.