FROM an INTERCESSOR
Posted by: prophetic <prophetic@...>
personally, who has spent years and years praying and waiting on
the Lord. Intercession has been the hallmark of her Christian walk.
And yet, she is one who has recently told me what a "CHANGE
OF SEASON" she has been sensing in her spirit. A very interesting
article by her below:
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"From PLOWING to REAPING"
-A Word to Intercessors by E.F. (-USA).
1 Kings 19:19-21 (NLT):
"So Elijah went and found Elisha, son of Shaphat, plowing a field
with a team of oxen. There were eleven teams of oxen ahead of
him and he was plowing with the twelfth team. Elijah went over to
him and threw his cloak across his shoulders and walked away
again. Elisha left the oxen standing there, ran after Elijah, and
said to him, "First let me go and kiss my father and mother
goodbye, and then I will go with you!" Elijah replied, "Go on back!
But consider what I have done to you." Elisha then returned to his
oxen, killed them, and used the wood from the plow to build a fire
to roast their flesh. He passed around the meat to the other
plowmen, and they all ate. Then he went with Elijah as his assistant."
As I was reading this several weeks ago, the Holy Spirit began to
stir some new insights in my spirit. Firstly, Elisha, the one destined
to receive the double portion, was plowing when Elijah found him.
Many of us have likened our service of intercessory prayer to
plowing - preparing the way for the Lord. We have prayed and
waited, prayed and waited, and prayed again. We have prepared
by faith for a season to come. Many of our young people have
been destined for the double portion anointing, and we have been
praying for them, prophesying to them, and training them in the
trenches of intercessory prayer. We have seen them diligently
crying out for their generation in places like Kansas City, the
boiler rooms of 24/7 prayer, the Calls and the Cause, plowing as
Elisha did. Yet, when Elijah threw his mantle upon Elisha, the first
thing Elisha did was to run away from the plow!!
Elisha was the twelfth plow, with eleven others going before him.
He was following the lead of others, and his words to Elijah confirm
his regard for those who preceded him. Elisha's heart must have
leapt at the invitation to move forward with the very spirit and power
of Elijah! And if there was any hesitation in him, Elijah's admonition,
"Consider what I have done to you" must have sealed Elisha's resolve.
He would move with the purposes of God, and no turning back!
Elisha then does something curious: He slaughters the oxen, and
burns up his plow. This was a radical move, and put him past the
point of no return - he had cut the ties to his former occupation.
This has often been the case with men and women God has used
mightily; think of the disciples of Jesus just walking away from
their fishing boats and following Him. Think of missionaries like
CT Studd, who left a life of wealth and privilege to serve in the heart
of Africa. Think of your own life... These sacrifices (in Elisha's case,
a literal burnt offering) demonstrate our commitment to God, and
our resolve to obey.
The roasted ox-meat soon became a meal for all the plowmen.
Was it a form of witness that by participating in the eating of the
former thing, they came into agreement with what Elisha was doing,
even though it may have seemed sudden, radical, even revolutionary?
Many who have labored in the field of intercessory plowing are
sensing a stirring of the Lord that it is time to shift from plowing to
planting and reaping. There are fields that are prepared for the
sowing of the Word of God, and there are fields that are now ready
to be harvested. Isaiah 28:24-25 says; "Does a farmer ALWAYS
PLOW AND NEVER SOW? Is he FOREVER CULTIVATING the
soil and NEVER PLANTING IT?" The point of plowing is not just
to have a nice, smooth field. It is to prepare the soil to receive the
seed... The sower MUST go out and sow! If nothing of value is
planted in the soil, weed seeds will overtake the field.
There are some among us who have been laboring at the plow for a
long season. Some have removed many boulders of offense and
stones of stumbling through their faithful intercession. Some have
found rich soil in which to work, laden with the promises of God.
But some of us are so yoked to the plow that we have not noticed
the changing season, or falsely believe that the harvest we are
believing for will spontaneously spring up from the ground!
Romans 10:14 says, "How will they believe in Him whom THEY
HAVE NOT HEARD? And how will they HEAR WITHOUT A
PREACHER?" The seed of the Word MUST be sown! The gospel
of the kingdom MUST be preached to all nations! (Matt. 24:14).
This will not happen all by itself, for we who have received faith from
God must act on it! In James 2:14-26, we are instructed that faith
needs corresponding works to be complete. If we truly believe that
God wants to move in America, out in the world, amongst the
youth, etc, are we lining up what we do with what we believe? Are
we preaching in the streets, or supporting those who are? Are we
discipling young people? Are we healing the sick, in Jesus' Name,
proclaiming liberty to captives, the favorable year of the Lord, and
the day of vengeance of our God? Are we willing to give up the
thing with which we have become comfortable (the prayer closet)
and "GO INTO ALL THE WORLD and PREACH THE GOSPEL TO
ALL CREATION" (Mark16:15) ??? Are we, like Elisha, willing to
burn the plow?
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