Prayer
We are living in a time when God raises up powerful intercessors, righteous people who know how to stand in the gap, knowing who they are in God's kingdom rather than begging Him. They will change the atmosphere as they pray. However, it wasn't the power of those words of prayer that really prompted me to think about the matter of prayer today. It hit home for me when I read Psalm 33, which I think is from David. He knew who the God of Israel was, which is why his prayer or worship was powerful—not because his words were strong.
But his intimacy manifested through his prayer and worship was utterly revelatory and was like a sweet fragrance that honored God. He was a powerful king and warrior who had already made everything meaningless in comparison to the nature of the God of Israel, as you can see when you read Psalm 33.
No king is saved by the multitude of an army;
A mighty man is not delivered by great strength.
A horse is a vain hope for safety;
Neither shall it deliver any by its great strength. Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him.
On those who hope in His mercy
David's psalms and worship were absolutely revelatory, yet he was not a strong prayer leader because he could declare or decree in a powerful way. His worship revealed God's nature and heart, and as a result, God moved on behalf of a whole nation, leading them to triumph. David was not perfect, but he was after God's heart. He built altars for the true living God in nearly everything he did for Israel during a corrupt generation that rejected God as their king and desired a ruler like those of other nations. Throughout his life, he surrendered to the God of Israel, revealing the heart of God. As I'm reading through his psalms to understand about the hardships he endured as a result of his relationship with God and his obedience to his will.
But don't get me wrong; as the Holy Spirit leads, there is time to declare or decree. There is time to take authority and stand in your position and pray that his kingdom come and his will be done as it is in heaven. But when you follow the life of Christ while receiving your priestly garment, there is a kind of prayer or worship that leads to triumph and changes a whole nation or generation. And this isn't in front of men or on stage. But when no one was looking, David killed his lion or bear in his secrets, and then when an entire nation with her king was challenged, So David's ascent was not based on his powerful words or his great influence, but rather on his knowledge of the God of Israel; his desire and love for God's presence brought pleasure to God, and God was with him, bringing great victory to a whole nation through him.
