A Vision for MV Intercessors

As I was in prayer in the Spirit this week for the intercessors of MV, I began to have a picture of the army of God.

I began to interpret also what I was speaking in other tongues—tongues that I did not recognize as familiar syllables within my “normal” tongues.

I saw a vast army before me, surrounded by darkness. This army was enthusiastic and cheering and shouting, getting ready for battle.

But I noticed that some of the larger weapons of the army were just wooden swords, which the owners were brandishing over their heads as if they were the real thing, because that was all they had had to practice with.

But now it was time to go into the battle, and the scene shifted. The Lord of Hosts, the Lamb of God dressed in red, was riding at the head of this army. He was not like an earthly king, who would have been riding at the rear where he was protected by his army. Instead He was leading from the very front of the army, on the leading edge of battle.

A sword of the Spirit came out from His mouth, and with it He mowed down the enemy. Not a one could withstand this sword. He said that He wanted to replace all the wooden swords in His army with the same kind of powerful sword that proceeded from His mouth. He said that He wanted to give each person in His army a share in the battle, giving them the privilege of sharing the spoils of victory with Him.

By this I understood that He could have defeated all the enemy alone, but preferred to make this a joint victory with the members of His army.

What does this mean?

Are we just “playing” at spiritual warfare now? Are we doing the best we can with what we’ve got, but we aren’t doing the real thing yet? Do we have zeal but lack real power in our prayer?

If so, all that is about to change. Because the Lord of Hosts, the Lord Sabaoth, is coming to lead this army from the front, to lead us into a battle wherein the enemy will be like trampled grass under us. We will flatten the enemy, and none will be standing.

And this is the right position for the enemies of God, because the Father has put all the Son’s enemies under His feet. (Acts 2:34, Rom. 16:20)

I believe that the picture of the army practicing with the wooden swords could represent our receiving a good teaching on spiritual warfare but not effectively utilizing that teaching—not operating in the anointing or the manifested authority to fight the real battles.

The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God. It is God the Son who wants to replace what we’ve been “practicing” with, giving us the real thing.

I believe that this replacement of weaponry is coming as a sovereign act of God, as the times of His plans and purposes require the kind of warfare that completely destroys the enemy. It is the manifestation of endtime warfare. This will not be a skirmish or a temporary kind of victory. It will be part of the execution of the judgments of God on the enemies of God.

In this we are not fighting flesh and blood, but rather the army of the kingdom of darkness. By doing so, we bring the light of Heaven and extend that light into the earth.

This year of 2004 has been described by some of the prophetic voices in the Body of Christ as a year of “fulfillment.” I recently listened to a message that Kenneth Copeland gave last New Year’s Eve concerning this year of 2004. He began to prophesy that this would be a year when ministries and callings would be “fulfilled”—where we would begin to walk in the fullness of what we’ve been called to do, and to be “filled full” so that in 2005 we would be “spilling over” onto those around us. (Yes, Lord, do it!!)

Some of you who are acquainted with the prophetic ministry of Patricia King might be aware that for this current year the Lord gave her the scripture “Psalm 20:4”, which reads,

May He grant you your heart’s desire,
And fulfill all your counsel [or purpose]!

All those things that have been prophesied over you and all those promises in the written Word of God that the Holy Spirit has been directing to your heart—this is a year for the fulfillment of those words!

And for intercessors, that would mean taking our God-given places in the army of God and effectively wielding the weapons He gave us in His Word—including the powerful Sword of the Spirit.

I believe that up to now very few of us have used this sword in the capacity for which it was given to us. And a lot of that has to do with the fact that our characters have not been transformed to the point where God could entrust us with that tremendous power, even though legally He has given it to us in His Word.

It’s kind of like having a teenager in your household (I have one now!). This child knows that someday he will be old enough to drive the family car. So he begs for driving lessons and to get his license. And he passes the driving test.

But until that child is sufficiently mature in his character and experience, his parents are foolish to entrust the family car to him. His explosive anger, for example, would make him a hazard to himself and other drivers. His impatience manifesting through his driving could lead to a series of fender benders, when combined with poor judgment and lack of experience.

So it is with the weapons of our warfare. Do you remember in the gospels when the disciples of Yeshua ask Him whether He wanted them to call down fire upon some men whom they saw as a rival ministry? Yeshua did not answer them by saying that they lacked the power to do this. Instead He rebuked them for being of the wrong “spirit” in this—having a character that is not lined up with God’s purpose.

So now, if Yeshua is going to replace our wooden swords with the real thing, doesn’t this mean that our words will be anointed with power, greater than ever? Then it behooves us to watch what we say, to ask the Lord for a guard upon our mouths.

For out of the same mouth that we loose the sword of the Spirit against the enemy, we are also capable of cutting down our fellow believers. An army divided against itself will not stand. It will not be capable of mowing down its enemy.

Indeed it behooves us to continue to pursue character transformation (Rom 12:1-2) more than ever.

And how will Yeshua go about replacing our wooden swords? Do we as MV intercessors need to gather together in a series of convocations and receive an endowment of power from Heaven? Or is this something Yeshua will do individually for each of us in a certain season of time?

Let us then pray for the intercessors of MV. Lord, please tell us how to open ourselves individually and corporately to receive our new weaponry. Then show us our places in Your army for this battle. Please continue to reform and remodel our character. Refine the contents of our hearts with Your fire. Bind us even more strongly to Your person and to Your heart. You are so WORTHY to be loved and worshipped—and followed.

Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®,
Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. Emphasis added.