Prayer That Affects Nations and Changes History
I. THE PRIMARY WAY THAT GOD GOVERNS THE UNIVERSE
A. Intercession is the primary means that God has chosen to release His government both in His relationship with
Jesus within the fellowship of the Trinity and with His people now and forever.
B. The majesty and mystery of intercession is seen first and most in Jesus’ relationship the Father.
25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always
lives to make intercession for them. (Hebrews 7:25)
34 Christ…at the right hand of God, who makes intercession for us. (Romans 8:34)
1. Mystery of intercession – we tell God what He tells us to tell Him to release power.
2. Majesty of intercession – Jesus intercedes to create and govern under God’s authority.
C. God's government is released through intercession. In this, God has given the human race great dignity. We have a
free will, which means we have been given the ability to make choices that make a real difference. These choices for
righteousness or for sin will bring either blessing or evil to us and those around us. If we choose righteousness, we open
doors of blessings on others. The choices we make provide the legal entry for both angels and demons to be more active
in the natural realm. We affect the quality of life by our choices.
D. God governs (or releases His power) the universe in partnership with His people via intercession. The governmental
center of the universe is the “Prayer Room,” which includes all the holy prayers in heaven and on earth that converge in
unity before the Father’s Throne. God has given His people a dynamic role in determining some of the measure of the
“quality of life” that we experience. We make significant contributions in the quality of life by intercession, obedience and
meekness. He chose intercession as the primary means in which we could govern with Him.
E. God opens doors of blessing and closes doors of oppression in response to our prayers. There are blessings that
God has chosen to give, but only if His people rise up in the partnership of prayer.
F. God is waiting for our persistence in prayer before Him. Isaiah taught that He longs to release His grace and power,
but actually waits until He hears the cry of His people in intercession.
18 The LORD longs to be gracious to you, and therefore He waits on High to have compassion on you...19 He
will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when He hears it, He will answer you. (Isaiah 30:18-19,
NAS)
G. Some “trust” the sovereignty of God in a non-biblical way by “trusting” God to do the role that He has assigned to
us. This is not truly trusting God, but rather it is presumption before Him. We cannot do God’s part and He will not do our
part. Some misapply the truth that if God wants something that He will do it. This is true in some of the main issues of what
God will do. Yet, there are many things that God will not give us until we ask. God wants all to be saved, but it does not
happen because God will not violate our free will in our salvation (2 Peter 3:8-9).
H. Ezekiel taught that God searched for one who would stand in the gap between Himself and Israel; someone who
would pray in a way that would cause God’s judgment to be withheld.
30 So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of
the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one. (Ezekiel 22:30)
I. Corporate intercessory worship is the primary means God has chosen to release His government (power). It is the
highest expression of His government in time and eternity and is the most powerful weapon that exists. It is the front line of
defense in our war against darkness. Many who love Jesus in context to communion with God as well as many who love
worship music do not have a revelation of the authority of intercessory worship.
1. Corporate – God desires prayer that is corporate. It requires humility to embrace all that is implied in gathering
corporately. The differences between worship and prayer styles, doctrinal emphases, as well as our personalities, make
humility necessary if we are to gather together in a regular way. Also, this bonds us together as a spiritual family.
2. Intercessory – we stand in the gap for others as we declare back to God what He promised to do for His people
(salvation, healing, blessing, etc).
3. Worship – combines the issue of, “I love You, God” with godly music. This provides a unique dynamic in enabling
large numbers of people to feel the same truths together in unity for sustained periods of time. The Spirit of God is musical.
Thus, the human spirit is musical. We are moved by music in being created in God’s image.
II. DANIEL’S REVELATION OF THE IMPACT OF INTERCESSION IN THE SPIRIT REALM
A. In Daniel 10, we receive insight into the impact that intercession has on governmental structures in both the natural
and the spirit realm. The war in the spirit realm greatly impacts the events of the nations of the earth (including their
elections and legislative policies). Natural governmental infrastructure includes the kings (presidents) of nations and their
vast infrastructures. This passage gives us a model of how the governmental authority structures of the nations are
affected by angels and demons and how they are affected by sustained intercession. Spiritual hierarchies include both
angelic and demonic authority structures over cities and nations.
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the
rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
(Ephesians 6:12)
B. Daniel was praying and fasting (Daniel 10:2-3). He was approximately 85 years old and lived in Babylon. The
Babylonian empire (modern day Iraq) had been conquered by the king of Persia (modern day Iran) three years earlier
(Daniel 10:1).
2 In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks. 3 I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into
my mouth…till three whole weeks were fulfilled. (Daniel 10:2-3)
C. Daniel saw the powers that were working behind the scenes to affect the king of Persia. He saw a demonic prince
over Persia warring against Israel by seeking to stir up the natural king of Persia against Israel (Daniel 10:13, 20-21).
12 Then he (the mighty angel of Daniel 10:5-6) said to me, "Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you
set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have
come because of your words. 13 But the prince (demonic prince) of the kingdom of Persia withstood me 21
days; and behold, Michael (the archangel), one of the chief princes (chief angels or archangel), came to
help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia.” (Daniel 10:12-13)
20 Then he said, "Do you know why I have come to you? And now I must return to fight with the prince of
Persia; and when I have gone forth, indeed the prince of Greece will come. 21 But I will tell you what is noted
in the Scripture of Truth. (No one upholds me against these, except Michael your prince.” (Daniel 10:20-21)
1 At that time (Antichrist’s reign of terror on earth Daniel 11:36-45) Michael shall stand up, the great prince
(archangel) who stands watch over the sons of your people (Israel); and there shall be a time of trouble
(Great Tribulation), such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time. And at that time your
people (Israel) shall be delivered... (Daniel 12:1)
D. Michael contends or fights with Satan by speaking the word of God against him. Michael is called an archangel
(Jude 9), but is also called a prince in Daniel (Daniel 10:21; 12:1).
9 Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil (about the body of Moses)…dared not bring against
him a reviling accusation, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!" (Jude 9)
1 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at
his right hand to oppose him. 2 And the LORD said to Satan, "The LORD rebuke you, Satan! The LORD who
has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you!” (Zechariah 3:1-2)
E. The End-Time war in the spirit realm will be affected by intercession as Satan is cast to the earth.
7 War broke out in heaven: Michael (archangel) and his angels fought with the dragon (Satan); and the
dragon and his angels fought, 8 but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any
longer. 9 The great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan…he was cast to the
earth, and his angels (demons) were cast out with him. 10 I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now
salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the
accuser…has been cast down… 12 Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has
come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time." (Revelation 12:7-12)
F. Angelic governmental ministries are sent forth by prayer of people in covenant with God through Jesus. Behind every
nation there is an angelic hierarchy and a demonic hierarchy authority structure that fight. The result impacts the
leadership of that nation.
G. The earth is the Lord’s (Psalm 24:1). Jesus won the battle on the cross 2,000 years ago. The analogy taken from
the D-Day invasion (June 6, 1944) which occurred a year before WWII was over in Europe (May 7, 1945), illustrates the
truth that even though Jesus won the war, it takes time to drive the enemy off the land. The process took almost a year to
drive the Nazi usurpers out of Europe. It included many casualties and strategic battles across Europe before the victory
was fully manifested. The cross is compared to the victory of D-Day. Yet, for another 2,000 years the Church under Jesus’
authority must drive Satan, the usurper off the land.
H. If the Church lives in agreement with God in righteousness and persevering intercession, then angelic ministries
will be released to fight against mighty demonic powers to dislodge them and cancel out their assignment.
I. Some have a very casual attitude toward Satan. We are not afraid of him because of the authority we have in the
name of Jesus. However, neither are we to be casual and flippant related to his rage. He will be driven off the earth, yet
there will be hundreds of millions of martyrs in the process of his final battles.
III. DANIEL’S EXPERIENCE: HE ENCOUNTERS A MIGHTY ANGEL
4 I was by the side of the great river, that is, the Tigris…5 Behold, a certain man (angel) clothed in linen…
6 his (angel) body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like torches of fire, his
arms and feet like burnished bronze in color, and the sound of his words like the voice of a multitude. 7 And
I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision; but a great terror fell
upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves. 8 Therefore I was left alone when I saw this great vision,
and no strength remained in me; for my vigor was turned to frailty in me, and I retained no strength. 9…
while I heard the sound of his words I was in a deep sleep…with my face to the ground…12 Then he said to
me, "Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself
before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. 13 The prince of the
kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to
help me… (Daniel 10:4-13)
A. Daniel’s prayer released a high ranking angel (Daniel 10:5-6; Revelation 10:1). The angel came because of
Daniel’s prayer (Daniel 10:12). If Daniel had not prayed the angel would not have come.
B. The demonic principality who resisted this angel was and still is powerful (he remembers the massive defeat he
experienced when Daniel fought him in fasting and prayer). This mighty angel who caused Daniel’s friends to flee in terror
could not overpower the prince of Persia without help from Michael. Michael came because of Daniel’s continued prayer.
Our prayers make a dynamic impact on what happens in the earthly and heavenly realm. The prayer ministry of the
End-Time Church will come to fullness as the bowls of prayer will be totally full (Revelation 5:8).