Chosen

By Alfreada Henley Westfield

No matter how minute the task, how difficult the decision to stand up and say what you see and hear from God …do it.  Forget fitting in, many are called and few are Chosen. Don’t miss your call. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Palmetto Publishing Group
• Release date: Aug 16, 2019
• ISBN: 9781641115728

Book preview

INTRODUCTION

THE MINISTRY OF PRAYER

AND A CHURCH CRISIS

P

rayer is a basic skill, truth, ritual, format, calling, and duty of every Christian, no matter what church affiliation. There are many titles: The Ministry of Prayer, a prayer walk, a woman of prayer, people of prayer, men of the prayer cloth, Watchmen on the Wall, Intercessors, Mothers of Israel, Wind Walkers, Handmaidens, Spiritual Warriors, and many others. Whatever title is used, all denote people with a devotion to prayer.

What all this connotes is a Christian taking the Word of God and standing on it. After you’ve done all you know to do, stand. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand (Ephesians 6:13). We are all called to pray, but some are called into a ministry of prayer. Their lives are called into submission and their spirits quickened to the secret place where they are offered a weapon for mastery. Some have a shield placed in their left hand, some a helmet, and others a sword, the list is endless. God is an awesome God and calls us to knighthood. A dictionary definition of Knighthood is the qualities of loyalty, bravery, and honor, thought to be characteristic of a knight. Remember that term loyalty, you will perfect it later.

This account is a summation of what I personally experienced beginning in 1988 through 2000 while first serving as a member of the worship team and later a prayer group member. I became a workshop coordinator with a deliverance ministry much later. I served as Southeast Alaska Regional Director of an intercessory network allied with the World Prayer Center based in Colorado Springs, CO. I have mentored intercessory prayer teams, and later served as prayer minister with three churches, as I moved geographically as a service officer.

I served within these ministries from a position of post-brokenness. Before this season of my life, I served as a teacher in the Toddler Sunday School class, as a church choir member, and with the usher board. I grew up in the church, however in my later years I realized I did not have a relationship with Jesus; I only had the service part down. I am using the Word of God as my reference. I find it never fails and is self-evident. How or why would My Heavenly Father use me? I don’t have the answer to that, but I am so glad He did.

CHAPTER 1

THE PRAYER HUPPAH

I

see the ministry of prayer like a refugee canopy—a Huppah—near a disaster site that is held up by four solid gold posts, which I have named Love, Obedience, Humility, and Faith. My intent is to present my perception of how these four golden posts support the prayer ministry, and how prayer covers us during the intense storms of life.

I call the fine woven tapestry over these posts is The Glory of Our Lord. His Banner over me is Love. Song of Solomon 2:4 says this, He brought me to the banqueting table, and his banner over me was love. Above all else, the Love of God for others, and for us alike, must be understood by the intercessor. God loves even those in bondage and spiritual darkness. He desires them to be saved, too. Ephesians 5:8 says: For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light."

As children we are taught to pray: Now I lay me down to sleep. Some are still saying this prayer at bedtime, or something like it, to show honor to God. These are seasoned saints with Romper Room prayer lives!

The Give me or Bless my four and no more type of prayers still surface somewhere every night, and off to sleep the Christian goes. Don’t be surprised if one day you walk into your church and the peace is gone. Suddenly, friends of many years are not speaking. The minister is attacked with both physical and spiritual issues and the prayer mantel falls on you.

Our Father calls warriors to the front lines during times of crisis to teach us how to fight for the land. By land I mean the arena, or ground you are assigned to stand in-the-gap for. Yes, prayer is for all Christians, but some are assigned to a ministry of prayer. Psalm 74:11 says: Why withdrawest thou thy hand, even thy right hand? Pluck it out of thy bosom… Ezekiel 22:30 says: I looked for a man among them who would repair the wall and stand in the gap before me on behalf of the land, so that I would not destroy it, but I found no one. There was a summons and one accepted. Prayer ministry should always guide people to the Cross and speak God’s given authority of Jesus Christ over the land.

The ministry of prayer is a support ministry. The ultimate goal of the church on earth is salvation, to seek and to save the lost. The vision/mission/objective of the prayer ministry must be the same. Pray in agreement with His desire that none perish but all have everlasting life, and to help make His House a House of Prayer.

Unless directed by the pastor, separate prayer meetings while church is in session and/or not attending leadership-supported events for unscheduled prayer meetings is out of order. Support the pastor. Reschedule the prayer meetings. Think strategically. Think war. Think order. Think support. Think submission. How can you support something you don’t attend? Specifically, church-sponsored events? Shun being an island ministry.

The church is multifaceted, and God does reveal His plans to the body. In the natural relationship, integrity and order play a tremendous role when serving on a church prayer team that supports the stated vision of the church body. Praying for and supporting something one is not submitted to is a strange beast that I find very interesting. Praying the vision of God for the church leadership and parishioners calls for relationship. How would that evolve if business and planning meetings are avoided, or no time is spent praying for a pastor and his sheep? If the pastor is submitted, what argument is there for the intercessor? Not to submit is a choice, but leaders are submitted to authority. What do I mean by submit? Submit means applying integrity in all areas of the prayer ministry.

Jesus submitted to the will of the Father for the hour when John baptized Him. Can you imagine how John felt when Jesus walked up to him to be baptized? Modeling this humble position of submitting to the will of His heavenly Father ensured the ultimate goal of the church could be accomplished: salvation. I think it wise not to overlook that prayer team member who may lack understanding in the area of submission. Help them recognize that not understanding the value of submission will keep them in Pampers.

As new people come into the church, many will submit and take off in ministry. However, some attendees will continue to sit and grow old, weary, dull, and hard from their bondage of basic disobedience in small things. They cannot be used in leadership because leaders are submitted. Here is the potential for an open door where the enemy of our souls enters into a church fellowship with all his squalor. If an intercessor has not learned the value of a humble heart, they may claim the lone prophet role. A church where the pastor and the prophets are submitted releases revelation to the body full of humility and love. This type of respectful submission provides us a spiritual cover, God is Love.

CHAPTER TWO

LOVE, OBEDIENCE,

HUMILITY, FAITH

LOVE

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alling in love with the precious Holy Spirit, who is our teacher, is priority. Time spent in my prayer closet allowed the Holy Spirit the opportunity to change me and teach me about Him. His love prepared me for this ministry. One must understand the cross and what took place there to understand God’s Love. He really did have a choice not to die. Even though our sins are forgiven, sin put Him there.

Philippians 3:13 says: "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before…" I struggled