By Maria Maria #556 CM/FM 3325 9/00

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Your prayers are as a mighty energy—a cord of light—allowing My angels to open the window of the heavenlies on your behalf, accessing the unlimited power and resources of the spirit world!

Dear Family,

1. Here is Part 2 of our special series on prayer. I'm sure you'll find some great jewels and answers and motivation in these wonderful words.

Love, Mama

Through His Eyes

2. (Jesus speaking:) Oh, the prayers of My brides! No greater accomplishment do I see in all the world, for these prayers move My hand to work in all the Earth. How I love to see them, as they flow like a river. How I love to hear them, as they sing sweet songs in My ear. How I love to view them, as they dance so freely and gracefully. How I love to smell them‚ as they fill the air with a fragrance like sweet perfume. How I love to revel in them, for they fill My senses, they turn My key, they release My energy, they touch My heart and move My hand to work great things on behalf of all those you wish to reach. How I love the prayers of My brides. How I love the passion of your prayers! They excite Me so!

3. Keep them coming, My loves, in a steady stream, an unending flow. Keep up this magnificent show of your love, demonstrating your need for and your dependence on Me. I love your prayers. (End of message from Jesus)

4. (Jesus speaking: ) How beautiful are the prayers of My beloved brides. How they enrapture Me, thrill Me‚ and excite Me. How they fill My heart to overflowing and satisfy My longing. I revel in your prayers, My loves. They are My delight, My sunshine‚ and My song. Your prayers demonstrate your need for Me, your dependence on Me, your utter faith and trust in Me, and this brings joy to My heart all the day long.

5. It is your utter dependence on Me that turns Me on. It is your declaration of faith in Me and trust in Me to do what you cannot do that lights My fire. How I delight in such faith and trust. How it brings Me joy to work on your behalf. How I love to hear your petitions whispering in My ear. How I love to answer your every call. This is My true pleasure—to revel in your prayers, for your prayers are the driving force that moves Me to work wonders on your behalf.

6. The labor you have put forth in prayer will not go unrewarded, for I have noted every prayer; every time you have called, every effort you have made to pray is recorded in My book, both to be rewarded now in this life and in the world to come.

7. Not one prayer will go unattended or un­answered. This is My promise to you‚ My loves, for to answer your prayers is My delight. How I love your prayers. I live to tend to each one, for this is My great pleasure‚ My delight, My life, My song. (End of message from Jesus.)

8. (Jesus speaking:) How wonderful are the prayers of My brides. How I look forward with great anticipation to these mornings spent in prayer and supplication to Me [our Home's twice-monthly prayer mornings]. Oh, the joy it brings Me to hear the prayers of My dear loves. Thank you, My dearest ones, for your prayers unto Me. They are My joy. (End of message from Jesus.)

Accomplishments and Prayer

9. (Question: ) We've heard many times how if we pray, You will help us get twice as much done in half the time; that our prayers are more effective than working in the flesh. But it's hard for our carnal minds to grasp how that's so. Can You explain more about how we can achieve greater results through prayer rather than work?

10. (Jesus speaking:) Prayer is action. It's the most effective way of getting anything ac­com­plished. Think of prayer as an operation manual for a new piece of equipment. Prayer, like the manual, will show you how to get the machine running, where to find the on/off button, how it works. You can run around trying to figure it out yourself and you'll eventually learn how to run the machine. But it would be so much easier, and a lot less time-consuming, if you take the manual and read the instructions. You may think it takes too much time when you could be "discovering" the machine for yourself, but you're so wrong. The manual has quick and easy operational pointers. You don't have to worry about breaking the machine while you're learning its functions, and you'll be able to get it rolling sooner than if you decide your knowledge about machines is sufficient.

11. Prayer is just like that manual. You're saving yourself a lot of hassles if you'll pray more and hear from Me more, because you're going to be getting My direct counsel and know-how.

12. When you pray and then hear from Me, I can show you exactly how things work. This helps you to work better and faster and more efficiently. Also, when you pray I go to work for you and take action on your behalf. So action through prayer is yours for the asking. (End of message from Jesus.)

13. (Jesus speaking:) There are many things in the spirit that seem to be mysteries to you‚ when in reality they're very simple. It doesn't seem to make a lot of physical sense to say that if you spend twice as long on your knees, in prayer‚ doing absolutely nothing but presenting your spirit before Me in humility and subjection‚ that you will actually accomplish more than if you spent that same time rushing about feverishly attending to the many things that you have to do.

14. It all depends on what sort of accomplish­ments you're looking for. Yes, you might not get out the door quite that fast. You may have to cut back on some of that business you were hoping to attend to. But look at it from a broader perspective—what work are you trying to accomplish? Is it just to survive another day? Is it just to get some food on the table and your rent covered? Or are you trying to change the world, one heart at a time, one day at a time, to stand up against the forces of evil that would doom the souls of the world to damnation and spiritual slavery? That's the work that you cannot accomplish without My help and strength.

15. Let Me tell you something about that little exchange between Luther and Melanch­thon you hear told so often: Melanchthon knew they had a lot of things to do that day. Luther knew this as well. Luther also knew Melanchthon was making a perfectly logical suggestion to cut their prayer time in half so they'd have more time to get to all the little things that had to be done that day. But Luther was not looking at everything that had to be done that day. He was looking further. He was looking beyond the immediate physical matters‚ at the mission and purpose for which I had placed him on Earth. He knew that when times got so busy, it was easy to forget where his focus really should be. So he knew that he had to spend more time in prayer, not less—not so that he could do everything that had to get done that day, but so that he could make sure that what he was doing was what I wanted him to be doing.

16. He knew that one thing done right, in My time‚ in My way, by My will, was a greater accomplish­ment than tending to one hundred pressing tasks that surrounded him. He knew he could not let the immediate distract his focus from those things that were eternal. And look where it got him! Look what a mighty warrior and follower of My Spirit he became, changing the face of the world and history for centuries to follow!

17. I have called you, My children, to a task no less daunting than Luther's, so it behooves you to spend more time in prayer, on your knees, seeking My will, imploring Me to work on your behalf—to keep your mind on the bigger picture, the greater works that I would accomplish through you, through your Homes, through your ministries, through those you come in contact with on a regular basis—not just the tasks of your everyday survival‚ but the works of the spirit in the hearts and minds of men. These are the works that mean the most to Me. These are the accomplishments for which you must strive. This is what you will do better in—accomplishing My will with greater accuracy and faster results—through taking the time to go slow, and making sure you're doing exactly what I want you to be doing. (End of message from Jesus.)

18. (Jesus speaking:) Why are prayers so effective?—Because they tap into My reservoir of power. Rather than doing the job on your own and only using your own resources‚ wisdom, anointing and power, you have access to My infinite power and wisdom and resources. I can change situations and people's minds in a minute that would take you days to change on your own. So the more time you spend in prayer asking My hand to move in the ways that it needs to move in order to accomplish My will, the more effective you will be. It will be time well spent.

19. In many situations that you find yourself in, it takes a miracle for My will to be accomplished, or a series of miracles. Even if these miracles are not so outstanding on their own, yet the little steps, the little events, can add up to something big, and often whether the job gets done or not, or whether My plan for you comes through or not, depends on those little things. So in praying for each of those little things and specifically asking Me to work on them, you're saving yourself a tremendous amount of time. Things can then fall into place and happen much more smoothly.

20. Of course, everything doesn't always go smoothly even when you do pray, because I'm also limited by the choices of others, whether they yield to My Spirit or not.* And the Enemy also throws his road­blocks in sometimes‚ which I allow within the overall plan and purpose for mankind. But things will go much smoother than they would have if you hadn't prayed. So don't think that I didn't answer your prayers or they weren't effective, but just think of how bad it could have been if you hadn't been praying! (End of message from Jesus.) *(See also "Prayer Power," ML #302:22, 27-29.)

The Impact of Prayer

21. (Dad speaking:) The Enemy really fights prayer—not only prayer and prophecy and hearing from the Lord directly, but he fights prayer in general, any form of prayer and interceding on the behalf of others, because he knows it has a good effect. It helps the Lord's Kingdom in some way and therefore hinders the Enemy's dirty work in some way. You might think a few words of prayer here and there for others isn't accomplishing much and isn't really making that much of a difference. You might think that you're just going through the motions, that maybe it's not getting anywhere and it's not doing that much to cause changes to happen. But that's the farthest thing from the truth!

22. One reason people think that their prayers aren't making a lot of difference is be­cause the Enemy fights you and tries to discourage you from praying, and another is because sometimes it takes time for you to see those differences in the natural. But just because you don't see all the effects of your prayers doesn't mean that they're not going to work in situations and lives and having a big effect.

23. All of our prayers, even the little prayers you whisper in passing when the Lord brings someone to your mind and you pray for them, have an effect. It not only works together for good in other people's lives, but in your own life too. Prayer brings you closer to God. It keeps you connected with the spirit world and helps you to stay in tune, inspired, and going the right direction. Even if you're praying for others or about other situations that you aren't involved in personally, you're dwelling in the spirit, and that's very good for your own spiritual life.

24. Praying for people brings down the Lord's Spirit. It brings a spirit of faith, a positive spirit, because you're expecting God to ­answer, to do something, to move, when you bring your prayer request to Him. Just the fact that you manifest faith in the Lord through your prayers pleases Him, and He works in the situation or in the person's life. He hears it all and He doesn't take your prayers lightly. He doesn't just brush them off or file them away to take care of later when He has time, but He takes each prayer very seriously because He knows you're sincere. He loves you and He loves the one you're praying for, and He wants to help. He wants to work and move and bring about the changes needed, supply the needs‚ bring the victories, do the miracles, and because of your prayers, He can do all those things much more quickly.

25. He's bound by His Word, and if you pray about something or for someone‚ He has to work, He has to move and apply your prayer and do something. He said He would, and the fact that you're praying and holding Him to His promises has a big effect. It has a bigger effect than you can imagine—much, much bigger. The Lord doesn't always tell you all the answers to your prayers or let you see all the results; you have to take it by faith, and sometimes you have to keep praying and beseeching like the importunate woman. A lot of it is by faith‚ but whether or not you get to see the results immediately‚ you can trust that every prayer makes a difference.

26. Sometimes the Lord lets you see the results right away to encourage you and show you that you're not just going through the motions of prayer, but that He heard and He answered. Sometimes He'll let you see the miracle, the answer to prayer, so that you can praise Him and give Him all the glory. Other times you don't see it; you don't know what's happening and you just have to trust and take it by faith. But those times are important—maybe even more important—because He's having to do more‚ there are more factors involved‚ more steps to take‚ and more of a miracle is required.

27. So don't give up praying for others, because it's a very important and very needed ministry. Your prayers are important, every single one of them. They're real and they have a real effect. They not only help others, but they help you by keeping you close to the Lord, soft, compassionate, and humble. (End of message from Dad.)

When You Wish You Could

Do Something…

28. (Dad speaking to a busy mother:) I know that at times having lots of kids can seem a bit restrictive, but for every time you feel like there's something you'd like to do but you just can't get to it because the kids need you, I want you to remember that your children are the greatest blessing‚ the greatest part of your testimony, and then turn that desire to fill that other need into a prayer.

29. If you're not able to tend to it personally, pray for it fervently! That will help you to take positive action and will keep you from getting frustrated. It will help you to tap into Heaven and see things more clearly, as the Lord sees them. It will accomplish the greatest purpose of all—commanding the Lord's will to be done in that situation!

30. When you try to take care of something yourself, if you're being very prayerful and loving you can hit the mark; the Lord can anoint you to be His tool and accomplish His purpose. But there are times for all of us when we're not prayerful enough—I know I experienced it while I was there. So although we do get something done or make some change, at times it just creates another problem or it's not a completely smooth mission. We do our best, but sometimes our best isn't good enough, because we're not prayerful enough. But when all we can do is pray for something, we can rest assured that the Lord is going to handle it perfectly!

31. While sometimes our flesh longs to get involved and it really seems necessary from our perspective, the Lord knows better, and He can bring about His perfect will just through our prayers! That's not to say that we can't ever get involved, but sometimes we try to get involved a lot more than we need to. So if you can't do anything about it in the physical, turn those desires or frustrations into prayers for the Lord's Spirit to work, and He will! Praise the Lord! (End of message from Dad.)

Prayer Angels

32. (Jesus speaking:) Each person is born with three angels. One is to pray for them through their life—for what is more important than prayer, as the prayer will help to not only influence the baby, but the other two guardians. The other angel is the guardian or protector angel to protect the person through life. And the third angel is the one that influences their thoughts, always trying to help them to make the right choices and decisions and give them the strength to do so. This is the angel of the heart and conscience. The three angels are assigned at conception, because the prayers and protection are needed from then on. There are also times when I personally assign other spirit helpers to help these three angels. These spirit helpers likewise assist in these areas, to guard and protect, to pray, and to influence the mind and heart.

33. This help from the spirit world I make available to all‚ yet throughout one's lifetime‚ should the person make the choice to reject their help‚ should they through their majesty of choice choose to do evil over good‚ then this will tie the hands of his or her angels in a sense, limiting them in the influence and help they can give—all because of the person's choice to do evil instead of good. By your making the right choices and yielding to My Spirit, you are strengthening the line of communication and opening yourself to receive this positive help from My angels and spirit helpers. When one chooses to reject good and makes choices to do evil, they are in a sense cutting themselves off from these who could otherwise help them.

34. The prayer angel is always beholding My face because he is facing Me and beseeching Me and interceding for the one he [or she] is assigned to. He is praying not only for the person‚ but for all that is going on around him—the circumstances‚ the conditions‚ for My will to be done in his life, for the other guardians and helpers, ministering spirits, and departed spirits who are assigned to the person, since departed spirits also need help and instruction and guidance and even strength of spirit. And for you, My children‚ who live to do My work and My will, I live to make intercession for you. I pray for you always from the courts of Heaven.

35. Those who live for Me and choose to do good can have more than one prayer angel or prayer warrior, just as they can have more than one protector and more than one counselor. They can get them by asking, or they're assigned according to the need. The greater responsibility people have, the more they give, the more helpers and angels they receive. You receive help according to the need. Those who give their whole life to Me, who are constantly pouring out and witnessing, like the children of David, can have dozens of helpers, warriors, and protectors, to help them stand strong through the trials and fight the battles they face.

36. They are given angels of courage, ­angels of wisdom, angels of miracles, angels to help them receive prophecies, angels to help them have faith, to persevere, angels that help to heal them, angels that even give them physical strength. Some of you have a host of angelic helpers. Some angels are just on temporary assignment. For example, when you go on a dangerous mission you are even dispatched a band of warrior angels to protect you from harm, robbers and mishaps. And when you fight heavy spiritual battles you are also given warrior ­angels to help you through your battles.

37. There are even angels assigned to your houses and cars so that when you travel they go with the car to protect it and you from danger. Your angel that is always beholding My face can pray for you while you travel and request extra protectors to travel with your vehicle. Your prayer angel also influences you to pray, reminding you to pray for your safety while you're traveling and to be on guard, as well as giving you many other prayer reminders throughout the day. Your prayer angel can also pray through you when you don't know what to pray for or how to pray. Your personal prayer angel is very, very busy and has one of the most important jobs in Heaven because I hear their prayers and effect change according to their prayers and your prayers.

38. A good example of what your prayer ­angel does is in the verse, "Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, that in Heaven their angels do always behold the face of My Father which is in Heaven." This is an example of where your prayer angel watching over you can pray for the angels of vengeance to recompense any harm that is done to you. (End of message from Jesus.)

What's Stopping Us?

39. (Question: ) What are some obstacles that hold us back from praying more, and how can we overcome them?

40. (Jesus speaking: ) When a request is near and dear to your heart‚ when you are moved by it and feel for that person or desperately desire for Me to work in that situation‚ then you pray fervently and frequently. Conversely, when you are not personally touched by a need or request, it is easier for it to pass you by without receiving your desperate prayers.

41. So ask Me to give you the gift of em­pathy for that situation, so you can put yourself in that person's shoes—that sick child‚ that afflicted adult, that Home facing persecution‚ that person suffering intense spiritual attacks or ­trials. As you are moved by the situation, you will remember to pray.

42. When you are moved, your prayers will move My heart and allow Me to move in the situation‚ for the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. When you call unto Me with your whole heart, then I will hear you and answer you and show you great and mighty things.

43. So pray as if you were the one suffering sickness, trials, spiritual attacks, persecution, or facing financial need. Pray as if it were your children, your wife, your family, your Home, your contacts, your needs, and I will hear and I will answer.

44. Be willing to bear the burdens of ­others through your prayers for them‚ through sacrificing your time for them, through thinking of them. Look not only on your own things—your own affairs and battles—but look upon the things of others. Lay down your life for them in prayer, even as I laid down My life for you. (End of message from Jesus.)

45. (Jesus speaking:) When you're confident and you think you know what you're doing, be careful, because that's when your desperation in prayer goes right out the window. It's a very common error on the part of My children. You think you know what to do, or that your plans are sufficient or more realistic than Mine, so prayer takes a back seat. And it's only when you fail that you realize that you left prayer behind, and Me with it.

46. It's not enough to ask Me to bless a new project—you need to do much more than that. You need to lay aside your pride by realizing and admitting to Me and to yourself that I am the only One Who can keep things floating and keep you above water. Things have changed in this new era, this era of action.

47. I've been lenient and allowed you to succeed in certain areas on your own in times past, but now things have gotten tighter. The battle's raging, the Enemy is mad, and your ranks have to become tighter. There's no more time for goofing around—you need to start praying more and coming to Me for instructions. Is that under­stood?

48. What hinders you is pride and self-confidence. I know it's a hard saying, but you're going to have to forsake your pride if you want to make it in this outfit. There isn't time for corporals to be running around thinking they run the show, or for sergeants to think they've got things under control on their own. Sorry, things have simply changed. From now on you're going to have to ask Me about everything, and commit everything to Me in prayer.

49. I'm the General. I know what the battle plans are, so your pride and self-confidence is going to have to be left behind. You're going to have to leave it all behind and start coming to Me for everything—and when I say everything, I mean it. There's no other way around it; otherwise, you might end up a liability to the rest of your division because you think you're sufficient in yourself. Don't let that be you! (End of message from Jesus.)

50. (Jesus speaking:) Sometimes you're just plain too busy. You're so wrapped up in what you're doing and how important it is that you forget what's most important. It's not that your work for Me is not important—it is! But this you ought to do and not leave the other undone. Work without prayer can be futile, even if your intentions are to help and serve others. But service for Me and others combined with prayer is an unbeatable force.

51. Along with being too busy, sometimes you get your priorities mixed up and have an off-balance sense of what's important. Sometimes you have too great a sense of self–import­ance, thinking that your plans and what you have to do are more important than the needs of others, or more necessary than letting Me work through you and for you. Selfishness and self–centeredness can also hold you back from praying more fervently for others. Sometimes you don't even think of or remember their needs because you're too involved in your own. Of course you have needs and problems, and they need prayer too! And if you prayed more, you'd probably have less of them.

52. You need to realize that while I need your service‚ your service without prayer isn't enough. Being busy‚ busy, busy all the time is not enough if you don't let Me work for you and with you. Humble yourself before Me and let Me in more, and you'll see clearly‚ little by little, how much more effectively I can work than you can. (End of message from Jesus.)

53. (Jesus speaking: ) Some of you have let yourself become carnally minded and accustomed to operating more in the physical realm and less in the spiritual realm. You have neglected to use prayer in your life as much as you ought to, because you do not realize its power in the spirit, because the spiritual is not as present in your life as it should be. If you have a lot of contact or interaction with the world and worldly people, it's easy to get into their frame of mind‚ of doing, pushing, and neglecting the spiritual side of life. To be in My Family, I ask that you be spiritually minded. To be an effective prayer warrior, this be­comes essential. (End of message from Jesus.)

Summary of things that hold us back from praying:

—Lack of compassion and putting yourself in other people's shoes.

—Pride and self-confidence.

—Being "too busy."

—Getting your priorities mixed up.

—Selfishness and self–centeredness, or too great a sense of self-importance.

—Being carnally minded.

What to do to overcome:

—Ask the Lord for the gift of empathy.

—Pray for others as if you were the one suffering.

—Realize and humbly admit that you do not have the answers or solutions and that you need the Lord's help.

—Realize the power of prayer and your lack of power without it.

—Humble yourself before the Lord and let Him in more.

—Pray to become more spiritually minded.

If You Won't Fail, I Won't Fail

54. (Jesus speaking:) I know it's hard, but you need to find a time that you can set aside for prayer, and then keep to it. You've already seen the difference that your prayers have made in the lives of your loved ones—and how it was in great part due to your fervent and desperate continual prayers. You have no idea of the actual physical good that your prayers accomplish—but they do! Don't fail those you love by failing to pray for them! Do it every day, and I promise that you will not fail to see the results. (End of message from Jesus.)

Shepherding Through Prayer

55. (Mama:) Here's something from the Lord explaining to the shepherds of one of our units the effect prayer has had in some of the young people's lives:

56. (Jesus speaking:) If you had a habit or a wrong attitude that you needed to change, and people were praying desperately for you every single day about it, you'd feel the conviction of My Spirit to change. And so do these young ones feel that moving of My Spirit in their lives, that conviction that I'm expecting it of them. It's a spiritual thing. Your prayers are spiritual, and every time you pray for these young ones and the changes I want them to make, you're spiritually compelling them to make those changes, and they will as long as they're yielding and desiring to do so. It's a law of My Spirit that your prayers have an effect; they move My hand and they go to work in the lives of those you pray for.

57. You can see it right now in the steps and changes that this one is making because of your prayers. She's hearing from Me in prophecy every day, and that's a very big step for her. She still has to fight the Enemy's doubts, but she's coming to Me for answers to her questions. This is a wonderful victory, a real major step forward, and you should be proud of her, and excited that you played a part in helping her to move forward.

58. You can see it with another one who's more open to others' ideas, who is really trying to be loving in her words and actions, less harsh or in your face about her opinions. She's really fighting to be more loving, more considerate of others and to think more of others, and this is shining through her more and more.

59. Another is still fighting with many ques­tions, but he's trying to be more upbeat, positive, to include the older generation more in his conversations. He's trying to go out of his way to accommodate people's needs and requests. He's really trying to be a blessing, to show more impartial love.

60. Someone who didn't think he could receive prophecy is sucking and listening to My voice every day, fighting for every word, by faith. It's a real struggle for him, but he's going for it. He's desperate to hear from Me because he knows he needs to. He's desperate for the changes he needs to make and is willing to do things that he never felt he could do before.

61. So keep praying, My faithful veterans, because your prayers are having a very big effect. Even if you don't get to see all the effects of your prayers, not only are they working, but they're good for you too because it helps to keep your hearts broken for My sheep. (End of message from Jesus)

What's in it For Me?

62. (Question: ) Besides the benefits that it gives to others, how does intercessory prayer personally benefit the one praying?

63. (Jesus speaking:) Praying for other people is what love is all about—it's putting your love in action in the spirit. You're not only thinking of them and desiring to help, but you're doing something about it.

64. Intercessory prayer requires you to give from your heart. It stretches your love for the person for whom you're praying. Your love for them obliges you to call on Me for their help.

65. One of the most beautiful results of praying for other people is that your vision becomes less selfish. It fills your heart with more love for the person, because your love for them makes you want to help them in any way poss­ible, and prayer is the key. When you pray for someone you add more power to the victory. The backing is stronger‚ thus the answer more forthcoming. It keeps you desperate for someone else‚ so your life doesn't just revolve around you alone; you're reaching out and asking Me to help others as well.

66. Prayer like this is an example of self­less­ness, of esteeming others above yourself. It's love in action—reaching beyond your own needs and filling the vacancy within someone else's life. It's making Me the core‚ the focus, the central figure and center spread. And because you're going out of your way to help ­others, I reward your sacrifice and love by using the prayers to change and improve your life as well. Also‚ if someone knows you're faithful to pray for them, in your time of need they will be the prayer support you need as well.

67. Prayer is a form of giving unselfishly without expecting anything in return‚ but there are dividends. Try it and you'll experience them. (End of message from Jesus.)

68. (Jesus speaking:) As you pour out, I will pour in. Give, and it shall be given unto you. As you pour out your heart to Me in prayer for others and their situations, I will look at your heart and your situation and care for you. As you give all you have to Me in prayer and concern for others‚ I will answer in ways greater than you can imagine. I will pour out an hundred­fold unto you and shower your life with blessings.

69. That's My rule in giving—the more you give, the more you will receive. That's how you receive joy in your life—Jesus, Others, and You!

70. As you take time and beseech Me for others, I will even answer prayers that you haven't yet been able to formulate or put into words. Sometimes you may not know what to pray specifically, but as you beseech Me for ­others, as you acknowledge Me and commit people and situations to Me, I will honor that time you've taken for others, because it's My job as your Husband to see that you are well cared for. It is your dependency on Me and your acknowledgment that you need My help and your coming to Me for others that I honor.

71. As you care for others and are concerned about them and their needs and are taking time to pray for them, you become less worried about yourself and your own needs. You become less self-centered and will be forming good habits of thinking more of others than yourself. You will become more Christlike and full of Me, so that people will see more of Me and less of you. It will have a positive effect on you in every way and your blessings will be numerous. (End of message from Jesus.)

72. (Jesus speaking:) Intercessory prayer for others, as well as prayer in general, is like a muscle that needs exercise. No matter what you exercise it in, or to whose benefit, your strength in this area will grow and your reflexes will also change because you'll become more conditioned to seeking Me for problems and situations that arise.

73. Intercessory prayer also rewards the one who is sacrificially praying for others. When you pour out your heart and pray for those around you, I reward you for your giving and loyalty. When you come before Me for others, I will reward your sacrifice. Though a few words in a prayer may seem small, and the giving of your time in a prayer hardly feels like a physical effort‚ if you would open your eyes more to the realm of My Spirit and the way I operate, you would see that it is the best kind of help you can offer in any situation—even more than taking action in the physical. Putting Me first shows that you have faith in My care for you and those you are praying for, and this faith is rewarded. (End of message from Jesus.)

The Ripple Effect

74. (Jesus speaking: ) The depth and height and breadth and width and length of the effect of your prayers will never be fully realized in this life‚ but in the world to come you will see. Then you will be able to see the full measure and results of your prayers. You will be able to see how far your prayers have gone.

75. In that day, when all is revealed, when you join Me in My Heavenly Kingdom and the full impact of your prayers is revealed for all the worlds to see‚ the brilliance and the shine of this great revelation will be too much for your eyes to behold. You'll be tempted to say, "Lord, I cannot look. The majesty of it is too great for such a little one as I." But I will lift you up and say‚ "No, My loves—all this glory and splendor is rightfully yours, for this is the fruit of your prayers."

76. This will be part of your reward, My darling ones, to behold the full fruit of your prayers. For the fruit of your prayers is not only seen now with the naked eye as you witness answers to your prayers in the present. What you see now in answer to prayer is only a very small portion of the far–reaching results of your prayers.

77. When I answer a prayer‚ I may grant you your request for healing. I may supply your immediate needs. I may temper the winds and the rains on your behalf. I may protect you from harm or danger, or deliver you out of the hands of the Evil One who would try and hold you back from gaining spiritual victories, and so on. All of this is a marvelous wonder and great ­answer to your prayers, yet you must realize that this is not all; it is not the only fruit of your prayers.

78. No one prayer stands alone. Just as no man is an island and your life is bound to affect others, so no prayer stands alone. No prayer starts and ends with a single entity or a single purpose. One prayer accom­plishes many purposes and is multiplied many times over. For example, say you pray for a headache and I heal that aching head. The immediate fruit of that prayer is that the headache is gone‚ yet that prayer bears much more fruit than one healed head. Through one prayer, your faith has been boosted, and when others hear of the healing, their faith is often boosted as well. The result of this boost of faith then continues bearing fruit as it goes along.

79. Your prayers have a ripple effect—on and on they go, bearing fruit in many ways. When you pray for someone and their life is touched by the result of your prayers, likewise the fruit of your prayers in that person's life will also bear fruit and have an effect on others' lives. Because one life reaps the benefit of your prayers, other lives are also touched through the positive results in that one person's life.

80. So many things happen as a result of your prayers, so great is the ripple effect your prayers have on the world. Your prayers not only create ripples, but when they bounce off others, they are reflected in more ripples, which in turn bounce and reflect even more! So your prayers have a cross-ripple effect—the ripples of your prayers go out in all directions, backwards and forwards, up and down, top to bottom, from side to side, over and above and beyond, reaching out in many directions and ways you never dreamed possible, creating ever more ripples as they do so.

81. The day you see the cross-ripple effect of every prayer you ever prayed will be a great day! The awe of it is more than can be contained in all the earth. Only the Heavens can contain the glory and magnitude of the effect of your prayers. The cross-ripple effect of your prayers reaches far beyond the shores of the sands of time. Let this encourage your hearts, My loves, and let this spur you onward in prayer‚ for great is the cross-ripple effect of your prayers as they go out and cover the world‚ reaching across the boundaries of time to reach a heart‚ to save a soul, to encourage and lift up‚ to bring hope and life, peace and comfort‚ to protect and guard and to bring great victory to those for whom you directly pray and for multitudes of others. (End of message from Jesus)

The Best Thing

You Can Do For Others

82. (Dad speaking: ) The Lord allows problems in life—difficult situations, spiritual battles—and one of the main reasons is to teach people to pray. He wants you to come to the end of your rope, to come to the end of all your ideas of what you can do to solve the situation, and realize that He's the One Who's going to do it and pray for His power to work.

83. He leaves a lot up to you, and if there's something you can do and something He shows you to do to help the situation, that's good and you need to do that. You need to talk with people, counsel with people, receive messages from the Lord, study the Word on the subject, encourage people to ask for united prayer—you need to do all that you can. But in the end, the thing that will help more than anything, and without which all your labors are incomplete, is prayer. Pray for Him to work. Pray for Him to move and do the work in the spirit.

84. He's the only One Who can change hearts and minds, and He's the only One Who can bring people to the point where they're ready to make spiritual changes. The best thing you can do to help people and help situations is to pray for them. Really pray for them. You can't do the miracle, but the Lord can, and your prayers move His hand and make things happen in the spirit. It not only helps to set things up for the miracle to happen, but gives you peace of mind that you've done the best thing you could possibly do. When you commit things to the Lord in prayer, then you can just trust that whatever happens is in His hands and under His control.

85. People don't fully realize how import­ant prayer is, and especially if they're very work–oriented people, accomplishment-oriented people, it's all the harder for them to just pray and not always be doing something in the physical. You have to understand that only God can work in the spirit to change things, to change people, change situations, and the best thing you can do to help God and help others is to pray for them. He expects you to pray, and if you're not praying, often He has to wait before He can do the big miracles, because He wants you to pray and keep on praying.

86. Prayer is a very mysterious spiritual phenomenon and it's impossible to fully understand how the Lord chooses to work, how He chooses to answer prayer, why some prayers are answered quicker than others, why He does an obvious miracle in one situation and not in another. You can't expect to know everything about God's business, but you can trust that your prayers have an effect, and a very big one. Just the fact that you obey and pray brings down His blessings. (End of message from Dad.)

Jesus Waits to Move Mountains

On Our Behalf!

87. (Jesus speaking:) Allow Me to open your eyes of the spirit to the magnitude of the power of your prayers. You can't see it with the eyes of the flesh. You only catch glimpses here and there. You experience My healing touch; you see Me change hearts on your behalf; you watch Me move obstacles out of your path, making a way for you to walk in and claim the goods, victories of varied kinds. But I tell you, My loves, now you only see through a dim glass.

88. This is why you must put on the eyeglasses of faith, that you might find courage to walk in and claim the land. Let this comfort your hearts, for I am here to work wonders on your behalf.

89. Your prayers move My hand to work on your behalf. Therefore do not hold back; leave not one stone uncovered. Pour out your hearts to Me, bringing all your requests before Me, and I will answer. Only I can supply your needs and bring the desired results, but you must ask in faith, believing, nothing wavering. Ask and you will receive. Bring your petitions before Me; remind Me of My promises and hold on to your faith, believing that I am able to do what you cannot do yourself.

90. Your prayers are answered in direct proportion to the intensity with which you pray. Push together in prayer. Just as in the physical, if you were to move a heavy object‚ you would call on all your strong members to get behind it, that they might apply all their force to move the object out of the way. So you must do in the spirit. As you unite and push together in prayer‚ as you direct your spiritual energy and unite your prayer forces‚ praying wholeheartedly together, I will move every obstacle out of your way. You are the push, I am the brawn.

91. So keep your prayers coming up in full force! Keep stirring yourselves up! Your prayers are powerful‚ and they cause Me to do awesome and mighty things.

92. I long to move mountains on your behalf! Therefore do not hold back, My loves‚ for though your needs are great, they are not too great for Me. I stand waiting and ready to fill every one. Let loose your prayers, and stand back and watch Me work. Your prayers move My hand; together we are an unbeatable force. Nothing in this world, nor in the world to come, can stand against us. I lay all My might and power and force at your feet. It is yours for the asking. (End of message from Jesus)