In Psalm 18: 19, David writes,
"He brought me out into a spacious place. He rescued me because He
was pleased with me and delighted in me."
What comes to mind when you think of a spacious place? Benson's commentary says this about the spacious place referred to by David:
David was several times shut up in close confinement in rocks and caverns; but
God had now set him at liberty, and placed him in such happy circumstances that
he could live and act with the utmost freedom, without any constraint of his enemies,
or danger of his person.
After 4 years of running for his life and hiding in caves because of Saul's jealousy and desire to kill him, the Psalmist praises the Lord for finally bringing him out of a "tight place" and setting him in a place where he could breathe freely, feel God's peace and refreshing, and fulfill his calling with joy.
We are currently in the period of time on the Jewish calendar known as "between the straits or narrow places". It is the 3 week period of time between the 17th of the Hebrew month Tammuz (this year July 15th) and the 9th of the Hebrew month Av (this year- August 5th). It was during this time that the Jews experienced much hardship, such as the destruction of the first temple (Lam. 1:3) and the destruction of the second temple, 655 years later. In 1942, on the 9th of Av, the mass deportation of the Jews from the Warsaw Ghetto to the death camp in Treblinka began.
A tight place feels like it doesn't fit; it is restraining, limiting and many times, painful. It is like a shoe - a half size too small, or a crowded room. It can take the form of something as serious as war and persecution in some places, or can describe a job position that doesn't match our gifts, skills or passion, a difficult relationship, financial difficulties, a health issue or a setback in plans due to life's circumstances, such as we've just been experiencing with the covid-19 quarantines, riots, racial tensions and exposed corruption.
So what can we do to navigate from a narrow or tight place in the natural to a spacious place of abundance, releasing life in the spirit? How do we make a difference in this world and make spiritual progress in these times of shaking?
Psalm 46 talks about these days,
1 God is our refuge and strength [mighty and impenetrable], A very present and well-proved help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change And though the mountains be shaken and slip into the heart of the seas,
3 Though its waters roar and foam, Though the mountains tremble at its roaring. Selah.
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, The holy dwelling places of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her [His city], she will not be moved; God will help her when the morning dawns.
6 The nations made an uproar, the kingdoms tottered and were moved; He raised His voice, the earth melted.
It is very interesting that this Psalm was a song set to soprano voices. The first thing the devil wants us to do in tight and narrow times is to silence our voice of praise to God. He knows that in high praise is his ruin and defeat. If he can get us to be silent in this Hebrew year 5780, the year of "PEY", meaning the voice, then he will be able to steal our victory. In praise and proclamations in prayer, the enemy is defeated by the Word and breath of God. We see many examples of this in the Word of God, such as with King Jehosophat sending the praisers to the frontlines of a battle against 3 kings in II Chronicles 20.
The Psalmist says that even though the earth should change and the mountains be shaken and fall into the heart of the seas, that "there is a river whose streams make glad the tabernacles of the Most High". So where are the tabernacles and what is the river? As we see in I Cor. 3:16, we are the tabernacles of the Most High God and John 7:38 declares that "out of your belly shall flow rivers of living water." What are these rivers flowing out of us? They are praise, worship, prayer and proclamations, anointed by the Spirit of God. In verse 6, it says that when He raises His voice, the earth melts. As His ambassadors here on the earth, we are to raise our voices in His behalf. The power released in our praises and proclamations breathed on by the Spirit of God in this hour have the power to turn lives and destinies around and to release God's justice to destroy injustice in this hour.
Below are 8 key prayers on the heart of God for this hour to see His Kingdom come and His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. This is the spacious place that the Psalmist refers to.
1) Keep on praising the Lord! "Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice!" (Phil. 4:4) Give Him sacrifices of praise no matter how you feel! Praise stills the avenger and "casts up a highway" for the Lord to move and act upon! (Psalm 1 and 68) Besides glorifying God and pleasing Him, it actually "paves the way" for Him to move in our lives and in all situations. It is the highest form of prayer in a sense, as we are acknowledging His lordship above every situation and above all else. Praise lifts us "up the mountain of God" and we begin to see from His perspective of extreme victory! From this position, we pray. Complaining and negative talk prolongs breakthroughs and make us take another unwanted lap around the desert!
2) Pray the Word of God over our nation, its leaders, and the nations of the earth. "First of all I encourage you to make petitions, prayers, intercessions, offered on behalf of all men, for kings and those in authority, that we may live a peaceable life." (I Tim. 2: 1-2) As we pray the Word of God, we are praying the will of God. Proclaiming His Word sends His power into each situation, and He promises that it won't return void. Focus on His Kingdom first and all other things will be added unto you! (Matt. 6:33)
3) Intercede for the persecuted Church and for those who are in a tighter place than you. "Remember those who are in chains as if imprisoned with them, and those who are mistreated, as if you yourselves were mistreated." (Heb. 13:3) Lifting up our brothers and sisters in persecuted lands can mean the difference between them making it through terrible situations or not. We pray for their healing, deliverance and strength to stand and to withstand all trials. We pray for their faith not to fail. Praying for them and releasing God's decrees will for them brings miraclulous intervention and helps us keep a proper perspective of our own trials.
4) Pray for the Lord's justice for the orphan, the widow, oppressed and downtrodden. "Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly. Defend the rights of the poor." (Prov. 31: 8-9) The downtrodden and oppressed of the earth, such as abused and neglected children and animals, children trapped in the sex trade, and the unborn are always on the heart of God as a loving Father. Praying for them diligently, with intercession from our heart, as well as decreeing and declaring God's Word over them makes tremendous power available to deliver and help, heal and restore them (Jas. 5: 16). And whenever possible, minister directly to these. Give an offering to and pray for ministries that are on the frontlines of justice and help for these.
5) Pray for the lost. "God's desire is that all men might be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth." (I Tim. 2:4) We keep on praying and never give up for those that need His salvation. This is the number one desire on the heart of God. When we pray constantly for what God loves and desires, His will becomes our will and His desires become our desires. He will loose warring and ministering angels when we pray. We pray also for the power of the Holy Spirit to be active with healings and miracles in ministries reaching the lost, and for discipleship of all those who come into relationship with Jesus.
6) Pray for the peace of Jerusalem- "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. May all who love this city prosper." (Psalm 122:6) It was the Jewish people that gave the world the Bible and the Messiah. It is our joy and privilege to pray for all of them to receive this truth and to be active in blessing them both in prayer and in actively sharing our testimony with them person-to-person. The survival of the Jewish people and their return to the Promised Land of Israel is a sign that God keeps His promises. He also promises to bless those who bless Israel. (Gen. 12:3) As we pray for the salvation of the Jews, we also hasten the day of His coming!
7) Pray in the Holy Spirit over your calling. "But you beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit." (Jude 1:20) When you pray in tongues, you pray the mysteries of God (unknown to you at the time) into manifestation and prepare the way for you to step into the next plans of God. Many times His Word will "bubble up" from out of your spirit to proclaim into the atmosphere during these times. This type of praying sets His will in motion for your life and prepares the way for you to walk into His spacious place for you.
8) Pray for the Bride of Christ to be ready and to be one. "For the wedding of the Lamb has come and the Bride has made herself ready." (Rev. 19:7) Pray that the true Bride of Christ will join together in unity and purity and will work together in unity until He comes. In John 17, Jesus prayed 3 times that we'd be one. It is greatly on His heart. And we pray that we would have extra oil as did the 5 wise virgins who were ready when the Bridegroom came later than expected.
*We are to "Occupy until He comes."(Luke 19:13) According to Webster's, "to occupy" means "to take and keep control of; to be busy with". It means to continue in faithful service for His kingdom until He comes. We have been made a royal priesthood. An Old Testament priest made sacrifices to the Lord and carried the burdens of the people to the Lord. Our first ministry unto the Lord is worship & praise, and the second ministry is intercession and prayer for others. As we are faithful in these two ministries first, God's heart and desires will be released in the earth and His heart will be formed in us, causing us to successfully navigate out of the tight place and into the spacious place that He has prepared for us! It's time to RELEASE HIS ROAR in the earth through our worship and praise, prayer and proclaiming His Word and to move into His spacious place of victory!
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