00:01 Emcee:
Welcome to the Strategic Intercession Podcast, where we share powerful prayer techniques, inspiring stories, and tools to help you lead with wisdom and confidence. Hosted by Melanie Boudreau, a seasoned leader in focused prayer. Whether you're leading your family, church, school, or business, this podcast is for you. Be sure to subscribe. Visit strategicintercession.com for free resources and share this episode with others. Now, here's your host, Melanie Boudreau.
00:36 Melanie Boudreau:
Hey there, friends. Have you ever stopped to consider how the way you see yourself impacts your prayer life? It's a question I've been exploring lately, and I'm excited to share it with you. In today's episode. God is continuously at work in all of us, teaching us new things no matter how long we've been walking with him. Even after decades of following Christ, I still find myself grappling with issues related to my identity, and one thing I've learned is that how I see myself on any given day influences the way I pray when I'm feeling beaten down by life circumstances.
01:14 Melanie Boudreau:
My first is to crawl up into God's lap and not to exercise the authority Jesus entrusted to me. I need both responses to advance past the discouraging obstacles I am facing as an intercessor, praying for others. It's been easier to see myself in partnership with God for them invoking his provision to meet the needs of those I pray for.
01:41 Melanie Boudreau:
When I apply the blood of Jesus, paired with his expressed will, I can use my voice to enforce his agenda over competing hindrances, canceling the schemes of the enemy for them. In contrast, for my own life, sometimes the best prayer I can muster is a desperate help. Can you relate to this? In those moments, I feel stuck, overwhelmed, and without recourse. But even in my desperation, God is there mercifully holding my heart as I invite him into my mess.
02:19 Melanie Boudreau:
I'm so grateful for his love-drenched grace and for my prayer team, who faithfully stands with me, praying me through the funks and back into proactive partnership with God. As we explore this topic further, it's important to understand the biblical paradoxes surrounding our identity in Christ. The word of God is full of paradoxes about our identity. Are we children of God, or as members of the church, his bride?
02:47 Melanie Boudreau:
Are we friends of God or merely humble supplicants? Do we simply receive from his hands, or do we somehow move his hand in God's kingdom? These pairs are not either/or propositions. Both can be gloriously true even simultaneously. The way we pray flows out of the way we see ourselves in the moment. Today, I want to invite you to recognize and embrace the multifaceted expressions of your God-granted identity in Christ.
03:18 Melanie Boudreau:
As beloved children of God, you and I can confidently approach him with our desires. To quote A.W. Tozer, God is trying to call us back to that for which he created us to worship him and to enjoy him forever. He is trying to mature us until he can trust us with everything that we desire.
03:40 Melanie Boudreau:
This insight reflects a profound truth: As we grow in spiritual maturity and intimacy with God, our desires align with his will, and we find ourselves in a place where he can grant us the desires of our hearts. Let's talk about how these different aspects of our identity influence the way we pray. When we petition God effectively, we are essentially asking him for what he already desires, having allowed him to shape our desires through the transformation of our character and perspectives.
04:12 Melanie Boudreau:
Petitioning is the most familiar form of prayer for most believers, and it's a beautiful expression of our relationship with God as his children and friends, but there's more! As the bride of Christ, we are called to partner with him in his mission, exercising authority in prayer that goes beyond humble supplication. We see this dynamic beautifully illustrated in the story of Esther, who boldly approached King Ahasuerus to save her people from destruction. As the king's trusted bride, Esther was granted authority to issue decrees in his name.
04:49 Melanie Boudreau:
In the same way, Jesus entrusts his authority to us, his bride, we can pray using decrees proactively representing our king and shutting down the enemy's plots to hinder God's kingdom and goodness in our lives and spheres of influence. So, what does it look like to exercise authority and prayer? Let's explore this together. Jesus came to destroy the works of the enemy and to do the works of his father. Since the enemy's agenda is to steal, kill, and destroy, we have an expansive range of ways to partner with God in counteracting the enemy's schemes and expanding God's reign in the spheres he has given us influence.
05:34 Melanie Boudreau:
A decree sounds very different than a petition. It is an alternative way to pray that requires the pre-work of discernment and seeking our king for what he desires. Because a decree is a ruling using legitimate delegated authority, this highly effective prayer model is key in strategic intercession.
05:57 Melanie Boudreau:
Some people worry that making decrees is like ordering God around, but it's important to understand the difference. A decree is made from a place of alignment with God's will derived from knowledge discerned at his bosom. Just like Esther issued decrees in the King's name, we issued decrees in Jesus' name, knowing that we are carrying out his will. It's not about manipulating or forcing God's hand. It's about partnering with him and exercising the authority he has given us. As we've seen, understanding our identity is crucial.
06:32 Melanie Boudreau:
Now, let's discuss how you can embrace the fullness of your identity in Christ and start praying with greater authority. So how do you move beyond petitioning to start exercising bridal authority in your prayers as a serious disciple of Christ, you are already immersing yourself in the word of God. Your in-depth knowledge of God's word prepares you to know what he says about you and your situation or others whom you carry before the throne of God.
07:04 Melanie Boudreau:
In intercession, speak out God's will with confidence over your circumstances using both his Logos (the written word) and Rhema (the ways he's spoken to you personally.) You can proclaim his word and will as a declaration or by using actual decrees in the exercise of your authority, in the closeness of your relationship with God. You have likely already done the pre-work to discern God's will regarding your business ministry or leadership role. Even so, the enemy works relentlessly to thwart, delay, harass, and even to stop the success of the work God has assigned you.
07:43 Melanie Boudreau:
You are not just randomly struggling in your role. You are being actively targeted and opposed on a spiritual level because of your kingdom assignment in response to opposition, call your circumstances into alignment with God's will. You already know how to use your authority in leadership. You can use it in prayer as well.
08:05 Melanie Boudreau:
In forcing through declarations and decrees. What God has clearly expressed is his will in Jesus' name. Your confidence in prayer will emerge from your faith in the power of God's word and will in 1 John 5:14-15. In the NIV, it says, "This is the confidence we have in approaching God that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us, and if we know that he hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have what we ask of him."
08:39 Melanie Boudreau:
In John 14:13-14 in the NIV, Jesus assures us, "And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it." As you see God move, your confidence will grow. You'll begin to pray bolder prayers in alignment with God's expressed will, knowing that you are operating in partnership with the King of Kings.
09:09 Melanie Boudreau:
If you're ready to take your prayer life to the next level and start seeing breakthrough in your life and ministry, I wanna invite you to join me on this journey of strategic intercession. Download the free guide entitled Shift from Petition to Decree and start implementing these principles in your daily prayer life. Share your testimonies with us. We can't wait to celebrate with you as you partner with God to see his kingdom come and his will be done in your sphere of influence.
09:41 Melanie Boudreau:
As we wrap up today's episode, I want to leave you with a few key takeaways. Understanding and embracing the complimentary expressions of your identity in Christ as his child, as his friend, and as his bride can truly revolutionize your prayer life. Each facet enriches your relationship with God and empowers you to pray with greater effectiveness and authority. If you're ready to take your prayer life to the next level, I encourage you to download the free guide Shift from Petition to Decree mentioned in this episode.
10:18 Melanie Boudreau:
It's packed with practical steps and scriptural insights to help you pray with confidence and authority. You can find it in the show notes or on strategicintercession.com. As we close, I wanna remind you that you're not alone on this journey. We're here to support you every step of the way. If you have any questions, insights, or experiences related to today's topic, please share them in the comment section of the blog post on our website, strategicintercession.com, or email us at info@strategicintercession.com.
10:53 Melanie Boudreau:
That's info@strategicintercession.com. Your thoughts and perspectives are invaluable to our community, and we look forward to growing together. So, let's recap. Embrace the fullness of your identity in Christ. Immerse yourself in his word and start praying with the authority he has entrusted to you. I believe that as you do, you'll experience the transformative power of strategic intercession like never before.
11:24 Melanie Boudreau:
Thank you for joining me for this episode. Until next time, keep leaning into who you are in Christ and praying with bold faith. Blessings.
11:37 Emcee:
Thank you for listening to the Strategic Intercession podcast. We hope you found today's episode inspiring and helpful. Don't forget to subscribe, share this podcast, and visit strategicintercession.com for more resources. We're grateful to have you as part of our community. Until next time, blessings.