Emcee • 0:01 - 0:29

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 in church, government, or business shaping your industry, this podcast is for you. Now, here's your host, Melanie Boudreau. 

Melanie Boudreau • 0:30 - 1:02

Imagine walking up to a stranger on the street and asking for a favor. The likelihood of getting what we want is slim to none. There is no history and no favor with a stranger. But when we approach God, Jesus has opened the door between us and the Father and cleared us of all wrongdoing that could separate us from him. We are put right with God through our union with Christ. In light of this truth, God is always ready to listen. Prayer that gets things done flows out of our intimacy with God. 

Melanie Boudreau • 1:03 - 1:24

This intimacy is essential for hearing his voice and praying according to his will. Strategic intercession requires this foundation. We must know his heart to pray his strategies effectively. Today we're focusing on building that intimacy through contemplative prayer, laying the groundwork for prayer that truly moves mountains. 

Melanie Boudreau • 1:26 - 1:58

So let's define contemplative prayer. Contemplative prayer is a spirit-led, deeply intimate form of prayer where we intentionally quiet our mind and heart to focus on the presence of God, allowing the Holy Spirit to minister and speak to us. It's less about speaking to God with words and more about being with God often in stillness, surrender, and awe of his presence. This spirit led connection forms the foundation from which all effective strategic intercession flows. 

Melanie Boudreau • 1:58 - 2:33

Think about it. How can we pray strategically if we haven't first learned to hear God's heart and strategies crisis prayer while valid often keeps us in a reactive mode? In contrast, strategic intercession flows from a place of intimate knowledge of God's will gain through contemplative prayer. This is why your relationship with God is more important than any work you do for him. Even intercessory work on your knees. Our service should be an overflow of our love for him, an expression of our sonship, not an attempt to win his approval. 

Melanie Boudreau • 2:34 - 3:14

A baby born into a relationally healthy family is loved unconditionally. We're born into the family of God, loved unconditionally. In the amplified Bible, Romans chapter five, verse eight reads, but God clearly shows and proves his own love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Colossians chapter one, verses 21 through 22, reads, once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior, but now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you wholly in his sight without blemish and free from accusation. 

Melanie Boudreau • 3:16 - 3:24

Ephesians chapter one, verse four tells us for he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. 

Melanie Boudreau • 3:27 - 3:57

When we carry a different countenance than being loved unconditionally into our prayer closets, it affects our experience of God. Picture this scenario with me. Imagine you show up at your aunt's house for a family gathering. You feel a little uneasy, you know upfront. She doesn't approve of your job choice and you didn't take your nephew under your wing, and she has an opinion about that too. Plus that thing that happened last year, whatever that was. So there you are at the table. 

Melanie Boudreau • 3:58 - 4:35

It's a bit exhausting because you've gotta watch yourself and put your best foot forward to be above reproach, to guard against silent criticism, so you show up just enough and allow the busyness of life to excuse your absence the rest of the time. Oh, to just be loved as is, to not be second guessed, to be seen in the best light, to be given the benefit of the doubt, and even when we do genuinely fall short, to have our audience be so partial to us, they offer nothing but eyes of love, a deep acceptance. 

Melanie Boudreau • 4:36 - 5:08

This is the kind of connection our soul craves. This is the kind of connection Jesus offers us, but we are so unaccustomed to unconditional love that we may come to him as though he is like the aunt I just described. Most of those who love us in this world also judge us, and we may show up for God in similar ways as we might show up for the ant with reserve and out of duty, putting our best foot forward and trying to stay in God's good graces. We are all familiar with John chapter three, verse 16. 

Melanie Boudreau • 5:08 - 5:39

For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life, but we owe so easily lose sight of the very next verse. For God did not send the son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through him. It doesn't matter what you've done, how badly you've messed up, how many mistakes you've made, how young you are inside or how broken you are. 

Melanie Boudreau • 5:39 - 5:54

Jesus clears you of all that. It took his blood to do it, but now you are clean, perpetually clean before God. You are holy, loved, accepted and supported. That love you crave is found exclusively in him. 

Melanie Boudreau • 5:57 - 6:29

Just acknowledging God for who he is is not enough to pass from death into life. If you think about it, the demons know who God is. The Bible even says they tremble knowing who he is, but they do not willingly submit to him, do we? We are mistaken if we think knowing who he is is enough. Luke chapter nine, verse 23 reads and he said to all, if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 

Melanie Boudreau • 6:30 - 6:55

Galatians chapter two, verse 20 tells us, I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me and the life I now live in the flesh. I live by faith in the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. Romans chapter 12, verse two, instructs, do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind. 

Melanie Boudreau • 6:55 - 7:27

That by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. You are being transformed into the likeness of God, but it's a process, not a zap. How he sees you as completely innocent is indeed a zap, but maturing requires yieldedness and submission to a process. It requires abiding in him and being present to him. There are theological terms to describe what I'm sharing with you. 

Melanie Boudreau • 7:28 - 8:11

The zap being instantly seen as holy by God is called positional sanctification. The process of becoming holy is called progressive sanctification. Romans chapter eight verse one declares, and this is key to understanding our position before God. Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Not only does God see us as innocent in his sight, but he also empowers us to live uprightly. If we are not interested in living uprightly, we need to go back to square one, which is making the decision that God is our boss and not just our friend whose opinions we can take or leave. 

Melanie Boudreau • 8:14 - 8:33

Jude chapter one, verse 24, assures us to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence, without fault, and with great joy. This verse reminds us that it's his power working in us, not our own efforts that keeps us standing in his presence. 

Melanie Boudreau • 8:37 - 9:08

Intimacy is the foundation of strategic prayer, completely loved, accepted, and free from judgment. We come to Jesus and steep like a teabag and hot water in his transformative presence. This is contemplative prayer, something we crave. Once we understand just how welcome we are and how much he loves us, like laying palm branches before a king, we surrender our agenda at his feet. This past fall, my husband Chuck and I went out camping. 

Melanie Boudreau • 9:09 - 9:40

At one point I told him I'd leave for an hour to give him some one-on-one space with God. I too wanted to sit with God, so I ended up seated by a small waterfall alone, and before I knew it, two and a half hours had passed. Time dissolves when we're simply being with him. Contemplative prayer doesn't have an, I need this kind of agenda. It's not about our job, our finances, the current war or the latest threat to society. It's not about our sons or daughters. 

Melanie Boudreau • 9:41 - 9:58

It's simply about God being with him, experiencing his goodness and love. It's about connecting with him. This spirit led connection becomes the foundation from which we can hear his strategies and pray them effectively in strategic intercession. 

Melanie Boudreau • 10:01 - 10:32

Now, let me share something deeply personal about finding him in our brokenness. The irony is that when we're wrecked, disillusioned, or feel faithless, it's often when we discover this way to connect with God. We can run out of things to pray when we are in excruciating emotional pain, positioning us to experience his unconditional love and faithfulness to us. 2023 was a very difficult year for me. 

Melanie Boudreau • 10:33 - 11:03

In June of that year, I had a stroke and two days out of the hospital we received news of a terminal diagnosis for my husband's precious mama. We were very close to her and loved her dearly. My post-stroke, neurology and situational depression left me in shambles. In July, I was sitting on the porch facing the beach. I was reading something lovely about the goodness of God and in utter brokenness, I said out loud, God, I just don't believe anymore. 

Melanie Boudreau • 11:05 - 11:36

Sometimes in our despair we say things we don't really mean. At that very moment, I looked up it wasn't storming outside and there was the most spectacular rainbow filling the sky. Rainbows are a sign of the promises of God. I heard God's message loud and clear. He answers my faithlessness with his promises. I was overwhelmed by his unconditional love for me. 

Melanie Boudreau • 11:37 - 12:17

Even as I struggled to keep my heart in alignment with his, that is who he is. In silence, I steeped in his goodness and love on that porch overlooking the sea and sky that's contemplative and in the moment he rescued my heart. This form of contemplative meditation can be profoundly impactful, aiding in connecting with God and recognizing that we're not addressing some lofty entity, but one who became flesh like us and is right here with us, Emmanuel God with us. 

Melanie Boudreau • 12:21 - 12:53

Let me share with you some practical ways to enter his presence just as we would remove our shoes. When entering someone's home, we learned to leave our agendas at the doorway of his presence. Sometimes I create worship playlists on Spotify to take me into his presence, to remind me who he is and to stay there. The songs are about him sung directly to him. Other times. I simply use my instrumental playlist and allow the music to help facilitate the presence of God to wash over me as I focus on him. 

Melanie Boudreau • 12:54 - 13:27

I've put links to my playlist in the show notes I love two kings, chapter three, verse 15. It describes the prophet Elisha asking for a musician to play, which helped him hear from God. Here's the passage, but now bring me a musician. And when the musician played, the hand of the Lord came upon him. Sanctified imagination can also be a powerful tool for experiencing the here and now presence of God. Consecrate your imagination to God and then invite him to interact with you. 

Melanie Boudreau • 13:28 - 13:48

Take time to sense being in his presence, whether in your current reality or in an idyllic setting like a riverside or pasture. Take the time to feel his presence and love. Talk with him like he is literally standing there and listen for his responses melt into the goodness of his presence. 

Melanie Boudreau • 13:51 - 14:23

Being with God transforms us. His goodness, love and open arms make us hungry for more of him and for being with him. When we spend time in his presence without agenda, we begin to hear his heart more clearly. This intimate connection becomes the foundation for strategic intercession as we learn to pray from his perspective rather than our own. Philippians chapter two, verse 13, affirms for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. 

Melanie Boudreau • 14:25 - 15:01

So in conclusion, we are no strangers to God. When we move in close to him, he draws near to us. That's his promise, and when we are close, we will learn his heart and become able to pray strategically from his heart to God be the glory. Before we close today's episode, I want to invite you to join our community of believers who are growing in strategic intercession. When you subscribe for free to strategic intercession.com, you have access to our resources, which includes our free ebook on establishing an effective prayer shield. 

Melanie Boudreau • 15:02 - 15:11

This is Melanie Boudreau thanking you for joining us today. Until next time, may you experience the depth of God's presence as you develop your prayer life. 

Emcee • 15:12 - 15:32

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 strategic intercession.com for more resources. We're grateful to have you as part of our community. Until next time, blessings.