Praying Down Supernatural Encounters

I. MINISTRY AT THE ALTAR OF INCENSE

     A. Luke 1:8-11

1. Now it came about while he was performing his priestly service before God in the appointed order of his division, according to the custom of the priestly office, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And the whole multitude of the people were in prayer outside at the hour of the incense offering. And the angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense.

     B. The Order of Progression

1.  Zachariah was chosen to minister to the Lord.
2.  The people all responded as they were in prayer at the “hour of incense”.
3. Zechariah is now ministering at the altar of incense (prayer).
4. What went up (incense-prayer) was cast back down to earth in the form of a visitation. (That which goes up must come down!)
5. Angelic activity is released.
6. A proclamation of healing is made.
7. Zechariah goes home and Elizabeth is healed and bares a son, a prophet named John the Baptist.

II. FROM THE LIFE OF JOHN G. LAKE
     We need to see another powerful healing movement occur like that of John G. Lake. He moved in great power and was used to great affect. South Africa and much of the north west part of the United States. The following are newspaper articles from the Spokane, Washington secular newspaper in 1924 of a healing parade led by Reverend Lake.

     A. Thursday, August 7, 1924 

     HEALED BY GOD PARADE STREETS

1. Expect 250 members of the Church Elect to enter in what they hope will be an impressive testimony to the power of God to heal; about 250 persons who claim to have been healed of their diseases through prayer, will parade on the downtown streets Saturday afternoon, August 16, at 3:00 o’clock. A permit for the use of 50 automobiles, and a band, to parade at that time has been issued to Dr., John G. Lake, head of the Church Elect, by the city council. In speaking of the parade today, Lake said: “We believe in testifying to the power of God at every opportunity. It is not possible to get the message we have to teach before every one. We believe that when the citizens of Spokane see this group of persons, many of them once at death’s door with incurable diseases, that it will be a forceful and unforgettable testimony that God does heal.
2. The regular Thursday night healing meeting will be held in the tents at Ash and Chelan at 8 o’clock.

     B. Monday, August 18, 1924
     HEALED BY GOD PARADE TOWN

1. 50 auto carry 250 persons healed by Lake’s prayers. Thousands of Spokane persons witnessed the unique parade of “healed” persons from the “Church Elect,” when they rode through downtown streets in automobiles Saturday afternoon. About 50 automobiles Saturday were in line, more than 250 persons who claim to have been healed of all manner of diseases by the power of God were in the cars. The automobiles were placarded with signs which told of the diseases from which the occupants were cured.
2. The cures effected by the prayers of Dr. John G. Lake according to the signs were: nervous prostration, pneumonia, diabetes, paralysis, tuberculosis, adenoids, shingles, flu, eczema, leakage of the heart, rheumatism, and broken arches.
3. The feature of the parade was a delivery car containing more than a dozen children, and which bore the sign “born painlessly” on each side. The mothers of these children have no assistance in childbirth other than prayer, they declare. Dr. John G. Lake preceded by a band, led the parade. The cars traveled downtown streets for more than an hour. 
4. A fitting conclusion, it would seem to the series of meetings. Yes, there still were the skeptics in the community, but the ones who were healed by God, will never forget the occasion when the power of God healed them as they had the faith to believe for it.

          By Alan Wyatt

III. OUR RESPONSE

     A. Repentance Needed

1. Some of us need to repent of our fear and prejudice against a “faith emphasis” while we need to be broken, authentic vessels, there is no substitute for bold faith. I invite you to join me in repenting of our “fear of faith” because of what we think it might look like, what others have made it look like, and our fear of what it really does look like! Faith is almost always spelled R-I-S-K!

     B. Let’s Minister At the Altar

1. May the prayer movement continue to grow and there be a restoration of leaders and people of prayer as in the days of Zechariah. Priests (that’s you!) take your place. Minister at the altar of prayer. Let the time of the incense offering come forth.

     C. Expect!

1. Let’s believe God to pour down supernatural encounters, healings and miracles as He has done in times past. Let’s expect an invasion of Holy Spirit activity in response to our prayer invitations!

(For more on this subject, purchase the book God Encounters at www.jamesgoll.com. Other books that compliment this are The Lost Art of Intercession, The Lost Art of Pure Worship and The Prophetic Intercessor.)

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