Stephanie Ike - Your Prayers Are Going Make the Difference

Today we're talking about empowered prayer. God's word is alive and it's active. When we allow the Holy Spirit to guide our prayer life, the impossible it becomes possible. Come on join us. When John are first married, he had a prayer style and I had a prayer style. And my prayer style was quiet, it was contemplative, and John's prayer style was loud, loud, and like he hold my hands. I'd be like, oh my gosh. I'm just like, oh, oh my gosh. And then he was praying ministry prayers and everything, and. I'd be like, you act like God is death. You pray so lovely. Yeah. And then I'm like, and are you going to pray for your children? You're only praying about the ministry, You're only praying about the nations. What about your child? What about your child? And back then I was working as a like an associate producer and a television ministry and I remember that, you know, I got invited to a baby shower and we went to the baby shower. John was out of town and this girl comes up to me. She said, I would like you to pray for me to get pregnant, And I was like, yes, I'll agree with you, and I'm getting ready to leave this. She's like, you haven't prayed for me. I'm like, oh, no, I'm agreeing. She goes, no, I want you to pray for me now, and I'm like, wait a minute. People either get pregnant or they don't get pregnant. I am not going to pray for her. So I take her out of the room. Nobody's going to see me pray for her, and I instruct her like how she needs to get pregnant, like I tell her timetables and all sorts of different things. He's kind of looking and then I pray over her and I leave because I don't want her to tell people. I don't want anybody knowing I prayed for her. And I get in the car and I've got Addison in a car seat in the back, and I'm grabbing. The steelwrol and I'm like, Jesus. Get her pregnant. Get her. I want to look like I'm play. I don't want to be that weird person. Oh God, get her pregnant. And I'm just like praying out loud like a John Bevie, like John Bevie, And in that moment, I hear the Lord say, your husband then is going to be offered a youth pastor position. Tell him to take it and be faithful, and I'll give him the desires of his heart. So this is before cell phones. You know, I just did the fierce jomp of your prayer. That's on a Saturday afternoon. Sunday, after church, John calls me and he said, you're never going to believe what happened. I said, what happened? He said, well, at this youth meeting I was doing this, particular minister showed up and I said, and he asked you to be his youth pastor. I was like, did he call you? And I said no, God told me to tell you to take it and be faithful, and He'll give you the desires of your heart. He's like, well, God. Didn't tell me that, And I was like, well, all I know is I have that peace. And I had that knowing and it shifted how I prayed. And some people are like, no, I really like the contemplative quiet. Now there's a place for that. But there is also this admonition in the Book of James, which we love the Book of James. In James chapter one, verse six, I'm gonna read out the message paraphrase. It says, ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People worry, their prayers are like wind whipped waves. Don't think you're going to get anything from the Master that way adrift at sea, keeping all your options open. And so I feel like God is saying, when you come to me, don't just believe that I am but believe that I am good and I am a rewarder. So you ask boldly, believingly. Without a second thought, not if God, if you don't do this, we then I've got plan to be over here. And then it says, don't worry your prayers. And so many times I talk to people and they're praying according to what we're going through instead of praying what the Kingdom is saying. Yet that kingdom comes not just you know what's going on in this culture. And we allow our culture to form our prayers more than we allow the Word of God to form our prayers. And have you ever had something bath word like something just shifted and you knew you had to take authority in the spirit and ask God boldly and believingly. Yeah, I think I had a moment in two thousand and nine. I was actually being told I was miscarrying. And I've been in that situation before, but I just in that moment, it didn't matter what they were saying. I stood on God's word and I spoke out loud every day or day for this child is written in God's book. That's straight from the word of God. That wasn't saying I thought up. That wasn't wishful thinking. And I just kept speaking that and I had such peace, and they kept coming back and telling me, you know, you're losing this child. And I just kept saying out loud every day or day, for this child is written in God's book. There's nothing that can change that. So if that's the way God has it, that's the way God has it. But I'm speaking this over and that is the power of life and death right now. And that baby ended up living. That baby is twelve years old. That baby has a beautiful, perfect bill of health. And I truly found that standing on the word of God was my only option and was the option of life and peace in that moment. So yeah, one hundred percent can relate. I had an experience work. It's kind of a baby theme right now. But I had an experience a couple of years ago on a girl's trip. So I have four girlfriends that we've take a girls trip every. Single year and half since college. And so we were on the balcony on the beach and we're just catching up, you know how girls do. Like all we do is just talk talk to about all of our lives. We all kind of live in different states, and so we're catching up on everything. And one of our friends has been trying to get pregnant for a while and they've been going through the I you have journey and they've been going through infertility and you know, just different complications all that kind of stuff. And so as we're talking, I just feel compelled. I mean like pulled out of my seat to lay hands on her and just pray over her. And she's the believer. But I know this is gonna make her very uncomfortable, and I'm just very okay with it, and so I'm like, I'm like, well. We're just gonna pray for you right now. So I get out of my chair. We're on the balcony like this is like we're all hanging out having pizza, right and so I put my hands on her and I just began to pray out loud and I said, Lord, I just want to pray right now for the baby. And then I paused and I said, and my eyes are closed. I said, yes, I said the baby. And I just began to pray for this baby. And as I spoke it afterwards, she said, do you pray with your eyes open? And I was like, no, I pray with my eyes closed. What are you talking about? And she said, because when you said out loud the first time, I want to pray for this baby, I went and she shook her head no, because it was just like she was so hurt. I'm so afraid of disappointment, so afraid of disappointment. And I said yes, I said the baby. Wow. And it was in this moment of like I didn't even know what I was doing right. And she still is not pregnant, but I want you to know we were in seaside and I bought that baby a onesie, and when she gets pregnant, I'm going to be giving that to her as a baby gift, because that baby's coming. But I think there's something so powerful when we get to be we've all been recipients of that when someone. Has prayed over us. But it's so powerful when the spirit pulls you out of your chair, when the spirit puts a word in your heart for you to act. Don't question it. That's not the time to wrestle through it. That's like act on that. And then you get to be a part of that prayer, which I think is so powerful. Which I never finished the story. The woman did get pregnant. Wow. And I was speaking for some. Friends of ours in Austin, Texas, and I have no idea that the mom and her husband now live there. And this beautiful comes out and. She opens up this worship song and it was just this stunning thing. And afterworder, mom comes up and says, that is the baby you prayed for me to have. Oh my gosh. Right before I got up to minister, I just, oh, for sure wept. So I mean again, it wasn't about me, like I can't get someone pregnant when you have that quickening. It happens. Recently. I was in a church up in Denver and I got done ministring and they were kind of like, hey, this is your twenty five minutes, you know, in out get it done. And I stepped off the stage. But I paused, and the pastor's wife, so precious, had sensitivity. She said, you have something else, and I said I do, and I walked out and I said, there are women in this room that you've been trying to get pregnant for a long time. And I had no idea, But this beautiful young girl, multiple miscarriages finally has a baby, still worn and she was afraid to hope, afraid of disappointment, afraid of having the pain again. And I prayed through the stage and I saw her and when I came down, she was actually my makeup artist. I came down and laid hands on. She'd gone to school with my boys, and she recorded this whole video for me that she has a beautiful little boy, and she had gone through IVF multiple times. She had that baby without any IVF. And again, it's just I thought, there's something here and then stepping out and we won't do us perfect choosing. I'm just going to say this. I'm just going to put it out there. There's the goodness of God, there's people here. You're barren, there's a barrenness in your life, and there's a longing for a child. And I said, we're all just going to pray together. We're going to break that barrenness. And I do feel that God is asking each. And every one of us wherever we're at. I remember going to the Orthodontis. I had a car accident and my jaws got messed up and I had to go to the Orthodontis and I'm sitting in there and they're like doing something with my mouth, and I'm hearing, you know. Like they're working on everybody. And these technicians are talking to each other, and the one said, I'm going to go to Saint Augustin and I'm going to go lay my hands on that idol so I can get pregnant. And I'm like, I'm. Like, I'm not, I'm not wires in my mouth. I'm like, don't do that. And I said, you know, in my head, I said, God, if I can somehow. When I'm checking out, she wasn't even working on me. I talked to her, I'm going to pull her aside. Sure enough, as I'm checking out, she walks out, I say, can I have you for just a second. Step into a conference room. I lay hands on her. She's not even a Christian, you know, she's going to the Ripley's believe it or not to lay hands on something. And she was pregnant, and you know, so God is just looking for people who are willing. There was an experience ahead. And I think some of my experiences with God has been things to reveal to me what happens in the spiritual realm, so to even give me better understanding of what why in the nature. These things are so critical because when you talk about prayer again, it's the release, is that prophetic declaration. You're praying the scriptures. And it's a creative partnership between you the Holy Spirit that as you're releasing the words, the Holy Spirit can come in agreement with you and can move and this power. Would be revealed. So there was a time that I was walking to there was this Asian store that I loved so much because they had these almond cookies. And I was walking toget these almond cookies, and there was this boy and he had like some kind of deformity and he was with his mother and the lords. I heard it so clearly, pray for that boy for his healing. And I'm like no. Around the street, you know, I said, I just want to pray my heart, and he said it to me again, go and ask the mother for permission to pray for her son. And I'm like, yeah, you know. I said, Lord, I'm sorry, but this one I'm going to get my cookies. And I felt like I could feel that the Holy Spirit was so grieved. I disobeyed and it was terrible. So I said, God, I'm praying my heart and I've got my cookies. Coming back to my apartment. As I'm walking back, I see this giant man. I mean not even human like it was an angel. It is the giant man. And I think this was maybe my second encounter of an angel. And his skin is very different. And he had this incense in his hands that he was holding. And when I saw him, I said, Lord, not today, no, no, I just kept walking. I said I don't want interade, you know what. I'm exhausted, and so I literally ignored the man and he was no one else could see him. He was just standing there holding this incense. And when I got into my apartment, I could feel how grieve the Holy Spirit was, and I just went in prayer. I said, Lord, I'm so sorry, Like I will be honest with you. I was thinking more about myself in this moment and. Seeing an angel. I don't want to be rebuked, Okay, I'm just I just want to be home. Then the Lord took me I never read that scripture at that time, so years back, took me to when the angels who carried the incense for our prayers, the prayers of the safe, and he said, the angel was waiting to collect the prayer that you would have released for that boy, and you were so concerned about how you would look that you denied my purpose in this moment. And after that day, I was like, Lord, whenever you need. Me to release. A word, I will do it, because then I started understanding the weight of it. Right. So that's why even when you're like I don't want to prayer with people, I'm going to pray, and then you see the fruit of that because you recognize I'm only a vessel that the Holy Spirit wants to partner within this moment and move and do what he desires to do, what he is purpose to do. Now what I'm trying to create here. And so now fast forward when I was faced with another interesting moment. So this was at the church and was a lady. The Lord had revealed her to me as I was coming to the church, like I seen her face. So I get to the church and I see the lady. I'm like, oh my gosh. And it was the first time at the church. So she was using a walker and the Lord said, no, she is going to walk. And then the Holy Spirit said, I want you to take that walk away from her and tell her to run. I said, Lord, if she falls, you know the liability. But I said, you know what, It's not about me, It's about your glory. So I went to the lady and I said, can you just trust him in this moment and give me the walker? And she was like, I've been desiring to, like it has been her prayer. And so she's with her family. So we take the walk away from her. And I was there in the beginning. I was walking behind her just in case. I said, if she falls, and the Lord said to me, get away from her. And when I stepped away from her, she started running. Oh my god. So the walker that she came in with she packed up and put in the car with her family. And I said, you know what, there are other people I've paid for I've not seen the fruit of in that moment. But I said, I was still part that's what the Holy Spirit. Yes, because God's will is going to happen. Yes, if that's his purpose, if that's his plan, the scripture is clear. So like Esther, it's an opportunity for us. God would use somebody else more. Tecaia told her, Remember, it doesn't have to be you, Esther, it could be somebody else. But prayer is a tool to use to help others. What I mean by that is I can have a very difficult workplace conversation and things are very tense, or things are very out of sorts and people are enraged, or I can have a personal relationship where there's a problem, and I've learned that when we move out of our natural and we shift to that tool of prayer, and I can tell you we have parents, you know, that are upset with the teacher and they're going to sue the church, and. You know what, why don't we pray. And you reach across the table to that person, and you reach across that and it builds this bridge. Because Jesus said that when we agree in prayer, when we are in unity, that's the atmosphere for miracles to happen. So the impossible can happen in a workplace. You got this awful boss or this coworker. But when you start your relationship in those tense moments, and I got to testify, I've had some terrible things where it could have just gone really bad. But when you just stop and say, you know, I hear what you're saying. But before we talk more about this, could we just begin this meeting in prayer. I've watched people just about fall out of their chair. Yeah, and something happens where well, sure, sure, sure, Robin, why don't we and the other magic phrase, and it is from the holy space? How can I pray for you? So that has been my testimony that it's not just something for me, it's something that creates this new space that what couldn't happen can happen when we don't do. Prayers the last resort. But as to the first resort, and yeah. Well I love how God cares about the practical. I think that sometimes it's easy to fall into the temptation where you think, oh God only cares about this spiritual, the holy, the healing, the all the things we see. It's like God cares about the practical. And I've lived in the business world for the last twelve years and it's amazing how God has given me the name of my first book. He has given me exactly how many days my devotional should be. He's give me. We'll go into a meeting and it's one of those hard meetings, and I'll say, hey, let's just stop and pray like because the Holy Spirit, when you invite him, will provide supernatural insight, those solutions, the lights into the darkness that we could never get with all our best. Strategies in the world. Right. And so I think just that reminder that we can invite him into the not just big and small, but even into the very practical, into the industries, into the different aspects of our lives. That he knows those things. He's the most creative, he has the best solution, So why would we not invite him into those spaces. I love that you said the practical because I think that sometimes when people think about serving God, they limited to ministry. And when you think. About it, when Jesus said, you know, go into all the earth right and make disciples of all the earth. But he said go, and there's a way that God sends you. Right. God could send you as a mother, He could send you as a business owner, he could send you as an athlete, he could send you in whatever capacity because you're going into an industry to make disciples in that industry. And so God wants to give you creativity for your fashion life. God wants to give you because he wants you to rise to the top. And that because again, influence is a tool in the kingdom. You know, finances is a tool in the kingdom. And I think when people recognize that you can be a servant, you know, to God in fashion, in beauty, in business, in real estate, in all of that. Because there is a way that God sends you, and he might send you and I think that's the beauty, right when he sends them as disciples, right, but he didn't send them as a preacher or a teacher, or he didn't limit them to that. He just sent them as disciples and their disciples in every industry. And the Holy Spirit is the most creative, the most knowledgeable person. I mean, like, what is it that we're missing? You know, you go to the Old Testament and you see when they're building, and the Bible talks about how the Spirit of God gave them wisdom and all skills and craftsmanship, and you're wondering, like, oh, the Holy Spirit is can build you build the space. So I think it's beautiful when you say that, because it allows us to in the practicality of life that God, I have this meeting today. You know, I just want you to give me wisdom, you know, give me strategy for something I've never seen before in tech. God give me this revelation. And I was even studying how when it talks about the last days, how the word of God will go into all the earth and then the end will come. And I said of having appreciation for platforms that are reaching the world, social platforms, and how there are many more things to come, even in tech, in the tech industry that can come from that place of partnership with the Holy Spirit. God, give me what is in your mind for what needs to be created out there. So it's beautiful. Well, and the scripture says, calling to me and ask me, and I will show you great and mighty things that you know not of. And so when we ask, he astounds. And so if we don't ask, it's like you're saying about that angel, there's like a warehouse of things that God wants to release into the earth. But if we don't ask and we don't pray, then he waits because for whatever reason, God has chosen to participate and partner with us. And I just feel like there's this urgency for all of us to know that God. Is saying, I want to hear what your requesting. That's what when I in the Fall was, you know, wrestling through this decision to leave that company, I had this vision, I guess it was of the angels cheering me on. And I know this sounds so silly, but it's like with every act of obedience, like Okay, I've got to go on this meeting and I'm gonna say. This hard thing and I'm so scared. It's like I just imagine they're going, she's gonna do it. She's she's going in, She's gonna do it. Like I just imagine that the heavens are cheering you on. And I think that a witnesses, Yes, it's so real, but if you can visualize that, and for people even watching today, like they've got. Something in front of them and they're like I want to do it. I need to do it. I'm gonna do it, but it just feels so lonely just to visualize, like the vision of that of like people cheering you, like. Got to do it, you could do it. I know it's hard. You got this just remind you you're not alone, and it just I think it gives you that much more momentum to withstand the voice of the enemy trying to stop you when you get those you know, or the fear of man, what's someone gonna think of me? Or whatever, because we need that because it's hard every time. There's never been a time God's asked me to obey and I'm like, oh, that's so. Easy, totally got Like it's always hard, right, Like it's. Always but you know, we're actually invited to come boldly, boldly, not cowardly boldly, you know that whole idea of being strong and of good courage. Yes, because the Lord your God is with you, and there's something about boldness. There's something about saying I can come boldly into his throne room to find mercy and grace in my time. Of need because he has invited us. And Joshua and Caleb had a different spirit than the other ten. While they're all like, okay, yes, God was right. It's a beautiful land, it's amazing, but it's devouring its people. It's got massive walls, you know, and this is a nightmare. We care about our wives and our children. And it sounds like they were. The thoughtful ones, sure, but Joshua and Caleb silenced the people and said, hey, our God is well able, and when we pray, it's a declaration that our God is well, not that I'm well able. You look at the whole dynamic of John the Baptist. Yes, when the Angel appears to Zachariah, he doesn't say the Lord has heard the nation of Israel's prayers. He doesn't say that. He says, the Lord has heard your prayer. And so often our personal prayer has worldwide impact, and so there's people outside. But God is like saying, you don't know what's on the other side of your prayer. And so that cry for a son ended up being. The birthing of the prophetic that was the forerunner for Jesus. So I mean, I just would say to all of us, we can't hesitate, we can't hesitate, we can't limit it to what we've known or seen, and there's people you're listening to us, and you're like, yeah, that's fine, you guys, don't hesitate. But I'm just telling you right now, you don't know what's on the other side of your prayer. And we're not just the only ones asking you. Jesus said, ask, ask. That my Father would be glorified when we create a capacity for God to come into a situation where we have no solution, where we need mercy and grace, where. We have the need for God to wake us up with an answer. When we open up our mouths and say, all right, God, we're asking for the nations. God, we're asking for our nation. God, we're asking for our family, whatever it is that you're asking. When you open up your mouth, you have no idea what you are opening up into the future. So we're going to pray for you that you're going to be embolden in prayer, and so we're not gonna have guilty anymore about what you haven't prayed in the past, or maybe you haven't been faithful. We're going to have this permission to you to be a bold prayer warrior. And if you think I don't know how to start. Well, you know what, I love to pray the Psalms. I love to pray the Psalms. I figure, if David was a man after God's own. Heart, maybe I should just pray the way that he prays. David would be honest about the problem, but then he would always declare God to be the answer. So we're going to pray for you. Father. I just thank you for those that have been wrestling with actually not even knowing how to pray, not knowing when to pray, being afraid to dream again, hope again because maybe they prayed in the past and think they'll only fine disappointment there. Father, we just thank you that you are anointing your children to pray. You are inviting us to ask that you are saying there is something beyond what you think you are asking for. There is something greater. And Father, we're not going to live small, We're not going to live safe. We're not going to just say this is about my needs and my family. Father, We're going to throw wide the door and Father, make us blessings, make us just avenues and condouance of what you want to do in this earth. In Jesus' name, Amen. At TBN, our mission is to use every available means to reach as many individuals and families as possible with the life changing god Gospel of Jesus Christ. Thank you for helping make the Gospel of Grace go around the world. And it's because of you that partner with us that this ministry continues. God bless you.