Praying in the Spirit: Unlocking the Power of Prophecy

Prophecies provide access to move into the realm of the spirit.

Many of the prayers recorded in the Bible were provoked by problems. But in Daniel 9, Daniel’s prayer was inspired instead from a prophecy. Let’s look at this great Bible example.

It was the first year of the reign of Darius the Mede, the son of Ahasuerus, who became king of the Babylonians. During the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, learned from reading the word of the Lord, as revealed to Jeremiah the prophet, that Jerusalem must lie desolate for seventy years (Daniel 9:1-2 NLT).

Through the prophecy of Jeremiah (see Jeremiah 25:11-12; 29:10), Daniel came to the understanding that Israel was at the end of their 70-year captivity in Babylon and that they should be returning to their land again. Daniel was among those in the first group to be taken from Jerusalem to Babylon and remained in Babylon the entire 70 prophesied years. While there, he witnessed the fall of the Babylonian Empire and the entrance of the Persian Empire and served as an advisor and influenced emperors, kings, and co-regents of both empires. The next 16 verses record Daniel’s prayer and repentance on behalf of all the people of God who, along with him, were exiled in Babylon. The prophetic words received and recorded by Jeremiah many years earlier became an access through which Daniel got out of the natural and into the spirit.

It was actually when Daniel began to pray from this prophecy that he moved from being conscious of his physical location and situation in Babylon to a place in the spirit where he could see things from God’s view.

Daniel was using this prophecy in prayer to the degree that he had understanding of it. But watch how God gives him further understanding and insight.

As I was praying, Gabriel, whom I had seen in the earlier vision, came swiftly to me at the time of the evening sacrifice. He explained to me, “Daniel, I have come here to give you insight and understanding. The moment you began praying, a command was given. And now I am here to tell you what it was, for you are very precious to God. Listen carefully so that you can understand the meaning of your vision” (Daniel 9:21-23 NLT).

Through prophecy you become more spiritually aware, so it is possible to see what was seen or at least an aspect of what was seen or heard by the person who first uttered the prophecy. It also gives you an opportunity to see more. Why? Because you are in the spirit. This is the place where there’s no time. Time is a part of the natural realm. But here, in the realm of the spirit, you can see events in the future as well as see the purposes and ways of God and what He is doing in any area. And it’s not hard to see.

He brings to your attention what He wants you to see about His purposes. Sometimes you become aware of specific people who are instrumental in God’s purposes. You may also begin to be aware of places that are involved in God’s purposes. You may become aware of the perfect timing and provisions for God’s purposes. In His light you see more light.

But you’re never going to see the details of God’s purposes by looking in the natural realm. It’s the details of the devil’s works and the works of human flesh that you’ll see there. So obviously what you want to do is get into the spirit where you’re keenly aware of God. And in Him, He shows you what you need to see and clarifies your vision.

Remember that old song that says, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.”

The writer of that song obviously experienced the shift that happens when we look full in His wonderful face. These natural, earthly things get strangely dim when your eyes are just upon Him. And as you are looking upon Him, through Him you see what you need to see of His purposes!

I remember once when I was looking to Him, magnifying Him through praise, He invited me to come around and stand behind Him, and eventually I moved into Him. Here, I looked out through His eyes and I was no longer afraid of what I had been afraid of before. You always know, if you’re looking through His eyes, you’re not afraid anymore. You hear through His ears, and you’re not afraid, anxious, or frustrated anymore.

Daniel not only ascended, or got into the spirit, through this prophecy, but while he was in the spirit God gave him more on the subject. He was able then, in that same spirit of prophecy that Jeremiah spoke with, to prophesy more. Daniel wouldn’t have had access to what he prophesied about at the end of the chapter 9 if he hadn’t begun with what Jeremiah had already prophesied in the beginning of the chapter.

I believe that there’s more that God wants us to pray and prophesy, but you don’t have access to these things unless you acknowledge what has been said already. Sometimes people pray, “God, give us a word. Give us a word.” But they need to ask if God already gave a word on that subject. Go back to what has already been given. Does God have more to say? He surely may have more to say, but the Holy Spirit will often lead you to first acknowledge and appreciate what already has been given.

God’s prophetic word becomes an access for you to get into the spirit where there could be more to be said, more to be seen, more to be declared or prayed.

Typically, prophecies are for a specific or different time than when they were first given. This example in Daniel helps us serve the Lord in prayer because it shows us that in the right season the Holy Spirit leads us to find those prophecies whose fulfillment we are to pray into now. These are prophecies that are written in the Word of God or words given through the spirit of prophecy down through time that the Holy Spirit will highlight to us and can be used to get in the spirit. And, instead of the prophecies just being something that you’ve heard or read somewhere, you actually move into the place in the spirit where God shows or speaks them. They are living oracles. Once there, the Lord can show you at least a portion or part of what was being seen by others, including the person who originally gave the prophecy.

In the spirit when you see God’s plans and purposes, you are inspired to re-articulate the particular prophecies having to do with them. Faith for God’s plans and purposes comes as He shows them to you. You pick up on the same spirit of prophecy and speak in faith. In this way, we get to participate with others who have seen the same purposes in God and work together with them to bring them to pass (see Hebrews 11:39-40).

This charge and admonition I commit in trust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with prophetic intimations which I formerly received concerning you, so that inspired and aided by them you may wage the good warfare (1 Timothy 1:18 AMPC).

Paul wrote this to his spiritual son. There are words of prophecy that have been given over a personal life or regarding a church or a word of prophecy regarding the Church proper. What do you do with those words of prophecy? Yes, they are inspiring. Yes, they are interesting. They are important and encouraging, but they are actually more than that. They can be used like Paul was telling Timothy here, to wage a good warfare. Where is a good warfare waged? In the natural? No, it’s done in the spirit. Also, you can use words of prophecy as an access to be able to transition from the natural sense realm into the spirit. In the spirit and from this place in the spirit, you can see what was being seen when that prophecy was originally given. In the spirit is where true prophecy was seen, heard, and given.

In the same way that details of natural scenery can be identified and described, the details of things witnessed in the spirit can also be identified and described.