Hi guys!!! A blessed month to you all! So in the previous post, Rabby did an exclusive on her side of the story in Truth and Loud Voices . In this post, Barry will be doing an exclusive too… Enjoy! As usual, Barry's contributions will be written in bold and Rabby's in Italics.
What I am about to share with you is a little technical (well, when I learnt it first, it was technical for me) so I will try as much as possible to share as many scriptures as possible to support the point I’ll be making. Let me tell you about ‘The Council of Heaven.’
A wise person once said “…the first and main option to problem solving should be prayer not the last resort.” Usually, when we are faced with some difficulty or challenge, we tend to analyze the situation and decipher what the logical next step should be. When all else fails, then we think about lifting up prayers to salvage what’s left of the situation. That, however should not be the case- prayer should not conclude the equation; it should start it. This applies to all situations even the seemingly little ones.
Usually when Rabby and I have an issue and we are about to discuss it, I ask the Holy Spirit to grant me utterance so we settle the issue in peace and love. To us, every conversation matters so I’m careful I don’t end up saying something that I’ll regret later. I can’t tell you enough how much this has helped. We settle issues very quickly and we seldom go to bed upset with each other. We noticed very early in this relationship that when we don’t settle issues before bed, we wake up the following morning in anger or in a very bad mood. That in turn, affects the nature of our day. For us, it is better to be at peace than to hold on to an issue. An issue that may not even be worth the thought at a later time.
As I said, persistent prayer should be your first and only option before approaching an issue. Prayer is a supernatural transaction that takes place in the spirit but affects things in the natural. For there to be any physical manifestation on earth, there needs to be a spiritual backing to effect changes in the natural.
I’ll share something I studied a few months ago – it changed my understanding of prayer. Every human being has a seat in the Council of Heaven. We utilize this seat when we pray and place our petitions before the host of heaven and the Council of God. However, for many people their reserved seat in the council of heaven has not been used in ages. I’ll share some bible scriptures to elaborate. In 2ndChronicles 18:18- 21, Micah saw a glimpse of the Council of Heaven. It is where issues are deliberated and decided on. Here’s an excerpt:
And Micaiah said, “Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing on his right hand and on his left. And the Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab the king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one said one thing, and another said another. Then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord, saying, ‘I will entice him.’ And the Lord said to him, ‘By what means?’ And he said, ‘I will go out, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And he said, ‘You are to entice him, and you shall succeed; go out and do so.’
2ndChronicles 18:18-21
In this excerpt, we see the Council of Heaven seated before God. It is in such a place – that children of God can approach the throne of God to intercede on behalf of others and speak change in the physical realm.
Of course, I’m talking about this in relation to our relationship, but it applies to every aspect of our lives. As children of God, we have been given an upper hand in everything. The onus is on us to take advantage of the opportunity given to us to cause change. Here’s another example of a servant of God taking advantage of his seat in the Council of Heaven:
Abraham answered and said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?” And he said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” Again, he spoke to him and said, “Suppose forty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of forty I will not do it.” Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Suppose thirty are found there.” He answered, “I will not do it, if I find thirty there.”
Genesis 18:27-29
We know how the story goes (if not, please read the passage further). Abraham was dialoguing with the King of kings because he understood he had a seat in the Council of Heaven and was making good use of it. He was interceding on behalf of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, causing God to reconsider wiping the city out entirely, for the sake of God’s children.
Similarly, I have been taking advantage of my seat in the Council of Heaven concerning our relationship and future. I can boldly say that it is the main reason we are cruising smoothly in this ship.
Don’t stop praying for your partner and your relationship. You may be encountering little challenges here and there or you may be going through hell in your relationship. Try praying about it. Don’t allow your ship to grow dim, when it should be a pillar of light. It’s not about what you do in the physical that will solve the problem – fix it in the realm that matters.
We realised how important our relationship is to God a long time ago. He won’t allow it to turn sour when He has the final say. From my experience I implore you to fight in the spirit so that heaven backs you and comes to your aid.
Hope this blog post has been a blessing.
[Originally published on 1st August 2017]