Our Prayer Siege is Producing Breakthrough
As intercessors, we must be strong in perseverance. Whether interceding for a person or a nation, it often requires a prolonged season of time to see results. This is not because it takes a while to convince or motivate God, but our prayers are releasing His power into situations to change people’s thinking, stop demonic activity, release life, and more. These things require a persistent release of power until they are fully accomplished.
Prayer is usually more like a siege than one quick battle. In fact, that is one of the meanings of the Old Testament words for a watchman. The concept of a siege implies time and process. Though most breakthroughs seem sudden, they are really a culmination of much that has happened to prepare the way. Galatians 6:9 tells us, “Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.” “Time” in this verse is the Greek word kairos, which means “strategic or opportune” time, contrasted to the Greek word chronos which means “general, chronological time.” Nothing strategic or opportunistic about chronos – it’s just a general season or progression of time. Kairos, on the other hand, is a portion of that season that has now become strategic, producing an opportunity. For example, the time from plowing a field, up until harvest begins, is chronos; harvest season is kairos. From the conception of a child to labor is chronos, the time of labor and birth is kairos.
Galatians 6:9 is telling us that if we persevere, we will come to the opportune time of reaping or breakthrough. Whether praying for the salvation of a person
or revival in a nation, a prolonged season of chronos activity is usually necessary before the exciting kairos window of opportunity arrives.
While meditating on this concept years ago, Holy Spirit began teaching me that a kairos window is simply the final phase of a longer chronos process. He didn’t want me to despise or minimize the importance of the mundane portion of time. Chronos and kairos are linked; they’re different, yes, but parts of the same process. We cannot have a kairos opportunity without a chronos season, for it is the chronos season that produces the kairos window of time. If there is no plowing, planting, watering, weeding, protecting, etc., there will be no harvest. Most suddenlies, as in revival, aren’t really suddenlies; they are the result of prayer “sieges” that made it all the way to breakthrough.
Daniel 2:20-21 (AMPC) speaks of times changing: Blessed be the name of God forever and ever! For wisdom and might are His! He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and sets up kings He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding!”
This changing of times and seasons takes place in our individual lives again and again as we move from one phase to another. The scriptures tell us we go from:
- Brighter to brighter paths (see Proverbs 4:18)
- Faith to faith (see Romans 1:17)
- Glory to glory (see 2 Corinthians 3:18)
- Strength to strength (see Psalm 84:7).
The passage in Psalm 84 that speaks of us going “from strength to strength” begins by saying in verse 6, “passing through the valley of Baca [weeping] they make it a spring.” Verse 7 then says we go “from strength to strength.” It is persevering in the chronos time of frustration and weeping, when all sometimes seems difficult and fruitless, that allows God to transform us, producing another kairos time of growth.
Some chronos seasons are long, which none of us like. After God made promises to Abraham concerning a nation that would come from him through Sarah, there was a 24-year chronos season requiring much faithfulness, commitment, and patience. Though not perfectly, Abraham and Sarah persevered through this time until God’s timing shift occurred, transforming chronos to kairos. In Genesis 18:10 He said: “I will surely return to you at this time next year; and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son.” The word for time in this verse is the Hebrew word eth, which is equivalent to the Greek word kairos. Chronos became kairos and the promise was fulfilled.
After refusing to believe and respond to God properly, Israel wandered for forty years in a chronos wilderness season. In Joshua 1, the shift occurred; God changed the season to kairos: “Within three days, you are to cross this Jordan” (Joshua 1:11).
After his dramatic conversion in Acts 9, Saul – later named Paul – went into a lengthy season of chronos. It was those twelve years of faithful study, equipping, and transformation on the Potter’s wheel, however, that allowed Holy Spirit to cause the shift in Acts 13, changing chronos to kairos: “While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them,’” (v.2).
In the 1940s through the 1980s, much of Europe was under a shroud of Communist oppression and bondage. The Iron Curtain held millions of hopeless souls in captivity, while a seemingly helpless world looked on. During this chronos season of seeming inactivity, however, much was actually occurring in the spirit realm. Untold thousands of prayers went up for the liberation of this sector of the world and the fall of Communism. In what seemed like a day, the siege bore its fruit and God created a divine shift. Chronos was transformed into kairos and the Iron Curtain came down. This did not happen in spite of the chronos season; it happened because of what was taking place in and through the chronos season.
Hang in there! You may be only days from your kairos. The divine shift may be imminent, and your faithfulness is helping create it. Also, America may seem far from revival. But do not grow weary in your praying and activity. Our siege is producing a breakthrough. He who promised is faithful, and America shall be saved!
Let the sieges continue!
“And don’t allow yourselves to be weary or disheartened in planting good seeds, for the season of reaping the wonderful harvest you’ve planted is coming!” (Galatians 6:9)
Pray with me:
Father, how interesting that the word watchmen has both a defensive and offensive meaning. I am struck by the fact that a word used to describe protection, is also used to describe war and conquering. More than ever, we ask You to make us watchmen. We want to protect our families, homes, cities, and nations – yes. But where satan has already gained a foothold, we want to lay siege in prayer, cutting off his supply lines and communications, while barraging him with powerful decrees and declarations of Your words.
We know satan has been defeated. But we also know that through ignorance and sin he has been allowed to rule territories and lives. It is without question, however, that as we do what You instructed us to do, we will rescue these territories and lives from him, transferring them into Your Kingdom of blessing and life. So we ask You to shift us fully into the season of harvest. May we fulfill both Mark 16 – expanding Your family all over the world, and Matthew 28 – teaching entire nations Your ways and Kingdom principles. As we do this, we know transformation will be monumental, bringing life, health, and peace.
We decree sieges have begun and will intensify in Asia, Australia, Europe, Africa, South America, North America, and the islands. We decree also that the siege of Washington D.C. and America will also intensify. We declare that the corruption and evil in this nation will be exposed, especially in government. We declare that the righteousness of God will once again invade the government of America. We decree that the salvation of the Lord is coming to this land and will not be stalled. This is not because we deserve it – no one deserves salvation. It is because of Your mercy. And we declare that the destiny You have called America to will be accomplished.
We boldly declare that every stronghold over America is being demolished. Every principality ruling us is being thrown down. Every giant will fall, in the mighty, all-powerful name of Jesus Christ. Amen
Our decree:
We decree that the relentless power of God is being released all over the earth to weaken strongholds, and activate the greatest harvest in history!
Portions of today’s post were taken from my book Watchman Prayer.