Kings and Priests in Prayer

Early on during intense times of intercessor prayer, I noticed there were times when I would sense a shifting take place in the spirit.  One minute my heart might be broken and the next minute I would feel confident and strong in my prayers; one minute I might be calmly talking to the Lord about whatever burden I was feeling, and the next minute I would be standing up, boldly proclaiming scriptures over the previous burden.  For years, I didn't have much understanding about why that was happening, instead, I concentrated on simply following the Lord with what I believed He was leading me to do.  Then one night during corporate prayer at my church, I felt the Lord lead me to a banner hanging on the sanctuary wall.  When I looked at it, I noticed it had a crown on it and right next to the crown there was a priest's head-gear.  As I looked at it, the Lord reminded me of two scriptures: one in the New Testament that said we are "kings and priests" and the other was in the Old Testament, but I wasn't sure of the exact wording.  I picked up my Bible, looking at both scriptures.  The Lord began teaching me so many things about how we, as intercessors, stand in these two roles during prayer.  For weeks, it seemed like He would use anything to teach me more on this topic.  I hope to share just a little of those lessons here on this blog.

In Revelation 1:5-6, John speaks of these two different roles--kings and priests--stating, "To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father..."

I Peter 5:9 tells that we are a "royal priesthood."

Revelation 5:10 says, "we are kings and priests to God."

The Old Testament has much more to say about these two roles.  Here's a word from the Lord to Zechariah:

     "Take the silver and gold, make an elaborate crown, and set it on the head of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest.  Then speak to him, saying, 'Thus says the Lord of hosts, saying: "Behold, the Man whose name is the BRANCH!  From His place He shall branch out.  And He shall build the temple of the Lord; yes, He shall build the temple of the Lord.  He shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule on His throne; so He shall be a priest on his throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both."'"  Zechariah 6:11-13 NKJV

Alright, there's a lot going on in this passage.  This was basically a prophetic act that symbolized both offices of priest and king that Jesus, the BRANCH, would walk in.  In this prophetic act, Zechariah is told by God to make an elaborate crown and place it on the high priest, Joshua.  God is giving them a tangible picture of the coming messiah who would be both king and priest.  We know that physically, naturally speaking, Jesus didn't hold either of these offices when he was on the earth for those 33 1/2 years, but spiritually He did.  And right now He is both king and priest.  Not only is He the King of Kings, but He is also at the right hand of our Father God making intercession (as priest) for us right now!  Praise God!!

Spiritually, we are kings and priests, too!!!  For me, understanding the basics of these roles ignited my prayer life.  Revelation of these scriptures just boosted how I prayed to another level.  It was easier to allow the Holy Spirit to direct me when I was praying for others because I had a better understanding of what I was feeling and what I was being led to do.

Let's look at these two offices.  The Old Testament priests had many duties.  One of their main duties was to offer sacrifices to God for the sins of the people.  During these sacrifices, the priests didn't wear the normal clothing of the time, but they wore certain clothing that God told them which included the ephod that they wore over their hearts that contained one jewel for each tribe of Israel.  This signified that the priests carried the people on their hearts.  (Many of you who intercede for others know exactly what that feels like, to wear others on your hearts, to feel a burden for them.)  Since the people could not go into the temple and ask for their sins to be forgiven, the priest was responsible to stand before God to ask Him to forgive the people of their sins.  The priest was the "go-between" or the "intercessor."  Since I'm having a hard time attaching Word files to this blog for some reason, please picture the priest standing between God and the people.

When we pray for others, we are also fulfilling the role of an intercessor, a go-between, a figurative priest.  We stand before God, with someone else's need on our heart.  We are standing between God and that need, asking God for His help.

Worship and praise was another duty of Old Testament priests.  They ministered to God in this way.  It's exciting for me to think how we, as spiritual priests, minister to the Lord, too.  Because of Jesus, there is no veil between us and the presence of the Lord; we can come boldly before Him and touch His heart with our worship and adoration.  There were many other duties of priests, but these two basic areas are enough to eventually make the point I'm trying to make.

Kings also had many responsibilities.  The part I want to highlight is how kings were like judges in Bible times.  People would come before the king with their disputes and the king would make a judgment about what should be done.  Once the decree went out of the king's mouth, there were others who were in charge of making sure that decree was obeyed.  As spiritual kings, there are times we can allow God to use our mouths to bring justice to situations and that justice, many times, involves binding demonic spirits that have been working.  We don't have to worry about making sure the decree is obeyed--God will take care of that--He has His heavenly court attendants who listen for God's word and they see to it that the decree of God is followed.  We just have to do our part and declare what He wants us to declare over the situation.  As a king you and I are still an intercessor, a go-between, standing between God and whatever we've been praying about.  Only this time, we aren't facing God; this time God is behind us--backing us with His authority because we are speaking His words, declaring His justice over whatever injustice has been occuring. 

I hope you can picture what I'm trying to describe.  As a priest and as a king, both times we are standing in between God and the need/person/demonic strongholds/ injustice/WHATEVER it is!!  As a priest, we face God and talk to Him.  As a king we turn around and face the problem with God behind us, backing us.  That's so incredible to me! 

Like I mentioned earlier, I remember for years as I learned to obey the Lord in intercessory prayer, there were times I would notice a shifting taking place that I didn't quite understand.  I would go from weeping over someone and their needs to standing up in power and authority declaring words over the situation.  Sometimes I would go from grief to feeling victory, other times from reverence and respect to feeling mad and wanting God's justice to be done.  Then, when the Lord began showing me about these two spiritual roles, I believe what was happening was that in the spirit, I was acting as a priest one moment, then as a king the next.  Those are two different positions!  No wonder I would act, feel, and speak differently in each.

Let me try to further explain this truth with more of a contemporary parallel.  I am a wife, a mother, a friend, a church member, a daughter, and to some I am an acquaintance.  These are a few of the roles I fill or the "hats" I wear.  And just like you, I alternate between hats many times a day--depending on who I am talking to and what situation I'm in.  I can be cooking dinner for my family, while solving a dispute between my children, during which time my husband may come home from work to give me a hug and talk to me about his day.  The phone may then ring, during which time I encourage my friend who is on the other line.  After I hang up the phone, a really annoying phone solicitor (ha!) may call.  In this one scenario, I have worn several hats: mommy, wife, friend, and stranger.  What I say, feel, and even my tone of voice all depends on who I'm talking to.  While I have authority and responsibility to raise my children, I speak to them with a certain tone of voice--especially when solving a dispute between children.  I certainly wouldn't speak to that solicitor with the same wording and tone that I would my friend or my husband.  And if we were to examine my feelings during each situation, they would also greatly vary.  What I'm trying to point out is that we ACT, SPEAK, and FEEL differently in each role or hat we are wearing.  Do you agree?

With that being said, I say the same is true spiritually.  Prayer is one thing--it's talking to God.  Intercessory prayer is a different thing: sometimes we are talking to God, sometimes we are speaking to things--like mountains of opposition, sometimes we are speaking to principalities and powers, sometimes we are speaking to our own flesh.

So many times I have felt a shifting in the spirit as I am worshipping God, ministering to Him as a priest and then this feeling of authority would come upon me and I would feel led to speak over situations, as a king, pronouncing God's justice.  (Some of you have felt that many times, too, I know.)  I don't have the same feelings and tone of voice when I speak TO God as I do when I speak TO the devil.  We honor and respect and love the Lord, but we feel indignation and a desire to want justice when we see people who are bound by the devil and need to be set free.  The explains some of the different emotions, tone of voice, and actions that we feel during prayer.

-----------------------------------

Look back at the passage in Zechariah.  The end of verse 13 says, "And the counsel of peace would be between them both."  Both what?  Both offices of king and priest.  This was saying that Jesus wouldn't have any role-conflict.  During that time, it was forbidden for a high priest to also be a king--he could not hold both offices.  But God, through Zechariah was foretelling of the coming Messiah who would be both priest and king and that there wouldn't be any inner conflict in Jesus about those two different roles.  Jesus would know when He was supposed to act like a priest and He would know when to as as a king.

Think about it this way.  Let's say I am at work and my daughter calls me from school because she is sick.  I might have role-conflict, not sure of what to do since there are deadlines at work and my boss really needs me there and my daughter is very sick and really needs me to come get her and take care of her.  Which do I choose?  (Of course my daughter....)  My conflict is between these two different roles of being an employee and being a mother.

Since Jesus was perfectly led by God, He always knew the timing of the Spirit.  He didn't have role-conflict.  There was peace between both offices of king and priest that He walked in while on this earth. What happened when Lazarus was raised from the dead is a perfect example.

In John 11, Lazarus is dead and in the tomb when Jesus comes to see about him.  In verse 33, Jesus"groaned IN THE SPIRIT and was troubled."  In verse 35, "Jesus wept."  And in verse 38, Jesus groaned "within Himself."  People around Him are thinking He is grieving because He loves Lazarus so much.  Yes, He does love Lazarus, but that's not what is happening.  He was in trevail.  The Holy Spirit was praying through Jesus with "groanings which cannot be uttered" ( Rom. 8:26).    Jesus was dressed as a priest, interceding for Lazarus.  Spiritually, Jesus was positioned BETWEEN God and Lazarus.  As a priest, He prayed TO God with Lazarus BEHIND Him.  Afterward, a shifting takes place...Jesus is still spiritually positioned BETWEEN God and Lazarus, only this time He is FACING Lazarus with God BEHIND Him, backing Jesus with His authority.  I believe if we could see that in the spirit realm, we would see Jesus with a crown on and a scepter in His hand as He declares, "Lazarus, come forth!"  God Almightly backs that decree with resurrection power that enters Lazarus' stinky, smelly, dead body and he comes to life.  WOW!

Jesus went from crying and groaning, to declaring the Word of God with authority.  There was no role-conflict here--He knew the timing of the Holy Spirit and look at the results.

There are times we are to wear our priestly garments and minister to the Lord and there are times we turn around and He leads us to address demonic spirits and situations with our God-given, kingly authority.  I believe that it's God's will that we as intercessors walk in both of these offices, knowing and learning the timing of the Spirit when we intercede.  We won't have role-conflict either when we are allowing the Holy Spirit to direct our prayer lives.