Governing Guildford from Heaven
Definition
Prayer is the act by which the Church aligns earth with the will of heaven. Before strategy, before outreach, before structure — heaven must speak and we must listen. Prayer establishes spiritual order so that everything built afterward stands on divine authority, not human effort. Through prayer, believers are forged in God’s presence and released to speak with heaven's authority.
Biblical Foundation
Prayer, in the teaching of Jesus, is not vague spirituality. It has content, structure, purpose, and expectation.
1. What About Prayer
Prayer is taught - “Lord, teach us to pray.” (Luke 11:1)
2. Where to Pray
Prayer requires separation - “Go into your room and shut the door…” (Matthew 6:6)
3. How to Pray
The manner of prayer - “Do not heap up empty phrases…” (Matthew 6:7)
4. What to Pray
The content of prayer - “Give us… Forgive us… Lead us…” (Matthew 6:11–13)
5. Why to Pray
The purpose of prayer - “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done…” (Matthew 6:10)
6. Expectation in Prayer
Prayer assumes answers - “Ask… and it will be given…” (Luke 11:9)
7. The Result of Prayer
What prayer produces - “Your Father… will reward you.” (Matthew 6:6) (Matthew 6:33)
The Nature of God's Speaking
The New Covenant Way of Divine Communication
“This is the covenant I will make with them…
I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts.” (Jeremiah 31:33)
He initiates communication:
Under the New Covenant, God the Father commits Himself to speak and
Prayer trains the believer to recognize God’s voice in the heart and mind
How God Actually Speaks Today
A child is heard by the Father because the child draws near.
He speaks where there is attention, stillness, and trust.
Seven Levels of Prayer
Introduction
Prayer — it has dimensions, depth, and purposes. The Bible shows us that prayer starts from simple daily thanksgiving and ascends into apostolic confrontation over nations.
1. Religious Prayer (Formal or Learned Prayers)
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Verse: 1 Timothy 4:4–5 – “For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.”
2. Prayer of Faith (Private Devotional Prayer)
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Verse: Matthew 6:6 – “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen...”
3. Spiritual Prayer (Praying in the Spirit, Tongues & Mysteries)
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Verse: 1 Corinthians 14:2 – “For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to people but to God. Indeed, no one understands them; they utter mysteries by the Spirit.”
4. Intercessory Prayer (Birthing, Koilia & Odino)
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John 7:38 – “Rivers of living water will flow from within them [koilia, womb].”
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Galatians 4:19 – “I am again in the pains of childbirth [odino] until Christ is formed in you.”
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5. Spiritual Warfare Prayer (Binding & Loosing)
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Verse: Matthew 18:18 – “Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
6. Strategic Prayer (Fasting & Directional Prayer)
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Verses:
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Daniel 10:2–3 – Daniel fasted 21 days for revelation.
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Matthew 4:1–2 – Jesus fasted 40 days before His ministry began.
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Acts 13:2–3 – The church fasted, and the Spirit appointed missionaries.
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7. Apostolic / Territorial Prayer (Binding the Strongman)
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Verse: Mark 3:27 – “No one can enter a strong man’s house without first tying him up. Then he can plunder the strong man’s house.”
The Three Keys to Effective Prayer According to Jesus
“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” Mark 11:22–25 (NIV)
1. Prayer is addressed to the Father.
He is the One who authorizes the answer. Jesus taught, “Whatever you ask the Father in my name, He will give you” (John 16:23). We pray to the Father in the Name of the Jesus. The Son makes access possible through His finished work. The Holy Spirit is the One who carries out and manifests what heaven has authorized.
2. Prayer must be Ask in Faith — Without Doubt.
Faith means settled confidence and spiritual certainty. Effective prayer stands firm in what it asks. whoever believes and does not doubt in his heart will receive what he asks.. Faith is a conviction rooted in the heart that refuses to entertain doubt. if the heart believes, the mouth can speak with authority.
3. Forgive Before You Pray.
Jesus immediately connects forgiveness with answered prayer. Unforgiveness blocks spiritual flow. Resentment closes the heart. A forgiving spirit keeps the channel open between the believer and the Father. Forgiveness is releasing the debt and refusing to hold the offense.
In this teaching, Jesus makes it clear: effective prayer rests on right access, right faith, and a right heart. Where these three align, prayer moves with heaven’s authority.
The Current Need
What Has Prayer Become?
In much of the Church today, prayer has been reduced to:
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A private devotional habit
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An emergency response in times of crisis
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A brief opening or closing ritual around meetings
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A means of personal comfort rather than spiritual alignment
It is often sincere — but disconnected from authority and direction.
What Is Missing?
What is largely missing is prayer as spiritual government.
Prayer has lost:
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Its place as the first act of obedience
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Its role in discerning heaven’s will before acting
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Its function in shaping leaders before sending them
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Its power to establish order before expansion
Without this, activity multiplies, but authority diminishes.
Why Must Prayer Be Restored?
Because without restored prayer:
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The Church speaks, but heaven has not yet spoken
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Plans advance, but alignment is uncertain
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Mission becomes effort-driven instead of Spirit-led
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Words lose weight, and witness loses credibility
Prayer must be restored not as an option, but as the governing foundation of all apostolic work. Only then can the Church speak to the city with clarity, authority, and integrity.
“Operational Model” - Prayer
How Prayer Functions Across the City
Prayer is organized, distributed, and sustained locally across the wards of the city, so that every area is covered, every initiative is submitted to God, and every action flows from alignment with heaven. This is not centralized only. It is territorial and relational.
Prayer is not confined to a meeting — it is distributed across the city and sustained through obedient collaboration.
What This Means Practically?
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Prayer is established locally in each ward
Through homes, churches, and available premises offered for prayer. -
Houses of Prayer become points of spiritual alignment
Not buildings of prestige, but spaces of humility, listening, and intercession. -
Churches and believers partner together
Lending space, time, and people to sustain prayer in the city. -
Prayer precedes and accompanies evangelism and mission
Every outreach is covered before, during, and after. -
Leadership (Apostolic Team) provides oversight and unity
Ensuring prayer remains aligned with Scripture, humility, and purpose.
How to Do It Properly
“If this resonates with you, here is how you can step closer.”
Becoming an Active Participant:
Participation
“Where do I fit?”
Not everyone participates the same way — and this is honored.
Prayer is sustained when many carry it together. Participation is flexible, practical, and shared across the city. Participation is also according to calling, capacity, and season.
Ways to Participate
Join Weekly Prayer
Participate in regular prayer gatherings within your ward or local area.
1. Cover a 24-Hour Prayer Slot
Commit to a specific hour, helping to sustain continuous prayer across the city.
2. Host a House of Prayer
Open your home as a place of prayer for your ward or neighbourhood.
3. Partner Through Your Church
Churches may offer space, time, or people to strengthen prayer coverage.
4. Support Prayer Teams
Encourage and support those who are serving consistently in prayer.
5. Provide Premises or Facilities
Lend a room, hall, or venue to serve as a regular place of prayer.
6. Stand as an Intercessor
Carry the city before God privately while remaining connected to the wider vision.
7. Support the Work Practically
Assist with coordination, communication, hospitality, or logistics.
“If one or more of these resonate with you, we invite you to take the next step.”
Expected Fruit
When prayer is restored to its governing place, the work of God advances with clarity, authority, and endurance. The fruit is not accidental; it is the result of alignment. Fruit is - “What God is committed to do when prayer governs.”
1. God’s Desire: That None Should Perish
“The Lord is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” — 2 Peter 3:9
The primary fruit God seeks is not activity, but salvation. Prayer aligns the Church with heaven’s urgency for souls. No one is beyond God’s reach, delayed by background, condition, or circumstance.
2. The Father Is Actively Seeking the Lost
“The Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost.” — Luke 19:10
Prayer positions the Church to cooperate with God’s searching heart. Evangelism becomes participation in what God is already doing, not an attempt to convince Him to act.
3. Fruit That Remains Is the Expectation of Jesus
“I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit—and that your fruit should remain.” — John 15:16
The expected fruit is not momentary response, but lasting transformation. Prayer produces endurance, depth, and continuity, so what is born does not quickly fade.
4. God Saves Under Any Circumstances
“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” — Acts 16:31 (Philippian jailer)
God saves in prisons, crises, darkness, and desperation. Prayer removes limitations we place on when and how God can save. No environment is too closed, no moment too late.
5. Faith, Even Small, Is Met by God
“If you have faith as a mustard seed…” — Matthew 17:20
The fruit God seeks is not perfected faith, but responsive hearts. Prayer prepares the ground where even small faith can encounter a great Savior.
6. Life Is Given So That Many May Believe
“Did not even the dead rise… and many believed in Him.” — John 11:45 (after Lazarus was raised)
God’s power is not restrained by death, hopelessness, or finality. Prayer aligns the Church with a God who restores life so that many may believe.
7. The Father Is Glorified When Fruit Multiplies
“By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit.” — John 15:8
The ultimate fruit is the glory of God revealed through lives transformed, families restored, and a city touched by the gospel.
When prayer governs, the Church aligns with the Father’s unrelenting commitment to save, restore, and give life—without limitation or prejudice.