A Command Center
We often think of a prayer room as a place set apart to commune with God. Whether one enters alone or there is a group, it is thought the purpose is the same. But Jesus, Commander-in-Chief of the Heavenly host, looks at the prayer room, or secret place, much differently. Pondering this one day, I heard Him say:
This is more than a prayer room. It is a command center from where I can rally the troops and send them out on assignment or reconnaissance.
Interesting word, reconnaissance. Why did He choose this word, in particular? Reconnaissance is defined in the US Army Field Manual (FM 7-92; Chapter 4) as follows:
Reconnaissance is a mission to obtain information by visual observation or other detection methods, about the activities and resources of an enemy or potential enemy, or about the meteorologic, hydrographic, or geographic characteristics of a particular area.
Reconnaissance does not, it appears, remain inside. Wikipedia goes on to describe reconnaissance in this way:
In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration outside an area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about natural features and other activities (i.e., enemy presence) in the area.
The above description of reconnaissance reminded me of an article my friend, Mary, saw on the front page of The Times newspaper on Veterans Day 2007. It was the first time the interviewed WWII veteran was able to share his experiences of being part of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS). According to military records, the OSS is a group assembled “to harass the enemy and cut communication and supply routes.” Their covert activities included destroying bridges, roads, and train tracks, to keep the enemy from inundating Allied Forces. They were a selected few that functioned secretly during WWII, effectively thwarting enemy plans.
Applying the concept of thwarting enemy plans to prayer, Dutch Sheets writes in his book, Intercessory Prayer, on page 252: (The Holy Spirit) is equipping us to ‘spy out’ the enemy’s plans and strongholds, ‘ambushing’ him in the spirit. This perspective is essential in Spiritual Prayer Mapping, a tool used to address the strongholds of the enemy in a community.
A few days later, the Holy Spirit spoke again:
It is a time to fight, to stand for righteousness and justice. It is time to arise with passion and deliberate purpose. It is the time, Oh Warrior Bride, to win the battle that’s beginning to rage. War now, before the enemy takes hostages, cripples the weak, makes deep inroads into the territory. My Territory. Kingdom advancement – that is my desire. That is my commission to all who would hear and adhere to my call!
The Warrior Bride is a picture of the Church, the Bride of Christ in these last days. Have you – man or woman, old or young – answered the call?