Ron Sawka Ministries
December 04, 2024; Kislev 3, 5785
“Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me” (Rom. 15:30, emphasis added).
“Brethren, pray for us” (1 Thess. 5:25).
Apostolic for Korea Meeting—“Anointing for the New and Great Enlargement”
Thursday, December 19, 8 p.m.
We have felt led to begin a monthly online Apostolic for Korea meeting. I hope many of you can join us live on Zoom or watch via YouTube.
Three Reasons Why We Need to Ask the Lord for Personal Intercessors
Online Apostolic Center MPP, Week 5
Every week, the Lord emphasizes something new to us. This week, it was the need for personal intercessors. We need to have others praying for us, especially as we are entering this time of new and great enlargement. Several times, Jesus told His disciples that He prayed for them (see Luke 22:31–33; John 17:9). Paul not only prayed for the many believers He had raised up, but also asked them to pray for him and with him. He writes, “Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me” (Rom. 15:30, emphasis added). He asks for this multiple times in his letters.
Why is it so important to have personal intercessors? A few reasons are as follows:
1. Protection because of spiritual warfare—I learned this years ago from C. Peter Wagner when we were involved in various 10/40 Window* prayer journeys. Each person who went on a journey had to be sure to have several intercessors praying daily from two weeks before the journey, throughout the journey, and up to three weeks after the trip ended. He had found that without this prayer covering, those slated to go often had an illness or something to prevent their going—or a problem would arise during the journey—or something would occur to them or a family member up to three weeks after the trip ended. We sent many teams from Japan and ensured all followed those guidelines to have personal intercessors. It was amazing. No mishaps. All were protected. No backlash. We all need this, especially now.
*C. Peter Wagner organized strategic prayer for the 10/40 Window nations from 1993–1999, with an emphasis on prayer journeys to target nations. It seems evangelism exploded in most of those nations as a result.
2. For our spiritual eyes to be open and be able to discern—Even though we are well aware of the devil and demons and how they try to hinder—or at least give backlash after the ministry is over, I am surprised how easy it is to be lulled into a false sense of security and just overlook/ignore the reality of the devil and the spiritual warfare he is constantly waging. We are all being shifted into larger spheres to influence. Demonic opposition can intensify. In Ephesians 1:18, Paul prays that the eyes of our heart would be opened so we can better see into the spiritual realm.
During our second term as missionaries in Japan (many years ago), in our second church we saw lots of people get saved. But then the devil rose against us, and all kinds of problems ensued. The issue was that I wasn’t aware that the demonic was behind it all. I was tired and discouraged by the constant problems. One night I was praying and “happened” to find a pamphlet describing how a minister learned how to bind and drive out hindering demons. So, I decided to try the same thing. I boldly and forcefully commanded anything hindering to leave me. I was shocked because suddenly I felt as if “beings” were being forced to release their claws from my back and shoulders and lift off of me. A few seconds earlier, I hadn’t been aware of anything, and now suddenly I knew demons had long been opposing me and were forced to leave because I commanded them to. I was filled with incredible peace, faith, and fire of the Holy Spirit. Wow!
I am sure this happened because someone, somewhere had prayed for me, causing my eyes to be opened and enabling me to be led by the Holy Spirit and to see the spiritual reality. An intercession team will help all of us to have our spiritual eyes increasingly opened.
3. To give us the enlarged ministry God plans for us—In 1 Kings 12 when young Rehoboam ascended to the throne after the death of his father, Solomon, the twelve tribes of Israel gathered and requested that he lighten the load of taxes and obligations they had to carry. The older counselors advised him: “If you will be a servant to these people today, and serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever” (1 Kings 12:7, emphases added). Sadly, Rehoboam pridefully chose to exert his “personal rights and authority” as king. Ten tribes immediately left him. So instead of twelve tribes, he was left with only two. It was just a fraction—a mere sixth—of what God had intended for him.
We don’t want only a fraction of what God wants to give us. If having intercession will help us keep a right heart and attitude so God can give us enlargement, then we should want it. Perhaps we will double, triple, or as the converse of the above example shows, end up with six times as much!
Conclusion? Don’t be shy about asking people to pray for you in general. But beyond that, ask the Lord to give you intercessors who will regularly and faithfully pray for you. Let the Lord raise them and connect them to you.
Asking the Lord for personal intercessors—In this new season of enlargement, I am asking for personal intercessors for all of you, as well as for myself. I need intercessors who will look at my schedule and pray for every meeting, for every webcast, and for every journey. I need people who feel led to regularly—or even daily—pray for me personally.
Test it—If you feel led to be a personal intercessor, then pray and ask the Holy Spirit to confirm this to you. If after a week or two you still feel strongly that God is calling you to personal intercession for me, then please let me know by writing info@rwsministries.com.
Thanks for your praying,
Ron and Teddy
Blessings for the Hebrew Month of Kislev
Kislev 5785—The Ninth Hebrew Month, December 2–31, 2024
Be Sure to Celebrate
Kislev is the ninth month. The number nine symbolizes fruitfulness, completion, fullness of blessings, and the Holy Spirit (nine gifts and nine fruit). This connects to our having received the “breath of God” as per Abraham and Sarah and the Eleven (see Gen. 17, John 20:21–23), so think “exceeding fruitfulness.” This fruitfulness comes because of the miraculous power of God working in our lives. Rejoice!
Ron’s Travel Ministry Schedule
Jan. 22–25—Project 173, Mexico City, Mexico
Broadcast Schedule
Weekly
Apostolic Center MPP
Mondays (except for Japanese Public Holidays in which case it will be on Tuesday), 6–7 a.m., Japan Time. (Times are listed in Japan Time, UTC +9.)
Schedule: Dec. 9, 16
How to Join
You can watch on YouTube or join live via Zoom:
Zoom ID: 865 1546 9529, Pass: 964072
Zoom main room is English translated into Japanese
Chinese translation room
Russian translation room
Korean translation room