The Intercessors' Corner

Advocates

In Prayer


 

The folLowing is an alphabetical listing of prayer partners who have joined the Advocates In Prayer Intercessors' Circle.  This list serves as a directory of our prayer partners.  Those whose names are underscored and in blue are book marked to a profile about them.  Just click on their name and you will be taken to a brief article to acquaint you with them.  

Directory of Intercessors

Name Location

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Adesoji Akure, Ondo, Nigeria
Ajeyi Moses Osogbo Osun, Nigeria
Alex Nairobi, Kenya
Alogo Nairobi,  Kenya
Angela Winchester, Kentucky
Angelika Edson, Alberta, Canada
Annabel Barrington, Illinois
Arlene Jeddah, K.S.A.
(Kingdom of Saudi Arabia)
Barbara Shelbyville, Texas
Barbara Ann Hazel Crest, Illinois
Betty "Susan" Virginia Beach, Virginia
Bob South Georgia
Brenda Temple, Texas
Brenda ?, Virginia 
Bruce Arlington, Texas
Cager Omaha, Nebraska
Carol Trinidad, West Indies
Caroline Harare, Zimbabwe 
Caron Sumner, Washington
Celina Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India
Dan Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Dave Rockwood, Michigan
Dawn ?,Ohio
Diane Lexington, Kentucky
Dobie Little Rock, Arkansas
Donna West Carrollton, Ohio
Dorine Spring Hope, NC
Dorothy Mobile, Alabama
Dorothy East Cleveland, Ohio
Dorothy Texarkana, Texas
Edna Delhi, California
Eric Cleveland, Ohio
Eugene Redding, CA
Evelyn Carrollton, Texas
Felix Accra, Ghana
Folaseun Logos, Nigeria
Gale Cleveland, Tennessee
George Colombo, West Sri Lanka
George Ontario, Canada
Gianne Michelle Cavite, Phillippines
Greta Not given
Gene Cluj-Napoca, Cluj, Romania
Genaro Long Beach, VA
Gordon San Jose, California
Heather Harrisonburg, Virginia
Hilda Aberdeen, Scotland (UK)
Isabella Nairobi, Kenya
Jacqueline Lawton, Oklahoma
Jacqueline Bellflower, California
Jeff Boonville, Indiana
Jehoshaphat Accra, Washington
Jenny Mahe Island, Seychelles 
Jenny York, England
Jim Farnworth,  UK Cheshire
John Eldoret, Kenya
Joshua Staten Island, New York
Kelly Overland Park, Kansas
Kemi Undisclosed
Ken Bedford Pk, South Australia
Kenneth Ghana, West Africa
Kern Toronto, Canada
Kevin Ugunja Nyanza, Kenya
Larry Klamath Falls, California
Leah Evansville, Indiana
Leslie Lansing, Illinois
Life Coach Bella Vista, California
Lisa Winter Harbor, Maine
Lydia Cagayan De Oro City, Phillipines
Lloyd Parkersburg, West Virginia
Mike ?
Mandi Fair Lawn, New Jersey
Mandelyn Wichita Falls, Texas
Maria Atlanta, Georgia
Marina Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India
Marilyn Belleville, Illinois
Mark Virginia Beach, Virginia
Maryann Bangalore Karnataka (India)
Michael Oceanside, California
Neal Kingsport, Tennessee
Oke Lagos, Nigeria
Parodice Austin, Texas
Patrick Hamburg, Pennsylvania
Paul New Brunswick, Canada
Racquel Benguet, Philippines
Rebecca Chamberlain, South Dakota
Regina Columbia, South Carolina
Renie Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Rick Digos City, Mindanao, Philippines
Rita East Berlin, Pennsylvania
Robbie Detroit, Michigan
Rosalind Brooklyn, New York
Ronald Charlotte, North Carolina
Ronn San Francisco, California
Ronnie Winter Haven, Florida
S. Phillips Grand View, Missouri
Sasha Not given
Samuel1 Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria
Samuel2 Lagos, Nigeria
Samuel3 Accra, Ghana
Sandra Bronx, New York
Sarah Moose Jaw, SK, Canada
Seeba Karala, India
Shahid Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan 
Sherrie Metairie, Louisiana
Stephen Odessa, Texas
Susan Virginia Beach, Virginia
Tammie Canton, Illinois
Tiffany Wichita Falls, Texas
Toni Navarre, Florida
Victor Lagos, Nigeria
Victor Buea, Cameroon
Wanda
Wilda Heard, Washington
William Accra, Ghana

Intercessors' Profiles

Angela, Winchester, Kentucky

Angela has been affiliated with the Seventh Day Adventist Church since November 2001.  At age 34, she has found that her physical disability need not put a damper on her spirit.  She knows she has been called out by God to be an intercessor, and friends in her church have affirmed her role in reviving the ministry of intercession in her church.

An intimate love for the Lord has enabled Angela to experience a depth in intercession in which she finds herself experiencing an inner awareness of God's will.  For effective prayer, she has learned complete dependence upon God for direction.  While she has experienced a lot of rejection due to her faith and calling, Angela remains strong in her faith that God answers prayer, and she is encouraged especially by evidences of God's power to heal.

Like many intercessors, Angela experienced the gift before she knew what it was.  She would experience deep inward groaning while in prayer.  A friend who has the gift of intercession helped Angela to recognize that this groaning is Holy Spirit-birthed intercession.  Angela's pastor affirmed her sense of calling and encouraged her to pursue all that God has called her to do.

Angela prays for anyone desiring prayer, but she has sensed a special calling to pray for pastors.  She sees herself in prayer upholding their arms as they labor in the work of ministry.  Whether for pastors or others for whom she prays, Angela engages in spiritual warfare prayer with a focus on the healing of God's people in mind and body.  For her, warfare prayer is blended with meditation to be still before God and look to Him for direction.

Laboring in prayer brings great satisfaction to Angela.  Her seasons of prayer begin with waiting on God, allowing Him to expose her heart, and repenting of anything she senses within that is not pleasing to Him.  Then she asks the Lord to cover her mind in prayer so that she can hear Him as He speaks.  Then, by faith, she enters His presence before His throne.  A season of thanksgiving in prayer follows, and then she intercedes for each need that she is praying for.  This is Angela's practice three times per day -- in the morning, at noon, and before bed.

Angela has her own prayer circle, and she invites you to submit your prayer request or to become a prayer partner with her.  To learn more about her ministry, click http://community-2.webtv.net/sisterangela.  If you get an error message, just copy and paste this URL into your web browser.

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Arlene, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Arlene is 31 years old and has known Jesus as her Lord and Savior since she was in the sixth grade.  She is a Filipino widow currently working in Saudi Arabia as an out-patient nurse.  She attends an underground church and helps lead a Bible study on the compound.

Prayer ministry has been thrust upon Arlene in her role as a nurse and Bible teacher.  She finds pleasure in prayer as she often sees God's answers.  Although her pray times are limited to 30 to 60 minutes per day, her role as an intercessor is confirmed by others on the compound coming to her asking for prayer.  Arlene says that she desires to become a more effective intercessor.

Arlene is inspired by the effective prayer lives of believers in the book of Acts and uses the prayers in Acts to guide her in her own intercession.  Her prayer life is structured to include adoration of God, confession of sin, thanksgiving for the blessings God has given, and supplication for the needs of others.

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Barbara Ann, Hazel Crest, Illinois

Barbara Ann is a middle-aged single mom with two adult children.  At this writing, she is caretaker for her elderly mother.  She lives in Hazel Crest, Illinois some 40 miles south of Chicago.  She is a member of United Seekers Christian Church of Flossmor, Illinois -- a small group of believers temporarily meeting in her pastor's home.  

Barbara Ann has always had a passion for prayer but has lacked the discipline.  She considers herself an intercessor in the making still seeking out the tools needed to grow in her prayer life.  She says that her dominant mode of prayer is spiritual warfare.    

When Barabara Ann became a Christian, she sensed that God was answering her life long question of personal significance:  What is my purpose here?  She sensed that communicating with God through prayer IS her life purpose.  She has come to understand that it is through prayer that she can not only know God's will for her life but communicate His will to others.

Barbara's focus in prayer is for:  (1) revelation of the knowledge of God's will, and (2) God's purposes to be established in the "earth realm."  She states, "I pray to the Father in the Name of Jesus and by His authority."  She says that her prayer times begin with meditating on the Word of God.  In doing so, she specifically seeks directives from God's Word by which to come before Him in prayer.   The written Word of God quickened to her is foundational to Barbara Ann's prayer life. 

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Barbara, Shelbyville, Texas

Barbara has been a Christian as far back as she can recall.  She is from a Christian home, and her father is a retired Assembly of God minister.  She is a grandmother of "seven beautiful grandchildren."

Her Christian upbringing has caused Barbara to give high priority to prayer.  She says, "We were taught to pray before we learned to talk!"  For many years she has interceded for others.  Prayer for healing has been notable for her.  On two or three occasions, she has felt healing virtue go out from her to others she was praying for.  In more recent times, more than a year now, she has been drawn into spiritual warfare prayer due to circumstances in her family.

A dominant prayer focus for Barbara has been prayer assignments from God -- what is often called "crisis intercession."  For instance, she found herself divinely alerted to pray for her husband on one occasion when he, unbeknownst to her, was in a situation of grave danger.  At the time, he was working out of town during the week and came home on weekends.  One Friday night, he was running late.  So, Barbara went to bed before he arrived.  She was "startled awake" when she heard him clearly call her name.  She got up and looked throughout the house for him but could not find him.  So, she fell on her knees beside the bed and prayed in tongues for him until she felt an inward peace releasing her from her prayer assignment.  

When her husband got home, he told her that he was driving over a hill when an 18 wheeler met him head on in his lane at the top of the hill.  He swerved off the road, through a ditch, through a fence, back through the fence again, and back on the road, never losing control of the car.  He said it was as if some miracle force just took over and guided the car safely through each of these obstacles and back on the road.  Barbara says, "I believe it was prayer that saved his life that night."

Prayer is rewarding for Barbara not because of the struggle it often is but because of the great results.  She says it gives her great peace and joy to know that she has "prayed through a situation to VICTORY!!"

Barbara begins prayer by singing praises to God.  She expresses gratitude to Him for the prayers He has answered -- not taking His goodness for granted.  She is careful to thank Him for particular blessings in her life and in the lives of those she prays for.  Then she petitions the Lord for particular needs.  Her prayers culminate in another season of worship and thanksgiving to God for what He is yet to do  -- thanking Him, as she says, "for the answers that I know are already on the way."

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Brenda, ?, Virginia

Brenda is an ordained minister currently residing in Virginia.  She recognized her calling to ministry in 1989.  She is involved in ministry with Focus on the Family and has also worked in missions outside of the United States.  

Currently, Brenda is seeking a church home at this season of her life.  She is prayerfully seeking direction regarding a sense of leading to start a church and/or ministry.  

Spiritual warfare is a strong component of Brenda's prayer life.  She believes it is essential that spiritual forces of darkness be pushed back in order to bring the lost to salvation and freedom in Christ.  Recognizing the need for spiritual power in prayer, Brenda is open to the role of the Holy Spirit in her prayer life enabling travail in prayer and effective spiritual warfare.  In prayer, she petitions both for spiritual and physical needs.  Her satisfaction in prayer comes from knowing she has done the will of God and has been obedient to Him.

For Brenda, prayer begins with a season of confession of personal sin, waiting upon the Lord to expose any secret sins that need to be dealt with.  Following confession, she enters a season of worship and of thanksgiving for God's many blessings in her life.  She also employs scripture in her prayers, notably 1 Timothy 1-3 and passages from Psalms, II Chronicles and Daniel among others.   

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Bruce, Arlington, Texas

Bruce's introduction to ministry began in early childhood when he began singing in the church choir.  In later years, he was the lead singer for several gospel groups which he organized.  He also served as a deacon for eleven years before being called to full time ministry.

Bruce and his wife Brenda are currently pioneering and pastoring Tabernacle of God church in Arlington, Texas.  Prior to this current church plant, Bruce and Brenda established and pastored three other churches including Macedonia Baptist Church of Portland, Oregon; Saint John's Baptist Church of San Diego, California; and Christ Tabernacle Baptist Church of Long Beach, California.  They served the pastorate of these churches for 8, 12, and 13 years respectively.  Early in their pastoral ministry, Bruce received a Doctorate of Theology degree and Brenda obtained her Master's in Human Resource Management.

The parents of two sons and one daughter, Bruce and Brenda went through a dark night of the soul in 2000 when their oldest son was killed at the age of 29 in a drive-by shooting in Long Beach, California.  It was a time of much prayer and many tears.  Bruce attests that the Lord enabled him and Brenda to pass through this difficult time and come to accept what had happened and move on with their lives and ministry.

Bruce has a solid prayer life that was largely crafted through his mother's influence.  The mother of seven sons and three daughters whom she raised solely with God's help, Bruce's mom was a prayer warrior and an intercessor.  She held prayer groups in her home focusing on intercession for missionaries.  She also taught her children to intercede in their family prayer times for family members, friends, and for the community.  One memorable instance in answered prayer came when Bruce was eight.  His mother was hospitalized, and the attending physicians could not diagnose her illness.  They expected her to die.  Her children interceded for her, and the Lord restored her to health, extending her life 35 additional years before taking her home.

Intercession has become a way of life for Bruce through his 33 years of pastoring.  He says he has a "treasured prayer life," and his dominant focus in prayer is breaking the devil's hold upon people's lives and bringing them through to victory in Christ.  He has simple, childlike faith in the promises of God regarding prayer, referencing Isaiah 65:24, Philippians 4:19 and Matthew 18:18-19 as key passages that give him confidence and boldness in prayer.  Prayer is satisfying for Bruce because it is in accord with God's Word and anticipates a favorable response from the Lord.  Regarding the expectation for answered prayer, Bruce states, "I believe it.  I claim it.  I receive it and Jesus supplies it."

Bruce recognizes the role of the Holy Spirit in prayer and gives Him His proper place.  While Bruce spends many hours in meditation and prayer time daily, he is careful to wait upon the Holy Spirit both when His presence comes instantaneously and when a time of patiently waiting is needed.  He states:  "My life is just a vessel for God to be used by Him whenever and wherever He chooses without any resistance from me."   

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Caron, Sumner, Washington

Caron and her husband are co-directors of the Tacoma Prayer and Healing Rooms in Puyallup, Washington.  Prior to this directorship, they served in church staff ministry positions as associate pastors.  They attend Faith Family Church in Milton, Washington.  They have three daughters and a son, each of whom have families of their own.  Their son and his wife are U.S. Marines and have three children.  Their daughter-in-law is currently deployed in Iraq while their son, who is stationed in Camp Pendleton, California, is taking care of the children.

Intercession has been a constant in Caron's life.  She states, "I have always been an intercessor for my Lord."  Her prayer times are characterized by worship, petition, and warfare.  She lifts the needs of others before God based on both prayer requests and the direction of the Holy Spirit.  God grants her words of knowledge and discerning of spirits to guide her in effective intercession.

The calling to intercede became evident in Caron's life after she received the Baptism in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in other tongues.  The year was 1980, and it was a time in which Caron and her husband were transitioning from a Baptist church to a Charismatic one.  It was their new pastors, Cliff and Diane Maggard, who helped train Caron in praying the Word over others relative to their needs.  This was her first real training in intercession.

Caron is sensitive to the direction of the Holy Spirit in prayer, and she often finds herself on "divinely given prayer assignments."  This might be for spiritual or physical needs, and it also includes prayer for deliverance.  She states, "I get satisfaction out of prayer when I see God's blessings coming to pass in people's lives.  I also love to see people set free from the lies of Satan."  She also has a heart for spiritual breakthrough in missions, and she prays for unreached people groups both for their salvation and the meeting of their needs.  Knowing the challenges of itinerating ministry, she is mindful as well to pray for ministers on special assignments or engaged in ministry outreaches.

How does Caron pray?  She starts with a time of praise and worship and praying in the Spirit.  Then she petitions for the specific needs of others, praying particular scriptures relevant to their needs.  Confident that her prayers are being answered, she then takes time to thank the Lord for granting her requests.  This season of thanksgiving is followed by quiet time in which she gives God opportunity to speak and to give her any further direction in prayer.  This season of listening is also a time of personal edification.  She states, "I enjoy the nuggets and teaching God gives during my personal prayer time."

There is variety in prayer when it is led by the Spirit, and Caron is sensitive to allow God to direct her times of prayer.  Sometimes she will find herself directed to pray the Lord's Prayer, and at other times she will pray specific psalms.  Her goal, though, is to allow the Spirit of Jesus to direct her in prayer so that her prayers are not in the strength of the flesh but by the direction of the Holy Spirit.  

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Dawn, ?, Ohio

Dawn resides in Ohio with her daughter of four at this writing.  She is a member of a relatively large SDA church.  She enjoys attending midweek service and Sabbath school.  Her vocational focus is in medicine and business.  Currently working as a technician in oncology, she is doing graduate work in pursuit of an MBA and doing course work to become a registered nurse.  She also is committed to exercise and fitness. 

At this season of her life, Dawn finds prayer to be a wonderful form of meditation by which to quiet herself before God, come to know Him more fully, submit her life to His direction, and seek His will for many areas of her life.  She sensed the calling to intercede back in 1999 when she was dating someone and began to feel that he wasn't God's choice for her.  That relationship ended, other unhealthy relationships ensued, and she is now the mother of a beautiful young girl but still believing God for His choice for a life partner.  Dawn recognizes that she should have been more proactive in prayer as so many of her relationships seemed to be going nowhere.

Dawn's dominant prayer focus right now is a for an acquaintance named Garth.  She believes that God will use her prayers to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds to bring Garth to the place where he can acknowledge the Lord in His life.  Seeing God work in such difficult cases is what makes prayer gratifying to Dawn.

Dawn says that her prayer life at this time is not a structured one, but she believes God to help her grow as an intercessor and develop more structure and focus in prayer.   

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Diane, Lexington, Kentucky

Diane describes herself as a simple person who finds joy in life.  She is the mother of two sons and a daughter.  Her oldest son will become a father in January.  Her younger son, Todd (14), and her daughter, Sara (8), are committed Christians, are faithful church attendees, and are involved with youth groups at other local churches as well.

As a committed member of her church, Diane attends services two to four times weekly.  She is actively involved with Wednesday morning Bible study, and she is a part of the church's intercessory prayer team.  As a participant in the church prayer chain, she receives prayer requests via email.  She also subscribes to the Presidents' Prayer Chain.  Other activities include volunteering on a local level with Faith in Action's Elder Outreach, a ministry serving the needs of elders in the community and helping them maintain an independent lifestyle.  She is Web page editor for the Faith in Action Elder Outreach Web page at http://home.alltel.net/faithaction/.  (To go to this page, it will be necessary to copy and paste the URL into your Web browser.)

No single event has brought Diane to recognize her calling to intercession.  She has come to recognize her role as an intercessor through a "long road of study, prayer and reflection."  She believes that we are all God's children and that we each have the duty of praying for others in need.  For her, such prayer is evangelism, i.e., it is "soul winning for Christ."

Diane has no specialized focus in prayer but is a general intercessor.  She states, "I feel God has placed within me a desire to pray for ALL CONCERNS that I see around me."  She stays connected through a variety of prayer forums including prayer lists, prayer chains, and prayer groups, and she prays for family, friends and even strangers.

Prayer for Diane is a matter of submission and trust in the God through Whom all things were made and in Whom is life.  (See John 1:3,4.)  Her prayer time begins with Bible study and quiet reflection followed by a short petition for God to open her eyes, ears, heart and mind to receive wisdom and instruction for the day.  She asks that the Holy Spirit rise within her and fill her with God's glory.  She then lifts before the Lord any specific prayer requests from her list that she is prompted to pray for.  In the course of her prayer time, she incorporates such prayer aids as Scripture passages, the Lord's Prayer, devotional readings, and worshipful music.

Diane has extended times of prayer at set prayer times but also finds herself lifting brief prayers throughout the day and night.  She finds prayer a pleasure and says that she receives immense joy and blessings in her times of prayer.

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Dobie, Little Rock, Arkansas

Dobie lives in Little Rock, Arkansas with his wife Vicki.  He has four adult children (Tracy, Jennifer, Jason and Rachel) and three grandchildren (Cody, Colton and Ashley).  

An active member of Word Covenant Fellowship, Dobie is an ordained minister and is registered with the county of Saline, Arkansas.  He is a volunteer coordinator for Wilderness Deliverance Camp in El Darado, Arkansas whose official Web site is www.ourchurch.com.  He is also an unofficial spokesperson for Angel Food Ministry, and he works during the weekend for the Recover Teen Unit of Baptist Health Rehabilitation Institute of Little Rock.  Non-sectarian in his faith, Dobie feels God has called him to assist Christian ministries regardless of denominational affiliation.

Dobie recognizes his calling in prayer to have a strong focus on spiritual warfare.  He felt this call when His daughter Jennifer took the courageous step of admitting to her parents that she was addicted to Meth.  Dobie and His wife have helped Jennifer work through issues related to this addiction, and they have committed to pray for her and to call upon various intercessory prayer teams to stand with them.  It was at this time that Dobie sensed the Holy Spirit wanting him to stand in the gap for others too in warfare prayer, and this leading led to his joining the Advocates in Prayer Intercessors' Circle.

Whether praying for others or petitioning God for his own needs, Dobie prays with confidence and expects answers.  He prays for salvation, spiritual needs, deliverance from demons, release from additions, and physical healings.  He also focuses prayer on the destruction of spiritual strongholds whether they be in an individual, a community, or a region of the world.  His commitment to friendship evangelism is such that he finds himself praying for respectful relationships with colleagues and friends in order to bring open doors for an effective Christian witness.

Prayer brings satisfaction to Dobie as he delights in the opportunity to communicate with the Creator of all things.  He believes it  honors God to pray the Word and to expect answers, so he appeals to specific passages of scripture as the basis for his petitions and places his confidence in God to answer his prayers.  

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Donna, West Carrollton, Ohio

Donna is a wife, mother, and grandmother.  At this writing (June 2006), her daughter is 24 and her granddaughter is 2.  Donna is a member of an Assembly of God church in Ohio.

Prayer, for Donna, was taken to a whole new level in 1992 when she received the Baptism in the Holy Spirit.  She describes this infilling of the Holy Spirit as a "life-changing experience with God!"  While she always had a heart for people, her encounter with the Holy Spirit has filled her heart with love for others.  Recognizing that everyone has needs, Donna has a newfound confidence that she can intercede for others with assurance that God is hearing and answering her prayers.  She cites 1 John 5:14-15 which states:  "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.  And if we know that he hears us--whatever we ask--we know that we have what we asked of him."  (NIV)

Whether she is petitioning for other believers, interceding for unsaved loved ones, or  praying over prayer lists, Donna sees her role in prayer as bringing before God the needs of others who often are unable to pray for themselves.  She has learned that prayer brings one into the very presence of God where there is great peace and joy, and it is in this place that one is strengthened and positioned to pray effectively for others who are struggling.  This gives her a sense of great pleasure and significance in prayer.

Donna does not follow any set formula or pattern for prayer.  She does, however, practice praying the Scriptures in intercession for others.  She often finds that applying familiar scriptures in prayer paves the way for the Holy Spirit to direct her with other passages and/or impressions that provide direction in intercession.

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Dorothy, East Cleveland, Ohio

Dorothy is a mother of two children and has two grandchildren as well.  She is a proud member of New Spirit Revival Center in Cleveland Heights, Ohio -- a church pastored by Drs. Darrell and Belinda, Scott.  She loves the Lord and is faithful in prayer.

The primary prayer focus for Dorothy is petitionary prayer and spiritual warfare prayer.  She focuses mostly on prayer for spiritual needs.  She does not follow any particular prayer structure.  She just moves from a season of praise into petition/warfare on behalf of those for whom she intercedes.

Since she was a young girl, Dorothy has always prayed for others simply because it seemed the right thing to do.  She confidently asserts, "I know that God answers prayer."  God has rewarded her faithfulness in intercession.  She has seen God perform miracles in setting people free, and she finds great delight in answered prayer.  "I just glory in it," she says. 

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Evelyn, Carrollton, Texas

Evelyn is originally from New England but currently resides in Carrollton, Texas.  She and her husband Bill have been married for 33 years and still very much in love.  They have no children of their own but have been blessed to have many children in their lives.  They are members of Prestonwood Baptist Church and have high esteem for their pastor Jack Graham.

A praying mother played a key role in Evelyn's spiritual formation and her call to intercession.  Evelyn's father died when she was only 12, but she has vivid memories of her mother sitting at the table before an open Bible while praying for others.  She was a true prayer warrior.  Evelyn was also greatly impacted in the area of prayer through a trip to Israel in 1990.  She says that it was after this trip that she too became the prayer warrior that she is today.

Hopeless situations become prayer challenges for Evelyn.  She knows that God delights to supernaturally intervene in people's lives and bring hope and healing in answer to prayer.  This motivation for prayer is so tangible that Evelyn can even be watching television and feel the hurts of others coming across the screen.  She is moved to pray for them then and there.  Her prayers are filled with confidence.  She says, "It is such a joy to pray because I know the Way Maker, and I know He hears the prayers of His people and will make a way where there does not seem to be one."  Evelyn finds joy in prayer because she prays with childlike trust knowing that the Father listens to her and takes note of her specific requests. 

Evelyn often receives phone calls with prayer requests because others know that she will pray through for them.  She says people know that she will pray for them until they get "a breakthrough instead of a breakdown."  She prays for widows, orphans, marriages, and for the healing of the sick.  She prays for our country and our President.  She prays several times per day for situations that she hears about where people need a touch from God.  Like many intercessors, Evelyn also receives prayer assignments from God.  Sometimes she wakes up in the night with a specific person on her heart.  She takes time to pray for them before going back to sleep.  It is not unusual for her to find out a day or two later that the person she was interceding for was facing a specific pressing need at the time.

Evelyn does not follow any particular structure for her prayer times.  She just follows the leading of the Holy Spirit.  When she is impressed to pray for something or someone, she immediately goes to the Father in prayer in a spirit of humility but with a confidence in God that causes her to pray with boldness.  She senses such a touch of God directing her in prayer that she often hears herself praying beautiful prayers and feeling almost as though someone else were speaking them.  She knows the power of Holy Spirit directed praying.

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Gale, Gulfport, Mississippi

Gale is a mother of two grown children, and she has two grandsons.  She lives alone as her husband died suddenly and unexpectedly.  She is 57 years old at this writing.  (She was born in 1948.)

After her husband's passing, Gale went through a season in which she withdrew from God and the Church as she could not understand why God would allow this great loss in her life.  It was when a friend invited her to attend a prayer group that her spiritual renewal began.  She states "I felt something I could not explain.  I know now that it was God's love."  The result was that she developed a new hunger for the Word of God and a new passion for prayer.  She began reading and studying Scripture like never before.

With her spiritual renewal, Gale discovered the principle of reciprocity in prayer.  As she has been faithful praying for others, God has been steadily bringing healing to her physically and emotionally.  She says that God has "made me want to live again."  Not only are her personal needs being met as she commits herself to prayer, but she sees the hand of God released in meeting the needs of her family as well.

Gale has been in full time prayer ministry for 10 years now.  She receives prayer requests by phone, mail, email, and visits.  While she is comfortable praying over prayer lists, she finds that God uses her especially to encourage lonely and hurting people.  Her prayers and encouragement have helped many get past grief in the loss of a loved one and gain a new lease on life.  She is a true minister of hope.

As an intercessor, Gale receives prayer assignments from God as He places the names of people upon her heart that He wants her to pray for.  She asks for God's wisdom to know how to pray, and she senses God giving her the words to pray in order to intercede in line with His will.  She recognizes the leading of the Holy Spirit and the need to press through in spiritual warfare.  She senses when persistence is needed and when relinquishment is appropriate.  "I pray until I feel in my heart that I am to stop," she says.  

What motivates Gale to pray?  She knows that God has been healing her in many areas as others have prayed for her, and she wants others to experience in their lives the same love and peace that she has found in hers.  She says, "I want others to find God's peace and to know of His healing power.  It makes me very happy when I hear of how God has touched their lives."

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Gianne Michelle, Cavite, Philippines

Gianne Michelle is in her early twenties at this writing.  She is a member of Victory Christian Fellowship in her home town of Cavite.  She leads a small group at a local high school that is involved in outreach to the community.

Prayer for Gianne is mostly petition, but it does include spiritual warfare as well.  She first sensed her call to the ministry of intercession when she was hospitalized with Dengue Hemorraghic Fever.  It was during her time of hospitalization that she began developing a longing after God's presence and a desire to pray.  Other influences upon her prayer life include Norman Grubb's book entitled Rees Howells:  Intercessor and John Maxwell's Partners in Prayer.  

Comfortable praying through prayer lists, Gianne also prays for other believers in need of spiritual growth or divine guidance.  She also prays for the salvation of those yet to discover a personal relationship with Jesus.

How does Gianne Michelle pray?  She begins with worship.  She states, "I praise God with awe and wonder."  She also is motivated by the answers to prayer.  Many times the answers are exactly what she has asked of the Lord.  At other times, God's answers to prayer are beyond what she requested.  When answers are delayed, Gianne still experiences the assurance of faith and a great inward peace knowing that God has heard and is answering in His own way and time.

The Bible is central to Gianne's prayer life.  She often begins her prayer time with the psalms.  She also prays the prayers of Paul from the epistles.  

Gianne sees beyond the veil to the one true intercessor who partners with and empowers us in our intercession.  She states, "[God] reveals His heart, and He lets me always know that Jesus truly is the greatest intercessor."  

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Heather, Harrisonburg, Virginia

Heather has a calling and vision for creative ministries.  She established and directs Honeycomb Days Characters to reach children with the message of the gospel.  Her clown name is "Glory Bee."  She is also engaged in the production of several films which will employ issues of public interest as a connecting point for communicating the message of God's redeeming love.  She is a graduate of Regent University (Virginia Beach, VA) with a master's degree in counseling.  She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in communications through Regent.

For Heather, the role of prayer is primarily communion with God, and there is a conscious focus on personal communion with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  She does not see herself as being held to a specialized "niche" in prayer.  When asked what category of prayer needs she is most comfortable praying for, her answer is "Everything!"

Prayer is Heather's life breath.  She states that God is everything to her and that she is "in constant contact with Him on different levels."  She serves on the worship team of her church, and worship is central to her prayer life.  She enjoys playing her guitar and singing songs of worship and praise unto the Lord.  

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Jacqueline, Bellflower, California

Jacqueline lost six children to a broken home, and she currently is without a home or automobile and subsisting on bare minimum.  However, she has the joy of the Lord and the gratification of walking daily in the Spirit.  She has a deep personal relationship with the Holy Spirit, hears the Lord's voice daily, and has heard Him audibly call her by name.  

While Jacqueline's present life circumstances can be trying, the Lord has given her a vision of her future that is a source of great inspiration to her.  She has seen herself traveling the world with a ministry in gospel music, glorifying God and seeing captives set free.

A significant emphasis of Jacqueline's prayer life is prayer for deliverance.  She understands her authority over demons, the importance of "believing and receiving" in prayer, and the weapons of spiritual warfare.  She mentions specifically the name of Jesus, the blood of Jesus, fasting, and anointing with oil as helps in prayer.  She also prays a lot in the Spirit, i.e. in tongues, and says that she has a warfaring tongue.  She also understand the importance of discernment in distinguishing whether a personal hangup in someone's life is demonic or is simply the flesh needing to be denied.  

Jacqueline discovered she was called to intercession when she met the man she believes she is to marry.  That was three years ago at this writing.  Since then she finds great pleasure in intercession and feels honored that God chooses to use her to help accomplish His purpose in the lives of others.  Prayer is not programmed for Jacqueline, and she is likely to find herself interceding when she is alone, perhaps just sitting or reading at the time.  She is likely to be drawn into intercession anywhere or anytime.

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Jacqueline, Lawton, Oklahoma

Jacqueline lives in Lawton, Oklahoma with her husband and three children.  Her husband is in the military and is stationed at Fort Sill.  They are part of a non-denominational Christian ministry, and they frequently attend services at a bilingual church called House of Prayer.  It is affiliated with the Church of God.

Intercession was a discovery for Jacqueline.  She and her two sisters-in-law made a decision to pray together.  As they continued doing so, the day came when a distinct change became apparent in their prayer times.  They began to feel the emotions and identify with the circumstances of others.  Jacqueline says they were making a deep connection in the Spirit with the lives of those they were praying for.  While they never solicited feedback, they began to receive reports that confirmed their prayers were being answered.

While Jacqueline prays over prayer lists, political issues, people groups, etc., her primary focus in prayer is divinely given prayer assignments.  Such assignments, she says, provide their own motivation for prayer because you know that the Lord has a special purpose for revealing them.  She states, "Sometimes you can see the Spirit moaning over something or someone, and it is easy to discern the Lord's emphasis and purpose."

The satisfaction that Jacqueline derives from prayer is multifaceted.  She is gratified to know that her prayers are used by God to change the lives of others just as God has changed her life.  Prayer is bringing others to see the light of Christ, to be healed, and to be set free from oppressions.   She is also delighted to know that she has discovered her place in life and can accomplish so much in the secret place.  She does not have to be on a stage and risk touching the glory that belongs to the Lord only.   She experiences prayer as an opportunity to serve others and so follow the steps of Jesus who came to save others and to serve them.

Jacqueline doesn't follow any particular model for prayer.  She seeks to pray as the Spirit would guide her.  She acknowledges that there is an order to her prayer life but that it is orchestrated by the Spirit.  She might find herself crying, moaning, or experiencing any other emotion and leading in prayer that the Spirit births.  She understands that each person she prays for is unique; therefore, the prompting of the Spirit may be different in each case.

Over the past few years, Jacqueline has grown in her knowledge of the Lord, seeing many different aspects of His character.  As a result, prayer has become for Jacqueline an opportunity to serve the Lord and discover her place and calling in life.

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Jeff, Boonville, Indiana

Jeff is a native of Evansville, Indiana.  He accepted Jesus as his Savior in 1974 at the age of 16.  Now in his early 40's, prayer is the high point of his day.  He says it is truly awesome to realize that the God of all the universe would love him, an undeserving sinner, and welcome him to come and talk to God and hear from Him.  Jeff says, "Our God is truly awesome, and I want to share Him with as many people as I possibly can."

Prayer is a joy to Jeff as he has had opportunity to witness God in action in a variety of ways.  He states that he has experienced so many miraculous answers to prayer that he cannot keep track of them.  Many of these answers to prayer relate to children being divinely healed.  One memorable example occurred around 1994 when his church clasped hands in prayer for the healing of a young girl who was hospitalized and was near death.  Jeff states, "God healed this young child right in the presence of a room full of doctors."  Jeff could feel the presence and power of God as they prayed, and it was then that he sensed his calling to intercession.  Since that time, answers to prayer have been numerous.

Jeff's prayer time begins with confession.  He has a strong sense of God's holiness, and he feels the need for personal cleansing before he can stand in God's presence.  After confession, he prays the Lord's Prayer.  Then he enters into a time of worship and praise.  After praise comes petition as Jeff presents his requests to God.  During this season of prayer, Jeff is sensitive to the prompting of the Holy Spirit who brings passages of scripture to mind as a biblical basis for his specific requests.   

While Jeff enjoys communion with God in prayer and the personal satisfaction it brings, his primary focus in prayer is the salvation of the lost.  He states that prayer is an awesome weapon to use to put a stop to Satan's attacks in people's lives, and prayer is a greatly under-utilized tool for bringing others to experience God's saving grace and power in their lives.  Jeff states, "I really can't understand how we as Christians aren't using prayer the way we should."  

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Jenny, York, England

Jenny became a Christian forty years ago at age eighteen and has had a life-long love for Jesus.  She says, "He is the very breath I take."  She writes that her relationship with Jesus has "deepened and become sweeter" with the passing of time.  

Jenny and her husband Daniel have a son, daughter, and grandson named Joshua, whom she describes as "a gorgeous bundle of fun, laughter, and mischief."  She is expecting her second grandchild in August.  She resides in York, England -- one of England's oldest and most historic cities.

Prayer has been a high priority for Jenny since she first became a Christian.  Her relationship with Jesus in prayer has a mark of familiarity such that she feels at ease describing her prayer life as long "chats" with Jesus about anything and everything.  But, her prayer life is not without structure.  She will often listen to worship music before commencing to pray.  Further, she has discovered in the Lord's Prayer a helpful guide which she often uses to direct her prayer times.  She comments that because of the finished work of Jesus, "There is no curtain separating me and Father God."  She will also often read a prayer from Scripture and meditate upon it to provide inspiration and guidance in prayer.

One of Jenny's first and most memorable experiences of intercession happened after she was baptized in the Holy Spirit.  She remembers once having a sudden overwhelming burden to pray for a friend.  She prayed mostly in tongues.  The next day, she learned that at the very time the urgency to pray came upon her, the friend she prayed for had bent over to pick up something in her home and felt a disc pop out of place in her back as she was on her way upstairs to feed her crying baby.  Her friend was alarmed by this and fearful that she would not be able to make it upstairs.  Then her back suddenly popped back into alignment.  

Because of the timing of her friend's injury and healing, Jenny knows that God used her intercession to bring about this sudden turn-around.  She has had numerous experiences like this and has learned to no longer question the leading to pray.  She realizes, though, that God's answers are not always instant.  She has learned the value of persistence in prayer.

For a season, Jenny served as prayer coordinator for her church.  She found it especially effective to have people pray in small groups for unsaved relatives and friends.  God touched many lives through these small groups.

For Jenny, prayer is as natural as breathing.  Sometimes it is a struggle as the Enemy fights to keep us from getting on our knees.  But, the end result is always worth the effort, she says, as praying through a difficult situation to victory always brings tremendous peace and joy.

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Jim, Farnworth, UK, Cheshire

Jim pastors King's Christian Healing Church of Lancashire in the United Kingdom.  (http://www.ministryofhealing.co.uk)  He and his wife Liz have four children.

For Jim, prayer for others is the way to connect a hurting world with a healing, miracle-working God.  Jim has compassion for hurting people, recognizes their need to know the Lord Jesus, and has found that God is more than willing to answer prayer in miraculous ways.  His prayer life has strengthened and deepened his relationship with the Lord.  He says, "We serve a wonderful Savior, and prayer allows us to draw ever closer to Him."

The calling to pray was reinforced for Jim in the 1970s when watching a Christian television program featuring the ministry of healing.  Jim thrilled at seeing the Lord healing the sick, and from that time prayer for the sick and hurting has been a dominant focus in prayer for him.  Beyond the influence of this program, Jim comments that he was greatly influenced by Canon Roy Lawrence who conducted the first Christian healing service that Jim personally attended.

Jim is comfortable praying through prayer lists and interceding for individuals, groups, or nations.  He easily identifies in prayer with children who are hurting or frightened since he had a violent father who instilled fear in him as a child.

Jim begins his times of prayer with thanksgiving and praise.  He asks the Lord for direction in prayer, sometimes praying spontaneously and sometimes reciting the Lord's Prayer.  He visualizes the Lord Jesus Christ and sees himself offering his requests to Jesus and presenting to Him those in need of healing.  

The reward of prayer for Jim is the experience of the wonderful presence of the Holy Spirit.  A fringe benefit is seeing answers to prayer -- a continual reminder that with God, all things are possible.

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Kelly, Overland Park, Kansas

Kelly is a mother of five children, two of whom are autistic and one with a mild case of cerebral palsy.  She has her own business making candles which, for Kelly, represent the "ever-burning presence of the Lord."  She operates the business out of her home and mentors others interested in doing the same.

Nearing her 18th year of marriage, Kelly has come through constant trials.  Among them are addictions, rape, the death of a son, financial hardships and, at one point, separation from her husband.  She comments, "God has led me through them all and led me to help others for His glory."

Kelly has learned a secret of effective prayer:  praying for others!  At a time when she prayed only for herself and her family, the Lord spoke to her heart asking her to bring the needs of others before Him ahead of her own.  This change of focus has truly revitalized her prayer life, and she has set up one room in her home exclusively for prayer.  She looks forward to her daily morning worship, praise, and prayer at home as well as intercessory prayer at her church.

Prayer for Kelly is a deeply satisfying experience.  She says that she has come to experience the intimacy of the Lord in her prayer times and feels as though she and Jesus are sitting next to each other as she talks to Him.  She feels that she glows when she prays, and t