Decreeing the Will of God on Earth By Mike McClung

Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints (Rev. 19:7-8).

Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband (Rev. 21:1-2).

The church will be made ready in a priestly-bridal garment.  This priesthood is a royal priesthood.  1 Pet. 2:9 says: But you (born again believers) are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light….  There is another dimension added to the priesthood that the New Testament church has been called to express: that dimension includes not only priestly ministry (worship and intercession), but also exercising authority and dominion.  Jesus fulfills both offices as the King of glory and the great High Priest of the New Covenant.  It is through exercising our roles as priests unto the Lord, on behalf of people, that we enter into our full relationship with the Lord as His eternal partner in Bridehood.  This not only means exercising dominion in prayer and worship, but also being fully developed to share dominion through decreeing the will of God in the earth as the extension of Himself as His body and bride.

When the disciples asked Jesus how to pray, He said: In this manner, therefore, pray: our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matt. 6:9-10).  The Lord tells us, as a model of prayer, that we should first enter into this place through worship – “our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.”  This, by definition, is priestly ministry…ministering to the Lord in worship and exaltation.  Next in line, He tells us to declare or decree the kingdom and will of God to be done on earth as it exists in heaven.  Here we enter the “kingly” dimension of our roles as a kingdom of priests.  Here we decree the decrees of the King.  We begin exercising dominion in the earth as He did when He walked the earth, bringing salvation to the lost, healing the sick, delivering the captive, raising the dead and exercising authority over the natural elements.

It is important to understand the “shift” in the above passage in Matthew 6.  The phrases “Your kingdom come” and “Your will be done” are not supplications or requests, as most prayers would be framed.  A lot of people have been taught, or would possibly read this as “Lord, we ask that Your kingdom come and Your will be done.”  I believe this is an inaccurate understanding of the Greek.  The Greek indicates these phrases are commands.  A better rendering would be, “Kingdom of God…come,” and “Will of God, be done!”  The phrase “be done” is a command, and it means “be created.”  As priests, we are led by the Holy Spirit to seek out and pray the will of God through intercession and worship.  This releases a prophetic anointing to bring revelation of the Person and purposes of the Lord Jesus.  This prophetic anointing unveils Who the Lord is, and what He wants to do.  Then, as a royal priesthood, cooperating with Him as King, and as His bride/body on the earth, we “create,” or release the will of God on earth by declaration.  Through our confession, the church grows into mature bridehood, conformed to His image, and exercising His authority: through worship, prayer and declaration.  This fulfills our maturing role as a kingdom of priests cooperating with the Lord in expanding His rule and dominion, and preparing the nations and the earth itself, for His return.  There is a very specific type and shadow of this in scripture as illustrated in the life of Queen Esther.

Esther is a Type of the End-time Bride of Christ

The story of Esther is one of my favorites in scripture.  In the sovereignty of God, he allows a poor, insignificant Jewish girl to come to a place of authority in the earth so as to help bring salvation and restoration to her people.  Her relative, Mordecai, who represents a type of spiritual father to an orphaned generation, raised Esther.  He reveals an image of the prophetic ministry in the last days that turns the hearts of the children to the fathers. (Mal. 4:4-6.)  Through his training and instruction, Esther makes herself ready to enter into her destiny, and ultimately exercises great authority, not only over Israel, God’s covenant people, but also the pagan world.  Ahasuerus, the king, apart from his obvious sins and faults, is a type of Christ seated on the throne exercising dominion.  Haman, the adversary, represents Satan, who stands to accuse the people of God, and plot their destruction, night and day. (Rev. 12:7-10.) 

In the narrative in the book of Esther, the situation has grown desperate for the people of God.  Haman has managed to get the king to allow a decree to be issued for their complete destruction. (Esther 3:8-10.)  Every person, apart from the power of the blood of Jesus and the finished works of the cross, stands condemned under the sentence of death and eternal separation from God.  In addition to this, when God’s people do not embrace Him and His ways, they embrace the idolatry of the things of this world, and remove themselves from the covering and protection of His restraining grace.  The horrible things that are happening in the world are neither God’s fault nor God’s making.  They are the result of we, the church, not being on our watch.  The Lord will let things get as bad as we want them to get, until we wake up and enter into partnership with Him and His will.  This same thing happened to Israel, and although Esther had been placed in a position of high authority, she failed to exercise her authority, but slept in the palace. (Esther 4:3-4.)  It was only when she was disturbed from the comfort of the traditional palace by the passionate cries and pleas of the prophetic voice of Mordecai that she aroused and did something.  Her first reaction did not please Mordecai.

So Hathach returned and told Esther the words of Mordecai. Then Esther spoke to Hathach, and gave him a command for Mordecai: “All the king's servants and the people of the king's provinces know that any man or woman who goes into the inner court to the king, who has not been called, he has but one law: put all to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter, that he may live. Yet I myself have not been called to go in to the king these thirty days” (Esther 4:9-11).

Esther told Mordecai, “You don’t understand…I cannot go before the king.  No one is allowed to do that because that is the law.  It is certain death to go in there.”  Esther failed to understand that she was the Queen.  Her relationship with the king trumped any law.  Until the bride of Christ understands this concept, that by virtue of what Christ has done for us, the law does not hold sway over us any longer because of our relationship with Him, we will remain with a “beggar woman” mentality.  We are not beggar women.  We are to rule as the bride of Christ, redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, and the King’s personal representatives on the earth. (2 Cor. 5:20.)  Because of the finished works of Calvary, we enjoy access to the throne of grace. (Heb. 4:15.)  This is not because we have kept the law, lived perfect lives, had perfect days or have done everything just right.  It is because He has accomplished what needed to happen to bring us into union with Himself.  Esther did not understand that by virtue of her relationship, she had access to the king that no one else would ever be allowed to have.

There have been many times in the past I have told staff members that I did not want to be disturbed for any reason.  This meant that no matter who tried to call or see me, they were not allowed.  If I were disturbed, I could get pretty upset as I was trying to get some “alone” time with God, or seeking out His will or wisdom on something.  This edict applied to everyone except one person: that person is my wife, Kelly.  Kelly has the freedom to disturb me anytime she needs me because of my relationship with her.  She enjoys complete access to me no matter what.  While others might experience my frustration upon interruption, Kelly would not.  The bride of Christ has not yet learned that He is ravished with our love (Song 4:9).  He lavishes constant attention and desire upon us. Yet, we allow the enemy to move in ways that bring destruction and loss that are not the Lord’s will.  Yet, he allows it to happen because we allow it to happen.  This is because we really do not believe what He thinks, says and feels about us.  The Lord will not work outside of cooperating with man to whom He has given dominion over this earth.  When He finds someone who will confidently believe Him, He will change the course of history.

Mordecai’s reply should cause us to take note:

Then Mordecai told them to answer Esther: “Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king's palace any more than all the other Jews. For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:13-14).

 

Unless we act in our roles as priests and intercessors before the King, things are not going to change.  If we will put on the bridal/priestly garments, and enter into our identity as the priestly-bride, the will of the King, and the power of His kingdom will begin to flow into the earth.

The prophetic voice of Mordecai awakened a younger generation that had gotten comfortable and isolated in the palace.  His prophetic, awakening message aroused this young bride to enter her bridal identity as a worshipping intercessor.  When she did, things begin to change very quickly.

Esther Arises and Gets Dressed

Now it happened on the third day that Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king's palace, across from the king's house, while the king sat on his royal throne in the royal house, facing the entrance of the house. So it was, when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, that she found favor in his sight, and the king held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. Then Esther went near and touched the top of the scepter. And the king said to her, “What do you wish, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given to you-- up to half the kingdom!” (Esther 5:1-3).

When Esther arose and put on her royal garments, she was then ready to go before her king-husband.  She prepared herself as a bride.  As she entered the presence of the king, in the inner court, she immediately found favor with him.  He extended his scepter to her (representing his authority), and gave her the opportunity to enter into the dimension of intercessor.  As we enter into the presence of the King through the blood of the Lamb, dressed in our priestly/royal garments, the authority of the Lord will be extended and loosed through our intercession.

When I read this passage of scripture, I have the distinct impression that Ahasuerus had been waiting on Esther.  It had been quite some time since they had been together.  It’s almost as if he were sitting on his throne looking for her to come in anticipation of them being together.  This is exactly the way scripture relates how the Lord desires for us to seek Him.

My beloved spoke, and said to me: "Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away (Song 2:10).

You are all fair, my love, and there is no spot in you. Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, with me from Lebanon… (Song 4:7-8).

When You said, “Seek My face,” my heart said to You, “Your face, LORD, I will seek” (Psalm 27:8).

The Lord desires for us to be with Him. (John 17:24.)  Because of the New Covenant, put into effect by the blood of Jesus, I can experience open access to the King.  He waits on His bride to confidently enter into this Bridal identity.

Esther puts on her full regalia with linen undergarments.  The king’s favor is aroused and he asks what she would desire.  But first, before bringing the requests, she wants to make him dinner. (Esther 5:4.)  This action represents worship.  Before we ask, we first worship. As a sidenote, notice that Esther has the king bring the enemy to the feast.  In spite of knowing what the enemy was doing, Esther was determined to worship and minister to the king even in the presence of her enemy.

Although the king extended an invitation to just ask, Esther decides that she will minister to the king before she makes her requests known.  She fully embraces the dimension of worshipper and intercessor.  As the king’s heart is merry and delighted in Esther’s love and graciousness to him, she makes her petition. (Esther 7:1-6.)  The scripture says,

Then the king arose in his wrath from the banquet of wine and went into the palace garden; but Haman stood before Queen Esther, pleading for his life, for he saw that evil was determined against him by the king (Esther 7:7).

 

The king responds with inconsolable anger because someone had dared to try to take his bride out!  There is nothing that makes the Lord angrier than someone mistreating His bride.  This is why He commands us to bless those who curse us, because if we do not intercede for them, it will not be good for them!  I have said, many times, when ministering on this passage of scripture, that you can say or do what you want to me.  I might not like it, but I will forgive and bless.  Sometimes I pray for God to bless with a brick, but at least I pray for some kind of blessing (only kidding)!  But, if you mistreat or lay a hand on my wife, I will take you out.  The same holds true for my children, both natural and spiritual.  If someone were to lay a hand on my daughter…well, it’s probably the last time they would ever be able to use that hand.  In this, I am not kidding.  I really believe this is the way the Lord feels about us.  Some of us will be allowed to suffer for His name’s sake so as to prove to the enemy and the world that He has a people who love and follow Him for Himself, and not just for what He does for them.  This is a mystery, but it seems the Lord allows this so as to release the full justice of God into the earth. (Rev. 6:11.)

Haman realizes his fate: he is as good as dead.  The enemy knows that if we, the bride of Christ, ever wake up and believe that we are who the Lord says we are, and enter into that identity, confident in the Lord’s love and desire for us, then his rule and his days are over.  So, he continues his ministry of disinformation (accusation) about God, about us and about others, and we readily believe him.  The day is at hand when the bride will no longer believe she is a beggar woman, but one who truly has the Lord’s heart, His eye, His ear and His authority.

Esther has worshipped and then interceded with the king to issue a decree to stop the works of the enemy against her and her people, and to destroy the enemy.  The king readily complies and sends the order forth to stop the evil decree and destroy the enemy.  After entering this role as the worshipping, interceding partner of the king, the king now begins to “share” his authority with her as the worshipping intercessor.  She passed the test.

On that day King Ahasuerus gave Queen Esther the house of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came before the king, for Esther had told how he was related to her. So the king took off his signet ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai; and Esther appointed Mordecai over the house of Haman. Now Esther spoke again to the king, fell down at his feet, and implored him with tears to counteract the evil of Haman the Agagite, and the scheme which he had devised against the Jews. And the king held out the golden scepter toward Esther. So Esther arose and stood before the king… (Esther 8:1-4).

Here we see many dynamics resulting from Esther’s obedience to the prophetic voice of Mordecai to enter her destiny as the royal intercessor.  Not only is the enemy destroyed, and the evil planned against God’s covenant people stopped, but also the riches of the enemy were given to Esther.  Not only was this younger generation enjoying the blessings and benefits of the king’s decrees and authority, but Mordecai, an older generation, was joined together with Esther, to help exercise royal authority. Esther is also now confident in her identity as the bride of the king and comes with confidence to make intercession before him.  Although she is confident, she is still humble before the king as she makes her request.  Because of this growth in maturity in her identity as the king’s wife, and as the royal intercessor, Esther is now allowed to enter into full partnership with the king in exercising authority over his kingdom.

Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and Mordecai the Jew, “Indeed, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and they have hanged him on the gallows because he tried to lay his hand on the Jews. You yourselves write a decree for the Jews, as you please, in the king's name, and seal it with the king's signet ring; for a letter which is written in the king's name and sealed with the king's signet ring no one can revoke” (Esther 8:7-8).

Because of Esther’s realization that she is the partner of the king, the king now allows Esther to make decrees in his name, for the benefit of furthering his kingdom.  She has proven her desire for the king through worship, proven that she was willing to lose her life to intercede for her people,  and finally proven she was willing to humble herself in his sight in the presence of her enemy.  She can be trusted with authority.  Her decree was his decree.

Before the Lord returns, He will have a bride, walking this earth, humble, completely given to Him and His will, and He will release the keys of heaven to her.  We will see millions of souls harvested for His glory in these last days.  We will also see healing flow in unprecedented ways, deliverance take place on a scale never before seen, the dead raised, and the earth redeemed and responding to the authority of the Lord expressed through this corporate bride.  When the bride has reached this place, she has finally come into full agreement with Him and His will.  When He sees and hears this He will say, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Our response will be: “Even so, come, Lord Jesus!”

Questions for Reflection:

How does the book of Esther show us how to prepare as the bride of Christ?
____________________________________________________________
This article was adapted from a chapter in Mike McClung's book, "Restoring the Ruins." For more information on this and other Lionheart Restoration Ministries resources, click here.

____________________________________________________________
To find out more about Lionheart Restoration Ministries, visit us at:

www.lionheartministries.org

www.facebook.com/

www.twitter.com/thelionrestores