Secrets to Effective Prayers & Spiritual Warfare
Message from the Editor:
As I reflect on the life and legacy of Beni Johnson, one of the things that stands out to me is her unwavering commitment to prayer and intercession.
Her calling to combine joy and intercession has had a profound impact on my own prayer life and on countless others at Bethel, and beyond. Beni's passion for intercession was contagious, and her teachings were always grounded in the truth of God's Word. She truly embodied the heart of a servant and the spirit of a warrior.
She reminded us that prayer is not just a duty or a religious obligation, but a vital and life-giving connection to our Heavenly Father. And who doesn’t want to have a deeper, intimate connection with our God?
As I read Whispers from Heaven, I can imagine her cheering me on through from the cloud of witnesses, calling me to connect with God. And it’s not just me. Her mantle is there for us to put on and continue where she left off.
Through her teachings, Beni emphasizes the importance of partnering with God in prayer in order to see Him move in miraculous ways. She encourages us to seek God’s heart and align our prayers with His will, knowing that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28 NIV).
Thank you, Beni, for your faithful service to God and His Kingdom. You will be dearly missed, but your teachings and the fruit of your ministry will continue to bear witness to the power of prayer and the importance of partnering with God to see Him move.
Joel Marzzarella
Editor of the Destiny Image Magazine
Intercessors have the ability to pick up many things that are going on in the spirit realm.
Often, it seems like intercessors get so focused on what the devil is doing that they don’t look at what God is doing. The question is not, “What is the devil doing?” The question should be, “What is God doing?” This should be the life theme of all of the people of God. But here’s the deal. There are times when intercessors can pick things up from the demonic realm. And some intercessors will get stuck here and even live out of this place. They begin living out of the first and second realms.
Let me explain. There are three “realms” that are mentioned in the Bible. The word realm means a region, sphere, or area. The Bible specifically talks about the first realm, the second realm, and the third realm. The first realm is the realm that you can see with your eyes. It’s the physical realm. “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” (Revelation 21:1 NKJV). So here you can see that the first heaven is the earthly realm, or what you can see right now. Our bodies, our homes, and our cities exist in the earthly realm. Deuteronomy 10:14 (NKJV) says, “Indeed heaven and the highest heavens belong to the Lord your God, also the earth with all that is in it.” According to the New American Standard Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, the word heaven means, “astrologers, compass, earth, heaven, heavens, and the highest heaven.” From the beginning, God created the earth, the heavens, and the highest heavens.
The second heaven, or “midheaven” of Revelation 14:6 (NASB)—“and I saw another angel flying in midheaven, having an eternal gospel to preach to those who live on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people”—is the demonic and angelic realm where they war with each other. In Daniel, the second realm is also shown to be the demonic and angelic realm (see Daniel 10:13).
Then, there is the third realm. This realm is where the glory of God is. It’s the beauty realm. The apostle Paul calls the third heaven “paradise.” It’s where we can see the great plans of Heaven.
I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a one was caught up to the third heaven (2 Corinthians 12:2 NKJV).
He continues in verse 4, “how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words.”
The third realm is where every believer should live. You see, all believers should live from a place of victory, knowing and partnering with the strategies of God. Ephesians 2:6 (NKJV) says that God has “raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” You have heard the saying, “so heavenly minded, no earthy good”? That’s a very impossible saying. I believe that, if you are heavenly minded, you will be of great good to this earth.
Prayer
Thank You, God, for the gift of sensitivity that You have placed in me. Whenever that gift feels overwhelming, whenever I am picking up all of the frequencies of the first and second heaven, I will turn my face to Yours. I will rise in my spirit above and access Your truth and perspective. Help me to sit with You in the heavenly places.
