PRAYER FOCUS: PREPARING TO CROSS OVER:
Find Three Days to Sanctify Yourself
by Chuck Pierce (www.glory-of-zion.org)

Dear Sanctified Prayer Warriors:

The Body of Christ cannot afford to stand still and embrace any passivity this year. When the Spirit of God visited me and gave me revelation about 2004 being a year of the "DOOR," He instructed me that we were to close doors this first quarter. Shutting doors is important before we cross over the threshold of the new doors that are forming.  There have been several prophecies about the importance of March 11.

There have also been prophecies about the capture of Osama bin Laden and the need to pray for the removal of occult forces which are keeping him hidden. I really think the next 10 days are very important in creating an atmosphere for victory in the earth realm. We cannot break through into the new place without fasting. I also think we need to prepare ourselves for the days ahead. 

This prayer focus, Preparing to Cross Over, is different from others. This time frame gives us 10 days for prayer, three of which should be set aside for sanctification, including fasting. This will bring us to the beginning of Spring (March 21). This will cause us to cross over. I will explain what this means as you read the prayer focus. Later this month, I will then send out a separate 40-Day Prayer Focus that will begin on March 21.


Crossing Over is Moving Through Transition.

Crossing over actually means to go from one place to another or a transition time where you leave one place and then enter into another. There are several issues in our moving forward into the new. In this transition we are changing forms. In transition you must stay focused on where you are going or what you are birthing. Although you may not have settled in the new place yet or received the new thing, when there is a conception of vision in your heart, you cross over to a new place where the change manifests. There are three specific areas to keep in mind during transition:

1. Move from strength to strength. Psalms 84 is a great passage for today. "Blessed is the person that is on a pilgrimage ... they go from strength to strength."

2. Move from faith to faith. Romans 1:16-17 says, "Do not be ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God to those who believe. . .in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith."

3. Move from glory to glory. II Corinthians 3:16-18 talks about the veil of the law being lifted and the Spirit of God releasing new liberty. "But we all are being transformed from glory to glory."  The enemy never wants us to complete the "from-to" process. He wants to hold us in the last season's strength, faith, and glory. He knows if he succeeds in doing this, we will never see our  Lord's plan manifest for the future season. He also knows that he can keep an entire generation from advancing into the riches and blessings of a covenant God.

A crossing over time has three phases linked with transition: Death, Confusion, and New. The Hebrew word abar means "to cross over" or "pass over." This word illustrates a motion. It also refers to crossing a stream or barrier ("pass through," Num 21:22), invading a country ("passed over," Judg 11:32), crossing a boundary against a hostile army ("go over," 1 Sam 14:4), marching over ("go over," Isa 51:23), overflowing the banks of a river or other natural barriers ("pass through," Isa 23:10), passing a razor over one's head ("come upon," Num 6:5), and the passing of time ("went over," 1 Chron 29:30).  As a verb, the word is used in relationship to transgression or sin, such as transgressing a covenant or  commandment. One "passes beyond" the limits set by God's law and falls into transgression and guilt. This meaning appears in Num 14:41: "And Moses said, wherefore now do ye transgress 
the commandment of the Lord? but it shall not prosper." We want to die to anything in the past season that would hinder us in the season ahead. We want to be sure the power of any besetting sin is broken. Don't be afraid to go 
to the CROSS. Resurrection and new life are on the other side.

This is a time of preparation, building the frame for our future. When the Lord is saying "cross over," He is ready 
to begin transferring the enemy's spoils into and under our sphere of authority.  Therefore, He wants to be sure we have defined our boundaries properly so we do not get outside of our God-given scope of authority. Dutch Sheets' book, Praying for America, is an incredible resource that every one of us should read. This book not only motivates us to pray for our nation now, but also explains many important principles for our own lives.  In this book, there are two chapters on crossing over. Dutch begins by discussing Gen 14:13 which uses the phrase, "Abram, the Hebrew." The word for Hebrew is ibriy, which originated from the word abar. Abraham was a cause minded, history making, crossing-over guy. He then explains how each one of us, through our salvation experience with the Lord Jesus Christ, is grafted into this same Hebrew crossing over anointing. He shares the following, "Because abar is 
a transition word, it also means 'to penetrate,' as in penetrating territory or even the human heart . the word also means to impregnate." One  significant thing that Pastor Sheets writes in this book is that our crossing over terrifies our enemies. That is what God is trying to get us to do. He has another whole chapter on the fruits of crossing over. I will offer this book now for key understanding of this principle.


Three Days of Prayer and Fasting to Prepare for Crossing Over.

We all have a Jordan to cross over. This is the place of death that releases us from the old and propels us into 
the new. Joshua 1:11 says, "Pass through the camp and command the people, saying, 'Prepare provisions for yourselves, for within three days you will cross over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which the LORD 
your God is giving you to possess.'"

Joshua 3:2-5 says, "After three days the officers went through the camp and commanded the people saying, 'When you see the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests, the Levites, bearing it, then you shall set out from you place and go after it . You have not passed (abar) this way before. Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow 
the Lord will do wonders among you.'" In other words, divorce yourself from anything that is unclear and devote yourself wholly to the Lord. I feel the need for us to do this for three days so we can fling into Spring. Many times this can be  accompanied by fasting. Let God choose your fast!

Three, as a symbolic number, often indicated completeness. The created cosmos had three elements: heaven, earth, and underworld. Three Persons make up the Godhead: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Prayer was to be lifted 
at least three times daily (Dan. 6:10; compare Ps. 55:17) . Jesus said He would be in the grave for three days and three nights (Matt. 12:40).  Below I have given you key issues that are linked with three days.

Prepare yourself with the Word - God's sanctifying power. 

Read Genesis 40:13. Declare your place or position will be restored.

Read Exodus 3:18. Declare that anything that is keeping you from worship will be broken.

Read Exodus 10:22-23. Declare that any plan the enemy has will be overwhelmed by darkness but you will be 
filled with revelation.

Read Judges 14:14. Declare that any bitter root will be uprooted and sweet water will begin to flow in your life.

Read 1 Sam 30. Trust the Lord to connect you with those who can pursue and overtake your enemy.

Read Ezra 8. Stop and let the Lord show you the enemy that is on the road ahead of you.

Read Nehemiah 2. Let God develop the plan to rebuild that which is broken down in your life.

Read Matthew 12. Thank the Lord for the Cross. Declare that the passion of the Cross arise in you.

Read Matthew 15 and Mark 8. Ask God to release the same compassion on you that was in Jesus that will not 
only heal the sick but also produce provision for the poor.

Read Acts 9. Declare that any scales on your eyes will fall off and that you will have clear vision for your future.
Meditate on the book of Esther, especially, Chapters 4 & 5.  Prepare yourself and cross over into the Inner Court. As you know, I continue to read the chapter "4's" through the word of God. This past week I reread Esther 4 
(and to the end of the book of Esther).  Esther recognized God's sovereign timing and placement in her life. She then prepared herself to go in before the king. Preparation produces favor. Upon entering the inner court of the king, he extended his scepter to her and said, "What do you wish, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall 
be given to you - up to half the kingdom!"  Prepare yourself and go into the Throne Room.  Replace Queen Esther's name with your name and make your request known to the King of kings. Remember, Esther had a very specific request. You need to have one also. Declare that one request to the Lord that will bring change!


Cross Over the Tangled Maze of Jungle Haunted by Lions.

Remember that a key verse this year is Jeremiah 12:5. The Amplified says, "If you have raced with men of foot 
and they have tired you out, then how can you compete with horses? And if you take to flight in a land of peace where you feel secure, then what will you do [when you tread the TANGLED MAZE OF JUNGLE, HAUNTED 
BY LIONS] in the swelling of the Jordan?"  The Jordan swelled in the Spring. This was the time for crossing over.

Jeremiah was upset because there was much confusion in Jerusalem. Josiah had brought many reforms but had ended up losing his life prematurely. Jeremiah was really questioning the Lord over why certain things were happening. Even though you might be questioning the Lord over situations that have seemed so difficult, the Lord still has a crossing over plan for you. The Lord told Jeremiah that what he had been going through was preparation for the future. If you have had difficulty coping with certain situations this past year to the extent that you have been distracted from pressing in to all that the Lord was telling you to press into, you will never be able to move into this next dimension of conflict. You are on the verge of "crossing over" into your inheritance. Don't let the roaring lions around you cause you to turn back. The enemy has a roar that would try to prevent you from moving into the portion that God has allotted for you, but you have a ROAR greater than the enemy's! Let the Lord fill you with new joy and produce new strength within you.


Cross Over, Face Your AMALEKITE, and break the power of his noose! 

We have just finished the celebration of Purim. Purim, of course, is the story of how Esther overcame Haman. Haman was an Amalekite. The Amalekites would come behind the army and begin to pick off the stragglers.  This 
is a time to catch up and cross over!  The word Amalekite means "to toil or work under hard labor". This is a time for you to break out of legalistic, hard labor. The Amalekites were a nomadic tribe of formidable people that first attacked the Israelites after the Exodus at Rephidim. Amalek, the grandson of Esau (Gen. 36:12), inhabited the desolate wasteland of the northeast Sinai peninsula and the Negeb. They were the first to attack Israel after the Exodus (Num. 24:20).

This is where the Lord revealed Himself as Jehovah Nissi. He declared that we would war with Amalek from generation to generation. The antichrist spirit today is linked into this Amalakite spirit. Israel won the initial battle (Ex. 17:8-16), but later was driven back into the Sinai wilderness by a coalition of Amalekites and Canaanites 
(Num. 14:39-45).

Because of their atrocities, God commanded Saul to exterminate the Amalekites (1 Sam. 15:2-3). Saul disobeyed, and the Amalekites were not defeated completely until late in the eighth century B.C. (1 Chron. 4:43). Haman the Agagite (Est 3:1-10; 8:3-5) was thought by the Jews to be his descendant, from whence sprung his hatred toward their race. Prepare yourself and watch your Haman be hung on his own gallows. Break all compromise. This simply means, during these next few days, your enemy will overplay his hand and you will end up victorious! Cross over and watch your new doors form!

Blessings,
Chuck D. Pierce