An enormous tornado, much larger than I have ever seen before in person or on television filled the entire sky. This is how the vision began. At the top of the tornado was a small bird, which I thought at first was caught in the swirling winds. Looking more closely, I could see that it was a white Dove, but it was not caught in the tornado. On the contrary, by its flying around, the Dove had actually caused the tornado. As I looked down into the funnel from above, into the very eye of the storm, I could see the Lord standing peacefully in the midst of this tornado.

Suddenly, I noticed the tornado was moving toward a large building which was in terrible disrepair. The white paint on its siding and trim was peeling. On the roof were spots where the shingles were missing; other scattered shingles still clung to the roof, crooked and loose. A number of windows were cracked or broken, and some of its trim hung precariously in need of being reattached. By its tall steeple, I could tell this building was a church. When the tornado got near the building, boards and shingles began to come loose and fly off into the wind. The windows began to shatter as the entire building seemed to be stirring. Then the building started convulsing up and down as if the strong winds were causing every joint of the building to be loosened. I could hear the loud creaking sound of the building being loosened from its foundation. With a mighty crash the building collapsed inward upon itself. As the enormous tornado continued to move closer to the collapsed church, its powerful winds began to blow away the dust and pick up the debris left from the collapse. When the last few boards were removed, a beautiful and brilliant shimmering light came from where the old church had been. Looking more closely I could see a strong foundation still remained — a foundation of pure gold. “When the whirlwind passes by, the wicked is no more, but the righteous has an everlasting foundation” (Proverbs 10:25).

Over the last few years, the Lord has been tearing away the religious structures that stood as ghettos in the Church. The Lord has ordained a shaking of all things in order for the man-made things to collapse. Although some have called these storms “winds of adversity,” many of these whirlwinds have been the mighty wind of the Holy Spirit shaking everything that can be shaken. The Lord designed the shaking from these mighty winds to both destroy and remove the old familiar structures so that He can do a new work. The Lord will not build His house on man-made structures, and so He has begun to restore the ancient foundation — a foundation in which He alone is our Bedrock and our Footing. “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:11).

The Mortar Of Intercession
God has been assembling the living stones He will use to build His spiritual house upon this foundation. “You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood” (1 Peter 2:5). But where is the mortar to hold these stones together? Although each living stone fits perfectly together with the others, without the mortar the winds of opposition will drive the dust of this world into this new, spiritual house. Without the mortar, the storms of life will penetrate and damage what the Lord is making. As I asked the Lord for the spiritual mortar to “cement” together the living stones to form His spiritual house, this is how He answered me:

“The mortar of My new work is intercession. All are called to intercede; to lift up before Me the cares and concerns of this new work. Others are called to the ministry of intercession. This ministry is no less important than shepherding or prophesying or any other. Without it, what I am building will quickly crumble and fall.

"As your prayers of intercession are lifted up to Me, My covering is upon you. As Moses’ hands had to be uplifted to Me for victory over Amalek, so, too, your prayers of intercession for that which I have called you to are necessary for the victory. When Moses let down his hands, the battle went poorly. When intercession is allowed to drop, My soldiers in the battle suffer losses.

"Intercede and lift up those about you in My body. Those who have heard My call to the ministry of intercession receive your commission and your mantle; for the battle is nearly upon you!”

The mortar that holds the spiritual house of God together is intercessory prayer. As living stones we are sealed together by our loving intercession one for another. As we lift up our brothers and sisters in Christ, our hearts become one with them, and we realize the true unity of the body of Christ. Just as the ligaments and tendons help hold the body together and connect its various parts, so, too, intercessors are a part of the body of Christ who help keep the spiritual body united and “connected.”

Intercession is not only adhesive — holding the living stones together; it is defensive — keeping the dirt and dust of the world out of the Church. Our prayers for one another bathe the body of Christ, removing the religious trappings that cling to us and tarnish our appearance. They brush out from the bride of Christ the worldly dust which makes us impure. As we lift up one another, the Lord also places His covering (His protection) over us, which allows us to advance His kingdom just as Israel defeated Amalek.

The Battle with Amalek
“And Moses said to Joshua, ‘Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand.’ So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword” (Exodus 17:9–13).

The Lord chose Joshua to be the general of the troops and defeat Amalek. God, however, wanted Israel to remember that He alone was their Deliverer. To this end, Israel only prevailed in the battle when Moses held up the rod of God. If Moses let down the rod to rest his arms, the opposing army suddenly began to make advances. It may seem a small thing to stand on a hill and hold up someone’s arm, but had Aaron and Hur failed in this “small task,” Israel would not have won the battle.

In like manner, when we intercede for others or pray for the advancement of God’s kingdom on earth, we may think it a small task of little significance and negligible effect. But the spiritual reality is that without these prayers many more would be wounded in the battle. The armory of the army of God is the prayer closet. No matter where the battle may be played out, the battle is won on our knees!

So let us rejoice in what the Lord is doing in this day upon the earth. Let us be the living stones He can use to build His spiritual house on the only Foundation — Jesus Christ. The mortar of this new work is the intercession of the saints. May our prayers bring unity, purity, and victory!