Many intercessors are praying that the fear of the Lord would fall upon this land to give it a needed course correction. Derek Prince, one of the founders of IFA, wrote this article that addresses how we can pray for – and receive – this needed fear of the Lord.

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(Taken from Derek Prince’s article, “Understanding the Fear of the Lord”)

In Proverbs 2:1–5 we see an if-then statement that shows us step-by-step how to receive the fear of the Lord.

“My son, if you receive my words, and treasure my commands within you, so that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding; Yes, if you cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding, If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.”

Let’s look at the conditions— the “IFs”—for receiving the fear of the Lord.

If you receive my words, and treasure my commands within you. Receive God’s Word with respect, with an attitude of submission and obedience. Receive it as the most valuable element of your life. Treasure it. The Hebrew word means to store something up in the secret place, because it is of the most value to you.

So that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding. When someone is speaking to you and you really want to listen intently, you lean in—even bow your head. That’s what it means to incline your ear. It also demonstrates a submissive attitude. You become teachable.

Yes, if you cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding. This indicates a heart committed to prayer— impassioned prayer. This doesn’t mean making a public scene when you pray. In fact, impassioned prayer between just you and God often can be more productive than public prayer.

If you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures. God doesn’t put everything out in the open. God doesn’t put His jewels out on the pavement for anybody to pick up. He puts them in places where you have to grasp for them. This is how we need to approach wisdom. Search for it wherever it may be found.

Now—after all the “IFs”—we come to the “THEN”—the promise.

Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. I don’t believe the knowledge of God can ever be separated from the fear of the Lord. Isaiah 11:2–3 says of Jesus:

“The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD— and he will delight in the fear of the LORD.”

You cannot separate the knowledge of the Lord from the fear of the Lord. You don’t have more knowledge of the Lord in your life than you have fear of the Lord—a fear that only the Holy Spirit can teach. Psalm 34:11 says, “Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.”

Think over what you’ve read here. Will you ask God to impart to you the fear of the Lord? He won’t do it against your will, and He won’t threaten you. He offers, but you have to receive. You may be a sincere Christian, but as you’ve been reading you have realized that there’s very little of the fear of the Lord in your life.

If that’s the way you feel—and I want you to be very careful because it’s easy to respond out of emotion and later forget what you’ve done—I want you to say these words to the Lord: “Oh, God my Father. I come to you through Jesus Christ, my Savior. You have put in my heart a desire for the fear of the Lord. I’m asking You from now on to lead me, to teach me and to impart to me this wonderful treasure of Yours—the fear of the Lord. In the name of Jesus, Amen.”

To read the entire article by Derek Prince, CLICK HERE.