Friday, October 30, 2009

Dominating The Physical Realm


(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were (Rom.4:17).


Like God, you have the authority and ability to call things that be not as though they were. When you speak what you believe in faith, you can literally change circumstances and situations in your life. Agree with God, speak in faith, and don't allow affliction to affect your speech. Never allow your circumstance dictate to you, you have been given the power to rule over them.

When man was created, God delegated authority to man to act in His stead; that while God was ruling and reigning in the affairs in heaven, man was to establish rule here on earth in God’s behalf. He gave man the mandate to be ‘god’ over the things around him; He told man to have dominion and subdue all creation (Gen.1:28); and honoured the voice of man on earth such that whatever man called anything that was its name (Gen.2:19). God was releasing man to call things by his own definition. What a wonderful privilege!


God's Way of Operating.
God’s way of operating is to call those things that are not as though they were (Rom.4:17). God never doubt His ability to call up none-existing things into life. Before He started creating things in the beginning, God called up light (that was not in existence then) and light became (Gen.1:3).


In the original Hebrew text, this description was reported in the most amazing way. It was recorded that what God actually said was “light be” and light became, and not exactly as recorded in the KJV that God said “let there be light” and there was light. God was actually calling a thing that was not as though it already was. This is powerful, considering the weight that the first statement carries. This is the same calling we have been called into–for everyone of us to speak things like God, and never doubt what we say.


God uses what has not manifested to reduce and nullify things that have manifested (1Cor.1:26-28). Everything that can be seen is temporal-subject to change; however, things that cannot be seen are eternal (2Cor.4:18). It implies that if you can see it, you can use the Word of God to change it because you have the authority in your mouth to call forth what you desire to see according to the Word of God.


We are not saying that you should deny what has manifested; instead, call in what has not manifested. For example, if you're sick, don't just deny sickness, call in healing. Denial alone won't resolve the issue or change what can be seen. This is the error some faith preachers fall into. Faith is not optimism; and neither is it realism. It is simply applying the truth of God’s Word to change a situation, without doubting. It is borne out of a conviction that God’s Word cannot fail, no matter what.


Your Speech Is A Demonstration of What You Believe (2 Corinthians 4:13).
Your words betrays you. It tells a volume about who you truly are because it is an expression of what you believe (2Cor.4:13).


Pastor W.F. Kumuyi said in one of his messages I listened to that “give me 5minutes with a man, let me hear him speak and I can tell you who he is”. How true? Our words exposes us, and tells the whole world who we really are and where we are aligned (Mat.12:34; Luke 6:45).


Doubt is evidence of disagreement with what the Word says. God told Zacharias he would have a son, but Zacharias started speaking negative words (Luke 1:13,18,19). What Zacharias said indicated what he believed.


On the other hand faith is evidence of agreement with what the Word says. Jesus demonstrated what He believed when He spoke to the fig tree (Mark 11:12-14). The tree withered from the roots because Jesus had confidence in what He spoke (Mark 11:20).


Like Jesus, you can speak to circumstances and situations in your life (John 14:12). You have been given the authority to speak the course of your life. When things are not going the way you want them, take authority over them and speak words that agrees with God’s Word, without doubting and you will see God move into the situation.


Have you ever wondered why Jesus said “For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith” (Mark 11:23)? He said “…whosoever shall SAY”, He did not say “…whosoever shall pray”. I have wondered about this until recently when God opened my eyes to the fact that our prayers are mere words until they carry the ability to change our realm. No wonder a lot of prayer going on today in churches and in the personal lives of people are not reaching its expected target.

Recently in Uganda it had not rained for months and everywhere was dry and dusty in the city of Kampala. The north of Uganda started experiencing serious droughts, and the famine was beginning to take a toll on the people because commodities were becoming expensive.

At about that time I was ministering in one of the churches in Kampala, and was speaking in this same direction. I told the people we could change this around us by the words we speak and encouraged the whole church to rise up and prove this principle, whether it works or not. We all prayed for 10minutes asking the rain to begin to fall everywhere. By the next day it was raining all over Kampala, and heavily too!

I strongly believe this is what we have been called to do. We are world changers; we have the ability to cause change anywhere we are; we have the authority to unlock the power of God over this realm that we live in. This is what we have been anointed to do; we are wired to dominate the physical realm.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

The Prayer of Intercession


Intercessory prayer is prayer for others. An intercessor is one who takes the place of another or pleads another's case. One study Bible defines intercession as "holy, believing, persevering prayer whereby someone pleads with God on behalf of another or others who desperately need God's intervention."

The Biblical basis for the New Testament believer's ministry of intercessory prayer is our calling as priests unto God. The Word of God declares that we are a holy priesthood (1 Peter 2:5), a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9), and a kingdom of priests (Revelation 1:5).

The background for understanding this calling to priestly intercession is found in the Old Testament example of the Levitical Priesthood. The priest's responsibility was to stand before and between. He stood before God to minister to Him with sacrifices and offerings. The priests also stood between a righteous God and sinful man bringing them together at the place of the blood sacrifice.

Hebrews 7:11-19 explains the difference between the Old and New Testament ministries of the priest. The Old Testament Levitical Priesthood was passed on from generation to generation through the descendants of the tribe of Levi. "The Melchizedek Priesthood" spoken of in this passage, is the "new order" of spiritual priests of whom the Lord Jesus is the High Priest. It is passed on to us through His blood and our spiritual birth as new creatures in Christ.

Our Model Intercessor
Jesus Christ is our model for intercessory prayer. Jesus stands before God and between Him and sinful man, just as the Old Testament priests did: “For there is one God, and one mediator (intercessor) between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1Tim.2:5). It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us (Rom.8:34). Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them (Heb.7:25).

Jesus brings sinful man and a righteous God together at the place of the blood sacrifice for sin. No longer is the blood of animals necessary as it was in the Old Testament. We can now approach God on the basis of the blood of Jesus that was shed on the cross of Calvary for the remission of sins. Because of the blood of Jesus, we can approach God boldly without timidity (Heb.4:14-16).

Jesus was an intercessor while He was here on earth. He prayed for those who were sick and possessed by demons. He prayed for His disciples. He even prayed for you and me when He interceded for all those who would believe on Him. Jesus continued His ministry of intercession after His death and resurrection when He returned to Heaven. He now serves as our intercessor in Heaven (Heb.7:25; Rom.8:34).

How To Have Effective Intercession
In intercessory prayer, we follow the Old Testament priestly function and the New Testament pattern of Jesus - standing before God and between a righteous God and sinful man. In order to be effective standing "between" we must first stand "before" God to develop the intimacy necessary to fulfill this role. Numbers 14 is one of the greatest accounts of intercessory prayer recorded in the Bible. Moses was able to stand between God and sinful man because he had stood "before" Him and had developed intimacy of communication. Numbers 12:8 records that God spoke with Moses as friend to friend and not through visions and dreams as He did with other prophets.

As New Testament believers, we no longer sacrifice animals as in Old Testament times. We stand before the Lord to offer up spiritual sacrifices of praise (Heb.13:15) and the sacrifice of our own lives (Rom.12:1). It is on the basis of this intimate relationship with God that we can then stand "between" Him and others, serving as an advocate and intercessor in their behalf.

Peter uses two words to describe this priestly ministry: "Holy" and "royal." Holiness is required to stand before the Lord (Heb.12:14). We are able to do this only on the basis of the righteousness of Christ, not our own righteousness. Royalty is descriptive of the kingly authority that is delegated to us as members of the "royal family," so to speak, with legitimate access to the throne room of God.

The Power of Intercessory Prayer
Among many other examples of intercessory prayer in the Bible, some individuals brought the realities of the potency of this type of prayer. Anytime we engage in prayer of intercession we need to look out for the effect, which could be:
(a) To deliver a man from the destruction of his soul (Luke 22:31-32). Jesus prayed for Peter that he be not sifted as a wheat by Satan. When you stand before God for the souls of men, you are engaging in the prayer of intercession, and great results can be produced.
(b) To turn away God's wrath (Exo.32:9-14). The people were deserving of God's wrath when they ascribed their deliverance from Egypt to the work of their hands, to a molten calf, which they also called 'Jehovah'. But Moses interceded for the people of Israel till the wrath of God was turned away.
(c) To turn your personal afflictions around (Job 42:10). This is a remarkable scripture “And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends…” When you are concerned about other people's case, God becomes personally committed to your well-being. Job's situation would have persisted if he had not brought in the power of intercessory prayers.

Friday, October 16, 2009

Prayer of Petition


1 John 5:14, NKJV
”Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us”

We shall continue in our prayer series, and today we hope to treat the subject of Prayer of Petition.

Most people know, and believe that prayer is an integral part of a fulfilled Christian life. What some people do not know, however, is that there are different types of prayers for different situations, and the Prayer of Petition is one of the most effective form of prayer when it comes to bringing about quick changes in your life, especially if you need the answer fast.
Generally, there are 3 main categories of prayers. Firstly, there is the prayer that changes things. There is also the prayer of thanksgiving, as well as the prayer of dedication. The prayer of petition belong to the first category (also the prayer of agreement that we looked at last week belong here).

Perhaps you are facing a financial crisis, maybe you need to restore a broken relationship, or perhaps you need an outright healing miracle. Whatever it is, if you have a need, God has the answer for it, and the petition prayer is the best way to co-operate with God and receive what He has in store for you.

So How Do You Pray A Prayer Of Petition?
Well, it can be as simple as stating your situation to God, and agreeing with what the Word of God says about it. A petition prayer, simply put, is a formal request to God regarding a situation you need help with.


However, the mistake most people make, is that they simply keep stating how bad their plight is, and attempt to plead God into taking action. Yet, this kind of prayer rarely, if ever, brings about results. To put it in a very simple form someone said, “quit telling God how big your problems are but tell the problems how big your God is”.

God’s Word says that when you pray, you should pray in confidence that God hears you, and that He will answer you as long as you pray according to His will. Also, be convinced in your heart that God is able and willing to help you out of your predicaments when you take the situation to Him in petition.

The secret in the prayer of petition is that you must be ready to plead your case before Him (Ish.41:21). Remember the Importunate Woman in Luke 18:1-8 and Hezekiah in 2Kings 19:14-20; 20:1-6.

It paints a picture of a Law Court. The attorneys must be able to make a case before the judge on behalf of their clients. They must plead their case with convincing evidences backed up with the right application of the constitution and precedence to sway the judgment in their favour. Where the reasons are not strong enough, the case is obviously lost. The same principle applies to the prayer of petition.

So What Is God’s Will?
God wants you to be Saved, Healthy, Prosperous, and Happy. Therefore, whenever you make a petition, never doubt the Will of God. It IS His Will to heal you, prosper you, and give you the desires of your heart. Therefore, when you pray, you should pray with utter and complete confidence that your prayer is answered. And like we said earlier believe that God is able and willing to help you.

If you will just focus on this one Truth, you will find that more and more of your petitions are answered, and in shorter and shorter time spans.

What Makes It So Powerful?
The power of a Prayer of Petition lies in 3 major sources:
1) The Name of Jesus
2) The Word of God
3) The Holy Spirit

Firstly, when Jesus gave you the right to use His name, he gave you more than just a cliché way to end a prayer. Remember, the Name of Jesus is above ALL other names. This means that no matter what the name of your problem is, be it ‘debt’, ‘sickness’, ‘depression’, or any other condition, it is still subjugated to the Name of Jesus (Phi.2:10). And just as Jesus calmed the storm, you too can create peace out of any problem you are facing by using the Name of Jesus.

On top of that, God has also clearly stated out His Will to help you in His Word. Whatever your situation is, take a look into the Bible, and I’m sure you will be able to find relevant verses that speak to your situation and show you how God has promised to deliver you from your problem. God has said that His Word will not return to Him void. By agreeing with His Word, you are in effect providing the faith necessary to make it come to pass in your own life (Heb.4:12).

Lastly, the Holy Spirit is always present to help you and give you both the utterance and power for your prayer. In fact, it is the Holy Spirit that gives power to the Words of your prayer, and make it real in your life (Rom.8:26-27).

Remember, God has already answered your prayer of petition through Jesus’ work. Will you give Him enough credit to take Him at His Word?

Friday, October 9, 2009

Prayer of Agreement


When I just gave my life to Christ, there was something I found so interesting in the church and among the brethren then that was so beautiful and powerful. They prayed together. You would always see in the church two or more people coming together as “prayer partners”; they come together to pray on some very important things, privately and collectively. It was a beautiful sight to behold; and the church of God was usually the better for it!

But in recent times, this culture have died down and in some cases non-existent. People in the church today no longer have prayer partners (though some still do and they obviously know the attendant benefit to it) and everyone is running towards personal and selfish ambitions. No wonder the church of today lacks the vibrancy needed. Attendance at prayer meetings have even dropped drastically, except where there is ‘a man of God’ in town to anoint people for power and prosperity.

I say this to the shame of all of us today. We are too busy chasing after the shadows in life and ministry that we leave out the very much powerful prerequisite for getting our prayers answered. Even Jesus in His last days on earth needed people to agree with Him in prayers (Mat.26:36-45).

Even as I write to you now I have friends that we started out as prayer partners scattered all over the world who still keep in touch with me in prayers. In spite of the distance between us we still keep in prayer-touch with each other and our regular prayer chain is still sustained as I write.

It is a beautiful experience to have confidants and partners in the place of prayer and we need to go back to this old practice.

"Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:19-20)

God has given power and authority to the Church and when we stand together in unified pray His power is released in great measure. We need to embrace this treasure all over again if we must experience the outpouring of God’s graciousness in our lives and in the lives of others.

WHAT IS PRAYER OF AGREEMENT? (Mat.18:16-20)
The prayer of agreement is: Agreeing together in prayer for God’s purposes on earth.
The Greek word for ‘agree’ is ‘sumphoneo’ to sound together, be in accord. A symphony of prayer agreement. Like the orchestra, there are many instruments playing but the purpose is to give off a sweet melody that is well-blended and harmonised.


It is a very powerful tool for getting answers from God, but it has to be in accord (i.e. the people involved must be united in purpose and be agreed) before it can generate the required power. Therefore, in getting someone to agree with you as a prayer partner or in corporate prayer there must be an agreement between you and the person. You must both be giving the right sound. This is why it is a very powerful tool for married couples. Couples who don’t pray together don’t know what they are missing!

THE POWER OF AGREEMENT
Prayer of agreement produces a melodious sound in the hears of God and brings Him quickly into a situation more than any other type of prayer in the Bible. It makes a lot of power available for those who engage in it.

The power of agreement…

1. Will bring victory (Exo.17:12)
Israel defeated Amalek while Moses held up the rod of God in his hand. Moses needed help holding up his hands because they became so heavy. Aaron and Hur supported his hands and caused them to be steady to defeat Amalek. This was a kind of power-agreement for victory.

2. Will bring anointing and blessing (Ps.133:1-3)
David compares living in unity (agreement) to anointing oil and the dew on Mount Hermon. Both signify the cleansing and blessing of God. Out of agreement God commands a blessing and causes His anointing to flow freely.

3. Will help us make the right decision (Acts 1:24)
The 120 prayed together and asked the Lord to show them who He has chosen to join the apostles. Praying with a group or even one other person is a powerful way to make right decisions.

4. Will bring the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-2)
On the Day of Pentecost they all prayed with one accord (in agreement) and the Holy Spirit came as a mighty wind. That experience has never left the entire world the same again, just because there was agreement!

5. Will bring Jesus (Mat.18:20)
When we gather in His name and pray in agreement He is there. The place of agreement is an invitation that Jesus cannot reject.

6. Will bring freedom (Acts 12:5-11;16:25-34)
The Church prayed in agreement for Peter’s release from prison, and supernaturally he was released from the prison same night.
Paul and Silas prayed and a jailer was saved.

The Prayer of Agreement Must Also…
1. Be in conformity to the will of God (1John 5:14-15)
2. Be in faith (James 1:6-8)
3. Be in sincerity (Hebrews 10:22)

Monday, October 5, 2009

Conditions For Answered Prayers


Ps.91:15: “He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.”

Many of us pray and we don’t seem to get answers to our prayers; and we have concluded in our hearts (sometimes subconsciously that prayers do not work). Some of us on the other hand have made prayer more like a mandatory and obligatory routine that we turn to only when we have crisis. Prayer to a lot of us have become so mechanical that it no longer produces the result and the effect expected of the prayer of the righteous. Some of us still have a pre-conditioned mind about certain things before we bring them to God in prayers, only looking to God for ‘approval’ as it were. God is never a rubber stamp – He has provided guidelines in the scriptures for us to follow if we want our prayers to be answered.
Why are prayers not answered? Simply because there are guidelines and conditions guiding prayers for it to be answered. Until we fulfill these conditions we would only be wasting our precious time, making unnecessary noise in the church.
We must however not leave these write up today without this assurance that God answers prayer (Ish.65:24: “And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.”). We only need to stand firm in His word. I hope to answer the questions in the heart of many of us as we consider the conditions that must be fulfilled for our prayers to be answered.

WHAT ARE THE CONDITIONS FOR ANSWERED PRAYERS?
1.Come To God By Faith. (Heb.11:6; 4:16)
Clearly put, anything done outside of faith can never receive God’s approval. Our prayers must be much more than a routine, it must be done in faith. That is, faith must be the motivation for our prayers. Access God’s presence with the confidence of a child entering to his father’s bedroom to make a request for the day.
God is not at all embarrass at your ‘barging in’ on Him. He wants you to come with the faith of a child that wants to tell his Daddy something important. This is the picture I want you to have in your mind as you go to God in prayers next time – come with a conviction that you cannot be turned back and down.
God delights in showing Himself strong on your behalf (2Chr.16:9). He was to showcase His power on your behalf and put your enemies to shame.

2.Know What The Will of God Is Concerning What You Are Praying About. (1Jn.5:14; Mat.6:10)
God is not a rubber-stamp. The reason a lot of us don’t get answers to our prayers is because we already have an alternative before we come to God in prayers. God will never show up for as long as you have alternatives. God always wants the praise to Himself and will only show up when you have exhausted all your options and you are at a cross road.

3.Put Away Unrighteousness. (Pro.15:8; Ish.58:9)
A story was told us how our father-in-the-Lord went to a country in one of his mission trips. When he arrived at the airport, observing the dryness and the harshness of the weather, the ministers of God who came to receive him confirmed to him that it had not rained for a while. As a matter of fact it was a matter of national concern as prayer meetings have been held by very senior Christian leaders for God to release rain. And it did not rain for months!
But in his very simple and unassuming way he said it will rain before we get to the hotel. As they approached the airport and he was about to enter the hotel, it rained for the first time in many months!
When one of the concerned pastor asked him for the secret, he simply said, “…holiness”.
The prayer of an unrighteous man is an abomination to God. Simple!

4.Constantly Abide In God’s Word. (Jn.15:7)
The more of the word of God you have in you, the easier it is for you to communicate to God what His will concerning issues are. God is always looking for a witness on earth – someone who will confirm His word and return it to Him with effect.
Anytime we go to God in prayer it is similar to a lawyer in the court of law and we have got to argue ‘our case’ before the Judge, bringing ‘strong reasons’ to Him. A lawyer cannot make a good case outside of what the constitution says, so also a believer cannot make an enough good case outside of the word.

5.Ask In His name. (Jn.14:14)
Someone might say, “but I pray in the name of Jesus; why then are my prayers not answered?” Praying in the name of Jesus is much more than appending the name to your words. It is not the amount of ‘in Jesus name’ that you put in your prayers that guarantee the answer (remember our edition [Vol. 1 No.8] titled: “…In Jesus’ name” that we treated sometime ago?).
Rather praying in the name of Jesus is about the relationship you have with that name. The name of Jesus on the lips of someone who is not born again is empty and lacks the power to produce answers.
The story of the sons of Sceva in Acts 19:13-16 is a classic example to this fact. The name of Jesus is just another name in the mouth of the one who has not accepted Him and the Lord and personal Saviour.

6.Receive The Answers By Faith. (1Jn.3:22; Mark 11:24)
We started with the action of faith, and we will be closing with another action of faith.
To receive in the scripture above is the Greek word “lambano”, which means “to take a hold of without letting go; to seize something and remove it”. The implication of this is that we must get the hold on our answers and let them go till we see them manifest in the physical.
This is an act of faith. It is not something you do passively – you believe God for the answers and thank Him for the answers and thereafter begin to live like you have received it.
Develop a confidence and a knowing that God has done what you have requested of Him and then act like it (1Jn.5:14).

THE PRIVILEGES OF PRAYERS
1.Until You Pray There Cannot Be Answers. (Luke 11:9: “And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”).

2.There Is Always Revelation Backing Up Great Prayers. (Jer. 33:3: ”Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”).