When we are a follower of Jesus, we have authority in prayer. However, if we aren’t rooted in our identity (a child of the living God) then we can get a little insecure about our authority. That is exactly what the enemy wants! And if we get insecure, then lies from the enemy start to steal our confidence, making us think we are helpless. But God did not leave us defenseless.
AUTHORITY IN CHRIST
I want to break down the police example, even though many of you may have already heard it. We as civilians understand that police officers have the power to take action if we as civilians get out of line. A police officer needs to claim authority by representing who they are – wearing a uniform, showing their badge, etc. However, if they don’t exercise authority then nothing happens.
It is the same for us as Christians. Are we clothed in Jesus? Do we truly represent God? When we claim authority in the name of Jesus, we are given rights to cast out the devil. We can act in that authority.
COURTS OF HEAVEN
We can also come before the Lord in the ‘courts of heaven’ and plead our case like Job. Even though the Lord did not act immediately on Job’s requests, it was all heard by the Lord, and ultimately Job received a double portion after his suffering. In another court instance, the woman who continuously came before the unjust judge, was granted her rights because of her persistence.
And He (Jesus) told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to His elect, who cry to Him day and night? Will He delay long over them? I tell you, He will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?” Luke 18:1-8
Therefore, keep pleading your case to the Lord and remain steadfast! As we know, there is a lot of power in the prayer of the righteous believer (James 5:16). We will never be perfect until Jesus comes. However, we strive to live holy lives by staying in the Lord’s presence, and in prayer and repentance. We should be mindful of any open doors and remain humble enough to see any areas of weakness such as pride, unforgiveness, lust, etc. Practice praying and pray often.
THE DISCIPLES
Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when He finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” Luke 11:1
Notice how the disciples didn’t ask Jesus to teach them how to cast out the devil or how to heal people. They asked Jesus to teach them how to pray. Prayer is the foundation It is our lifeline (connection) with God. In Mark 9, the disciples were confused why they couldn’t cast out a demon and Jesus explained that they needed to pray.
And when He had entered the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” And He said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.” Mark 9:28-29
Note that KJV says fasting and prayer
Now what’s interesting is before this private conversation there was a public conversation about the disciples not being able to cast out the demon of a boy and Jesus rebuked the crowd:
And He answered them, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to Me.” Mark 9:19
I feel it’s important to note that there is also the element of faith that plays into our prayers. When we truly believe that Jesus can do amazing things, we are more likely to see amazing things done. Now, that does not mean that everyone has to have faith in order to see results in prayer. As we know, it can be the size of a mustard seed or in some cases completely absent. Sometimes God will use a faithless prayer to increase someone’s faith. What a blessing!
FAITH IN PRAYER
However, if you are a prayer warrior, it is important to be mindful where your faith is at. Because when we have great FAITH we will see great RESULTS. So let’s regularly work on increasing our faith. We increase our faith by knowing our identity in Christ. But faith also comes by hearing the Word (Romans 10:17). Therefore, read the scriptures daily.
And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” Matthew 21:21-22
To become aligned more closely with the will of God, we must be in prayer frequently and continue building our faith. In 2 Peter 1, the disciple describes how to build faith – For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:5-8
FREE PRINTABLE
I want to encourage you to be bold and courageous in your prayers. Also, try using scripture to fight against the enemy’s schemes just like Jesus did in the wilderness in Matthew 4. The Word of God is our sword in the spiritual battle. Don’t worry if you have a hard time remembering scripture. That’s why I do free printables, so you always have something to reference if you need it! Get your free printable HERE.
A Quick Recap:
- You have authority, so clothe yourself in Jesus and cast out the enemy.
- Plead your case with God, persistently. Come to Him in prayer daily.
- Increase your faith by building your knowledge of God, praying regularly, fasting if you feel led and reading your Bible daily.
I hope you all have a blessed day!
LINK
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1O_ZCwpZAF0JzoZXrua_52djVplCZWDVV/view?usp=sharing
Leave a Reply