PRAYING WITH POWER AND AUTHORITY

“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.” (I John 5:14-15)

Are you tired of feeling powerless in your prayers? Do you want to know how to pray with boldness and Authority? We face many challenges and obstacles but we have a weapon that can defeat the enemy. Prayer is a powerful weapon that can defeat our enemies and bring us victory in every area of our lives. When we pray, the power, the revelation, and the strength of God is ours. We should set prayer as a priority in our lives. This is something only you can do. A person who does not have an understanding of the importance of prayer and does not have a successful prayer life is always weak in their spiritual life. When you pray, do you have confidence that God will answer? Are your prayers specific or in general? Is your prayer life a casual response to your needs and desires, or is it food for your spiritual life?

Since prayer is essential to the spiritual life, we must devote time and effort to make sure we know how to pray effectively. Although prayer can come instinctively, to pray effectively must be learned. Mankind has prayed from the beginning, but it was not until God Himself came to live with us on this planet that we began to learn the meaning of prayer and how to pray effectively. Prayer is not an incessant repetition of words and phrases, as if it were a formula, nor is it to negotiate with God for Him to work in our favor. We must be clear that neither our eloquent or long prayers nor the emotional outbursts of screaming and crying move God in our favor.

Prayer is talking to God with our heart, without frills, not out of obligation or routine, it is to talk to God in faith, fully believing in our hearts that He is there to attend to our supplications. It goes beyond simply opening your mouth and saying words, it is more than just a simple communication (John 14:14). Prayer should give us tranquility and peace, as we believe by faith that what we have asked has been granted. You cannot pray with fear and doubt in your hearts, we cannot expect to hear from God unless we are convinced of what we have asked in prayer. The word of God in the book of James warns us that whoever asks in this manner (doubtful) cannot expect anything from God (James 1:6-7).

Many of us truthfully have at one time asked ourselves, how then are we to pray? The disciples asked Jesus the same question and the Lord gave the example of “The Lord’s prayer" (Matthew 6:9-13), which is the basis and prayer guide for how effective prayer is made. Based on the principles taught in this prayer we can develop our communication with the Lord with deeper and more intimate prayers. Prayer is not only asking and receiving but also involves thanksgiving, worship, and praise to God. There are two responsibilities in prayer, God's responsibility and our responsibility. Prayer is both human and divine.

There are three verses that teach us how to pray with power and authority; Matthew 21:22 “And whatever you ask in prayer you will receive if you have faith.” this verse reminds us that our prayers are not empty words but have the power to move mountains if we have faith in God. Our faith in God is what activates the power of our prayers, when we pray with faith we are saying to God that we believe he can do what we are asking and we trust in his goodness and mercy. Ephesians 6:18 “And pray in the spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.” This verse teaches us that we should pray in the spirit allowing the Holy Spirit to guide our prayers and give us the words to say. We should pray for all kinds of requests not just for ourselves but for others as well. We must be alert and persistent in our prayers never giving up or becoming discouraged. James 5:16 “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective”. This verse reminds us that our prayers are not just words but they have the power to change things, when we pray with righteousness which means living a life that pleases God, our prayers become effective and Powerful. God hears and answers the prayers of the righteous.

One of the most simple and deepest passages regarding prayer in the Bible is found in Matthew 7:7-11: "Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” Note the intensity of progression of the Lord in this passage: "Ask... seek ... knock." Clearly, Jesus had in mind that we should be actively engaged in the process of prayer. Prayer is not a spectator sport!

HOW TO PRAY WITH POWER AND AUTHORITY

1) Pray in the spirit, we must allow the Holy Spirit to guide our prayers and give us the words to say. The Holy Spirit intercedes for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words (Romans 8 26) and he helps us pray according to God's will. Praying in the spirit is an essential component of praying with power and authority.

2) Pray with faith believing that God can do what we are asking. Faith is the key that unlocks the power of our prayers. We must have faith in God's goodness, mercy, and love for us, knowing that he hears and answers our prayers according to his will.

3) Pray with persistence, we must be persistent in our prayers never giving up or becoming discouraged. Jesus taught us to ask seek and knock and we will receive what we ask for (Matthew 7:7). We must keep praying until we receive an answer, knowing that God hears and answers our prayers in his perfect timing.

4) Pray with righteousness, we must live a life that pleases God and walk in righteousness if we want our prayers to be effective. James 5:16 reminds us that the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. When we live a life that pleases God our prayers become a powerful weapon in our hands.

5) Pray with thanksgiving. We must always pray with thanksgiving, giving thanks to God for his goodness, mercy, and love for us. Thanksgiving is an act of faith that acknowledges God's faithfulness and goodness in our lives. When we pray with thanksgiving we open the door for more blessings to come into our lives.

Prayer is a powerful weapon that can defeat our enemies and bring us victory in every area of our lives. We must pray with power and authority, with faith, persistence, righteousness, and thanksgiving knowing that God hears and answers our prayers according to his will.

There is a vital element in prayer that many overlook; constancy in prayer. Maybe we see that nothing happens, but a delay between what we ask for and when we receive it does not mean that God is not answering our prayers. God wants to answer our prayers. He did not give us prayer with the purpose of frustrating us or with the intent of leaving our prayers unanswered.

AN EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT PRAYER (Matthew 6:9-13)

Equally important is to be complete in prayer. Praying completely covers all aspects of prayer. That is, understand what you should do. Once you know what to do, praying will never seem difficult.

Worship and Praise:

1. Worship and praise of God are certainly essential. Adoration focuses on the character of God and delineates the holy attributes that make Him worthy of all worship

2. It is good to begin our prayer with praise, using the Psalms (Psalms 145-150).

3. Give the Lord all the honor and glory for all things. Worship, glorify, and praise His name wholeheartedly.

4. It is good to pray, expressing the Word of God stored in our minds.

Confession: (I John 1:6-10, 2:1-2)

1. When you pray, do not forget this. Confess your sins and spiritual weaknesses to the Lord. Do not use general terms in your confession to the Lord, but be specified in this. Un-confessed sin is the greatest hindrance to prayer.

2. Confession is our white flag of surrender that acknowledges we cannot succeed on our own.

Thanksgiving: (Philippians 4:6)

1. There is so much to thank God for. For the small and large things that He gives us in this life. Living a life of thanksgiving and gratitude begins in prayer. All blessings come from God, whether we acknowledge them or not.

2. Thank Him for the breath of life, the privilege of prayer, salvation, the gift of the Holy Spirit, health, spiritual blessings and much more (I Thess. 5:18).

Intercession: Intercession is God's love flowing through us.

1. This is the part of the prayer we lay before the Lord the needs and struggles of others and ours (I Tim. 2:1-3). This is not merely a “to-do” list for God; rather, an avenue to discern His will for our lives and to draw us closer to Him. He knows our desires and hurts, and He delights in hearing them from us.

2. Intercede for whom or why?

a. Your Family, for spiritual and material needs. For all the brethren of the church, special requests submitted. For the brothers who are weak spiritually, for people who are not saved, relatives and friends, and for the sick.

b. For your pastor and other ministers.

c. Pray for yourself. To be faithful in all, so you can devote your life every day.

Meditation: (Psalm 1:1-2; 77:12)

In meditation, reflect on sacred themes of the Word of God and His goodness. When meditating, you will experience a greater understanding of the wonderful and profound of the divine promises. This understanding will magnify your prayer and your life.

Listening: (I Kings 19:11-12)

Prayer is not only talking to God. We must also listen. Listening is different from meditation. When we listen, we receive direct orders from God.

Praise and Worship:

It is essential to finish our prayer in this manner, thanking Him for answering the requests that we have made. As our first thoughts to begin the day should be on Him, in the same manner, it should also be at the end of the day.

We should cultivate the habit of prayer in our Christian life, as a habit is not formed in a day, it takes time. It takes discipline to cultivate well.