This morning we continue our series, “Maximizing 2015 by God’s GREAT GRACE” by continuing to teach on prayer. While prayer can be so rewarding, it can also be completely frustrating when you feel like your prayers are not producing any results. The Father wants us to pray, but He has not signed up to give us whatever we want, or whatever we come up with. The Father has signed up to give us whatever we ask for that lines up with His will. God’s grace is a key aspect of this. I will explain in the lesson.
While teaching on the Prayer of Agreement, Jesus said that we, as humans, have the authority to bind (or prevent) things from happening and loose (or permit) things to happen here in the earth. Jesus said this in Matthew chapters 16 and 18. The traditional King James Version (KJV) of these verses are somewhat confusing. The KJV of Matthew 16:19 reads, “And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” The KJV of Matthew 18:18 reads, “Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” If that is all you read are these verses, without any context, then it sounds like heaven will respond to whatever we say in prayer or otherwise. But you and already know that that’s not the case. You have prayed for and said many things that heaven did not respond to. So let’s seek understanding.
The Amplified translation of Matthew 18:18 says: “Truly I tell you, whatever you forbid and declare to be improper and unlawful on earth must be what is already forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit and declare proper and lawful on earth must be what is already permitted in heaven.” This translation sheds more light on what Jesus was actually teaching. Jesus was not putting pressure on heaven to respond to our will, but rather on us to learn what heaven’s will already is and to pray that! We can’t force God to do something against His will. As a matter of fact, we can’t force God to do anything! We are required to learn God’s way of doing things so we can ask for things that line up with His will. Jesus went on to say, “Again I tell you, if two of you on earth agree (harmonize together, make a symphony together) about whatever [anything and everything] they may ask, it will come to pass and be done for them by My Father in heaven. For wherever two or three are gathered (drawn together as My followers) in (into) My name, there I AM in the midst of them” (see verses 18-20 AMP). In context, when Jesus said that heaven will respond to whatever we ask, He meant when we ask for things that are in line with God’s Kingdom plans and purposes.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things:
- Prayer is not about you telling God what to do. You cannot command God. He is not your servant, it’s the other way around.
- Prayer is about submission and surrender, acknowledging that there is a God and you are not Him, and then coming to that God to access His grace.
- When you understand God already made plans for you before the world began, and He made those plans completely by His grace, you then understand the importance of seeking God concerning what to pray for. John said, “We can come to God with no doubts. This means that when we ask God for things (and those things agree with what God wants for us), God cares about what we say. He listens to us every time we ask him. So we know that he gives us whatever we ask from him.” (1 Jn 5:14,15 ERV)
- Praying from a position of grace means you are praying from the position of God’s perspective and will.
- Grace-based prayers tap into supernatural power for God’s will to be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
- When you understand the divine authority God has given you in the earth domain, you appreciate and respect the responsibility you have to bind (prevent) and loose (permit).
- When things are happening in your life that you don’t like, you must ask yourself the question, “Have I prayed about this?” “Have I invoked God’s involvement?”
- You have the responsibility to permit and prevent things from happening with your prayers. God will back what you pray for when you pray in alignment with His will!
- Powerful things happen when two (or more) believers come together, in agreement, and pray the will of God.
- Heaven responds when believers on earth make valid requests. Stop accepting everything that happens and get heaven involved in your life today through grace-based prayer!
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for Your Great Grace towards me. I also thank You for teaching me the importance of prayer. I now see why many of my past prayers were unfulfilled. I asked and I did not receive, because like James said, I asked amiss, praying for whatever I wanted, instead of those things You have already given me by Your grace. I will stop praying selfish prayers and yield my will to Yours. I die to self. I surrender to You. I lose myself in You to the point where Your will becomes my will. When I get to this point I will be able to pray for whatever I want, because what I want will be what You want for me. And when I pray this way — in alignment with Your will for my life — heaven responds, because I am accessing what has already been freely given to me by Your grace. So I am led of Your Spirit concerning what to pray for. I understand my responsibility to bind and loose, to prevent and permit, and I will fulfill my responsibility from now on. No longer will I simply accept everything that happens. No, I will seek Your face, discern Your will, and pray Your will with authority. Declaring that Your Kingdom has come and Your will shall be done, on earth, as it is in heaven. Whatever is not lawful in heaven, will not be lawful on earth for me and my family. Whatever is not permitted in heaven, I refuse to permit in my life or in the lives of my family members. And whatever You freely do in heaven, will be freely done in the earth, through me, for Your glory! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
2 comments
Amen man of god
Thank you.