Apostolic Living: Prevailing in Prayer
Apostolic Living: Prevailing in Prayer
by Daryl O'Neil
by Daryl O'Neil
It is time to pray like never before.
The strength of apostolic ministry is found in prayer. It is the place of access to the ability of God. The apostolic is driven by dependency on God. In the words of the writer of the book of Hebrews, “come boldly to the throne of grace to obtain mercy and find grace to help in the time of need”. The word of God declares in the book of Ephesians in chapter two, we have been saved by grace through faith and this is not of ourselves (salvation) it is the gift of God (only what God can do) not of works so that any man can boast. This is the gospel truth.
Whenever we connect God’s ability (grace) to the ability to believe in God’s ability and act on it (faith), it will produce deliverance (salvation) every time. It stands to reason then, if we have been saved by grace, we must continue to live by grace…God’s ability. Grace comes by prayer. I have defined certain words to clarify in the minds of believers and non-believers alike what I believe the scriptures are attempting to communicate to build a kingdom mentality in us:
Grace: the empowering presence of God, enabling us to be who God created us to be and to do what God has created us to do. We simplified this to say, grace is the ability of God. The apostle Paul’s words declare, “I am what I am by the grace (ability of God.)
Faith: the ability to believe in God’s ability to do what He has said, which produces action in us to obey His words. Love: the desire to benefit another at the expense of self. Lust: the desire to benefit self at the expense of others. Work of the Spirit: produces selflessness Work of the Flesh: produces selfishness
We are called as apostolic people to live and walk in the Spirit…(when the Holy Spirit of God in moving in our lives, He is helping us to become like God…Love. Love is best demonstrated by selfless living. John 3:16 say “For God so loved the world He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
A life lived in the ability of God must be fueled by prayer. For the holy scriptures indicate we are able to receive grace (God’s ability) from the throne of grace God’s ability. Hebrews 4:15-16 reveals Jesus as the Great High Priest…one who had responsibility for going into the presence of God on behalf of others as a mediator who can receive mercy for others. The writer of Hebrews then tells us to approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Prayer is the means to receive grace. As priests and kings unto God, we can and should get what we need to keep walking by grace and getting mercy for others.
A life lived in the ability of God must be fueled by prayer. For the holy scriptures indicate we are able to receive grace (God’s ability) from the throne of grace God’s ability. Hebrews 4:15-16 reveals Jesus as the Great High Priest…one who had responsibility for going into the presence of God on behalf of others as a mediator who can receive mercy for others. The writer of Hebrews then tells us to approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Prayer is the means to receive grace. As priests and kings unto God, we can and should get what we need to keep walking by grace and getting mercy for others.
If we choose not to pray, we then sentence ourselves to live in the flesh (or selfishly by our own ability.) Having made the choice not to pray then leaves a door open in our lives for the works of the flesh to be able to manifest at any time because they are the works of selfishness. SHUT THE DOOR!!
Leviathan is a spirit that seeks to defeat prayer in us. Pride was a hindrance in the life of Naaman, who God designated to receive a miracle healing of his leprosy. It will hinder you if you let it. We are able to clearly see things or principles in his life, which produces a less than desirable result. It is not until he humbles himself that he is able to receive the miracle. Our expectation of how God will answer prayer can be a reason some people won’t pray. Choose to pray!
The life of Daniel is filled with principles and benefits from his life to help encourage us to keep on praying. Daniel’s name means God is Judge. This was born out in the life of Daniel in powerful ways. His life always showed correct discernment of situations. He saw things as they were in the Spirit and held firm to his convictions. We learned Daniel was the man he was, because of his prayer life. He was a man who had a relationship with God. In Daniel 6:10 we find his habit was to be on his knees 3 times a day praying and giving thanks to God. The benefits of Daniel’s consistent friendship/fellowship with God (prayer) to us are:
• We become people of conviction
• We become people of prophetic insight (dreams/visions) understanding
• We become people of courage, if I die I die, but I will not disobey God.
• We become people who are more concerned with God’s reputation than our own.
• We become people of an excellent spirit
• We become people of perseverance
• We become people aware and respectful of angelic help in our lives.
Choose to pray!
Let us look at another hindrance to prayer…not truly praying for those who disappoint us. In the gospel of Matthew chapter 5:43 the word speaks to every child of God to pray for those who despitefully use us. This is not easy and does not happen if we will not engage the help of the Holy Spirit. Nevertheless, the command is to pray for them. Matthew 6:14 speaks to us of a heart willing to forgive men their sins (missing the mark with God towards us.) The word of God gives us a powerful example of what happens when we humble ourselves and pray for those who may not have been kind to us or who have wronged us in the story of Job.
Job is experiencing a great deal of difficulty in his life, loss of family in tragedy, loss of wealth, and sickness in his body. During this season of his life every on has an opinion as to why he is going through this difficulty but from what we are able to see no one has prayed to find out from God exactly why he is experiencing these things. His wife is distressed and tells him to curse God and die. His friends (?) are accusing him and the truth is his life has pleased God and satan is accusing Job of only living and serving God because of material things and a good family.
At the end of the story, God is correcting the three friends of Job for their inaccuracies and the remedy for their deliverance is the prayer of the one wronged. Job could have not obeyed God to pray for them and let them get what he knew they deserved or obey and let God be God. The end result was God blessed Job with twice as much as he had before in family, friends, and wealth.
In order to pray for those who disappoint us we must be willing to get off our throne as God and let God be God. If we do, He will give us twice what we lost in walking obediently before Him. Apostolic prayer is governmental and prevailing prayer. God wants to help us break free to pray.
What can unlock our prayer life? An understanding of our friendship with God can unlock our prayers.
Look at the example of Abraham Genesis 18:16-33. The scriptures declare Abraham to be the friend of God. James 2:23 God said He could not hide what He was doing from His friend. Genesis 18:17 The basis of Abraham’s prayer authority was that he had access by revelation to the plans and purposes of God through friendship. God knew him and we must know God knows us that we are motivated to perform justly and righteously. It is from this position Abraham wrestles with God and on six occasions God allows Himself to be moved by the persistent and insistent pleas of Abraham.
Apostolic prayers are prayers that prevail. You have the power to prevail with God. Choose to pray.
Thursday, July 5, 2007
