Praying With Authority (Pt. 5)
October 30, 2011 FBC Chester, IL Dr. Mike Fogerson, Speaker
Introduction:
A The African cheetah must run down its prey if it gonna eat and it can run at speeds of 70 miles per hour, but only for a brief amount of time.
1 The cheetah tires very quickly because it has a disproportionately small heart. (Tires easily)
a If it doesn’t catch its prey quickly, it must end the chase.
b How often we take the cheetah’s approach in prayer.
aa We run to our prayer closet, throw on a tallit, go to the altar, go pray over someone or pray for someone.
bb But we lack the bigger prayer heart that is needed to keep praying, keep pressing God & we often get worn out of praying (tired of praying) before we accomplish what is needed.
2 For some of us who have been taught take it to God in prayer one time and leave it alone are going to be deeply challenged or troubled today. EASY DOESN’T DO IT IN PRAYER!
a The very Son of God spent many enter nights praying in order to fulfill His ministry.
aa Luke 5.16; 6.12; Mark 1.35 (Marathon prayer)
bb In Gethsemane, it took Him three hours to find strength to face the cross (Heb. 5.7.)
b We know all about prayer (knowledge, equipped, informed, educated).
aa If we fail was we run the race of prayer is not for lack of knowledge but because of lack of heart & spirit.
bb Why persistance? Why do we have to continue in prayer?
3 Does God require a certain amount of prayers in certain situations? Do we talk Him into things? Does God just finally “decide” to do something after we’ve begged Him long enough? (I believe the answer to all of these is “no.”)
a Luke 11.5-13, gives many of us the wrong idea of wearing God down so He’ll answer our prayer. (Vs. 8) the word “importune” or “persistance” is actually poorly translated. It means “shameless, bold, or unashamedness.
aa Heb. 4.16, Ask God anytime knowing we’re accepted and loved.
bb We do not have to go to the Throne of Grace with a sense of unworthiness or shame.
b Is God delaying the answer to our prayers to teach us something? (Sometimes)
aa If so, then there is no reason to keep praying . . . pray once and then wait in faith.
bb What about persistance?
c Perhaps God is waiting for the right time to answer our prayers.
aa If so, no reason to keep praying . . . pray once and then wait in faith.
bb Gal. 6.9
d Why persistence? Why perseverance in prayer?
aa Why does it take days, months, or even years to see God answer our prayers?
bb Why did Elijah have to pray seven times for the rain to come?
cc Why did Daniel have to pray for 21 days before the angel was able to break through with his answer?
B I’m going to teach you something this morning that is not conclusively proven (much antidotal) but there is a lot of evidence to suggest the teaching is accurate. (I believe it to be trust-worthy, The Substance of prayer)
1 The concept is that our prayers do more than just motivate the Father to action but they actually release the power of the Holy Spirit from us to accomplish things.
a We’re already aware of certain types of praying where this release happens.
aa When we pray Scripture we release the power by speaking the word (Eph. 6.17.)
bb When we make a declaration or command release the power of the Holy Spirit (Matt. 17.20; Mark 11.23)
cc Laying on of hands is another scriptural method of imparting power (Mark 16.18; Heb. 6.2)
b The fact that is the literal power of the Holy Spirit can be released from inside us.
2 Several weeks ago I taught you about the ancient secrets of the Tallit (prayer shawl) and how it represents a little tabernacle for the Presence of God, Spirit, Shekinah Glory to dwell.
a 1 Cor. 3.16; 6.19a
b We too often think that all the power of heaven is locked up in the throne room or God speaks out of the clouds but He has now made His throne in our hearts and we are Temples of the Holy Spirit.
aa The power of God that brings life, healing and wholeness to earth flows out from us – the Church.
bb When God moves to release power upon the earth, it doesn’t have to shoot out of sky somewhere–it comes from His people where His Spirit dwells on earth.
cc God doesn’t lay hands on the sick: we do, and a release of the power of God is then transferred that anoints.
dd When you got saved you didn’t hear a voice echoing from heaven, He spoke through a preacher, friend to release the power of the Good News. WE ARE THE ONES WHO WIELD THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT TO PIERCE AND PENETRATE THE HEARTS OF UNBELIEVERS AND THEY ARE BORN AGAIN. (Rom. 10.14)
3 John 7.38-39a, NASB “innermost being”, KJV “belly”, both literally mean “womb.”
a Womb speaks of reproduction, birthing, delivery, bringing life forth.
b Revelation 22.1-2,
aa The picture is that Jesus is the source of life, out of Him flows the river that heals.
bb “river of life” in Revelation is the same phrase in Greek as the “rivers of living water” in John 7. There is no difference between the rivers!
c We, the Church, are the birthing vessels of God wants to release, bring forth, birth, and do among humanity. (Not that He needs us.)
C Many things in the spirit are measurable.
1 There are measurable levels of faith. (Rom. 12.3)
a “measure” here is metron where we get the word meter.
b God has “metered” out each a portion/level of faith & from there it grows!
2 There are measurable levels of sin. (Gen. 15.16)
a God told Abraham He was going to give the land of Israel to his descendants in four generations.
b Why the wait? Because “ . . . the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete.” They haven’t sinned enough yet to lose the land.
3 There are measurable levels of grace. (2 Cor. 9.8 NASB; Acts 4.33 KJV)
a “great” is megas where we get our word for “mega”.
b There is grace, mega-grace and there is all grace.
4 There are measurable degrees/levels of love. (John 15.13; greater love)
a Matt. 24.12, “love that has grown cold.”
b Philippians 1.9, “love abounding more & more”
5 There are measurable degrees of the power of God.
a Mark 6.5, there was a measurable degree of the power of God missing, thus no miracles were performed in Jesus boyhood hometown of Nazareth. “He could do no miracles there.”
aa It didn’t say, “He chose not” or “He didn’t.” Literally, “He couldn’t do them.” because of their lack (measurable) of faith or abundance of unbelief hindered the flow of the power of God.
bb He could heal a few, but no miracles. (Please notice that the bible makes a differentiation between healing & miracles.)
b The passage implies that there was enough power flowing to get some people healed, but not enough power flowing to perform miracles because of their unbelief to work a miracle.
aa This implies that differing amounts of power are needed for different things to happen in the Spirit. (Certain power is needed to do certain things.)
bb I’m not putting limits on God’s power (He could rout every demon to hell with one word.)
cc What we must factor in is the fact that God has chosen to work on earth through humans.
6 The disciples in Matt. 17.14-21, had been casting out demons, healing the sick because Jesus had given them the authority & power to do so.
a A demon possessed boy was brought to them but they couldn’t get the job done. (Vs. 16)
b Jesus comes along and delievers the boy from the demon who was making the boy crazy.
c The disciples had enough power flowing in their ministry to deal with most demons/diseases, but the demon possessed boy required more faith/power and they didn’t have it.
d The obvious implication is that different measurable levels are needed to accomplish different things.
e IL. You need two AAA batteries to run a LED flashlight. Would those two batteries power a light bulb for my house?
D I’m convinced that this is the principle reason it takes awhile to get most prayers answered.
1 Miracles (the instantaneous healing/blessing is far and away the exception) do happen & can happen.
a Usually it’s not just a matter of asking God to do something, but rather a matter of releasing enough power in the spirit to get the job done. (Most Christians will never hear the message you’ve heard this morning.)
b They’ll ask then sit back and wait on God. (He’s often waiting on us!)
aa Prayers do more than just ask Him to do something.
bb Often when it appears God has finally gotten around to “answering us” or something suddenly happened, the truth is that enough power has finally been released through prayer to accomplish it.
2 Why did Elijah have to pray 7 times for it rain? Why did Daniel pray 21 days to get his answer from the angel? Prayers were building up, accumulating, releasing power in the spirit to cause a breakthrough.
a Why did Jesus pray for 3 hours in the Garden of Gethsemane to break through? (Couldn’t the angles have came immediately?) The more He prayed power was being released in the spirit.
b Your prayers release a river of power in the Spirit.
3 I’m not talking about vain repetition, asking God over and over and over.
a I’m talking about knowing/understanding the ways/principles of God enough to know how to release the river in order to give birth to things out of your spiritual womb.
b When we pray, intercede, cooperate w/ the Spirit of God, it releases Him to go out from us and hover over a situation, releasing life-giving energies until that which we are asking for comes forth, birthed!
4 James 5.16, “Your prayers release the power.” Doesn’t say prayer causes God to operate.
a It does, but that’s not what verse is saying!
aa It says, “A prayer of a righteous person is able to do much as it operates.”
bb Amplified Translation: “The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamite in its working].”
b “continued” Don’t stop!
aa The same power that went to the depths of the earth and took back the title deed of the earth, keys from the Kingdom of darkness is in you!
bb We must release the river! Power! Release it and release it and release it some more. Again and Again.
E When we pray we may strategically be placing the dynamite of the Spirit for days, weeks, months, years–every time we take our spiritual weapons and use them against strongholds were putting more explosive charges in strategic places.
1 Heaven will sooner or later say, “That will do it.”
a We don’t know how many times we must pray (I know sporadic or casual praying won’t accomplish it).
b Rev. 5.8; 8.3-5
aa There are bowls in heaven that God stores our prayers in to use at the proper time. (Symbolic? Literal?)
bb I like to think we’ve all got our own bowl.
2 These verses lead us to think that either when He knows it’s the right time or when enough prayer has been accumulated to get the job done . . . He sets off the Holy Detonator and releases power.
a He takes the bowl and mixes it with fire from the altar.
aa The fire that fell on Sinai, fire consumed the sacrifice on Mt. Carmel, Fire fell on Pentecost, fire of the almighty God mixes your bowl of prayers with His Holy Fire!
bb Then He pours it out on the earth. . . something happens in the realm of the Spirit and then affects the natural realm.
b God is watching your bowl . . . keep filling it up!
3 The power that God has in you can be transferred to clothing, handkerchiefs, ministers, people.
a Jesus’ tallit had enough power, anointing that it healed the woman with the issue of blood.
b Paul’s anointing was so great he blessed aprons (tallits) and the people took them, touched sick people and they well (Acts 19.11-12.)
4 To into your kids room and put prayer power-substance-on everything they touch.
a Smear everything your children have with the anointing.
aa OT: Anoint meant to pour or smear with oil. Radical?
bb It’s okay to get a bit radical!
b Jesus liked when people tore roofs off, crawled on hands & knees to get through the crowds, climbed trees, shouted obnoxiously crying out for mercy, bathed His feet with tears and hair—He loves wholeheartedness.
Conclusion:
7 The same passage in Acts (4.33, KJV) that talked about great grace talked about great (mega) power! I believe the reason they had mega power is that they had mega grace.
a The aspects of the spirit realm are very tangible, often measurable, accumulative and real.
b The anointing is real. The power is real. (We don’t see it but it’s there!)
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My name is Mike Fogerson, and I pastor a Southern Baptist Church in Chester, Illinois. I have been a long-time user of Sermon Central and truly appreciate its content and contributors. Some of the best sermons I’ve ever preached have been reworked material from this website. As you use the material from my sermon bank, understand that it is work that has been done from not just myself, but from hundreds of other pastors as well. If you see part of your message, or a bunch of your message with my name on it and this upsets you, please email me and I will quickly respond and cite you as the main source. My intent is not to claim someone’s work as my own. I am disclaiming up front that I use the resources from Sermon Central and appreciate the tool. I simply want all those who use my work to know that some of these messages were inspired by the Holy Spirit working through other pastors. Because I do use the messages of other pastors I waive all claims of originality or origin of creativity for the messages posted under my messages. I pray God blesses your preaching ministry for the glory of His Kingdom.
Respectfully,
Mike Fogerson
