POWER THROUGH PRAYER
Study Text: Matthew 17:21
Introduction:
- Power is the ability to get things done. This means that without power, we are helpless. This is why we need to have our spirit empowered for triumph.
- Therefore, we must take spiritual responsibility to increase our levels of empowerment to command dominion over situations and circumstances around our lives
- We are in the last days, which are the days of the manifestation of God’s power.
- This is when the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdom of God before the arrival of Christ.
- It is also an era where the power of resurrection shall be in manifestation more than ever before.
- Furthermore, in these last days, the redeemed of the Lord shall be manifesting the messianic order of anointing (Acts 2:16-20; Psalms 110:1-3; Revelation 11:15; Philippians 3:10; Acts 14:11).
- We shall discuss this topic under three sub-headings, while making special reference to the prayer of the church for the deliverance of Peter in Acts 12: 1 – 24.
1. Problems Needing Prayer
2. Power Releasing Prayer
3. Power Proceeding from Prayer
1. Problems Needing Prayer
- Anything called problems should not weigh us down but must become a prayer point.
- Every problem is an opportunity to travail in prayer and to prevail. Some examples of problems include:
i. Persecution and Oppression. Acts 12: 1- 4
- James the brother of John, one of the Lord’s inner circle, is put to death by Herod. Peter has also been imprisoned and is sitting on death row awaiting his own execution.
- The Jews pressed these attacks against the early church because they hated the Gospel they preached. Herod persecuted the early church because it gave him a political advantage.
- We are also told that his actions pleased the Jews. So, Herod and the Jews were responsible for the persecution, but they were merely the human instruments. The one who organized and empowered this persecution was Satan himself.
- He hated the church, the Gospel it preached and the Lord it worshiped. He was out to destroy the church while it was still in its infancy. In order to do that, he stirred up his forces and set them in array against the people of God.
- The church still finds itself in times of trouble. The church still finds itself under attack from its enemies. We must never think that we are immune from assaults from without and from within.
- As long as Satan is allowed to live in this world, he will do everything in his power to disturb and disrupt the harmony and the effectiveness of the church. He hates our message and he hates our Master, therefore he is all out against us.
ii. Fear of being overpowered by the enemy. 2 Chronicles 20: 1- 4
- Jehoshaphat was afraid of the news that the enemy were coming in great multitude to destroy his people, but he turned it into prayer unto God.
- Due to his prayer, God took over their battle and manifested great power to destroy all the enemies that came against them.
- Our problems and fear should not drive us away from God, or make us to seek other gods, but they should spur us to turn to the living God in prayer, and we shall see His power for our victories.
iii. Failure and Disappointments. 1 Chronicles 4: 9 – 10
- When Jabez discovered failures, disappointment and stagnancy in his life, he was able to overcome through the alter of prayer.
- There are so many reasons for failures, disappointments and stagnancy in life, some physical and some spiritual. Whatever the reason, victory is certain at the altar of prayer.
iv. Lack and Financial difficulties. Phil. 4: 19
- God has promised to meet all our needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
- Prayer is the means by which we approach God with His words and to receive all that He had promised to us.
2. Power Releasing Prayer Acts 12: 5 - 24
- It looks as though the fledgling church might be destroyed before it can carry the Gospel to the world, but in the face of overwhelming problems, the church bowed its head as one person and it called on God.
- The church did not cower in fear before those who threatened them. The church lifted its collective voice and rang the prayer bells of Heaven. God heard their prayers and moved in mighty power to bring them His answer!
- What is the kind of prayer that will release the power of God for undeniable victory?
i. It Was a Fervent Prayer
- We are told that that “prayer was made without ceasing...” it is a picture of fervency. It is the picture of people pouring out their hearts in prayer before the Lord as they seek His face for their needs.
- That’s the kind of praying we need to undertake. The promise of God is that “the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous men availeth much,” James 5:16.
- The words “effectual fervent” refer to “energetic passionate” prayer. It is not prayer that is sluggish, lifeless, unconcerned, and casual, it is prayer that pours forth from a burdened heart. That kind of prayer reaches heaven and moves the hand of God.
ii. It Was a Faithful Prayer
- Their prayer was a prayer of faith. Their prayers were made “to God”. This seems obvious, but there are times when it seems like our prayers are designed to be heard by other people, or even by us.
- This congregation joined their voices and reached up as one to touch God for their church and for Peter.
- When we pray, we must pray in faith. Faith is the essential ingredient that marks the difference between answered and unanswered prayer.
- The Bible makes these statements about the role of faith in prayer:
“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him,” Heb. 11:6.
“And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive,” Matt. 21:22.
“And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him,” 1 John 5:14-15.
iii. It Was a Focused Prayer
- Prayer was “made...for him”. In other words, Peter was the focus of this prayer meeting. They came together to pray for a specific purpose.
- This was not generalized praying, that sought to cast a big blanket of prayer over everything and everyone. This was pointed prayer that sought God’s power for a specific need.
- If we do not pray specific prayers, how will we ever know when God answers? When we ask Him for specific needs, and God answers, it glorifies Him, it assures us of our relationship to Him, and it increases our faith.
iv. It Was a Family Prayer
- They church gathered together to pray for one of their own. They came together as a family to seek God’s help for a brother in great need.
- The church touched Heaven for Peter. Their prayers had power because they were united in their walk with God. They joined their hearts and their hands, then they lifted their voices to God, and He heard them and moved in power.
- We pray for our needs and our burdens, but how much time do we really spend praying for others? There may be people in our church family who are facing life-threatening illness. We should be touching Heaven for them.
- There are other who are struggling with needs, burdens and problems. We should be touching Heaven for them.
- If you will take just a minute to think, the names and faces of your brothers and sisters in Christ will come to your mind. They need you to touch Heaven for them!
3. Power Proceeding from Prayer
- Prayer is a wonderful privilege. God has opened the door to His throne room and invited His children to enter His presence with their petitions, Heb. 4:16.
- He has promised to hear us when we call, Jer. 33:3. And, he has promised to answer our prayers when we pray according to His will, 1 John 5:14-15.
- We all know that there are many privileges and promises associated with prayer, but we should know that prayer is powerful.
- We have all experienced the power of private prayer. We have experienced those times when we called on the Lord in the secret place of prayer and He heard us, and He answered us in power for His glory.
- There is something special about entering God’s presence, by yourself, to talk to Him in secret. It’s something we should all do, and should do often.
- But there is also great power in corporate prayer. There is a special dynamic that comes into play when God’s children come together, united in faith and purpose, to seek the face of the Lord in prayer. Acts 12: 1- 4;
- When the church prayed, God heard them and answered their prayers. Peter was delivered from prison through a tremendous, miraculous intervention. God saved Peter because the church asked Him to!
- Our God is still the God of miracles. He is able to do so much more than we have ever seen Him do. In fact, the limits of His power have never been witnessed, Eph. 3:20. Let’s seek Him today and ask Him for some big things that would honour Him and bring glory to His name.
- How can we activate the power of God through prayer?
.i. Through a desperate desire:
- A desperate desire is the gateway to empowerment. From scriptures, ‘desperation’ is interpreted as a thirst, a longing and a panting. Psalm 63:1-2, Isaiah 44:3-4
- We must understand that it takes a genuine thirst to encounter the power of God.
ii. Through the prayer altar:
- Empowerment answers to demand, not wishes and that is why the altar of prayer is the altar of empowerment.
- Jesus said: If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? (Luke 11:13).
- We must recognize that empowerment is impossible without prayer. It is written: Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10).
- ‘Thy kingdom come’ simply means, thy power come and we understand from scriptures that the Kingdom of God is not in word, but in power (1 Corinthians 4:20).
- It is through prayers that we move from power to great power.
- For instance, when the apostles prayed in Acts 1:14 and Acts 2:1-4, they were empowered by the Holy Spirit.
- However, when they prayed again in Acts 4:32-33, they were re-empowered into the realm of great power.
- Likewise, we can pray for the release of God’s power on our lives for greater exploits.
iii. Through fasting:
- It is important to understand that though we pray to be empowered, we need fasting to walk in power.
- That’s why Jesus said, “When ye fast… When thou fastest…” Fasting is a matter of ‘When’ not ‘If’.
- That means fasting must be our lifestyle and must be scheduled, just like prayer, in order to walk in the reality of empowerment (Matthew 6:16-17).
- Everyone who desires to walk in power must subscribe to the demand of fasting. For instance, Jesus fasted for 40 days and the Bible records that He returned in the power of the Spirit (Luke 4:14).
- Paul the apostle also prayed and fasted often. He said: …in watchings often… in fastings often… (2 Corinthians 11:27; 2 Corinthians 6:5).
- As a result, he was a man endued with God’s power. No wonder it was said concerning him: …The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men (Acts 14:11).
- Unfortunately, many people do not crave for empowerment because they believe that they are already empowered.
- However, it is important to understand that empowerment is in levels and we understand from scriptures that we can grow from one level of power to an overflowing realm. (Ezekiel 47:1-5).
- River’ in the above scripture connotes the Holy Spirit or anointing. That was the realm of immeasurable anointing under which Christ operated.
- We must also note that fasting and prayer enhances our access to the Word which actually empowers us.
- Therefore, we must always pray to God to open our eyes to behold wondrous things out of His law (Psalms 119:18; Jeremiah 33:3).
Conclusion:
- Church, we need to be able to get a hold of the Lord. We need that as individuals and we need that as a church. The only way that will ever happen is for us to come together like the early church and make seeking God our priority.
- We need to examine our hearts and be sure there is nothing in us against another brother or sister in Jesus. We need to seek God as a family. We need to call on God by faith, believing Him for all things.
- We need to look beyond our own needs and lift up those around us who are in need. We need to pray through our problems until we see the Lord move in power.
