The Most Important Asset in Prayer

November 25, 2012 by Olga 9 Comments

The Most Important Asset in Prayer

It is all too human that when we do something repeatedly, it can lose its significance and meaning. Familiar acts become part of our habit and we don’t give them much thought – we just do them automatically. God’s Word instructs us to pray to the Father in the Name of Jesus. So we conclude our prayers with the phrase “In the Name of Jesus” – sometimes without truly considering what we are saying. The name Jesus has significance and is weighty with meaning. Did you ever wonder how Jesus got His name?

How Did Jesus Get His Name?

Then name of Jesus and the authority of Jesus are one and the same. Have you ever thought about that? His name represents His authority and Jesus is worthy of His name through inheritance, obedience, and resurrection.

1. Jesus was given His name and the power in His name through inheritance. (Hebrews 1:4). Jesus inherited His name, a royal name, from His Father, just as your parents named you. It was the Father’s will for the name of Jesus to be superior to any angel, human being, or demon spirit.

2. Jesus received His name and the power in it by His obedience (Philippians 2:5-11). Every tongue will confess Jesus Christ as Lord, whether in this life or in the next, whether in heaven or in hell. The best time to do it is in this life through salvation; accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

3. Jesus proved His name and the power in it by His resurrection from the dead (Ephesians 1:19-23). The name of Jesus is more powerful than anything named. It is above sickness and disease, poverty, lack and anything else.

Understanding how Jesus received His name opens up new awareness of the One to whom we entrust our prayers. Jesus is not just a name – it is THE NAME. And it is a privilege to call on Jesus’ name – a privilege that comes from our relationship with Him.

Privilege Through Relationship

The privilege of access to the Father comes through our relationship with Jesus. When we pray in the name of Jesus, we pray in His power and authority, asking the Father to act upon our prayers because we come to Him in the name of His son, Jesus – our Savior.

Jesus states in John 14:13-14, “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”

It’s not so much the words that we speak at the end of a prayer, that make calling on His name powerful. Instead it is how our relationship with Jesus motivates us to honor and glorify Him.

However, many believe that concluding a prayer with the name of Jesus assures that God will grant what was requested. In essence, they treat the name of Jesus as if it were a magical formula.

Prayers that are contrary to God’s will neither honor, nor glorify Jesus and are meaningless. In order to pray according to God’s will we must be aware of His will. Such awareness comes from abiding in His Word.

Abide in the Word

John 15:7 clearly states that when we abide in Jesus Christ, his words abide in us. It is from this position that believers ask and receive answers to their prayers. In order to relate to the name of Jesus, we must be identified with the Word of God. This means we abide in it, dwell in it, walk in it, submit to it and make a commitment to obey all of it- not just the parts that we choose.

Abiding occurs progressively. Submit to what you now understand of the Lord. As you grow, you will be able to ever more fully submit yourself to His authority.

Submit To Authority And See Authority Released On Your Behalf

Acts 19:13-16 tells us about the seven sons of Sceva; how they heard of the miracles that took place by using the name of Jesus and wanted to try it themselves with a man who had an evil spirit.

The sons of Sceva used the right formula and they even used the right words; they believed in the name of Jesus but didn’t believe in the person of Jesus. They had not placed themselves under Jesus’ authority. To them, the name of Jesus was merely a curiosity – something to be tried and laid down.

The devil knew that the sons of Sceva didn’t have the same authority that Paul had in the name of Jesus. The Bible says that the evil spirit they were attempting to exorcise “leaped upon them, mastering two of them…” In contrast, Paul was under the authority of Jesus. Jesus’ authority released through Paul was based on Paul’s being under the authority of Jesus. Under that authority, Paul brought forth much fruit – fruit that is still productive today. We are also to be fruitful.

Bring Forth Fruit That Will Remain

In John 15:16 Jesus states “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.” There is authority in His name to ask and receive from the Father. We are to bear fruit that remains because it is fruit birthed by prayer in the name of Jesus.

You and I have been given the power of attorney in Jesus’ name; we have been given authority to act for Jesus Christ by using His name. In essence, Mark 16:17-18 says, “Everything I have been doing, you will do.” You can say that we are called to carry out Jesus’ business in His name.

Through the authority of His name we can heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers and cast out devils. We are called to demonstrate His authority, which means that God will use His power to bring to pass that which we speak when we are operating in His will in accordance with His Word in the name of Jesus.

To Sum It Up

The name of Jesus is our most important asset in prayer. It is a privilege to be in relationship with Jesus and to grow ever more intimate with him through abiding in His Word. As we come to know Him better, we more fully submit to His authority, which releases the power of His authority in our prayers. With the authority of Jesus we can bring forth much fruit that will remain.

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How To Pray To Stop The Devil

July 4, 2012 by Olga 24 Comments

How To Pray To Stop The Devil?

by Olga Hermans

What do you think about when you hear that question? Do you think “it is too difficult” or “I don’t want to fight with the devil”; what do think about when you need to fight the devil?

You know, you have been given the victory through the death of Jesus and His burial and resurrection over anything you will ever face. Maybe you are wondering how to see this happen in your own life and have no clue where to start. Maybe you started once and you gave up.

First things first; you must resist the devil in your daily walk, or James would not have mentioned it. The enemy has been conquered, but he still must be resisted.

The way to start resisting the devil is with submitting to the word. To submit to God means to surrender to Him, to yield yourself fully to Him, to come under His authority. To submit means to be a doer of the Word and not just a hearer. It means to believe, speak, and obey God’s Word. Submission could be stated another way: Trust God in every way possible

Prayer that stops the devil is based upon believing, speaking and acting upon what God says. Submission is not only to the written Word Of God, but also to the spoken Word spoken under the submission of the Holy Spirit.

There are people who will not submit to God because they want to be under His authority. They have failed to realize that if you aren’t under God’s authority, you are under the devil’s authority. There is no middle ground. People who are selfishly-ruled are satan-ruled.

To resist the enemy means to have an active, willful decision to say “no” to the devil with your heart, mind, words and attitude. Every time you invite the will of God to be done in your life, you are saying “no” to the devil. Every time you praise God, you are saying “no” to the devil. Every time you obey the Word of God, you are saying “no” to the devil. In other words, you are making positive choices that literally evict the enemy!

You are choosing the will, purpose and desires of God. When you resist the devil, he will flee from you. To pray to stop the devil, you must believe in the power of the blood of Jesus. Hebrews 10:16-19

We have boldness, confidence and liberty to enter into the holiest place through the blood of Jesus Christ. I have heard a former Satanic witch say once ad I think it was on the 700 club, “Whenever the blood of Jesus was mentioned, it stopped the power of Satanists.”

It was the blood of Jesus that destroyed Satan’s hold over you and me. It was His blood that ransomed us from Satan’s authority. It was His blood on the cross that bought and paid for our total salvation, so when we come to God, we are coming through the blood of His Son. Every time we quote Romans 8:1, we are declaring the power of the blood of Jesus: There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

If you do not believe in the power of the blood of Jesus, you will not pray with authority. You will be reminded of what you’ve done in the past, of your failures and shortcomings, and as a result your prayers will be like a wet noodle. The devil knows when you don’t know your authority.

It takes the blood of Jesus to free you of guilt and condemnation. It takes an understanding of the blood of Jesus to know your sins have been remitted. When you call on the blood of Jesus, you have immediate access to the heavenly Father.

To have prayer that stops the devil, you must approach the Father in the name of Jesus. John 16:23-24

God wants you to have fullness of joy. He doesn’t want the enemy to overrun your life in any area. The Bible says that the shield of faith quenches every fiery dart of the wicked (Ephesians 6:16). David the psalmist declared, The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. Psalm 23:1

Jesus already won the victory that is sufficient to give us complete liberty from the devil’s work in our lives, but we have to enter into the type of prayer that will stop him. That’s believing prayer in the name of Jesus.

When we use the name of Jesus, we have used the highest name in heaven, on earth and under the earth. There is no other authority greater than the name of Jesus.

You and I have been given the power of attorney to use that name! Jesus was saying to His disciples and to you and me, “I am going away. I will send the Comforter [My Spirit] to you. Carry on business as usual, because I am giving you My name. I will never leave you. I will never abandon you. I will be with you always to the end of the world.

To pray to stop the devil, you must declare the Word of the Lord. Hebrews 4:12

Because the Word of God is a living entity, you can take it into your prayer closet. This is an aspect of prayer that many people have not entered into because they have not recognized the value of it. They pray, beg and plead, but they never come with the Word. If you will start your prayers with God’s will, which is His Word, you will never pray amiss.

If you are approaching God for healing, come into agreement with His promises of healing in Isaiah 43:4-5; Matthew 8:17 and 1Peter 2:24. You can pray, “Father, I am coming to You through the blood of Jesus, in the name of Jesus and with Your Word. You put sickness and diseases upon Your Son, Jesus Christ, so I wouldn’t have to bear it. By His stripes I am healed. Thank You for my healing now, in Jesus’ name.”

What are some experiences that you have had with resisting the devil? Give us one of your great testimonies in the comment section; thank you! Check out my book on prayer, that teaches you even so much more on how to be effective in prayer.

You can subscribe to The Daily Choice which is a SPIRITUAL Devotion that helps you to make the right choices in your life!

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Speak to Your Mountains

July 1, 2012 by Olga 13 Comments

Speak to Your Mountains

by Olga Hermans

Now is the time to speak the Word Of God to the mountains in Your life and see them removed; whether is the mountain of sickness, lack, division, torment, oppression, or some other challenge. On one of Jesus’ final trips over the Mount of Olives before His betrayal and crucifixion, He taught His disciples in Mark 11:12-19

Jesus and His disciples left Jerusalem on the same route they had taken into Jerusalem, up over the Mount of Olives, down to the little town of Bethany. He taught, ministered and spoke each day in the temple. Mark 11:20-26

Often overlooked is the parallel between the fig tree and the nation of Israel. Jesus came to the fig tree, and it was supposed to be bearing fruit. It wasn’t so He spoke to it and it withered. Jesus came to the nation of Israel, and it was supposed to be bearing fruit; the fruit of a righteous, holy nation. He came to the temple and found a den of thieves. What he has done to the fig tree, He did to the temple and found it a den of thieves. He overthrew the money changers and spoke to them that their house would be left desolate.

It was only a few years later, 70 A.D., after Jesus had spoken it, that the Roman general Titus surrounded the city of Jerusalem and destroyed it.

In the Bible, we are likened to trees. The trees of the field shall clap their hands Isaiah 55:12. Jesus is the vine, and we are the branches John 15:5. Jesus is looking for fruit in our lives; the fruit of answered prayer, the fruit of souls being won to Christ, the fruit of the Spirit of love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

On one occasion when this parable was told, the landowner said, Let’s destroy the tree. Then the Word came, No, give it one more year. Let’s dig around it, fertilize it and see if it brings forth fruit. Thank God, He is merciful!

Jesus left us an example that we are to follow. He left us a pattern of faith. In verse 14, He spoke to the tree, and the disciples heard it. In other words, it wasn’t one of those whisper things. He spoke out loud. Nothing happened visibly at that moment. As you release your faith, nothing may happen visibly at that very moment.

But when Jesus returned by this same route some 24 hours later, the fig tree had dried up from the roots. In the natural, it is impossible for something to dry up that quickly.

Then Jesus commanded, Have faith in God. Romans 12:3 says,…God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.

Romans 10:17 says, So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Hebrews 11:6 says, 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. Hebrews 11:1 says: Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

It has been said, Faith is the title deed to that which is invisible. Corrie ten Boom said, Faith is the radar that sees things and catches an image of them, even though they may be beyond natural sight. The image of it is imprinted in us by the Word of God. Then Jesus said, For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain…Mark 11:23

Jesus was using the terminology of speaking to a mountain as a figure of speech, saying, If you have a problem, a difficulty, an obstacle that is like a mountain, you can speak to it to be removed. Jesus was saying that you can speak to any mountain-size problem to be removed and it has to go. Maybe your mountain is sickness or disease, depression, discouragement, fear, dismay, or financial lack.

Many people talk about their mountain, discuss their mountain and even evaluate their mountain. They take samples of their mountain and compare it with other people’s mountains. Then there are mountain conferences or dialogues where people get together and discuss their mountains!

Jesus didn’t say that we are to discuss our challenges. He said, “Speak to them!” Speak to cancer. Speak to financial lack. Speak to the rebellion in a child. Speak to the mountain in a situation. How do we get to the point where we believe that what we say will come to pass and that when we speak to our mountain, it will be removed?

Jesus said, If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you John 15:7

One of the primary keys to your confidence in prayer is to know that what you are speaking is the will or the Word of God. This is the day and the hour for God’s people to do great exploits because we are in covenant relationship with Him; speaking His Word, praying His Word and obeying His Word.

What is your experience with speaking to your mountains? Please let us know in the comment section.

You can subscribe to The Daily Choice which is a SPIRITUAL Devotion that helps you to make the right choices in your life!

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