12-Sep-2021: Ps Joshua –
Prayer is key and essential to our everyday life.
Paul in Ephesians talks about how Prayer is a weapon that we wield. When we are afraid, distressed, in difficult times and through every situation, Prayer is what we have.
Eph 1:17-19
17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit[f] of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.
18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people,
19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength
20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms,
21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.
22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church,
23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
The greatest privilege we have is to know HIM better. To know the hope we have. To know the power at work.
Knowing the Power:
- Power & authority over the world and over Satan
“his incomparably great power for us who believe” – there is a power that is work within us. The power that was given to Jesus, is now available to us.
We go with humility and knowing the power that is available for us.
Psalms 51:17
17 My sacrifice, O God, is[a] a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.
“rule and authority, power and dominion” – Power and dominion – this talks about the kingdoms or territory that can rule, in the material & Spiritual realm.
“God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church” – Just as Jesus has been seated at the throne, we also are seated with Him. It’s a position we have and we ought to be aware of this.
When we are submitted to Him, everything is also under our feet.
Eph 2:1-3
1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,
2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.
3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.
“kingdom of the air” – This is another power at work. This is in the spiritual realm.
- Power over the Flesh:
“gratifying the cravings of our flesh” – This is another power at work.
Gal 5:16-24
16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever[c] you want.
18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery;
20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions
21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Flesh wants that which is contradictory to the Spirit and vice versa.
As we become Gods children, we start walking in the Spirit. The Flesh is still at work but we’ve been given power over the Flesh – and this starts by understanding & knowing that we have the Power over the flesh.
It is the Flesh that we bring to the altar – the living sacrifice. It keeps leaving or walking off the altar – but, we need to submit and crucify the Flesh.
Eph 2:4-10
4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,
5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.
6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,
7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—
9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
“raised us up” & “seated us with him” – This talks about the position we have!
“we were dead” – This was where we were. Condemned and guilty. This is where Satan reminds us of.
But, we remind ourselves what our position we have!
3 weapons we have to fight:
1. The word of God – Its gives life. We ought to use His word which bring health and Life.
Heb 4:12
12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
“alive and active” – Although it was written 2000 years ago, it’s still alive.
“double-edged sword” – has an edge on both sides of the sword.
“thoughts and attitudes of the heart” – We may see war in the physical realm but, much more real and greater, is the spiritual war. When we ask God to open our eyes, we can see that we are in this war.
We apply Gods word in every situation.
2. The name of Jesus – We pray in the name of Jesus. We call on His name.
Philp 2:9-11
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
3. The Blood of Jesus
Rev 12:11
They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony;
they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.
“blood of the Lamb” – His blood speaks. It gives us victory over sin & death.
We pray and release the power in the blood over our family, church and other spheres of life.
The 3 vehicles/means of Power:
1. Prayer – We use the position we have and offer prayers, supplication for all people and situations.
2. Praise – When we praise & worship God, we bring Gods presence into our world.
2 Chronicles 20:5-9, 15
5 Then Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the temple of the Lord in the front of the new courtyard
6 and said: “Lord, the God of our ancestors, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you.
7 Our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend?
8 They have lived in it and have built in it a sanctuary for your Name, saying,
9 ‘If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.’
15 He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.
3. Proclaim – We declare, pronounce His word on situations and believe His word and watch it happen.
Col 1:13
13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,
14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Our redemption and forgiveness is the starting point.
We also have been transferred from one kingdom to another; the Kingdom ruled by Jesus. That is why we have the power to rule and have dominion.
2 Kings 6:8-17
8 Now the king of Aram was at war with Israel. After conferring with his officers, he said, “I will set up my camp in such and such a place.”
9 The man of God sent word to the king of Israel: “Beware of passing that place, because the Arameans are going down there.”
10 So the king of Israel checked on the place indicated by the man of God. Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he was on his guard in such places.
11 This enraged the king of Aram. He summoned his officers and demanded of them, “Tell me! Which of us is on the side of the king of Israel?”
12 “None of us, my lord the king,” said one of his officers, “but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom.”
13 “Go, find out where he is,” the king ordered, “so I can send men and capture him.” The report came back: “He is in Dothan.”
14 Then he sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city.
15 When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked.
16 “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
17 And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
The spiritual realm is more real and powerful that the physical realm.
When we pray and proclaim – we can witness the change in the physical realm because there has been a change in the Spiritual realm.
It is difficult to understand or perceive, but it is very real.
More often than we recognize, the enemy attacks us at our weakness.
Many times, we can see the physical realm and it maybe grave. But, if we could see the spiritual realm, we would see the Lord’s hedge around us. His angels, His covering over us.
Ask God for a vision; to open our spiritual eyes and see what God sees.
