Praying with Authority
At the usual time for offering the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet walked up to the altar and prayed, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all this at your command. O Lord, answer me! Answer me so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God and that you have brought them back to yourself.” Immediately the fire of the Lord flashed down from heaven and burned up the young bull, the wood, the stones, and the dust. It even licked up all the water in the trench! And when all the people saw it, they fell face down on the ground and cried out, "The Lord – He is God! Yes, the Lord is God!”1
God has given us the privilege of crying out to Him to receive everything we need, in fact, He has promised to respond. The Bible also encourages us to intercede for others, and tells us that the prayers of a righteous person can accomplish much (James 5:16).
To pray with power, we must first accept God's offer of salvation. Before redemption, we were sinners under His judgment. But through faith in Christ, we have been made new and declared saints. Second, we must align our prayers with His will.
Let's look at Elijah. The Lord sent him to defeat and humiliate the wicked King Ahab and the 450 prophets of Baal. This was a spiritual conflict to prove who the true God was: Baal or the Lord of Israel. Elijah's weapons were his knowledge of God's plan and the authority he had in prayer as his prophet. His request for the Lord to make himself known publicly to his adversaries was in line with the Lord's will. And when God answered Elijah's prayer, the people declared, "The Lord is God, the Lord is God!" (1 Kings 18:39).
Are you a child of God? If so, you can pray powerfully if your requests are in line with God's will.
Suggested Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the privilege You have given us to be able to cry out to You. Thank You that we can pray with power by aligning our requests according to Your will. Thank you that we can declare with joy as the people of Israel: The Lord is God! Thank you in Jesus' name, Amen.
1. 1 Kings 18:36-39 (NLT).
Today's Encounter was written by: Rosina N.
All articles on this website are written by
Richard (Dick) Innes unless otherwise stated.