Are You Ruling with Christ through Prayer?
“It is our responsibility to exercise the authority that is ours through His name, and in the face of all the forces of evil to demonstrate that Christ is already ‘King of kings and Lord of lords.’” - Derek Prince
How many of us realize that we are royalty? In light of the recent airport bombings and the steady increase of evil around the world, how easy it is for us to lose sight of our royal status and the authority that God has given us.
When we were in Asia several years ago, we were able to host the princess of Thailand on our ship. It was a grand occasion. We had to carefully learn the proper way to entertain such a royal guest. As she walked passed us, we had to bow and curtsy at just the right moment. Our fingers were held together in a prayer position at just the right location on our face. Too high or too low would be offensive. Her visit was important, and we didn’t want to make any mistakes with such royalty in the room.
The reality is that Christians are the true royalty on the earth.
Often we walk downtrodden and discouraged, letting the devil defeat us as we listen to his lies. At the moment, enemy lies are shouting at us from every direction - the media, magazines, newspapers, and television - the world system is everywhere. Who are we going to listen to? Let us not get disheartened at the trials that we face as God’s people. They are only to develop us in spirit and in truth, bringing forth the character of Christ.
We are sons and daughters of the King of kings, called to co-labor with Him. We are to help establish God’s Kingdom on earth through prayer. If we want to see breakthroughs, we must understand the authority that we have in Christ. It is so vital for us as God’s people to know that we can see heaven touch earth through our prayers.
We need to learn how to cultivate a Kingdom prayer life because we rule with Christ in our prayers.
Imagine if you had never driven a car in your entire life. You would have to walk everywhere. One day someone tells you that you are going to receive something that will take you everywhere you need to go. You are given a brand new car but you don’t know the features on the car. You get in and begin to drive, but you have the emergency break on! Since nobody tells you to take the break off, you drive no faster than 20 miles per hour. Nonetheless, you are excited. At least you don’t have to walk everywhere. But you don’t realize that you have lights or any other features on the car. You just know that for the rest of your life you can drive anywhere at 20 mph during the day.
Jesus came to earth in order to penetrate the kingdom of darkness with healing, joy, and purpose. He wants us to pray that things on earth would be like they are in heaven. He didn’t just come to give us a ticket to heaven like a car that only drives 20 mph during the daytime. He came to bring the Kingdom of God on earth.
We are on earth so that we can bring the Kingdom of God into our neighborhoods, workplaces, and nations. There is so much more than we have experienced. God wants His will done on earth as it is in heaven. We must find out the features that our King has provided and learn to drive this heavenly car with speed and expertise. Many of us are living in the mentality of driving a car that only goes 20 mph, but there is so much more that God has for us! Look at our royal status in 1 Peter 2:9:
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”
Realizing that we are in God’s family and that He is preparing us to rule and reign eternally with Him, should make our lives different from those in the world around us. All who want to enter into a Kingdom prayer life of spiritual breakthrough need to comprehend the unlimited power that is in Christ and available to us. We have authority in intercession! We are seated in heavenly places in Jesus Christ, who is the King of kings and Lord of lords, before Whom every knee shall bow and every tongue confess His Lordship over all.
How to Pray with Authority as Royal Priests
"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 the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power, and dominion and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come” - (Ephesians 1:18-21).
The following are ways to pray with authority as God’s royal priesthood:
- Praise God for the authority He has given us - Through the ministry of intercession, we can influence the destinies of nations and governments and see many come to know Christ. Pray with authority for the nations God lays on your heart.
“I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone - for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:1-2).
- Praise God that we are citizens of His heavenly kingdom - God’s Kingdom is supreme over all other kingdoms and over all other forces that work on earth. We are made alive, raised up and enthroned in the heavenly Kingdom. It has already been accomplished!
“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20).
- Pray that we would know our position and authority in Christ - Pray that we as the Church would use it wisely and set our hearts on things above.
“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God” - (Colossians 3:1).
- Pray that we would understand God’s Kingdom - Head knowledge isn’t enough, but by the Spirit, our hearts need to grab hold of the magnitude of God’s plans and provisions for us. Pray Ephesians 2:4-6 for the Church worldwide.
“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:4-6).
- Thank God that this wisdom is revealed to us by His Spirit - Cry out to God for this illumination and wisdom by the Holy Spirit.
“But as it is written: ‘What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love Him.' But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit” - (1 Corinthians 2:9-10).
- Pray that believers around the world would realize their holy priesthood - Pray for an increase in Holy Spirit inspired prayer in every nation.
“You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” - (1 Peter 2:5).
- Praise God that as King He rules and as Priest, He intercedes - Because He lives, we also share in this priestly ministry of intercession.
“Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them” - (Hebrews 7:25).
Every day God is preparing us for His Kingdom. He is making us ready to take responsibility and authority with Him when He comes. It is through prayer, intercession, and declaring His Word that we administer in the authority that is ours in the name of Jesus. As believers’ eyes are opened and as they pray, the authority of God is manifested upon the earth. We have expectation of a multitude of people laying hold of this truth. When this happens, the Church will begin taking the place God has designed for her.
“Prayer is God’s settled and singular condition to move ahead His Son’s kingdom. Therefore, the believer who is the most highly skilled in prayer will do the most for God. Men are to pray - to pray for the advance of God’s cause. The one who can wield the power of prayer is the strong one, the holy one, in Christ’s kingdom. He is one of God’s heroes, God’s saints, God’s servants, God’s agents. ‘Ask, and it shall be give you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you’ (Matthew 7:7). The strongest one in Christ’s kingdom is he who can knock the best, and the secret of success in Christ’s kingdom is the ability to pray.” E. M. Bounds
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