Praying
from Your Position of God’s Authority and Victory
There is a physical realm and a spiritual realm. They are not the same. Physically we are on earth and God is in heaven. But, spiritually, when we come to God, the Word says that we can approach Him boldly and that we are seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. In this place, we have authority to do spiritual warfare against the enemy. There are three realms mentioned in the Bible. God, the Father, and Jesus reign from the 3rd heaven, the principalities and powers – satan and his cohorts are in the 2nd realm, and the 1st realm is earth. We live in this first realm, but spiritually, we are seated in Christ in the third realm - heaven.
When you go to prayer, where do you see yourself? How do you pray – do you try to pray upwards so God will hear you – from the first heaven to the third? Or, are you next to God, hearing his heartbeat and seeing from His position? Are you praying from the 3rd heaven to earth?
To be effective in His Kingdom, you must first realize who you are and experience oneness with Him. Scripture says that if you are born again, a child of God, your spirit is one with the Holy Spirit. 1 Cor 6:17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. Jesus said, “If any man loves Me, then my Father and I will come in, make our home with him and dine with him.” John 14:23, Rev 3:20
Next, you need to not only understand who you are in Christ, but also where you are – in heavenly places – and what that means in terms of what God has given us and what we can do through Him. But God has quickened us (made us alive) together with Christ, and raised us up together, and He has made us to sit together in heavenly places IN Christ Jesus (past perfect tense – an action completed in the past time which has present continuous results). We are seated there NOW! You don’t have to wait to go to heaven…
To enter the throne room, we should come into his presence by loving and worshipping God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength – He inhabits the praises of His people. We enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise. (Psalms 100: 4) As you praise, see yourself “putting on the Lord Jesus” and being encased in Him. This is such a reverent place. Take time to review Daniel 7 as he sees “a fiery stream and thousand thousands ministering before the throne. Review Isaiah 6 for another throne room view. John saw the throne in Revelation. He saw a rainbow, lightening, thunder and worship. He heard Holy, Holy, Holy…The throne room will always cause worship of the Lord of Hosts, reverence and awe. The Word says you are in Christ, seated in heavenly places…think on this. Isaiah cried “woe is me”, yet Hebrews tells us to come boldly because we have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. This place is powerful. Our God is powerful and mighty to do battle.
What does this mean for the prayer warrior? Ephesians 1:20 says that “he raised him (Jesus) from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion…and hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church.” Chapter 2:6 says, “But God…hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly place in Christ Jesus.” When we are together with Christ in the throne room, we are far above the enemy. He is under Christ’s feet. When you view earth and its problems from the heavens, in Christ, you will pray every prayer need through God’s eyes, according to His Word! The enemy is defeated.
We must pray according to the truth – God’s Word. It is “living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword” Heb 4:12. When we look at problems from God’s perspective and from His presence, we begin to see Him as the answer – He is the One backing us up. (You are not the answer.) He is the problem solver, the miracle worker – not us. Ask Jesus to let you see the earthly conditions through His eyes. He knows everything and has ALL of the answers and solutions. The heavenly perspective that looks downward can see the root cause of the problem rather than the symptoms. When the Lord pinpoints the root cause of the problem, we can pray “on target” and see the results. Too often we pray for deliverance for the effects of sin, and fail to press through to see the root of the problem removed.
Exercise:
a) Take time to think about the prayer needs that are in your scope. Make a list.
b) Now consider what the Word says about these specific problems. For example, you have an individual that needs a job. What does the Word say? Philippians 4:19 says, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Note the Scripture reference by each need. This is the truth and the way God sees it. This will increase your faith. He does not change and will be faithful to His Word.
c) Enter into His throne room with praise and thanksgiving…worship.
d) See yourself seated in Christ…see the Throne, see the heavens.
e) You must take time at this point to ask questions:
1) Is there a root cause?
2) What does God say specifically about the situation? There may be unresolved issues in the person’s life that must be cleared before the answer can come. Jesus said to go and reconcile with your brother before the gift was offered. God will revel these things to us as we wait on His voice.
3) God will sometimes give instructions. Jesus told the blind man to go wash in the pool of Siloam. It was some distance away and he received when he obeyed. Again, listen to the voice of God.
4 )Now you know how God would have to pray. Don’t be tempted to pray the way you always have, or, how your pastor prays. Warfare requires a fresh revelation from on high. His Word (the Sword of the Spirit) is still in the sheath until we wield it by speaking with our mouth. The written Word of God has no voice until we as believers voice it, hence the power of the tongue! James 3 Remember that people are not the problem. Don’t come against people, but come against the spirits who are instigating or influencing these people.
5) Now take your Victory Position far above satan and all his cohorts and do Spiritual Warfare against the enemy. Pray.
6) Expect the promised victory.
When we realize we are seated in Christ in the heavenlies, we are encased in Him and we have heard him declare the “target”, we will know satan is under us, even though he is called “prince of the power of the air.” All principalities and powers, might and dominion, are under our feet, just as they are under Jesus’ feet because we are part of His body. This means that satan’s headquarters and the ranks of authority in satan’s realm are all under our feet, and then beneath that is the earth and all our circumstances and problems.
Satan uses many tricks to hinder people and to enslave them. Many times people on earth agree with him. Then, they are tied like puppets on a string. He uses their minds and emotions to affect their behavior. Imagine ropes from the 2nd heaven that extend to earth – people are bound by them. This is the force that people need deliverance from. As we pray from Heaven’s position, and look down on the satanic kingdom, speak to the rulers in the 2nd heavenlies first, dealing with higher echelons of the enemies’ army. Speak and sever the “ropes” that binds people. God has told us to take authority over the enemy. This is our part. We must speak and name the condition and the name of Jesus is above that. Declare freedom for the captive, healing for the sick, sight for the blind, salvation for the lost…whatever the need, there is a never-ending supply from God.
Knowing our position can sometimes cause us to live our lives looking for a battle and an enemy to conquer. Review the life of Christ and note that He only did what He saw His Father do and He only spoke what the Father was saying. He lived from the position of His spirit, being in control of His actions and words. This is the lesson we must all learn. Here is a warning from “The Happy Intercessor” by Beni Johnston.
“We were traveling and visiting a church back East. During one of the meetings, my husband had a word of knowledge about a woman having a stillbirth or a miscarriage. There were several women who stood for prayer. It felt like to me there were way too many standing. At lunch that day I was sitting next to the pastor’s wife. I asked her about all the miscarriages and stillbirths that were going on…I felt impressed to ask her what the intercessors had been doing. I explained that there are times when we can participate in warfare that God has not ordained. She explained they had partnered with a group and gone up on a mountain and rebuked the principality over that region…I felt like the Lord showed me that what they did was not led of God. I believe they entered into an area in the spiritual realm where God had not sent them, and they ended up uncovered. The result was that there was a loss of life.
As intercessors, we need to be careful and sensitive to what God wants us to do. We are never to fear the devil. But we are also never to fight the devil on our own terms. If we let God direct and empower, there will always be advancement and victory. If you feel a hesitation in your spirit, then listen to that, and wait on the Lord.”
The key is that we never move into battle without God’s leading and direction. He will give you the burden and then the strategy to do battle against the areas He allows in your path. That is why you must listen to what He says and only step into those places where you are sent.
Living from the throne room has to be practiced daily until it becomes reality! Here are some practical tips:
· We must renew our minds with God’s Word. We must “see” with God’s perspective. We must practice listening so we can hear God’s thoughts. This is being spiritually minded. This is a place of safety.
· When we think natural thoughts, we will get little small natural results from our efforts. When we align ourselves with a Word-oriented, Spirit governed thoughts, we will get supernatural results. We begin to operate in faith – God’s Word and the Spirit over our circumstances. We should speak out the words as the voice of God, by the power of the Spirit.
· Memorize the Scripture and speak it out over problems. We are now part of the Kingdom of Light. But we will not impact the Kingdom of Darkness unless we renew our minds and enforce the victory of Jesus. Remember that Light displaces darkness.
· When Jesus died and was resurrected, he was given authority. Satan has been stripped of authority and has to steal (tap into or borrow) power from us through deceptions and enticement, using our power of speech, power of choice, and the power of imagination, which are uniquely given to mankind. His intent to steal, kill, and destroy can only be accomplished by using people and circumstances to make us react. This is why he must trick us into thinking, doing, and speaking words contrary to the Word of God, knowing that our words have the power of life and death. Deception is a major tool of satan and whenever we allow him to use it on us, God has no other choice but to allow whatever we allow. Mankind has a free will.
· In contrast, we can take our rightful position in Christ in the Heavenlies (“We are seated in heavenly places”) and establish “reality” in the spirit realm first (based on the Word of God); then the reality in the earthly realm follows. In other words, the heavenly reality will cause the physical reality to be manifested – heaven on earth. Jesus prayer “Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.”
As I have realized this truth and see myself seated with Christ in the heavens, it has made such a difference in my prayer life. It is so important to hear what the Father says over any prayer need. Now, when people ask me to pray, I must take time to first ask God, “what do You say…how do I pray?” Many times He will reveal a root problem that must be dealt with before the answer can come. (When we pray out of our “head knowledge” or pray our “normal memorized prayer” we will probably miss the mark and the person will go away without the full answer.) Getting the answer from God and praying that way will cause us to see God bring answers. Notice in the Gospels how Jesus defined so many issues…you have a fever and He touched her and she got up. A dumb man was possessed by the devil…He cast him out. A woman carried a spirit of infirmity eighteen years…He loosed her. Jesus said that He did what the father was doing – He listened and then acted. We must begin to do the same and our prayer life will be transformed.
Today is a new day…A new beginning…If you have operated from your head and not your spirit, repent and turn around. God is faithful and will restore you. Start today with the Truth of His Word, and never turn back. If at any time you recognize that you have operated from your mind, recognize it, repent and be alert for the next opportunity. God loves us and is faithful to help us grow into warriors He will use to advance His Kingdom. Never stop growing. You will begin to see God’s solutions and God’s answers to prayer like never before. Let your faith arise and be bold. Let the world know you serve a God that is alive and still answers prayer.
Beni Johnson “The Happy Intercessor”
Aiko Horman
There is a physical realm and a spiritual realm. They are not the same. Physically we are on earth and God is in heaven. But, spiritually, when we come to God, the Word says that we can approach Him boldly and that we are seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. In this place, we have authority to do spiritual warfare against the enemy. There are three realms mentioned in the Bible. God, the Father, and Jesus reign from the 3rd heaven, the principalities and powers – satan and his cohorts are in the 2nd realm, and the 1st realm is earth. We live in this first realm, but spiritually, we are seated in Christ in the third realm - heaven.
When you go to prayer, where do you see yourself? How do you pray – do you try to pray upwards so God will hear you – from the first heaven to the third? Or, are you next to God, hearing his heartbeat and seeing from His position? Are you praying from the 3rd heaven to earth?
To be effective in His Kingdom, you must first realize who you are and experience oneness with Him. Scripture says that if you are born again, a child of God, your spirit is one with the Holy Spirit. 1 Cor 6:17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. Jesus said, “If any man loves Me, then my Father and I will come in, make our home with him and dine with him.” John 14:23, Rev 3:20
Next, you need to not only understand who you are in Christ, but also where you are – in heavenly places – and what that means in terms of what God has given us and what we can do through Him. But God has quickened us (made us alive) together with Christ, and raised us up together, and He has made us to sit together in heavenly places IN Christ Jesus (past perfect tense – an action completed in the past time which has present continuous results). We are seated there NOW! You don’t have to wait to go to heaven…
To enter the throne room, we should come into his presence by loving and worshipping God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength – He inhabits the praises of His people. We enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise. (Psalms 100: 4) As you praise, see yourself “putting on the Lord Jesus” and being encased in Him. This is such a reverent place. Take time to review Daniel 7 as he sees “a fiery stream and thousand thousands ministering before the throne. Review Isaiah 6 for another throne room view. John saw the throne in Revelation. He saw a rainbow, lightening, thunder and worship. He heard Holy, Holy, Holy…The throne room will always cause worship of the Lord of Hosts, reverence and awe. The Word says you are in Christ, seated in heavenly places…think on this. Isaiah cried “woe is me”, yet Hebrews tells us to come boldly because we have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. This place is powerful. Our God is powerful and mighty to do battle.
What does this mean for the prayer warrior? Ephesians 1:20 says that “he raised him (Jesus) from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion…and hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church.” Chapter 2:6 says, “But God…hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly place in Christ Jesus.” When we are together with Christ in the throne room, we are far above the enemy. He is under Christ’s feet. When you view earth and its problems from the heavens, in Christ, you will pray every prayer need through God’s eyes, according to His Word! The enemy is defeated.
We must pray according to the truth – God’s Word. It is “living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword” Heb 4:12. When we look at problems from God’s perspective and from His presence, we begin to see Him as the answer – He is the One backing us up. (You are not the answer.) He is the problem solver, the miracle worker – not us. Ask Jesus to let you see the earthly conditions through His eyes. He knows everything and has ALL of the answers and solutions. The heavenly perspective that looks downward can see the root cause of the problem rather than the symptoms. When the Lord pinpoints the root cause of the problem, we can pray “on target” and see the results. Too often we pray for deliverance for the effects of sin, and fail to press through to see the root of the problem removed.
Exercise:
a) Take time to think about the prayer needs that are in your scope. Make a list.
b) Now consider what the Word says about these specific problems. For example, you have an individual that needs a job. What does the Word say? Philippians 4:19 says, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Note the Scripture reference by each need. This is the truth and the way God sees it. This will increase your faith. He does not change and will be faithful to His Word.
c) Enter into His throne room with praise and thanksgiving…worship.
d) See yourself seated in Christ…see the Throne, see the heavens.
e) You must take time at this point to ask questions:
1) Is there a root cause?
2) What does God say specifically about the situation? There may be unresolved issues in the person’s life that must be cleared before the answer can come. Jesus said to go and reconcile with your brother before the gift was offered. God will revel these things to us as we wait on His voice.
3) God will sometimes give instructions. Jesus told the blind man to go wash in the pool of Siloam. It was some distance away and he received when he obeyed. Again, listen to the voice of God.
4 )Now you know how God would have to pray. Don’t be tempted to pray the way you always have, or, how your pastor prays. Warfare requires a fresh revelation from on high. His Word (the Sword of the Spirit) is still in the sheath until we wield it by speaking with our mouth. The written Word of God has no voice until we as believers voice it, hence the power of the tongue! James 3 Remember that people are not the problem. Don’t come against people, but come against the spirits who are instigating or influencing these people.
5) Now take your Victory Position far above satan and all his cohorts and do Spiritual Warfare against the enemy. Pray.
6) Expect the promised victory.
When we realize we are seated in Christ in the heavenlies, we are encased in Him and we have heard him declare the “target”, we will know satan is under us, even though he is called “prince of the power of the air.” All principalities and powers, might and dominion, are under our feet, just as they are under Jesus’ feet because we are part of His body. This means that satan’s headquarters and the ranks of authority in satan’s realm are all under our feet, and then beneath that is the earth and all our circumstances and problems.
Satan uses many tricks to hinder people and to enslave them. Many times people on earth agree with him. Then, they are tied like puppets on a string. He uses their minds and emotions to affect their behavior. Imagine ropes from the 2nd heaven that extend to earth – people are bound by them. This is the force that people need deliverance from. As we pray from Heaven’s position, and look down on the satanic kingdom, speak to the rulers in the 2nd heavenlies first, dealing with higher echelons of the enemies’ army. Speak and sever the “ropes” that binds people. God has told us to take authority over the enemy. This is our part. We must speak and name the condition and the name of Jesus is above that. Declare freedom for the captive, healing for the sick, sight for the blind, salvation for the lost…whatever the need, there is a never-ending supply from God.
Knowing our position can sometimes cause us to live our lives looking for a battle and an enemy to conquer. Review the life of Christ and note that He only did what He saw His Father do and He only spoke what the Father was saying. He lived from the position of His spirit, being in control of His actions and words. This is the lesson we must all learn. Here is a warning from “The Happy Intercessor” by Beni Johnston.
“We were traveling and visiting a church back East. During one of the meetings, my husband had a word of knowledge about a woman having a stillbirth or a miscarriage. There were several women who stood for prayer. It felt like to me there were way too many standing. At lunch that day I was sitting next to the pastor’s wife. I asked her about all the miscarriages and stillbirths that were going on…I felt impressed to ask her what the intercessors had been doing. I explained that there are times when we can participate in warfare that God has not ordained. She explained they had partnered with a group and gone up on a mountain and rebuked the principality over that region…I felt like the Lord showed me that what they did was not led of God. I believe they entered into an area in the spiritual realm where God had not sent them, and they ended up uncovered. The result was that there was a loss of life.
As intercessors, we need to be careful and sensitive to what God wants us to do. We are never to fear the devil. But we are also never to fight the devil on our own terms. If we let God direct and empower, there will always be advancement and victory. If you feel a hesitation in your spirit, then listen to that, and wait on the Lord.”
The key is that we never move into battle without God’s leading and direction. He will give you the burden and then the strategy to do battle against the areas He allows in your path. That is why you must listen to what He says and only step into those places where you are sent.
Living from the throne room has to be practiced daily until it becomes reality! Here are some practical tips:
· We must renew our minds with God’s Word. We must “see” with God’s perspective. We must practice listening so we can hear God’s thoughts. This is being spiritually minded. This is a place of safety.
· When we think natural thoughts, we will get little small natural results from our efforts. When we align ourselves with a Word-oriented, Spirit governed thoughts, we will get supernatural results. We begin to operate in faith – God’s Word and the Spirit over our circumstances. We should speak out the words as the voice of God, by the power of the Spirit.
· Memorize the Scripture and speak it out over problems. We are now part of the Kingdom of Light. But we will not impact the Kingdom of Darkness unless we renew our minds and enforce the victory of Jesus. Remember that Light displaces darkness.
· When Jesus died and was resurrected, he was given authority. Satan has been stripped of authority and has to steal (tap into or borrow) power from us through deceptions and enticement, using our power of speech, power of choice, and the power of imagination, which are uniquely given to mankind. His intent to steal, kill, and destroy can only be accomplished by using people and circumstances to make us react. This is why he must trick us into thinking, doing, and speaking words contrary to the Word of God, knowing that our words have the power of life and death. Deception is a major tool of satan and whenever we allow him to use it on us, God has no other choice but to allow whatever we allow. Mankind has a free will.
· In contrast, we can take our rightful position in Christ in the Heavenlies (“We are seated in heavenly places”) and establish “reality” in the spirit realm first (based on the Word of God); then the reality in the earthly realm follows. In other words, the heavenly reality will cause the physical reality to be manifested – heaven on earth. Jesus prayer “Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.”
As I have realized this truth and see myself seated with Christ in the heavens, it has made such a difference in my prayer life. It is so important to hear what the Father says over any prayer need. Now, when people ask me to pray, I must take time to first ask God, “what do You say…how do I pray?” Many times He will reveal a root problem that must be dealt with before the answer can come. (When we pray out of our “head knowledge” or pray our “normal memorized prayer” we will probably miss the mark and the person will go away without the full answer.) Getting the answer from God and praying that way will cause us to see God bring answers. Notice in the Gospels how Jesus defined so many issues…you have a fever and He touched her and she got up. A dumb man was possessed by the devil…He cast him out. A woman carried a spirit of infirmity eighteen years…He loosed her. Jesus said that He did what the father was doing – He listened and then acted. We must begin to do the same and our prayer life will be transformed.
Today is a new day…A new beginning…If you have operated from your head and not your spirit, repent and turn around. God is faithful and will restore you. Start today with the Truth of His Word, and never turn back. If at any time you recognize that you have operated from your mind, recognize it, repent and be alert for the next opportunity. God loves us and is faithful to help us grow into warriors He will use to advance His Kingdom. Never stop growing. You will begin to see God’s solutions and God’s answers to prayer like never before. Let your faith arise and be bold. Let the world know you serve a God that is alive and still answers prayer.
Beni Johnson “The Happy Intercessor”
Aiko Horman