Effective Prayer! By James L Lantz
God’s enormous desire for everyone to receive of His grace is evidenced through His putting our punishment on Jesus and offering Jesus’ righteousness to us as a gift. 2 Cor. 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. Right standing before God is unattainable through human effort but given freely to those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God and make Him the Lord of their life. We, like father Abraham, are made righteous through faith. Rom. 3:22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: This gift of righteousness gives us access into the kingdom of God, eternal life and fellowship with the Father. The beloved apostle John writes that we maintain our sense of righteousness by walking in the light just like our Father God walks in the light. On the flip side, if we walk contrary to the light of God’s word, we need cleansing from our sin and restoration back into fellowship with Him. 1 John 1:6&9 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: & If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. John writes this
Righteousness Is Being Right Before God!
letter to the church so that we do not miss out on the joy of fellowship with our heavenly Father and the privilege of having our prayers answered. This gift of righteousness gives us the favor we need with the Father and access to His grace. When we pray to the Father in the name of Jesus we are acknowledging that our righteousness is in Christ! The scepter in God’s kingdom is the scepter of righteousness! Hebrews 1:9 Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. Everyone, without exception, who comes to the throne of grace in righteousness has that scepter extended to them. This is why the Spirit of God through Paul could say, all the promises of God in Christ are yes and in Him Amen, unto the glory of God. This also gives clarity to the joy of faith. You can’t believe that all the promises of God are yours and still be sad.
Believe when you pray! Mark 11:24 What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. Faith must be mixed with every prayer, whether it is the prayer of faith, prayer of agreement, prayer of consecration, supplication, intercession, tongues, or praise and thanksgiving. The prayer of consecration may include, if it be thy will, but regardless of the cost you are willing to do what God says. Prayers of supplication and intercession can be dependent on how the person or persons respond to the leading of the Spirit and may need to be prayed repeatedly. We are called believers because that is what we do. We believe in the God of creation and His Holy Word without seeing Him, but only seeing His creation. 1 Pet. 1:8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Faith pleases God and without faith He can’t be pleased! Faith is the substance, the foundation, or the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Heb. 11:1 ESV Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Jesus is not trying to make things hard for us by telling us to believe when we pray, but rather telling us how things are created in the realm of the Spirit. The things that are seen were not made of things that were visible. We really don’t have to understand how it all works to follow our Lord’s instructions to believe because believing is a choice.
Praying the will of God is crucial because faith begins when the will of God is known. 1 John 5:14&15 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him. The way to know God’s will is to know what He said and we find what He said in the word of God. Peter writes that the inspired words that he received from the Holy Spirit were more sure than the audible word of God spoken to them on the mount of transfiguration. 2 Peter 1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Jesus only spoke of what He heard the Father say, so we know His words are the will of the Father. Jesus also taught the disciples to pray that the Father’s will would be done in the earth just like it is in heaven. The early believers prayed for God’s will to be accomplished through them after Peter and John were arrested for the healing of a crippled man who laid at the temple gate. They boldly named the names of the heathens, Herod, Pontius Pilate, the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, who were gathered together against His Christ. Acts 4:29&30 And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and
Give Us, Your Servants, Great Boldness In Preaching Your Word!
grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus. We know that God answered their prayers because God shook the place where they were assembled, filled them with the Holy Ghost and they spoke the word of God with boldness. We have the rest of the book of Acts declaring the healings, signs and wonders which were wrought by the Lord Jesus. We should notice that they didn’t pray that God would kill their enemies or protect them from persecution, but rather that God would empower them with boldness and the power gifts of the Spirit.
Our actions must correspond with our faith otherwise our faith is dead. James 1:22 NKJV But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. Abraham’s faith in God was proved genuine when he offered his only son, Isaac, on the alter. Rahab, the harlot, also proved her faith was real by receiving the messengers and sending them out another way. The main way we activate our faith is by speaking what God said. 2 Cor. 4:13 We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak; We entered the kingdom of God by believing the word preached that we must repent and call upon the name of Jesus. Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. We activate our faith to receive healing in much the same manner as when we received eternal life. We believe the word preached and if we have sinned, we repent, and we call upon the name of the Lord. There are numerous scriptures in the Bible that connect sickness to sin. Jesus went back to the man He had healed at the pool of Bethesda and said, sin no more lest a worse thing come upon you. Paul writes that many are weak and sickly and die prematurely because they have not judged themselves and repented for treating Christ body irreverently. 1 Cor. 11:31 WNT If, however, we estimated ourselves aright, we should not be judged. Refusing to forgive others will absolutely stop the power of God from flowing to us. Mark 11:25 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
1 Timothy 2:1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men
Prophecy Delivered By Kenneth Copeland on December 30, 2021
2022 is the year of correction, direction, protection and perfection—in spirit, soul and body, in finances, churches and government.
In 2022, it ALL belongs to you!
In 2022, you WILL know what to do!
“Surely the Lord God will do nothing without revealing His secret to His servants the prophets.” –Amos 3:7 (AMPC)
