PRAYER, POWER AND THOUGHTS
(week 44/12)
OLUBI JOHNSON
Essentially, when we pray we release God’s power through our mouths to bring into physical manifestation what God has promised us in His Word.
James 5:16 AMP: Confess to one another therefore your faults (your slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins) and pray [also] for one another, that you may be healed and restored [to a spiritual tone of mind and heart]. The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].
This power of God is released through our mouths as speak in the understanding, in tongues or we travail with all kinds of prayer: petition, supplication, travail or intercession or groanings, thanksgivings.
Ephesians 6:18 KJV: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
1 Timothy 2:1 KJV: I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
Romans 8:26 NIV: In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.
So prayer releases the power of the Holy Spirit that will bring by creation, overcoming satanic opposition in the air (Eph. 2:2-3) and manipulation of circumstances and moving men, the answers to our prayers.
Now, this power of God as it is released from our hearts in sufficient measure (2 Cor. 12:9) through our mouths, will cause the peace of God to keep our hearts from anxiety because as God’s power passes from our spirits through our souls (will, mind and emotions) to our mouths it gives us the peace and assurance that the answer to the prayer will come.
Philippians 4:6-7 NIV: Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (7) And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
If we are worried or anxious, it is because we have not prayed effectually and fervently enough to release a sufficient amount of the power of God to bring the answer into physical manifestation.
Now, after we have prayed and released the power of God into the ‘air’, we must continue to steer or direct that power released in prayer with our thoughts.
Just like the engine of a car releases the power to move it, but it is the steering wheel that directs the motion of the car in specific directions and ultimately to its final destination; so our thoughts direct the power of God released in prayer in specific directions and ultimately the final destination of the manifestation of the answer to prayer.
Proverbs 23:7 AMP: For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. As one who reckons, he says to you, eat and drink, yet his heart is not with you [but is grudging the cost].
This is why Paul tells us what we should think on after we pray:
Philippians 4:8 KJV: Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
The lesson here is that wrong thoughts, brought by satanic power in the air (Eph. 2:2) against our minds and circumstances (Eph. 2:3) can abort answer to prayer so the scripture says in
2 Corinthians 10:4-5 KJV: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds) (5) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
In fact, Satan can by the pressure of the negative spiritual forces of fear and doubt, cause us to say and think the wrong things and so hijack the power of God for his own destructive purposes (Jn.10.10). This can be likened to a car being hijacked by armed robbers who then force the driver to go in directions and to a destination that was not intended.
Remember Satan is not the creator! He only distorts the use of God’s power for his own selfish and destructive purposes.
We can stop Satan from doing this by using effectual fervent prayer, followed up by the right words, thoughts and actions to release the power of God in sufficient measure that the angels of God can use to overcome Satan and his cohorts from hijacking the power of God released in our prayers (Dan. 10:2, 12-13).
In our article next week, we will see in more detail how to synchronize and synergize the power of God released in prayer with our words, thoughts and actions.
