A Nugget from New Life Network
(by Chris Musgrove of Future Now)
Scripture for the Day (September 22, 2016)
The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. (James 5:16)
John 16:23-24 says, “In that day you will not [need to] ask Me about anything. I assure you and most solemnly say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name [as My representative], He will give you. Until now you have not asked [the Father] for anything in My name; but now ask and keep on asking and you will receive, so that your joy may be full and complete.”
“In that day”, is referring to where we are now. Under the New Covenant, Jesus has redeemed us from the curse and given us the keys to the kingdom and is seated at the right hand of God the Father and is making intercession for us. Even more exciting is we are seated with Him. Ephesians 2:6 says, “And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:”
Do we as the Body of Christ, seated with Christ, and using the name of Jesus have authority in prayer? John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Church, said, “It seems that God is limited by our prayer life. He can do nothing for humanity unless someone asks Him to do it.” James 4:2 says, “You do not have because you do not ask.”
Prayer is a legal matter that allows God to act in the affairs of man. God’s Word is a legal document that is a covenant (testament) that God made with man. It was ratified by the precious blood of Jesus. Hebrews 9:15-17 says, “And for this reason He is the Mediator of the New Covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. For where there is a testament, theremust also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is in force after men are dead, since it has no power at all while the testator lives.”
A human (Adam) lost control of the earth to Satan, and a human (Jesus, who became flesh and dwelled among us) had to get it back. I John 3:8 says, “He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.”
In Matthew 16:19 Jesus said, “And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
Luke 10:19 says, “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”
Eight times in the New Testament Jesus said, “I know what you need before you ask”. God knows what we need before we ask, but He still needs us to ask (pray) and to ask according to His Word (last will and testament).
John 15:7 says, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.”
I John 5:14-15 says, “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.”
I think the scripture is pretty clear. It’s time to pray and use the authority that we have been given.
