The Believer's Authority Part 6

THE TRUTH.

You may be tempted to be offended right now, feeling like I'm saying that G.o.d is limited in power. No, I'm saying that G.o.d has limited Himself by His own Word. He told us to preach the Gospel. He said that people are born again by the incorruptible seed of G.o.d's Word. If we don't follow His instructions, then we can't expect the proper results.

Perhaps you choose to say, "G.o.d, I'm not going to talk to them. I don't want to get out there and risk suffering any embarra.s.sment, shame, or persecution that might come by me speaking the Word. I'm just going to pray in my closet and believe that You're going to do a miracle." If this is you, then you're just spitting in the wind. It isn't going to work because that's not how the kingdom operates.

I'm speaking this truth in love. If we ask G.o.d to save someone, but we don't do what He commanded us to do-which is preach the Gospel and be a witness-then it isn't going to happen. People must be born again through the Word of G.o.d. Prayer doesn't cause people to be born again. Prayer may help once you've already shared the Gospel, but it's not a subst.i.tute for doing what G.o.d has told us to do. People don't get born again just through prayer; they get born again through hearing the truth.

Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. JOHN 8:32 The devil has deceived people into just praying and asking G.o.d to do what He has commanded us to do. He's commanded us to preach the Gospel. Cornelius had an angel appear to him in response to his prayers, but the angel didn't preach the Gospel to him. Instead, he told him to send men to Joppa to bring Peter back to tell them how to be born again. Angels don't have the authority to preach the Gospel. G.o.d didn't commit that to them. It's our responsibility.

G.o.d LOVES PEOPLE.

I pray. I spend a lot of time just fellows.h.i.+pping and communing with the Lord. The vast majority of my prayer life is wors.h.i.+ping G.o.d, thanking the Lord, and asking Him for wisdom and instruction. As far as my ministry to others, I ask G.o.d to help me speak His Word with clarity and boldness. I pray that He would give me revelation knowledge, and better ways of communicating it to others.

However, I don't spend any time asking G.o.d to "move" and save people. I don't pray, "Oh, Lord. Please touch their hearts and cause them to be born again." That's because I know that G.o.d loves them more than I do. I'm convinced that He wants to touch their lives and see them born again. I don't plead with Him, saying, "Please love these people and move in their lives." Since G.o.d is love, He's led me to do everything I can- including broadcasting daily programs on television and radio around the world, giving away lots of free materials at my Web site, translating my books into multiple languages, and starting new branches of Chads Bible College all the time-to share the truth of G.o.d's Word with as many people as possible. The Lord knows that as people receive the truth into their heart, it will make them free.

Since I know that G.o.d already loves people and wants to minister to them, I don't spend any time pleading with Him to love, touch, and move in these people's lives. I'm aware that what I am sharing is very different from the way many folks pray. Yet, most people aren't getting very good results from their prayer life. If that's you, maybe you ought to try something different. What I'm telling you about works.

In my teaching A Better Way to Pray, I cover this topic of prayer much more comprehensively. If you'd like the results of your prayer life to improve, I strongly encourage you to check it out.

POLITICS AND PRAYER.

When I first started in the ministry, I used to plead with G.o.d for an outpouring of His Spirit. I started all night prayer meetings where we just cried, wailed, and travailed, begging G.o.d to send revival. I had divided the city where I lived-Arlington, Texas-up into sections, and was praying over each one of them, saying, "Oh G.o.d, please touch these people. Oh Lord, we've got to have a move!" I gave Him all of the statistics in order to impress on Him how important this was, telling Him, "You've got to do something!" I was trying to manipulate, motivate, and twist G.o.d's arm.

Finally, as I beat my fist against the wall for emphasis, these words came flying out of my mouth: "G.o.d, if You loved the people of Arlington, Texas, half as much as I do, we'd have revival!" As soon as those words left my mouth, I immediately thought, Something is wrong with this prayer. Here I am presenting to G.o.d that I love these people and want to see them ministered to more than He does. My lightning fast mind figured out that I was making some serious mistakes.

The truth is, much of the church is still doing this. They're begging, "Oh G.o.d, send revival. Oh Lord, if You wanted to, You could pour out Your Spirit on our country and things would change." That's not true. G.o.d moves on this earth through His people. (Eph. 3:20.) He moves as we preach, teach, and act on His Word. He moves through us as we obey the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Satan is the one behind some of these "movements" in the body of Christ today that are getting us into doing everything except preaching the Gospel.

Although it's important for Christians to exercise their civic duty and vote, it's a deception of the devil to put all of our faith, energy, effort, and hope into the political process. Political action has its place in a believer's life, but it's not the primary avenue through which the church should influence a nation. The political process is not the strength of the church-the Gospel is.

The founding fathers of the United States-many of whom were active Christians-said that democracy is totally unsuited for anyone but a moral people. John Adams (our first vicepresident and second president) said that if we ever cease to be moral, democracy will destroy this nation. That's literally what we see happening today.

We're legalizing immorality, changing the Const.i.tution, and ignoring the clear intent of our founding fathers.

THE STRENGTH OF THE CHURCH.

The real strength of the church is in preaching the Gospel. As G.o.d's Word changes the hearts of men and women, the political arena will reflect it. The reason so many laws promoting immorality are being proposed right now is the church hasn't been doing its job. We haven't been preaching the truth. We've lost the hearts of people, and those hearts are now using the political process to pa.s.s laws favoring their preferences toward sin. The church would do much more to change our nation by preaching the Gospel and teaching G.o.d's Word than by immersing ourselves completely into the political process or by locking ourselves in the prayer closet for hours on end begging and pleading with G.o.d for revival.

The Lord told us to go out and preach the Gospel. As people receive the truth into their hearts, the truth will set them free. That's where our strength lies. G.o.d told us to influence our nation by ministering His Word because the number one power of the church is the proclamation and demonstration of the Gospel. (Rom. 1:16.) Instead of boldly sharing G.o.d's truth, many Christians have retreated to their prayer closets. They're afraid to say anything in front of people lest somebody deem them "politically incorrect." So they run to the prayer closet, begging G.o.d for revival and pleading with Him to do what He's told us to do.

It pleased G.o.d by the foolishness of preaching [the Gospel] to save them that believe.

1 CORINTHIANS 1:21.

You can't be born again without hearing the Word of G.o.d. As believers today, let's properly emphasize His Word. Let's boldly share the truth with everyone we can. Let's not use politics or ineffective "prayer" to s.h.i.+rk our responsibility to preach the Gospel, but let's be faithful, consistent, and powerful witnesses of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Chapter 13.

How To Pray For The Lost I'd like to share with you some biblical ways to effectively pray for a lost person. This kind of prayer is like water. Once the seed of G.o.d's Word is planted, it must be watered. Prayer isn't a subst.i.tute for planting a seed. You can water barren ground all you like, but it won't produce a harvest. You must plant the seed of G.o.d's Word for people to be born again. However, these are some good ways to pray and water the seed that's been planted.

As you start praying for a lost person, you need to recognize that G.o.d loves them infinitely more than you do.

G.o.d so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

JOHN 3:16.

The Lord doesn't want any lost person to perish, but to repent, turn to Him, and enjoy everlasting life.

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

2 PETER 3:9.

In light of these truths, you could start praying for a lost individual by thanking G.o.d, saying, "Father, I thank You that You love this person so much that You gave Your only begotten Son for them. It's not Your will for them to perish, but to come to repentance and turn to You. I thank You, Lord, that You've already provided for their salvation."

[Jesus] is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

1 JOHN 2:2.

G.o.d not only loves the whole world, but He's already died for the sins of the whole world. He's already paid for them. A person who goes to h.e.l.l is going there with their sins paid for. The reason they go to h.e.l.l is that they reject the payment- they refuse to believe and receive the Lord Jesus Christ.

LABORERS ACROSS THEIR PATH.

You can continue praying, "Father, I thank You that You've already made provision. Jesus, You were the atoning sacrifice for everyone's sins-not only those who believe, but also those who are lost. So, Father, I thank You that You want them to be saved and You've already provided for their salvation." Then you can take your authority and start speaking things that need to happen. Since G.o.d has to flow through a person, you can pray according to Romans 10:17 and say, "Father, Your Word says that faith comes by hearing Your Word. So I'm praying that Your Word will come across their path."

Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

MATTHEW 9:38.

Then pray, "I ask that You would send forth laborers across their path. I believe that right now someone is coming to them to share Your Word. If they're in a bar, let a preacher walk in and give them the Gospel. If they're at home watching television, I pray that they would come across the Word being presented in a program. If they're driving their car, let them turn the radio on to someone sharing the good news. Father, I ask You to send laborers across their path at their job. May a coworker sit down next to them and start telling them how much You love them and how they can be born again."

REMEMBER THE WORD.

Pray that the Word they've already heard will come back to their remembrance.

But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

JOHN 14:26.

Say, "Father, I pray that the Word they heard when they were a kid in Sunday school would come back to them." Somehow, they must receive the incorruptible seed of the Word.

Then, offer yourself as a vessel. It's very ineffective to pray, "Oh G.o.d, send laborers across their path," if you're not willing to be one. If you have an opportunity to tell them the truth, take it. I recognize that in certain instances and for whatever reason that person may have just totally cut you off. Maybe there are certain things that this person won't let you talk to them about. However, if you can speak to them, then do so.

If I was praying for G.o.d to bring the Word to someone and then, as I was praying, the Lord said, "You go talk to them," I would stop my prayer right there and go talk to that person. Maybe Id have to call them on the phone, but somehow I would act on G.o.d's leading right then. I wouldn't pray about it anymore until I had done as He instructed me to do.

STAND AGAINST THE DEVIL.

Also, you can take your authority and stand against the devil.

In whom the G.o.d of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of G.o.d, should s.h.i.+ne unto them.

2 CORINTHIANS 4:4.

This verse reveals that a demonic power operates in people who don't believe, blinding them to the truth so that the light of the Gospel won't s.h.i.+ne unto them. G.o.d needs someone in a physical body to take their authority and release His power, saying, "I command this demonic blindness and hardened heart to be gone in Jesus' name."

Now, I need to clarify something here. Because you are praying for another person who has their own free will, you may need to pray these things for them again and again. This isn't praying in unbelief because they may be negating your prayer by exercising their own free will. Let's say you pray for this person, breaking the blindness and hardness of heart.

G.o.d opens up their heart, and all of a sudden this deception is gone and the Word is coming to them. They're remembering scriptures and people are coming across their path. Still, if that person isn't ready to repent and receive, they'll reject this conviction and drawing of the Holy Spirit. Their own free will has more power and authority over them than you do. So even though you've prayed for them and you know it's working, they have the right to reject Christ. If they do, then you have to pray that prayer again. It's not that you prayed one of those prayers in unbelief. You believe that your prayer was answered, and it was, but the person just hasn't responded yet.

Pray in faith again, releasing your faith for G.o.d to minister to them and break that blindness so they can see Christ. Hopefully, as they are hit with the Gospel a number of times, it will eventually penetrate and begin to soak in. The reason you have to pray this kind of prayer over and over again is due to the fact that the other person is constantly voiding your prayer by hardening their heart.

REMIT THEIR SINS.

Another way you can pray for this person is to remit their sins.

Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.

JOHN 20:23.

Contrary to what some people have taught, this doesn't mean you can forgive someone of their sins. You don't have the power to forgive sins. However, you can remit them.

When someone with cancer is symptom free, they'll say they are in remission. Remission doesn't mean that the cancer is gone, just that there are no visible or physical signs of it. So when the Word says that you can remit sins, it means you can deal with the effects sin causes in that person.

In praying for a lost person, you can break off the demonic blindness and hardness of heart. You can pray that laborers would bring G.o.d's Word across their path and that it would come back to their remembrance. You can also remit their sins. All of these are biblical and effective ways to pray. Even though they may choose to resist and reject the drawing of the Holy Spirit, you can be confident that through your prayers G.o.d is continuing to work in their life.

Chapter 14.

How Does Revival Come?

When revival is experienced people are completely in love with G.o.d. There's a freshness, a vitality, and an excitement about their relations.h.i.+p with the Lord Jesus Christ. In revival, the miraculous power of G.o.d is in manifestation-people are being healed, delivered, saved, and baptized in the Holy Spirit. Churches are full and growing, and folks from all walks of life are turning back to G.o.d.

Although I agree that we need revival, it's not going to come the way most people are presently pursuing it. Most people teach that to get revival, we must plead with G.o.d, bombard heaven, and grab hold of the horns of the altar, shaking it until G.o.d comes out. They tell us that we have to "make" G.o.d pour out revival. That's simply not true.

NOT A NEW TESTAMENT PRAYER.

G.o.d is much more motivated to send revival than you are to receive it. He longs to see this nation (and the rest of the world) revived and wholeheartedly following Him. He desires to see us yielding to the Holy Spirit and applying G.o.dly principles from the Word to our lives. The Lord wants us living in revival much more than we do.

You aren't going to somehow or another get G.o.d up to speed with you. That's not what it's about. Yet, so much of what is currently being said concerning prayer for revival is all about us begging G.o.d to pour out this and pleading with Him to send that. It's actually these "intercessors" that are praying for revival who are getting a tremendous amount of the credit.

From their perspective, if they weren't "standing in the gap," G.o.d would just fold His arms and let the whole world go to h.e.l.l. They don't believe He cares. They think they're causing Him to "repent" by praying, "Oh G.o.d, repent. Turn back to us."

Please don't misunderstand. I used to think that way too. For several years, I begged and pleaded with G.o.d for revival with all my heart. I'm not saying that the people who do this are all wrong. Many of them see our genuine need for revival, and they long to see G.o.d's power manifest. They're just trying to receive it based on the faulty model they've been given.

Most of these people a.s.sume that G.o.d is so ticked off at us that He's holding back His Holy Spirit. Since mankind (or the church, as it may apply) has moved so far away from what G.o.d wants us to do, they perceive Him as having turned His back on us. It's like His arms are folded and He's saying, "I've given you over. Forget you!" They picture G.o.d with this att.i.tude, and so they beg Him, "Please, pour out Your Spirit on us. Let Your Holy Spirit fall on us again!" And the intercessors jump in there, praying, "Oh G.o.d, have mercy on us. Oh, Lord, don't impute our many sins unto us. We're asking You for mercy-mercy!" They're begging G.o.d to turn back to the church and pleading with Him to have mercy on the human race. This is not a New Testament prayer!

MOSES.

The first few verses of 1 Timothy 2 talk about praying for kings, and all those in authority. Then, in verse 5, the Word says: There is one G.o.d, and one mediator between G.o.d and men, the man Christ Jesus.

There is now only one mediator-the Lord Jesus Christ.

A mediator is someone who stands between two parties that are at odds with each other, seeking to reconcile them. In the Old Testament, there was a gap between G.o.d and man. Sin had separated us, so mediators-like Moses-were needed. Galatians 3:19 says that the Old Testament law was...

Ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator [Moses].

Moses stood between an angry G.o.d and a sinful people. In Exodus 32:12, he prayed: Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil [You have threatened to do] against thy people.

That's a strong statement. G.o.d was told to repent by one of His creations. It's hard to comprehend, but that's exactly what Moses said. "Repent, O G.o.d, and turn from Your fierce wrath!" What's even more amazing is, "The LORD repented" (v. 14).

"IT IS FINISHED"

Moses stood as a mediator between an angry G.o.d and a sinful people. This worked under the Old Covenant because G.o.d was angry. Sin had separated mankind from Him, and there was a judgment to be paid. Therefore, it was appropriate for Moses to mediate. However, now that we're in the New Covenant, Jesus has become our Mediator. (Heb. 7.) There is one G.o.d, and one mediator between G.o.d and men, the man Christ Jesus.

1 TIMOTHY 2:5 2:5.

Jesus forever stood in between a holy G.o.d and an unholy people. He paid for our sins on the cross and took upon Himself all the wrath and punishment due us from G.o.d. This isn't only temporary until the next time you sin, it's forever. He paid for all sin for all time-past, present, and even future tense sin. (Heb. 10:10-14.) Christ has forever reconciled G.o.d and man and has brought the two into an eternal union and harmony. (2 Cor. 5.T8-19.) Whosoever will may receive this gift of G.o.d. When Jesus said on the cross, "It is finished," He was speaking of G.o.d's wrath against sin and sinners. (John 19:30.) So, if Moses were to stand up today and pray, "Repent, O G.o.d, and turn from Your fierce wrath," that would be antiChrist. It would be standing against and trying to take the place of what Christ has done. Moses' ministry of mediation was appropriate in the Old Testament because Jesus hadn't yet come. But now that He has come, for us to pray, "Repent, O G.o.d. Don't pour out Your wrath on this city, nation, or people. Have mercy on us," is anti-Christ. You are trying to take the place of Christ and accomplish what He's already done.

The way that much of the church has been praying and pleading with G.o.d is literally against what Jesus Christ came to do. It's anti-Christ. A lack of understanding of the New Testament has caused many people to pray for revival the way that they do. Revival doesn't come by begging G.o.d. It comes by recognizing that G.o.d loves people more than we do and understanding that He wants us revived much more than even we do. We need to stop begging G.o.d to pour out His Spirit while pa.s.sively waiting on a lightning bolt from heaven.

Instead, we need to praise the Lord that He wants these results even more than we do. We need to believe G.o.d's Word and release our authority by going out and preaching the Gospel.

ALL THE REVIVAL YOU CAN HANDLE.

If you go out and raise someone from the dead, you'll have all the revival you can handle. But Andrew, you cant raise a person from the dead unless you already have revival! I disagree. G.o.d isn't holding back the flow of His Spirit, we are. It's the body of Christ who are clogging up the pipes and keeping G.o.d from flowing. What you need to do is work on your pipe.

You need to work on yourself, saying, "Father, please forgive me for my unbelief. Forgive me for not doing what Your Word says. You said that we're supposed to go and heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, and raise the dead. I've been asking You to pour out Your Spirit and do these things without me. I've been pleading with You to move sovereignly. Please forgive me for that." Then get up, take the Word, and start meditating on it. Once you see on the inside-with the eyes of your heart -blind eyes and deaf ears opened, demons cast out, and the dead raised, then you'll start seeing it manifest in the physical realm too. You'll have revival.

If you start seeing the sick regularly healed, they'll begin breaking holes in the roof to get to you. (Mark 2:4.) If your shadow healed the sick it touched (Acts 5:15-16), there would be so many people crowding around that you'd have all the revival you can handle.

I'm a revivalist. I am seeing people revived-blind eyes and deaf ears opened, terminal diseases healed, demons cast out, the dead raised, and people born again and baptized in the Holy Spirit. All around the world, I'm seeing millions of people's lives being changed. But I'm not asking G.o.d to do it. I'm praying, "Lord, I know You desire revival. Please help me to be the vessel of Your love and power that I need to be." I yield myself to Him, praying and fellows.h.i.+pping with Him, allowing Him to transform me by His Word and His presence. Then I go out and speak the Word of G.o.d. I command healings and miracles to manifest, and I'm seeing revival. People are being revived.

I receive emails daily from Asia, Africa, and Europe testifying how different people have been revived. They're changed by G.o.d's Word and the power of the Holy Spirit. It's not because I'm begging G.o.d in some prayer closet. He's not up in heaven with His arms folded, saying, "Beg a little harder. Get another hundred thousand people to pray. And unless you all fast twice a week, I won't do it!" No, it's not like that. G.o.d is in heaven with His arms out, trying to release His power, saying, "Is there anyone who will believe Me? Is there anyone who will stand up and start speaking, living, and demonstrating My Word?" If you will do that, you'll have all the revival you can handle.

You'll see people's lives begin to change.

DIANA OF THE EPHESIANS.

The way many people are praying, it seems like we have no influence, no authority, and no power to make G.o.d's kingdom come to pa.s.s here on this earth. We just approach Him like a beggar, "Oh G.o.d, please move. Please have mercy. And please touch us." That isn't accomplis.h.i.+ng anything good. It's just making us bitter and angry wondering "Why hasn't G.o.d moved? How come He hasn't poured out His Spirit? Why is G.o.d allowing this to go on? Why did He let this person die without first being saved?" G.o.d isn't letting this happen. He isn't the One allowing our country to go to h.e.l.l in a hand basket. G.o.d didn't make America basically a "post-Christian" nation. It's not G.o.d who hasn't poured out His Spirit. The problem is His people who have been begging Him to do what He told us to do. We haven't taken Him at His Word. We haven't been operating in our authority. We've s.h.i.+rked our responsibility by trying to throw it all back on G.o.d. This isn't the model we see in the New Testament.