Sharper Than a Two-Edged Sword Part 3

The Authority Of The Believer.

When a room in your house goes dark, you don't call the electric company and ask them to turn on the lights-you turn them on yourself. Electric companies supply the power, but it's up to you to flip the light switch and put that power to use. Similarly, I believe that the number one reason for unanswered prayer is that people are asking G.o.d to do something that He has given us the power and authority to do for ourselves. Asking G.o.d to do things He told us to do isn't going to bring answers to our prayers. Christians generally don't understand the authority that G.o.d has given them. The average person is approaching G.o.d as if they have no power or authority. I've had hundreds of people come to me with tears in their eyes, present their problem to me, and basically tell me they are powerless to change their situation. Yet believers are anything but powerless. Starting from a position of powerlessness is completely contrary to everything that the Word of G.o.d teaches.

Jesus gave His disciples the power to cast out demons and to heal all manner of sickness (Matthew 10:1). He also gave them the authority to use that power, and He commanded them to use it, saying, And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

Matthew 10:7-8 Jesus said, "Heal the sick." He didn't say pray for the sick. It may seem a subtle difference, but in practice it makes an enormous difference. A large segment of Christians don't even believe that G.o.d heals today because they never see anything happen when they pray. They don't look for supernatural manifestations of G.o.d's power. Even among those who do believe in the miraculous power of G.o.d, a large portion aren't following the model Jesus put forth. Instead, they are starting from a position of powerlessness, saying things like, "Lord, we are nothing. We can do nothing. We're just waiting on You. G.o.d, stretch forth Your hand and heal."They are pleading and begging with G.o.d to release His power, which is completely contrary to Jesus' command.

Jesus gave us power over all sickness, disease, and demons. Then He said, "Now, you heal the sick, cast out devils, cleanse the lepers, and raise the dead." He didn't tell us to pray and ask Him to do it for us. He told us to go out and to do these things. We aren't doing it on our own, because it's G.o.d's power working the miracle, but we are responsible for taking action. The Lord said, I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit:for without me ye can do nothing.

John 15:5 Without Jesus, I am a zero with the rim knocked off. On my own, I can't heal a gnat-but I'm never on my own. The Lord has promised that He will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). After you are born again, G.o.d places His power on the inside of you-power over all sickness and disease, and over every demon. Since we already have G.o.d's power and the authority to use it, we don't have to ask Him to heal the sick or cast out demons for us.

The same power that raised Christ from the dead is now dwelling in us (Ephesians 1:19-20). Whenever you approach G.o.d as if you are powerless to change your situation, you reveal that you don't understand the power that He has given you. You might be asking for the right thing or seeking the right results, but you're going about it in the wrong way. Miracles don't come to pa.s.s that way. The Scripture says, Submit yourselves therefore to G.o.d. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

James 4:7 G.o.d told us to resist the devil and the devil will flee from us. The word "resist" means to actively fight against. It is our responsibility to resist the devil. You can't go to G.o.d and ask Him to get the devil off of your back; you have to fight against the devil yourself.

Sickness and disease are works of the devil (John 10:10), so when we ask G.o.d to heal our sicknesses we are, in effect, asking Him to rebuke the devil for us. But G.o.d told us to resist the devil. If we don't resist the devil, he won't go away. I can beg and plead with G.o.d until I'm blue in the face-I can give Him all the ins-and-outs of how desperate my situation is-but nothing is going to happen until I resist the devil myself.

It's G.o.d's power, but it's our responsibility to put it to use.

A lot of people don't like to hear this because it makes us accountable, and we have become masters at dodging responsibility. We'll find any reason to put the blame on someone or something else: upbringing, ethnicity, lack of education, parents, abuse, or anything else we can think of. We try to cope with our own failures by placing the blame elsewhere. I'm not saying that bad things don't happen to people, but until you take responsibility for your own actions, you'll never be more than a victim. To be a victor, you have to take responsibility. G.o.d has given you the power to change your situation if you will quit being a victim and stand up and resist the devil.

I heard a story about a vision that Kenneth Hagin had. In the vision, Kenneth was standing in front of the Lord, and He was saying some important things to Kenneth. In the midst of their conversation, a demon ran right in front of Kenneth and started making all sorts of noise so that Kenneth was having a hard time hearing what the Lord was saying. As Kenneth strained to hear, he was wondering why the Lord didn't tell the demon to go away. In frustration, Kenneth finally yelled at the little demon to leave in the name of Jesus. At his command, the demon fled. The Lord then told Kenneth that He did not tell the demon to flee because it was Kenneth's responsibility. The Lord said to him, "I have given you the authority, and I can't take it back."

The point of this story is consistent with what is revealed in the Word of G.o.d. The Bible says that when something comes out of the mouth of the Lord, it's a covenant. G.o.d said, My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.

Psalm 89:34 When G.o.d says something, it's binding to Him. People, by contrast, will say anything on a whim and then change their minds later. Even when something is in writing, people hire lawyers to get around agreements they have made. Words might not mean much to people, but G.o.d never violates His word.

The Bible says of Jesus, Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.

Hebrews 1:3 Jesus was a perfect, identical representation of the Father, and He upholds all things by the word of His power. This universe is held together by the power of Jesus' words. If Jesus ever violated the integrity of His word, then things would cease to be held together and the universe would be destroyed. It isn't an option for G.o.d to tell us to do something and then to go back on His word and do it for us.

G.o.d wants you well, but He will not violate His word to heal you. G.o.d told us to resist the devil, and if we don't do it -for whatever reason-He isn't going to do it for us. He gave us raising-from-the-dead power. but we have to believe and resist the devil.

The apostles Peter and John demonstrated this principle when they healed a lame man on their way to the Temple. The man had been lame from birth, and every day he sat by the Temple begging alms from those who were on their way in. As Peter and John approached him that day he asked for alms, And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us. And he gave heed unto them,expecting to receive something of them.

Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.

Acts 3:4-6 Peter took hold of the lame man's hand and stood him up. Immediately, the lame man was healed and went leaping before them, praising G.o.d for the miracle he received. This is an awesome demonstration of the power of G.o.d, but notice that Peter and John never prayed for the man. They didn't ask G.o.d to heal him, and they didn't start from a position of powerlessness by saying that they were nothing and could do nothing. Peter said, "What I have I give to you." He wasn't being arrogant. Jesus told Peter that he had the healing power of G.o.d, and Peter was just putting it to use.

As a whole, the body of Christ isn't using the authority that G.o.d has given us-often, because we don't know what we have. Many in the Church are begging and pleading with G.o.d to move, but they don't believe that G.o.d has already moved. G.o.d has already given us the power and authority to speak to our problems.

Fig trees are unique fruit trees because they produce fruit at the same time that they leaf out. So, when a fig tree is full of green leaves, it should have fruit as well. Scripture records that one day, Jesus saw from a distance a fig tree with leaves and walked to it, wanting to find food. When He got to the tree, it didn't have any fruit. It looked like it had fruit on it, but it didn't. It was emblematic of religious hypocrisy. The tree was professing to possess something that it didn't really have. Seeing this, Jesus cursed the fig tree. The next day, Jesus and His disciples walked by the tree and it was dead. It had dried up from the roots (Mark 11:20).

The moment Jesus spoke to the tree it died, but it took twenty-four hours for what had happened to become visible. This is important to remember when you pray. The effects of prayer are not always immediately evident to our senses, but power always goes forth when we pray in the name of Jesus. If we wait patiently in faith, expecting to see what we pray for, then we will see it come to pa.s.s. As the disciples pa.s.sed by the dried up fig tree, Peter pointed out to Jesus that it had died: And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in G.o.d. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pa.s.s; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

Mark 11:22-24 Three times in this pa.s.sage, the Lord emphasizes the power of words. Jesus didn't touch the fig tree or try to pull it down; He just spoke to it. All that is necessary to release the faith and power that G.o.d has given you is to speak to your problem. Faith and power are released through words. Jesus said, whosoever shall say, and believe the things he says, will have whatsoever he says. Words are powerful. Proverbs says, Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

Proverbs 18:21 The miracle you are waiting for is in your mouth -if you would speak and not doubt. The problem is that most of us say things that we don't believe with our whole heart. We waver, and the Bible says that those who waver don't receive anything from G.o.d (James 1:6-8). Jesus said that when we pray, we have to believe and not doubt in our hearts. We can't waver. We have to speak and believe.

Also notice that Jesus instructed us to speak to the mountain. It's important to recognize that when you have an obstacle in your way or a problem, you need to speak directly to the problem. Most Christians spend ten minutes describing the problem, and the next ten seconds begging G.o.d to make it go away. "O G.o.d," they cry, "please move this mountain." But that is a totally wrong approach. G.o.d didn't tell us to talk to Him about our problems and ask Him to make them go away. He told us to speak to the mountain and cast it into the sea.

For you to speak to your mountain and command it to get out of the way implies that you understand G.o.d has already done His part. He gave you power and authority. Instead of speaking to G.o.d as if you can do nothing, you need to believe that G.o.d has given you (past tense) power and authority. Now, take your authority and resist the situation. You speak and command the mountain to get out of your way. You talk to it! In other words, talk to your problem about G.o.d; don't talk to G.o.d about your problem.

I believe that in the vast majority of churches, though not all, religion doesn't emphasize the authority of the believer because it's a safe way to play it. If you don't have any authority, you don't have to hold yourself accountable. You can go to a person who is dying and throw out a half-hearted prayer, and if nothing happens it isn't your fault. It's easy to live your life that way. People blame G.o.d and say, "It must not have been His will to heal this time." That isn't true. It isn't always as simple as praying for someone and seeing them healed because the person you are praying for needs to be in agreement, but it is always G.o.d's will to heal.

Instead of asking G.o.d to heal, praise Him that He has already provided healing. Don't tell G.o.d about your problem; speak to your problem about G.o.d. Say, "Cancer, in the name of Jesus, I command you to get out of my body."That is exactly what Jesus instructed us to do: speak to our mountain (Mark 11:23).

I once prayed for a woman who had severe pain throughout her body. The pain had been present for seven years, and the date that doctors predicted she would die had pa.s.sed three years before I even met her. She was in terrible shape. I explained to her the source of the believers' authority and the need to speak directly to her problem, and then I prayed with her. She was instantly healed and started praising G.o.d.

After she was healed, I spent another twenty minutes teaching her to not quit believing that G.o.d healed her. Feeling a symptom of illness after you have prayed doesn't mean you weren't healed. It's like the fig tree that dried up from the roots: sometimes it takes a little time to see the healing fully manifest to your senses. Also, the devil is going to probe to see if you really believed when you prayed. He'll come with symptoms, like a knock at your door, to see if you'll open up and let him back in. The devil wants to see if he can get you to back off of believing that G.o.d healed you. One of the ways he does it is by bringing back symptoms or thoughts that remind you of being sick. If you ever have another pain or symptom, just speak to it. Believe that G.o.d has given you power, then resist the pain or sickness and it will flee from you.

When we were done talking, the woman started to leave, but as soon as she touched the doork.n.o.b to open the door, the stinging pain returned. I reminded her that I had just spent twenty minutes teaching her what to do, and I told her that I would agree with her as she prayed.

She said, "I claim my healing, in the name of Jesus. By Your stripes I was healed." She prayed for a little while longer, and she said some good things, but she didn't take her authority and speak directly to the problem.

"Do you still have any stinging?" I asked her.

"Yes," she said.

"Do you know why?" I asked.

"No," she replied.

"It's because you didn't talk to the stinging," I told her. "You talked to G.o.d and confessed your faith in G.o.d, but you didn't take your authority and speak to the problem."

"You mean I'm supposed to say, 'stinging be gone in the name of Jesus'?"

"Exactly," I said.

We joined hands to pray again and she said, "Stinging, in Jesus' name..."

That's as far as she got before the stinging fled her body. It's been eight years or so and she has been totally free of that problem ever since.

Many believers are doing exactly what that woman did: saying good things, but not taking the authority G.o.d has given them and using it. Peter said, "Such as I have," and he commanded the lame man to be well. G.o.d has placed His power and authority on the inside of us, but it is our responsibility to use it. Once you begin to use what G.o.d has given you instead of asking Him to do it for you, you will see a dramatic change in the results you get when you pray.

Additional Resources: 1. The Believer's Authority is a six-part audio teaching available to listen to or download for free at http://www.awmi.net/extra/audio/1045 2. The Believer's Authority book by Andrew Wommack reveals the spiritual significance of your choices, words, and actions and how they affect your ability to stand against the attacks of Satan and receive G.o.ds best. Discover the powerful truths behind true spiritual authority and begin seeing real results. It is available through bookstores or the online store at http://www.awmi.net/store/usa/books/327 3. Don't Limit G.o.d is an empowering five-part audio teaching that reveals how we limit G.o.d in our lives, and what we can do to break free from our self-imposed limitations. It is available to listen to or download for free at http://www.awmi.net/extra/audio/1060 Spiritual Authority is a six-part audio teaching that takes the cover off Satan's deception and shows us the power that G.o.d has committed to us. Watch your faith soar and your situation improve as you receive the truths of your spiritual authority in Christ. It is available to listen to or download for free at Spiritual Authority is a six-part audio teaching that takes the cover off Satan's deception and shows us the power that G.o.d has committed to us. Watch your faith soar and your situation improve as you receive the truths of your spiritual authority in Christ. It is available to listen to or download for free at http://www.awmi.net/extra/audio/1017

Chapter 10.

A Better Way to Pray.

At one of my Gospel Truth Seminars, I asked anyone who believed in the power of prayer to raise their hand. Nearly every hand in the audience went up. Then I asked everyone who sees all of their prayers answered to keep their hands up. Just about every hand went right back down. It demonstrated a common problem among Christians today: very few people are seeing consistent answers to prayer. But the Bible teaches that everyone who seeks, finds and everyone who asks, receives: Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

Matthew 7:7-8 Clearly, there's a problem somewhere-and we know it isn't with G.o.d. I believe that there is a better way for us to pray, a way that leads to finding what we seek and receiving what we ask. It's not the only way to pray, and G.o.d isn't mad at you if you pray differently. I just think there is a more effective way for us to pray that gets better results.

I should add that I have prayed in every way I'm about to advise you not to pray, so I'm not saying that you aren't saved unless you pray like I do now. I have prayed in a lot of "wrong" ways in the past, but I loved G.o.d and I was doing it with a pure heart. Over time, however, I have discovered that the Word of G.o.d teaches a better way to pray. By following it, I'm getting better results than I have ever gotten before.

When Jesus taught on prayer, He spent time identifying the wrong ways to pray. So, before I get into the better way to pray, I want to talk about what prayer is not. One of the first things Jesus taught His disciples about prayer was: And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

Matthew 6:5 The Lord made a startling statement here: He said that hypocrites love to pray. Therefore prayer, in and of itself, is not that valuable. All of the world's religions pray. Some groups bow down on mats multiple times a day in prayer, and then they get up and go kill people in the name of G.o.d. They are devout, yet their life is contrary to everything that the true Word of G.o.d reveals. They are praying, but they aren't in contact with G.o.d. Unfortunately, there are also a lot of religious Christians who pray all of the time, but they aren't connecting with G.o.d. Prayer is no good unless you are connecting with G.o.d. Communication requires interaction, so G.o.d needs to be speaking back to you.

Prayer also needs to be real. I have heard people change their voice when they pray and start speaking Old English. "We beseech Thee," they say, "that Thou mightest, wouldest, couldest do thus and such." I suppose there might be cases where a person has heard prayers like that so many times that they think they have to talk that way in order to communicate with G.o.d, but usually it's just religious hypocrisy. G.o.d doesn't speak Old English. I use the King James Version Bible, but I don't pray in King James language. I don't prophesy to people in King James language.

Changing your voice or personality to talk with G.o.d isn't genuine prayer. G.o.d wants us to talk to Him like He is a real person. We need to drop all of the religious trappings. You don't have to have your hands folded with your eyes closed, and be in a kneeling position to pray. Those things may be appropriate at certain times, but they aren't required.

Prayer is just communication with G.o.d. Even meditation, or what you are thinking, can be prayer to G.o.d. Scripture says, "Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation. Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my G.o.d: for unto thee will I pray" (Psalm 5:1-2). Not all prayer needs to be spoken; it can be the meditation of your heart. When Jesus arrived at the tomb of Lazarus and was about to raise him from the dead, He said, "Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me" (John 11:41), but He hadn't spoken a prayer yet. Apparently, Jesus had prayed in His heart. He was in constant communication with G.o.d, not just when He spoke.

Imagine going to your pastor for advice and upon arriving at his or her office, you immediately launch into a monologue that lasts for an hour. You never give the pastor the opportunity to give you any input whatsoever, and when the hour is finished you say, "Thank you," and walk out of the office. That wouldn't be very smart. The whole point of going to someone for advice is to hear what they have to say.

I had a very close friend who was a pastor, and we used to pray together. I remember he was telling me a story one time about how G.o.d had recently spoken to him while he was in the shower. My friend stopped in the middle of the story and said to me, "I wonder why G.o.d always talks to me in when I'm in the shower or out running? I pray for hours every day, and G.o.d never speaks to me when I'm praying. It's always when I'm in the shower or something that I get these revelations from G.o.d."

As soon as he asked the question, I thought to myself, I know exactly why G.o.d doesn't talk to you when you pray.

My friend's mouth was like a rapid-fire machine gun when he prayed. He'd start praying, Bam, Bam, Bam, and hardly stop to take a breath.

He wasn't getting revelation when he prayed because he never gave G.o.d an opportunity to say anything. The Lord couldn't get a word in edgewise. Prayer isn't effective if you don't let G.o.d speak.

Aside from talking too much, we tend to compartmentalize prayer into a separate time of our day. A man once came to my office and asked me how much I prayed. As I was considering the question and trying to quantify how much I prayed every day, the Lord spoke to me. My wife and I had spent the entire previous day together. We weren't talking the whole time, but we were together doing different things. We ate together, drove in the car together, and had a great day.

The Lord asked me, "How much time did you spend with Jamie yesterday?"

The whole day, I thought.

Then the Lord said, "I'm available twenty-four hours a day. Why reduce the time that you communicate with me down to thirty minutes or an hour?"

Jamie and I would have a sorry relations.h.i.+p if I ignored her when we were together eating dinner, driving in the car, and being in the same room without ever acknowledging that she was there. G.o.d is with us all the time. We can spend the entire day in the presence of the Lord. Instead of only setting aside certain times for prayer, we can be in communion with G.o.d constantly.

I have developed a lifestyle of keeping my mind focused on the Lord regardless of what I'm doing. Even when I'm busy making television programs, I'm still listening to the Lord. G.o.d speaks to me and reminds me of things and I'm constantly in communion with Him-that's what prayer is. Jesus said, But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

Matthew 6:6 Prayer is not supposed to be something we do for acclaim from other people. Someone who is trying to compare the amount of time he or she spends in prayer with the time that other people spend in prayer is praying for the wrong reasons. Merely spending time in prayer doesn't earn you extra favor with G.o.d. The motivation for prayer should be that we desire to have relations.h.i.+p and communion with G.o.d. Besides, Jesus made it very clear that length of time isn't what makes prayer good: But when ye pray, use not vain repet.i.tions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

Matthew 6:7 Some of the best prayers that you can utter are short ones, like "Help!"'That's a great prayer. Jesus saw great miracles happen when He prayed, but He prayed short and to the point. "Peace, be still," calmed a raging storm. "Lazarus, come forth," was enough to raise the dead. Many times when we pray long extended prayers it's only because we're trying to psyche ourselves into believing. Short prayers actually take great faith. Jesus said that we are not going to be heard based on how long we pray because the quality of a prayer is much more important than its quant.i.ty.

The disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, and He taught them a model that has become known as "The Lord's Prayer" (Matthew 6:9-13). It starts off by praising G.o.d, which is consistent with what is written in the Psalms where it says, "Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name" (Psalm 100:4). It also ends with praise, and in the middle is a request to "give us this day our daily bread." It's a great model for prayer, but it was never intended to be recited the way it is by so many Christians today. There may be some benefit to reciting it, but that's missing the point. Jesus only offered it as a way to pray. It shows you that you enter into His gates with thanksgiving, slip in your prayer request, and then finish by praising G.o.d.

Rote memorization and recitation of prayers is vain repet.i.tion. If you look at some of the groups who pray multiple times a day at specific times, they are just going through a ritual and chanting a mantra. There is no communion with G.o.d. I'm saying this with love, but merely praying the rosary and reciting a canned "Our Father" style prayer is a form of vain repet.i.tion. Jesus said the heathen pray like that, but we shouldn't. G.o.d wants relations.h.i.+p with us. We shouldn't make prayer so structured that we don't have any true communion with Him.

I also need to point out that there is a huge difference between the way people prayed under the Old Covenant, and the way that we pray under the New Covenant. For instance, after David was caught in adultery and the murder of Bathsheba's husband was brought to light, David prayed: Create in me a clean heart, O G.o.d; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.

Psalm 51:10-11 It was appropriate for David to pray those words because he wasn't born again, but under the New Covenant it is wrong for us to ask G.o.d to create in us a clean heart or renew our spirit. G.o.d gave you a clean heart when you were born again, and you can't ever lose that clean heart. Your body and your mind may be defiled, but your born-again spirit is sealed by the Holy Spirit and it always retains relations.h.i.+p with G.o.d (Ephesians 1:13).

The prayers being spoken today are often completely contrary to the Word of G.o.d. People are beginning church services by saying, "O G.o.d, please be with us as we meet today," when G.o.d has promised that He will never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). Prayers like that demonstrate a lack of understanding of what really happened to us when we were born again. We became entirely new creatures: old things pa.s.sed away, all things became new, and we were made the righteousness of G.o.d in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17). We don't need to approach G.o.d through a mediator as they did in the Old Covenant, and we don't need to ask G.o.d to make us worthy. Jesus made us worthy.

Another wrong concept of prayer being promoted today at "spiritual warfare" conferences is the idea that you have to get your prayers past demonic opposition in the heavens for G.o.d to receive them. The whole notion that you have to create a hole in the heavens so your prayers can reach G.o.d is completely wrong. Every born-again believer is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). G.o.d lives in you, so you don't need your prayer to get above your nose. It is true that we have an enemy, but the devil can't stop you from communicating with G.o.d.

Like I said, at one time or another, I have done everything that I have just taught here is wrong. When I was first really turned on to the Lord, I wanted to spend more time focused on G.o.d in prayer, so I came up with a routine. I would pray from seven to nine every morning. I would stop whatever I was doing and pray for an hour or two. I did it as a discipline to focus on G.o.d, and there was probably some benefit to it, but after a while I started to dread that time. I would pray for about five minutes and think half an hour had gone by. I just didn't know how to pray. I wasn't connecting with G.o.d. I was talking a lot, but I'm not sure that I was listening. It was just a monologue, and it became ritualistic.

One morning as it was getting close to seven o'clock, I said to the Lord, "G.o.d, I hate to admit this, but you know my heart anyway: I dread this prayer time. I start dreading it at 6:45," I said.

"Andrew," the Lord said to me, "don't feel bad. I start dreading it at 6."

I thought, If G.o.d isn't enjoying it, and I'm not enjoying it, then why am I doing it? I realized it was just a religious exercise. It was something I was doing to make myself feel holy, but I wasn't connecting with G.o.d.

The purpose of prayer is simply relations.h.i.+p with G.o.d-it is fellows.h.i.+p and communion with Him. There are times when we have to use the authority G.o.d has given us and command sickness or obstacles to flee, but mostly prayer is about building relations.h.i.+p with G.o.d. It is an opportunity for us to spend time with our Heavenly Father, and to be further transformed into His image.

G.o.d is always present, and the blood of Jesus has made it possible for us to enter into the Holy of Holies (Hebrews 10:19). The veil has been torn in two, and the obstacles that separated mankind from G.o.d under the Old Covenant have been removed. Now, we can enter boldly into the throne room of G.o.d and soak in His presence.

Additional Resources: 1. A Better Way to Pray is a five-part audio teaching available to listen to or download for free at http://www.awmi.net/extra/audio/1042 2. A Better Way to Pray book by Andrew Wommack addresses a better way to pray if you're not getting the results you desire. It is available through bookstores or the online store at http://www.awmi.net/store/usa/books/321 3. How to Become a Water Walker: Lessons in Faith is a five-part audio teaching available to listen to or download for free at http://www.awmi.net/extra/audio/1037 4. How to Find G.o.d's Will is a five-part audio teaching available to listen to or download for free at http://www.awmi.net/extra/audio/1066 5. How to Follow G.o.d's Will is a five-part audio teaching available to listen to or download for free at http://www.awmi.net/extra/audio/1067 6. How to Fulfill G.o.d's Will is a five-part audio teaching available to listen to or download for free at http://www.awmi.net/extra/audio/1068 Hebrews Highlights is a five-part audio teaching that teaches the difference in our approach to prayer under the New Covenant versus the Old Covenant. Most believers haven't understood the difference; they still mix the old with the new, and it's the reason they aren't victorious. Hebrews was written to address this issue. This teaching is available to listen to or download for free at http://www.awmi.net/extra/audio/1061

Chapter 11.

The Effects Of Praise.

You can check a person's spiritual pulse by examining how thankful they are. The amount of time you spend praising G.o.d is the greatest single indicator of where you are in your relations.h.i.+p with the Lord. Anyone who isn't praising G.o.d and operating in thanksgiving-regardless of what is going on in their life-doesn't really understand what G.o.d has done for them. Most people are content to praise G.o.d when things are going well, but their praise stops when the stress of life starts pressing in. Yet times of conflict are when we should be praising G.o.d the most. Praise builds your faith, runs off the devil, and ministers to G.o.d.

Praise shouldn't be the caboose that follows along the circ.u.mstances in your life. It should be the engine driving your life. Praise will take you places.

It will change your circ.u.mstances. Scripture says, As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

Colossians 2:6-7 Notice that we abound in faith through thanksgiving. Praise is a high form of faith. During difficult trials, abounding in faith includes praising G.o.d as you wait for the manifestation of His power to bring you through. Praise causes faith to thrive, and numerous scriptures say we should give thanks in every situation. For instance, I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

Psalm 34:1 This verse doesn't say praise G.o.d when you feel like it, or when things are going great. It says to praise at all times. The Word tells us to praise G.o.d because it makes us focus on what G.o.d says rather than on our problems. If the doctor tells you that you are terminally ill, remember that the Word says to give thanks in all circ.u.mstances. Start praising G.o.d, and it will redirect your attention to G.o.d's will for you and build your faith to receive a miracle.

Your life is going in the direction of your dominant thoughts (Proverbs 23:7). Whatever you think about and focus your attention on determines the course of your life. Thoughts that focus on the circ.u.mstances around you only lead to discouragement. Focusing on your circ.u.mstances is only going to hinder faith. Praise, on the other hand, will establish you in faith. It will draw on G.o.d's power and allow you to receive the provision that Jesus purchased for you on the cross.

Praising G.o.d doesn't mean you say, "Thank You, Father, that I've only got six months to live. Praise You that I'm going to die." It means you look beyond your problem to the promises in G.o.d's Word and say, "Thank You, Father, that even though the doctor says I'm sick, Your Word says 'I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD' (Ps. 118:17). Your Word says that You wish above all things that I prosper and be in health even as my soul prospers (3 John 2). By Your stripes I was healed (1 Peter 2:24)." As you praise G.o.d and focus on His Word, it will turn your attention to the promise instead of the problem. Focusing on the Word builds your faith because faith comes by hearing (Romans 10:17).

Faith is the a.s.surance of what you are hoping for, and the conviction that it has happened-even if you can't feel it or see it (Hebrews 11:1). Think about that for a moment. How would you respond if you were believing G.o.d for one million dollars, and I walked up to you and handed you a check for that amount? If you knew my check was good, and believed it was the answer to your prayer, you would celebrate. One person might jump and shout. Someone else might begin to cry. Another would fall to their knees and lift their hands to Jesus. It would differ from person to person, but there would be some response of praise. In the same way, faith isn't complete until it is mixed with praise.

If you aren't praising G.o.d-even before you see the physical manifestation of what you are believing for-then your faith isn't complete. You haven't yet abounded in faith. I really can't overemphasize how important praise is to faith.

I've had bad circ.u.mstances pop up in my life, and I have praised my way through them. During difficult times, I focus on G.o.d and think, What's the worst thing that could happen? The worst thing would be that I die-but if I die, I get to go be with the Lord. I start thinking about how, in heaven, there is no more sorrow and no more pain. I won't have any problems in heaven. As you think about the promises of G.o.d, it shrinks the problem you're facing down to a manageable size. It takes huge issues that look like mountains, and reduces them into tiny little anthills you can step right over. Suddenly, you'll realize the problem you are facing is no big deal.

Praise powerfully affects the believer, but it is also a weapon against the devil. When Jesus entered into Jerusalem upon a donkey in the days before He was crucified, people lined the way and laid palm branches on the path before Him, shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David." The crowds followed Jesus all the way to the Temple and continued to praise Him. When the chief priests and the scribes heard the things that were being said, they asked Him, "Do you hear what they are saying?" Jesus answered them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?