A Solid Foundation (part 7)

Understanding Your Authority in Prayer

3.20.2022

I’ve been addressing what we need to do to prepare for life in a changing world.

It seems as though we are entering into the last years prior to Jesus’ return.

Ephesians 1:10 (PHILLIPS)

For God had allowed us to know the secret of His plan, and it is this: He purposes in His sovereign will that all human history shall be consummated in Christ, that everything that exists in Heaven or earth shall find its perfection and fulfilment in Him.

They will be different than what we have experienced in the past.

To get ready, we must prepare our hearts.

We do life from the inside out.

2 Corinthians 4:16 (NKJV)

Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.

Planning is an important part of your future – financially, in your marriage, with your children, and with your interior life.

God’s Word must be our foundation for living if we are going to navigate these next few years well.

Matthew 24:35 (NKJV)

Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.

Psalms 119:89 (NKJV)

Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven.

Psalms 119:105 (NKJV)

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

Two weeks ago I talked about how our nation has left the foundation of God’s Word as a foundation upon which we build relationships, morals, business, and family.

What happened to Israel in Hosea 4:1-6 is what is happening now in America. We are in a downward spiral of judgment.

God will use you to help people who are trapped in all kinds of problems because of their sins.

Today: Prayer continued

Last week I took a diversion and addressed the importance of prayer during this season of life.

Most people think that everything that happens is God’s will.

And they mainly get this from Romans 8:28.

Romans 8:28 (NLT)

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

So many believers do not see the urgency of praying seriously about all of life because they think it’s all going to work out the way God wants it to anyway.

But that is not the way it really is.

Most people think – good or bad – whatever comes is allowed by God, and we just need to suck it up and endure.

1. Romans 8:28 is taken out of context unless it is seen right along with the previous verses.

Romans 8:19-25 (NLT)

For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. 20 Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, 21 the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. 22 For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. 24 We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. 25 But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)

Romans 8:26-28 (NKJV)

Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

2. The reason all things work together for good is because a person prays and gets God involved in their life stuff.

If a person does NOT pray, then things may not work out well.

God gets the blame for many things that are not His fault.

3. We are in the middle of a war between God and His arch-enemy Satan.

Bad things that happen are not God doing them; they are Satan attacking and hindering God’s will!

Our prayers and faith push back against Satan’s insidious attacks!

Let’s look for a moment at the background of the spiritual battle we are involved in and why prayer is so crucial.

I mentioned last week that God is the sovereign creator and sustainer of the universe – He lives outside of creation – He transcends creation. He is the ultimate authority over everything that exists.

He spoke – and the universe came into being and by that Word it is still expanding!

When God made the earth and made it a habitat for life – plant life, animal life, and human life:

He took an amazing step: He gave authority over the earth to man as His under-ruler under God. He gave man the responsibility to oversee this planet under His watching eye.

When the first man Adam and his wife Eve sinned two things happened:

1- They broke their personal fellowship with God and were plunged into spiritual death.

All of us partake of spiritual death because of Adam’s sin.

Romans 3:23 – All have sinned and fall short of God’s glorious standards for living.

2- The God given authority to oversee the earth under God’s watchful eye was transferred to God’s arch-enemy Satan.

At that time, Satan gained a legal right to rule this planet. When Adam yielded to sin, there was a transfer of authority to Satan.

Here’s the scriptural background. Understanding this will undergird your prayer and faith life!

Satan was an angel in heaven and became corrupted, and fell to the earth.

Satan began an insurrection against God in eternity past. His pride led him to believe that he was more powerful and intelligent than God. He slandered God before the angels of heaven, and some fell with him. He was cast out of heaven by God.

Isaiah 14:12-17 – NLT

How you are fallen from heaven, O shining star, son of the morning! You have been thrown down to the earth, you who destroyed the nations of the world. (13) For you said to yourself, ‘I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above God’s stars. I will preside on the mountain of the gods far away in the north. (14) I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High.’ (15) Instead, you will be brought down to the place of the dead, down to its lowest depths.

When Satan was thrown out of heaven, he fell to the earth.

Luke 10:17,18 – NLT

When the seventy-two disciples returned, they joyfully reported to him, “Lord, even the demons obey us when we use your name!” “Yes,” he told them, “I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning!

God gave mankind a measure of His all- authority when He created Him. He became God’s under-ruler on the earth.

God gave man an original time limited authority over the earth.

Genesis 1:26-28 – NKJV

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” (27) So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. (28) Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

Psalm 8:3-9 -NLT

When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—the moon and the stars you set in place— (4) what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them? (5) Yet you made them only a little lower than God and crowned them with glory and honor. (6) You gave them charge of everything you made, putting all things under their authority—(7) the flocks and the herds and all the wild animals, (8) the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea,and everything that swims the ocean currents. (9) O LORD, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth!

Authority was lost (transferred) when Adam sinned…

Hebrews 2:6-8 – NKJV

But one testified in a certain place, saying: “What is man that You are mindful of him, Or the son of man that You take care of him? (7) You have made him a little lower than the angels; You have crowned him with glory and honor, And set him over the works of Your hands. (8) You have put all things in subjection under his feet.” For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him.

Luke 4:5-6 – NKJV

Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. (6) And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.

Amplified

For it has been turned over to me.

Complete Jewish Bible

It has been handed over to me, and I can give it to whomever I choose.

Two things happened when Adam sinned:

1) Fellowship with God was broken and man fell into the state of sin

2) The God-given authority that man originally had was transferred to Satan, and he became the god of this world.

Satan has a legal right to be here until that original lease of dominion runs out.

Matthew 8:29 – NLT

They began screaming at him, “Why are you interfering with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torture us before God’s appointed time?”

Revelation 12:12 – NLT

Therefore, rejoice, O heavens! And you who live in the heavens, rejoice! But terror will come on the earth and the sea, for the devil has come down to you in great anger, knowing that he has little time.

Revelation 20:1-3 NLT​

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven with the key to the bottomless pit and a heavy chain in his hand. 2 He seized the dragon—that old serpent, who is the devil, Satan—and bound him in chains for a thousand years. 3 The angel threw him into the bottomless pit, which he then shut and locked so Satan could not deceive the nations anymore until the thousand years were finished. Afterward he must be released for a little while.

Satan has a legal right to be here. He is working to hinder God’s plan and purposes in the earth.

John 10:10 -NKJV

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

John 10:10 – NLT

The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

John 14:30 – NKJV

I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.

John 14:30 – NLT

“I don’t have much more time to talk to you, because the ruler of this world approaches. He has no power over me,

John 14:30 – Amp

I will not talk with you much more, for the prince (evil genius, ruler) of the world is coming. And he has no claim on Me. [He has nothing in common with Me; there is

nothing in Me that belongs to him, and he has no power over Me.]

2 Corinthians 4:4 – NKJV

whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.

2 Corinthians 4:4 – NLT

Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand

this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.

Ephesians 2:1-3 NLT

Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. (2) You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. (3) All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and

inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.

Ephesians 6:12 -NLT

For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

1 John 5:19-CEV – Contemporary English Version

We are certain that we come from God and that the rest of the world is under the power of the devil.

Satan has a legal right to be here. He rules over the unsaved masses of humanity.

He rules in Christian that are ignorant of their authority in Christ.

Jesus has restored our lost authority!

Matthew 28:18-20 – NKJV

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. (19) Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing

them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (20) teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

Revelation 1:18 – NKJV

I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of death.

Ephesians 1:19-23 – NLT

I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power (20) that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. (21) Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. (22) God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church.(23) And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.

Ephesians 2:6 – NKJV

And raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

Ephesians 2:6 – NLT

For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.

Colossians 1:13

13 [The Father] has delivered and drawn us to Himself out of the control and the dominion of darkness and has transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,

Beginning today, exercise your authority in Christ over Satan!

Do NOT be passive!

Your faith and your praying remove you from Satan’s control and give God control of your life.

Jesus has given back to the church the authority that Adam gave away.

Speaking out loud what God says in His word about you and your life, and praying about everything gives God permission to invade your life with His blessings in a fallen world.

Action points:

1. What are you doing with the authority Jesus gave you?

2. With your faith and your praying, are you actively resisting Satan’s schemes to hinder your life and family?

3. Do you live in the consciousness of your being seated with Jesus in a place of authority over Satan’s plans to hinder your life?