Wed, 10/5/2011 10/5/2011 INTENSE PRAYER Sermon #248 on Destined to Reign, ww.JosephPrince.org When it comes to prayer it is very interesting, we in Singapore we have this expression that that I have noticed since I have become a believer, even in my previous church as growing as a youth leader. I myself have used used this expression a lot. When we have Small problems, we say “lets pray about it. When we have BIG PROBLEMS we pray HARD. I never knew there was a pray hard and a pray soft! soft! I learned learned that from from Christians. Christians. Some things things you learn learn in church. church. In some circles you hear “we have to pray through”. Pray through. All these expressions confused me. How will I know when I am “through”? How will I know when I have prayed “through”? Now Today Today I am not not talking talking about praying praying in the sprit, sprit, which which is something something you can can do anytime, anytime, and hopefully you do more of that because there is a rest, rest, supernatural rest and refreshing. In fact, the more you do that the more you light up the all the other gifts of the holy spirit in your life. . But I am not talking about that, I am not talking about intercessory prayer, I am talking about simple prayer; asking god to do something something for you, you will find, for example the way we we think praying praying h gets the the job done – simple simple prayer prayer cannot get get the job done is amazing amazing and so so we look look at Elijah, in James 5: Have you ever gotten moody lately? Don’t put up your hands - Have Have you gotten a little bit bit short tempered on the road this past week? week? Have you imagined things you shouldn’t have imagined? done things you shouldn’t have done, said things you shouldn’t shouldn’t have said? Well you know what, Elijah was a man of the same same nature as ours I like the old KING JAMES: JAMES: JAMES 5: 17-18 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, ours, (subject to like passions passions as we we are KJV). KJV). In other words don’t think of Elijah as an extraordinary man. He is like like us! The bible calls calls him a PROPHET and rightly so, but in the bible Moses Moses represents the Law whereas Elijah represents the prophets. prophets. But the greatest greatest of of all the the propets propets is someone someone who who came in in the time time of Jesus Jesus in the spirit spirit and power of Elijah and that is john the Baptist, Jesus himself said there is no one greater than john the Baptist Baptist and he came came in the power of Elijah Elijah so Elijah Elijah represents represents the prophets. prophets. And yet , one of the greatest propeths in the old testament testament was a man given to discouragement. Right after the greatest victory in his entire life – the fire of God fell upon the sacrifice when all the prophets of baal were unable to call down fire. The entire nation has been in rebellion for many years worshiping idols, worshiping baal and in one fell swoop literally, when gods fire fell the entire nation repented and shouted “the lord he is god the lord he is god” in Hebrew Yahwey, Yahwey, he is elohim. They repented. And all the prop of baal were killed, and the same day the rains fell after 3 ½ years of drought. The rains fell and what an abundancre of rain that fell. Yet, the very next day, when the evil woman Jezabel, the wife of the king Ahab and the bible calls this king ahab the most evil of all kings that rebelled against god., the bible says he was the the most most evil, but he married jezebel and became more evil. How many of you know who you marry makes a difference? Don’t look at your wife right now, but who you marry makes a difference! Anyway ahab was extra extra evil because of jezebel. Jezebel heard what happened the day before, she heard that the prophets of BAAL were destroyed after the fire fell, they brought those evil prophets to the brook kishon and slaughtered all of them and all Israel repented. Then Jezebel said she was going to destroy Elijah, he heard of the threat threat of a woman called jezebel, and he said “how dare that women, I am caling fire down on her head! He had not called fire on a people before. – in fact his last act was to call fire down on some some soldures. You know what he did? He did not do that, he ran! He ran ran from a woman woman right after a great victory!! It got discouraged. He was given to discouragement. He was given to to feelings of hopelessness. That is a man of like like passions! Ok go back to the new king james. So what happened? happened?
He prayed EARNESTLY that it would not rain, and it did not rain for 3 years 6 months, 3 ½ years! And he prayed again,m and the heaven gave rain and the earth produced its fruit. Now have you notice the phrase “he prayed earnestly”? that it would not rain., now the word there in greek is prayed with a prayer he prayed with a prayer hebrewism. Hebrewism is a manner of speech Hebrews use for intensity. Prayed with a prayer means he prayed strong prayers. Jewish people in the Hebrew language for intensity. For example Jesus in his death. In the original Hebrew, it is DEATHS plural. They are meaning he died a violent death, got it: they said he died the deaths, which means he died a violent death, an intense death. “he prayed a prayer” means he prayed intensely, prayed earnestly. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain and it did not rain for 3 ½ years. Wow! What is his secret? “and he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain. This time, he prayed again and the word “earnestly” is not there!. Do you see that? He just prayed, and the heaven gave rain,m and the earth produced its fruit ok.
JAMES 5: 17-18 Elijah was a man with like passions with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly (prayed with a prayer – HEB) that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for THREE YEARS AND SIX MONTHS. And he prayed again *notice no” earnestly” this time* and the heaven gave rain, an the earth produced its fruit. Notice EARNESTLY was omitted – yet notice the results… Patrick come up here and mark stand over here Demonstrate this.. both of you are Elijah. Watch this - you know how Elijah prayed earnestly? I kings 17: 1 FIRST TIME Elijah’s name was mentioned - we are introduced to him here for the first time . And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, “as the LORD God of Israel Lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word” He just declared “at my word”! Lets read again… Now back to James.. JAMES 5: 17-18 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly (prayed with a prayer – HEB) that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for THREE YEARS AND SIX MONTHS. And he prayed again *notice no” earnestly” this time* and the heaven gave rain, an the earth produced its fruit. Notice earnestly was omitted – he just prayed AGAIN yet notice the results… You see, In the mind of god, “OH GOD OH GOD…is just a prayer. To Man it is intense prayer, but god calls it “just a prayer”. But when we speak in faith, and Declare by faith - God calls that INTENSE prayer. Isn’t is amazing, god’s ways are like,, you know, it’s like this.. when you DECLARE by faith, god says that is a powerful prayer. Now, Jesus prayers, even of up to the lord’s prayer, “our father who art in heaven, hallowed be your name” if you quote that prayer – by the way, this is not a new covenant prayer, you don’t
find paul quoting that or any other writers of the new testament quoting that, it was actually under LAW – but it is in between law and grace, ok? Because that prayer says “ forgive us as we forgive others”. You don’t want to pray that prayer today. TODAY we forgive BECAUSE God has for Christ’s sake forgiven us! we are forgiven BECAUSE of Jesus. So, our foundation has changed… Under LAW we forgive in order TO BE forgiven.,. under GRACE you forgive BECAUSE we are forgiven. Now, Paul is not contradicting Jesus, paul is quoting from the present day Jesus, not the Jesus before He died, Jesus before he died was born under the LAW and he could not tell them many things. Even the day before He DIED He said: I have many things to tell you, but when the Holy Spirit comes (thru the Apostle Paul ) He will guide you into all Truth. So, we must read a lot into the writings of Apostle Paul because he is writing directly TO THE CHURCH. But even if you pray the Lord’s prayer today. is only about 45 seconds if you read it slow. 45 seconds. You don’t find Jesus rebuking people for SHORT prayers, but you do find Jesus rebuking the Pharisees for pretending to pray long prayers Matt 6: 7-8 But when you pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knows what things you have need of, BEFORE YOU ASK HIM. It is not much speaking, It is not vain repetitions. “I can I can I can” or God is like God is like …like some Christian science try to tell you. And if we are not careful even Confession of Faith can be by rote, by Vain repetition. So Jesus is telling us it not the number of times you say it (vain repetition), it is NOT your much speaking… you MUST KNOW WHO YOU ARE TALKING TO, the one you are talking to is one with whom NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE! Next :: Don’t go around your same problem your same trouble the same disease.. COMMAND it to be uprooted.. COMMAND It to throw itself into the sea in jesus name, ? you don’t have that kind of faith? You only NEED the faith of a MUSTARD Seed
Thursday October 6 INCREASE YOU FAITH…. Lukle 17: 5-6 and the apostles said to the Lord, “increase our faith.” Many times they are called disciples, but here they are called apostles..? You know why the holy spirit honors them with that, even before Jesus died? Because they asked the question: Increase our Faith. The Lord loves to hear that. Jesus is about to give a revelation of Apostolic Faith… “Increase our faith”. What is the Lord’s answer? “So the Lord said, If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘be pulled up by the roots and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.” So the WAY TO INCREASE YOUR FAITH IS TO LEARN TO ISSUE COMMANDS WITH THAT LITTLE FAITH YOU HAVE. Because faith as small as a tiny seed of mustard will UPROOT that tree. This mulberry tree, by the way, when I taught the series on the plants of the bible a few years ago, I showed the sycamore tree, actually mulberry tree, mulberry fig they called it, is a very thick-trunked tree and the roots are very deep, you can be standing just a few meters away and you will find the roots coming out down there, it is a very rooted tree, one of the most heavily strongly rooted tree.
So what jesus, looking at this problem like: have the doctors told you that this problem is Incurable? Have they said that there is no answer for this? Is your bankruptcy beyond help? Alright whatever doesn’t stand to logic and reason, how can this tree be uprooted, that’s where you have to have the Faith as small as a mustard seed TO COMMAND the tree be plucked up by the ROOTS. Tell that disease, that tumor, “be plucked up by the roots out of my body and be planted in the sea! Last year when I was in Israel we past a mustard tree growing It is not a tree actually, but is an herb but it grows like a tree, it can grow over 10 feet, and the trunk looks like a tree but it is actually an herb, one of the tallest and fastest growing herb. (tv shows photo of the plant and also its e tiny seed – about the size of a large grain of sand) if you have faith as a mustard seed (as small as this) you can start commanding. Do NOT think you need big things, that’s why I showed you just now God used simple things to confound the mighty. The jawbone of an ass! A shepherd boy’s simple slingshot and a stone! Five loaves two fish to feed thousands. This is god’s way. So instead the devil comes to you and says “your faith, you know when you speak out - you are a bit conscious, a bit moody, “how you speak out in faith?” Do not forget the exhortation of the Holy Spirit: Elijah was a man of LIKE passion! How can you, you feel so hopeless in yourself, how can you command these things to happen? But Elijah was the same nature as us, all right? Elijah used the declaration of faith, and it happened! Start speaking to your body… body, be renewed in youth in Jesus name! Wrinkles, leave in Jesus name – ha ha Hair Grow, in Jesus name.. Brain, be no more dumb.. haha in Jesus name… So, as small as a grain of mustard seed. Go back to Luke 17: 5-6 Now, I want to show you something here, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to the mulberry tree ‘be pulled up!’ be pulled up do you know in the Greek, ‘be pulled up. Be planted.. are imperatives? What are imperatives? Imperatives are COMMANDS it’s aorist passive imperative. Imperatives are commands in greek. Passive why is it passive? Because the root is not uprooting itself. FAITH is uprooting it, is being done to it. Aorist is the past tense in greek. So, in other words, when you speak, speak as though it is done!! BE PLUCKLED UP!! Use a forcefull commanding tone, a command, Don’t just weakly say, mulberry tree, uh if you don’t mind,,, can you .. move over… Al right, that doesn’t work Command IT in jesus name! Instead of singing songs…”here we go round the mulberry bush ,the mulberry bush…don’t go round and round your same problem, same disease,, amen? Command diabetes to be uprooted! Command it to throw itself into the sea, in Jesus’ name. “but Pastor, I don’t have that kind of faith!” YOU need nothing more than tiny faith of a tiny mustard seed! That is how you increase your faith, that is how you grow your faith, plant it!! Plant it by speaking it! If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, and you start commanding, that’s how you increase your faith! Command! “Now pastor, I heard this teaching that once you say it, don’t say it anymore. They say that once you say it agin, it’s not faith”.. well I beg to differ with you. In this passage in Luke 17: 5-6 When jesus taught his disciples – apostles – how to increase their faith, he said: “if you have faith as a mustard seed, you can SAY…” Do you remember, I told you last time in the Greek there are tenses that tell you something cannot be repeated, once its done, its DONE. It cannot be repeated. for example, jesus, when he cried out on the cross “it is FINISHED” In the Greek it is the perfect tense, which means the effect is once and for all. it is accomplished once, can never be repeated, perfect tense, but the result remains, Now Imperfect tense therefore, is what? Repeated action. Watch this. .. You’re all so
blessed,. Y’all learn greek,,,our church is very much like a bible school and in fact sometimes we learn more than in a bible school! I say that to the Glory of God. I didn’t say all bible schools… don’t get angry ok? So, he says you can SAY to this to this mulberry tree.. the word SAY is in the imperfect active indicative, which means what? It means it’s not a onetime saying: it is actually a continued action. You can speak to the condition again and again. You are going to command that condition again and again to be uprooted. In fact I did this for a skin condition I did it every day, sometimes more than once a day, but it’s always ‘BE plucked up’ in the PAST tense.. imperative. BE rooted BE plucked up BE planted. are you with me? Now what I am trying to say today is that God calls that prayer EARNEST prayer. But some of us don’t even think of this as prayer! The amazing thing is that when it talks about Elijah praying earnestly, there’s no record he put his head between his knees. That happened at the end of 3 ½ years when he prayed for rain again where God thinks is just a prayer. What man thinks is simple prayer, god considers Earnest prayer. The Prayer Man thinks is earnest prayer, god thinks is just a prayer. In fact, this is confirmed, and double confirmed.. haha doubly confirmed, in the context of James 5 because before it talks about Elijah do you know it talks about, in the same chapter asks ‘is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them prayer over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.’ L Look at this next verse: and the prayer of faith will save the sick, James 5:14-15 is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them prayer over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord and the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. You notice the prayer of faith is a commanding prayer; and the prayer of faith will save the sick Look up here, church same chapter in James. And then a few verses after that it talks about Elijah prayed this prayer, the prayer of faith . are you with me? In fact in the same chapter it says’the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man..’ . People have this idea, that fervent means this: (pastor clasps his hands, winces and grimaces, saying oohhh god oohhh god). Actually the word there: ‘effectual fervent’ is one word Greek, not two words, just one word, and the word there is ENERGEO, where we get our English word ‘energy’. So, “the energetic prayer of a righteous man, in the context of the prayer of faith, which means you DECLARE and COMMAND by faith it is the energy of the Holy Spirit that is released! Are yo with me? God is not your problem@ don’t ask God…! Many people think the prayer of faith is like this: (repeats the above scene, whining oohh god be merciful to this person..” God is ALREADY merciful when he sent his Son. His Son was/is merciful when he died and carried our diseases, so why I s the healing not manifesting? There is a Spiritual Obstacle!! We are to command that spiritual obstacle to be pluckled up by it’s roots and throw itself into the sea!! God is on your side! God is not your problem!! Remember when Moses, he brought the children of Israel right before the Red sea and behind him are the armies and chariots of Egypt coming to get them and in front of them is the deep deep deep blue sea, er Red Sea, blue sea, Red sea.. anyway, Moses looked up and he cried out to God. What did God say to him? “Moses, why are you crying? Why are you crying to me? Lift up your rod!”. There is a time God finds it displeasing to him for you to cry and call on him when He’s given you the ROD, the NAME OF JESUS, when he’s given you the AUTHORITY! Can you imagine this scene: there’s been an accident at a cross junction, people sprawled out on the ground and a policeman comes on the scene in full uniform and there are busses and 3-ton trucks and cars, lights flashing, confusion everywhere! And this policeman is there, and you know
what he does? He gets his iPhone he dials his supervisor: “Sir, accident down here, what shall I do?”. How far do you think this policeman can go? “But, he called his supervisor! Isn’t that good?” how many understand he must use his Authority!? “You there, 3 ton truck, STOP! And they all must stop. Even the 3 ton truck is bigger than him in size. Even the double decker bus is bigger than him. But the policeman has the authority! So there’s a time when god is displeased when you call on him.. God told moses “Lift up your Rod! (use the NAME, the Rod is the picture of the Name of Jesus Today. “So Pastor, why is it that some people seem to have that authority and power?” Go back to what Elijah said in I kings 17, the first time. You say the prayer of faith, right? James 5:14-15 “and the prayer of faith with save the sick. The word ‘save’ is sozo – save the sick. So I was saying just now, the prayer of faith is not looking to God asking “god heal this person. God be merciful” The whole thing from a third party’s point of view, even a child, you feel like God is holding back, that God is the one that must be persuaded… this is not a right picture god. So look at Jesus, you don’t ever find jesus praying for the sick. I will repeat it again. You never find jesus praying for the sick. You find Jesus COMMANDING the sick to be healed. “Stretch forth your hand! Stand Up! Pick up your bed! Walk! Lazarus, come forth! Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity” jesus commanded. OK do your own research. You NEVER find Jesus going “Father, please heal this person.. Father, please loose this woman, or if it be your will..” See, our idea of prayer tends to be nothing but religion, instead of the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.. Our idea of prayer is always asking god, all right? But the prayer of Faith is DECLARATION. Now, there’s a place for asking god, you understand. Even asking god, ask according to the bible, according to the example he puts before us. One of the best ways to ask god is to pray in the spirit, (in tongues) and keep your prayer life going when you feel worried or pressured or stressed, pray in the spirit, is will disentangle you, de-stress you then you will live longer and more peacefully your telomeres will all be repaired and the effects of aging will be less in your life .. so pray in the spirit. But that is not our subject today. Our subject is the Prayer of faith, Are you with me? Don’t accept you know, if it is so natural or what, Well jesus can say to the mulberry tree it is so strongly rooted, it’s natural, so why speak to it? But he didn’t. As small as a mustard seed that is how small your faith is, You can command. I said You can command. In fact your house is full of strife? Your family always quarrelling? Then you say “you foul spirits of disharmony, disunity and strife BE GONE FROM MY HOUSE in jesus name and NEVER return – stay far away. ( you don’t have to yell out loud like I am, I’m just trying to make a point to you lol). You can and should pray behind closed doors, but COMMAND.. I ve done it before, when this revelation was new to me . One time I was in Newton circus at night with a few of my brothers, and then what happened is that we said good-bye to each other, and I was about to get into my car, and I heard a loud quarrel going on a few cars away from me. And this guy, I think he just slapped this girl, don’t know if it was a wife, or a girlfriend, or whatever, and at this time this revelation was pretty strong on my heart – so I thought ok, I’m going to experiment this. And this guy was yelling at her, yelling and yelling. So I said “in the name if jesus, you foul spirits of hate and strife, I bind you from off this man in jesus name” I’m telling you, right before my very eyes he stopped, then right away he was holding her. Then I go home. For what? I wait? So Hallelujah, I am telling you our problem, we get angry with people when people are not the problem, it is the power behind the person, driving and influencing the person. If your father has a bad temper, I will tell you what, he has been energized in a evil way by an evil spirit. Address that evil spirit and Command it. God is not our problem. God is not holding the blessing back. God is not holding a beautiful harmonious relationship from your
family. God is is the one who most wants heaven on earth for your family. “pastor you preach all this, but you know, I try to practice this, I take communion” but is your taking communion asking god asking asking god, trying to persuade god? This can be a form of unbelief! This is not a prayer of faith? Or do you take communion DECLARING ‘by Jesus’ stripes, I am healed’ but are you saying this in an imperative tone? An imperative way? You must COMMAND. They are forces, that will not obey until they are COMMANDED!! Sometimes they will hold on until they see whether you know what you know that you know what you know…that you know you have the power and authority!!
Next: Elijah, Judgment mentality: there was no dew, no rain for 3 ½ years. Dew in the bible speaks of Favor; in proverbs, his favor is like dew on the grass. So, there was no rain – speaks of the holy spirit, no favor for 3 ½ years. No favor, no spirit for 3 ½ years. Jesus for 3 ½ years was full of dew! He went about healing, setting people free, lifting people up, giving courage to those who were afraid. He gave comfort to the brokenhearted. Jesus ministry was full of dew, full of the rain, full of the spirit! ‘Be pulled up (aorist passive imperative) by the roots and be planted (aorist passive imperative) in the sea,’ and it would obey you.
what man thinks is simple prayer, or maybe even not prayer at all is.. but command it, use a commanding tone
OFFERS GRACE - Experience his unmerited favor. Today, when you fail, when you fall, when you sin, there is no curse because heaven does not record sins of the BELIEVER. Ever since the cross there is no more record! For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith;;;; That is the love OF GOD FOR YOU, not your Love for God. When you realize how much GOD LOVES YOU, YOUR FAITH OPERATES EFFORTLESSLY. To see Jesus in all the loveliness of His person and the perfection of His work. Every stroke every curse every disease, every poverty, every judgment was absorbed in his person and he cried IT IS FINISHED! Understand how his PERFECT finished work at the Cross has
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Meditate on the healing promises,
