An Overcoming Church
Alright, I am posting an excerpt from the book called Destined For The Throne. I figured it should bring up some interesting topics.
?In order to enable the Church to overcome satan, God entered the stream of human history in the incarnation. As un-fallen Man He overcame and destroyed satan both legally and dynamically. All that Christ did in redemption He did for the benefit of the Church. He is ?head over all things to the Church? (Eph. 1:22)
His victory over satan in the Church?s victory. Although Christ?s triumph over satan is full and complete, God permits satan to carry on a guerrilla warfare. God could put satan completely away, but He has chosen to use him to give the Church training in overcoming.
Prayer is not begging God to do something that He is loath to do. It is not overcoming reluctance in God. It is enforcing Christ?s victory over satan. It is implementing upon earth heaven?s decisions concerning that affairs of men. Calvary legally destroyed satan and canceled all of his claims. God placed the enforcement of Calvary?s victory in the hands of the Church. (Matt. 18:18 and Luke 10:17-19) He has given her the ?power of attorney,? or made her His ?deputy.? But this delegated authority is wholly inoperative apart from the prayers of a believing Church. Prayer therefore, is where the action is.?
Well there ya go! What are your thoughts? Bring on the comments!
Comments
Well, this is the truth. I was told once that prayer is God’s way of allowing his children to be part of something that he is going to do anyway. This is true, because God demonstrates his glory no matter how unglorious YOU are. But then, I foolished slackened in my prayers, because I said to myself, “God will do what he wants to anyway, whether I pray or not. He will accomplish his perfect will.”
While prayer is a blessing to be part of that which God does anyway, God will not do things if his children are not pulling their weight. It’s just not right for him to do so much when we show that we care so little. When one prays, one becomes concerned about that which God wills that one care for. Inversely, When one does not pray, he becomes apathetic. That’s what I did, I was apathetic because I did not my part by praying, and I used the afforementioned excuse to justify my apathy.
Which is bad, and one who does such must repent. It is a sad thing when Jesus is the only one praying for that which he has deigned his children to.
Sorry it has taken me so long to comment, it’s been a busy week!
There is much to be said about prayer…
But until I can say more, here is something to think about. I do believe that the prayer closet is the battle areana and I also believe it’s training ground.
Do you suppose that if people prayed when they were supposed to, when God told them to, 9-11 would have happened?
Food for thought.
Terrible food to eat. We have no idea what caused 9-11. If the question underlying is, “Do you think that tragedies happen because the people who God wanted to pray did not pray?” then that is a wonderful thing to eat with one’s brain. But we have no idea how big 9-11 could have been. It could be the culmination of so many different things that trying to specifically discuss would leave us babbling and jangling with vanity. It doesn’t prove Christ.
I do think that many terrible things do happen that could have been avoided if obedient prayer had been utilized. I certainly, certainly do.
Well said Michael.
That should be some motovation for us to pay attention to the Holy Spirit and when lead to pray, then pray and not put it off.
God is so good how He teaches us how to listen to His voice. It seems everyone is taught a little different, but isn’t it a privilege to be taught and trained by God Himself!?
Here are some more thoughts about prayer. There are some interesting verses in the Bible that would make it seem that God is looking for people to pray. Like:
Isaiah 1:9
?Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.?
Ezekiel 22:30-31
?And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none. Therefore have I poured out mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath: their own way have I recompensed upon their heads, saith the Lord GOD.?
Matt. 9:38
?Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.?
If you combined those verses with verses that talk about how we are Christ?s ambassadors and how we have been given authority. It adds a whole new element to prayer. (2 Cor. 5:20, Luke 10:19)
Just some more food for thought.
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