Why is it that when we pray, instead of seeing breakthroughs, we feel more defeated and overcome by the things happening all around us?
A teaching I heard from David Herzog, called “The Courts of Heaven,” has grabbed my attention. Why not try a new approach, if we haven’t seen the results we are yearning for? Why are we praying the same way, if we aren’t sure if it makes a difference?
How do you pray when you feel you’ve come against a stronghold or against one of the enemy’s delegates? Don’t you put on your armor, sharpen your sword and then defend and attack? In Luke 18:2-8, Jesus gives an illustration on how to pray differently:
“In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’ And the Lord said, ‘Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for His chosen ones, who cry out to Him day and night? Will He keep putting them off? I tell you, He will see that they get justice, and quickly.’”
By doing warfare, we enter into God’s court. We bring our requests to God the righteous Judge, and He wants to bring us justice!
But, the enemy has access too (Job 2:1-6). He is there as the accuser bringing charges against us before God (Rev. 12:10). And, he will do it tirelessly! As long as he finds something to accuse us of, he has a foothold on us. And, because God is just and righteous, He won’t close His eyes and wave us through.
The only way forward is to get revelation of what the enemy is accusing us of. Maybe we have had the Holy Spirit’s conviction in our hearts for a while. What stands between us and God that doesn’t allow for our full victory? Where have we agreed with the enemy’s lies over our lives or somebody else’s life?
As long as we are not willing to deal with the things that the enemy uses rightfully as accusations before God, we can’t get the victory!
“…In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.” (Isaiah 30:15).
It’s not that salvation and strength are no longer available, but we need to choose to do it God’s way and not our own! This leads to repentance.
Repentance is not explaining, not blaming, not excusing, and not saying sorry. Repentance is taking full responsibility, sincerely regretting, asking for forgiveness, making it right if needed, turning around and making a plan for how to never do it again!
And only then, we make use of our stand in God’s court and declare to the enemy where he belongs. Where we once were defeated, we now have authority. We are no longer on the bench of the accused, but we are reigning with God and taking our rightful stand!
Let’s join together with these kinds of prayers! We are desperate for God to be glorified through His victory in our lives and in All Nations!
Cornelia Reber is on staff at the All Nations Cape Town hub in Cape Town, South Africa.
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