Transcription
And now we'll take our test this morning from James chapter 5 verse 16. 16. Be a second part of that verse, and we'll look at some scriptures, versions of that Bible, versions of that same scripture.
First, Amplified Bible, Classic Edition, James chapter 5 verse 16: "The earnest, had failed, continued prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available, dynamic in its working."
James chapter 5 verse 16, be Contemporary English Version: "The prayer of an innocent person is powerful and it can help a lot."
James 5:16, Easy-to-Read Fashion: "Anyone who leaves the way God wins can pray and great things will happen." I pray that from today, more than ever before, your time in the presence of God, in the place of prayer, will make way for great things to happen in the name of Jesus.
James chapter 5 verse 16, be Good News Translation: "It says, 'The prayer of a good person has a powerful effect.'"
And then The Message Bible: "It says, 'The praying of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with.'"
And the New Living Translation says: "The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful resource." Wonderful results.
And then The Voice Bible: "Your prayers are powerful when they are rooted in a righteous life."
Well, I want to remind you this morning that the spiritual controls the physical realm. Everything that happens here on the surface of the earth is influenced, among other things, by spiritual factors. Most of the time, what is going to happen tomorrow, what is going to happen next week, what is going to happen next month, had already been, has already been settled in the spirit realm before it eventually happens in the physical. And in the same vein, many things that we are supposed to happen can be changed, can be averted through the influence of spiritual factors. And one of those factors is the key of Prayer.
James chapter 5 verse 16 tells us that "the prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available, dynamic in its walking." Contemporary English Bible tells us that prayer, your prayer is powerful and it can help a lot. It can help a lot. So if anyone is telling you that prayer doesn't matter, the person lacks depth in a realm of understanding of the things that govern affairs and events on the surface of the earth.
Is it or it fashion makes it clear that great things will happen when when a man, a woman who lives the way God wins, begins to spend quality time in prayer. Great things will happen. Not just common things, but great things will happen. Good News Translation makes us understand that "the prayer of a good person has a powerful effect." It has a powerful effect. The Message Bible tells us, "And the prayer, very of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with." Prayer is not just powerful, it's something powerful to be reckoned with.
So, does anyone still telling you that prayer doesn't matter? Spending time in prayer doesn't matter? Joining people to pray doesn't matter? Going for prayer meetings doesn't matter? The Holy Scripture tells us, and every truth in the scripture has been tested, proven. Now, something powerful to be reckoned with comes. Will always play out with the prayer of a person living right with God.
And the New Living Translation tells us that "the earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful resource." Wonderful results. Wonderful results. I prophesy to your life today that may the grace of God, the grace of prayer and intercession, come upon you in a higher dimension. That from now on, your prayer will produce wonderful results. Your prayer will have great effect. Your prayer will come with great power in the name of Jesus.
And The Voice Bible tells us that "your prayers are powerful when they are coming from, they are rooted in a life of righteousness." So prayer makes tremendous power available. It talks of the effect of prayer, the potential of prayer, the predictable consequence of prayer. Prayer gives consistent results. Prayer gives predictable results.
There are many similarities between the workings of prayer and prescriptions that are given to different people for different cases of health challenge. And there is a level of confidence that comes from the doctor when they will make setting prescriptions. They are so confident that when you take these for a given number of days, there would be a predictable effect and a predictable calm. That is exactly the same thing that happens with prayer. There is a predictable effect that comes with prayer. Different dimensions of prayer. So even before it is dawn, even before you are through with that degree of prayer, that dimension of prayer, what will happen as a result of your prayer can be predicted ahead of time. Prayer has a record of predictable consequences. Solid record. Year in, year out.
Prayer says from James chapter 5 verse 16, "makes tremendous power available." What can a prayer do? By two major dimensions. Prayer gives you the power to prevail with God. Power to prevail with God, to move the hand of God, to change certain things that even God had confirmed was going to happen in a particular way. Through prayer, you can move the hand of God to reverse even what God had confirmed will happen in a particular way.
I will say an instance in Isaiah chapter 38 verse 1 to 7, where the Lord spoke to his prophet and told him to take his word to the King Hezekiah, who was ill at that time. And God said, "Let him know ahead of time. Let him know that his this illness is going to lead to death." And when the prophet delivered God's message to the king, because that king had a good relationship with God, and the Bible in James chapter 5, verse 16, here has told us what the things that can happen when, not just when we pray, or when men pray, but when that prayer is coming from a righteous man, a man that lives his life in the way that God wants. When that kind of man decides to pray about a particular thing, heaven will, the heavens will be opened, and God will answer. And instantly, says the cry, "I received a message. He prayed unto the Lord." And the Lord, something dramatic happened. I declare to someone listening to the sound of my voice right now, that by the mercies of God, may you cry to God in the place of prayer, move God now to change the course of events. Something negative that has been playing out, the Lord Almighty, in response to your prayer, reverse it now in the name of our Lord Jesus. Let the Lord hear your email, say that even louder unto the Lord. It shall be so in Jesus name.
And so the Lord gave the word again. The same God who spoke, "Eliot," now gave a word again to the prophet. "Is they go back to Hezekiah." I decree to everyone listening to me right now, by the Spirit of God, that in that area, in that realm where you have received a very fair, negative report, the Lord, by his mercy, move on your behalf, move on behalf of those loved ones, and the Lord reverse that negative report onto a good one in the name of Jesus.
So the message was brought to King Hezekiah by the prophet. And this time, the prophet said to him, "Don't say the Lord, I have heard your prayers. I've seen your tears. You shall no longer die today. I have added 15 more years to you." Years. I like to interest you to know that not only did God preserve the life of Hezekiah, not only did he give him victory over that illness, it will interest you to know that Hezekiah, as you started counting the years that the prophet spoke, as what he hid from God, first year passed, second year passed, third year, fourth, fifth. 15 years. True to his word, true to his promise, true to that response to the hot cry in the place of prayer. Love Hezekiah, the 15 years that God spoke in response to his prayer was guaranteed for him, and he lived in good health for this 15 years.
Provides powerful. So powerful that on a daily basis, things continue to change. Even when it's concluded, it's over, as a result of the effect of prayer. The Father, the effectual prayer of a righteous man availeth more. So if prayer gives you the path to prevail with God, on the other hand, prayer also gives you the power to prevail against evil forces. We are sitting there, the principalities are there, the powers are there, spiritual wickedness in high places are there. The different dimensions, the departments of the kingdom of darkness, the marine kingdom, or cata kingdom, witchcraft kingdom, they are there, and all the spirits and agents that work with them and work with their power. Walk with your spirit. Prayer is a key that God has given you to prevail over sin, and prevail over principalities, prevail over the powers, prevail over spiritual wickedness in high places. It is a tested and proven key. Are witches always, are still oppressing you? Pray. Prayer is the answer. You will not be the one to relocate from your location. The forces of darkness around your location will be the ones to relocate. There is a way you pray, and there is so much fire from your prayer that any agent of darkness around you can no longer live with you. Any agent of darkness around you can no longer live in your neighborhood. And that is why you see, you see the agents of darkness relocating, relocating, because everything they do from that location is now being hampered, neutralized by the fervent effect of prayer of a man, of a woman in that neighborhood. I have prayed that from today, every coven of witches operating in your neighborhood will be forced to close down and relocate as a result of your prayer. They Lord light up your prayer altar with fresh fire. Prayer is powerful. Prayer is the key.
So prayer gives you the power to prevail against the evil forces. In Mark chapter 9 verse 29, Mark 9:29, Jesus was speaking after the young boy was delivered from some stubborn spirits. And those, and that spirit had been committing that young boy, according to the account of his father, from when he was still just a very, very young boy, young baby, young boy, young child. And the spirit had tried to take the life of this child so many times. But by divine providence, God kept this child alive. And this day came the encounter Jesus. And Jesus had all cast out a spirit. His disciples came to him and say, "How come we could not cast the devil earlier before you eventually prayed?" And Jesus said, "This kind cannot go except by prayer and fasting." Take note. Jesus himself, the authority, the Son of God, who has always been in heaven, but temporarily relocated to the earth for 34 years before relocating him back to heaven. Jesus, the one to whom everything on the surface of the earth, every spirit, every power. But Jesus said, "This kind, this kind of spirit cannot go except by prayer added with fasting." Prayer taken into a new dimension of power through fasting.
And so two things will confirm there, that for that particular affliction, this solution was spiritual. The problem was spiritual, and the solution has to be spiritual. And then Jesus was specific as to the kind of spiritual solution that will produce the answer and the resort everybody was looking forward, and that was prayer and fasting. In that particular instance, also tells us in James chapter 5 and 16, that the prayer is dynamic in its workings, dynamic in its workings. Why is they saying that? It means implies that the part that prayer produces keeps results and has effect in different wings. Dynamic in its working. It is not limited to healing, it is not limited to deliverance. It works in different range and for different purpose. Sometimes incredible purposes. People ask things from God in the place of prayer that will look sometimes absurd, other places, and sometimes funny. And God answers because the realm of prayer is, is it powerful realm? So prayer works. For instance, in the realm of healing, Isaiah 38 verse 1 to 7, the healing of Hezekiah through prayer. Thank God that in that instance, God himself confirmed that what made a situation change was the prayer of Hezekiah. God made reference to it, "I have heard your prayer." And in response to the prayer, God put aside death at that time. We understand from geological records that it was about 55. God put aside death. He made a commitment to him for at least for the next 15 years. Prayer also can work even in the realm of bringing forth the fruit of the womb. First Samuel chapter 1 verse 11. Hannah, having waited on the Lord for the fruit of the womb, came to a point where she became very desperate. She she went to the plane of making a vow to God that if God could just give her one son, one son, she would dedicate him unto the Lord. God heard her prayer. God heard her vow. And by the time she returned from the location of that prayer, in that instance, it was she. Things changed. Things changed. Things changed. As I speak now, I perceive the wind of God bringing change, positive change to someone listening to me right now. What the doctors could not correct, the power of God changed it for good. Now let God hear your email where certain people, we are determined to help you, but they could not achieve what needed to be done. The power of God move on your behalf and address the situation now. If you're that man, say email. If you're that lady, let God hear your email. Prayer is powerful. Prayer is dynamic in its workings. Sometimes what needs to be done is just for God to release a vulnerable information. And that is what happened in Daniel chapter 2, verse verse 16 to 19. Daniel 2:16 to 19. The king had a dream. He forgot his dream when he woke up, but he knew that that was a powerful dream conveying certain messages. And when he told all the officers in his palace to interpret, none of them could. In fact, the magicians and astrologers told him that it is not done anywhere in the world where people you ask that people will tell you your dream and also interpret. They said, "No, the best they can do, the ak gods can do is interpret." But we serve a God with whom there is no impossibility. We serve a God with whom all things are possible. We serve a God with whom that which many consider absolutely impossible, that same thing is nice but is small and light painting in the eyes of our God. And Daniel, knowing this God through his relationship with him, because Daniel was a man, he wasn't just a prophet, he was a man of prayer. He was consistent in prayer. He was fervent in prayer. Daniel knew the power of prayer. When you know the power of prayer, you can give people time. You can predict confidently what will happen. By the time you are through with prayer, you can tell people to pray for a particular measure of time, and you can confidently say what will happen after that. Prayer is a wonder. Because when prayer is coming with the right motive, coming in alignment with the will of God, when you take that prayer to certain dimensions, the effect can be predicted. The consequence can be predicted. And Daniel stepped in the presence of the king. He said, "King, give me time. Just a little time." Not to go about gossiping and, you know, just talking about the problem, analyzing the problem. Just give me time. Time for what? Time to seek the face of my God, with whom there is no impossibility. There is powerful prayer. Prayer is power. Prayer is the key.
And Daniel went back home, and he called his three prayer partners. These were not gossip partners, with whom he's, you know, he sits down every day to run down people. No, these were valuable partners, valuable partners in destiny, these were destiny friends in destiny, and destiny helpers. They were all assets one to another. And that night, it was just one prayer. The focus of the prayer for that night vigil was just the king's dream. "Lord, show mercy. The Ancient of Days, the one who was, who is, and is to come. Shew mercy. The one who holds the key of David. When you shut the door, no man can open. When you open a door, no man can shut. Hugh mercy." Because there was a death sentence upon Daniel, upon his three Hebrew friends, and upon all the other officers in the king's palace. The king put that on hold, waiting to see the result of whatever Daniel was going to do. And they started praying. Mr. Dupre, all the prayer points they raised that night, I don't know how many, but all the prayer points were centered around the king's dream. And they finished. They ran it up before daybreak. Just a little time after that prayer, God spoke to Daniel. God revealed every detail of the king's dream. God also revealed one or two other details he needed to pass across to the king. And that was how Daniel stepped forward, stepped forward before the king with the answer. From today, there will be evidence of answered prayers on your hands. From today, God will honor you with evidence of answered prayer in the name of Jesus.
Prayer is dynamic in its walk. Prayer can give you favor with men. And we saw Esther activating the key of Prayer in the reign of influence in the heart of men. Proverbs chapter 21 verse 1 tells us that "the heart of kings is in the hand of God. In the hands of Jehovah, like rivers of water, he turns it in whatever direction he wants." The heart of any man, no matter how powerful, no matter the office occupied, the heart of everyone, every man, including unbelievers, in the hands of the Almighty. If need be, God can use anybody to do what he wants. God can make anybody do what he wants. Esther prayed that God will show mercy and give him favor with the king, her husband. And that was how she challenged the rest of the people to pray along with her, fast with her for three days. And after that, she stepped forward in confidence before the king. And it was an open door. In fact, the favor was so much that far beyond whatever else I will ask, the king was even willing to give her half the kingdom. When you see the effect of prayer in action, sometimes people will begin to wonder. You know, those who are deep, we know that something there is more to this, because prayer is free to up. It is a spiritual key. When you see the effect of prayer in action, people will begin to wonder. Unbelievable things will happen. God will give you evidence of answered prayer. Prayer is dynamic in its workings. Sometimes we see it manifest in the realm of deliverance from death, deliverance from danger. In Acts chapter 12, King Herod decided to afflict the church. And he went, decided to begin to take out some of the key leaders. Key leaders in in the early church. And that was how they went after James and took him out. They killed him. They killed him. It looked like a joke. It looked like something that would not happen. And then after killing James, the king realized that the enemies of the church were very happy with what he had done. So he was not motivated to do more. So he next, he went in, went after Peter. It was then that the church woke up. It was then that the church woke up. And you will read from Acts chapter 12, verse 7, that "prayers were made without ceasing." Without ceasing. Pray until something happens. This prayer will not stop until Peter is released from prison. What happened to James will not happen to Peter. I declare concerning a man listening to me right now, that whatever affected your late father negatively, does say the Lord, that yoke is broken today. Whatever affected your late father will not affect you. Will not affect your family. You shall be greater in the name of Jesus.
And so they came in the place of prayer, and we are praying, praying day and night until something happened. God, in response to their prayer, sent an angel. An angel came to where Peter was. So God can send angels to intervene. God can use anybody to intervene. God can use an unbeliever to intervene. He responds to your prayer. The person who has been your biggest opponent, your strongest opponent, can certainly turn and become your number one supporter through the power of prayer. And that was how the church prayed, and God sent an intervention to an angel. And the angel came to Peter, woke him up, brought him out of jail. I prophesy right now, an angelic intervention by the command of God unto you. Anything in your life, every good thing in your life that has been locked up, as Peter was locked up in that prison, any area of your life that has been imprisoned, the angels of the Lord go forth right now and bring forth a supernatural deliverance. The Lord release you, release your virtues, release your blessings, release all your divine happens from that imprisonment, in whatever form it is happening right now, in the name of Jesus.
Prayer is dynamic in its walk. Prayer can even move God to change what the course of events in an in a nation. James chapter 5 verse 17 to 18. He said, "Elijah was a man of like passion, like we are. He prayed that it will not rain in his nation because of the bad leadership of that time, and it did not rain." And then when it was time for God to send rain, in first Kings chapter 18 verse 1, God told him, "Now I will send rain." And when Elijah eventually got to Mount Carmel, in verse 41 to 44, you could see Elijah now prevailing, prevailing with God to bring to physical manifestation the promise he had given him privately. What God told you privately will become evident publicly in the name of Jesus. As I speak right now, I had a spirit of God telling me about someone listening to me, you started this year in tears. Does say the Lord, this same year will end for you in joy and victory in the name of Jesus Christ.
I plead with you to please be with me for the second part of this message. Prayer is powerful. Wherever you are, just lift up both hands as I pray. Father, we thank you for the power of your word. We thank you for blessing the church. Thank you, Lord, for blessing us even in this generation with such a powerful instrument and key as the key of prayer. Thank you for the assets you have given unto everyone of us with this key of prayer. Lord, we pray that today, you will put fresh fire into the prayer altar of everyone listening to this message. We take authority over the spirit of prayerlessness. Every spiritual arrow that has been projected to weaken your prayer life, we neutralize that arrow. Wherever it is, we say use the saint projected. So we do down your prayer path, the Lord Almighty, onto the arrows and devices of the wicked one. The Lord put fresh fire in your prayer altar. Now you will wake up on time to pray. You will wake up at the right time to pray. From now, the grace of prayer, supplication, will be multiplied upon you. You will pray for how long it will look like ten minutes. You will pray for two hours, and it will look like 20 minutes. Grace, great grace, receive from the Lord right now. And we pray that the Lord Almighty grant you great favor in the realm of prayer, more than ever before in your life and relationship with God. From now, you begin to experience greater testimonies of answered prayers. And I join hands with you right now in the spirit. Whatever it is that you are currently calling upon God to do, I pray that the Lord will turn your prayer requests into victorious, joyful testimonies in the name of Jesus. Even that prayer point that looks impossible, does say the Lord, it shall be answered in the name of Jesus. Thank you, Heavenly Father. In Jesus name, we have prayed. Hallelujah.
Thank you so much for being with us today. This message is a message that is so, is so relevant to us because our ministry is very closely centered around the key of Prayer. I encourage you to please be with us for the second part of this message. The Lord bless you richly, bless your family, bless your destiny. Pass and destiny. Divine helpers and destiny partners. And that's every good word you heard from God in the course of this message, the Lord applied divine speed in bringing them to pass in Jesus name. Amen.
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