«　WEEK 6　DAY 5　»

　　Matt. 16:18-19 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of the heavens, and whatever you bind on the earth shall have been bound in the heavens, and whatever you loose on the earth shall have been loosed in the heavens.

　　“Your kingdom come!” This is not only a desire of the church, but also a responsibility of the church. The church should bring in God's kingdom. In order to bring in God's kingdom, the church has to pay the price to be restricted by heaven and come under heaven's rule. It has to be the outlet for heaven, and it has to allow heaven's authority to be expressed on earth....It has to put on the whole armor of God and stand against the stratagems of the devil (Eph. 6:11), for wherever the kingdom of God is, the devil is cast out. When the kingdom of God rules on earth fully, Satan will be cast into the abyss (Rev. 20:1-3). Since the church has such a tremendous responsibility, Satan will do all he can to attack the church. May the church pray like the saints of old,...“Oh that You would rend the heavens, that You would come down” (Isa. 64:1). At the same time, we should say to Satan, “Depart from the earth immediately, and go to the eternal fire which God has prepared for you” (cf. Matt. 25:41). (CWWN, vol. 22, “The Prayer Ministry of the Church,” pp. 164-165)

　　God has a very great will, and the miscellaneous matters of His will are included in this great will. When we pay attention to God's great will, all the miscellaneous matters will be accomplished. God has His will in heaven, and His Spirit conveys this will to us. Therefore, we can echo with the cry, “God, we ask that You accomplish this.” When this happens, God accomplishes His will. This is the principle of prayer as revealed in the Bible. God's move today is affected by our prayer on earth. We have to ask God to open our eyes so that we can see that the move in heaven is affected by our prayer on earth. Our Lord has revealed this mystery to us which was hidden from the ages....If we are willing to make a sacrifice and set aside the time to pray, we will see that this kind of prayer will not only receive God's answer but will also receive a reward.

　　God's will is like a river, and our prayer is like the channel. If our prayer is big, the accomplishment of our prayer will also be big. If our prayer is limited, the accomplishment of our prayer will also be limited....God brought in a great revival [in Wales in 1903-1904] through a coal miner, Evan Roberts. He did not have much education, but his prayers were profound. Later he did not engage in any public work for seven or eight years. When a brother met him, the brother asked, “What have you been doing all these years?” He answered with one short sentence, “I have been praying the prayer of the kingdom.”...If there is no prayer, the kingdom will not come. If the channels are blocked, the water cannot flow through. In teaching us to pray, the Lord revealed God's mind and God's demand on us. Whenever God's children place their will in harmony with God's will, God's name will be sanctified, His kingdom will surely come, and His will will indeed be done on earth as in heaven. (CWWN, vol. 22, “The Prayer Ministry of the Church,” p. 167)

　　In John 12—16 Satan is spoken of as the ruler of this world three times (12:31; 14:30; 16:11). Presently, he is the ruler of this world, and the nations of this world are his domain. In the millennium, he will be bound and cast into the abyss. Before that time, the church is on the earth to curb the activities of Satan. The prayer of the church is the most effective means of curbing Satan. The church is a miniature of the kingdom. Any place that manifests God's authority is a place where the kingdom is realized (Matt. 12:28). It is our responsibility to put a halt to Satan's will. Wherever the church is, Satan's authority will retreat. The church is on the earth to perpetuate and manifest Christ's victorious stand over Satan. (CWWN, vol. 44, “God's Eternal Plan,” p. 778)

　　Further Reading: CWWN, vol. 22, “The Prayer Ministry of the Church,” ch. 2