Outline
D
The Bible contains a most lofty and spiritual prayer—the prayer of authority—Matt. 18:18-19; Mark 11:23-24; Eph. 1:20-22; 2:6; 6:12-13, 18-19:
１
If we want to be a man of prayer, we have to learn to pray with authority; this is the kind of prayer described by the Lord in Matthew 18:18.
２
In Matthew 18:18 there is a prayer that is called binding prayer and a prayer that is called loosing prayer; to bind and to loose—this is to pray with authority.
E
Praying with authority is praying the prayer in Mark 11:23-24:
１
Faith is believing that we have received what we have asked for—v. 24:
ａ
According to the Lord’s word, we should believe that we have received, not that we will receive.
ｂ
To hope means to expect something in the future; to believe means to consider something as having been done.
ｃ
Faith is not only believing that God can or will do a certain thing but also believing that God has done that thing already.
２
The prayer in Mark 11:20-24 is a prayer with authority—v. 23:
ａ
A prayer with authority does not ask God to do something; instead, it exercises God’s authority and applies this authority to deal with problems and things that ought to be removed—Zech. 4:7; Matt. 21:21.
ｂ
God has commissioned us to command what He has commanded and give orders to what He has given orders to—17:20.
ｃ
The church can have such a prayer with authority by having full faith, being without doubt, and being clear that what we do is fully according to God’s will—6:10; 18:19-20.
ｄ
Prayer with authority has much to do with the overcomers; every overcomer must learn to speak to “this mountain”—Mark 11:23.
Morning Nourishment
Dan. 9:19 O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and take action! Do not delay, for Your own sake, O my God; for Your city and Your people are called by Your own name.Matt. 26:39 And going forward a little, He fell on His face and prayed, saying, My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.
A prayer that is up to the standard must be one in which man is not praying for himself or for others but for God. Even when we pray for sinners to be saved or for the brothers and sisters to be revived, we ought to be praying for God…The highest meaning of prayer is that it is a means by which God may gain His authority and benefit. Apparently, you may be praying for many people, for many things, or for yourself, but you must be able to go to the root of the matter and say, “O God, all these prayers are for Your sake. Whether or not my prayers are answered is of very little significance, but Your authority and benefit in these matters are of immense importance… The same is true when I pray for the church. Whether the church is cold or hot, good or bad, dead or living—these are of small concern compared to whether or not Your plan, Your testimony, and Your authority can benefit and gain their rightful places. Therefore, I am not praying for the revival of the church but for Your authority and benefit.” (CWWL, 1959, vol. 4, “Lessons on Prayer,” p. 28)
Today’s Reading
May the Lord cover me with His blood and allow me to share something from my own experience. There were quite a few times when I suffered want in material things and necessities…As I knelt down before God, there was an asking within: “Are you praying for yourself, or are you praying for God’s sake?”Whenever there was such an asking within, I prostrated myself before God and said to Him, “O God, if it were for myself, it would not matter if I suffered poverty and starvation even unto death, but Your authority and benefit are involved. Although I am asking for some material things from You, it is still not for my own sake but for Your sake…” You see, this is a proper prayer.
You must touch this deep and tremendous principle and measure your prayers by it. Then you will discover, even in such a divine matter as prayer, how much you are still filled with yourself and how little you have passed through God’s purification. Whether it is in the intention, the motive, or the expectation of your prayer, there is mixture within you. Yes, you are praying to God, but in your heart you are praying wholly on your own and for your own sake. Therefore, you must be dealt with by God until one day you become able to say, “O God, I am praying not for myself but for Your sake. In my motive, intention, and expectation there is no place for me; rather, everything is for Your sake.”
If we would learn such a lesson, we would no longer need to implore God or beg for His pity; instead, we would be able to pray bravely and strongly, for we would be praying not for ourselves but for God’s sake…Daniel was one who passed through God and allowed God to pass through him. He was also one who prayed with God and allowed God to pray with him. Hence, he could pray, “O Lord, hear…for Your own sake” [Dan. 9:19].
Every proper prayer is also man speaking forth the intention of God. Yes, it is you who are speaking, but it is God who is expressing His heart’s intent…True prayers do not express our ideas; rather, they express God’s intention through our utterance. Every prayer which is up to the standard is not initiated by man but by God. This initiation means that God anoints His intention into man. After man receives this intention, he converts it into words and utters them to God. This is prayer…When we pray, we must first be quiet before God, fellowship with Him, and allow Him to anoint His intention into us; thus our prayer can express God’s intention. (CWWL, 1959, vol. 4, “Lessons on Prayer,” pp. 29-31)
Further Reading: CWWL, 1959, vol. 4, “Lessons on Prayer,” ch. 3