Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy…But don’t rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered in heaven. Luke 10:19-20 (NLT)
Our prayers reflect our beliefs. Many believers pray from this perspective “I’m just a poor sinner, have mercy on me. God, please do something for me!” But praying this way shows unbelief. We’re begging God for something we don’t believe is already ours.
Unfortunately, nonbelievers watch Christians who beg and plead with God and think, “You cry and ask God for healing, and beg for help with your kids, yet nothing changes. Who wants to serve a God like that?”
If you’ve given your life to Christ, you’re Heaven-bound at the end of your life. But until then, you need to discover the authority you hold in Christ. Otherwise, your years here on earth will be anything but heavenly as your unbelief unplugs the power from your prayer life.
Interestingly, Jesus, the disciples and the early church didn’t pray by begging and pleading. For example, if they encountered a demon-possessed person, they didn’t scream or act weird. They simply commanded it to come out and continued to share the gospel with people. (See Acts 16:16-18, Mark 1:23-27 and 5:2-13.) You see, learning your authority in Christ changes lives—including your own!
That’s why studying God’s Word is so important. We need to realize what is ours and what Jesus won for us on the cross. Once we know our rights in Christ, we need to learn how to declare God’s promises.
Understanding your authority in Christ completely changes the way you pray, read the Bible and function in the world.
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