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Preparation reinforces authority in you. We have to let that marinate for a minute. We’re going to dissect this truism more, and by doing so give our prayer lives a very necessary and bountiful boost. To begin, it’s necessary to state a perhaps basic but important truth. It is the reality that everyone is not destined to experience the same things in life. There are places you will never go, people you will never meet, and experiences you will never have. Your life is strategically positioned for the purposes that God had destined you to carry forth. This is an amazing truth to have in our arsenals. If we will surrender to it, we’ll save ourselves a boatload of time and resources. We won’t waste our time chasing after things that have nothing to do with who we are meant to be. Instead, we will find treasures ever more by seeking God and leaning only on His guidance and leadership through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Preparation
God has assured us in Ephesian 1:10(NLT) that He has a plan, “And this is the plan: At the right time, he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth.” We, you and I, are very important to His plan. When we made Jesus Christ the Lord of our lives, we committed ourselves to be his ambassadors. We invited his Spirit to take up residence in our spirit-man. Acts 7:48 tells us that our bodies are God’s temple, and we know enough about God from His Word to recognize that He never sleeps or slumbers. He’s constantly at work. Rest assured that as His child, even when you’re resting, something spiritual is happening in you and to you. Even when you sleep, your spirit-man is busy, and engaged in activities towards God’s plan. It is your distinct privilege and responsibility to make sure your flesh doesn’t interfere with His work.
You are being prepared for God’s purpose in ways that you couldn’t begin to know or understand. We’re in a love relationship with Him, where we’re learning to respond to God, not through our flesh or who we think we are, but through the Lord Jesus Christ—through his example and through his desire to please the Father. We can’t make ourselves holy and sanctified. Jesus Christ is doing this work in us. 1Corinthians 1:24-25,30 (NLT) tells us, “24 But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength. 30 God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin.”
1Corinthians 6:11 also tells us that we were made right by calling on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of God. Through Christ we are made holy, but we also have a very important part to play in our holiness, and it is to stay prepared by moving, speaking, and acting as the Spirit directs. We miss the mark sometimes because we’re not picking-up on what the Spirit is conveying. Our choices to act and behave in a way that is contrary to Christ grieves the Spirit and leaves us unprepared for Kingdom business.
1Peter 3:15(NKJV) tells us, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;” To sanctify the Lord God in our hearts is to do our best to keep them focused on His goodness. We’re not perfect, but we can be perfectly prepared in our hearts to honor and please Him, and of course He knows when we’re anchored in this.
Authority
Jesus Christ has given us his authority to use in our lives. Not only do we pray in his name, but the power of God that backs the name of Jesus allows us to accomplish infinitely more on earth than we would otherwise. This is no ordinary fight down here. It’s a fight-to-the-finish battle for territory. The enemy can smell a bluff a mile away. Likewise, he and his demonic cohorts recognize the authority of Christ when it enters the arena. So when we step up to the plate spiritually unprepared, we have an authority problem.
Victory on earth demands that we take authority through Christ; we can’t have victory without it. Authority in Christ requires that we represent him in the way that God has commanded us to. Renewed-mind thoughts of excellence, principled conversations, and honorable behavior; God didn’t put these on the grid for nothing. They keep our minds and hearts primed and prepped. They build Christ-authority in us, the kind that doesn’t require us to utter a word, because everything in the earth recognizes when we’re truly walking in Christ.
We have a destiny and a purpose in the plan of God. As followers of Christ, we must fight the good fight of faith, and we know the enemy will try to challenge our stand. God has equipped us to be prepared in the authority of Christ for anything the enemy throws our way, but we’ve got to be on our post—can’t be trying to man somebody’s else’s post or move in a direction that’s outside our span of influence or blessing. We need to stay close to God so we make moves that are ordained by Him.
To that end, some of us need to shift gears in our prayer lives; particularly in the time in which we’re living, because we need to be sharp. 2 Corinthians 10:3-4 (ESV) tells us, “For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.” Many of us have focused a lot of energy on areas that are outside the parameters of our mandates, and it’s time to double down on what God is calling our attention to.
When we’re not speaking, thinking, loving, caring, and giving according to the example of Christ, we’re limiting our authority to stand strong. Be confident beloved Sister, that when you make even the smallest effort to line up with the Spirit’s power, you will witness the difference in your life. Things will become lighter and brighter, and God’s stamp of approval will be evident. Let’s make this the main focus in our prayers, so that we can stand in the authority that Christ has given us. Then we can be more effective in our prayer lives and strengthened in the fulfillment of the purpose for which we’ve been called. ■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“Preparation Reinforces Your Authority” written by Reverend Fran Mack, edited by Kim Times for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2018. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.
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