Wow, good morning! Welcome to the Father's House. It's so good to see all of you here this morning. My name is Andrea, for those of you that don't know me, and I'm one of the pastors here at the Father's House. I'm so excited for you to be here, for me to be here, and for us to be able to dive into the Word of God together.
Man, wasn't that some great, great worship? I tell you what, we are truly blessed by the team that we have here—not just the worship team, but every single volunteer team that we have. I might be kind of biased, but I think that this is the greatest place to be on earth on a Sunday morning, and it's because of you. It's because of all of you, and not only that, but because the Spirit of the Lord is in this place.
So, we've been in a series called "When the Church Prays," and if you haven't been here for the whole time, I think this is week five. You can go back on our archives at thefathershouse.com and get up to date after today. I highly encourage you to do so. Last week's teaching was powerful. Pastor Terry brought a powerful word last week, so if you missed that, please go back and watch that. You will not be sorry that you did because it was super, super powerful.
Well, he gave us a theme verse on week one, and it's Romans 15:30. It says this: "That's why I plead with you, because of our union with our Lord Jesus Christ, to be partners with me in your prayers to God, my dear brothers and sisters, and in the faith with the love we share in the Holy Spirit. Fight alongside me in prayer."
Let's pray. Father, we thank you so much for already being in this place in a mighty, mighty way. Thank you for the time that we have had in worshiping and singing songs to you. I thank you, Holy Spirit, that you are in this place. Father, we will commit right now and surrender ourselves to you and what you want to do in these next few moments. Father, our eyes are open, our ears are open, our hearts are open and ready to receive what it is that you have for us today.
Father, these words are just words on a piece of paper or in an iPad without you, but with you, they hold power. Speak to us today. Help us to grow in Jesus's mighty, beautiful, matchless name. And everybody said, "Amen."
Well, I'm just going to go ahead and give you point one. I got one point today, and I'm going to give it to you right up front so we know where we're going. That is: "Realize and pray from your identity and position of authority in the kingdom of God."
Pastor Terry said last week that we've got to get back to the basics. That's something that the Lord just impressed upon his heart—that we've got to get back to the basics. Well, in order for us, if we're going to get back to the basics, we better know who we are in God's kingdom and the position we hold in His kingdom.
Now, my goal today is to awaken you, to get you to see clearly the truth of who you are in the powerful position of prayer that you hold. How many of you want to pray just to say words and see nothing happen? Anybody? Yeah, same here.
See, if I'm asking you to fight alongside me in prayer and you're asking me to fight alongside you in prayer, then we probably need to make sure that we're both effective and powerful in prayer, right?
Now, most of the time when we pray, whether it's at a meal or here at church or maybe it's in our small group, our life group, or wherever it is, we finish the prayer by saying, "In Jesus' name, amen." Right? Well, what does that mean? Because to pray in Jesus' name is not just to put a nice little bow on a package. Sometimes I think that when we say things, we don't really think about what we're saying. We just say them because we've said them all of our lives, so we just continue to say them, whether it is something that's good and true or whether it's actually a lie, and we just haven't been awakened to the fact that that's a lie that we're actually continuing to speak.
But I think that oftentimes, maybe when we pray, we're not really thinking of the weightiness and the power of those four little words: "In Jesus' name, amen."
Take a look at these ships. These naval battleships are sailing under a flag. Yes, in this case, the flag of the United States of America. That means that they're sailing in the name of the United States of America. They're coming under the authority of the United States. They're doing business of the United States. These ships represent the United States. In fact, a military ship out at sea is considered a physical extension of its nation. It is the United States out there on that water. It's coming in the name of the nation that sent it, and wherever it goes, it carries with it the full authority and all the resources of the USA to back it up.
So, to pray in the name of Jesus is to come under His authority, His resources, and say, "I'm coming because He sent me." Amen? That is what "in the name of Jesus" means.
The problem is, sometimes I think when we pray and we say, "In Jesus' name," He goes, "Mmm, that one? In my name? I think that was more in your name." Right? Let's just be real.
See, I'm praying this way because He has given me the opportunity, the responsibility, the right, and the authority to pray. So, I come in the name of Jesus, under His authority. I'm sailing into these waters of life in His name, like those battleships are sailing into dangerous waters in the name of its nation.
And that's what it looks like to pray in Jesus' name. We pray against evil in Jesus' name. We come before the throne of God in Jesus' name. We pray for people we love in the authority of Jesus' name and all that is represented in who Jesus is, just like those ships come with the full authority and resource of its nation.
Remember, Jesus said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go," He said, "pray in my name, speak in my name." We go in the authority He has given us.
Catch this: to do His work in the world around us, right? The Bible uses another kind of word picture to make this point, and it's found in 2 Corinthians 5:20.
Let's all read this together: "So we are Christ's ambassadors."
So, according to 2 Corinthians 5:20, as a believer, who are you? That's your next fill-in: "I am Christ's ambassador."
I love how you all said that with authority. You didn't just say it with, "I'm just His ambassador." Let's say it again: "I am Christ's ambassador."
He says we are Christ's ambassadors. Now, what does an ambassador do? Well, he or she represents their king, and everywhere they go, they take their king's influence with them. They take with them at their disposal the full authority, influence, values, and resources of their kingdom. They speak for their king, and the embassy where they work and live is the kingdom itself.
I'm going to say that again: they speak for their king, and the embassy where they work and live is the kingdom itself. For instance, the American Embassy in Germany is the United States. The French Embassy in Japan is France.
And in the same way, you and I take the kingdom of God with us wherever we go because you and I, as believers, are Christ's ambassadors. You have been called by our King to partner with Him in extending the influence of His kingdom and to accomplish the purposes of Heaven on Earth.
Our King invites you, and He invites me, to change the world with Him. And when you and I pray in the name of Jesus, we're praying in His authority as His representatives.
Remember our very first point: the phrase "in the kingdom of God." See, you are part of a kingdom that is not of this earth. If you're a believer sitting here today, if you're watching us online today, sitting there in your home, wherever you're at, and you are a believer, you are a part of a kingdom that is not of this earth.
But being, listen to me, being a kingdom person is not just about eternal life in heaven; it's about kingdom life here and now. And as long as you and I are engaged in spiritual work, we will be engaged in spiritual warfare.
The Holy Spirit gives us spiritual gifts for the work of the Spirit and spiritual armor for the warfare of the Spirit. So, we've been given gifts, armor, a commission, and authority.
Now, let's dig a little bit deeper into our understanding of our spiritual authority and prayer. I want to take a look at a familiar passage of Scripture, but I want to look at it in a way that you might not have ever considered.
Jesus said in John 14, "I'm going to prepare a place for you, that you also may be where I am. I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
So, where is this place He has prepared for us? Jesus says it's with Him. So, where is Jesus right now? See, the answer to that question will shape the way you see your life and it will empower your prayer life.
For years, I focused on the place that Jesus went to prepare for us as our home in heaven after we die—that mansion over the hilltop—and that is true for our future. But in the meantime, there is another, more immediate place He has prepared for us. It is a place that we occupy right now. It's our position of authority in prayer.
And that place is described in Ephesians. Paul prays this in chapter 1, verse 18: "The eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe according to the working of His mighty power, which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at the right hand in the heavenly places."
Underline that; we're going to go back to that. "Far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come."
Underline that; we're going to come back to that. "And He put all things under His feet and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all."
He says, "I pray that the eyes of your heart might be enlightened in order that you may know this truth: the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparable great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of His mighty strength, which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead."
And look at this: "Seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come."
Don't miss that—not only in the present age but the one to come. I'm going to read it backwards: not only in the age to come but in the present age. It's interesting to me that "not only in the present age" comes first, and "but also in the one to come." But we mostly focus on the one that is to come.
He says, "I want the eyes of your heart to be enlightened so you can see this." God placed all things under His feet, Jesus's feet, and appointed Him to be head over everything for the church, which is the body, the fullness of Him who fills everything in every way.
And then in chapter 2 of Ephesians, starting at verse 4, he says, "But God is so rich in mercy, and He loved us so much that even though we were dead because of our sins, He gave us life when He raised Christ from the dead. It is only by God's grace that you have been saved, for He raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus."
So, according to Ephesians chapter 2, as a believer, where are you? "I am seated with Christ."
And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him. Seated us—it's already done; it's past tense. He didn't say, "I will seat you one day." In the day to come, you will actually sit down. No, He said He raised us with Christ and seated us with and in Christ in the heavenly realms.
If you only see the place Jesus is preparing for you as the home in heaven after you die, then you will see Jesus as far off, someplace in another dimension and in heaven, just beyond arm's reach, waiting for you to arrive. And your prayers will seem like the desperate cries of a drowning man hoping to catch the attention of a passing ship.
But when you begin to understand the truth of this passage in Ephesians, it will change your perspective on where and how you stand right now in the present age, and it will shape your understanding of your authority in Christ and your power in prayer.
So, let me camp out on this for just a minute. So, where is Jesus right now? Where is Jesus right now? Confidently, He's seated at the right hand of the Father. Ephesians 1:20 says Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father. Ephesians 2:6 says we are seated with Him and in Him at the right hand of the Father right now—not someday later, but now, today, this very moment.
Not only in the age to come, but also in the present age in which we wrestle against the rulers of darkness of this age, as chapter 6 of Ephesians talks about. Colossians 3 says, "Since then," catch that, "since then"—already happened—you have been raised with Christ, so set your heart on things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
There's that phrase again: seated at the right hand. Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things, for you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
Just so we're all clear, where do Scripture say that we are? We are seated at the right hand of the Father.
You say, "But wait a minute, how can I be seated there when I am most definitely still standing here on earth?" Which one is true? We have to reconcile these two because neither one of them is make-believe; they are both equally true.
You are seated in Christ at the right hand of the Father—not in a physical sense; my physical body is still on earth, or do we agree with that? My physical body is still on earth, and it isn't strictly in a spiritual sense either, but rather you are seated in Christ in an authoritative or a legal sense.
In fact, the Greek word for "seated" in this verse has a dual meaning. It means both to make something sit down and it also means to appoint or confer authority on someone. It's the way you might say a judge is seated on the bench.
In other words, he occupies a place of authority, and he rules as a sitting judge. He still is a sitting judge whether he's in the courtroom or he's on the golf course. He's still the sitting judge.
Or we might say a sitting president. That doesn't mean he's always seated in the Oval Office, right? But he is the sitting president. It doesn't mean he's physically seated in a chair; it's referring to his authority, not his physical location.
In the same way, you and I are seated in Christ as an ambassador is seated in his king's government. You are established in a position of authority from which you pray.
Seated in Christ at the right hand of the Father means that you currently occupy a position of favor with God. That's what the right hand is all about in Scripture. Every time you read about the right hand, it's all about favor, it's all about privilege, it's all about power—not yours, not mine, but His because you are in Christ.
When you pray, you pray in the authority of Jesus Himself and from the vantage point of being seated in Him at the right hand of the Father. The place He's prepared for us—that is what it means to pray in the name of Jesus.
The place He has prepared for us is not just a mansion in the sweet by and by that gives me hope for heaven, but it doesn't really equip me for the here and now to be His ambassador.
The place Jesus has gone to prepare for us is also our seat with Him, in Him, at the right hand of the Father right now in this present age. And it is from that position of favor that we wage spiritual war.
It is from that position of favor that we wage spiritual war. It is not from earth to somewhere up in the sky; it's from a position of authority and privilege and favor—already seated at the right hand of the Father in Christ.
Physically, yes, we are standing on earth; spiritually and authoritatively, we are seated in Christ at the right hand of the Father.
See, the responsibility to pray is ours because we are standing on the earth. The authority to pray is ours because we are seated in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus at the right hand of the Father.
See, that's why it's so critical for us to be people of the Word of God. It is the Word of God that teaches us how to pray according to the will of God. It is the Word of Christ that teaches us how to pray with the mind of Christ.
So, when you pray in Jesus' name, you pray in that authority and with the authority of all that is in His name, which is above every name. We pray in the authority of His name because we are in Christ, and we know it's through His name that we have access to the Father.
Hebrews 4:16 says, "Come boldly to the throne of grace." Jesus said, "Ask anything in my name." So, we pray in the authority of His name and with the authority of His name.
He said, "Come boldly to the throne of grace." He said, "Ask anything in my name." Well, if I don't know who Jesus is, if I don't know the mind of Christ, if I don't know the will of God, if I don't know the character of God, there's no way that I can move into the power of praying in Jesus' name, into the authority.
You very well may be seated there, but you're not accessing your power in the right way. So, we pray in the authority of His name and with the authority of His name.
Just like a police officer says, "Stop in the name of the law," it's not the police officer who's stopping traffic; it's the authority of the law behind him that causes traffic to stop. It's because of that badge he wears that causes traffic to stop.
If I got out there and said, "Stop in the name of the law," they're like, "Get out of the way, crazy lady," because I'm not coming under the name of the law. I have not been placed under the name of the law in that authority and in that position.
However, you and I have been placed in an authority as we're seated in Christ in heavenly realms that we can come as an authoritative ambassador under the name of Jesus Christ, who is the name above every name, who is the name above every name.
If you've got something going on in your life and you know the name of it, man, I'd be excited because I can say, "Cancer, you have to bow to the name of Jesus." Whatever that name is, you have to bow to the name of Jesus.
See, the officer speaks with authority on behalf of the law, and because we pray from that position in Christ at the right hand of the Father, Jesus teaches us to pray first and foremost, "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done."
God's way and wisdom be done on earth where I stand, just as it is in heaven where I am seated in Christ.
You want to be effective and authoritative in your prayer life? The only way that's going to happen is if we read the Word, if we meditate on it, if we study it. Because through God's Word and personal prayer time, you and I get to know Him.
As I talked about before, we get to know His character. We get to know what are His thoughts, what are His ways, what is the heartbeat of the Heavenly Father, what is His heartbeat?
How can you go and be sent by someone where you don't know what the command is to be sent? How do you know what your orders are when you're facing something? How do you know what the strategy is if we don't consult the One who knows all strategies and knows the enemy inside and out and knows where to get him?
Another way we can be effective is by fasting—by incorporating fasting along with prayer. You know, we have been doing corporate prayer every quarter for this particular year, and we've been doing the first Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of that month of the quarter. It's coming up in October, and you're going to be hearing more about that as the weeks go on leading up to the fast.
See, you can go on our website, and maybe you don't really know anything about fasting, and that's okay. We have tools that we can put in your hand. You can go to fathershouse.com, you can find that graphic on the home page, and when you click on it, you can find all kinds of things about fasting—right? All kinds of things.
But one of the biggest things why I'm saying this to you today is I want you to begin to pray and ask God, "What is it? What is the fast that you want me to do? What do you want me to fast for?" That would be a good prayer and a good question.
If you want to be a person of authoritative prayer, then you must walk in an increasing understanding of your position and authority in Christ in this present age—not just the one to come. It is a present position of authority, and that is a truth to grow into. It takes sound-mindedness and it takes faith.
So, given that truth and with a growing understanding of your authority, every time you pray, see yourself as taking your position of authority in Christ at the right hand of the throne of God—not as some desperate, distant, hopeless voice, but as seated in the very presence and authority and favor of God Himself.
Let that be your mindset when you pray.
Let me pray for you today. Father, this is a powerful truth for us to grab hold of, and I truly believe that it is not a mistake that you chose me to bring this word today.
Father, I'm praying for each and every one of us that our hearts would be wide open to receive that word today, that it would take deep root within our lives, that we may move into the true calling of who we are—that we are Christ's ambassadors and we are seated in authority in Jesus Christ at the right hand of the Father.
on Nov 05, 2023
