Powerful Prayers Produce More Oil
So many people treat prayer and worship as they are one and the same but Christians must learn how to pray without an emotional music experience. In our time of prayer, we receive instructions needed to break down walls and defeat giants. It is where we press in and position ourselves to keep our lamps full of the oil that will burn brightest in these times of such darkness.
Allow Prayer to Activate Your Power
The Word of God divides the soul and spirit, so while emotions are not bad, believers must make sure they are not being led by their soul, but rather by the Word of God.
“For the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” – Hebrews 4:12
Many times, the things that appear to be foolish in this world are what God wants us to do. He told the Israelites to march around the walls of Jericho for seven days to conquer the city (Joshua 6). As we see in 1 Samuel 17, He used a shepherd boy to defeat Goliath, a heavily armed Philistine giant, who challenged the Israelites for 40 days. People of God are to follow God’s lead because we have been given all the authority of heaven and need to learn how to use it!
The spiritual realm is eternal, more real than the physical realm and it is the truest reality there is. Every person is born on a spiritual battlefield and what Jesus did on the cross conquered sin, death, hell, and the grave but it is up to the Christian to enforce what Christ conquered. The devil and his minions still have dominion on this earth so it is important to take authority in prayer and treat the enemy, like what he is, a trespasser.
Pray with Authority
Believers often pray prayers of thanksgiving or decision but very few people know the prayers of declaration. When you have a relationship with God you become more comfortable with accessing what is yours. This author has encountered people who refuse to embrace their authority in God as a form of humility. But as Pastor Mike Signorelli says, to “reject a gift is to reject the gift giver.”
To deny yourself of the authority God gave you, can mask itself as false humility. As one grows in the things of God the environments of heaven should start to feel normal to you. You will find yourself embracing faith over fear, and hope rather than doom.
A Pew research report showed that only 45% of adults in the US now say they pray daily as compared to 60% in 2007. People praying is losing ground and sadly the suicide rate and mental illness have increased. People are doing away with calling themselves Christians and are identifying as “spiritual” instead.
These statistics can be discouraging but if you are walking in your heavenly authority you can identify that while fewer people are calling themselves Christians, the ones that are calling themselves “Christians” are taking their life with Christ seriously.
During a sermon series titled, Pray With Power, Pastor Mike Signorelli shared some prayers of declaration that can equip believers to walk in their authority. Feel free to recite these out loud as you pray along:
“Heavenly Father, thank you for giving me every resource to do everything that's in your Word. I lack nothing, I have your Holy Spirit, I have all wisdom through your Holy Spirit. All knowledge through your Holy Spirit. I am not confused, I am confident through the Holy Spirit. When you speak I listen, I listen through your Word, I listen through your voice, I listen through leadership.
I declare that I have access to all promises in God’s Word, I am not an orphan I am a child of the Most High. I declare I have full access to peace that surpasses understanding to boldness. I operate in faith not fear! I declare that I will fulfill the fullness of my purpose. I am a generational curse breaker. I am the one in my family that will step fully in. I am certain everything you said will come to pass in Jesus' name, Amen!”
Are You Oily?
In Mathew 25 Jesus taught about 10 virgins who all started on even ground. They were all virgins, they all had lampstands and they all had oil in their lamps. Unfortunately at the end of the parable, only 5 of them still had the oil.
As Pastor Mike often teaches – There is no middle ground in life. Territory either belongs to God or the enemy. A person is either living for God or living for satan. To those who think they do not believe in spiritual forces but instead live for their own desires, in living for self they are still fulfilling the devil's agenda.
“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward, the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch, therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” – Matthew 26:1-13
Christianity in Western civilization has become a cultural badge in many ways but true devotion and dedication will result in our lamps being filled with oil when everything goes dark. We should seek more oil from on high. There’s no way humanity can keep shining bright in its own strength. It is God who keeps the fire burning and in prayer is where we will be activated.
In Ephesians 5:18 we are instructed not to put our trust in the vices of this world, but instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit. Christians must have the indwelling presence of God while continually being filled with the Holy Spirit at the same time.
So pray, grow in the Lord, embrace your authority, and receive more of His awesome presence. It does take time to go deeper but it’s truly worth it!
About the Author
Jeannie Ortega Law is a chart-topping singer, evangelist, media personality and author from New York City. She can be reached on social media: @JeannieOrtega or emailed at Info@JeannieO.com
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