prayer request with instructions or an assignment. Whatever He tells us to do, we must obey. “If you are willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land” (Isaiah 1:19). We cannot just do our own thing and expect God to roll in and respond like a genie or Santa Claus. We cannot pick and choose when we want to obey God. 1 Samuel 15:22 says that “obedience is better than sacrifi ce.” Obedience comes from a place of humility. When we obey, we are saying, “God, I know that your plans for my life are greater than my desires. Therefore, I submit to your will and way of doing things.” Disobedience is an act of rebellion. It is from our sinful nature and can contribute to the hindrance of our prayers. It does not matter what or how much we sacrifi ce, whether it be our time, talents, or gifts; if we are not obedient, we will not eat from the goodness of the land that God has prepared for us. The Power of Prayer By Dr. LaToya Williams Power Power is not passive! It is assertive, explosive and noticeable. Power makes a bold statement and is present. When it comes to prayer, praying with power is vital. In doing so, we must use God’s word. The authorization that we need is through speaking in a biblical context. This is where true authority lies. Even Jesus, when He was tempted by the devil, said, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word coming out of the mouth of God’” (Matthew 4:4). The word of God is life. It restores life and redeems lives. When we understand the power that we have when we speak God’s word, we will apply it to every situation in our lives. Thus, walking in the power and purpose that we were destined to walk in. Proverbs 18:21 says, “There is power of life and death in the tongue.” Therefore, we shall have whatever we say. We can speak life to any situation, or Page 14 we can speak death. We have a choice. Let’s take the word power and look at it a bit more closely as it relates to prayer. I created an acronym for power. It is: (P)Pray, (O)Obey, (W)Wait, (E)Execute and (R)Repeat. Pray As believers, we have been called to pray. This is a divine calling to commune with God and build a personal relationship with Him. “He (the believer) will call upon me and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him” Psalm 91:15. Prayer simply starts with communicating with God; talking to Him and listening for His response. One thing for sure, God will answer. It may not always be when or what we want to hear, but He certainly responds. Sometimes God responds with an explosive, triumphant, groundbreaking, bush-burning answer. Other times, His response is a subtle whisper. In 1 Kings 19:12, God appeared to Elijah in a gentle whisper. Whenever He decides to answer our prayers, we must know that He is listening. Obey Sometimes, God will respond to our Wait “Wait, I say, on the Lord and be of good cheer” (Psalm 27:14). One thing about prayer and petition that we don’t often like is the waiting period. Waiting is necessary. It is a part of the process. This time period has a way of refi ning and defi ning us. It is during this time that we can gain a better understanding of who and what we are made of. Waiting makes us appreciative. Isaiah 43:31 says, “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint.” This passage of scripture is a mouthful. It gives us the encouragement and endurance that we need during the waiting period. We are assured that even in our times of weakness, we will have the strength to soar as an eagle and the strength to continue on whatever path God has set before us. Galatians 6:9 encourages us to not get weary when we are doing good, because there is a due season that we will reap if we don’t faint. Yes, the waiting period can seem as if God has forgotten about us. Yes, the waiting period can be overwhelming and disheartening at times. The waiting period can also seem as if God is silent and not attentive to our needs and desires. We must understand that sometimes when God is silent, He is telling us to “be still” and to trust Him. In Psalm 46:10, God instructs David to “Be still, and know that I am God.” We must also keep in mind that the waiting period does not always last. And God will eventually respond in one way or another. Dr. LaToya Williams Execute At the right time, God will give us the go-ahead to execute the plan, mission or assignment. “And David enquired at the Lord, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? Shall I overtake them? And He answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all” (1 Samuel 30:8). Knowing the right time to execute is vital. This is why staying in communication with God is a must. We have to remain positioned in the posture of prayer so that we are sensitive to God’s instruction. Timing is a given factor if we are going to conquer and recover. We are to be as the sons of Issachar with the anointing and ability to discern what is far off. They were known for their wisdom, discernment and understanding of times and seasons (1 Chronicles 12:32). Issachar was one of the tribes of Israel that were given the richest portion of the land distributed to the twelve tribes of Israel. They were instrumental in the rise of King David, being loyal to his rulership and executing the plan of action. Ready or not, the time to execute is vastly approaching. Repeat “Men are to always pray, and never give up” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). The key word is “always.” Prayer is not a one-stop-shop. It isn’t a one-time deal, on the clearance rack, where you get your money’s worth and then move on to the next deal. Prayer has to be a daily lifestyle and commitment of communing with God. If we are going to walk and live in promised power here on earth, prayer has to be our daily manna. We must utilize our prayer life as the divine substance that God provides freshly, every day of our lives. As believers who aspire to tap into the supernatural things of God, it is our due diligence to maintain a daily prayer life. And having done all, continue to pray. Repeat it and do it over again! Let’s live, move, and sustain in POWER!
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