Blog 33 / Our High Calling
June 24, 2021
Our Authority in Prayer
God the Father has raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places. (Eph 2:6-7)
Imagine two nations at war. One nation emerges victorious; the other is forced to surrender. But the defeated nation is still holding captive in its POW camps many soldiers of the victorious army. Those prisoners may not even know the war is over. It is only when the victorious army exercises its battle-won authority that it can liberate the camps and set the POWs free.
In the age-long war between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness, the decisive victory was won by our Lord Jesus at Calvary. Through His death and resurrection, He disarmed and dethroned principalities and powers and “made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross” (Col 2: 15 NIV).
Although Satan is a defeated foe, he still holds captives. But he is operating without valid authority and is in effect conducting an illegal warfare against the peoples of the earth. He has multitudes under his control by using deception and lies to keep them in bondage to false belief systems and godless philosophies.
As a victorious army liberates its POWs, so our Lord has given His Church the authority to “proclaim freedom for the captives” (Isa 61:1). We need to use that authority in prayer and in preaching if we are to see people free in Christ and experiencing the wonderful love of God.
For the Church of the Living God to stand triumphant when all the forces of evil are united against her, every believer must recognize the spiritual authority they have in Christ. Our victorious, risen Lord now sits in the heavenly realm enthroned at God’s right hand, far above all powers and authorities. Through our identification with Christ, we too are seated with Him in the heavenly realm, far above those powers and authorities.
It is from our vantage point with Christ in the heavenly realm that we carry out our ministry of intercession and proclaiming freedom for captives. Our fight is not against flesh and blood. It is against the rulers and powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil (Eph 6:12).
God calls us, with the full support of Heaven, to enter into this battle through intercessory prayer; praying for the salvation of souls who will worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4: 23-24).
Colin Stott
GRN Global Prayer Coordinator
