Words of Authority vs Prayer
For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea….. “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” (Mark 11:23-24, KJV)
There is a difference between prayer and words of authority or authoritative commands. It is a subtle difference we have to fully understand, though the difference can sometimes become blurry as both can co-occur.
Prayer is essentially talking with God. We make requests and petitions to God. We give commands to control things or even people that are under our authority. Interestingly, Mark 11:23-24 beautifully demonstrates both prayer and words of authority as well as their intimate relation.
He begins by saying “whosoever shall say unto this mountain”. Mountain is figurative of our challenges and obstacles in life. Classic examples include demons and diseases. The Lord says you can speak to disease, and demons because He has given us authority over them. This is not prayer. Do you know that there are some things in our lives that will only change until we command them by the power of the Spirit?
The next verse( v24) tells us about prayer, where we tell God our desires. In both cases, faith is critical. Do not pray when you have to speak words of authority to rule. Neither should you command when you have to pray. Learn to use both spiritual devices effectively.
MEDITATE
What is the difference between prayer and words of authority? What are some issues in your life right now that require you to exercise spiritual authority and those that need you to pray?
APPLY THE WORD
Learn to talk. You cannot afford to keep quiet in spiritual matters. This does not mean you become loquacious, babbling all the time. It means you should learn to talk to circumstances. You are not crazy when you do, you are just behaving like your Father who spoke to the earth and water to bring forth creation as we know it!
PRAY
Ask the Spirit to teach you prayer and spiritual authority.
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