What Do You Require?

Revelation is KEY to the Christian walk. It changes everything.

The majority of this post is from the notes I took while watching a teaching from Barry Bennett called, "The Effectual Fervent Prayer of a Righteous Man."  I want to make sure that I give him credit where credit is due! I am so thankful for his faithfulness to share what God shows him!

Before having Judah, they found two complex cysts on my right ovary. Since having him, they found that those cysts had merged together and made one bigger one and that a new one had also formed on my left ovary. It was bummer news to get right after the tragedy we experienced. That’s all I’m going to say about it though, because I got a little revelation about how much we talk to people about our problems and speak more life into our issues than speaking life into our promises of health and wholeness. So I am really trying to work on not talking about my problems all the time and talking about the promises that God has given for my life and my body and making His promises my focal point.

So with all of that being said, when you are so used to thinking one way, it takes a lot of work, mind renewal and constantly taking your thoughts captive, to get your mind going in the right direction. Add trauma, grief and unanswered questions from the loss of your child, and you’ve got yourself quite the mind-battling cocktail. Let’s just say that life hasn’t been easy lately.

BUT GOD. He is so good to show His faithfulness even when we are having a hard time finding it (only due to our lack of focus, not Him leaving us. Deuteronomy 31:6). On my way home tonight, I was going through my usual thought process that fills my mind lately and I had a big question: If God has given us authority and can only do what He can on earth because we are the vessels to work through, then why do we even pray? What’s the point if it depends on our authority that was given to us through Christ? Little did I know my answer was right there: we are the vessels that God has to use to do His work on this earth. God’s not up there like a huge child playing with His dolls, controlling everything that happens here on earth. We are the ones who were given authority to use His power, or not. Ephesians 3:20 says, “Now to Him who is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly more than all that we dare, ask or think [infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams], according to His power that is at work within us….” (AMP, emphasis mine). He is able to carry out and do what we desire/require, according to the power at work in us. THIS is why we pray.

James 5:16 says, “The heartfelt and persistent (effectual, fervent) prayer of a righteous man (believer) can accomplish much [when put into action and made effective by God—it is dynamic and can have tremendous power].” God’s ear is turned to the righteous man. He listens to and cares about what you have to say, what you desire, what you require.

But why does it have to be fervent (energized, consistent) prayer?
In I Kings 17-18, Elijah told the King that there would be no rain for three years until he (Elijah) says it can rain. That’s a righteous boldness!! Then, after three years, God told him that it would rain, that His promise was coming. So Elijah went up to the mountain and bowed down and began fervently praying. He told his servant to go check for rain clouds, and his servant came back and told him there was nothing. Elijah told him to go back seven times and while he was still praying, his servant came back the seventh time and finally told him that he could see a cloud! Elijah’s fervent prayers changed nature! He was obedient in believing that God would fulfill His promises to him. He obeyed, believed and declared the promise and the Word of God.
Sometimes you have to stand and declare your promise. Maybe sometimes, healing doesn’t happen because we haven’t made full use of the power within us through prayer.

Mark 11:24 says, “Therefore I say unto you, whatever things you desire, when you pray, believe that you receive them and you shall have them.”
Here God is saying, “Whatever you ask for, whatever you desire, when you pray, you will receive it.” We see in Matthew 14:7-8 that King Herod promised the girl dancing for him that whatever she asked for or desired, he would give it to her. Well, as we all know, she desired John’s head to be served on a platter. Yikes.
That is what she required of him according to the promise that he made to her. What she desired is what she required. So then, we can now read Mark 11:24 a little differently: “Whatever things you require of Me, believe you have received it.” Base your prayer on your promise that you require, not hope for.

Elijah prayed for rain until it came. He did NOT leave until it rained. Cooperate with God’s promise, don’t plead. We are worthy to require what God has for us. I require healing for my body. I don’t hope for it, or beg for it, I require it and it is MY promise! I require full term pregnancies with healthy babies because that is our promise! I am assured, convinced and NOT moving until I see that promise! Elijah’s prayer brought forth what God had already decreed, and your prayer will release what God can do through you!

Sometimes, miracles come quickly and easily, but sometimes, He has to use our fervent, persistent prayer because sometimes there is resistance. The devil is involved in sickness. It is oppression and a bondage that needs to be fought against, cast down and rebuked! Could it be that I am doubting because I’m not hanging in there and requiring what is already mine?!
Ephesians 6:13 says, “For this reason, take up all the armor that God supplies. Then you will be able to take a stand during these evil days. Once you have overcome all obstacles, you will be able to stand your ground.” You have to RESIST the devil and stand your ground, and a lot of times, that means resisting and resisting and resisting until you see your promise come to pass. Resisting the devil requires enforcing the will of God fervently over your situation. Sometimes, you have to become firm and tell a child to do something more than once, so if that happens in the natural, doesn’t it make sense that it can also happen in the spiritual realm with the enemy?

I will enforce the will of God and my power over my circumstances and over the enemy, and I will see my promises come to pass!
You are the gate that enforces God’s will fervently and requires seeing your promise come to pass!

Love and Blessings,
Stephanie