I'll be sharing with us, “The Essence of God's Power for Believers”. I would like to first clarify the negative impression of the power of God i.e., what believers perceive the power of God to be. Believers have the notion that is wrong; that praying for the power of God is carnal because we term the power of God to be asking for anointing, wealth, breakthrough, lifting, and the rest; on which all of these are actually good. The power of God is the umbrella that births the breakthrough, the wealth, and the rest. But for the purpose of this sharing, we'll be looking at authority and dominion, which is the power of God relating to authority, and dominion.
The power of God puts us in command over every life situation and circumstance. It also silences the enemy, so we possess our possession in Christ Jesus. And then the power of God sets us on our feet; the power of God is not for fun; it is for function. It is for declaration, for transformation for restoration and healing, for deliverance from satanic oppression, molestation, and depression; because a lot of people are really in depression, and a lot of things are going on and it is the devil that is cheating most believers simply because we do not realize, we do not know our identity in Christ Jesus, and the devil is cheating us because of it; we need to take our place in God.
There are a number of Scriptures that talk about the power of God for us; but I am going to be pointing our direction to a few of them in this writeup. The first one is found in the book of Isaiah 40:28-31. The Bible says says,
“28Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the Lord,
The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.
His understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might, He increases strength.
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
And the young men shall utterly fall,
31 But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.”
God empowers the weak. This is what is written in the Bible for us, if we don't need to be empowered, it will not be written here. We need the power of God because we cannot on our own do anything, we are helpless to ourselves, God is the one that strengthens us. Psalm 68:35 says: “O God, you are more awesome than your holy places. The God of Israel is He who gives strength and power to His people. Blessed be God!” If we do not need the power of God, it would not be documented here. We need strength; He gives strength and power to His people. We all are His people; we are His children; we are sons and daughters of His.
Psalm 62:11 says, “God has spoken once, Twice I have heard this: that power belongs to God”. If power belongs to God, who are the benefactors? We His children, the power of God is our inheritance, we are to benefit from God's power. Also in Psalms 63:1-2, the Bible says: “O God, you are my God; early will I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my flesh longs for you in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water. So, I have looked for you in the sanctuary, to see your power and your glory.” Did we see that? We need His power, we need it. In Luke 9:1, the Bible says: “Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases.”
The power of God helps us, it enhances us, and it empowers us to rule over every principality and power. Luke 24:49, “Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.” Christ knew, He is aware that we cannot do anything of our own, that we need the power, that’s why He told the disciples, and right now we are His disciples that they should remain in Jerusalem until they are endued with the power; if the power was not necessary, He wouldn't have told them to wait. Acts 1:8 says, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
We were given the power to take up assignments, power to serve effectively, and power that we might not grow weary; when doing our God-given assignment or role that He has given to us. Ephesians 6:10-12 “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” We need the power of God to subdue the enemies. II Timothy 1:7 says, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
Instead of the spirit of fear, God gave us three things; the spirit of power, the spirit of love, and a sound mind. Now, how often are we to be empowered by God, is it monthly, once in a week, or once in a year? The answer is, that we should be empowered by God every day of our life; we need to be refilled and refreshed. Psalm 68:19 says: “Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits, the God of our salvation! Selah!” Blessed be the Lord who daily loads us with benefits and this benefit is His power. He knows we need it and that’s why we need to come for it daily. That you ate yesterday doesn't mean you should not eat today, where is the strength? If you don't, you need to be refilled; that’s likened to our spiritual life; we need to be refueled, refilled, and renewed every day of our life. And we need the power of God, if not: the devil will cheat us in so many ways.
Matthew 6:11 says “Give us this day our daily bread.” I would say give us this day our daily power to run the race effectively and to finish strong; it's one thing to run a race, it is another thing to finish strong. It is the power of God that will enable us to finish strong. As a believer, what must I do to grow and abide in God's power? What must I do? The first thing is to have the knowledge of God and an understanding of who God is. Jeremiah 9:23-24, it is important for a believer to know his/her God: to have a personal relationship with God. The Bible says:
“Thus says the LORD: “let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows me, That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight, says the LORD.”
We must experience God ourselves; we must have personal encounters with God ourselves. That we are rich, we are wise, we are mighty doesn't mean that the devil will not want to oppress or depress us. If not by the power of God, who else can deliver us from our afflictions? It is God, He alone. So, we need to know Him, we need to have an understanding of God. And there's a difference between knowing God, in terms of wisdom, knowledge and understanding. Knowledge is, for example, having a Bible; which as long as that Bible is in my possession, I have information about God that if anybody asks me anything, all I need to do is to open it and search through and give them an answer. But understanding is deeper, it requires sitting down and saying, okay, I want to know the life of Christ, I really want to know God; a deeper dimension and knowledge of Him. In understanding, you want to know Him more, you want to experience Him more, you want to have a deeper understanding of who He is while wisdom is the application of that knowledge; the release of the power of God we are talking about: by declaring God's Word into every situation of our lives.
That is wisdom; the release of the power of God to every situation in our life. In 1 John 4:4, the Bible says “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world”. This is an example of God’s children declaring God's word in any form of challenge or life situation that does not align with the word of God in our lives. Obadiah 1:17 says: “But on Mount Zion there shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions.” You are to declare God's word in every situation, you declare God's Word for your healing transformation, change of levels, over repeated patterns of negativity and negative cycles, you declare God's word.
In Psalm 18:44-45, the Bible says: “As soon as they hear of me, they obey me; the foreigners submit to me. The foreigners fade away, and come frightened from their hideouts.” These are strangers, things that are not of God, what is not working in accordance with the word of God in our lives, we speak God's word. And we speak simply because we have found our place in God, the life and the power of God is at work in us, and we gain command over life issues and circumstances. Number two, walk in God's way. The first one was to have an understanding and knowledge of who God is. The second one is to walk in God's ways. Jeremiah 6:16 says,
“16 Thus says the Lord:
“Stand in the ways and see,
And ask for the old paths, where the good way is,
And walk in it;
Then you will find rest for your souls.
But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’”
We need to have the ability, the understanding, to be able to walk in God's ways, and God's ways are His words, His commandments, His instructions, they are His instructions for us. When we walk in God's ways, we find rest for our souls. God cannot lead you and you will be lost; it is not possible. He is our God, He loves us; so, whoever will allow God to lead him, such a person will be led right and find rest for his/her soul. Exodus 23:25-26 shows us what we tend to gain when we walk in the ways of God. It says: 25 “So you shall serve the Lord your God, and He will bless your bread and your water. And I will take sickness away from the midst of you. 26 No one shall suffer miscarriage or be barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days.
We enjoy alround fruitfulness when we walk in the ways of God. Exodus 33:13-14 also says, “13 Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people.” 14 And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” There is no one that will walk with God that would not enjoy His presence; God’s presence will always go with us and will find rest in Him. The third one is a life of prayer and a word study life. The life of prayer is the life of absolute trust and dependency on God; is a sign of being helpless and empty of your own; you cannot do anything of your own, you allow God to have His way.
You're telling God that Father, I can't do this on my own, I need You to help me; for by strength shall no man prevail. We pray in order to be refilled and renewed for our everyday life; because every day has its own challenge and victory. So, we need to always pray to God to be renewed and empowered in Him. And then the Word of God is the sword of believers; without it, we would be cheated by the wicked, and the Word of God is the power of God that believers use in winning battles over the wicked and over every situation of life. Jeremiah 15
:16 says: “Your words were found, and I ate them, and your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; for I am called by your name, O LORD God of hosts.”
When we feed on the Word of God, it lightens us up, we enjoy revelation, illumination, and understanding, and also, the Word of God gives us direction and guidance. Hebrews 4:12 says: “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” The Word of God is powerful in that it changes every life situation, the Word of God gives life, it gives light, truth, transformation, healing, power, success, deliverance, restoration, authority, and dominion.
The Word of God also is the power of God that liberates us and also builds our character to align us to His Word to be a better person. God’s word recreates and brings alive. The fourth is a lifestyle of praise and worship. In Acts 16:25-26 “But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed”. A life full of praise and worship is a life powerfully backed up by God; every life situation and challenge surrender and bows to the power of God in praise and worship. In praise and worship, we have access to open doors, to revelations, to light, and to illumination; and then chains are broken into pieces and the bars of iron are cut asunder; this is what the Word of God does in praise and worship.
Then lastly, a fasting lifestyle. In order to command results; we must live a fast life. Matthew 17:19-21 says: “19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 20 So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. 21 However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” That means even when we have faith even after faith, and nothing is happening, we need to go to God in prayer and consecrate ourselves i.e fast or wait on God concerning that matter and pray, and the Lord will show up for us.
Isaiah 58:6 says:
“Is this not the fast that I have chosen:
To loose the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the heavy burdens,
To let the oppressed go free,
And that you break every yoke?
When we go to God in a fast, He sees our hearts; fasting is all about the heart and it must be done with understanding. It is a time to go to God to be set free from all afflictions, from everything that is not working in order for them to work. So, what is the benefit of being empowered by God? It is unlimited access to authority and dominion. We have unlimited access to authority and dominion. We are able to reign on earth, to dominate it; we take charge of it, and we are in control of it. Psalm 8:4-6
“4 What is man that You are mindful of him,
And the son of man that You visit[a] him?
5 For You have made him a little lower than [b]the angels,
And You have crowned him with glory and honor.
6 You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands;
You have put all things under his feet,”
We have been given authority and dominion by God over all things as long as our motives and intentions are right before our God.
Amen!
Thanks for the gift of your time, I am Bolaji Ajayi!
Feel free to share your thoughts or testimony in the comment box below. I promise to respond to them as soon as possible!