Matt. 18:18 Truly I say to you, Whatever you bind on the earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on the earth shall have been loosed in heaven.
The Prayer of Authority
The Bible contains a most lofty and spiritual prayer. But few people pray this prayer, and few pay attention to it. What is this prayer? It is the “prayer of authority.” We know that there are prayers of praise, prayers of thanksgiving, supplicating prayers, and begging prayers. But few of us know that there is a prayer of authority. A prayer of authority is a commanding prayer. This is the most crucial and most spiritual prayer in the Bible. This kind of prayer is a sign of authority and a declaration of authority. Brothers and sisters, if you want to be a man of prayer, you have to learn to pray with authority.
Exercising God’s Authority to Deal with Problems
What is praying with authority? Simply put, it is praying the prayer of Mark 11. This prayer is not directed toward God, but it is a prayer. It is a speaking directed toward the mountain that says, “Be taken up and cast into the sea.” Yet this is also a prayer. This is a prayer with authority. A prayer with authority does not ask God to do something. Rather, it exercises God’s authority and applies this authority to deal with problems and things that ought to be removed. Every overcomer has to learn to pray this kind of prayer. Every overcomer has to learn to speak to the mountain.
We have many weaknesses, such as temper, evil thoughts, or physical illnesses. If we plead with God concerning these problems, it seems that there is not much result. However, if we apply God’s authority to the situation and speak to the mountain, these problems will go away. What is the meaning of the word “mountain” in this verse? A mountain is a problem that stands in front of us. A mountain is something that blocks the way and stops us from going on. If we see a mountain, what do we do? When many people encounter a mountain in their life or in their work, they pray to God to remove the mountain. But God tells us to speak to the mountain ourselves. All we have to do is issue a word of command to the mountain: “Be taken up and cast into the sea.” There is a great difference between asking God to remove the mountain and commanding the mountain to be removed. It is one thing to go to God and ask Him to do something. It is another thing to directly command the mountain to be cast away. We often overlook this kind of commanding prayer. Seldom do we pray by applying God’s authority to the problem or by saying, “I command you in the name of my Lord to go away” or “I cannot tolerate this thing to remain with me anymore.” A prayer with authority is one in which we tell the things that are frustrating us to go away. We can say to our temper, “Go away.” We can say to sickness, “Go away. I will rise up by the resurrection life of the Lord.” This word is not spoken to God but directly to the mountain. “Be taken up and cast into the sea.” This is a prayer with authority.
All of us have mountains. Of course, these mountains are not the same in size. Our mountain may be this or it may be that. But whatever is blocking us from going on in the spiritual pathway, we can command to go away. This is to pray with authority.
A Prayer with Authority Having Two Aspects
A prayer with authority has two aspects. One is to bind, and the other is to loose. What is bound on earth will be bound in heaven, and what is loosed on earth will be loosed in heaven. Prayers with authority are those in which we bind and loose by exercising authority. God binds because the church has bound, and God looses because the church has loosed. God has given this authority to the church. When the church exercises this authority to speak something, God does it.
Binding Prayer
First let us consider binding prayer. Many people and many things ought to be bound. Sometimes someone may interrupt your prayer or your reading of the Word; it may be your wife, husband, children, or friends who are constantly causing the interruption. You can exercise binding prayer against such people. You can say to God, “God, bind this one and do not allow him to interrupt what I am doing.” Every time you preach the gospel or testify to someone, the demons work within man’s mind to speak many things to him and give him many opposing thoughts. At such times, the church has to bind the evil spirits, stop their speaking, and forbid their work. You may say, “Lord, bind all the works of the evil spirits.” If you bind on earth, the matter will be bound in heaven. Many things need to be bound. Many things in our personal life, in the church, in our daily lives, and in our work need to be bound.
Loosing Prayer
The other kind of prayer is the loosing prayer. What do we loose? Many people ought to give up their jobs to serve the Lord. They are bound by their jobs or by other affairs. Some are bound by their families or by unbelieving wives. Some are bound by outward circumstances. There are all kinds of bondage. We can pray to the Lord to loose them so that they can be released to testify for the Lord. We have to ask God to release us in many things. Furthermore, the truth also needs to be released. We have to tell the Lord all the time, “Lord, release Your truth.” Hence, we have to ask God to release His truth, so that His truth can run and His children can receive it.
Submitting Ourselves to God’s Authority
Finally, there is a sober warning: we must submit ourselves to God’s authority. If we do not submit to God’s authority, we cannot pray with authority. Not only must we submit to God’s authority with respect to His position, but we also must submit to His authority in our daily living and in all practical matters. Unless we do this, we cannot pray with authority.
If we seek after God but do not deny our self, we do not have faith, and we do not have authority. But if we seek after God and deny our self, immediately we will have faith and authority and be able to utter prayers of faith and authority. Brothers and sisters, the most important prayers and the most spiritual prayers are prayers of authority. (The Prayer Ministry of the Church, msg. 4)
