It Takes Two-The Prayer of Agreement.
Introduction
There are many prayer promises in the Bible but one of the most important ones in my perspective is Matthew 18:19. But I have seen that many Christians go through life having a knowledge of the word having read the word and even studied Matthew 18:19 but really don’t understand how to appropriate in their lives.
The Lord God did not put promises regarding prayer and scripture just to fill up space. He is not like us to talk just to talk. He put those promises for our benefit and for us to act upon. We need to know how to make those promises ours and put them into action in our lives.
Once again, I must state again to have strong faith in the Word of God will create the reality of answered prayer of in our life. Abiding also means maintaining a good relationship with God striving to lead a godly life walking in love and faith.
“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” John 15:7. His word is speaking directly to our inner man (our spirit man). As we grow in God, we exercise our ability to grow in faith. This is the key to successful living and having prayers answered. Remember to have prayers answered we must walk in love and appropriate them for ourselves.
Prayer of Agreement
“Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again[a] I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” Matthew 18:18-20.
The first thing we should notice is verse 19. It says as shall be done for them of my Father, which is in heaven. This assertion is the strongest way to say I will do it. In this scripture, Jesus promise it shall be done for them of my father, which is in heaven, he also stated and John 14:14 “if you shall ask anything in my name, I will do it.”
Many Greek scholars indicate that the translation in Greek is much more precise than what we have in English. Idioms cannot be translated into English and does not translate their full meeting. The Greek rendering of Jesus statement if you shall ask anything my name and even if you don’t have it, He will make it for you. So basically, the Lord Jesus Christ is saying that he stands ready for people of faith who appropriate this scripture in prayer that is according to His Word.
Authority to Bind and to Loose!
Remember that Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”
First of all, this is what most Christians believe is only for those gathered in church but this is not so. What Jesus was saying whenever two people agree on earth He is present there with them. Remember you agree on earth first to bind or loosed then it is sealed in heaven. The real problem is to find two people that really have the same faith to agree and stand their ground when the enemy attacks. Why do you think the enemy attacks so much Christian marriages because how powerful would they be in agreement to bind or loose.
But unfortunately, many Christians are bound by the devil instead of binding the devil. They are defeated and depressed. Instead reigning in this life through Christ Jesus they are struggling and striving in every area of their lives because they don’t know their authority given to them by Jesus.
I remember that when I found the building to start the ministry it was filled with drug addicts, prostitutes, thieves, and criminals. I agreed with Brother Miguel, Brother Jose and his wife Anita. who were my right-hand people and we agreed that this building would be used for the gospel. We called the building into the service oft the gospel. We bound the works of the devil there and loosened that inside. We began to preach the saving knowledge of Jesus. One by one they accepted the Lord and many came back to attend the church and become effective soldiers for the Lord.
Multiplied Prayer Power.
How could one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight… Deut. 32:30.
We might be a prayer warrior but hove powerful is when we have another prayer warrior with us. The Lord Jesus used many people over the years to bring about victory in difficult times.
I remember one time when we were teaching the Word of God and one large young man on drugs walked into the church right up to the pulpit and hit me in the face. And yelled that He hated God. The church and the pastoral team got on our knees and prayed for this young man. We bound Satan in his life and loosed him unto God. Two weeks later he came marching into the church once again and that time he knelt at the alter and gave his life to Christ. This is the result of multiplied prayer power.
Another example is when I was ministering in Mombasa Kenya, Africa in the bush. It was late and in the middle of my teaching on deliverance and healing a group of people brought in a young girl on a makeshift gurney withering and screaming. Immediately the church began to pray and bind the enemy and that young girl was healed and delivered from the power of the devil.
The Holy Spirit in the Ministry of Prayer.
Likewise, the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession [a]for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Romans 8:26.
As you are aware our ministry is a Pentecostal ministry, we believe in a gift of the Holy Spirit. We believe in the healing ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe in the deliverance of people from the power of the devil, and we make no apologies, because we have found it to be the power of God.
I was born again in 1972 at the age of 22 and one year later in 1973 I was baptized in the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues, while attending they revival meeting conducted by Kenneth E. Hagin. I was slain in the spirit and after I woke up, I was speaking in heavenly tongues. The gift is speaking in tongues is a very powerful tool that the Lord has given us to intercede.
In 1976 I was called by the Lord Jesus to minister to the Spanish Speaking people which came by a prophetic word by the elders. The Lord has confirmed this to me previously but I wanted confirmation from the elders. I stated I am willing but I don’t speak Spanish. They prayed over me at that time and the Lord Jesus gave to me the ability to speak Spanish. A lot of people don’t believe this about my testimony but I direct them to the Word of God in Acts 2:1-11. When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all in one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
The Crowd’s Response
And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. 6 And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. 7 Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born? 9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.”
As you know from our YouTube channel I also teach in Spanish. I have never been to school to learn the Spanish language but I can speak, read, and write in Spanish. God equips those who He calls.
The apostle Paul said in I Corinthians 14:14 “for if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayers, but my understandings unfruitful.” This is because we really don’t know how to pray for certain things. I do a lot of praying in tongues for both edification of my own spirit, as well as for people that we intercede for. With our natural mind, we really don’t know how to help people in many situations. But in Romans 8:26, it says “the Spirit of God helps us to pray in the spirit (tongues) for that very situation with groanings that cannot be uttered in articulate speech. The Holy Spirit is not sent to pray for you, He is sent to help you in this area of prayer as well as many other things. There are many things or feelings that you have within your spirit that you find hard to express but if you pray in tongues for any situation, it is the Holy Spirit in His ministry of prayer that brings about success. I do most of my praying in the spirit because we come into contact with a lot of different people in a lot of different situations and we don’t know what is going on with them, but the spirit of God does. Praying in tongues gets the job done. When nothing else will the Holy Spirit makes intercession through us to bring the throne of grace in their time of need.