TOPIC: FORCES OF FAITH AND PRAYER OPERATED BY THE FORCE OF PROPHECY
Prophecy is an inspired utterance from God, used for prediction, forth -telling, and foretelling. In the Bible, prophecy is a divine communication that reveals God’s will, often forecasting future events or conveying messages of moral and spiritual significance.
What gives power to the word of faith and prayer is the force of prophecy.
When empowered by the force of prophecy, prayers become powerful and aggressive, while the force of faith makes the impossible possible.
Today, we consider prayers and faith that are reinforced by the force of prophecy.
How to overcome the enemy is through the force of faith and prayer directed by the force of prophecy.
1 Sam 17:43-50(TLB)43 “Am I a dog,” he roared at David, “that you come at me with a stick?” And he cursed David by the names of his gods. 44 “Come over here and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and wild animals,” Goliath yelled. 45 David shouted in reply, “You come to me with a sword and a spear, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of the armies of heaven and of Israel-the very God whom you have defied. 46 Today the Lord will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head; and then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel! 47 And Israel will learn that the Lord does not depend on weapons to fulfill his plans-he works without regard to human means! He will give you to us!” 48-49 As Goliath approached, David ran out to meet him and, reaching into his shepherd’s bag, took out a stone, hurled it from his sling, and hit the Philistine in the forehead. The stone sank in, and the man fell on his face to the ground. 50-51 So David conquered the Philistine giant with a sling and a stone. Since he had no sword, he ran over and pulled Goliath’s from its sheath and killed him with it, and then cut off his head. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they turned and ran.
Consider the prayer of Hannah: a demonstration of how the force of prophecy, backed by faith and prayer, leads to swift fulfillment. –
1 Sam 1:10-11(NLT)10 Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the Lord. 11 And she made this vow: “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, if you will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you. He will be yours for his entire lifetime, and as a sign that he has been dedicated to the Lord, his hair will never be cut.
1 Sam 2:1-10 (KJV) And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the Lord, mine horn is exalted in the Lord: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation.2 There is none holy as the Lord: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God.3 Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.4 The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength.5 They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry ceased: so that the barren hath born seven; and she that hath many children is waxed feeble.6 The Lord killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up.7 The Lord maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up.8 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and he hath set the world upon them.9 He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.10 The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the Lord shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.
The prayer of Elizabeth. – Luke 1:39-45(KJV)39 And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda;40 And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.41 And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:42 And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.43 And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?44 For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.45 And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.
Mary responded – V 46-55 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, 47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. 48 For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. 49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. 50 And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. 51 He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.52 He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. 53 He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. 54 He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy(continue)
Words spoken by human beings in faith and prayer manifested without delay.
2 Kings 7:1(kjv)7 Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the Lord; Thus saith the Lord, To morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.
V18-20 (kjv)18 And it came to pass as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, Two measures of barley for a shekel, and a measure of fine flour for a shekel, shall be to morrow about this time in the gate of Samaria:19 And that lord answered the man of God, and said, Now, behold, if the Lord should make windows in heaven, might such a thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.20 And so it fell out unto him: for the people trode upon him in the gate, and he died.
Prayers of decree and declaration.
Isa 65:20-25(TLB)20 “No longer will babies die when only a few days old; no longer will men be considered old at 100! Only sinners will die that young! 21-22 In those days, when a man builds a house, he will keep on living in it-it will not be destroyed by invading armies as in the past. My people will plant vineyards and eat the fruit themselves-their enemies will not confiscate it. For my people will live as long as trees and will long enjoy their hard-won gains. 23 Their harvests will not be eaten by their enemies; their children will not be born to be cannon fodder. For they are the children of those the Lord has blessed; and their children, too, shall be blessed. 24 I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking to me about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers! 25 The wolf and lamb shall feed together, the lion shall eat straw as the ox does, and poisonous snakes shall strike no more! In those days nothing and no one shall be hurt or destroyed in all my Holy Mountain,” says the Lord.
Forces of faith and prayer operated by the force of prophecy.
Ex 23:25-27(KJV)25 And ye shall serve the Lord your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee.26 There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren, in thy land: the number of thy days I will fulfil.27 I will send my fear before thee, and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt come, and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee.
Prophecies are executed by faith and prayer.
2 Kings 3:16-18(KJV)16 And he said, Thus saith the Lord, Make this valley full of ditches.17 For thus saith the Lord, Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, that ye may drink, both ye, and your cattle, and your beasts.18 And this is but a light thing in the sight of the Lord: he will deliver the Moabites also into your hand.
Forces of faith and prayer operated by the force of prophecy.
Num 23:23(KJV)23 Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel: according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought!
Jer 30:17(KJV)17 For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the Lord; because they called thee an Outcast, saying, This is Zion, whom no man seeketh after.
Mal 3:10-12(KJV)10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. 11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts.12 And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of host.
Forces of faith and prayer operated by the force of prophecy.
Ps 118:17(NLT)17 I will not die; instead, I will live to tell what the Lord has done
Ps 118:17(RSV)17 I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the Lord
Ps 27:1-6(TLB)27 The Lord is my light and my salvation; he protects me from danger-whom shall I fear? 2 When evil men come to destroy me, they will stumble and fall! 3 Yes, though a mighty army marches against me, my heart shall know no fear! I am confident that God will save me. 4 The one thing I want from God, the thing I seek most of all, is the privilege of meditating in his Temple, living in his presence every day of my life, delighting in his incomparable perfections and glory. 5 There I’ll be when troubles come. He will hide me. He will set me on a high rock 6 out of reach of all my enemies. Then I will bring him sacrifices and sing his praises with much joy.
Speaking faith in the face of adversity, Job addressed his detractors.
Job 19:2-12(NLT)2 “How long will you torture me? How long will you try to crush me with your words?3 You have already insulted me ten times. You should be ashamed of treating me so badly.4 Even if I have sinned, that is my concern, not yours.5 You think you’re better than I am, using my humiliation as evidence of my sin.6 But it is God who has wronged me, capturing me in his net. 7 “I cry out, ‘Help!’ but no one answers me. I protest, but there is no justice.8 God has blocked my way so I cannot move. He has plunged my path into darkness.9 He has stripped me of my honor and removed the crown from my head.10 He has demolished me on every side, and I am finished. He has uprooted my hope like a fallen tree.11 His fury burns against me; he counts me as an enemy.12 His troops advance. They build up roads to attack me Job 19:12-20They camp all around my tent.13 “My relatives stay far away, and my friends have turned against me.14 My family is gone, and my close friends have forgotten me.15 My servants and maids consider me a stranger. I am like a foreigner to them.16 When I call my servant, he doesn’t come; I have to plead with him!17 My breath is repulsive to my wife. I am rejected by my own family.18 Even young children despise me. When I stand to speak, they turn their backs on me.19 My close friends detest me. Those I loved have turned against me.20 I have been reduced to skin and bones and have escaped death by the skin of my teeth.21 “Have mercy on me, my friends, have mercy, for the hand of God has struck me.22 Must you also persecute me, like God does? Haven’t you chewed me up enough?23 “Oh, that my words could be recorded. Oh, that they could be inscribed on a monument,24 carved with an iron chisel and filled with lead, engraved forever in the rock.25 “But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and he will stand upon the earth at last.26 And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God! 27 I will see him for myself. Yes, I will see him with my own eyes. I am overwhelmed at the thought!
David is a prime example of someone who embodied this truth..
Ps 56:1-8 (NLT)56 1 O God, have mercy on me, for people are hounding me. My foes attack me all day long. 2 I am constantly hounded by those who slander me, and many are boldly attacking me. 3 But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. 4 I praise God for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me? 5 They are always twisting what I say; they spend their days plotting to harm me. 6 They come together to spy on me— watching my every step, eager to kill me. 7 Don’t let them get away with their wickedness; in your anger, O God, bring them down. 8 You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book. 9 My enemies will retreat when I call to you for help. This I know: God is on my side! 10 I praise God for what he has promised; Yes, I praise the Lord for what he has promised. 11 I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me? 12 I will fulfill my vows to you, O God, and will offer a sacrifice of thanks for your help. 13 For you have rescued me from death; you have kept my feet from slipping. So now I can walk in your presence, O God, in your life-giving light.
