Life Of A Disciple Part 2: PrayerSample

Part Two, Week Three - Kris Vallotton

In Genesis 1:26, we see that God gives mankind authority to rule over the earth. And mankind - Adam and Eve - gave their authority to the serpent (the devil) when they ate from the tree and believed the serpent over God. This is why God, who created everything, came to earth in the form of a man. The Son of God became the son of man so that the sons of man could become sons and daughters of God. When Jesus was raised from the dead, He took the authority given to the devil through Adam back - He got the keys back! 

This allowed for those believing in Christ and filled with the Spirit to move back to the original design, as rulers over the Earth. It’s important that we realize that when we received Christ, we became born again and new creations, one of a kind and never before created, positioned as sons and daughters of God and equipped with angelic assistance. We have been seated in the third heaven, which Ephesians 2 says puts us above every principality and power. But all too often we take our third heaven authority (Ephesians 2:6) and use it towards other people, villainizing people instead of the enemy. 

World-changers and history-makers are resisted by world forces of darkness - principalities - not people. Those principalities live in the second heaven, but praying from where we are seated in the third heaven with Christ means we have the ability to be cultural architects that shape the course of history. So let’s pray without ceasing and not lose heart, because we are called to persevere as sons and daughters of God!

So, today, ask yourself the following:

1. How are you reminding yourself of your sonship or daughtership?
2. What does the Bible say regarding the authority Jesus gives to those who are His followers?
3. What does it mean to pray from where you are seated with Christ in the third heaven? 
4. What does it look like for you to pray until something happens? How are you growing this in your life? 

Listen to Life of a Disciple: Part Two, Week Three with Kris Vallotton at bethel.com/disciple.