Man is tripartite in nature; spirit, soul and body and by the spirit of man he makes contact with the spiritual world, by his soul he makes contact with the intellectual world and by his body, he makes contact with the physical world. Life is both physical and spiritual but the full benefit of life can be consistently achieved when the spirit is employed. This life is founded on laws so just as there are laws in the physical world, there are laws in the spirit too.
We're dealing with legal matters in prayer today and we shouldn't forget that prayer is a spiritual thing because the basic definition of prayer is a communication with a man and his deity. There's the need for us to understand these legal matters or legalities so that our prayer lives can be fruitful.
We're redeemed of God, washed by the blood but still some are struggling with masturbation, curses, attacks, unanswered prayers etc. and have prayed about them for long but they are still not seeing results because of legalities.
2 Corinthians 2:11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.
When a law is violated, Satan has an advantage and the Greek word for advantage is pleonekteō which means to defraud or gain over or to cheat. So when a law is violated, Satan uses that to cheat you of your breakthrough and your testimony. You not praying, there is a law you're breaking in the spirit, you waiting till you do last minute prayers there's a law you're breaking, you look spiritual on the outside but very immoral, there is a law you're breaking and Satan will have an advantage over you. So when you see people living a life that pleases God, it's because they understand legal matters in prayer.
Isa 62:6 YLT 'On thy walls, O Jerusalem, I have appointed watchmen, All the day, and all the night, Continually, they are not silent.' O ye remembrancers of Jehovah, Keep not silence for yourselves.
The Hebrew word for the word remembrancers is zâkar which means to enumerate or recount. In the law court, though judges know the law, the lawyers have to remind them of the law. You want God to give you a husband, what do you have in your hands that you can base on to remind God about. Emotions don't matter in the law court, in the same way your emotions won't move Him but your words will. Taking His words back to him that this is what your word said so do that for me. If you're ignorant of the scriptures, you may be handicapped in the law court of heaven.
Revelation 12:10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
Satan is the accuser of the brethren so he never accuses without evidence thus, when you're ignorant of the word of God you'll always be in trouble. For example: when you've to study for an exam but you don't study, depending on the fact that grace will write or speak for you. You'll fail on the basis of legal matters because you've broken a law in the spirit. Grace does not support laziness but when you study and you forget or what you studied didn't come, there are scriptures you can invoke and God will have no choice than to assist you. John 14:26 - when you've forgotten you can pull this clause and when you don't know too you pull out this scripture John 7:15.
Ignorance of the law is not an excuse in the spirit. Ignorance is the strength of the oppressor. It gives the enemy strong legal grounds to operate. Your knowledge in the word of God is your advantage because you can't use an illegality to negate a legality.
We want to look at the place of some spiritual verities legally in the place of prayer. We'll touch on a few.
- THE POWER OF WORDS
In the court room we don't speak love but facts. What are the facts you're presenting that you think because of that the judge of the university should hear you out. What facts and proofs did you come with.
Isa 41:21 NET “Present your argument,” says the LORD. “Produce your evidence,” says Jacob’s king.
This is why it's necessary for every believer to read the Bible for him or herself because you'll need it to produce your evidence. When you want to pray about finding a life partner, sit down and get scriptures about that and then go to God in prayer. Tell Him this is what your word says and this is my evidence then He can rule in your favour. I hear people say that there's no need to pray or pray for long because your heavenly Father knows forgetting the law of asking (Matthew 7:7). In the law of asking, we produce our evidence to God.
The law of asking Matt 11:22-15. Even though your heavenly Father knows what you need (Matthew 6:8) but you'll still need to ask Him.
As Christians, we need to be careful of the negative words we say because the enemy uses them as evidences against us.
We cannot underestimate words because they are used to stir up our spirits or push our spirits down. Words are powerful and one thing that Satan does is that, since he can't speak for you, he'll massage your emotions so that you can declare your own doom. Your problem is your mouth, your words are your own trap. Life is hard, marriage is a scam, I'm hustling for life, all men are the same nothing better, etc. The enemy will harvest your words and use them against you because there's a law in the spirit that says you sow what you reap. Your advantage is the word of God, don't joke with it. Speak the word of God always even when you see the opposite.
- PRACTICAL RIGHTEOUS LIVING
Righteousness is having the right standing with God. There are two kinds of righteousness: (a) legal righteousness or righteousness as a gift - Romans 5:17 and (b) vital righteousness or righteousness by conduct - 1 John 3:7
1 John 3:7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
Now let me say that being righteous is the reason you must act righteously. Practical righteous living or righteousness as a conduct matters when you stand to argue your case in prayer, in the court of heaven. Scripture said obedience is better than sacrifice and prayer we know is an act of sacrifice. Sacrifice alone isn't enough. It should be sacrifice coupled with obedience so you pray and obey what the word of God says.
An example is; 1Pet 3:7 KJV Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered. Treating your spouse well is part of the practical righteous living but when it's not done and you stand in the court room of prayer, it can affect your prayer by hindering the results of your prayer.
Again, there are prices to pay when you want to touch the eye of God. You may be praying for the mantle of Elijah and in the spirit it may be that one of the prices to pay to be able to contact the mantle of Elijah is purity. If you’re an immoral man, you cannot receive such a mantle because you don’t meet the demands of the mantle. This is where practical righteous living matters in the place of prayer. If you breach an authority in the spirit, you expose yourself to violation of legalities eg. treating your spiritual or biological parents anyhow, it can affect you. So yes you're legally righteous and God hears you when you pray and all but I tell you sometimes only your legal righteousness wouldn't matter unless the vital righteousness also comes in.
- VOWS (When you make a vow, does it have a place legally in prayer)
A vow is a sacrifice and a promise in response to what you want Him to do for you. Someone can make a vow to God to offer some gifts, abstain from certain things, sow into a ministry etc. all these are forms of sacrifices. It shows your intention concerning the matter. Sometimes when you want to sustain your breakthrough you need to make a vow. 1 Sam 1:11, Judges 11:30-31
Vows are made by choice , nobody should be forced to make a vow but it's expedient to do it in faith. God is a keeper of vows, He will do what you asked of Him and so He expects you to do what you said you would. Vows involve greater accountability and solemnity than promises.
You don't really see vows in the new testament and I'll explain why. The new testament was silent on vows because Jesus fulfilled all the requirements regarding prayer so though vows work in this dispensation of grace, it's not mandatory.
MERCY
We have an advantage as believers even when legally we are guilty, and the key is mercy.
Mercy is compassion in action toward someone in misery who does not deserve it. It is not just feeling pity. It is God stepping in to withhold the judgment we deserve and give the help we need.
Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Mercy is one key law one can use to override legalities.
Luke 18:10-14 - Two men went to the temple to pray, one bragged about what he could do and the other asked for mercy and scripture said he went home justified rather than the other.
CONCLUSION
Sin has wages or consequences but when a man understands the law of mercy, he can escape the consequences. You may not have enough words to defend yourself in the court room but have mercy, you may not be that righteous by your conduct but have mercy, you may not even know what to do or say but have mercy. If you're ignorant about anything, don't be ignorant about the mercies of God. Mercy has a voice and it can speak for you.
Dennis Nemi