Prayer: Cooperating with God to Release His Authority on Earth

Tikkun Global

Jerusalem, Israel

Prayer is not primarily asking God to do things for us. Prayer is cooperating with God to release His authority. It is working in covenant partnership with Him to see His will done on earth as it is in heaven.

The cooperative relationship we have with God is rooted in our intimacy with Him. The foundation of all things in life is God's love for us as His children. We respond to Him saying, “You are my Abba; You're the best Father in the whole world.” This relationship is our starting point in prayer.

Prayer also relates to God's authority. Authority goes in two directions: up and down. Prayer is submitting upwardly to God’s authority and releasing His authority downwardly in the earth. The Roman centurion replied to Yeshua: “I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” (Luke 7:7-9 NIV emphasis added)

So, our first step in prayer is to come under Yeshua’s authority. We repent, confess our sins, and declare, “Yeshua you are the lord of my life; I submit to you.” We set aside our desires and opinions and listen with a submissive heart. We spend time worshiping God, loving Him; happy and at peace in our relationship with Him.

Then God may give us specific instructions. Whatever God says has unlimited authority. To the best we can understand, we co-speak or confess in harmony with God’s will (homologeo in Greek).   

Words are an amazing tool that God gave us as beings made in His image – to affect the world by what we say. The most basic form of prayer is to quote Scriptures appropriate to our situation. I recite many verses every morning as a way of speaking God’s will into the earth.

For example, you can proclaim God’s will for your children from Isaiah 59:21, or for your government leaders from Proverbs 21:1, or for your own well-being from Psalm 23, or for social justice from Isaiah 1:26, or for oneness in the people of God from John 17:21-23, or for divine protection from Psalm 91:10, or for the salvation of Israel from Romans 11:26. The list of scriptures is endless.

Yes, we all have our “daily bread” type needs. We should state them clearly and definitely – whether small or big. However, we don't need to repeat them over and over. God is not a “problem-solving machine.” He is our heavenly Father. Yeshua said, “Your father knows the things that you need before you ask of them.” (Matthew 6:8)

Now, here's the work of prayer – where we can participate in affecting change on our planet: We proclaim by faith, “Our Father, … Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:9-10). In prayer we help transfer God’s will, His kingdom, His authority, His word from heaven to the earth. Prayer partnering with God to change things for the better here on earth. God would not have told us to pray for His will to be done if that did not help to bring His will to pass.

Certainly, God could just intervene and sovereignly act without us. But His preference is to speak to your heart and involve you in the process. This heaven to earth synergy is designed by God. He likes cooperation. It’s as if God says, “I don't need you to be strong. I don’t need you to be smart. I just need you to come under My authority, and speak in agreement with Me.”

The main work to advance the kingdom of God now is to change people's hearts. Each person has their own free will. But in love and faith, we can influence the world around us. That's what prayer is – cooperating with God to change things for good. Prayer makes things happen; it can “move mountains” by faith (Mark 11:23). What we bring before heaven today may be reported in the news tomorrow.

There is a special blessing when husbands and wives pray together. Divine authority is increased through agreement. Marriage is a legal and spiritual partnership to be fruitful and to exercise God's authority on earth. “God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule...’” (Genesis 1:26-28). “Subdue and rule” are synonyms for authority.

Marriage is the framework for love between man and woman. It is also a construct for them to rule and reign together. Husbands and wives praying together has great effectiveness. It makes them a true “power couple.” Simon Peter said, “Husbands, be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers” (1 Peter 3:7).

This partnership in prayer and inheriting the kingdom together is a central pillar for me and Betty in our marriage. By the grace of God, it can be for every couple. We pray for our family, our congregation and our government. This transforms marriage into a divine mission to bring about God’s plan for paradise restored on earth. The same is true for prayer partners in general.

Praise God!