JESUS: UNDERSTANDING THE MYSTERY AND POWER OF HIS NAME 6 His Name In Prayer

And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.

This verse is not talking about casting out devil; rather it is giving us an unbeatable access to the father in His name through prayer. We have the right to use the name of Jesus to ask for our daily needs to be met. It does not say you should pray to Jesus but to the father because as the father loves him so he loves you. The redemption is complete and your sonship is original. So you have equal access to the father through his name. Jesus is seated today at the right hand of G.o.d as your High Priest upholding your confession of faith.

There are too many in the world today who are in doubt as to whether or not G.o.d will answer their prayer. The wisdom of G.o.d said

1 John 5:13-14

13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of G.o.d; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of G.o.d.

14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:

The Lord is after the fulfillment of your joy. He does not want you to live in sadness

Nehemiah 8:10b

...for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.

The devil plans and schemes at your joy because he knows that when the joy of the Lord is not flowing (I am not talking of happiness which is the product of worldly comfort) then you will have no strength, you become weak and if you are weak you cannot resist the devil to the point of causing him to flee. If he does not flee, you become a failure. Then weapons fashioned against you will start to prosper. G.o.d does not want failures for his children. Therefore, he gave you the wonderful and exalted Name of Jesus in prayer. It is high time you start to apply his Name in your prayer walk.

Hebrews 13:5

Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

We can also use the name in our prayer as we seek the help of others who are stronger in the prayer of agreement. The use of His name in spiritual warfare and in prayer seems to be combined well in the book of Matthew chapter eighteenth.

Matthew 18:18-20

18 Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.

20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

You don't bind divine health and strength but you are to bind sicknesses and diseases that attempt to steal your joy. The plans of the enemy is to steal your joy and weaken your life walk in Christ Jesus.

Let me ask you a question. Is Jesus here? Jesus is seated in heaven at the right hand of G.o.d waiting for the time that the lease of Adam will end so he will come for his church. There is a present day ministry of Jesus Christ now in his exalted position. But why then did verse 20 of the eighteenth chapter of Matthew says "For where two or three are gathered in my name, there I in the midst of them"

It only implies that he is in the midst of them because his exalted Name is in the midst of them and what he did his Name can do now.

A young Christian brother zealous for G.o.d but ignorant of the devil's scheme was trapped by the enemy in 1985. His desire to read after many authors in the sincerity of purpose led him to buy a religious book on Mormonism. That was his undoing , for he lost his mind and became very violent. He could not sleep for many days. The mother brought him in that condition to my wedding in July of that year hoping I would be able to help him. The first time that spirit saw me, he spoke up in him. He said "Brother John, within the last two weeks I now know the Bible more than you have known all these years". That was a religious spirit and many times it is difficult to cast out this type especially when the will of the victim is involved. We started to make our demand in His name. Nothing seems to change (His Name does not fail only unbelief or sin keep it from working). I went to the mother of the brother and with a brother I led the prayer of agreement. Then I said "we agree with this woman Mrs... as touching the healing of her son Bro... within twenty-four hours in accordance with the word of Jesus in Matthew 18:19-20.

Then I quoted the verse in my prayer and left. Each one of us at different times, there were people who came to us to ask about the condition of the brother. We all in unity confessed that it was well. This I knew later.

About twelve hours after the prayer, the afflicted brother came back to his senses and his mind become normal. The first thing he did when he sighted his mother was to bow in reverence and appreciation for her care and that he was well. Indeed! One will put a person to a flight and two a ten thousands.

Our text in John 14:13 is actually talking about prayer. Many often confuse their authority against the devil with their prayers to the heavenly Father. Many years ago, while I was doing my PhD work at the university of Ibadan, I came across a young post graduate lady who had been frustrated by the adversary. every time she slept, she would wake in the morning to find that some forces had turned her upside down. This continued for a long time. She would find her legs on the pillow. She was so embarra.s.sed that she was shy at first to discuss her problem. She had prayed, fasted and done everything she knew but without result. She was getting so discouraged thinking may be G.o.d must have forsaken and abandoned her. I then asked her a question which came to her as a shocker. I asked who turns her upside down? Was it G.o.d? She said No! It could not have been G.o.d but the devil. Then I said if it was the devil turning you, why then were you begging G.o.d to remove the mountain when G.o.d had given you the mandate to speak to your mountain? Then I helped her to exercise dominion over this mountain of manipulation. I spoke simple words, not to G.o.d because G.o.d was not the problem but to the devil behind the situations and circ.u.mstances. I said "You devil and demon who keep turning this lady X upside down; hear the voice of the Lord, today I command you in the Name of Jesus to stop turning her! I just said it casually and at the end of her career she gave me a testimony. That was the end of that manipulation because I used the Name of Jesus to confront the mountain of her life.

This wonderful Name belongs to both of us in redemption but the divine insight to what the Name could do and how it could do what it could do was not available to her. That lady represents today the situations of many believers as I meet various people in my healing crusades.

In my Name, they will lay hand on the sick.

Mark 16:17-18

17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

18 .They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

Looking at those two verses of Mark, I want to give you a summary of the believer's a.s.signment as spoken from the lips of the exalted Jesus. In my Name; they will:

• Preach the good news. For it is the only way for eternal salvation. It is the power of G.o.d on earth. G.o.d has tied his power to his word.

• Cast out the devils. The adversaries in their attempt to oppose our peace as they perpetrate their work of stealing, killing and destroying should be checked out.

• Speak with new tongues. An experience which comes after the baptism of the Holy Ghost which therefore implies that his Name is the baptizer in the Holy Spirit for power

• Take up serpents; and being immuned to harm through drinks. The devil is not only disarmed but believers have immunity in His Name as they pursue his divine plan of winning the world for Jesus

• Lay hand on the sick and they shall recover. "shall" is an emphatic or strong verb implying that there is no alternative to recovery or room for failure. Lack of recovery will therefore not be due to G.o.d because he has given the church an unqualified use of his Name.

The desire of G.o.d on earth is to bring us peace, liberty and joy in the Holy Ghost. Let's see how Simon Peter used his position of advantage immediately after the resurrection and ascension of Christ Jesus. In Acts chapter 3, he went to the temple in company of John the beloved. The same temple he had gone several times but now with the consciousness of the risen Jesus he went to the temple for prayer. Let's see Peter's and John's encounter with a man who was crippled for many years.

Acts. 3:4-8

4 And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.

5 And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.

6 Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.

7 And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.

8 And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising G.o.d.

Verse 1 "now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour". The Bible says he was laid daily. Verse 3 "who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms. Peter caught the revelation that brought changes. The sick was expecting to receive. G.o.d always wants you to raise your level of expectation so that your expectation will bring fulfilment in life.

Peter said- verse 6 'Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have give I thee: In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. And lifted him up, and his feet and ankle bones received strength

(Verse 7)

Number one:

Peter commanded him to rise in the name of Jesus.

He was not praying, he was making a demand in the name of Jesus in line with this scripture

John 14:13

13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

It was as if Jesus was doing what Peter was doing in His name. No wonder, he took the next step.

Number two:

Peter put action into his words by helping him up. He took the right hand lifting him up. A thousand words will not leave so lasting an impression as one deed. The good intention of Peter was hereby followed by an appropriate action. His action proved his belief.

John 12:17

If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them

G.o.d honoured the faith of Peter and the ankles received strength. G.o.d is not a respecter of persons. Note the steps of Peter

1. Peter was bold enough to use the Name of Jesus against a problem. He commanded the cripple to arise. The anointing of the Holy Spirit was upon him

2. The unction of the Spirit was possibly not on John, his companion. In wisdom he co-operated with Peter. Faith works under an atmosphere of spiritual authority and discipline. Peter was his leader in the group of the Apostles. The reason for seeming powerlessness in deliverance meeting is due to violation of spiritual authority and compet.i.tiveness.

3. Peter put action into his words by helping to a.s.sist the man. He said it and acted on what he said.

4. The crippled man co-operated with him. He could have said there is no point in doing anything. it cannot work. I have been here for forty years. It is my destiny; after all fingers are not equal. But he co-operated

5. And this man leaped and praised G.o.d testifying to the goodness of G.o.d. If you follow these steps in any encounter in life. it is a principle that will work for you all of the time.

Among other gifts, the gifts of special faith, healing and word of knowledge are constantly in manifestation in my teaching ministry.

The laying on of hands together with an healing ministry go with the office of a Prophet. When these gifts are manifested, I wonder why the whole atmosphere start to change indeed.

Psalm 46:4

There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of G.o.d, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.

There is a price for spiritual power. There is a price attached to the move of the Holy Spirit. For instances in the last day of our three days fasting and praying, the cloud, a copious manifestation of his presence rolled in and abode on the preaching platform. I was leading them in prayer according to scriptural promises. People were so drunk with the Spirit that we had to take their ignition keys asking brethren to drive them home in the night hour of the day. Getting drunk for days! That put me in a fix. I had to stay in church to see that everybody was evacuated. I call it evacuation because that was what happened.

Today, what hinders his move is the spirit of impatience. Impatience is a big ache, It arrives nowhere. The church is caught up in the impatience of this age. In 1987, as a research fellow at the University of Oklahoma, Norman, in United State of America, I was shocked to see impatience everywhere. I had thought it uncivilized, eating or drinking c.o.ke on the road but to my surprise, everywhere was eating this and eating that. That jet age spirit has entered other nations. You see haste in every work of life. A forty minutes preaching and teaching is enough, a spiritual diet for a congregation even though 70% of many churches come only on Sundays. It is dangerous! The lack of consecration today is affecting the strength and power of the church. The intensity of power of darkness cannot permit this spiritual indolence.

Many wonder why the power of G.o.d is not obvious today in many places. The level on consecration has to be raised if G.o.d will do what he intends to do.

You should get to a point that nothing stands in your way of commitment as you use His exalted Name. In early 1987 precisely I was ministering in a church located at Ibadan, Nigeria. I was praying for those on the healing line when I came to a woman who told me that she was standing in for her brother who went to U.S.A to do a Master Degree. He must have lost his mind as he kept writing home letters that showed incoherent thoughts. They sent everything to him so he could come home but he had not only stopped schooling; he also completely stopped replying letters. I prayed for her not knowing that months after that, I would be going to the Energy Research Centre of the University of Oklahoma, Norman to complete a research work in Petroleum Geochemistry. I had a letter of introduction to him. A letter gone ahead of me telling him that I would be coming. I prepared for this journey being sponsored by an oil firm in Nigeria. Suddenly in my room, as I picked up his letter introducing me to him, I felt an heavy blow on one of my shoulders. It was like an heavy blow. G.o.d brings me words of knowledge several times in this manner of a sign but this was not a church service. I stood up to examine what had come upon me when suddenly the truth began to dawn upon me that the Holy Spirit had revealed the origin of that mental imbalance.

Eventually I arrived in Norman, and I then travelled to where this young post-graduate student stayed. I had to ignore negative thoughts and persuasion of the devil to obey G.o.d. I stood on the fact that G.o.d who had used his sign to speak to me would back up this divine mandate. Paul once said

2 Corinthians 6:4-6

4 But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of G.o.d, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses,

5 In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings;

6 By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned,

In summary, he was delivered. He confirmed the revelation I had in Nigeria about him. There is no distance in the realm of the spirit. Before then he had been hearing audible voices. I led him to the Lord. If your plan is only to meet the need of the people they will never develop a relationship with the Lord. Without covenant, relationship is loose. G.o.d originated a blood covenant with us in the new-birth because he wanted tight relationship. When there is no covenant there is no responsibility and where there is no responsibility there will be no accountability. G.o.d wants to be accountable to you and you to him. This is the reason covenant releases blessings since an higher power is involved.

PRAYER WITH THE ANOINTING OIL IN HIS NAME

In order to fulfill the practical aspect of the training of the twelve disciples, Jesus also called them unto Himself and began to send them forth by two and two, giving them power over unclean spirit.

Mark 6:12-13

12 And they went out, and preached that men should repent.

13 And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.

In the Palestine, history told us that there were poisonous snakes so the sheep had to be anointed with oil so that the strong odour would drive away the snakes as they moved. The sweet Psalmist of Israel, David inspired by the Holy Ghost was led to see a relationship between this and our relationship with Jehovah. He wrote

Psalm 23:5

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

James, the half-brother of our Lord Jesus and the Bishop of the large church in Jerusalem writing by the Holy Spirit also gave this instruction

James 5:14-15

14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:

15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

I have listed all those texts to show you the background scriptures and to let you know that there is a truth in the prayer of faith and anointing with oil in the Name of the Lord. I have been ministering and praying on the basis of all these scriptures for many years now. Oh! Mysterious things have happened! Many amazing things happened. Precisely in 1985 I prayed and anointed a very close relation who had an issue of blood (two doctors had attended to her without success). She started to prophecy; I have this happening several times in my healing ministry. She said "My son I have brought this woman so you can minister to her. And because you have ministered, she is free from her affliction. I have also raised you up to minister in this way. Continue to do what you have been doing. I have increased your anointing"

When that prophecy ended a new unction came upon me like an over-sized coat. It was as if I was spiritually uplifted. I do not know how I can describe it for spiritual things are difficult to describe many times

I said all these things not to put myself in a special cla.s.s but to provide a foundation for what I will be saying later. It seems that there is a wave of spiritual excesses moving across our nation, there should be a balance and the Spirit of the Lord has prompted me to do this. There is a truth in every excuses but the Spirit is getting grieved on many of these issues. It is the power of the Holy Spirit that enters into this medium to effect changes. G.o.d has chosen this medium and it is the Name of Jesus that invoked the power of the Holy Spirit to effect positive changes thereby removing burdens and destroying demonic yokes

Isaiah 10:27

27 And it shall come to pa.s.s in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.

Everywhere I go to minister in the body of Christ, I now demonstrate this truth. What you do will affect people than what you say.

How does the power of G.o.d operate through the oil?

Romans 8:2

2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

Two laws operate in the spirit world and rule the visible world

i. The law of Spirit of Life

ii. The law of sin and death

You must have a choice to make. How does each of them operate, they operate through our tongue or mouth. See this text

Proverbs 18:20-21

20 A man's belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled.

21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

Once the power of tongue is loved, perverseness and deception is put away, then the words of the Lord in your mouth become life and medicine to the world and to your personal life. This you can also see in this text.

Proverbs 4: 20-22

20 My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.

21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.

22 For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh

Many times when I ministered, the Holy Spirit would ask me to stop and demonstrate. Then I would stop and start to act out what I had preached. I ended ministering just watching the Holy Spirit move. His awesome presence could become so real at our meetings that one would start to tremble in holy fear.

As part of my demonstration of his power which G.o.d has honored every place, I have decided to teach this truth everywhere I preached. I would call up brethren then asked them to hold their feet firmly to the ground resisting attempt to fall backward. Then I would start to bless them by praying the word without touching them and they would start to fall, slain in the Spirit with some of them drunk in the Holy Ghost. I would then tell them the power was in the word of G.o.d in my mouth.

Hosea 12:13

13 And by a prophet the LORD brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet was he preserved

Every preservation is done through G.o.d's word in the mouth of his anointed. The next thing I would do was to start to pray for the sick anointing them with oil. Their faith was already lifted and amazing things would start to happen. The faith of my people in all our churches rest on the word of G.o.d in their mouths. This power would now go into the oil medium to effect positive changes. The wonderful name of Jesus invoked the power of the Holy Spirit through faith.

Never in the history of the church in Nigeria have I seen Christian so taken up with non-issue like the present era. There are some truth in every spiritual excesses but Jesus should be the only issue.
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Without wanting to be controversial, I will like you to hear this. Anything you make an issue outside of Jesus Christ; His Name, His blood and His word becomes an idol. It seems this wave of spiritual excesses come up every twenty, twenty years.

In 1974, there was a wave of revival sweeping across our nation. It influenced the campuses. Many left the universities waiting for the second coming. It was a revival of consecration and dedication to G.o.d's plan but the main ingredient of revival is not zeal but knowledge. Knowledge of the word was scarce: I saw it all but I was not one of those misled. G.o.d has allowed me to watch events in appreciable years of knowing him.

In 1974, like a wave we a.s.sembled for three days of fasting and prayer with the center at Old Ilorin Teachers College, Nigeria. This revival was corrupted by wrong doctrine as the leadership of this move went following Franklin H. of America, the man who came with the doctrine of body felt salvation. Rev. Franklin came all the way from America to show us his coat which he had not washed for six years and yet not smelling. There was Jesus center where you could smell Jesus in the air and cameras were there to take pictures.

Brethren especially ladies (thank G.o.d for them) were running saying they were experiencing a mini rapture like Phillip the Evangelist.

Acts 8:39

39 And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.

They also went into spiritual excesses as they preached the reality of power over physical death. See the basis of their doctrine

John 11:25-26

25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

No healing scripture quoted. You know you can make scripture say what you want it to say. I was an A' level student then in Kwara state, Nigeria and as a Christian leader, I was aware of what I am writing here. Living testimonies are many today in our nation. That revival was aborted with many of the pioneers of that move either backslidden or gone to oblivion. People believed unprintable things but there was one credit to them. Many lived right.

In our days many have thrown away consecration and their lives have depicted frustration of the grace of G.o.d. It has become more dangerous once you combine this with spiritual excesses. It is not a revival it is bringing bra.s.s to the temple so that it can look like gold.

Have you heard of brethren taking a shot of anointing oil, drinking olive oil in the name of religion? The Lord once asked me to warn a church so they would not fall into the hand of the enemies who may poison the packages of oil brethren drink today.

Am I destroying the truth about anointing oil? No! I could not have done that as a healing minister but I am only a tool in His hand to sound an alarm. Our nation is important in G.o.d's plan.