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“Whatever is good and perfect gift comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.” (James. 1:17 NLT)
God’s ways of dealing with us under the dispensation of grace are not the same as the ways He dealt with the people under the dispensation of law. Therefore, our mindsets in prayers are not expected to be the same as those of the people who lived under the law, which the Bible described as “having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things…” (Hebrew. 10:1 NKJV).
In the first part of this piece, we began to examine the remarkable differences between the Old Testament prayers and the New Testament prayers because of the benefits or blessings of the finished work of Christ. Let us recap what we have discovered so far.
First, Approaching God is no longer a privilege for few men; the way to God’s presence is now opened to all men:
Under the dispensation of law, only the high priest could come so close to God’s mercy seat in the holiest place once a year after a series of ritual washings and sacrifices. On the contrary, under the dispensation of grace, approaching God is no longer the privilege of a few people or restricted to a limited time a year; we all now have direct, equal, and unlimited access to God in Christ ((Exo 30:10, Hebrew. 9:7, Ephesians. 3:12).
Second, Prayer is no longer a mere physical, religious exercise or offering to God:
Under the dispensation of the law, prayers entailed elaborate, burdensome, or rigorous physical sacrifices. The people had to observe certain prayer hours and pray at a specific holy place or face a particular direction while praying.
But under grace, prayer is a spiritual communion or fellowship with God. Therefore, the New Testament believers can pray to God anywhere, anytime, facing anywhere (John 4:21-24, 1 Tim. 2:8).
We shall consider a few more striking differences between the Old Testament and New Testament prayer.
Third, the answers to our prayers are no longer based on our self-righteousness:
Under the dispensation of the law, God answered the people’s prayers based on their performance or compliance with the requirements of the law He gave them through Moses.
But under the dispensation of grace, God answers our prayers based on our faith “in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God and righteousness and sanctification and redemption.” (1 Cor. 1:30 NKJV).
As a New Testament saint, God does not answer your prayers based on your performance, good works, or self-righteousness but purely on your faith, trust, or confidence in the person and finished work of Jesus Christ. This is a pivotal truth!
Fourth, every believer can now pray always in the Holy Spirit:
Under the dispensation of law, only a few people were privileged to have the Holy Spirit rest upon them for a while to accomplish a divine task or assignment. That means only a few people enjoyed the Holy Spirit’s help, strength, guidance, or inspiration in their prayer life.
But under the dispensation of grace, every believer can receive and enjoy the Holy Spirit’s help, strength, guidance, inspiration, and unction in their prayer life, not for a limited time, but always and in all situations (John 14:16-17, Romans. 8:26, Jude 1:20).
Fifth, the believers can now exercise unlimited spiritual authority in prayer over the devil:
The Old Testament prayers primarily focus on victory over flesh and blood, human adversaries. But under the dispensation of grace, there is a shift in warfare; the focus is no longer on human adversaries but on spiritual adversaries (Ephesians. 6:12). Sadly, many ignorant believers still pray against flesh and blood (fellow humans) like the people under the old dispensation.
Under the dispensation of the law, the people of God were not given unlimited spiritual authority to deal with Satan and his wicked angels in prayer. Therefore, they constantly cried out to God and depended on Him to help them fight against their enemies.
The New Testament prayers are not supposed to be desperate cries to God out of fear of adversaries like the people’s prayers under the dispensation of the law. Why? Because the New Testament believers in Christ have victory and spiritual authority over the devil and all his demons and works (Luke. 10:19).
Therefore, God expects you always to exercise your spiritual authority in spiritual warfare to enforce, appropriate, and demonstrate the victory that Christ has won for you through His death and resurrection (Col. 2:15, Hebrew. 2:14-15).
Beloved, as a believer under the dispensation of grace, answers to your prayers are not at the devil’s mercy. The devil is no hindrance to you receiving answers to your prayers unless you allow him by failing to exercise your God-given authority to resist or bind him.
Jesus Christ has already defeated and spoiled the devil and all the spiritual hosts of wickedness. His victory is your victory (1 Cor. 15:57). Heaven is permanently opened to you, and you can always receive answers to your prayers of faith.
Therefore, arise today and begin to pray with the mindsets of a New Testament saint, and you will be amazed at the beautiful results of your prayers of faith.
Prayer:
Dear Holy Spirit, teach me daily how to appropriate the victory Christ has won for me and exercise the power He has given me in my daily prayer, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Our mandates is to Preserving the faith of the Apostolic Generation.
Eniyekpemi Fidelis Oyinpreyebi.
AWH, Blogs.
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