TRUE SUBMISSION TO THE LORDSHIP OF JESUS
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you (James 4:7).
Some situations and challenges you face may not change until you understand true submission to the lordship of the Name of Jesus. It’s a missing link in the lives of some Christians. They say, “I’ve prayed and fasted, but the power of God in my life seems elusive. What more do I need to do?” I’ll give you an example in Matthew 17.
The Bible tells us how a man approached the Lord Jesus, kneeling before Him, and pleading for his son who was tormented by a demon (Matthew 17:14-16). The Lord responded with these words: “…O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me. And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour” (Matthew 17:17- 18 NKJV).
The disciples had been given authority to cast out demons and heal the sick (Matthew 10:1), which made their inability to cast out the demon from the boy perplexing to them. After witnessing how Jesus successfully cast out the demon, in their frustration, they asked Him privately why they couldn’t do it themselves.
Then the Master explained, “…Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting” (Matthew 17:20-21). Notice His words; they reveal something important about the essence of true prayer and fasting.
Sadly, this is where many people miss it; they fast for more power to cast out devils, but that’s not the idea here. One of the things that prayer and fasting does for you is to get you more submissive to the lordship of Jesus. The more you yield yourself to Him, the more His power flows through you.
PRAYER
Dear Father, I thank you for the revelation of your Word. I submit myself wholly to your lordship, acknowledging that you are my sufficiency and strength. Your power and grace flow through me unhindered to heal the sick, cast out devils, raise the dead, and do mighty works with the Gospel, in the Name of the Lord Jesus. Amen.
If you’re blessed by this devotional, believing every word you heard by faith in your heart, and would love to make Jesus the lord of your life, then speak the confessions below out loud, and mean them with your heart:
“O Lord God, I believe with all my heart in Jesus Christ, Son of the living God. I believe He died for me and God raised Him from the dead. I believe He’s alive today. I confess with my mouth that Jesus Christ is the Lord of my life from this day. Through Him and in His Name, I have eternal life; I’m born again. Thank you Lord, for saving my soul! I’m now a child of God. Hallelujah!”
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Message by Rev. Chris Oyakhilome Dsc. Dsc. DD.
FURTHER STUDY
Philippians 2:9–11 (KJV)
9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Matthew 17:19–21 (KJV)
19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?
20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.
Romans 6:13 (KJV)
13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
DAILY SCRIPTURE READING
1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN
Mark 15:1-20;
Numbers 32-33
2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN
Acts 27:1-8;
Psalm 73
