By Bishop David Oyedepo

 When you go to a car shop, there are all kinds of cars carrying all kinds of cost. You pay for the one you
are willing to acquire, and then you take it home as your car.  

 Even when you are given a free car, you are made responsible to run it. In fact, value is essentially a function of cost. How much you are willing to pay determines how much value you are ready to acquire.

As I said earlier, life is not a funfair; life is a warfare. It is power that determines your rating in the contest. God’s Word says: “Through the greatness of thy power shall thy enemy submit themselves unto thee.” (Psalm 66:3). So, power is in degrees. The essence of this segment is to see how you can change level in the school of power.

The Word of God says: “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” (John 1:12). It is one thing to know what you want, and it’s quite another to be willing to pay the price for it. You need a change of level. You can’t drive your car with my fuel; you need your own fuel in your car to be on the highway. That is why this week, I will be teaching on the two main pillars of supernatural empowerment.

Supernatural empowerment answers to two main pillars—a quality walk with God and an effectual prayer life.
A quality walk with God: Many people know what they are looking for, but they don’t how to get it. As a result, it has become an unending search for them. You need to be intimate with God for you to access His power. Get into a genuine covenant walk with God. Walking with God enhances your security on the earth through supernatural empowerment (Job 22:21-25). God’s Word says: “Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.” (Psalm 45:7). Carnality disqualifies one from super-natural empowerment.

An effectual prayer life: “But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.” (Acts 6:4). The effect of this is that power kept on erupting! As you walk in the light of the Word and be strong in prayer, power begins to erupt. You will never come across a testimony of empowerment that is not rooted in a strong, intensive and extensive prayer life. Jesus was anointed without measure, but every time He went praying, He returned with a surge of power. No wonder, God’s Word says: “And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.” (Luke 4:14). Prayer is essentially a platform for supernatural empowerment. It is designed principally for our empowerment. I will try to quickly explain that from the life and ministry of Jesus, all His encounters with power were born from the altar of prayer (I Luke 3:21-22). Prayer is not all about getting things from God; it is a platform for being empowered to be in command of things. (Isaiah 45:11).
 In Luke 9:28-35, Jesus took three of His disciples and went to the mountain to pray, to gain command. As he prayed, He was transfigured and quite a number of things happened there. The Bible said in Verses 41-43 that when He returned, the people marvelled at the mighty power of God. He returned empowered; His level of command changed! Verse 43 says: “And they were all amazed at the mighty power of God. But while they wondered everyone at all things which Jesus did, he said unto his disciples.” (Luke 9:43). You have some level of command, but you need a higher command. This is because the battles of life are getting hotter everyday. You can gain a higher command through a strong, intensive and extensive prayer life.   

Friend, for you to be empowered through an effectual prayer life, you must first become a child of God. You become a child of God as you confess your sins and accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. You can be His child now, if you haven’t been, as you say this prayer: “Lord Jesus, I come to you today. Forgive me my sins. From today, I accept You as my Lord and Saviour. Thank You for saving me. Now I know I am born again!”