The Bible talks about how our identity is found in Christ.

“We are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. (1 Peter 2:9)

We were bought with a price. (1 Corinthians 6:20).

We are heirs of God, therefore He is our inheritance. (Romans 8:17)

When we begin a sincere relationship with God, we also begin to have this new level of confidence. We recognize God’s voice more in various situations. We recognize and respond because we have the confidence that it was God impressing something into our hearts. There is a different depth of praise and reverence for God. The more we interact with Him, the more we move forward into the lives He’s created for us.

God did not call us to be put on the back burner. He called us to be victorious. He didn’t call us to struggle each day with anxiety, depression, or any other factor in life that was built to hinder us. That’s where prayer comes in.

We all know what prayer is- basic communication with God, but what makes prayer special?

Jesus made sure to include the importance of prayer in the New Testament. Matthew 6:5-15 is our introduction to how to pray and how the practice of prayer is life-changing.

“Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” Mark 11:24

“And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.” 1 John 5:14-15.  

Even though prayer may seem simple, there is such intimacy when it comes to it. I developed a prayer life through one of the toughest seasons of my life. Years ago, I was struggling with my relationship and faith in God. I was certain that whatever I said in prayer, God did not care enough to hear. I was learning about holiness, my purpose, and more. I knew that God had me where I was for a reason, I just wanted Him to speak back.

I went to a conference and the power of God was so evident. Someone who I hadn’t spoken to in years came up to me, whispering in my ear everything that I had been going through. It was God’s reminder that He was listening, that He cared, and that He loved me. God would not speak to me through someone else in such a way if He really wasn’t listening to my cries and hurts.

Much more came my way I wasn’t prepared for, but through my hurt, God healed and delivered me. I developed something with God that no man can take away because I have the confidence to know that God will do it again and He will come through as He has before.

I’ll never forget hearing the words of Mark Brown regarding prayer. “The more secure we are in our relationship with God, the more secure we are within ourselves”.

The more I consecrated myself, the more I felt the authority of God come over me. When we have Godly confidence, we are reminded of the authority that we hold. We have the Holy Ghost, which is precious yet powerful. Once we truly tap into that dimension, there’s no telling what God can do through us. We have to want to step into a realm we’ve never been in order for revival to happen.

The Word of God is challenging and encouraging. It’s full of POWER. John 1:1 states, “And in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word WAS GOD.” When we are connecting with God’s Word, we are connecting with Him. There is power in the spoken Word of God.

I never understood the power of God’s Word until I had to speak it over my life. I had to speak it over my mind and thoughts. I used scriptures to help me remind myself of who I am in Christ. The enemy knows our actions, he hears our prayers as well. He wants to do whatever it takes to draw us further away from God’s will.

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” Proverbs 18:21

We are able to speak life over our situations, or we can speak death. We can speak the Word with boldness or we can fall into the trap of self-pity, insecurities, and worthlessness. The more we speak the Word, the more we can confidently face our struggles, believing that God will take care of us.

I know that each of you has the desire to grow deeper in your relationships with God. I am still learning each day how to be more spiritually mature, and how to love God more. I want to walk in that authority, but I can only do so through sanctification through Him and His Word.

Leah is a graduate of Clemson, South Carolina. She has her Bachelors of Science in Psychology. She attends Sanctuary of Praise where she is the Prayer Coordinator for CalledOut Youth and also helps with homeless ministry. She feels as though writing is a different form of art that can reach people if they’re willing to listen