Bill Johnson: 4 Days of Prayer Activations to Unleash God’s Power
September 29
Ignorance asks for understanding; unbelief asks for proof.
Mary was also given a promise beyond comprehension: she was to give birth to the Son of God. When she couldn’t understand, she asked how it was possible since she was a virgin. Understanding a promise from God has never been the prerequisite to its fulfillment.
Ignorance asks for understanding; unbelief asks for proof. She stands apart from Zacharias because while being ignorant she surrendered to the promise. Her cry remains one of the most important expressions the Church can learn in this day—“Be it unto me according to your word.”
Daily Scripture Reading
Psalm 37:4-6
Prayer
Father, I want to respond to You like Mary did. I release my need to understand exactly how You will fulfill the promises over my life. I release control. I say “yes” to whatever You have for me.
September 30
We get to choose how we respond to a promise that feels hard to imagine.
This promise, as He is so are we in this world, is of paramount importance for the Church. But there are a few things further from our grasp than the statement. Hearing that we will be as Jesus is—as He is described in all of His glory at the right hand of the Father—sometimes feels incomprehensible to us.
And so, we have the choice: to stand in the shoes of Zacharias and lose our voice, or walk in the ways of Mary and invite God to restore to us the promises we cannot control. This identity establishes a security in character as we engage in spiritual warfare.
Daily Scripture Reading
Jeremiah 17:7-8
Prayer
There are so many promises in the Bible that feel out of my grasp, God, but this probably the hardest to fully comprehend. I trust in You, though, and I invite You to restore me to all of promises You’ve made over my life.
October 1
We are called to be royal fighters.
John G. Lake once said, “The real Christian is a royal fighter. He is the one who loves to enter into the contest with his whole soul and take the situation captive for the Lord Jesus Christ.” For too long the Church has played defense in the battle for souls. We hear of what some cult or political party is planning to do, and we react by creating strategies to counter the enemies’ plans. Committees are formed, boards discuss, and pastors preach against whatever it is the devil is doing or about to do.
This may come as a surprise, but I don’t care what the devil plans to do. The Great Commission puts me on the offensive. I’ve got the ball. And if I carry the ball effectively, his plans won’t matter.
Daily Scripture Reading
Deuteronomy 20:1-4
Prayer
You are with me in every battle, Lord. You fight for me, so I never need to be afraid. You have made me victorious, so I keep my eyes on You as I take new territory for Your Kingdom.
October 2
The weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses (2 Corinthians 10:4 NASB).
Picture a football team in a huddle on the playing field.
The coach sends in the play, and the quarterback communicates with his offensive teammates. On the sidelines is the opposing team’s offense. Their quarterback lines up out-of-bounds with his offensive team, but they don’t have the game ball, nor are they on the actual playing field.
Now imagine the real offense getting distracted by the intimidating actions of the other offense. Caught up in their antics, the quarterback runs off the field in a panic, informing the coach that they better put the defense on the field because the other team is about to use a surprise play.
As foolish as that may sound, it is the condition of much of the Church in this hour.
Daily Scripture Reading
2 Corinthians 10:3-4
Prayer
I am not entering the battle with my own strength, but rather fully equipped by Your divinely powerful weapons to defeat darkness. I am on the winning team!
