Bill Winston - The Power of Prayer and Praise
Prayer's kind of been looked at as a mystery. You'll see that it's not really a mystery at all. It's just truth. Once you got revelation, revelation brings you right into faith. You don't have any doubt when you can see it. So revelation lets you see it so doubt'll go away and faith'll come. I want you to see what's happening behind the scenes, because if you don't know what's happening behind the scenes, your faith may give out. I'm born, from a realm, with no time, and I have been placed, in a realm of time. Not to be subdued by time, but to be a master over time. Do not look for feelings, it's a trick, it's designed to draw you back in time so the devil can negate your faith. You can't feel faith. Faith is a spirit, and it's a force that comes out of your human spirit. For you to get action from God, you gonna have to leave your flesh. I don't care what doctor's report was given to you, your faith can move the professional's time.
Adam and Eve were in the garden and as you know what happened was Adam and Eve sinned. When that happened it was catastrophic for all eternity. I mean in terms of man's positioning with God, and how Jesus had to come back and redeem mankind. But when he sinned, he went from living from the inside to living from the outside. Now when I say that I mean this: I mean that he was communicating with God. He was one with God. The Bible says, "He that is joined to the Lord is one spirit". Adam was one with God. Jesus said, "I and the Father are one".
Now he's talking about how you should be, and how it was meant for mankind to be. So as you look at Proverbs, Proverbs chapter 20, and in Proverbs chapter 20 he talks about, in verse 27, "The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, searching all the inward parts of the belly". Now what is he saying here? God will use your spirit to guide you. It was meant to be that your spirit be your guide. Your spirit be your guide. God of course would be connected with your spirit so your spirit would be guided by God and you'll always end up in the right place. Now, Adam then, was living from the inside out. He was a spirit, that's what he was. He had a soul that lived in a body. The body was, Paul calls it The House.
Now, from the fall, mankind went from living from the Spirit to living from the body. Now that's significant. He was no longer led by his Spirit and over in Romans chapter 8 I think he said, "They that are led by the spirit of God, these are the sons of God". So now, mankind is living from his body, or his senses. The senses pick up data, they communicate it to your mind, your body has a response. Now the Spirit is cut out, because it's dead to God and that's why people have to be Born Again. Okay? Because for you to be hooked, and be connected back up with God you have to be born again. So, while a person is not connected with God and their bodies are their guide, then they are in trouble and one of the biggest reasons why they're in trouble is because of the fact that Satan rules over that realm.
The Bible says in Revelation chapter 12, and verse 9 that, "Satan, that old devil, deceiveth the whole world". Revelation chapter 12 in verse 9. Go even further in first John, chapter 5 and verse 19 it says that, "We know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness". In other words, the whole world, another translation says, "is under the control of the evil one". So the whole world, why? Because Satan is the god of that world. Little g, G-O-D. He's a god. Nobody can beat him at his world. For you to be able to conquer him you're gonna have to go up to another world. You're gonna have to be hearing on another level. All right?
So because he rules in that realm and he's a deceiver, well, he's deceived people and they're living according to the, only to the information that's gained through their body. The five physical senses. So, now, because of that it was the birth of what we call education. Education, it's learning. So Adam didn't then learn before. He discerned. You don't learn in Heaven. You discern, a whole new thing. So, in that, Adam felt from revelation to information and from discerning to learning. That's why education was never meant to be put out here without God. Okay. Now, because of this, mankind's perceived limitations were his body, because that's as much as I could do or be is according to my body, my mind.
Well let's look at over here in Matthew's gospel, chapter 14, "Jesus came to them walking on water". And it says here Matthew 14 and verse 25, "And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, 'It is a spirit'; and they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, 'Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.' And Peter answered him and said, 'Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water'".
Now, let me just stop right there. First of all, this is what I call breakthrough thinking. Breakthrough thinking. Shortage, scarcity, humanistic philosophy does not think like this. It's from another level. And even when you read scripture, Paul, the Apostle Paul prayed for the church. The spirit of wisdom and revelations, this comes out of Ephesians chapter one and verse 16: "Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of them, you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him. The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saint, And what is the greatness of, and exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power". Stop right there.
Now you can take this scripture and you can read it and read it without the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; and you'll come away and read something and what it would show you, or what you would read is you would read exactly, information. But then, if the eyes of your understanding are opened, you'll see revelation. And revelation is the Word of God with light. And when light ever comes into your life, all struggle ceases. So the enemy wants to blind your mind so that you won't see it. And won't know it's there.
So, as you look at any of the scriptures in the Bible, first of all, before you read it, ask the Lord to give you understanding and revelation knowledge and receive it by faith and then begin to read the scripture. That's my advise to you, okay? Now, here's Peter walking on the water, or Jesus walking on the water. So the thought that Peter had was not a normal thought. Because no physical man thinks that he walk on the water normally. All right? Let's check this out. This is as you can see, this is breakthrough thinking. This thinking is coming from another... You can read information and you can say, "Hey, Lord give me a revelation of this. What is happening here"?
See. What is happening here? And he'll start telling you, he'll start showing you some things and'll give you, 'cause God brought Jesus to demonstrate to you the potential you have. Got it? And it's already in you. God didn't come to make you, he came to expose you. Got it? So, as you look at this, he said, "If that be you, bid me to come to you on the water". Not swimming, backstroking, and so forth, but come walking on the water.
Now, again, there is two men here that we're dealing with because of the fall of Adam. Over in 2nd Corinthians, chapter four, and verse 16, "For which cause we faint not, but though our outward man perish, our inward man is renewed day by day". So we got two men here, who are they? The outward man, come on. And inward man. Which one do you think was dominating when Jesus came to Peter walking on the water? Inward man, okay. And Peter then, now is going to express the potential that he has through Christ to do the same thing. Lord, have mercy. So he gets this thought from another kingdom. Same one that he got when he said, "Thou art the Christ, the son of the living God". Same kingdom. And he gets this thought and he said, "Hey, I can do that too". And so he comes and gets out of the boat, walks on the water to go to Jesus.
Now is this outer man or inner man? So when we pray, what is that? Is that an outer man or inner man issue? Inner man. We talking about the inner man. We're not talking about the outer man. Because we're talking about the Spirit inside of you that's connected with God that sees no limitations. We got it? We got it? Go over here saints. Just buckle up 'cause we got to go. The limitations come through the flesh. But with God all things become possible, there are no limitations. So I have none.
Look at 1st Corinthians, chapter two, look at verse nine. "But as it is written, the eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for them that love him". Now the heart of man is the natural part of you. Right there. "But God has revealed them to us by his Spirit". Now this is a born again person. This is a good reason to be born again. "For the Spirit searcheth all things, yea the deep things of God". Now watch this, "For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of a man that's in him". Your spirit knows all about you. Even stuff your mind does not know. "Even so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world but the spirit which is of God, that we might know the things that are Freely given to us of God".
So for us to know what's freely given to us of God, we gonna have to get it from God. We can't get it from our senses, 'cause our senses and information don't know. They have been contained by a god of this world and he's steady feeding in incorrect information so that you won't go after what God says is yours. You're gonna have to get it from the Holy Ghost. All right. Next verse. "What things also we speak, which things also we speak, not in the word which man's wisdom teacheth", but which who teacheth? "The Holy Ghost teacheth, comparing", What? Spiritual things with spiritual.
See, the spirit world is not the lesser world. The spirit world is the greater world. The greater power is in the spirit. The greater reality is in the spirit. This down here, did you see? This right here is simple. It can be torn up, decayed, whatever. Not in the spirit. Look in the next verse now. "But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are", What to him? Foolishness to him. "Neither can he know them. Because they are spiritually discerned". So the Holy Ghost is your teacher. See, and when you're dealing with God, things are freely given.
Now the way I'm have to get them transferred is that I'm gonna have to get some faith and faith comes with knowing the will of God. And it's known, faith comes by hearing the Word of God. So once you got revelation, revelation brings you right into faith. In other words, revelation is the strongest asset to the school of faith. Revelation, once you got Revelation, you can see it and you're designed to believe what you see. So you don't have any doubt when you can see it. So revelation lets you see it so doubt'll go away and faith'll come. Got it?
Now what it tells you is what's possible, what's yours, et cetera. So if I tell you this, I say this, "Why don't you believe God? Your mortgage and your car will be all paid off". Now, right away the natural man says, "That's foolish. You're not making enough at your job". See he's taken all of the reasoning that comes in through logical thinking, which comes in through the flesh and comes into all that reasoning and tell you you can't walk on water. But what you'll have to do is get your information from another source. See, we gonna have to tune out the flesh. Once you decide to walk with God, the flesh comes after the Spirit, not before the Spirit.
So I'm telling that you can have your mortgage and your car note paid off this year. Now if you are battling with your flesh, your flesh is gonna tell you, "Why would this preacher tell these people that"? Now you are no different now than the children of Israel in Numbers chapter 13. Say amen to this. Let me show you something. This is coming into my spirit right now. I know I told you to turn to Numbers chapter 13, right? Look at Galatians before you go there. Look at Galatians chapter five. Galatians chapter one and verse 11, yeah. "But I certify you brethren that the Gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it. But by the revelation of Jesus Christ".
Now, go over now to verse 15. "But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb and called me by his grace to reveal his son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen. Immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood". So when God drops a thought in your spirit, don't ask your flesh what it thinks about it, 'Cause you can walk on water. You can do things people who don't know God can't even do. God isn't trying to... He's trying to distinguish you. He's trying to have you to build a platform that people see you and know you from another place. We, the church, we've got to stop letting the enemy naturalize or bring us down to the level of a natural man. You are in this world but not of it. Now stop seeing them, talking like them, thinking like them. Come on now. Thinking like them. Paul said, "Uh uh, no, no, no, no. When I received the revelation, I didn't check with my flesh to say: is that true"?
All right, let's look at this. No, look what it says. One and verse 14. "Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for them that shall be heirs of salvation"? Now the word I want you to underline is for them. Not to them. These are angels and they're sent to minister for them. That's you. The born again folks, now. And how much power do they have? Let's look over here in Psalm. Psalm chapter 103 and verse 19, and read 19 and 20. Let's just look what he says. He says this, "The Lord has prepared his throne into heaven and his kingdom rules over everything. Bless the Lord, you his angels that excel in strength and do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his Word". So they're waiting on the voice of his Word.
Look what he said in Revelation chapter 22, and I John saw these things and heard them, watch this, and when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which showed me these things. Then said he unto me, the angel now, seeth thou do it not, for I am thy fellow what? Servant. I am thy what? Brethren and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the what? Sayings of this book, you worship God. Don't worship that angel. Some people think the invisible world is not really real. The invisible world is more powerful than this one. I know that when I acted in love, angels came and fought my battle for me. Say amen to this. I'm telling you don't need to argue with anybody, who are you going to argue with? Let God fight your battles for you, say amen to that.
All right now, let's go back over here to first I want to hit this, 1st Corinthians chapter 2 verse 14, but the natural man, this is the body and the mind, receiveth not the things of the spirit of God for they are what? Foolishness unto him, neither can ye know them, this is that natural man now, because they are what? Spiritually designed. I cannot take this book and read it with my ear because my ear can't get over there. I'm telling you your mind can't get over there, your flesh can't get over in that spirit realm. That is a realm that is reserved for you and God. Only thing that you can do with that mind is renew it. It's coming after the fact. I'm telling you why not believe. I'm just talking about debts, I'm not talking about new houses.
See, the tendency that we do is listen to the logic. It's all right to tune in on some of the business channels, but they're still operating under that old man. I got something new I can operate under. I'm not limited to what they're limited to, I can walk on water. You got to understand that. Folks if we get this thing down right, profit and loss, ain't no such thing in the kingdom. There ain't no loss in the kingdom, there is no loss in the kingdom, there's only profit. You're only going one way up. We need to know how to appropriate this. There are two people, an inner man come on, and an outer man. Which one are you going to live under? The inner man. Which one are you going to listen to and be led by? The inner man.
That outer man is there, the enemy tempts it. He tempts it and such temptations that are common to man. He's talking about the outer man. If you're not in that outer man you can't be tempted. He can't get you, because that outer man wants to set up its own kingdom. It wants to do some thing, but you keep Christ in the center and the devil has had his day.
Let's go to Numbers chapter 13, I hadn't forgotten about that. Numbers chapter 13. Remember to the natural man, some of the things that I'm saying are foolish. That's the first thing you got to see, and the professionals don't accept the verdict of faith, most professionals because they are in the natural. They've been highly trained in something called education. Education didn't tell you you could walk on water. Education told you to drink it or bathe in it or do something else with it. You don't walk on it. Say amen to that. Breakthrough thinking lets you think that because God can't move through you except to the degree that you believe in. Say amen. I'm not against education but education was never supposed to be presented to you without God. All right, you're still with me?
Here's Numbers chapter 13, look what it says here. This is what I want to show you. Numbers 13, no lets go down to 25. And they returned from searching of the land after 40 days. Next verse, and they went and came to Moses and Aaron to all the congregation of the children of Israel unto the wilderness of Paran to Kadesh and brought back word unto them and to all the congregation and showed them the fruit of the land. And they told him and said, we came into a land whether thou send us and surely it floweth with milk and honey and this is the fruit of it. Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, cities are walled and very great. Moreover we saw the children of Anak there. And the Amalekites dwell in the land of the south, the Hittites, the Jebusites and the Amorites dwell in the mountains and the Canaanites dwell by the sea and by the coast of Jordan. And Caleb stilled the people before Moses and said, let us go up at once and posses it for we are what, well able to overcome it.
Why did they show them fruit? Let's just think about it. Why did they? I understand the grapes were as big as what grape fruits, so you know that was good stuff. Why did they show them the fruit? Why would go inspire them to bring back fruit? Why would God want to show you the fruit? I'm a tell you what he's trying to affect, their desire. Their desire. You see with God, your desire is very important. The Bible says in Proverbs 10 that the desire of the righteous shall be granted. Not wishful thinking, not hope he does this, but desire. Desire means I'm willing to sacrifice for it. That's when you desire. It's akin to craving with a dope addict. I got to have it. Does this make sense to you? Tell God I'm desiring this.
Now, I'm a work my way over into Mark chapter 11:24, whatsoever things you desire, not wish for. I ain't giving you that. I'm going to give you something when your desire matches my desire. A lot of times we don't desire things. You got to work that thing up to the place that you desire it. No, no, I'm a have this. Say amen to this. Remember the blind Bartimaeus sat by the roadside begging, am I right about that? Now, notice Jesus coming by. He said, "Who's that"? They said, "It's Jesus". He said, "Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me". What did they try to do with him. We're in service man. What did he do? Why? He had a desire. When you got a desire, they can't shut you up.
When Rosa Parks had a desire not to sit in the back of that bus another time, they couldn't make her sit down. God did something with it. That enemy watch this does not want you to desire God's best. He wants you to desire crumbs because he knows for what God wants to do with the whole world, crumbs are not adequate. The Bible says in Luke chapter 16, a beggar sat by the gate of this man's house and he begged for crumbs everyday. He desired to be fed with the crumbs. God will give you the desires of your heart. If you desire that, that's what you will get. I'm telling you I'm through desiring leftovers. Hey, hey, hey, hey, you give me your best. I want your best fruit. Come on now, I want your best school, I want your best dental care, I want your best medical care. I want your best weed, I want your best whatever it is, you give me your best.
The reason why you can ask for the best is because it's freely given. This is not something you have to pay for. I want to get that in your mind. You got to get that in your mind. Listen, this whole earth I showed you last time, the word dominion has to do with ruler-ship, lordship, stewardship, ownership and you are an owner with stewardship responsibility. Oh, that's a mouthful right there. Jesus got this earth back. He did it through conquering the devil and stripping him off everything that he had. Then he got it back and gave it back to you. Say amen. Say I am an owner.
Look what it says in Psalms 105 and verse 44, this is just one scripture, look what it says here. He gave them the lands of the heathen, they didn't buy it. He gave them the lands of the heathen, watch this. And they inherited the labor of the people, all the labor the people put in building the house and you got it. He's telling you I've freely given it to you. I got angels that's going to help you get it, and you're still trying to find something wrong with it. If God says you got something, believe him. Don't ask your flesh nothing about it. Look what he says in Romans chapter 8 and verse 16, the spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. You can't know yourself as a child of God except the spirit tell you.
Look what the next verse, if children, then you're heirs, heirs of who? God. What is an heir? Somebody that receives some inheritance, am I right? Your inheritance came from who? God. How much does God have? Everything. Everything. Now just stop right there, don't ask your flesh because this is the book, this is the truth. Everything else is a deception. I refuse to leave him with some of my stuff in somebody else's hands. If God said it's mine, I want it and I want it now. That's called desire. If you don't desire, praise the Lord, praise the Lord. Girl, can you loan me $5 till Tuesday? Man, you ought to be out of that business. The church is not to be pitied. The church is people ought to admire the church.
Wow. If you don't want to keep it all, you don't have to keep any of it. You can take care of every one of them orphan kids over there in Uganda. Every one of them. At least receive your inheritance. He came back with fruit, grapes as big as grape fruits and this is what they said, "We can't do it". He's trying to light the fire of desire. Let us go up at once and posses it. Our will are well able. They didn't know how they're going to do it, but the first step you got to say it because if you don't say it, angels won't hearken into your voice. You got to say it. Look at Luke, what it says here and this is verse 36, this is Mary again. And behold my cousin Elizabeth, she has also conceived a son in old age and this is her 6th month with her who is called barren. For with God what? Nothing. Are you with God?
The moment you consider money then you're subject to start doubting. Don't consider money, I'm going to show you the scripture. God didn't put money nowhere in here. If you're believing for money, that's fine but if you're believing for your debt to be paid off, don't think about the money, think about the payoff. Think about a debt free status, say amen to that. Look what he said, and Mary said behold the hand maiden of the Lord, be it unto me according to your word and the angel departed from her. Here's these angels on assignment again. They're coming to somebody. You know who I think one of another reason I think they came to Mary because I think she was not only a woman of the word, but I think she had desire. She read that over in Isaiah where it said, a virgin shall conceive. I bet she said most of her life that's me. That's me.
You ought to read something in this scripture and say that's me. Folks, when a man came and told me, "Pastor Winston, your airplane is in Ecclesiastes chapter 10". What do you think I did? I went over in Ecclesiastes in chapter 10, I read it one time, didn't see it, read it again, didn't see, read it again, didn't see it. Then the eyes of my understanding were enlightened. I saw verse 20 that said, a bird of the air shall carry your voice, I said that's me, that's me right there. Right now a bird of the air is carrying of my voice. That airplane is not a toy, it's a tool. I could not even get back here on Sundays if I didn't have it. That's how much God is using me. I thank God for, say amen to that.
Come on down here in verse 46, Lord have mercy. Mary is about to say some stuff and she's not even showing yet. Mary said my soul does what? Magnify the Lord. What does magnify mean? Make God big. He wants you to make him big. My spirit has rejoiced in God my savior. For he has regarded the low estate of his hand maiden for behold from henceforth, all generation shall call me what? For he that is mighty say it, now stop right there. Hath what? Not is doing. Come on, she's working the principle folks. If she didn't do this, it wouldn't have been done. She has done great things.
Now it says over in Romans chapter 4 and verse 17, as it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations before him who he believed even God who what? Quickeneth the dead and what does God do? Call things which be not... I don't care if you acting just as crazy as you can be, God is still calling a mighty woman of valor, a mighty man. He doesn't give up because he's a God of faith. Mark 11:24 please, therefore I say to you, what things soever you what? Desire, there it is. When you what? Pray. What do you do? Believe you've received them, come on, you shall have them. Do you see any mention of money in that verse? Just a thing. Don't believe the word about the thing, believe the thing. When are you going to start believing? Not now, it didn't say now. It said when you pray. Now keeps moving but when you pray doesn't because you're going to start believing when you pray.