Gregory Dickow - How To Pray Like A Champion
Well, I want to welcome you to another episode of "Think Like A Champion," a podcast dedicated to helping you win in every way and enjoy every day, and today I want to talk to you on "Think Like A Champion" about how to pray like a champion. I get prayer requests all the time. Would you pray for me? Would you pray for me? And I love praying for people, but I want you to feel the power of your capacity and your ability to pray, and so I want to talk to you about how to pray like a champion, and then I'm just gonna turn you loose in this earth to go and make stuff happen through the power of prayer.
In Genesis chapter 1 verse 28, the very beginning, when God created Adam and Eve, he blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth, and subdue the earth, and have dominion, or rule over the fish, the birds, everything in the sky, and everything that moves on the earth". This kind of authority is what the devil doesn't want you to hear about. This kind of authority to rule, Jesus gave us this authority back after Adam and Eve sinned. Jesus took the authority back from the devil and gives it to us. In Luke chapter 10:19, Jesus said, "Behold, I give you power and authority to trample upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you, injure you, or harm you".
This is Luke chapter 10 verse 19, Jesus says to us as his disciples. Now listen, All earthly powers, all government powers, all political powers, all economic powers are subject to defeat. They will be overthrown, they will be overtaken, but prayer, prayer is a power that cannot be defeated. It is the only earthly power that in the finality of all things, it will stand. It is undefeated and it will remain undefeated. So, if you're gonna think like a champion, you need to learn how to pray like a champion. So, in Romans chapter 5, let me show you what it takes to pray like a champion. Romans chapter 5 verse 17. "Through the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness, we reign in life".
So, notice through the abundance of grace, which we talk plenty of, and through the gift of righteousness, this is how we reign in life, which leads me to one of the greatest verses of prayer at the end of verse 16 of James chapter 5. He says, "The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much". Now, think about that, because I know that when you hear that verse, when most people hear that verse, they disqualify themselves. They immediately say, "Well, my prayers aren't going to work because I haven't been very righteous". But see, that's where we need to understand the gift of righteousness which will lead to the power of this kind of prayer. He says, "The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much".
This is what religion screws up. Religion gets in the way, and by religion I mean man's rituals and man's rules on how they're going to find their approval, or how man is going to seek God, but God has a better way than man's way, religion's way, and God's way is the best way. And this is a perfect example of how religion spoils our ability to pray with power and get results. Because when we hear these words, a righteous man, boy, or a righteous person, we immediately begin to analyze ourselves to see if we're righteous, or we immediately disqualify ourselves, like I said earlier. Have I really been holy enough? Am I really doing enough right? You know, in the Old Testament, man attempted to be righteous by their outward actions, but Jesus changed all that forever through his actions alone when he became sin for us on the cross.
In 2 Corinthians chapter 5, it says he became sin for us so that we could become the righteousness of God. Now, I'm talking about how to pray like a champion. You say, "So, what does righteousness have to do with that"? Well, I'm glad you asked, because when it comes time for you to pray, the devil always tries to say, "Well, now look at you. You screwed up yesterday. Look at your negative thoughts about that person. Look at what you did. Look at what you thought. Look at how you failed. You're not worthy to go to God. You're not worthy to get your prayers answered. You're not holy enough. You're not godly enough. You're not powerful enough. You're not spiritual enough".
See, that's religion getting you to focus on what you've done. That's the devil trying to get you to focus on what you've done wrong, but God focuses on what Jesus did right, and through his act of righteousness, now you are made righteous, and that means something. That means you are right with God, number one, and number two, it means you have the rights of the sons of God, since we're now one of his sons and daughters in Christ. Believe that you are righteous and you will step in to the miraculous power of prayer. Prayer has the power to change nations, to change governments, to change economies, to change families, to change our health, to change anything. No wonder Satan doesn't want you to know about your authority in Christ to walk in this kind of miraculous prayer power. The devil doesn't want you to know the power you have in this earth.
Now, I want you to think about this. In this earth, our incredible natural resources that change the world every day for the better, I mean, think about the natural resources that God put in this earth. Water, coal, forests, the sun, the wind, the soil, natural gas, silver, gold, copper, and so much more, all of these natural resources are powerful when we tap into them, but we can tap into a power and a natural resource that this world has never known. It is the power of prayer. Prayer is not a duty, it is not a ritual, it's like gold, it's a resource, it's wealth. Prayer is the greatest wealth in this world. It's the greatest force in this world. It has the greatest power to change things in this world, and it's available to you and me 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Prayer can't be stopped, it can't be turned off, it can't be defeated. Prayer can do anything. I think sometimes we listen to the lie when the devil says that we're not good enough to pray, but he's only saying that because he knows exactly how powerful prayer really is. He's scared of it and it makes him scared of you.
So, it's time for us to get bold in our prayer life. We gotta tap into this supernatural resource of healing, this resource of wisdom, this resource of strength, this resource of connection, this resource of power. It's the resource of prayer, and to think that we have this power every day, and we can go forth praying with authority. Boy, you want to see somebody who prayed with authority, look at what God goes on to say about Elijah who prayed with power. Now, it says in James chapter 5 verse 16 and 17, "Elijah was a man with a nature like ours," so we learn about the prayers of a righteous man avail much, we're righteous by the blood of Jesus, right? So, we learned about that in verse 16, but in verse 17 it says, "Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three-and-a-half years".
Now listen, this is power. The most incredible things of God cannot be received or not be executed other than through the power, this instrument of prayer, the power and authority of prayer. God has given us a power that the devil trembles at, the power of prayer. Satan tried to sift Peter like wheat, remember that? But Jesus said, "But I prayed for you," so prayer turned Peter into a giant apostle that changed the world. Prayer is our greatest untapped resource. It's the source of energy and power that man has been searching for for thousands of years. It's the greatest source of wealth and prosperity. It's the greatest source of peace. It's the greatest source of joy. It's the greatest source of happiness. All you have to do is pray. It's talking to God and prophesying to this world. It's praying to God and then it's prophesying or praying forth like Elijah prayed.
And notice he had a nature like ours. That word "nature" is also the word passion. He had passions like ours. He had nature like ours. He had desires that were sometimes wrong desires, just as much as you and I do. So, if you look at verse 17 again, "Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed that it would not rain, and it didn't rain on the earth for three-and-a-half years". He was a man with a nature like ours. He prayed, being human, now we can pray being human. I want you to get this. It says, "Then he prayed again," verse 18, "And the heavens gave rain and the earth produced its fruit".
Now, notice James is described as a man with a nature like ours, both in body and soul. He was subject to hunger, he was weary, he was fed by ravens, he was fed by the widow of Zephath when he was hungry, he was fed by an angel, he suffered affliction, he suffered persecution, he ran away in troubled times. He ran away from Ahab and Jezebel, he wanted to die, he got depressed, he had sadness, he was like us. He had impatience, he had fears, he had unbelief, but he prayed earnestly, and it didn't rain for three-and-a-half years. And I want you to see what his prayer was like.
What did he pray in 1 Kings 17:1? James says he prayed that it wouldn't rain, and it didn't rain for three-and-a-half years, let's look at his prayer. It says, "Now Elijah was one of the settlers of Gilead, and he said to Ahab," he wasn't even talking to God, "He said to Ahab, 'As the Lord lives, as the Lord God of Israel lives before whom I stand, surely there will be neither dew nor rain for these years, except by my word,'" whoo, that's power. And he tells us, James tells us, we can pray like Elijah prayed, because we're the righteous. He had problems just like us. He had weaknesses in his upbringing. He had conditions that tried to keep him limited just like you and I. He was lonely, he was insecure, he was depressed at times, he was hungry, he was sad, he felt defeated.
What's trying to tell you right now that you're disqualified? Is it because you failed many times? So did Elijah. Is it because you've been discouraged and depressed? So was Elijah. Is it because you're not holy or godly enough? Neither was Elijah, but he was praying on behalf of us, so that we would know if he had that kind of power, as flawed as he was, we have at least that much power, as flawed as we are, because we're not praying based on our righteousness, we're praying based on being made the righteousness of God in this world. Man, the devil is trying to limit us. The devil's trying to keep us small. There's this great verse I want to read to you in 2 Corinthians 6 verse 12 in the Message Bible. Paul says, "We didn't fence you in, the smallness you feel comes from within you. Your lives aren't small, but you're living them in a small way".
Notice what he's saying. You don't have to live small, but you're living your life in a small way. Your life is not small, but you're living in a small way, because of small thinking, because you don't think that you can pray like this. But I'm telling you, you can pray like a champion if you tap into the power of prayer. You can bless this generation. You can bless this world with the power that it's never known before. You can pray things nobody's ever prayed before. Boy, I want you to really believe that the greatest source of untapped resources in this universe is prayer. And in John chapter 15 verse 7, Jesus gives us the greatest source of success, or prosperity, or abundance, or whatever you wanna call it, victory. He said, "Abide in my word and let my words abide in you, and you shall ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you".
Think about what he just said. You can ask for whatever you want. When you're finding the promise in God's Word, and there's 7,000 promises, so you're never gonna run out of promises. When you find a promise from God's Word, that's abiding in his word and it's his word abiding in you, and when you pray that promise, like I pray right now, Father, thank you that you said my God shall supply all my needs. I thank you for supplying all my needs through Jesus. I thank you that I have enough. I thank you for an abundance, and I thank you that's gonna manifest in my life today. Now I call forth abundance, and I call forth. Look, we can pray things like that. We can call those things that be not as though they were. This is incredible power, and so many people are living below what they have the capacity for. These incredible gifts of prayer and prophesying that God has given us can be used by anybody.
People write me all the time, "Can you pray for me"? And I say yes, but I'd rather you pray for yourself. You have the power to pray, and they say, "No, but you're closer to God". No, I'm not closer to God, I'm as close to God as you are. He's as close to me as he is to you. He's inside of me and he's inside of you if you're a child of God. Boy, if you could just remember this kind of power whenever you face anything, you will pray with authority, and you will see this world change. This world is going to change because of you. Look at what it says your prayer can do in 2 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 11. "You are helping us as apostles. You are helping us through your prayer for us". We help people through prayer. We're helpers through prayer. Prayer is not selfish. You can help your neighbor through prayer. You can help a missionary through prayer. You can help your church through prayer.
Prayer is not a selfish thing, it's building up and releasing energy. Prayer is releasing the energy of God that he has made available to you. Wow, this is beyond, above and beyond what we can ask or think, but God gives it to us. It's okay that you don't have it figured out. Like, it's okay that you failed to pray effectively up until now. Now you're being given an awakening to the power that you have, and when you "say, Well, I can't do it by myself," you're not by yourself, you have your church, us together, and you have another helper. Romans 8:26, look at what he says here. It says, "Likewise, the Spirit himself, the Holy Spirit, helps us in our weakness. We do not know what to pray, how to pray as we should, as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words".
Wow, you have a partner in prayer. You're not alone in prayer, and your partner is none other than the Holy Spirit. You can pray by the anointing of the Holy Spirit, and through him we're going to have answered prayers that could have never come to pass otherwise. In John chapter 14, look at this in verse 13. Jesus said, "Whatsoever you ask in my name, that I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son". Wow, this is power. And then he goes on to say, "Whatsoever you ask in my name, I will do it". The scope of prayer has no limits, it has no boundaries on who can pray this, and it has no limits on what you can ask. It cannot be contained, it cannot be stopped. The only prayer that doesn't produce is the unspoken prayer, or a prayer that isn't rooted in a promise from God's Word, or a prayer that you decide that it's not worth praying for, or you don't think that you're worthy to pray.
Those are the things that don't get answered. But when you realize you have this power, God wants you to reach out to the furthest horizons in your life, to the furthest things that are in your life, and pray with confidence, and it will be done. In Jesus's name, it will be done. Listen, think about this invisible power and what kind of power prayer has. Listen to some of the things, and I'll give you a list and then I'm gonna pray for you, and you're gonna pray for me, and we're gonna prophesy. Think about the power of prayer. It says in Philippians 4:6, prayer has the power to bring peace and freedom from anxiety. John 16:24, it has the power to bring joy. James chapter 5 verse 17, it has the power to change natural circumstances and natural situations.
In Joshua chapter 10 verse 10 through 13, it has the power also to change natural circumstances. Prayer is seen there again. Prayer has the power to deliver people from bondage, we saw that in Acts chapter 12 verse 5 when the church prayed for Peter. Acts 10 verse 2, your prayers have the power to open the door to your family's salvation, your loved one's salvation. Prayer brings boldness. Prayer brings answers. Jesus said, like I said in John 14, "Whatsoever things you ask in my name, I will do it that the Father may be glorified in the Son". The scope of prayer is as large as our asking. Ask big and you're gonna receive big. Wow, this is amazing. This is in you. This is available to you. How do you pray? Pray like Elijah prayed.
I declare it will not rain. I declare I will not stay in debt. I declare by the name of the Lord Jesus Christ that my finances will increase. I declare my body is healed. I declare my family is saved, Heavenly Father.
You say when are you praying to the Father and when are you speaking to things? They go together.
Father, I thank you for the authority to speak to this mountain and it will be removed. I'm thanking you, Father, for giving me this authority through Jesus. I'm thanking you, Father, for making me righteous through the blood of Jesus, now I declare that my body has to come in line with the Word of God. Now I declare my family's coming into the kingdom of God. Now I declare that increase is coming to me, an increase of wisdom. I prophesy increase of wisdom, increase of joy, increase of peace, increase of love, increase of success, increase of victories.
Man, this is how to pray with power. This is how to pray with the authority that God has given you. This is how to pray like a champion. You've screwed up, I've screwed up, Elijah screwed up, but he still prayed with power. You can still pray with power. I can still pray with power. Why? Because we're not praying based on our righteous deeds, we're praying based on being made righteous by Jesus's blood, so now we have the authority, we have the confidence to go before God without guilt, shame, fear, or inferiority, and we have the confidence to speak to the mountains to be moved, to speak to our finances to increase, to speak to our bodies to be healed. This is all in the power of prayer. Well, I'm out of time, but let me pray for you, and you pray for me. Let's pray this together.
Heavenly Father, open our eyes to see the power that we have in prayer. Open our eyes to see that prayer can't be stopped, prayer can't be contained, prayer can't be limited, prayer can't be defeated. Prayer stands undefeated, and it will stay undefeated for life, amen.