Mensa Otabil - At My Word (10/03/2025)
Welcome to day number 12 of our 40 days of power. We’re trusting God day by day, moment by moment, for the release of His Spirit and the manifestation of His power. This week, we are talking about taking authority-the Christian’s authority that is embedded in faith in Christ Jesus.
We turn to the Old Testament to look at a man who exemplifies authority for the Christian, or for a child of God: Elijah. In First Kings chapter 17, verse 1, it states, «And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, 'As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years except at my word.'»
Elijah is a fascinating character in the Bible, and much is said about him. He is this person who bursts onto the scene; this is the first introduction of Elijah in the Bible. There is no precedent for him; we have no idea where he comes from or where he was raised. He just appears, declaring the word of God with power to Ahab, who was the king of Israel at that time. He was a backslidden king who had fallen away from God. By the time Elijah burst onto the scene, the people of Israel were worshiping idols. His name, Elijah, means «God is my God» or «The Lord is my God.» He comes against Baal, the god of the surrounding cities that the Israelites had incorporated into their worship.
Through Ahab and his wife Jezebel, Baal worship had become the dominant religion in Israel. Baal is regarded as the god of rain or storms, which is why Elijah begins by saying, «You are worshiping a so-called god of storms; I say, by my word and the Lord God of Israel, there will be no rain.» This represents a direct spiritual confrontation between Jehovah God and Baal, who is supposed to control the rain. Elijah is telling them they must know who truly controls the rain-whether it is God or the entity they have been worshipping.
He declares that the Christian has enormous power within our spirits, but that power remains dormant until we release it. The way to release that power is through our words. That’s why Elijah came and made a declaration. The power of God always requires a connection, just like electricity. It exists somewhere, but for the power in transformers or wherever it’s stored to flow, there must be cables, and there needs to be a switch that allows the power to work. The words we use serve as both the cable and the switch. When we speak words out of our mouths, something in our spirits is released.
Elijah shows us that the power of God in our mouths can cause things to be, or the Word of God in our mouths is the Word of God in manifestation. Elijah may seem to appear from nowhere, but he didn’t. He emerged from a place of prayer; he had engaged in relentless prayer. He had experienced the reality of God; he had a relationship with Him. How do we know this? He states, «As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand.» He has been standing in the presence of the Lord, waiting on Him and praying. It’s much like what we are doing now. After coming from the place of prayer, he begins declaring the word of the Lord with authority.
That’s what happens: we pray to build our relationship with God and to harness His power, and then we speak to release the Word of God from our mouths. If you are a child of God and know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, with Jesus as the Lord of your life, then the power of God is in you. That power is awesome, and you should never underestimate the power of God residing within you. So, start speaking the Word; release the Word of God from your mouth. Study the Scripture and speak it out loud; the power of God will be released through your words. That’s how we take authority.
Let us pray. Say with me: «Heavenly Father, you have placed your Word in my heart and in my mouth. I release your power through my words in Jesus' name. Amen.» Well, my friend, I’ll catch you again tomorrow. I’m Pastor Mensa Otabil. Shalom, peace, and life to you.