Tag Archives: Abraham

Jesus, Prayer and the Law of First Mention

14 Saturday Nov 2020

Posted by in Christianity, Emotions, faith, God, Healing, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Keys to the Kingdom, Law of First Mention, Prayer, Prayer University, The Bible, Tracy Gatewood Prayer

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As we continue our study of Jesus, the Master Teacher of Prayer we will look at Jesus as our Healer (Jehovah Rapha) and how He was intentional with His earthly ministry to fulfill the Law of First Mention for the word Pray. In the 4 Gospels, 28 of 37 miracles that Jesus performed pertained to healing, deliverance, or raising from the dead. This affirms the emphasis and importance that Jesus placed on freeing people from the bondages of disease, infirmities and conditions impacting the body and the mind (mental illness and the story of the demoniac).

In the book of Genesis, immediately following the account of the destruction of the cities of Sodom and Gomorroh, the scripture details the story of Abraham’s journey toward the South country, where he briefly settled in the land of Gerar. There he and Sarah met the King of Gerar; Abimelech. Abraham told Abimelech that Sarah his wife was in fact his sister so as not be killed by the king. Abimelech took Sarah to be his concubine but was awakened in a dream by God who revealed to him that Sarah was actually Abraham’s wife. (Genesis 20:6) The next morning, Abimelech called his servants together to tell them and they were immediately filled with fear. He then held a firm discussion with Abraham about putting his life at risk. And Abraham responded through prayer –


Genesis 20:17-18
“So Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his female slaves, and they bore children, For the Lord had closed fast the wombs of all in Abimelech’s household because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife“

The account of Abraham praying for Abimelech is the first use or mention of the word ‘pray’ or ‘prayed’ in scripture. Abraham’s prayer resulted in a heal-a-thon within the King’s household and interestingly also a grace for conception for Sarah as she became pregnant with Isaac.

When the Law of First Mention (https://www.gotquestions.org/law-of-first-mention.html ) is utilized it points to prayer as a means of healing or deliverance. The Law of First Mention should probably be referred to as a principle rather than a law. This principle dictates that the first use of a word in scripture contains its purest meaning or form. The Hebrew word for healing is Sozo. This is a word rich with additional meanings: save, preserve, protect, deliver, be well, be made whole. Therefore the purest form of the act of prayer or to pray is to heal, save, protect, preserve, or restore. Clearly God was saving, healing, preserving, and protecting all of Abimelech’s household through Abraham’s prayer. To pray is to engage the Creator of the Universe into our circumstances through praise, worship and petitions. When we pray, we actively engage God, Jesus and Holy Spirit to execute their will on the earth. Here is an insightful article on the meaning of prayer: https://www.ministrysamples.org/excerpts/THE-MEANING-OF-PRAYER.HTML

As personal testimony to the healing powers and authority given to us, I have been healed by Jesus through prayer on 3 notable occasions; twice through my own prayer and once through the prayer of an astute intercessor. I have also experienced healing by Jesus through my own prayer in a number of lesser “heals” when illness tried to creep in but instead received a well-deserved rebuke. Sickness has no legal right to me. I am a Child of God and purchased by the blood of Jesus and hopefully so are you – (If in this current Covid climate, some well-meaning person gives you a hearty “Be safe!” respond with “Fear not – for God is with you / or ” I fear not, for God is with me.” This will get their attention. )

The kind Intercessor that received knowledge of a condition in my neck discs for which I had struggled for years, had no prior information of this condition. She simply yielded to God as He revealed to her the nature of my nagging structural issue. That evening, following the prayer, I felt no change in my discomfort level however I awoke the next day to a pain -free neck with a renewed range of motion. To this day, and 14 years later, I am pain free.

My other two conditions healed by Jesus through my prayer involved the straightening of an misaligned hip that was developing arthritis and the permanent expulsion of a virus causing tinnitus, vertigo and severe headaches, making me sick enough that I had difficulty working. The latter deliverance occurred in 2009 in dramatic fashion after I prayed a Derek Prince prayer for the release of a curse. Immediately I began to feel adjustments being made to my inner ear supernaturally – cracking and popping sounds all included in the healing show. The Divine Surgeon left as quickly as He came and from that day forward my head and ear have been healed. [ Derek Prince: Prayer for Release: https://youtu.be/Wdy2oAQ0aOI ]

The Gospels tell us about Jesus launching out day after day to heal, teach, deliver and save. All of the depicted miracle and deliverance methods illustrate healing through prayer or simply a firm directive to a spirit to come out. Healing also occurred when Jesus acknowledged an individuals display of extreme faith. There was rarely discussion – nothing about genetic dispositions, what parents died from, etc – it was always the same, a prayer, or a word and a healing result (and once alittle added mud with spit – ).

Our Jesus is a Healing Machine.

The practice of healing for those that pray and intercede for others must become more normalized throughout our culture. In many cases, we carry the solution to the physical and mental issues that plague millions of people. Christ Jesus our Commander and Chief Intercessor has paid the ultimate sacrifice to provide a pathway for our own healing and the healing of others. The lashes that He took on His body laid claim to His promise of divine health. By His stripes We ARE healed and we must pray like it –


Prayer University
Session #10

Tracy Gatewood
Sacred Ramblings
All Rights Reserved


I would like to add to this post my daily regime against Covid –

Pray aloud Psalm 91
https://sacredramblings.com/2017/05/29/psalm-91-amp/
Pray aloud the Armor of God
https://wordpress.com/posts/sacredramblings.com?s=The+Armor+of+God+
Receive the Holy Communion 3-4 times per week.

























Christ, Healing, and the Power of Words

20 Monday Jul 2020

Posted by in #HolySpirit, Armor of God, Christianity, God the Father, Healing, Healing and the Armor of God, Jesus, Blood of Jesus, New Covenant, redemption, Law of First Mention, Leadership, Prayer, Prayer University, redemption, Sword of the Spirit, The Bible, the Spirit, Tracy Gatewood Prayer, Unity, Wisdom

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“In the beginning was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself. He was present originally with God. All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him was not even one thing made that has come into being.”   John 1:1-3 AMP 

Words have Power. With no access to devices, medications, or advanced technology equipment, while moving from city to city, Jesus as The Word used His words to communicate a release of healing into the infirmed, the possessed and the diseased. The Greek word “Logos’ (lo-gaas) is translated ‘word, speech, principle or thought’. In Greek philosophy it is also translated into ‘the mind of God’ or ‘divine reason’.

“And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the Good News (the Gospel) of the kingdom and curing all kinds of diseases and every weakness and infirmity.”  Matthew 9:35 AMP

Christ came to earth to reveal the will of the Father. It is interesting to note that two thirds of Jesus’ ministry involved healing. It was the perfect will of God for His Son to heal. When praying for healing, that oft used qualifying prayer phrase, “If it be thy will” can only be met with an emphatic “Yes!”

When learning to pray like Jesus – it is imperative to know the Word of God. Aside from the blood of Jesus and the Name of Jesus – the Word of God is power packed and the required dunamis or dynamite needed to move out negative circumstances and redeem, deliver, and heal. To pray effectively for oneself or for other’s in healing – there must be agreement with the Word of God.

The first mention of the word “prayer” was in relationship to healing when Abraham prayed to God on behalf of Abimelech, King of the Philistines so that God would forgive Abimelech for taking Sarah. His words, spoken in faith to God, produced a powerful result.

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“So Abraham prayed to God and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his female slaves, and they bore children, For the Lord had closed fast the wombs of all in Abimelech’s household because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.”  Genesis 20: 17-18 AMP

We have no record of the actual words in Abraham’s prayer for Abimelech but Abraham operating as Priest released Abimelech of sin thereby restoring his entire household.

It is widely accepted by Christians that nothing occurs on the earth unless it is prayed into action by a Believer. God as Jehovah Rapha, is the God Who heals. It is in this knowledge of His desire and willingness to heal by covenant that we can pray boldly, and speak aloud with confident expectation. It is because of the eternal sacrifice of Jesus Christ Who defeated, death, hell and the grave – the One whom took lashes on His Body for our healing, and thereby allowing access to His Name. He has enabled us to take authority and dominion over every sickness, disease, infirmity, even accidents: “and with the stripes that wounded Him we are healed and made whole”.  Isaiah 54:5 AMP

There is power in every word of God.

“He sent forth His Word and heals them and rescues them from the pit and destruction. ” Psalm 107:20 AMP

It is important to note that there is a difference between power and authority. Power is the ability to exercise one’s will in the way needed to impact a situation and authority is exercised by someone holding a position or title. There is a legitimacy or at least perceived influence by a person that holds authority.  Because of the sacrifice of Christ Jesus, we have both power (dunamis) and authority to influence and alter negative behaviors, patterns and circumstances in order to bring heaven to earth. We use prayer and the Word of God to accomplish His will upon the earth.

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Lucas Pols, a contributor to Forbes, describes secular servant-led authority this way – “Authority is about who you are as a person, your character how you interact with others and the influence and empathy you build with people.”  While this is accurate, one has a God-given authority that comes with power; ratified by the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus who was raised from the dead by the very Spirit that now lives in you.

“Behold! I have given you authority and power to trample upon snakes and scorpions, and (physical and mental strength and ability) over all the power that the enemy (possesses); and nothing shall in any way harm you.”  Luke 10:19 AMP

It is important to highlight that all confidence and power must be placed in the authority of God, Jesus and God’s Word and not in the actual pray-er. The Word of God is oiled with the Spirit of God and referred to as “the Sword of the Spirit” in Ephesians 6:17 AMP “And take the helmet of salvation and the sword that the Spirit wields, which is the Word of God.”

Luke 10 continues – “Nevertheless do not rejoice at this that the spirits are subject to you but rejoice that your names are enrolled in heaven.”  This confirms that we do have power over the spirits of the earth including virus’.  To be specific, the Covid-19 virus is a spirit of infirmity. Virus’ have an intelligence. Covid seeks to aggressively insert itself into cells in order to explode in growth and then mutate, thereby causing “infirmity”. In scripture “weakness and infirmity” are almost always used together. When praying for someone with Covid 19, pray in the authority that Christ has given you to dismantle and decree that this spirit of infirmity and all associated weakness must leave in Jesus’ Name.

Session 7
#PrayerUniversity

Tracy Gatewood
Sacred Ramblings
All Rights Reserved 2020

Related Article:  https://sacredramblings.com/2015/06/07/healing-and-the-armor-of-god-prayer

Prayer and the Law of First Mention

05 Saturday Dec 2015

Posted by in Christianity, Emotions, Fear, God, Grace, Healing, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Law of First Mention, New Covenant, Prayer, Tracy Gatewood, Tracy Gatewood Prayer, Unity

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God’s Kingdom system works with a set of guidelines much different than secular processes. Leaders are promoted through servant leadership principles, as well as heart attitudes versus achievement through measurable goals and increased revenue. Finances are considered God’s and as stewards, they are protected through a system of tithes and offerings (sowing and reaping).  Prayer is considered the vehicle of communication to God allowing for wants, needs and desires to be met. Prayer offers praise to God while also releasing blessings on others, healing, prosperity, safety.

The first nod to prayer is found in Genesis 4:26 AMP “And to Seth also a son was born whom he named Enosh. At that point men began to call (upon God) by the name of the Lord.” {Seth was the son of the first Adam }. Although no “how to” guide or FAQ was provided on prayer within the Old Testament, praying to God was and still is instinctive by those in need.

The first recorded prayer is found in Genesis 18 and resembles more of a negotiation between Abraham and God regarding Sodom and Gomorrah.  Abraham petitions God repeatedly to save these cities from destruction because there were righteous (in right standing with God) people among their numbers. Abraham and God had a unique level of relationship – more like old friends, freely conversant – casual yet respectful.

Genesis 18:23-28 “And Abraham came close and said, Will You destroy the righteous (those upright and in right standing) together with the wicked? Suppose there are in the city fifty righteous ; will You destroy the place and not spare it for the sake of the fifty righteous in it? Far be it from You to do such a thing – to slay the righteous fare as do the wicked! Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth execute judgment and do righteously? And the Lord said, If I find in the city of Sodom fifty righteous (upright and right standing) I will spare the whole place for their sake. Abraham answered, Behold now, I who am but dust and ashes have taken upon myself to speak to the Lord. If five of the fifty righteous should be lacking – will You destroy the whole city for lack of five? He said, If I find forty five, I will not destroy it.“

This negotiation  / prayer continues until the Lord agrees not to destroy these cities for even the sake of 10 found righteous.

Can this dialogue be considered prayer? I say yes. Prayer is simply communicating with God and primarily in the form of petitions or requests to Him. 
 
(Definition of the word Prayer; http://kingjamesbibleverse.com/definitions/p/prayer/ ) .

Abraham was clearly petitioning for the survival of these cities which makes this the focus of the very first recorded prayer. A righteous man (and a prophet) stood and interceded for the cause of cities, assuming that there were righteous people living there because his relative Lot and family were in Sodom. We must therefore assume that a merciful God hears the prayers of the righteous on behalf of cities and nations even accepting prayer as the preferred method to achieve His results because of the example of the Law of First Mention.

Unfortunately, for the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah, God dispatched two angels in the appearance of men to find 10 righteous. The men were themselves greeted at Lot’s home by a homosexual mob surrounding his house, demanding the two come out and “play”. Genesis 19:4-5 It is interesting to note that God, prior to the prayer conversation with Abraham, was already in the process of dispatching these two angels as intel to these cities to confirm what He already knew. Had the angels found righteousness among the people, they would have lived. Lot and his family’s lives were spared and were led from this city by the angels of God. (We know Lot’s wife did not make it out).

The bible records Genesis 29, “When God ravaged and destroyed the cities of the plain, he (earnestly) remembered Abraham (imprinted and fixed him indelibly on His mind), and He sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow when He overthrew the cities where Lot lived“. Although He did not see fit to spare these cities, God remembered Abraham’s prayer and took care of his family.

The Law of First Mention means that it is the first time an important word, doctrine or principle is used in scripture therefore it is the most complete and accurate meaning serving as a key to its understanding and a foundation for its biblical concept in subsequent chapters. The fundamental concept in the first occurrence remains dominant, and colors all later additions to that doctrine.

The word ‘Prayer’ is not used in Genesis 18 but the principle of prayer is described. The first time the word ‘Prayer’ is mentioned is in Genesis when God Himself instructs Abimelech to ask Abraham to pray for him following his near miss in taking Sarah, Abraham’s wife, as his own concubine. God spoke to Abimelech in a dream and instructed him to restore Abraham’s wife so that Abraham would pray for Abimelech so that he might live. (Abimelech had unknowingly taken the wife of the prophet Abraham for his concubine which was a sin. In response, God sealed fast all the wombs in Abimelech’s house. ) When Abraham prayed for Abimelech, he, his wife and concubines were all healed.

With God’s own acknowledgement of prayer and request to pray – no one can deny the weight that it carries on the earth and in the Heavenlies as well as the authority that is held by the person praying. Even though Abraham lied to Abimelech about his wife (twice) – God rescued and brought Abraham favor because of His established covenant. (see Genesis 15 ). This was a clear act of grace.

The cities and nations of the world now more than ever before are in need of resources and protection. God has clearly provided a method to hear from Him on his strategies and to call in the forces necessary to equip us in this great time of need. Jesus Himself has paid the ultimate penalty to preserve and protect His own. It is time for the unified righteous to pray boldly and confidently as this would be the will of God in these heavy, tumultuous times.

#pray #prayer #Abraham #Genesis #God  #localchurch #church #lawoffirstmention #TracyGatewoodprayer #sacredramblings

 

Tracy Gatewood 
Sacred Ramblings
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