Matthew18:18-20

There is a tremendous key Jesus gives us if we can fully grasp what He is talking about here. The power residing in a believer is immense. In fact, Scripture tells us that the same Spirit who raised Christ from the dead lives in us.

Let’s look at this first part in the Amplified version:

“Truly I tell you, whatever you forbid and declare to be improper and unlawful on earth must be what is already forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit and declare proper and lawful on earth must be what is already permitted in heaven.”
—Matthew 18:18 (AMPC)

Similar to what we discussed a few days ago, answered prayer is assured when it aligns with God’s will and is subject to His timing. When Jesus taught us to pray, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven,” He was giving us a key—the same principle we see here.

Think about heaven. What is allowed there, and what is not? Are demons allowed in heaven? No. That is why Jesus—and believers—have authority over them to cast them out. Is sickness present in heaven? No. That is why healing is available to the believer. What do you see in this world that is incompatible with the culture of heaven? Those are the things we are called to confront through the authority of the Spirit of God.
Jesus then raises the standard, saying that when two believers come together in agreement in prayer about anything on earth, it will be done by our Father in heaven. There is power in agreement. This is why we are instructed to come to the elders of the church for prayer.

Consider the words of James:

“Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven. Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops.”
—James 5:13–18 (NLT)

These truths will not benefit us unless we apply our faith to them. Faith is the master key that unlocks all these doors. The promises of God are abundant and ready to be accessed, but they will do us no good if we do not believe. There is a reason followers of Christ are called believers.

The question is: Do we truly believe?