Here are a few additional resources to guide your quiet time this week:
Watch the replay of "1010 Sends" by Pastor Dexter B. Upshaw Jr.
Use this small group discussion guide with family, friends, and co-workers.
Join us for our 6 AM Prayer Call, Monday through Friday (EST)with family, friends, and co-workers.
Day 1
The Power of Spiritual Legislation
Based off the message: 1010 Sends
Scripture
"And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."- Matthew 16:18-19
Devotional
When we think of government, we often picture a stately building like the Capitol, where elected representatives convene to debate the nation's issues. They are tasked with observing the state of their districts, deliberating on what is broken or unjust, and then writing laws—legislating—to bring about order and progress. They don't just complain about problems; they are given the authority to address them. These individuals are called out from their private lives to engage in public service, representing their constituents and enacting change.
Too often, we see our communities, workplaces, and even our own families overrun with chaos, injustice, and spiritual darkness, and we feel helpless. We might complain, worry, or simply retreat into our private lives, assuming there's nothing we can do about the large-scale brokenness around us. We see the enemy build strongholds and set up gates, and we treat them as permanent fixtures on the landscape. We forget that the adversary is merely a squatter on territory that doesn't belong to him, and we forget the authority we've been given.
Jesus didn't build a social club; He built His ekklesia—His senate, His congress. We are the people He has called out of darkness for the express purpose of public, spiritual service. He has given us the keys to the kingdom. Prayer is not a passive plea; it is active spiritual legislation. It is the forum where we deliberate on the chaos we see, disagree with it based on the Word of God, and authoritatively declare His will into those situations. We bind what is contrary to His kingdom and loose what aligns with it.
God is looking for His governing people to stop just observing the problems and start legislating His solutions. He has placed a district of His ekklesia right where you are to represent the kingdom of light and push back the darkness. You are not a helpless citizen; you are a commissioned representative. It's time to step into your role, open the legislative session in your prayer closet, and start writing the will of God over the territory He has called you to steward.
"When you see stuff that's not right, you need to deliberate it: see it, acknowledge it, identify what it is, and then spiritually legislate. That's what prayer really is, is spiritual legislation." - Pastor Dexter B. Upshaw Jr.,
Reflection Question
In what areas have we been complaining about the darkness instead of using our God-given authority to legislate His light through prayer?
Prayer
Father, forgive us for forgetting that you have made us a spiritual congress. We have seen the enemy's work and felt powerless. We ask you to remind us of the keys you have placed in our hands, and we declare our intent to legislate your will on earth as it is in heaven.