Claiming Your Legal Rights

God is just, and so is His Word, because His Word is His standard. Dr. Tony Evans says when that standard becomes our standard, God's power becomes our power. When you're on the right side of His Word, you're on the right side of answered prayer. This is The Alternative with Dr. Tony Evans, author, speaker, senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, Texas, and president of the Urban Alternative. When we pray, God has the right to say yes, no, or wait.

But today Dr. Evans explains that we have some rights too, and we often get them all wrong. Let's join him as he begins. We're talking about what we've called Kingdom Prayer. We've defined Kingdom Prayer as the divinely authorized methodology to access heavenly authority for earthly intervention.

Through Kingdom Prayer, we want to draw heaven into history, eternity into time. Jesus tells a story in Luke 18. He begins by saying in verse 1 to his followers, men should always pray and not faint. Faint means to quit, give up, throw in the towel.

It means to let discouragement rule you. In chapter 17, the last verse, he answered and said to him, where the body is, there is also the vultures will be gathered. Where the body is, the vultures will be gathered.

Now men ought to always pray and not faint. What does praying and not fainting have to do with dead bodies and vultures? When you've watched television and you've seen somebody die in a tepid place, you've seen somebody lose their lives, the vultures gather around death. They can smell death. And when they smell death, they descend upon the deceased carcass of a person or of an animal, because that is their realm. They are in the realm of death. Where there is death, Jesus says, you will attract vultures.

So let me put it in everyday language. Where there is the absence of God, demons take up the space. Where there is the absence of God, vultures come in. The demonic realm descends because that's their world. Their world is the world of death.

And so if you're living in the realm of death in your personal life, you don't have to go find demons. They can sniff it out. In our culture, what you're seeing happening in our culture today are vultures descending on a dying society, because they can smell it. They can detect it. And so where death is, vultures accumulate.

So this is becoming very important. He says, because you and I live in the realm of death, and therefore in the realm of the demonic, the vultures, men ought to always pray and not faint. He now tells a story to define what he means by pray.

And he throws a concept in this story that's different than most of our prayers. There is a widow in the Bible. The widow and the orphan were the lowest on the social ladder.

They were typically poor, defenseless, and alone. We have a widow. She comes to a judge for him to use the law to deliver her from somebody who is attacking her. So she goes to this judge. Now we're told this judge had no regard for God and no regard for man. He didn't care about heaven and he didn't care about earth. He cared about money. So this desperate widow comes in the name of the law to a person who's supposed to uphold the law and say, please give me legal protection.

Keep me from the attack that is coming against me by my opponent. Because she couldn't resolve it herself, so she went to the law to rectify her problem. That's the scenario. So the judge now says, even though I do not fear God and I don't respect man, yet because this widow bothers me, because this woman is getting on my nerves, nagging me. That's the point. This woman is driving me nuts. She's going to ruin my reputation. And since I care about me and my reputation, for that sake, he says, I am going to give her, verse 5, legal protection. Now that's the story.

That's the situation. Jesus then enters into the story and says in verse 6, hear what the unrighteous judge said. Not what the woman said. Hear what the unrighteous judge said. In other words, he's talking to his followers, y'all better pay attention to that judge. You better listen carefully to that judge. What you want us to learn from that judge? He tells you in verse 7 and 8, now will not God bring about justice for his elect who cry to him day and night, and will he delay long over them? I tell you that he will bring about justice for them quickly.

However, when the Son of man comes, will he find faith on the earth? Here's the word you want to catch. The word legal and the word justice. Legal and the word justice. The woman didn't go to the judge and just say help me out. She went to the judge and said help me out according to the law. She wanted legal protection.

She wasn't just coming like somebody to a friend. She's saying the law is on my side. You represent the law. And even though you are an unjust judge, I want justice. Even though you don't like God, you don't like people, you do like the law. So however you feel about me, look at your law book. Because however you feel about me, you are obligated to what the law book says.

And based on the judge being nagged, the judge reputation, and based on the law, the judge gave her legal protection. Jesus takes the story and then spins it. If an unrighteous judge who doesn't care about God or people is that concerned about his rep, how much do you think God is concerned about his reputation? If you can nag an evil man into doing the right thing because he's concerned about his reputation, what do you think about God who has an impeccable reputation and who doesn't want anybody to mess it up?

Let me explain something. God is intricately concerned with his reputation. That's why the Bible says whatever you do in word or deed do all to the glory of God. God's reputation is called his glory.

It is the manifestation of who he is. So when you pray, pray with God's reputation in mind. In other words, in fact I'm gonna give you a prayer secret. Here's a prayer secret.

Shh, don't tell nobody I told you this. When you pray and you ask God for something you want Him to do for you, after you make that request, tell him what he will get out of it. Because God exists for his own glory. And when God sees what you want for you will also rebound to greater glory for him, he's much more interested in your request because he's concerned about his reputation. So the bigger he benefits, the more involved he is in your prayer because he's concerned about his reputation. So the more glory he can get out of it, the more he's interested in answering prayer because he's concerned about his reputation.

Now let me tell you something else he's concerned about. Justice. He says, will not God bring about justice for his elect? Justice is the right thing.

Will he not do the right thing? Now, justice has to have a standard. You can't have justice unless you have a standard of right and wrong, okay?

Without a standard, it's just whatever you want it to be. A standard gives you a measure by which to measure justice. Now, justice is tied to a law because it's tied to a standard. So if you don't know the law, then you can't appeal for justice. Or if you rebel against the law, then you're on the wrong side of justice. When you come under the law, then you're on the right side of justice. The lady, the widow, wanted legal protection.

She wanted justice. The judge was not just, but the law was. God is just and so is his word because his word is his standard. When you're on the right side of his word, you're on the right side of answered prayer. When you're on the wrong side of his word, you're on the wrong side of answered prayer.

So where you are in relationship to God's standard or God's law will have a lot to say about whether you hear an answer to your prayer. Dr. Evans will reveal a second secret of successful prayer when he comes back in a moment with more of this lesson from his current series, Igniting Kingdom Prayer. This two-volume, 12-message collection will teach you to take your prayer life to the next level and experience more of the intimate connection and two-way communication it's intended to provide. We'd like to send you a copy of this powerful series as our gift so you can review it on your own or share it with your family, small group, or a Bible study class. All we ask is that you make a contribution to help us keep Tony's teaching on this station by visiting tonyevans.org. That's tonyevans.org or call our 24-hour resource request line at 1-800-800-3222 to let one of our helpful team members assist with your request.

That's 1-800-800-3222. Well, Dr. Evans will return with part two of our message right after this. It was my first time meeting Jesus in the Bible. That's what one student is saying after studying bibliology through the Tony Evans Training Center, taught by renowned theologian, Dr. Tony Evans. These online courses feature compelling and exclusive video and audio teaching, plus an interactive scripture-based curriculum you can access online or through the mobile app. Sign up now at tonyevanstraining.org. Take a course with Dr. Evans and explore the kingdom anytime, anywhere.

tonyevanstraining.org. God is obligated to His Word, so I'm gonna give you another secret. First secret was pray for His glory.

What's God gonna get out of it if He answers your prayer? But the second thing is throw God's Word up in His face. Hold God hostage to His Word. Psalm 138 verse 2.

God has exalted His Word above His name. You have people in your life and you say, but you said? When you tell a person, but you said, guess what you just did? You held them hostage to what they said.

Well, I got good news for you. God's character can back up anything that came out of His mouth, but He invites you to throw His Word back at him. You can literally go to God and say, but you said? And I'm holding you to your Word, because He is faithful, that promise, the scripture says. So when you are praying regularly for God's glory based on the justice of His Word, He gives a staggering promise.

His promise is that He will not delay long over them, and He will bring about justice quickly. Quickly. That is unexpected, out of nowhere. Where did that come from?

Last minute. Because I don't particularly like this, but God loves to do things at the last minute. And the reason He often leaves answered prayer blank until the last second is so there's no question mark about where this came from. Now, that leads to a second lady. Turn back a few pages to chapter 13, verse 10.

And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And there was a woman who for 18 years had a sickness caused by a spirit, and she was bent double and could not straighten up at all. She had to do what many of us do, settle. Well, I guess I've been bent, Ray's bent, my mama was bent, I got a bent life, so I'll just take my bentness to church, and at least I can clap while I'm bent. I can pray while I'm bent. In other words, bentness had become a life cycle. Anybody in here with something you can't straighten up over?

Maybe it's an addiction, maybe it's a situation, but you can't straighten up. You in church? She was in church, but she bent over.

Okay, what happened? Watch this now. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to her, woman, you are freed from your sickness. He laid his hands on her and, uh-oh, hit his work quickly, immediately. She was made erect again and began glorifying God. Wait a minute now. You mean to tell me 18 years was fixed in a minute?

That's what it means by being addressed quickly. But what addressed it? It wasn't a preacher, it wasn't a sermon, it was a quiet, it was a touch from Jesus. Jesus called her, so what did she do? She came to Jesus. She didn't just go to church. Second thing, when she came to Jesus, she got a touch from Jesus. And when she got a touch from Jesus, she stood up straight. All of a sudden, 18 years was overridden in a day. Because when God moves, it don't take that long. When God moves immediately, supernaturally, it doesn't take that long.

So I put this in as a parenthesis. When you come to church, look for Jesus, not the pastor. When you come to church, look for Jesus, not the choir. You hunting for Jesus, because only he can straighten folk up. They've been shook up, toe up, from the floor up for 18 years. For 18 years, she's bent over. But it's not a medical condition.

It says Satan has her bent over for 18 years. It showed up medically, but it wasn't caused medically. It was caused spiritually, but it affected her posture, her medical condition. See, one of the reasons that we can't shake things that are wrong in our lives is we haven't figured out what the real cause is. And so the doctor can't fix it. The budget people can't fix it.

The counselors can't fix it. And we bent over with this problem that we can't shake, even though we go to church, not realizing it was caused by the devil and kept by the devil and can only be cured spiritually. So we look for everything but the supernatural and the spiritual to fix what the devil has caused.

And trust me, if the devil caused it, only Jesus can fix it. You say, I got an alcohol problem. Well, you may not have an alcohol problem. What you may have is alcohol being infused by the devil, creating a stronghold that you call an addiction. That's the difference between an addiction and stronghold. An addiction means that I am being held hostage by a certain habit. A stronghold is, I am held hostage by a certain habit that is now under satanic influence and control.

A stronghold is where the spiritual enters into the thing, where the vulture descends and lands on the problem. When a demon descends and lands on the issue, the issue has now become a spiritual stronghold that cannot be fixed by normal activity. It can't be fixed by sermons. It can't be fixed by singing. It can't be fixed by professionals, because if they don't know how to get to the infection of the vulture that's demonic, they can't solve the problem that you perceive is the real deal. He says, now the reason we could free this lady up is because she a daughter of Abraham.

The head of the officials went legal. She shouldn't be healed on the Sabbath. The Sabbath is in the law. Keep the Sabbath holy. Jesus says, oh, but she's a daughter of Abraham. He one-upped him, because Abraham trumps Moses.

The Mosaic law had legislation, but the Abrahamic Covenant had a promise. You got a right to be delivered. You got a right to overcome. It's your right to tell the devil he's not gonna control you anymore. It's your right to tell Satan who been messing with you for five years, ten years, fifteen years, twenty years. You can't rule me no more.

Why? Because I'm in Christ. Christ is connected to Abraham. That's the Abrahamic Covenant.

I am a son or daughter of that regime, so you have no right to me. See, Satan has lied to us so long that we believe he has rights to us. We talk, well, it ain't nothing but the devil. Oh, the devil's doing it. Oh, if I could just get rid of the devil.

You're giving the devil too much power. You are a son or daughter of Abraham, and that means you got a right to be free. You got a right to be victorious. You've got a right to be delivered. You don't have to limit yourself to what people say, circumstances say, what situations say, because you're tied to Abraham, because he's tied to Jesus, and you're in Christ, Jesus, you got a right to victory.

So you need to start talking. I got a problem but Jesus. I got an addiction but Jesus. I got a circumstance but Jesus. I got a fear but Jesus.

When you bring the Covenant of Abraham in, God can wipe out 18 years in a day, because that's how good he is when you come to him. So you keep praying. You keep trusting. You keep before him.

You say I'm not gonna let you go. Dr. Evans will come back in a moment with a great closing story about the power of persistent prayer. First though, don't forget you can get all 12 lessons from Tony's two-volume audio series, Igniting Kingdom Prayer. They're yours as our thank-you gift when you make a donation to help keep this listener supported teaching coming your way each day. Make the arrangements today by calling 1-800-800-3222 or visit TonyEvans.org where you can sign up for Tony's free weekly email devotional and browse through our huge collection of helpful books and other biblical resources.

That's TonyEvans.org or by phone at 1-800-800-3222. Dr. Evans believes there's a desperate need to reclaim civility in our culture today. In light of that, he encourages each of us to find ways to demonstrate kindness to each person we encounter throughout the course of our day. Our acts of kindness change the atmosphere of our communities for good and for God. Well tomorrow, having access to God's power is one thing. Putting it to work in our lives is another. Be sure to join Dr. Evans as he helps us discover how to utilize our spiritual authority.

Right now though, he's back with a final story for us. I'll tell you this in closing. As an old lady, she's a widow living way out in the boondocks. She was on her last dime. She went to the Lord and said, Lord you said in your word that you would meet all my needs according to your riches in Christ Jesus. And so based on your word, and I'm gonna praise you when you answer, I'm gonna tell everybody that you're my way maker and you're my supplier.

So based on your word, I believe you're gonna feed me. She had a neighbor next door. He was an old man and the old man was an atheist and always made fun of her faith. He came by her open window and heard her praying. He said, I'm gonna show that old woman something.

There is no God. So the old man went to the store and bought a couple of bags of groceries. He went and he laid it at the old woman's door.

He knocked on the door and went and hid on the side. The lady came to the door, saw the groceries, and said, thank you Jesus. Thank you Jesus. Thank you Jesus. The old man came from around and said, I told you there was no God, because Jesus didn't get that for you. I got that for you and I don't believe in God. The old lady said, oh no that's not what happened. Jesus got it for me. He just let the devil pay for it. The alternative with Dr. Tony Evans is brought to you by The Urban Alternative and is made possible by the generous contributions of listeners like you.