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In the Old Testament typology, both the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies denote the heavens, or the heavenly realm. The altar of burnt offering being in the outer court indicates that the cross is accomplished on the earth, whereas the altar of incense being in the Holy Place indicates plainly that the standing of prayer must be in the heavenly realm. Prayer is not performed in the earthly sphere but in the heavenly sphere. Although we humans are on earth and seem to be praying on earth, every prayer that is acceptable to God should be uttered in the heavenly realm. The outer court is good for offering the sacrifices, not for burning the incense. The burning of incense is to be carried out in the Holy Place. The altar of incense is not positioned in the outer court but in the Holy Place. This tells us that prayer must be in the heavenly realm.
Resurrection is a life, whereas ascension is a position. Whenever we speak of resurrection, we need to know that it is a matter of life. Likewise, whenever we speak of ascension, we must understand that it is a matter of position. Ephesians 2 says that we the believers, having been made alive together with Christ, were also raised, ascended, and seated together with Christ in the heavenlies. To be made alive means to obtain life, to be resurrected is to live in life, and to be ascended is to gain a heavenly standing. However, since we are clearly on earth, how can we be seated together in the heavenlies with Christ? We must know that in the original Greek heavenlies here does not refer to the physical heaven but indicates a kind of heavenly state, heavenly atmosphere, and heavenly nature. Location-wise, of course, we are not yet in the heavenlies today, but according to state, atmosphere, and nature, we are definitely in the heavenlies. This is the meaning of the heavenlies spoken of in Ephesians 2. We have arrived at such a heavenly nature and heavenly state in the resurrected and ascended Christ. This is our position.
Let us give an illustration here. Suppose I visit a United States colony in the Philippines. Here the language, the food, the housing, the people, and everything they do are typical of the United States. Geographically speaking, I am in the Philippines, not the United States, but the atmosphere and the nature make me feel that, without a doubt, I am in the United States. Thus, heavenlies in Ephesians 2 does not refer to a place but to a kind of atmosphere and nature. Of course, on the other hand, heavenlies also denotes the place. Everyone who prays must see that ascension is a position and that such a heavenly position means a heavenly atmosphere, a heavenly nature.
The position of ascension produces the authority of ascension. Anyone in any kind of position has the authority which corresponds to that position. Even a servant has the authority as well as the position of a servant. A policeman has the position and the authority of a policeman. A teacher has the position and the authority of a teacher. Therefore, we need to see that ascension is a position, and with such a position there is the corresponding authority. The spiritual life of a Christian is not only a matter of life but also a matter of position. Hence, it is not only a matter of power but also a matter of authority. Life brings in power, whereas position brings in authority. Resurrection is a matter of power, whereas ascension is a matter of authority. In order to have a certain measure or kind of authority, you need to be in a certain position. If you are in the heavenly realm, you will spontaneously have the heavenly authority. All our genuine prayers are the exercising of heavenly authority in the heavenly position.
The position of prayer is the position of ascension. You can pray only in the heavenly sphere. Whenever you leave the heavenly realm, you lose the position of prayer. You may pray, but that prayer does not count before God.
I can give you several simple but true examples. When I was a boy, I studied in a Christian school. That was during World War I. I heard some smart ones asking the pastor, “There are Christians in Germany, and there are also Christians in Great Britain, yet the two countries are implacable enemies. We heard that the Christians in Germany are praying for the victory of Germany and that the Christians in Great Britain are praying for the victory of Great Britain. Will you please tell us which side’s prayer will be answered by God?” Today, brothers and sisters, I would like to ask you the same question. How would you answer? If I remember correctly, the pastor answered wisely, saying, “God is not foolish, and being a righteous God, He will not foolishly answer an unjust prayer.” He did not say that God would answer the prayers of the British or that God would answer the prayers of the Germans. He simply gave an ambiguous answer and dismissed the question.
Later, after I was saved, this question often came back to me. Gradually, I became clear about it. God would not listen to the Christians in Germany, or Great Britain, as they prayed on the position of their respective country. Neither Great Britain nor Germany is the position of prayer. Whoever prays by standing either on the position of Great Britain or Germany will never has his prayer answered by God. There is only one position for prayer — that is the heavenly position. You must pray in the heavenly sphere.
Let me give you another example. Suppose there is a couple who always quarrel with each other. Both are saved ones, yet their personalities are very incompatible. One day the husband prays asking the Lord to deal with his wife, and the wife also prays imploring the Lord to deal with her husband. Whose prayer will God answer? Do not think that I am making up this story. It is a real case. A certain wife, wiping away her tears, prays to God, “O God, You are a just God. You are omniscient and know the wrongs that I have suffered. Do grant me justice.” You hear the wife praying thus in one room, and going to another room, you hear the husband praying the same prayer from his viewpoint. Brothers and sisters, whose prayer will God answer? Neither, for they have fallen from heaven to earth. Since they have lost the position of prayer, God cannot answer their prayers.
Again, suppose two co-workers serve together yet cannot get along with each other. One of them prays, “Lord, this is really difficult for me. The condition of my brother is such that, unless You deal with him, I cannot take it any longer.” The other one also prays, “Lord, this is really hard. Please come intervene.” Let me ask you, brothers and sisters, to which side will God attend? Please remember, there is no position of prayer here, for they do not pray in the heavens but entirely on earth.
Some may even pray for the church in their locality or for the gospel there. These things are very good in themselves; but we still should ask, Are they praying in the heavenly realm or on earth? There are a great number who pray for such things on earth, not in the heavenly sphere.
Some brothers may pray for their enterprise, and some sisters may pray for their husband’s business, yet they pray on earth, not in the heavenly realm. Sometimes you notice that there are problems among the brothers and sisters, and you intend to pray for them. However, you realize that their problem has touched you and that you have been stirred up within before you go to pray. You are not in the heavenly realm but on earth.
Hence, in prayer you need first to settle the matter of position. If you remain on earth, you will have no way to pray, for the position of prayer is not on earth. Without the particular position, one cannot perform the particular task. Many times people ask, “Why didn’t God answer our prayers?” Brothers and sisters, most likely it is because you have lost your standing of prayer. It may ve that you still have a little anger or agitation causing you to argue for yourself and ask God to avenge and vindicate. This proves that you have left the heavenly sphere.
The New Testament says that God’s children should only bless and not curse. Regardless how much people give you a hard time and persecute you, if you can still bless them, it proves that you are in the heavenly sphere. When Stephen was being martyred and stoned by men, he could still ask God to forgive them. His face resembled the face of an angel; he was in the sphere of the heavens. If one lives in the heavenly realm, he is able to love his enemies. Regardless of how much trouble you give him, he can still love you. If a Christian hates his enemies and sounds out voices of cursing when being mistreated or persecuted, he is surely an earthly man.
Brothers and sisters, you may desire to pray for the church in your locality or for your evangelistic work. These are very good topics of prayer, but not having been dealt with, you still feel that the church and the work are “yours.” You want “your” church here to prosper and increase in number so that “your” work here may be fruitful. This also proves that you are not in the heavenly realm but have fallen to earth. If you wish to pray for these matters, you must first get into the heavenly position. Not only in these matters but even when you get sick or encounter problems in your home and in your daily living, you must first get into the heavenly sphere when you are going to pray.
The position of prayer is entirely a heavenly position. You cannot have a bit of jealousy, spite, or anger toward others. Once these things are found in your prayers, immediately you are not in the heavenly realm. You are not burning the incense in the Holy Place. You may be burning incense on the street, being wholly on the earth and in the world. Hence, we have said that you may be able to do and say things freely at all times and on all occasions except while in prayer. Prayer is not only a holy ground, but even more, it is a spiritual realm. The position of prayer is heavenly. Once you leave the heavenly sphere, you lose the position of prayer.
As the position of prayer is ascension, the authority of prayer is also ascension. With the position of prayer there is the authority of prayer. Whatever a Christian does is not only a matter of power but, even more, a matter of authority. For example, when preaching the word, you need not only power but also authority. This is true of some who pray before God. They not only have power but also authority, for they are in the heavenly position.
People often say that in prayer you need to remove sins, to have faith, and to hold on to God’s promise. But gradually, you will see that these do not always work. You may have been full of faith, yet God did not bring what you prayed for to pass. You held on to God’s promise, yet the promise also failed. If you are willing to learn some lessons of prayer, you will gradually be able to see that it is not a matter of believing or holding on to the promise; rather, it is a matter of seeing the position of prayer through God’s visitation. You will then be able to perform the task of prayer in the heavenly realm. At this time your prayer is a prayer of authority. It is not a matter of your believing or holding on to the promise, but it is that you have the position and the authority to perform this task. God has no alternative but to approve such prayer, and He surely will approve it.
When you arrive at this place, you will know that there are certain things for which you cannot pray, because God does not allow you to do so. The most you can do is to discuss such a matter with God, saying, “O God, may I pray for this matter? If You will, please bring it to pass.” You must not say, “O God, You must do this, for I have laid hold of Your promise.” Why is it that at times when you pray in this way, no answer comes? It is because God has not given you that promise. This is not only a matter of dealing with sins or confessing your wrongs but a matter of asking: where are you? what is your nature? and what kind of atmosphere are you in? If you are in the realm of the heavens, I am certain that eight out of ten of your prayers will be eliminated, for they are unnecessary, and you will not be able to pray them. You know that they are not the things for which you should pray in such standing.
There is hardly anything else that demands from us more than prayer. Only in prayer can you see clearly what you are, what your condition is, and where you are. Generally, in other circumstances, you have no way to find out where you are, but once you are in prayer, you may discover that you are altogether outside the heavenly realm. For this reason, when one first believes in the Lord, he dares to pray for anything; but later, the longer he has been following the Lord, the narrower is the sphere of his prayers, and the less bold he is in prayer. He dares not to pray for this, and he dares not to pray for that. The more you grow in the Lord, the more you will realize that prayer has its position and sphere. In such a position and within such a sphere, there can be such an authority.
All prayers in ascension are prayers of authority. We know that prayer in ascension is a command to God. Our prayer is not begging but commanding. You all remember that in Isaiah 45:11, God says, “Command Me.” Sometimes this commanding is a direct command to God, and sometimes it is an indirect command to the environment. Examples are: Moses standing on the shore of the Red Sea commanding the water to be divided, the Lord Jesus in the boat commanding the wind and the sea to be still, and the Lord commanding sickness to leave men. If you have learned to pray by standing in the realm of ascension, you can even command poverty to leave you. You are not there imploring, asking for God’s mercy and visitation just like a beggar asking men for a little money. If you have touched the heavenly position with its authority, you can even say, “I command the poverty to depart from me.” This is not our imagination. Some definitely have had such an experience.
The Bible, on the one hand, says that we should pray without ceasing, but on the other hand, it does not show that answers to many prayers will be forthcoming according to what people expect. There have been occasions when brothers and sisters have come to me and immediately asked me to pray for them. I really did not know how to pray for them, for I did not know whether they were in heaven or on earth. Brothers and sisters, anyone who can pray conveniently does not know what prayer is. If you really know the position and the authority of prayer, you will know that worthwhile prayer is not that easy.
Of course, God is gracious to us in all things, and He always listens to our prayer. I admit that this is true. However, God also shows that prayer is a matter of being in ascension. If you really wish to have some worthwhile prayers before God, you need to be able to give out some authoritative commands before God. Standing before God, I can tell you that in the past years in some places, as we encountered some problems in the work or in the church, we prayed this kind of commanding prayer. We expressed ourselves boldly before God, saying, “God, we cannot allow this matter.” If your position is wrong and your condition is not in the heavenly realm, such prayer would be an insult to God. But if your position is right and your state is in the heavenly sphere, then such prayer would be a real pleasure to Him. The words you pray are equal to God’s administration; they are equivalent to executing His commands. I can testify that God answers such prayers.
It is not that when one goes out to the street and points with a stick, the cars will stop; rather, it is when the traffic policeman points with his stick that everyone will stop, for he has the position and the authority. The most simple and easy prayers are these kinds of commanding prayers, authoritative prayers. But in order to have such prayers, you need to acquire a position of ascension. What is a prayer of authority? It is a prayer by one who is able to give out commands by standing in the position of ascension.
Because our spiritual condition today is too low, very few among the children of God know, and fewer actually practice, this kind of prayer. But if we go on properly in the Lord, we will realize that we are in the Holy Place, not the outer court. We will also realize that we are in the realm of ascension and cannot be touched by numerous things. We are together with the Lord in the realm of ascension and on the throne. Therefore, we are able to give orders and command everything according to the Lord’s will. Whatever we pray from such a position is an order, a command.
When you come to the point where you have the heavenly position and the heavenly authority and are thus able to utter forth authoritative prayers, you are one who is on the throne, standing in the ruling position together with the Lord. Just as He reigns at the right hand of God, so you also reign together with Him in the heavenly realm. At this time your prayer is not only an authoritative prayer but also a reigning prayer. Your prayer is to rule with authority, executing God’s orders. So at this time all your prayers become God’s administration, the execution of God’s rule. Maybe I have gone too high, but I know that if we are willing to learn, we will arrive at a place where we can utter such prayers.
In summary, there is only one position for prayer — the heavenly sphere. Once you leave this sphere, you lose the position of prayer. Prayer is not only concerned with certain matters, but much more, it is concerned with a certain position. You need to be in the heavenly sphere. Then you have the position to pray, you are able to pray with authority, and you are one sitting on the throne, uttering forth prayers of the throne.
