Participating in the Divine Nature
We are partners with God here on earth. God cannot do anything on earth without the body of Christ. We are His body; His hands, His legs, His mouthpiece and through us God’s influence and impact is seen in the earth. It is written; “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” 2 Peter 1:4 KJV. The word, ‘partaker’; is the same word as participator, partner or fellowship. We are participators in the divine nature; we participate in causing changes supernaturally with God.
This is mostly effected through prayer. When we pray we are availing tremendous power to effect the necessary changes on earth. We pray because God wants us to be part of the change. Whereas He can do anything and everything all by Himself, He has given us a privilege to participate in the divine nature through prayer. Look at this example; “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit” James 5:17-18.
James by the Spirit of God reveals to us the part prayer played in the prophecy Elijah gave to King Ahab. When you read the prophecy in the beginning, there is no indication of prayer. “And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab,”As the LORD God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word” 1 Kings 17:1. This is an authoritative prophecy qualified by the fact that Elijah declared that he stood before God. Now, we know he did, in prayer. He prayed that it will not rain and then he prophesied to King Ahab, and surely it did not rain for three years. Many believers love just to make declarations and to prophecy, but they fail to back it up in prayer. When you pray, you are participating in the divine nature with God, actualizing it in prayer and releasing power for the dynamic change needed. For the rain to fall again, James, says that Elijah prayed again. In 1 Kings 18, God told Elijah to present himself to Ahab, because He was going to send rain. Later we see Prophet Elijah prophesying and also praying for its fulfillment.
“Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.” So Ahab went up to eat and drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; then he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees, and said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” So he went up and looked, and said, “There is nothing.” A nd seven times he said, “Go again.” Then it came to pass the seventh time, that he said, “There is a cloud, as small as a man’s hand, rising out of the sea!” So he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot, and go down before the rain stops you.'” 1 Kings 18:41-44.
Elijah was consistent with praying for the fulfillment of what God told him to prophesy. This would have been obvious to Elijah, like many would have us think; ‘if God had said it, definitely He was going to do it, even without prayer.’ This is an erroneous way of thinking; God wants our participation in the divine nature on earth. Many dreams have been aborted because they were left to fate. You cannot leave your life to chance, effect changes through prayer. Effect changes in your city, in your church and in nations through prayer. According to Amplified Bible, James 5:16 is rendered; ‘The continuous, heartfelt prayer of a righteous man, makes tremendous power available dynamic in its working.” Participate in the divine nature through prayer as you make this tremendous power available to effect dynamic changes.
~ Robert Ssesanga
Pastor Robert Ssesanga founded Aflame Gospel Ministries and is Senior Pastor of Aflame Gospel Assembly in Kampala, Uganda. An author and speaker, he travels internationally preaching the Gospel with signs, miracles and wonders, as God attests to His word with power. His emphasis on victorious living and enjoying the supernatural life has impacted many lives in many nations. His passion is to demonstrate the gospel and impact generations.