Understanding the Cross

 

The Principle of the Last Day

 

q       The principle of the last day is that Christ works at the moment that we become supremely desperate and give up on our own resources.

q       Working out hopelessness and strength less is part of the walk of faith.

q       It causes us to always die to self.

q       It develops the person of Christ in us and causes us to trust solely on Him. As we become desperate in our strength we cry to Him and see His salvation, and Christ obtains the glory.

John 6:38  For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.

39  And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.

40  And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

Joh 6:44  No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

Joh 6:54  Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.

 

q       Sentence – is the answer of death

q       Trust in God who is constantly raising the corpses.

q       Rescuing from the pit.

2Cor 1:9  But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:

10 Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;

q       Aorist middle indicative.  Christ has rescued us at all times by faith, by drawing to Himself.

 

 

 

The Principle of Resurrection

q       Everything must be taken to death and the resurrection, so that what is corrupt, natural and earthly can be put to death and the eternal and incorrupt may be raised up.

Num 17:8 ¶ And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.

9  And Moses brought out all the rods from before the LORD unto all the children of Israel: and they looked, and took every man his rod.

10  And the LORD said unto Moses, Bring Aaron’s rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels; and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not. {rebels: Heb. children of rebellion}

Heb 9:4  Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron ’s rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant;

 

The Corn of Wheat and the Alabaster Jar

q       The need for brokenness for the Spirit to be released and fruit can be born for the Lord.

Mrk14:3  And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head. {spikenard: or, pure nard, or, liquid nard

    Joh 12:3  Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.

 

John 12:23  And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.

24  Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

q       Present active/abiding alone if it chooses to live (loneliness)

q       Present active/ bearing much fruit if it chooses to die. (Much company)

25  He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.

q       Devote it to destruction and total ruin

q       To guard and keep watch over what is real life

 

2Cor 4:10  Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

q       To carry about the corpsing of the Lord Jesus

11     For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.

q       Present passive indicative

12     So then death worketh in us, but life in you.

q       Present middle indicative.  Death constantly energizes itself in us, consequently bringing life to you.

2Cor 12:9  And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

q       Linear concept.  God’s power grows in proportion to our weakness.

q       Present passive indicative

10  Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

q       The Shechinah glory of God will tent over and become fixed upon a person in weakness,

q       Aorist active subjunctive

 

Mammon

Mark 4:23  If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.

24  And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given.

25  For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath.

q       We must continue to acquire through obedience to continue to get more and more from the Lord.  The disobedient person will start to lose what he thinks he has.

Mat 6:24  No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

q       No man has the dunamis or ability to be a slave to two lords.

q       Present active infinitive

q       To be a slave and do service to.

q       No one has the power to serve to lords.  It is a black and white situation. One will he love unconditionally the other one he will hate.  He will cleave to one, and hold firmly to one.

q       The other, he will think down upon and thinks little of.  That is the danger of loving money.

q       It will suck out the love for the Lord

Mat 13:44 ¶ Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.

q       All things, as many as he has, he sells and buys that field.

 

45  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:

46  Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

q       Sold/ perfect active

q       All that he had/ as many things as he had he sold/ imperfect

Mat 19:23 ¶ Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.

q       With difficulty

24  And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

26  When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?

q       We must be stripped of everything in our hearts to be able to serve the Lord.

26  But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

26  Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?

q       We have left all things behind.

28  And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

29     And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.

Share our testimony

 

Mr 10:21  Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.

 

Meekness and Poverty of Spirit

James 1:21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

Mat 5:5  Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

q       Meekness is to yield up all of our rights.

Ps 32:9  Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee.

q       Do not go before or behind the Lord.

q       Do not run before the Lord and do not resist Him.

Mat 5:3 ¶ Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

q       All dependency upon the Lord.

Mat 5:8  Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

 

Faith

Jesus Must Find Faith on Earth

Lu 18:8  I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

q       Will he find faith rightly belonging to the earth?  Jesus is always looking for present faith.

Our Victory Comes Through the Revelation of Jesus

Rom 9:15  For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

Thr Righteousness Belonging to Faith

Ro 1:17  For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

q       A righteousness of God is revealed in relationship to the gospel.  Righteousness is the outward deeds.  Faith is a possessor of righteousness or activating the deeds of God. Faith as a possessor of righteousness into faith as the final goal.

q       A righteousness is disclosed through the way of faith that arouses more faith..

q       The one who is just on the principle of faith shall live.  The manifestations of God on the principle of faith shall live.

q       The righteous man will always live in relationship to his faith.  There is no other way.

Rom 3:20  Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

21  But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;

Ro 3:22  Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

q       A righteousness and of God through faith of (in ) Jesus Christ into all the ones believing.  It is a righteousness, which is meant to all the one believing

q       Grace is God’s doing. The more faith, the more righteousness.

q       Faith is the root system from which God’s actions emanate.

q       His actions must lead us into greater levels of faith.

q       The goal is always more faith.

q       The righteousness of God is uncovered out of faith.

Ro 3:27  Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.

q       The law or principle belonging to faith

Ro 3:31  Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.

q       We establish the law through the faith.  We make the law constituting of the righteousness of God to stand firm from minute to minute through faith. The righteousness of faith is a law.

q       We must make this righteousness stand from moment to moment by this law.

Faith works on itself from moment to moment to bring this righteousness. This is why faith is a law. Works will destroy the law because it is impossible to keep.

Ro 4:5  But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

q       Righteousness is the actions of God.  To the one not having a relationship of work but to the ones constantly believing from moment to moment activates the righteous actions of God upon his life. His faith working upon itself brings forth the actions of God.

q       The good news has a component of faith to it.

q       Faith is regarded as the normal attitude of the heart. It is not a sudden emotion or an isolated act.  It is developed.

q       Ro 4:9  Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.

Makarismon- the blessedness or the happiness of the man that walks by faith.

Ro 4:16  Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,

17  (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.

q       Even God who is constantly quickening or calling; the nature of God is to be constantly giving life to those that have constant faith.  The life comes to the corpses.  He is constantly calling forth the things not being.

18Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.

q       Who beyond hope on the foundation of hope believed.  Whose hope being gone hoped on in faith; according to the thing being said.  The rhema must come first so that we may act on faith.

Ro 4:19  And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb:

q       In view of the promise of God he did not vacillate in the sphere of unbelief upon two mutual expectations.

q       He considered his body to have died just like my tooth. (perfect) The corpsness of Sarah’s womb.

q       He was fully persuaded with finality that what God had promised to do that He would accomplish.

q       He did not decide against the promise of God by unbelief. ( ouk)

Ro 4:20  He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;

q       Was empowered in faith

 

Faith is a Spirit

2 Cor 4:13  We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;

q        We having. Continuously possessing the same spirit of faith.  It is a spirit, which is in possession of faith. We believe and can speak with effect and confidence.  As we believe, we shall also go forth speaking.  This is prophecy and the use of the gifts of the spirit.

q       This spirit of faith speaks on this wise- We believe something into righteousness or causes God to act and speak it out into salvation or God’s deliverance and final culminating answer.

2Co 5:7  (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

q       We walk not through what appears but by a moment-to-moment relation with faith. We order or conduct our life through faith and not through what appears.

 

Faith Must Start With The Rhema Word of God

Romans 10:3  For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.

4  For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

Romans 10:5 Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.

6But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:)

q       But the out of faith righteousness thus speaks:  Do not say in your heart of you; near you is the rhema. It is in the mouth of you and in the heart of you. The rhema of faith we constantly preach and believe.  The righteousness belonging to faith comes out of the original rhema and must have mustard seed qualities.

q       The rhema of God is always near to us in relationship to our mouth and heart.

6  But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:)

7  Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)

 

8  But what saith it? The rhema is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the rhema of faith, which we preach;

7       That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

q       Faith is exercised in the heart by the revelation of the rhema.  Wherever there come the rhema also comes the faith.  Faith is in possession of something called the rhema.

q       A hearing that owns faith and a rhema that owns hearing.

10  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

17  So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the rhema of God.

q       A type of hearing that comes out of faith

q       Faith out of a report of hearing and hearing through the rhema.

q       Faith comes out of the source of hearing first. 

q       Hearing must always come out of the rhema word as a source

 

Joh 14:10  Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The rhemas  that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

q       The works of the Holy Spirit are described and are bounded by the rhema word.

Joh 17:8  For I have given unto them the rhemas  which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.

q       The rhemas reveal the person of Jesus.

 

Ga 2:20  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith  of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

q       I now live my life in the sphere of faith belonging to Christ Jesus.  Even the faith that constantly comes out of Christ through His rhema word and is being lived out constantly in me.

q       But I am living no longer as I. But in me now lives Christ, and that which I now live in the flesh, in faith I live and that of the faith of the Son of God.

q       This is why we must live out of the rhema. The rhema embodies Christ’s faith.

q       Unbelief carries a power of its own.

 

Mt 13:58  And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

Heb 3:7 ¶ Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice,

8  Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness

12  Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.

13     But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

 

The Rhema Must Carry Miraculous Faith

Mat 8:8  The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.

q       Aorist active imperative

Mt 17:20  And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

q       Nothing will be without power.  Faith renders every rhema of God with its inherent dunamis. It is a dative of relationship.

q       The grain of mustard seed is the rhema word of God.  Faith in every rhema must be mustard seed or miraculous type of faith ; where everything small becomes big.  The impossible must become possible.

q       Mustard seed faith (THE RHEMA) though it is a minimum amount of faith, must be a grain of miraculous faith.  Faith is an up rooter of mountains.

q       The rhema must be there.  Faith is the acceptance of the rhema word. Or the acceptance of the rhema as a grain of mustard seed or miracle working faith.

1Co 13:2  And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing

q       All faith to keep on removing mountain after mountain

 

Mark 11:22  And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. {Have…: or, Have the faith of God}

q       Constant present command from Jesus to live in a state of constantly having faith in God or leaning upon the faith of God.

23  For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

q       Present middle Action upon itself.  Belief begets belief. Believing that I am getting it now at this moment by the inherent action of the believing itself. Self-acting faith. It will be for him.

q       That what I say now has immediate present reflexive action to immediately starts to take place.

q       Not having two judgments

q       It has reflexive power that begins to come to pass immediately.

24  Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

Joh 15:7  If ye abide in me, and my rhemas abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

q       Believe / receive; A command to believe immediately, that I begin to receive immediately in the here and now.

 

Watchman Nee’s Crisis of Faith

Romans 10:17So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the rhema of God.

Mt 7:13  Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: {strait: or, narrow}

Mt 7:14  Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

Rom 4:18  Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.

19  And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb:

20  He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;

21  And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

22     And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.

q       Accounted to or credited to his account; giving it weight or force.

23 ¶ Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;

23     But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;

 

Growing Up In Christ

 

The Need for a Pure Conscience

1Tim 1:5 ¶ Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:

1Tim 1:18 ¶ This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare;

19Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:

1Tim 3:9  Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.

2Tim 1:3  I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day;

 

Seizing Unto and Being Renewed in Christ

. Eph 4:20  But ye have not so learned Christ;

21  If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:

22  That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

23  And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

24And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. {true…: or, holiness of truth

 

Col 2:19  And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.

 

Col 3:1 ¶ If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

2  Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. {affection: or, mind}

3  For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

4  When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

5¶ Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

 

Col 3:9  Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;

10And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

 

Zeal and Passion in Christ

Mat 11:12  And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. {suffereth…: or, is gotten by force, and they that thrust men}

Titus 1:5 ¶ For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee: {wanting: or, left undone}

2Cor 12:15  And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved. {for you: Gr. for your souls}

Eph 5:16  Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

Eph 6:12  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. {flesh…: Gr. blood and flesh} {spiritual…: or, wicked spirits} {high: or, heavenly}

14        Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. {having…: or, having overcome all}

q       We are encouraged here to take the whole armor of God and having done all to stand, to stand therefore.  "Having done all" is once again the word "katergazomai.'  Simply stated it depicts us as warriors in that terrible struggle against the world, Satan, and sin.  The big ball of dull is kicked up as were engage in these gladiator struggles of life.  When the dust finally settles we remain standing victoriously, as Satan, sin and the world lay scattered at our feet.  Once again my brethren, the command is to carry out all things to a complete victory. The reason why the church is so weak is because few obey this scripture. Other exciting scriptures that contain "katergazomai" is 2 Corinthians

14  Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

Php 2:12  Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with  fear and trembling.

Phillip 3:12Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

 

The Word of God

Col 3:16  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

2Tim 1:13  Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

2Tim 2:15  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

2Tim 3:15  And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

16  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

Titus 1:9  Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. {as…: or, in teaching}

Titus 2:1 ¶ But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:

 

Prayer

1Tim 5:5  Now she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, trusteth in God, and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day.

Ac 6:4  But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.

Col 4:12  Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete  in all the will of God. {labouring…: or, striving} {complete: or, filled}

Gen 32:24 ¶ And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. {breaking…: Heb. ascending of the morning}

25  And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.

26  And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.

27  And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.

28  And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. {Israel: that is, A prince of God}

29  And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there.

James 5:16  Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

17Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.