Our seated position in Christ:

In the early hours before dawn, while the world still sleeps, battles are raging in prayer rooms across the globe. Church leaders who have discovered an ancient biblical truth are quietly transforming their ministries and communities through a rediscovered power—the authority of their seated position in Christ. This is not merely about adding another spiritual discipline to an already crowded schedule. It is about fundamentally shifting how we understand and exercise spiritual authority in ministry.

Ephesians reveals a stunning reality that many modern church leaders have overlooked: we are already seated with Christ in heavenly realms. Because Jesus is the highest name that can be invoked, both in the present age and in the age to come, He is far above all powers and authorities. Yet, from my experience, many of us continue to minister as if we are operating only in the visible world, relying primarily on better methods, improved technology, or enhanced programming.

The crisis of powerless leadership in modern churches is not due to a lack of resources or strate­gies. We have access to more resources than ever. It stems from a misunderstanding of our position and authority in Christ. This plays differently across various cultures. In Europe Satan’s strategy is to make you ignore his existence. In Africa his strategy is to make you fear him too much. Both accomplish the same goal—keeping church leaders from exercising their true authority in Christ.

Understanding our seated position

In the first chapter of Ephesians, Paul wrote that Christ was resurrected from the dead and then seated at the right hand of the Father, “far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come” (Eph. 1:21, NIV). Only a few verses later, Paul declares that we were dead in transgressions and sins, but “God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:6, NIV).

This is not metaphorical language or poetic flourish but a truth that transforms everything about spiritual leadership. This position of authority means that our prayers have power over the unseen realm, and therefore they directly impact the physical world. This is not because we have some mystical powers within ourselves but because we connect with the infinite source of all power through prayer.

However, I have seen that most of us do not exercise our spiritual authority because we do not believe in it. We are stuck between two theological extremes that distort our full view of reality.

The Calvinist trap

Some believe God is so sovereign that our prayers do not influence outcomes; instead, they merely align our hearts with what God was going to do anyway, a position that nullifies our role in spiritual authority. Though having a long history, this theology spread in the West through the writing of John Calvin. It ignores the great controversy between Christ and Satan.

When Lucifer accused God of being a tyrant who forced His creatures to worship Him, Lucifer seemed to have a strong case. God is ultimately sovereign over everything. His power is unmatched. The problem is not just that God can coerce you to worship Him with his sheer power. God is so sovereign that your own free will cannot resist Him.

However, love demands freedom. Therefore God must limit His sovereignty so that individuals can exercise their own free will and have a meaningful relationship with Him. The Fall is the first evidence of just how powerful our free will is (Gen. 3). Adam and Eve had been given authority over nature, but because they exercised their free will against God, not only they but also nature itself suffered.

Many Christians are stuck in the belief that God’s plans for us are final, regardless of our will, and so prayer is just a way to connect with Him and find out what He has already decided. No wonder many do not pray very often nor exercise their God-given authority. “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Eph. 6:12, NIV). These forces of darkness are delighted that we do not exercise through prayer the authority God gave us—authority in the heavenly realms. They would not stand a chance if we did.

The truth lies in understanding that God, in His sovereignty, has chosen to limit His power to work through human agency. He awaits our exercise of spiritual authority and faith, not because He lacks power but because He honors the free will that He gave us. This is why Jesus taught us to pray, “ ‘Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven’ ” (Matt. 6:10, NKJV). We are not merely asking; we are exercising authority to align earth with heaven’s reality.

Prayer warriors understand why they can seem almost “arrogant” or “bold” in their prayers—declaring things with authority rather than merely asking. Obviously, as the Bible says, the prayer of the righteous avails much. That clearly implies that it is not that whatever someone would proclaim God would do but that those who have a close, continual connection with God would not ask anything against God’s nature of love, law, or will. Those continually connected with Christ understand their seated position and are operating from it. This is not pride; it is proper positioning. When an elder prays for a family, when a pastor declares truth over their congregation, when a prayer warrior intercedes at dawn, they are exercising delegated authority from their seated position with Christ. Again, they are seated with Christ, which clearly means that they are in accord with Christ’s love, will, and character.

The secular humanism trap

Others have so thoroughly embraced practical ministry that they rely almost entirely on human methods and strategies, treating prayer as a symbolic activity rather than the actual engine of ministry. In my experience many church leaders have unconsciously absorbed this worldview. When attendance drops, we immediately think of better marketing strategies. When youth engagement declines, we rush to upgrade our technology. When spiritual apathy sets in, we search for more dynamic programs. This approach to ministry, while appearing practical and professional, reveals a profound theological error: the assumption that visible means are sufficient to accomplish spiritual ends.

This mindset manifests most clearly in how we approach church growth. We study demographics, analyze trends, and implement proven methodologies. These tools are fine except when they become substitutes for spiritual authority rather than supplements to it. We end up building programs instead of exercising prayer and power, managing systems instead of confronting principalities.

Consider how differently the early church operated. When faced with opposition, they did not convene a strategy meeting. Instead they held a prayer meeting. When Peter was imprisoned, the church did not launch a political campaign—they engaged in spiritual warfare through persistent prayer. The result? Angels broke chains, prison doors opened, and the gospel advanced not through human ingenuity but through spiritual authority (see Acts 12:4–7).

The secular humanist trap is particularly dangerous because, at times, it may appear successful. Churches can grow numerically, budgets can increase, and programs can multiply—all while operating primarily in the natural realm. But we end up with churches that are well-organized but spiritually powerless, active but not authoritative, busy but not transformative.

Many of us have personally experienced this trap. We spend years building ministries through sheer effort and skill, seeing fruit but feeling the exhaustion of relying primarily on human resources. We become expert administrators but novice spiritual authorities. Our prayer lives become perfunctory rather than powerful, a brief devotional exercise rather than one of spiritual authority.

Yet God never intended His church to operate primarily in the visible realm. The tools of secular effectiveness were meant only to support spiritual authority, not to replace it. When we rely primarily on human methods, we unwittingly concede territory to the enemy that should be claimed through spiritual authority.

When people pray from their seated position, they are not merely hoping God may act—they are exercising authority that God has already delegated to them over their assigned sphere of influence. God asked them to pray, and they obeyed His command. This is why territorial authority matters—God has given specific authority to specific people over specific areas of influence.

The unseen reality of spiritual leadership

What if everything you could see in your ministry was merely the shadow of a greater reality? Every attendance challenge, financial struggle, and relational conflict in your church has its roots in an unseen reality that can be engaged only through spiritual authority.

Think of Daniel’s experience: he prayed for twenty-one days while angelic and demonic forces battled in the heavenly realms (Dan. 10:12–14). The outcome was not determined by better prayer techniques or more eloquent words but by persistent engagement in spiritual warfare through his God-given authority. Our churches face the same reality today.

When you enter your prayer room at four o’clock in the morning, something shifts in the spiritual atmosphere. This is not mysticism—it is biblical reality. The forces of darkness that have been plotting against your ministry all night suddenly encounter resistance. The spiritual airways, thick with opposition, begin to clear. Your authority, exercised through prayer, creates a breach in the enemy’s defenses that light can flood through. Your free will and words matter more than you have ever imagined. If you start the day alone, you are Satan’s target. When you start the day with prayer, you are surrounded by God’s presence and power. Prayer brings God’s Spirit into your life, and when God comes, power comes. He inspires you, opens your mind and eyes, and in His presence, you have power.

This is why experienced intercessors pray differently. They have seen behind the veil. They know that when they declare God’s word over a situation, they are not merely speaking into the air—they are wielding authority that makes demons tremble. They understand that every word spoken in alignment with their seated position carries power that can shift circumstances in the visible realm.

When and how to pray

For thousands of years people have discovered at least three truths about prayer. The first truth is the increase in power when we pray before dawn, often between four and six o’clock. The second truth that we learn about prayer from people who have experienced the fullness of the Holy Spirit is that spiritual warfare should happen on our knees. A third element many have pointed to is the physical presence of other believers.

It is difficult to understand why any of these would be true, however. The dynamics of the spiritual world often defy our modern sensibilities. Why should kneeling carry more power than sitting? Why should corporate prayer multiply authority beyond simple addition? Why should spoken declarations carry more weight than silent meditation? We may not fully understand, but generations of spiritually mighty men and women testify to these realities. Like a man who arrives tired and hungry at home to find a warm meal—the food will nourish him whether or not he understands the biochemistry of nutrition.¹

Jesus, our supreme Example, prayed early in the morning while it was still dark. “In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly” (Ps. 5:3, NIV). In the morning before activities start, before any stress begins, make God your priority, focus on Him, start the day with Him, invite His presence with you throughout the day. When you begin to pray before dawn, you will notice subtle shifts at first. An increased sensitivity to the Spirit’s whispers. A sharper discernment of spiritual opposition. A growing awareness of God’s movements in your congregation. But as you persist, these subtle shifts become seismic changes. Strongholds that seemed immovable begin to crumble. Hearts that appeared permanently hardened start to soften. Resources that were mysteriously blocked suddenly flow freely.

The authority you exercise before dawn creates ripples that affect every aspect of your ministry. That afternoon pastoral counseling session? The spiritual groundwork was laid in your morning prayers. That board meeting decision? The atmosphere was shaped hours before anyone entered the room. That Sabbath sermon? Its effectiveness was determined while your congregation still slept.

The call to supernatural ministry

Dear pastor and church leader, you stand at a crossroads. Christ’s church was never meant to advance through human effort alone, yet that is exactly how many of us lead. The throne room of heaven holds your seat of authority—unused, unclaimed, yet vibrating with potential. From that position, your whispered prayers carry more power than your loudest strategic initiatives. The forces of darkness do not flinch at your programs. But they tremble at the prospect of you discovering who you really are in Christ.

Perhaps tonight, pray for the angel of the Lord to wake you at four o’clock tomorrow morning. When that moment comes, you will face the most significant leadership decision of your day: Will you continue building a ministry on mere human effort, or will you rise to take your place in the heavenly realms?

This is not about you. Every soul in your congregation, every family in your community, every destiny under your care hangs in the balance. They do not need another program. They need a leader who has rediscovered their spiritual authority.

You can begin with fifteen minutes of authoritative prayer before dawn, saturated with the Holy Spirit’s power. This will begin to shift the spiritual atmosphere over your entire ministry.

Heaven’s armies stand ready, the authority is already yours, and the gates of hell tremble at the prospect of even one church leader fully awakening to this reality.