Operating in the Courts of Heaven

1. Shift Prayer from Battlefield to Heaven's Courtroom

I have come to believe deeply that, at the least, initially our prayers are in the courtroom of Heaven and we need to learn how to operate there if we are to get answers released and unlocked.

Prayer is conflict. Many Christians approach prayer as a battle, yelling at the devil without understanding the true arena. This often leads to frustration, weariness, and even backlash because they lack legal standing. The Apostle Paul spoke of fighting "not as one who beats the air," highlighting the need for effective engagement.

Courtroom protocol. Just as earthly courts have specific procedures, so do the Courts of Heaven. Yelling or screaming is out of order; instead, the process involves presenting petitions, answering accusations, and offering evidence. Understanding this spiritual protocol is crucial for effective prayer and securing desired outcomes.

Jesus' example. Jesus Himself demonstrated this principle, teaching about prayer using the parable of the persistent widow seeking justice from a judge (Luke 18). He also judges before making war (Revelation 19:11), showing that legal verdicts precede battlefield victory. We must secure a judgment in the courtroom before engaging the enemy on the field.

2. Your Destiny is Written in Heavenly Books

God wrote down in a book the destiny and Kingdom purpose for each of our lives.

Heavenly blueprints. Before we were born, God had a plan and purpose for our lives, recorded in a book in Heaven (Psalm 139:16). This applies not only to individuals but also to churches, businesses, cities, and nations. These books contain the divine intention and Kingdom impact God destined for each entity.

Word made flesh. Just as Jesus was the Word made flesh, fulfilling what was written about Him in the "volume of the book" (Hebrews 10:7), we too are meant to manifest what is written in our heavenly scrolls. Ephesians 2:10 calls us God's "workmanship" or "poem," planned beforehand to walk in good works.

Discovering your book. What is written in your book is also written in your heart (Psalm 40:8). Your deepest interests, desires, aspirations, and passions are clues to your predestined purpose. The Holy Spirit helps unveil these hidden truths, guiding you toward the grace apportioned for that specific purpose.

3. The Accuser Uses Legal Rights Against You

Accusations are what the devil uses to keep us from what is written in the books of Heaven about us.

Satan's primary tactic. The devil is the "accuser of our brethren" (Revelation 12:10), constantly presenting evidence in the Courts of Heaven to disqualify us from our destinies. He seeks legal grounds to resist God's plan for our lives, knowing that fulfilling our purpose will damage his kingdom.

Exploiting sin. Satan uses personal sin, past mistakes, and even the sins of our forefathers or bloodline as legal fodder for his accusations (Isaiah 43:25-28). He searches diligently for any legal door that grants him the right to afflict, steal, and destroy. This explains why bad things can happen even when we are trying to live righteously.

Job's trial. The story of Job illustrates this heavenly court activity. Satan accused Job's motives before God, gaining legal permission to test and afflict him (Job 1). This shows that even our intentions can be challenged in the court, highlighting the need for pure hearts and motives.

4. Repentance Removes the Enemy's Legal Ground

When we repent, we are removing his legal right of operation.

Breaking the snare. Repentance is a powerful legal action in the Courts of Heaven. It acknowledges the sin that gave the enemy a legal right, allowing the blood of Jesus to cleanse it away and revoke the accuser's standing (2 Timothy 2:25-26). This breaks the snare and frees us from his captivity and oppression.

Repenting for others. We can repent not only for our own sins but also for the sins of our ancestors or those we intercede for (Nehemiah 1:4-6). This removes generational legal rights the devil may be using. This doesn't alter their eternal state but disarms the enemy's legal hold in the present.

Granting God legal right. Repentance grants God, the Judge of All, the legal right to show mercy and fulfill His fatherly passion towards us and our destinies. Without repentance addressing the legal issue, God cannot justly intervene, even though His desire is always to bless and restore.

5. Jesus, Our Mediator, Secures Our Position

To Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel (Heb. 12:24).

Bridging the gap. Jesus functions as our Mediator in the Courts of Heaven, standing between God and humanity (1 Timothy 2:5). As God, He upholds divine holiness and justice; as Man, He understands our weaknesses and temptations (Hebrews 4:15). He is uniquely qualified to bring both parties into agreement concerning the New Covenant promises.

Advocate and Intercessor. Jesus is also our Advocate (1 John 2:1), comforting us when we fail and empowering us to overcome sin through His imputed righteousness. He "ever lives to make intercession for them" (Hebrews 7:25), praying based on the perfect offering of His body and blood, which legally secures our salvation and destiny.

Testimony of Jesus. The "testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy" (Revelation 19:10). When Jesus testifies as our Mediator in the Courts, it can become prophecy in our mouths on Earth. Our agreement with His testimony provides additional witness in the court, granting God further evidence to release favorable verdicts.

6. God the Judge Needs Legal Basis to Act

It is our job as individuals and the Ecclesia to grant God, as the Judge of all, the legal right to fulfill His fatherly passion.

Judge and Father. God is both our loving Father with passionate desires for His children and the righteous Judge of All who must operate justly (Hebrews 12:23). He cannot compromise His justice to fulfill His fatherly desires. Legal issues must be resolved in the court for His passion to be legally manifested on Earth.

Allowing evil. When evil occurs, it is not God doing it, but often God allowing it because the enemy has gained a legal right through sin or other means (Proverbs 26:2). God cannot violate His own legal system, even to prevent suffering. Our role is to identify and remove the enemy's legal right.

Abraham's intercession. Abraham's negotiation with God over Sodom and Gomorrah illustrates this principle (Genesis 18). Abraham appealed to God as the "Judge of all the earth" to "do right," seeking a legal reason (righteous individuals) for God to spare the city. God was looking for a legal basis to show mercy, and Abraham provided it through his petition.

7. The Blood of Jesus Silences Accusations

The accuser has no answer for the blood of Jesus.

Powerful testimony. The blood of Jesus is a primary voice testifying in the Courts of Heaven (Hebrews 12:24). Unlike Abel's blood which cried out for judgment, Jesus' blood cries out for forgiveness and redemption. It is the ultimate legal evidence that answers every accusation the devil brings against us (Revelation 12:10-11).

Eternal redemption. The High Priest's annual sacrifice provided temporary covering, but Jesus' single offering of His own blood in the heavenly Most Holy Place secured eternal redemption (Hebrews 9:11-12). This sacrifice grants God the perpetual legal right to forgive sins and secure destinies.

Cleansing the bloodline. Just as our physical blood can carry the voice of past generations' sins, the blood of Jesus can cleanse our bloodline from legal rights granted to the enemy centuries ago. Repenting for ancestral sins and applying Jesus' blood removes these ancient legal footholds, preventing backlash and empowering our present-day authority.

8. The Ecclesia is Registered for Heavenly Courts

We, as the Church of the firstborn, have been registered in the courts of Heaven and therefore have been granted a jurisdiction in the courts.

Governmental people. The Church, or Ecclesia (from the Greek word for a governmental, legislative, and judicial body), is God's appointed people on Earth with authority to operate in the Courts of Heaven (Matthew 16:18-19). We have been given the "keys of the kingdom" to bind and loose, establishing and dissolving legal contracts in the spirit realm.

Heavenly registration. Hebrews 12:23 states that the "church of the firstborn" is "registered in Heaven," signifying our authorized place and jurisdiction in the heavenly court system. This registration grants us the legal right to function there, unlike the sons of Sceva who lacked recognized authority and faced demonic backlash (Acts 19:13-17).

Jurisdiction matters. We must understand and operate within our God-appointed "measurement of rule" or "sphere" (2 Corinthians 10:13). Operating outside our granted jurisdiction is unproductive and dangerous, opening us to enemy attack. True Ecclesias, often birthed and led by apostles who carry specific governmental authority, have varying levels of jurisdiction in the heavenly courts.

9. Angels Execute Heavenly Verdicts

In the court of Heaven, angels have the important task of gathering and presenting evidence.

Heavenly messengers. Angels are an "innumerable company" in the Courts of Heaven (Hebrews 12:22), serving as messengers, witnesses, and executors of divine judgments. They gather evidence, present testimony, and carry out the verdicts rendered by God the Judge.

Ranks of angels. The heavenly hierarchy includes ranks like thrones, dominions, principalities, and powers (Colossians 1:16). These angelic beings, including archangels and cherubim, have specific functions within the court system, from declaring God's holiness to guarding His presence.

Landing scrolls. Angels are involved in delivering "flying scrolls" or judgments from Heaven (Zechariah 5:1-4). These scrolls contain verdicts against things resisting God's will, like theft or perjury. The Ecclesia's role is not only to get these verdicts but also to "land" them on Earth, making them manifest realities with angelic assistance.

10. The Bride's Influence Transforms Cities

The Bride’s voice and testimony give God the legal right to invade Earth.

Heavenly Jerusalem. The "city of the living God, the Heavenly Jerusalem" (Hebrews 12:22) is identified as the Bride, the Lamb's wife (Revelation 21:9-10). This represents a governmental entity that brings Heaven's influence to Earth, capable of invoking divine intervention over natural cities.

Bridegroom's passion. The Bride has profound influence in the Courts of Heaven due to her intimate relationship with the Bridegroom. Her love, worship, and appeals "ravish" His heart (Song of Solomon 4:9), moving Him to render judgments that allow Heaven to invade Earth and transform cities.

City transformation. When the Heavenly City descends, it brings God's government, beauty, and presence to Earth (Revelation 21:2-4). This results in peace, prosperity, healing, and the removal of pain and sorrow. The Bride's influence in the courts can break demonic rule over cities, allowing them to reflect Kingdom culture (Acts 8:6-8).

11. Finances Have a Voice in Heaven's Court

Your finances and money have a voice that is heard in the courts of Heaven.

Testimony of giving. When we give tithes and offerings, we are not just supporting ministry; our finances release a "witness" or judicial testimony in the Courts of Heaven (Hebrews 7:8). Our money carries our faith and heart's intent, speaking on our behalf before God's throne.

Creating memorials. Our prayers mingled with our giving create a "memorial before God" (Acts 10:3-4). This memorial causes God to remember us and our intentions, stirring Him to action. Cornelius's giving and prayers resulted in an angelic visitation and the Gospel entering the Gentile world.

Legal basis for miracles. Financial offerings can provide a legal basis in the Courts of Heaven for God to act, even in seemingly impossible situations. The story of the woman sowing money for her alcoholic husband's restoration illustrates how a financial seed, combined with faith, can release a verdict of healing and deliverance from the heavenly court.

Last updated: May 3, 2025