How many times do we pray for things without stopping to make sure we really believe God for them? I’ve been guilty of that…taking a prayer list to God instead of deeply heart-felt petitions. There are things that God wants to do…things He wants to accomplish…He wants to use us, but our faith often just isn’t engaged.
What would happen if we just stopped talking at God and started fusing our faith with His strength and allowing Him to use us? The Bible tells us that we shall do even greater things than JESUS did. Have you stopped to think about that lately? Greater than feeding over 5,000 people with a few fish and a couple of loaves of bread? Greater than restoring sight to the blind? Greater than raising multiple people from the dead? Have you thought about the power that God has instilled in us, and, perhaps more importantly, why is it lying dormant?
I feel as if God is calling us to a higher level. I feel like there’s power that’s being locked up inside of us because we’re too spiritually weak to believe it exists. We may believe it exists in other people, but in us? But I also feel as if God is just about to unleash this power in an incredible way through people who are ready and willing to do what He asks them to do.
Part of what holds us back is, we have prayed for something before, something we really wanted and believed would happen, but it didn’t. The enemy makes us question, “Did we do it wrong or did God fail us?” And both of those questions are complete rubbish. You never know what kind of protection is wrapped up in prayers that seem to go unanswered. Our prayers have been heard by the Almighty God, but not everything we want is what’s best for us. We may have a hard time understanding why something so painful could be what’s best for us, but God is sovereign and He sees our lives from beginning to end. He knows what’s best and, if He chooses not to respond to a prayer in the way we want Him to, we have to trust that He is still doing what’s best for the overall good of those who love Him.
The answer to our prayers should not be the determinant of our faith. And, if we’re praying for someone else, we’re not responsible for how God chooses to answer those prayers. Our responsibility is to pray in faith—not telling God how to respond, but just trusting that He will. Not every sick person will be healed. Not every dead person will be raised. But if there is even ONE miracle that you’re meant to pray for and you fail to engage your faith in doing so, then you’re stopping the wonder-working power of God from being displayed. You’re stealing glory that He should receive from the mighty things that He would use you to do.
I can’t help thinking of all the hurts in this world…I’m thinking of all the pain and the fears and the worries…and I’m thinking that I know the answer to all of it. But am I willing to put myself out there and really engage in changing these things? Am I holding on to some kind of pride that would allow me to keep my dignity without looking like one of those crazy, sold-out Christians that people raise their eyebrows at? I’d like to think I don’t care what others think or say about me, but I know there are parts of me that do care—and I hate that!
I don’t want to be the reason someone doesn’t get healed. I don’t want to be the reason someone misses out on this incredible relationship with Jesus. I don’t want to be the reason that a marriage falls apart, our nation goes to hell in a hand basket, or our world goes unchanged. I’m much more fearful of that than I am the judgment of man. Maybe the people I used to know won’t want to associate with me anymore. Maybe some of the people I know now won’t want to be associated with me. But I’ve got to tell you, I know a mighty, powerful, amazing God and our little token sacrifices of prayer that we offer just isn’t cutting it with Him. He KNOWS who He is. Do you? Do I?
What do I know of His might? What do I know of His power? What do I know of His strength and love and holiness and righteousness and His desire to bless us, to use us, to work through us? My knowledge of Him barely scratches the surface of all that He is. But it’s enough to know that He is more than enough!
I just feel this intense burden for something more…more intense, more real, more like God. Not the God that we think of in paintings. Not the God that we put in a book on a shelf and dust off from time to time. No, I’m talking like GOD OF THE UNIVERSE GOD. God who lives inside of me God. God who actively speaks to me God. God who cares about what’s going on and who wants to make it better God. Whooo! I’m getting all worked up. I think I’m going to go pray—and listen for God to answer—so I’ll know what He wants me to do with all that He has so richly blessed me. I encourage you to do the same, if you’re up to the task. But just be sure you don’t ask Him if you really don’t want to know, because He WILL tell you if you’re serious about wanting Him to show you. J
220 Gal 