Thursday, June 21, 2018

21 June 2018 - power in prayer



Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Prayer should begin by intentionally remembering that God is our Father, that he loves us, wills our good. He is all powerful. This is much more important than getting any of the details right. It is this posture of faith and trust that makes our prayer powerful.

By the Lord's word he shut up the heavens
and three times brought down fire.
How awesome are you, Elijah, in your wondrous deeds!

Elijah and Elisha are among the greatest prophets because of this trust in the LORD. They trust in him enough that he can do mighty deeds through them. But the LORD promises that his followers will do even greater things than he himself did (see John 14:12), let alone Elijah and Elisha. The only way we can manifest this promise is through trust.

Nothing was beyond his power;
beneath him flesh was brought back into life.
In life he performed wonders,
and after death, marvelous deeds.

Our Father knows what we need. He wants our good. Let us open ourselves to trusting in his will for the world, "thy Kingdom come and thy will be done". Let us trust in him for our daily bread and for our relationships with one another. Only he can keep us safe from temptation and free from evil. Only if we are free in that way can we do the work of God.

Sometimes circumstances twist us to an inward focus that insists on our own rights. But this is always an implicit refusal to trust in God. It is always usurping his prerogative of judgment for ourselves. Forgiveness is a prerequisite to powerful prayer. We can't hold grudges and expect miracles.

"If you forgive others their transgressions,
your heavenly Father will forgive you.
But if you do not forgive others,
neither will your Father forgive your transgressions."

The world needs us to add our prophetic voices to those of Elijah and Elisha. It needs to see demonstrations of the Spirit and power (see First Corinthians 2:4). We are meant to be lights to the world. It does no service to anyone to be consumed with uncertainty and fear. We need to trust in God's ability not only in general but in ourselves.


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