As I was having a conversation with God. I asked something of Him (not uncommon), though in my asking I realised there was a fundamental flaw in my mind.
Now, let me just clarify I don’t think there as anything wrong with asking God for stuff.
However, I think and I’ve noticed in my own life that our prayers can easily become a means to outsource the work that God has given us, back to Him.
Here’s what happened
I was praying and I was (going to) ask God for the empowerment to love and serve the people who are with me where I am planted. Good request, surely God would honour and answer my prayer, right?
It then dawned on me; “What happens after that prayer?”
I’ve prayed for help. Now what?
Any logical person would conclude you either go in the power of that help or you wait for the help to arrive. Either you wait, or you go.
However, I’ve found myself to be stuck more in the wait than in the go.
It’s great to ask God for His help. It’s not so great to just sit and let it end there.
Paul in 1 Corinthians 12 speaks on spiritual gifts and concludes the chapter by saying this: All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills. (1 Corinthians 12:11 ESV)
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defined empower as, “to give official authority or legal power to”. Read the following verses for an idea of what I’m getting to:
Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. (Matthew 24:30 ESV)
Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” (Matthew 26:64 ESV)
And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.” (Mark 9:1 ESV)
Paul on proclaiming Christ as crucified says this: And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. (1 Corinthians 2:1-5 ESV)
And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding country. And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all. (Luke 4:14-15 ESV)
In the reading of these texts, we can see that there is a special relationship that exists between power and action that doesn’t if the two are separate.
So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:6-8 ESV)
The observation if I’m not mistaken is like that of a lifeguard or a doctor. Both have the ability to save a life. Both have the power, but unless they act on it, nothing will happen.
The story of the paralysed man being brought to Jesus by his friends really speaks on this point. It goes like this:
On one of those days, as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with him to heal. And behold, some men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they were seeking to bring him in and lay him before Jesus, but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus. And when he saw their faith, he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” When Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answered them, “Why do you question in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the man who was paralyzed—“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home.” And immediately he rose up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went home, glorifying God. And amazement seized them all, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, “We have seen extraordinary things today.” (Luke 5:17-26 ESV)
I really love how reading it, three points stick out. They knew Jesus had power. They had faith. They acted.
Jesus had power
Jesus had gone around doing marvelous things for people. Jesus had the power to heal the paralysed man.
On one of those days, as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with him to heal. (Luke 5:17 ESV)
They had faith & they acted
They believed and they acted on their belief. You wouldn’t tear open someone’s roof and risk letting your friend fall as you let him down through the roof if you didn’t believe Jesus could help him. And because they stepped out in faith, Jesus moved in power.
And behold, some men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they were seeking to bring him in and lay him before Jesus, but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus. And when he saw their faith, he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” (Luke 5:18-20 ESV)
Moving forward
Reading all these pieces of text. What I want to point out is that in the life of the believer, it is not sufficient to ask for power (or empowerment) and not act on it. So often we ask for power to do things that we then end up not doing. This is something that I need to repent of.
Granted there is grace for all the times that we don’t do it. But don’t let your good intentions not develop into good actions. Amen.
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