He has given us all power.
So that you can know and understand what is the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His power in and for us who believe.
Ephesians 1:19-20
Now all glory to God who is able, through his mighty power at work within us to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.
Ephesians 3:20
These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick and the sick will recover.
Mark 16:17
I’ve heard the question “Since we have been given power and authority to cast out demons, raise the dead, to heal all diseases and even greater than these things, why don’t we see more of this today? Why do I experience unanswered prayers?”
Jesus states in John 7,
“My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me…The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood… I have not come of my own accord. He who sent me is true, and him you do not know. I know him, for I come from him and he sent me.”
For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has given me a commandment – what to say and what to speak… What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.
John 12:49-50, 14:10,12
I am in the Father and the Father is in me.
Whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.
I believe we sometimes confuse power with control. Jesus had all power and authority given to him, yet he only did the works that his Father told him to do. He spoke the Father’s words, not his own. Jesus came, not to do his own thing, but to do the will of his Father.
If Jesus would have taken control, he may have never gone to the cross. He begged for that cup of sorrow to be taken away. But Jesus came to do the will of his Father, not control circumstances.
We risk disillusionment when we ask God for things without first truly hearing from the Father. Do we move and operate out of the same intimacy with the Father that Jesus did?
Are we as conscious of the Father’s words and will as Jesus was?
Do you see the disconnect here? We say we want to see the power of God at work through us, but in reality, what we most often desire is control. We want to make life easier for ourselves. We wish to avoid suffering and hardship. We wish for others to avoid suffering. We aren’t comfortable in the face of deep pain, hardship or grief.
There is nothing wrong with that. Jesus sought the same. He wished to avoid suffering. We may pray for others to be healed or spared suffering. But wait, whose words are you speaking? Are they your words, or the words of the Father?
God longs to heal, bless, revive and perform awesome miracles through us.
For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is perfect toward Him.
2 Chronicles 16:9
We pray, we beg, we intercede and even go on a food fast so as to move God’s heart to work in a specific direction in a given situation, but too often our hearts are not perfect toward Him. Have we actually acted out of that intimacy with the Father like Jesus always did?
Seek first to know the mind and will of the Father.
…Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you many discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Romans 12:1b-2
Wait! We are asking to know the will of God, not practicing renewing our minds!
Ah yes, herein lies the disconnect. We want the results without putting the work into it. And this, my people, is one of the reasons we don’t see more miracles and powerful works of God through believers. This power comes from being transformed by the renewal of the mind and… this next part is scary… by testing. Knowing the will of the Father comes through testing. Hardship. Suffering. Intimacy with the suffering of Jesus.
Apostle Paul lived in this same intimacy;
That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His suffering, being conformed to His death.
Philippians 3:10
We are quick to applaud the miracles of Jesus, and just as quick to gloss over his suffering. His lifetime of suffering.
Yet Jesus came not to do his own will, but the will of the Father.
So must we folks.
So must we.
You want that miracle-working power? Embrace suffering. Welcome hardship.
Walk through your days in constant communication with the Father.
Immerse yourself in the Word.
Practice obedience to the Holy Spirit.
Oneness with the Father is everything, as stated through the words of Jesus in John 15:
I am the Vine and my Father is the vinedresser.
Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He cuts off. Every branch that continues to bear fruit, He repeatedly prunes so that it will bear even richer and finer fruit.
Stay connected to me; just as no branch can bear fruit by itself without remaining in the vine, neither can you unless you remain in Me.
The one who remains connected to Me bears much fruit, because apart from Me you can do nothing.
If, on the other hand, you are vitally united in me and My message lives in your heart, ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you.
If you keep My commandments and obey My teaching, you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love.
I have told you these things so that My joy and delight may be in you and that your joy may be made full, complete and overflowing.