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When We Pray With Strength
Sometimes God wants us to come to Him withboldness. Ask and you will receive, Jesus said.
This doesn't mean that we go to the Lord toenrich ourselves, nor that we are not humble. It means that we go to Him withfaith.
When we ask for God's mighty presence withexpectation -- when we know He'll respond -- He does precisely that.
Suddenly we see tremendous results that couldonly be explained as from the Hand of the Lord.
Is this not what the early Church did? Were notthe first Christians brimming with boldness -- righteous boldness -- andconfidence? And as a result did not the Lord fill them with His Spirit?
Too often our prayers are timid. What is meant bythat is that we send up little requests in a voice that doesn't really expectanything. We just say a prayer in the off-chance that it might be answered!
This is not what brings God's greatest force. Heoperates most strongly when we are strong and when are requests are so that wecan better serve Him. When we're selfish, arrogant, or carnal, God doesn'thonor our requests, but He knows when we're coming to Him like little childrenand like children it's often important to be clear and strong andstraightforward.
Look at the strength in the Lord's Prayer. Lookat how strongly, how clearly, Jesus communicated with the Father. As a writernamed Bruce Wilkinson points out, "you'll notice in Luke's account that thephrase 'filled with the Spirit' is often linked to a consequence: They 'spokewith boldness' (see Acts 4:13; 5:29; 7:51; 9:27). Only God at work through themcould account for the miracles and mass conversions that followed." Only Godthrough them could have allowed the early Christians to face off against themighty pagans.
And He would only have come through them if theypowerfully asked.
God wants each ofus to be similarly filled with His Spirit. Paul told the Ephesians to make it apriority to be "filled with the fullness of God." To that end (notes Wilkinson)"he prayed that God would bless and strengthen them 'with might through HisSpirit.'"
When we want thestrength of God we ask with respect and humility but also with strength.
Know that God will act. Know that He watchesevery aspect of your lives. Know that he loves you and wants you to come toHim. Know that He wants you to pray strongly -- which means with your heart.
Plead with Him. Rise to His side. Speak boldlyand clearly!
Thank Him beforehand, knowing He has heard you --and with the strength of prayer, rise right above all evil, all storm clouds.
That's what the Lord wants: not for us to getbogged down in the details of a dilemma, not for us to have that sinkingfeeling, not for us to pray feebly, but to rise from every circumstance nomatter how daunting and know that if we ask in the right way and if it's HisWill, the might of His Spirit will correct anything.
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