“No man is greater than his prayer life. The pastor who is not praying is playing; the people who are not praying are straying. We have many organizers, but few agonizers; many players and payers, few pray-ers; many singers, few clingers; lots of pastors, few wrestlers; many fears, few tears; much fashion, little passion; many interferers, few intercessors; many writers, but few fighters. Failing here, we fail everywhere.”
― Leonard Ravenhill
In the Book of John in the 20th chapter Jesus meets with His disciples and makes a statement that would forever leave its mark on the face of Christianity; “in the same way the Father sent me, I am sending you…”
When I read these words of Jesus it immediately brings to mind images of Him laying hands on a blind man and healing his sight, or the time when the woman who had the issue of blood touched him and saw herself instantly healed. This charge to His disciples is both provoking and intimidating at the same time.
Much of what we see in the church and from Chrisitians today on the earth resembles little of what Christ’s life looks like. This verse in John 20 stands there in our face like this ominous giant just begging the question to the believer in Christ “…can you do what your Master did?”
In 1 Corinthians 6:17; the Apostle Paul writes to the church and makes a profound statement “…Whomever has been joined together with Christ has been made one Spirit together with Him.” This verse both challenges and provokes me to believe that I can indeed step out and do the things that Jesus did and believe to see the same things that He saw.
As I read through the gospels I see one constant theme in the life of Jesus, “… and He drew aside to a quiet place alone to pray…” Prayer is the key that has the power to align us with the supernatural works of God.
A couple parting points that I ponder:
God didn’t design prayer to give us a tool to strong arm Him. He has already purposed to do and to release heaven on earth. Prayer was designed to bring our hearts into alignment with heavens priorities so that faith can be released to allow Him to move through us and manifest the kingdom of heaven on earth as he has already purposed & desired to do.
- The purpose of prayer isn’t to move God, it is to move us.
Jesus' chief priority was to bring the kingdom of heaven to manifest on the earth. To only speak those things that He heard the Father speaking and to do only those things He saw the Father doing. Jesus cultivated a lifestyle of prayer not to manipulate God into producing the miracles that He would perform but to develop an intimacy with His Father so deep that He could always see & always hear at any given moment.
- Jesus maintained His connection with the Father in private so that in the midst of the constant need, chatter & distraction around Him He could recognize the voice that was Spirit & Life so that He could reach into the unseen and bring it forth into the seen manifesting as the will of heaven exercised on earth.
Take Action:
Purpose to take time each day even 5 mins to start to set aside time and ask Father God what He wants to show you about your day.
Be intentional about finding a few good resources like a podcast or YouTube channel where you can receive teaching from people who are doing the things you want to do in the faith.
Find and connect with a good local church where you can be in community and practice the things that God is teaching you.
- Mike Sitko