Spirit Daily

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 The Strength Of God Comes Through Us When We Pray With Strength

By Michael H. Brown

God wants us to come to Him with boldness. Ask and you will receive, Jesus said.

This doesn't mean that we go to the Lord to enrich ourselves, nor that we are not humble. It means that we go to Him with faith.

When we ask for God's mighty presence with expectation -- when we know He'll respond -- He does precisely that. 

Suddenly we see tremendous results that could only be explained as from the Hand of the Lord.

Is this not what the early Church did? Were not the first Christians brimming with boldness -- righteous boldness -- and confidence? And as a result did not the Lord fill them with His Spirit?

Too often our prayers are timid. What is meant by that is that we send up little requests in a voice that doesn't really expect anything. We just say a prayer in the off-chance that it might be answered!

This is not what brings God's greatest force. He operates most strongly when we are strong and when are requests are so that we can better serve Him. When we're selfish, arrogant, or carnal, God doesn't honor our requests, but He knows when we're coming to Him like little children and like children it's often important to be clear and strong and straightforward.

Look at the strength in the Lord's Prayer. Look at how strongly, how clearly, Jesus communicated with the Father. As a writer named Bruce Wilkinson points out, "you'll notice in Luke's account that the phrase 'filled with the Spirit' is often linked to a consequence: They 'spoke with boldness' (see Acts 4:13; 5:29; 7:51; 9:27). Only God at work through them could account for the miracles and mass conversions that followed." Only God through them could have allowed the early Christians to face off against the mighty pagans.

And He would only have come through them if they powerfully asked.

God wants each of us to be similarly filled with His Spirit. Paul told the Ephesians to make it a priority to be "filled with the fullness of God." To that end, (notes Wilkinson in the Prayer of Jabez), "he prayed that God would bless and strengthen them 'with might through His Spirit.'"

When we want the strength of God we ask with respect and humility but also with strength.

Know that God will act. Know that He watches every aspect of your lives. Know that he loves you and wants you to come to Him. Know that He wants you to pray strongly -- which means with your heart.

Plead with Him. Rise to His side. Speak boldly and 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 get bogged down in the details of a dilemma, not for us to have that sinking feeling, not for us to pray feebly, but to rise from every circumstance no matter how daunting and know that if we ask in the right way and if it's His Will, the might of His Spirit will correct anything.