The Power of God

I’ve never really been one to make New Year’s Resolutions. I will, however, be making a few requests of this New Year.

Do you ever have the experience of hearing a word or phrase your entire life, but suddenly and unexpectedly it hits you as if you’re hearing it for the first time? Recently, I’ve repeatedly seen or heard the phrase, “the power of God,” and it’s striking me now as totally brand new – and quite baffling. It’s caused me to squint my eyes every time I’ve heard it. Doesn't it sound like such a strange, bizarre concept? Well, we all know God has power. I'm specifically referring to what that has to do with us.

Let me explain.

Recently my friend Jill sent me an email entitled HOPE and in it contained the scripture verse Ephesians 1:19, which states that "God’s incomparable great power is in us who believe." I pondered that for weeks. What does that really mean?

During that time, I stumbled upon Charles Stanley on TV and in reference to that same passage in Ephesians 1 he said that, "We should pray to know what we already have." He said, “Don’t pray for more power, pray to know the power you already have. Don’t pray for more hope or more inheritance, pray to know the hope and the inheritance that you already have (in Christ)." (Ephesians 1: 17-19)

The very next day I heard Joyce Meyer say that when we believe our prayers will be answered, then that releases God’s power to answer those prayers. Here's where I squint my eyes and scratch my head. What? Can that be true? God will answer my prayers dependent upon how much I believe He will do so?

Then, someone at church said that, "We need to be praying to see the power of God more and more in our lives." Hearing that led me to turn to my friend Emily and in exasperation ask, “What in the world does that even mean, anyway – the power of God?” She didn’t come up with an immediate answer. But then someone got up and gave a touching testimony about a little boy with cancer who always endured this chemo treatments with a smile and how now, through prayer, God had miraculously healed him. Emily leaned over and with tears in her eyes said, “That’s what it means. That’s the power of God.” I hate to admit this, but I wasn't touched. I was still squinting. I still wasn’t having a light bulb moment. But, maybe I’m just cynical. Or, maybe I don’t really believe. Now, that’s a scary thought.

However, hearing so many things recently about the power of God is making me think that God is trying to tell me something. I certainly want to move up to a higher level in my knowledge and experience with Him (and His power!).

So, I’m going to go ahead and cover all the bases here this New Years Day.

My requests are:

• that I would see the power of God more and more in my life this year

• that I would know the extent to which the power of God is something that I already possess through Christ

• that in all the secret places of my heart where I don’t fully believe - Lord, help me with my unbelief (Mark 9:24)

That you would know his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead. (Ephesians 1: 18-20)"The same power that conquered the grave lives in me, lives in me. Your love that rescued the earth lives in me, lives in me." - Hillsong/This Is Our God/You Are Here