I pray a lot but nothing happens!!

Ephesians 3:20 – He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above what we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

I am sure this verse has been preached from the pulpit on many occasions, almost always encouraging you and filling you with hope. However, many a times, this hope and encouragement doesn’t last very long. It’s just a few hours in some cases when people are back to their anxious and worried selves wondering how their bills are going to get paid or how their broken down relationship is going to be restored. In other cases, I’ve talked to people who have had someone sick in their family and the entire sermon at church was barely a band aid to them.
Yet the bible says “He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above what we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.

In other words, He will do MORE than your mind can fathom. But that’s where most people stop. The verse goes on to say “according to the power that worketh in us”.  

According to the power that works in us? – Yes, that’s right!!….to the extent you are filled with His word and to the extent your natural lifestyle reflects His word, to that extent this power works.

I’m sure you have seen or know people who come to church on Sunday’s specifically to get prayed for. They even come to mid-week prayer meetings when they are in desperate need of a job or a house or a healing. Once that particular need is met, they slowly withdraw over the weeks and eventually don’t come to church regularly anymore. When you try to meet up with them, they are seemingly apologetic (as if they are letting us down) and say they are too busy…They have a big smile and say they got a job, they thank you for your prayers too but then church and time with the Lord takes a back seat. That’s religion. They neither know the Lord personally nor His word, let alone applying it to their lives.

When they have a need, they try their very best on their own to fulfill that need at first. But when all else fails, they try God. Again, only so that their need can be met if at all possible. After all, it doesn’t cost them anything to try God. These are religious people who have not understood the gospel at all. Before long, they have lost peace, they have no real joy in life, they are always under pressure, stress and in some cases a marriage breakdown or some other hardship. They will return to church to get prayed for again.

And then there are another kind of people. These people are regular to church. They claim they love the Lord. But they too are always in need. In need for either health or money or something else. Every single time you meet them, they are happy to get prayed for. These are those who will attend every single conference or seminar several times every year, listen to every speaker that comes along and yet they have not much change to show in their lives. They are still in need all the time. They do not have the time to be a blessing to anyone or share the love of Christ with those in need because they themselves are always in need.

Why is this? Why do so many so called “Christians” suffer worldly hardships? Is it meant to be this way? Are we to always be in a state of crying out to God for some need or the other? Is this normal? Didn’t the apostle Paul say “The gospel is the power of God unto salvation”? Where is this power?

No my friends!! This is not God’s will for His children. It is His will that we prosper in all things and be in good health.

Hosea 4:6 says “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge”.

Its lack of the understanding of the gospel which causes so many of us to still deal with struggles, temptations, addictions and pressures in this world. Every negative thing people experience in life is of this world. Sickness, poverty, lack, anger, depression, egos, pride, selfishness……you name it. All of this is of this world that we live in. You cannot find any of this in God’s kingdom, can you?

If only you grasped the truth behind the gospel message, you would jump for joy, GREAT JOY!!! You would then truly believe “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”. Phil 4:13

John 8:32 – You will know the truth and the truth will make you free…

If you are struggling with anything at all, be it health or finances or discouragement or depression or sickness or addiction; if you will know the truth, the truth will make you free.

And that truth is this:
When you believed in Christ and were born again, you became a new creation.

2 Cor 5:17 – Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; (as in dead and gone) all things have become new.

The new creation means, a newly created being which did not exist before. In other words, when you were born again putting your faith in Christ as savior, your old self died and you were born afresh. This time not by means of a human father and mother, but born by the word of God Himself, just like how Jesus Himself was born. Remember “the word became flesh”.  This new creation is not simply a better version of the old you. You were born afresh and you didn’t exist before. Therefore, you do not have a past.

1 John 5:1 – Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God…

Now let’s see what God has to say about this newly born person…

1 John 5:4 – everyone born of God overcomes the world. NLT says “every child of God defeats this evil world and we achieve this victory through our faith.”

1 John 5:18 – We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him.

Do you believe this? If people really do believe this, then how is it they are almost always under attack by the wicked one?

This is how you became a Christian. You were born again and this time you were born of God Himself and not of a human father and mother. God Himself is your Father. When Jesus died in your place, you died. When Jesus rose from the grave, you rose and were born again afresh. That’s why the bible says “Jesus is the first born among many brethren” (Romans 8:29). When Jesus ascended into heaven, guess what happened? He took us with Him and seated us together with Him in the heavenly realms.

Ephesians 2:6- And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus…(read ver 7 too)

What’s more? In Romans 8:17 – Now if we are children, then we are heirs – heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ,…

Did you see that? We are joint heirs with Christ Himself. In other words, all that He owns, we own too. He is God and we are joint heirs with Him. Wow!!! Can you see the love of our Father for us here? Can you see His abundance of grace by which He has saved us sinners and given us everlasting life with an abundance of everything?

Furthermore, He has made us citizens of heaven. Philippians 3:20 says “But our citizenship is in heaven….”Of course it has to be. Why? Because by birth (being born of God Himself) we are citizens of the place where God belongs. This is why we are “ambassadors for Christ”. An ambassador by definition is not an ambassador if he is living in his own country. An ambassador represents his country in a foreign land. Likewise, we are not of this world, but we live here. Hence we are ambassadors for Christ. In other words, we represent Christ and His kingdom here in this world.

So if you truly believed this….ie you are a newly born person with no sinful past, born of God Himself, made a citizen of heaven and a joint heir with Christ Himself, then how can you always be in want? The psalmist says in Psalm 23 “The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want”. How can you always be crying out to God for a need to be met? You own everything along with Christ.

2 Peter 1:3 says “He has given to us all things pertaining to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue..

All things pertaining to life? Yes…all things indeed. Whatever you need for this life here has been given to you because you are a child born of God. You are a joint heir with Christ. Not just all things pertaining to life, but also all things pertaining to godliness.

Friends, the bible says “When I was a child, I spoke as a child”. When we are babes in Christ, we do not have a full understanding of God’s word. So we speak as a child. We cry out to God for all things, and He answers because He loves us and cares for our needs. That experience doesn’t last forever though, because He expects every child of God to grow in the knowledge of Christ and in the knowledge of the gospel into maturity.

You cannot be an influence in this lost world and share the gospel with the lost, if you yourself are a child and have not much to show for your faith in an unlimited God, whom you claim to be your Father.

I encourage you to grow my dear friends. Become a mature son, a mature daughter and live life on a different plane. It’s exciting, it’s miraculous and it’s stress free. Jesus said “My yoke is light” and that is so true.

Live life being conscious of who you are. You are from above, not of this world. God’s kingdom is a kingdom of light. The world is a kingdom of darkness. Light dispels darkness. We are from the kingdom of light but live in a kingdom of darkness. Therefore, wherever you set your foot, darkness is cast out because light has come. Light dispels darkness. Jesus said “You are the light of the world”. Matthew 5:14.

Can you see now? Sickness, lack, discouragement, depression, anger, bitterness, jealousy, etc are all from darkness. When you as a born again believer set foot into that situation, they all have to flee. Remember, we are from above and not of this world. We are citizens of heaven and ambassadors for Christ here. When you are conscious of who you are, then poverty, sickness and demons have no power over you. They can only run rampage in people’s lives when they are ignorant of the truth.

Remember Hosea 4:6 “My people are destroyed due to lack of knowledge”.

Mark 16:17 – “These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink anything deadly, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will get well.”

These are Jesus’ words. Can you see why He said it now? Am sure you do. It’s because your new born again self is from above and not of this world. If you have believed the gospel, then this is for you. Doesn’t it sound super human? Yes! That’s the power you have, IF you truly believe what you say you believe.

Once you are born again (and have understood the gospel), you actually have no reason to ask God for anything anymore. You don’t have to figure out if it’s God’s will to heal you, if its Gods will to bless you, provide for you and prosper you, etc…Why? Because in His eyes, you have become a heir, a joint heir with Christ, seated together WITH Him in the heavenly places. You see that!! You now live by a different set of rules. Now that you know who you are in Christ; when you do ask for something you need, you can ask without doubting and you will surely receive.

You ask for healing for those who do not know Him. You ask for miracles and answers to prayers when you pray for people who do not know Him. In other words, the unsaved. And when miracles happen, prayers are answered, God is glorified and the unsaved get to know the Lord and Savior, Christ Himself.

As for you, you have the Holy Spirit living inside of you. You are a joint heir with Christ. Christ is in you. All things (I mean all things) pertaining to both “LIFE” and “GODLINESS” has been given to you through the knowledge of Him. 2 Peter 1:3 . Therefore you must be walking in victory. You are like a city on a hill that cannot be hidden.

Does that mean, life will always be trouble free in this world? You will never have any challenges? No, but you will always be a victor in all situations. Because you cannot be defeated. It is an impossibility. He that is in you is greater than he that is in the world.

1 John 4:4 – You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

I encourage you friends, brothers and sisters in the Lord, don’t just rely on a Sunday sermon at church. Don’t always look for a miracle or a handout. Decide to become a mature child of God. Spend time in the word of God, meditate on it. Grow in the knowledge of the Lord and in His word. Read the bible for yourself and let the Holy Spirit teach you. The word of God is powerful to transform the hearer and to bring about change. It’s a sad thing when you listen to sermons week after week for years and it hasn’t brought about any change in your life. If it is God’s word you listened to, then it WILL change you.

Isa 55:11 – So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

It’s amazing, powerful and exciting when you get to know the truth. The truth does make you free and will make you a mighty witness for His glory, wherever you go.

Be conscious of who you are. You are born of God, a citizen of heaven, a joint heir with Christ and the light of the world. You are from above and not from this world. You have authority over this world and the darkness in this world. You lack nothing. You cannot fail. He that is in you is greater…..

When you pray from this stand point, you will see results. God calls this “walking by faith”.

In closing, I’ll leave this thought with you. Jesus said “As the Father has sent me, so I send you”. John 20:21.

Jesus was in heaven and the Father sent Him to earth. Now Jesus says, As the Father has sent me, so I send you. If you think you are on earth already, then where is He sending you?

No friends, you are seated together with Him in the heavenly places. Hence He is sending you and hence you are an ambassador for Christ.
 God bless you!!