POWER THROUGH THE SPIRIT

But ye shall receive power, after that, the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth (Acts 1:8).

Some Christians assume and believe that prayer produces power. So, they say, “a prayer-less Christian is a powerless Christian,” but that’s not stated anywhere in the Bible. 
Notice our theme scripture; Jesus didn’t say you’ll receive power after you’ve prayed. I believe in prayer, but prayer doesn’t bring power. Power comes from the Holy Ghost.

Power is the dynamic ability to cause changes. That means we can effect changes in our lives and that of our loved ones, and even in places where we desire to see changes. We’re not supposed to be victims in the earth, but many Christians live as victims; they’re captives of adverse circumstances. But Jesus said you shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you. Jesus was never a victim, yet many of God’s children have been victims in one way or the other.

1 John 3:2 says, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” When you were born again, you were born as an offspring of God; through the Holy Spirit, you have power. No need to ask Him for power, for the power is already resident in you. All you need to do for the power of God in you to be manifested is to stir it up (2 Timothy 1:6). Glory to God!

Be Sensitive To The Time Of Change

"Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard..." (Daniel 10:12).

Sometimes, you just know in your spirit that something needs to change in your life, and if you don't take advantage of that intuition, you could lose the moment. When you know inside you that the time has come for a change or for something to happen, don't take it lightly; start praying about it, and if, after sometime, you still haven't seen the desired results, you add fasting to it. If the change still doesn't occur after a while, keep praying and fasting about it, because the delay could be by Satan.

This was what happened to Daniel as he prayed for the deliverance of God's people. He had read in the Book of Jeremiah that the deliverance of Israel would come after seventy years in exile, so he knew the time had come and thus began to pray. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia detained the angel that was to bring Daniel the message. Daniel, nonetheless, was faithful and kept praying.

After twenty-one days, the angel of the Lord finally came with the answer and explained what had happened (Read Daniel 10:13-14). The angel that God sent to Daniel was delayed in the spirit realm, until Michael, one of the chief angels, came to help him.

Perhaps you perceive that it's time for a transformation in your family, business, academics, finances, health, or ministry. Take it up; fast, and pray! On the other hand, maybe you sense that there's a certain level of operation of God's Spirit that should be at work in your life, but you're not experiencing it; give it attention. Fast and pray about it, because if you don't, you may lose the timing, as well as the opportunity. So, like Daniel, set your face "...to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting..." (Daniel 9:3-4 AMP).

PRAYER THAT WORKS

“Elijah was as completely human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for the next three and a half years! Then he prayed again, this time that it would rain, and down it poured, and the grass turned green and the gardens began to grow again.” (James 5:17-18 TLB)

When the children of Israel descended into idolatry, Elijah wanted to teach them a lesson and get them back to God. So he prayed for the rain to stop, and it didn’t rain in Israel for three-and-a-half years. When the people repented, Elijah prayed again for rain to fall, and the Lord said to him, “Go, show yourself to Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth” (1 Kings 18:1 RSV). Elijah knew God had answered his prayer, but he didn’t just sit there twiddling his thumb and waiting for the rain to fall. He went back on his knees and continued in fervent prayer (1 Kings 18:41-45).

There may have been times the Spirit of God let you know He already answered your prayer, and so, in excitement, you made it public. But when things didn’t turn out the way you expected, you asked, “What did I do wrong?” Well, it wasn’t so much what you did wrong, but what you stopped doing— you left off praying!

Your prayer is required to remove every obstacle and bring God’s Word to pass in your life! There are things you may not know to do until you spend time in prayer; then, God can reveal to you the steps you need to take. Christianity is a life of faith alright, but fervent prayer has its place. Don’t be perturbed by the things that appear unfavourable at the moment. Continue to pray in faith until you see the desired result. Press on in prayer!