John 14:13-14 New King James Version (NKJV)
“And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.”
We’ve been given the gift of the name of Jesus; which is His authority. When you pray in the name of Jesus, it’s in His authority – as if He is praying. Some people think it doesn’t matter whether or not you pray “in the Name of Jesus.” But that’s like an unsigned cheque!
Praying “in the Name of Jesus” doesn’t mean you’ve got the power or ability to “pay the bill” rather it means that you’ve got power of attorney to release “payment for the bill”. Your prayer in the name of Jesus is you exercising your power of attorney to release god’s ability in a situation.
When you pray in the Name of Jesus, sickness has to leave and crisis situations have to turn around – God moves on your behalf, immediately. When we pray in the name of Jesus His power and ability is released. You ask, in His name, and you receive what you ask for. Now I’m not talking about greed or materialism. I’m talking about provision and prosperity to look after you and your family, and to fund you in fulfilling the Great Commission to reach the lost with the good news of Jesus.
It’s our job to ask (in His name) and we also need to receive. We are receivers. It’s like a radio signal that is being transmitted all over the world. You cannot see the signals, and you may not even be aware that they are there. But if you have a receiver and you turn it on and tune it in, you can pick up a signal.
You need to recognize that you are a receiver – you need to be switched on and tuned in! Knowing that there’s a part for you to play should not bring condemnation, rather it should bring liberation! Many people feel condemned when they hear that they might be the reason they aren’t seeing their healing, miracle or breakthrough. They even end up blaming God. God is not withholding from you! He says to ask and you shall receive! If God is the problem, then you are in big trouble because you cannot change God. But if you are the issue you can adjust your beliefs and faith and position yourself to receive. Believing that God is the problem only makes you passive because you end up waiting for Him to do something, but He has already released His power for you, now you need to receive it! It’s liberating to learn that you can do something to position yourself to receive!
God is not withholding. He’s not withholding healing from you. He’s not delaying your healing. He’s not withholding any provision. He’s not delaying your provision. God’s grace has already provided for your need! And His will for you is not a progressive healing or a progressive miracle. Progressive answers to prayer are not wrong but God’s best is now! Be it according to your faith! He delivers the answer instantly and He wants you to be able to experience it instantly but sometimes it’s something’s clouding your ability to receive. We have to deal with these things in order to receive.
Ephesians 3:20 New King James Version (NKJV)
Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us”
God cannot work without your faith (or your cooperation). Yes, He can and does desire to do immeasurably more than you could ever imagine, but it is only in proportion to His power that’s working in you. If there is no power (speaking of the power of the Spirit which is released by faith) at work within you that means there’s no power to work anything. In that case, we’re not going to see all things are possible. God isn’t deciding to release a little bit of healing there and a little bit of provision there and a few miracles over there – it’s us who need to be receiving. If we can get our receivers turned on and tuned in then we’ll be able to see God’s power unleashed in our lives and through our lives. We’ll see the manifestation of what we’re asking for quicker than what we think.
Mark 11:24 New King James Version (NKJV)
“Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.”
When you pray you have to believe you have received what you’ve asked for, and then you shall see it. You don’t see it and then believe it; you believe it and then you see it! It might take one minute to manifest, one day or a year, but while you’re waiting to see the manifestation don’t waver in unbelief. You can’t all of a sudden begin to wonder if it’s working. Don’t abort whatever you’re trusting God for by speaking out any unbelief. God has already provided because you asked in His name. You may not have seen it yet, but in the spiritual realm it is a done deal! Stand firm and stand strong! Don’t allow circumstances or sensory knowledge to move you off of your conviction of the Word.