THURSDAY May 4, 2023
Prayer, and The Power of God
But Peter put them all out, and knelt down and prayed. And turning to the body he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up. Then he gave her his hand and lifted her up; and when he had called the saints and widows, he presented her alive. And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed on the Lord. So it was that he stayed many days in Joppa with Simon, a tanner.
Acts 9:40-43
Peter removed all the people, including the weeping widows, from the upper room. Using a word of faith once again, he turned to her body, knelt down, and prayed. She opened her eyes and sat up! Can you imagine bringing someone back from the dead? Incredible! I have never seen that.
However, in Thailand, many years ago, we were in a village where a witch doctor had died. We were able to share the Gospel, and after the study was taught, in an afterglow service (a time of prayer and worship), people who were very sick became well, and some who were paralyzed even began to walk. You could feel the presence of the Holy Spirit.
I believe one of the reasons why we do not see the dead come back to life today, or the kind of healing that happened in the book of Acts, is because of all the carnality happening in the Church. Some Christians are carnal, not spiritual. God desires that believers be fully committed to the Word of God and prayer. Then the Holy Spirit can move among us unhindered.
At Calvary, we have a practice that all the pastors pray for someone who is sick; that way, no one person gets the recognition. It is the best way to do it. When someone is healed, then God gets the glory (James 5:14-16).
Peter was an ordinary fisherman, no more special than you or me, but he was moved and led by the Holy Spirit to speak a word of faith to the sick. Can you imagine what God can to do with each one of us as we remain in the Word of God and prayer, and as we pray for each other?
There is no use in running before you are sent; there is no use in attempting to do God's work without God's power. A man working without this unction, a man working without this anointing, a man working without the Holy Ghost upon him, is losing time after all.
~D.L. Moody~
For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!
