Releasing the Power

Releasing the Power
Words of Faith 6-12-24
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2024
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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1 John 5
[13] I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. [14] This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. [15] And if we know that he hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have what we asked of him.

There is always that little catch when we pray. You know, the "according to His will" clause. We don't like it. Sometimes, it makes us squirm and wiggle and even whine a little. We may even try to see if there is a way around it. What we really want is a religion where we get to call the shots, or at least we get God to bend His will to ours. But that is not at all what the faith of the Bible is about. The "according to his will" clause stands.
So why pray at all? People of Biblical faith pray because even though we don't have a heavenly genie to grant our wishes, we have a heavenly Father who cares! And the only way to make a relationship like that work is to work at it. Give and take. Talk it through. We discover that God is interested in our thoughts, dreams, and wants and wishes. But He also wants to share His heavenly thoughts and dreams, wants and wishes with us. And those thoughts are always excellent.
God hears us. And when we begin to listen to Him, exciting things start to happen. Like sound waves coming into resonance or an image coming into focus, when the heavenly will of our Father begins intersecting with our own, incredible power is unleashed, and anything is possible.
The best example? The Lord Jesus Himself. He was perfectly tuned to the will of the Father. The lame walked, the blind could see, lepers were cleansed, prisoners were set free, and thousands were fed from crumbs. But that power came from a man who was constantly tuning in to the will of the Father.
Scripture records consistently Jesus's habit. Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus went away to be with His Father. Jesus always submitted His will to the Father, all the way to the end: " Nevertheless not my will but Thy will be done..."
So when we pray "according to His will," it isn't a clause that restricts God's power in our lives; it is a clause that releases it. So, let's tune in and see what God has in mind.

Lord, tune me into what You have for me today. Help me to see You at work in the world around me so I can join You. Align my will to Yours so I may experience You at work in my life. In Jesus' name, Amen.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2024
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2024 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.