News from Potter's Wheel Ministries

Most people that have sat under my teachings for very long know full well how much I place on the importance of renewing the mind in the Word of God, and then maintaining a confession to that Word in every respect of what it says we have in Christ Jesus without doubting. Today I want to look at the power of prayer and just how it is the catalyst or launching pad for all miracles to be manifested in our lives consistently, or in the lives of others through His Word. Each day can be filled with the spiritual and divine markings from a believer that chooses to enter daily into an intimate communion with the Lord.

Our passage that we started this devotional with today reveals how Peter and John made their way into the temple to pray. Now don't just assume for one moment that they were just going to some religious prayer meeting. On the contrary, these two particular Disciples of Christ were in tune to something much more powerful than the usual prayer ritual that is forced upon much of the church today. Think of it this way: prayer is an attitude of man that is conformed to the attitude of Christ while remaining in divine fellowship with Him; and the confidence to speak spiritual transactions into existence which is reserved for those who are intimately close to their Savior. To be intimately close to the Savior, one must understand it comes through the spiritual vehicle of prayer, which only believers in Christ can enter into effectively through the help of the Holy Ghost and their commitment to follow in His steps. These prayers are daily conversations that remain constant and without pause. Few ever really go here this deeply because it must be pursued with diligence, honesty, perseverance, and a strong desire to know Him as He is. It cannot come through the intellectual obtainments of the natural mind, or any other means, to establish a cognizant and informed perspective about spiritual truths. Prayer is simply time spent with the Creator, our Father, through the method of sincere heart level utterances, who also in return actively involves Himself to express the same with us and His purposes.

Jesus is found in Scripture throughout the gospels as taking the time to get away alone, or with a few intimate disciples, where He would pray unto the Father above. These accounts of Jesus' prayer life give indications to why He was so anointed and could do so many great works. If prayer did not do anything for Jesus, or have any value and benefits to it, then why did He do it? Therefore, we must conclude that if Jesus entered into this spiritual discipline regularly with His Father, then there must be significance to why we should do the same. The Bible tells us clearly that Jesus on more than one account expressed that He could not speak anything except what He heard His Father say, or operate in something except what He saw His Father doing. This is highly important for us to comprehend, as it gives revelation into how we should be speaking and operating as the children of God. I know that there are a great many Christians who will not understand fully what I am about to say here in this next sentence. However, this is much more correct than most will agree with. Christians are learning the Word of God through memorization, and then professing it with repetitious formulas that they have constructed; in order to try and convince the devil that they have what it says they have, or they are trying to convince themselves through repeating it over and over again.

Now, don't get me wrong here, there is nothing destructive to memorizing Scriptures at all; this is not the point I am making. I pray you will know the Bible completely from front to back, and put it to memory! But, without an intimate prayer life there can be no true awareness to what the Father is saying or revealing about the timing, or order of His will and purposes regarding that Word, and the situation at which it was sent to transform. In other words, we can become very presumptuous in our implementing of the Scriptures in a given situation without knowing full well the sequences of God's purposes for that moment. Not that His Word is ever without power, or the life to perform what it says: (His "will" is clear in what He will do in the Scriptures, that one need not wonder what His "will" is about, in any matter to which it speaks to); but things done based on our terms rather than getting the mind of the Father and His will, has actually worked to damage our inner confidence, because of the lack of results so often experienced as we speak that Word inappropriately, and it doesn't work like we thought it should have.

Why? Because we were resisting the time and season of His Word, and trying to force what we want ahead of God's infinite and perfect wisdom of how and what to apply in a given situation. The reason Jesus communed with the Father was that He might know precisely His Father's "will," and then fulfill it. Every promise in the Bible is a "yes" and "Amen," without question. But it will not function effectively through just repetitious and verbal expressions without first getting to know the Father's insight on the matter. We must seek the perfect will of God in every situation of life, instead of arrogantly ramming ahead as though God didn't matter in the equation of events. Look with me now at the gospel of Luke as it speaks to Christ's transfiguration on the mountain. This will afford us a deeper look into this teaching on prayer and how it marks each day with the glorious demonstrations of the God kind.

Luke 9:28-29 (KJV)
28 And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray.
29 And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering.

Now, as we read this, do not presume for a moment that this just describes the affects of prayer on the Son of God only. While it is true that this particular Scripture reveals how prayer altered Jesus' countenance, and does not so much as speak of the same regarding the three disciples that were with Him; yet, we will tread much further into the Scriptures that we might see and learn just how prayer changes us beyond recognition in our countenance and how we will operate as God's children. Prayer always transforms the countenance of those who intimately commune in His presence. The mind that is divinely transformed by the renewing of the Word of God will always give off an illuminating display of wisdom and revelation that none can compare to. Let's return back to the Scriptures in the book of Acts.

Acts 3:1-9 (KJV)
1 Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.
2 And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;
3 Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.
4 And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.
5 And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.
6 Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.
7 And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
8 And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.
9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God:

I want you to see how this crippled man was laid each day outside of the temple to ask of alms from those who were going in. This man had become a man who made his living through begging out of his position of physical deficiency. Much of the prayers that we offer come in the same form of begging too. This crippled man had obviously watched for years as religious teachers passed by him only to throw a coin or two his way for pity on him. Much like this today, we see so many people who are standing outside the church as beggars while nothing is ever offered beyond what these crippled individuals expect from day to day. The worst part in all of this, is that those who should have something divine to give away that could change their lives forever; just pass by these impotent folks to go into the temple offering only natural solutions to what needs a supernatural conclusion. In other words, there are two forms of solutions that can be offered: (1). Religion which keeps you in your crippled state of existence; (2). or, the message of the Gospel of Christ, which will have you up and running.

Peter and John were men who had an intimate prayer life that transformed their countenance and infused their ability to activate a spiritual transaction into the now. They were prayerfully in-tune with the Father's "will, timing, and purposes," for the situation that they had arrived upon. They were not candidates for experimenting with the Word of God. Peter and John, were loaded through the hour of prayer that affected their perception to see and hear what the Father was saying and doing. No presumptuous attempts to do what they wanted through their much learning without ever talking it over with God. The Word here tells us that they fastened their eyes on this crippled man and said, "Look on us!" Clearly, this crippled man gave heed to Peter and John supposing to receive something from them. This crippled man was conditioned to expect what was always offered each day that he sat outside the temple from those going in. But today, because of an intimate prayer life, Peter and John were about to mark the day with something very special that this man had no idea existed.

These two Disciples of Christ looked different than all the others who walked by this crippled man each day appearing to be religious. Peter and John's countenance demanded attention to what they were about to speak. As a matter of fact, the demonic spirit world was disabled from their normal activities in this crippled man's life when these two Disciples spoke through the authority that came through prayer. "Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I to you: In Jesus name, rise up and be healed!" They took him by the hand and pulled him up and immediately his feet and ankles were restored. They didn't just go out and try something here out of a Christian exercise to see if it will work. No! They were prepared for this hour in their heart through intimate prayer with the Father who disclosed His purpose by revelation.

Many times people come into our churches and they assume their daily position of expecting the same order of life as always, because no one ever offered anything remotely different than what was presented each day by those who passed by. We give logical reasons why they are in their predicaments and afflictions of life, rather than the remedy. Or, we throw meager amounts of money at them to make ourselves feel better about ourselves, and not in the least bit concerned about those individuals who are destitute and poor. It's all about how it makes us feel. This is religion in its clearest description. It serves itself, for its own betterment that it may increase for its own glory. No wonder Jesus hated religion so much which was evidenced by the many harsh things He spoke regarding it. When this happens, religion ignores its true reason for existence. To serve! When it becomes self-serving, then it is nothing more than an empty tomb offering nothing more than a place to lie down and die. It has no answers to life.

Mark 9:14-17 (KJV)
14 And when he came to his disciples, he saw a great multitude about them, and the scribes questioning with them.
15 And straightway all the people, when they beheld him, were greatly amazed, and running to him saluted him.
16 And he asked the scribes, What question ye with them?
17 And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit;

Here we find one of those situations that require a life of intimacy with God that gives way to how and what to say within the details of someone possessed by a devil. There can be no success for the novice here. This requires maturity to know what God is doing. Jesus' disciples were trying to exercise authority over this atrocity in the life of one held captive by this demon. They were unsuccessful in their attempts to cast this demon out for they had over-looked something that they would soon learn is of great importance.

Mark 9:28-29 (KJV)
28 And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out?
29 And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.

Never think for a moment that just memorizing the Scriptures enough that you can just go around declaring this or that and everything will just respond favorably to you. You will be sadly mistaken to approach things in this manner. Peter and John went into the temple at the hour of prayer and they came back transformed into a different man. What is the hour of prayer? It is the hour of direction and revelation. Cornelius offering himself in prayer who loved God and gave alms was instructed to send for Peter that he might share something that would change his life. Peter on the other hand, was experiencing in his prayer time a vision that would prepare him for this encounter with a race of people that the Law of Moses did not allow the Jews to fellowship with (Acts 11:5). Cornelius, through prayer was about to get direction, while Peter in prayer, was about to receive revelation. We will mark every day with something wonderful when we pray and spend time with the Father. It is here that He will reveal His "will" and "purposes" to those who seek Him diligently. You cannot advance with the tangible manifestations of God's Word without the intimate fellowship that is gained through prayer. Amen!