Read with me, “2 Corinthians 13:4 For he was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but in dealing with you we will live with him by the power of God.”

Before Jesus ascended, He told Philip that He would leave us a helper, the Holy Spirit. We know that when we receive the Holy Spirit, we also receive the power of God. When Jesus left earth and ascended to heaven He did not leave us destitute or powerless. In His goodness Jesus gave us of Himself, so that we will be able to live holy and sanctified, effective to every good work by His Spirit. The Holy Spirit imbued us with power that is able to reverse death and decay, power for victory over sickness, and power that trumps our human deficiencies. He helps us in all things, everyday. There is nothing that is too big or difficult for Him. This one part found in Colossians stands out to me clearly when I think of how in need I am of His help. Colossians 1:29 says “For this I labor [often to the point of exhaustion], striving with His power and energy, which so greatly works within me.” I am reminded that He has left us the holy spirit and given us His power which comes into effect when we find ourselves weary and exhausted. It is then that the Holy Spirit works through us mightily. He comes alongside us and says, “I want to help you. I want to remind you that you have great Power available to you.” It is then that our fleshly striving have turned into “striving” in His might. His burden is light, and His yoke is easy. Doing the work of the Kingdom has a guaranteed energy support and power supply in the person of the Holy Spirit. When we partner with Him, things that were heavy and difficult become manageable, we become able, and He becomes glorified in our lives. We need power and energy to do the works He sent us to do, namely to overcome and rule with Christ, proclaim the good news of the gospel, and love those around us. When I partner with the Holy Spirit, remembering that He is with me, and tackle the mission with the knowing that He is with and for us, the power of God works mightily through me.

2 Thessalonians 1:11- 12 says “With this in view, we constantly pray for you, that our God will count you worthy of your calling [to faith] and with [His] power fulfill every desire for goodness, and complete [your] every work of faith, so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you [by what you do], and you in Him, according to the [precious] grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

I think it is imperative to recognise that the power of God comes to fulfill our desire for goodness and not for destruction. The power that comes from God is to do the will of the Father, to accomplish His Kingdom mission on earth for every person. The ultimate reason for operating and desiring power should be to complete our faith, to testify of His sovereignty, to establish His reign in our lives, and to acknowledge that we are deficient without Him. We do not seek His power for our own gain, but to fulfil that which He called us to; good works and great faith.

Pray with me, “ Thank you Father for your awesome power that enable us to go and do. Thank you for equipping the saints to live victoriously and powerfully. I pray today for an awareness of the Helper, and the power that is available to me to conquer everything that comes against my purpose. Lead me in your truth that I may always know I am more than enough through Your great strength. Thank you for calling us to this great purpose of loving You and living for you.”

“Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every other name. Philippians 2:9-11 “

The name of the lord is a strong tower, the righteous run into it and they are safe. Proverbs 18:10

While reading the Bible we Time and time again encounter the phrase “in the name of Jesus.” We see demons cast out in His name, sickness healed in His name, Salvation come through His name, baptism happens through His name, sanctification and justification comes through His name.

The name of Jesus is powerful and has been given to us as an effective tool to wage war and establish rule over the enemy. There is nothing we cannot attain when we pray in His name. There is no enemy that can stand and persist against the name of Jesus. There is power in His name to overcome, consistently. And this power is in us! We have been made His, and He is ours, so we pray from a place of belonging. We do not pray as those who have no hope. We do not ask as some who do not have a good Father. When we realise we are already in Him, the security that comes from the safety of belonging in Him gives us the boldness to pray wild prayers, because He does not deny His own. When we choose to operate in His name, we acknowledge and utilise the gift of Power He has freely given us. We come into alignment with the truth that He still has a valued interest in the things we do while on the earth, in us as a person. Because HE is who He is, we have an assurance that our prayers are effective and we pray in great expectation of breakthrough and results. All authority in heaven and earth has been given to Jesus. When we utilise the power of His name, we utilise an authority that reaches all areas of heaven and earth. The name of Jesus also has the highest ranking, having authority over every other name. All angels, powers, and authorities have been subjected to Him. He has given us access to His name, and to the authority that comes with it. He makes us powerful in Him. When we pray ‘in Jesus’ name,’ we call on the authority that He has. This makes us a threat to the enemy. When we pray in the name of Jesus we get to be confident, we are powerful and effective. His name affords us the upper hand, making us strong and safe. His name gives us the opportunity to live not as victims, but victoriously, overcoming in everyday things and everyday life.

Pray with me, “ Thank you Father for the authority you have given us access to through your Son, Jesus. Today, I acknowledge You as sovereign and powerful. My desire is to walk in Your power, to be effective for the Kingdom of God. Please show me Your power in my everyday life, so that I would know how to live victoriously.”

Read with me, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last,just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.’” Romans 1:16-17

“What does Romans 1:16-17 mean for us today? What stands out to me in these verses is that faith and power are two gifts that operate together. The power of God is not dependent on our faith, but faith is required for us to carry out the works and purposes of God. We have been required to put our faith in God’s power to accomplish His purposes. The power of God also accompanies the entire Christ nature, being manifested alongside and in conjunction with joy, peace, strength, doing good and healing the sick, godliness and life. These are the traits in which the Kingdom of God becomes manifest. When we are kingdom minded, we are Christ minded, and that means we are powerful and effective at accomplishing that which He sent us to do. Righteous living is Kingdom living, righteous living is demonstrating His kingdom and reign on the earth, in us. It is important to remember the power we carry. If we understand that He has given us His power freely, we can wield it effectively. If you have been saved and filled with the Holy Spirit, then you have been filled with power, also. God has given us a spirit of power, along with love and self control. A person living a life of love and self control is a powerful person, and a powerful person is the opposite of someone plagued by the victim mentality. We have received the power of God so that we can overcome, we are not left without options or destitute, we have been given power and authority over he works of the enemy. Luke 10:19 reminds us the the prayer of a righteous person has great power. When we come into agreement with what God says about us, we are in right standing with Him, that means our faith pleases Him, this is when our prayers become powerful.

Pray with me, “Lord, forgive me for areas where I have allowed a victim mindset to steal from me, where I have surrendered my power. Please help me live from a place of victory and power. Please remind me that Your power is perfect in my weakness, and that I have received all that I need to overcome. “

Read with me, “and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”

1 Corinthians 2:4-5

What does 1 Corinthians 2:4-5 mean for us today? It is a reminder that the wisdom that comes from people can sometimes create a false sense of security. Our trust is not be grounded in the wisdom of men, but rather we should take encouragement to trust in the power of God. What do we read about the power of God, it’s availability, and purpose? The power of God is displayed through us, our lives and our ministries. 2^nd Peter tell us that His power has given us everything we need to live a Godly life. We really have no excuse for a powerless life. What is a powerless life? A life where I consistently see myself as a victim. His power is mighty, it makes us powerful and able. His power created the entire universe, and the same power that raised Christ from the dead, is also the power that lives in us, enabling us to live wholly and righteously. He has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power. He gave us this power to overcome, to rule, to reign, to live. The power of God is what makes us live victoriously over our enemies, stripping off the victim mentality and empowering us to take action against the forces that would have us broken and barren and wanting. There is a significant increase in assurance when we stand on the word and power of God. Resting happens when we trust that His word is alive and full of power to accomplish that which was promised to us. Victory was promised, success, power over the enemy, wisdom and guidance so that we can live holy are all promises we can claim by His power. We cannot direct our lives according to the instructions of men who sound wise but have no demonstration of His Spirit or power in their lives. We cannot allow the wisdom of men that informs us of shortcomings and impossibilities to steer our lives. In many testimonies we will see the prevalence of resting and trusting in God’s word that precedes a breakthrough. God has an uncanny way of confounding the wise, His power shifting and shaping our lives with magnificent beauty. When our faith rests in the power of God we are assured victory. Faith is what moves Him, it is what pleases Him. The wisdom of men might say “go left,” while the Spirit leans “right.” It is when faced with difficulty that it becomes imperative to listen to the leading of the Spirit, as He leads He demonstrates God’s power in our lives, which stirs our faith even more.

Pray with me, “ Thank you God for your amazing and mighty power that is at work in me, to change, to do, to be. I acknowledge You as the Sovereign God, Mighty in deed. Let your power be demonstrated through my life by Your Spirit. Amen.”