Several years ago I was praying for people who needed healing in a prayer line; As I prayed, I focused my faith, I focused on imparting the healing anointing, I focused on making a withdrawal and then releasing the power of God… I focused on all of the teachings on how to increase and how to release the anointing, how to pray effectively and how exercise and maintain a high level of faith. As I prayed, people fell under the power of God, but did not get healed… while I was ministering, I got distracted at something going on in the congregation. As I got distracted, I laid hands on someone without making the effort to impart as with the others. The person also fell under the power, but that person got up healed and totally free from their previous condition.
Afterwards, I enquired of the Lord, “Lord, why is it that when I was focusing on my faith and while I was working so diligently do everything right and to impart the maximum anointing under the highest level of faith that people were not receiving healing or miracles, but when I got distracted and put no effort into what I was doing, that person got healed?”
The Lord gently told me that while I was ‘working’ for the miracles, that He could not reward my works, because if He did, I would begin to rely more and more on my works, and less and less on His finished work. When he healed the person as I made no personal effort, He demonstrated that healing, signs and wonders come from Him and His works by His grace through faith.
Religion puts way too much focus on what we do, how we do it and if we get everything exactly right… do we have enough faith, did we pray long enough, did we follow the seven steps and are we holy enough to qualify to be used of God in a great way. If God had to reward that mentality, we would be writing ‘How to’ books focused more on our works than on His finished works and on His power.
Most ‘How to’ books out there have been written under the assumption that our works are the catalyst instead of His finished works and His power. These teachings are in conflict with the New Covenant of grace and have led many to rely on themselves and their actions instead of having faith in God. The Lord wants us to go back to Abraham’s example… focus on the Lord and put your trust in Him, not your works… stop trying to earn things from God and stop trying to get God to do things because you did everything right. Just receive by grace through faith! – Selah
