Not by Power but by My Spirit by Mark Chester

"Not by Power but by My Spirit" 

Power is one of the greatest gods of this world. All too often even we who belong to the church of the Living God make the devastating mistake of seeking, striving and struggling to get power. I, as a pastor, had often made this error until one day God clearly showed me the "perils of praying for power."

You see, power of itself can never make you or I victorious in our Christian walk. As a matter of fact when we pray for power the very opposite usually occurs. We are led to spiritual defeat and frustration!
God says: "(It) is not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit." How often have you and I been thrilled by this declaration of God and yet totally missed the divine truth of it? You see the 'success oriented" world in which we live says that success in life is rooted in power. But God says that spiritual victory and godliness is not rooted in power but in His Holy Spirit.

God has spoken to me about three perils related to praying for power.

1. The Prayer for Power is often motivated by the self-life: The Big "I" in me clamors for attention. I want to be seen, esteemed and exalted. For that to happen I must be known as a person of power. So I pray: "God give me power!" It is a prayer filled with an odor of selfish ambition, personal greed, and pride.

2. The prayer for power leads to idolatry. The Great "I AM" says: "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." Yet, power becomes our god. It becomes the obsession and first love of our life. Jesus did not say; "And ye shall be my witnesses after ye receive power. He did say "And ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost shall come upon you and then ye shall be my witnesses." Acts 1:8 What he says here is that power is the by-product of being filled with the Holy Spirit. The Apostle Paul tells us that the reason people in the last days will have a form of godliness with no power is because they love everything but God. See 2 timothy 3:1-5. How often have we as the people of God make the fatal error of worshipping the power of God rather than the God of power. God keep us from such terrible idolatry.

3. The prayer for power focuses on man's work rather than God's work. As power becomes our god we begin to think in terms of our service and our work. We soon begin to take the credit for things that God has done. We pray: "O God, give me power or I will fail in my service for you." God replies: "I expect nothing of any man but failure. I give not power but my Holy Spirit so that you will not fail in doing my work. We must never forge that men do not perform miracles, men to not save souls or heal the sick. They are simply earthen vessels that God filled with His Spirit who performs miracles, saves souls and heals the sick. That is why Paul writes in Ephesians 3:20-21 "Now to HIM who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to that power that worketh in us. Unto Him be glory in the church.

We must not be ignorant of Satan's schemes. He encourages us to pray for power, that is to say make power our God. Meanwhile our all-powerful God hovers over Mount Carmel waiting for the man of God to pray, "Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel … Hear me O Lord, that this people may know that thou are the Lord, and that thou has turned their heart back again." When we pray for this then and only then will the revival fires of God fall. Beware of the perils of praying for power.