Jesus Christ is interested in our comprehensive well-being; body, soul and spirit, and in everything that concerns us. The Bible, in John 10:10, says “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly”. There was a man whose destiny changed dramatically when he came in contact with those who know how to use the name of Jesus. We are going look at him and use him as the basis of our prayers today.
Acts 3:1-16 – the man that had an ugly situation at the beautiful gate. You must realize that every decision to seek the face of God is an upward movement; it is a plus move. God exists in the highest so the moment you make up your mind to seek His face, you are moving up. The opposite is also true for those who seek help where help does not come. It is a downward movement; a movement of demotion for those who go to consult other gods, the moment they decide to go, they start going down.
One of the revelations I received from God recently is that the moment you make up your mind to do things that are consistent with His revealed will for your life, heaven responds by giving you heavenly assistance to accomplish it. If there is anything we need most, it is assistance from heaven.
The hour of prayer is the hour of encounter. Peter said to the lame man I know you want silver and gold but I have something to give you that silver and gold cannot procure, I have something that is priceless, I have the name above every other name and when I come in that name, every situation will change, there will be healings, there will be restoration. One of the paradoxes we have today is that there are crowded beautiful Churches that are very prosperous but in the midst of their silver and gold are issues that can only bow at the name of Jesus. These issues follow the members to the Church and go back with them always. It is a pattern. What has happened to the name of Jesus? Most of the people concerned are very committed members of these Churches; they even climb the ecclesiastical ladder with their challenges. In the place of prayer, whenever the spirits responsible for such challenges are rebuked in the name of Jesus Christ, the demons leave and thereafter, their miracles take place.
The activities that take place today in Church services cannot address deep-rooted problems confronting a lot of people like the lame man at the beautiful gate. The man was over forty years and lame from birth. They lay him daily at the gate called Beautiful and everyone including the Chief Priest, the Scribes, Pharisees and other Church leaders of the time drop money for him thinking that they have fulfilled their religious obligation. When the man saw Peter and John, he was not expecting a miracle; rather, he was expecting money. Peter, however, had something that money could not buy. I have come to realize that the greatest problem of man is misplacement of value. Until you misplace value, you will not disobey. If Adam had not misplaced value on what he had (unlimited access to God), he would never have disobeyed God’s instructions. He would have trembled at God’s word. Every tragedy in life is traceable to one instruction disobeyed. You have something that can unlock the miracles you need in life, make you a miracle worker and not only transform you but make you a transformer.
Vs. 16- Faith is the correct placement of value on our relationship with God. If you understand faith from this perspective, your theology will change. The greatest connection anybody can have is the God connection and the greatest success factor in life is the God factor. “And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all”. The name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth gives you access to his lordship. Name commands presence. Jesus Christ, according to Heb. 13:8 “the same yesterday, and today, and forever”. When I call the name of Jesus Christ with this revelation, there will be a miracle. If I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, it is no longer I. when you say “in the name of Jesus” and others around you say the same, I can guarantee you that different levels of anointing will be released. Meditate on this. But how does this faith come? Through relationship. It is meant for those who have relationship.
The greatest blessings God can give you is to make you his son so that you can inherit. Children go for toys; sons go for inheritance. Inheritance is something you never work for. The lame man was spiritually, mentally, physically, and financially blocked; he was even blocked from entering into the temple. It was a case of comprehensive blockade. However, one encounter with somebody who knows the name of Jesus changed his situation. If every Christian have this revelation, there will be great revival all over the land. God wants you to be a carrier of the anointing that is in the name of Jesus. Confront any situation with that name and it will bow. The world is sick; the problem of the world today cannot be cured by economics. Peter’s faith in the name of Jesus Christ healed the lame man; he got up and entered the temple, walking and leaping and praising God. The ultimate blessing that is associated with this miracle is that the gospel spread the more and many souls were won into the kingdom. Remember that the greatest miracle is the miracle of salvation. When a blind man receives his sight, people rejoice but when a soul is won, heaven rejoices. I pray that you will have an encounter that will make your evangelism sweet in the mighty name of Jesus.
Prophetic Declaration – You will walk, you will leap and shout in triumph. The name of Jesus will unlock wonders in your life; it will transform your life and make you a transformer, in the name of Jesus. Your life will become enigmatic because things will begin to add up in your life in the name of Jesus. You will have a transformation encounter. All the blockades, limits and embargoes will be rolled away in the name of Jesus. You will shout in triumph and you will praise the name of the Lord.
TO BE CONTINUED.