People in this world are longing to be freed. Make no mistake about that. They may not always realize that they are in the bondage of sin but their hearts are yearning for the connection with the creator. They have come to adhere to the motto that if you believe a lie long enough it must be true. Mankind was created and is here to have a relationship with God. Without it we are broken and like the man in Acts below begging for anything just to get by.
One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.
Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts,
walking and jumping, and praising God.
Acts 3: 1-8
Notice how excited the man becomes when the prospect of help is even hinted at. The man gave them his full attention. He had been so used to people giving him money or quick fixes that he wasn’t looking for anything else. He wasn’t aware that there was, even more, he could be asking for, even sitting outside the temple. As I alluded to earlier, those in the bondage of sin don’t know there is more to life. The fish with a hook in its mouth will follow the line where ever it takes them. This man was just looking for what he needed to get by another day. He had lost all hope that there was going to be any more to his life than this.
I can only imagine the look on this face when Peter opened his mouth with the phrase ‘Silver and God I do not have”, it was probably disappointment as these two men had purposefully looked his way. And if they had left it at that and walked away like so many of us do when we encounter a panhandler asking for money, he would have resumed his daily slump. Yet Peter and John were not like everyone else. They had seen the power that Jesus had used to perform miracles. They not only seen it they understood that because Jesus was their savior and the promised Holy Spirit was living in them that they had the same power in them given by the grace of God.
The name of Jesus has a powerfully freeing property. Not only does it freedom from the bondage of sin but it can free with miracles and healings. I can’t explain why miracles or healing aren’t as prevalent as they should be. I really don’t know, we have the same Holy Spirit that Peter, John and the other Apostles had known. Peter knowing that giving this man money would only continue the cycle of bondage he gave him something that would free him, calling out the name in which all freedom resides, Jesus, commanding him to get up and walk. Now the man had a choice here. He could have just laughed and reminded Peter and John that he had never walked before and that was impossible. The man chose to believe what was being commanded and he was freed from his infirmity. It says he then walked, jumped, ran, danced and praised God for the healing.
I wonder what we need to do to have the faith that Peter, John and other disciples had when it came to freeing people through miracles and healings. This freeing power is promised to us by Jesus himself. Yet we don’t embrace it because we have never really seen anything like it before. Sure we read about it but until we see a blind eye opened, a dead person raised or a limb regrown why should we believe? I personally am starting to pray that God will use me to perform healings and miracles. I will be asking the Holy Spirit to guide me to people who need prayer and the courage to pray for them. Are you ready to let God use you to free others with the truth and power of Jesus name?
Father, all too often we keep the miracles and healings in the bible. Good for than but they don’t happen now. That lie from the enemy needs to be overturned and we need to see a mighty move in our world today. This world now more then ever needs you and your healings. Use us to free people from the physical ailments that hold them down, let there be no reasoning behind their recovery then Jesus. We want to see people freed from the bondage of sin, reveal to us whatever is holding us back so we can be effective in this mission. Amen
50 Days of Pray 