The Need for the Power of God

For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. — 1 Corinthians 1:2:1-5

Over the past few months, I've felt a deep burden in prayer for the Church, a longing for a genuine spiritual awakening to stir among us. I know many of you share the same desire. It's not that the Church lacks noble intentions or isn't actively trying to make a difference, on the contrary, God's people seem more engaged and busier than ever. Yet, something is still missing. Despite all the effort, the Church continues to decline, and society grows increasingly indifferent to the exclusivity of Christ or the God of the Bible. Perhaps not in your local church, but it’s a widespread trend across our nation, and it’s deeply troubling.

And what’s missing? The power of God.

I believe that the only thing that can truly reverse the trends we’re seeing, and make a true difference in society, is a fresh outpouring of God’s Spirit upon His Church. We need a Revival! Far too long, we've grown confident in our own strength, leaning on our skills, strategies, and abilities to bring change. But in today’s world, that self-reliance will never be enough. Only His power can make the difference we so urgently need.

A Different Kind

The problem of society today is not a superficial one, it’s a radical one. The whole outlook of life is involved. I’ve never seen anything like it in my lifetime. I’m afraid we’re facing something today that runs deeper than what our usual methods can handle — we’re facing “a kind.”

There’s a story in Mark 9 (and Matt. 17 & Luke 9) about a “deaf and mute” spirit possessing a boy. The father brought him to Jesus’ disciples and spoke to them about casting it out, but they could not, even though they had been successful at casting demons out before. Then Jesus arrived, and after asking the father some questions, cast the unclean spirit out of the boy. Later, the disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.”

This kind… that got me thinking! That is what’s happening today. We are dealing with a “kind,” and we need to figure out what kind! And we will never get to that answer if we do not apply to God for that power which comes when we turn our hearts back to prayer and make prayer (and fasting) the fire and focal point of every church.

What we’re up against requires more than activity or strategy, it demands a return to the kind of dependence seen in the early Church, where power came through wholehearted prayer and fasting. We must go back to God, surrendering ourselves fully, if we are to see His power released in our time.

Paul makes clear in Ephesians 6 that not all demonic entities are the same. The enemy kingdom is highly sophisticated, with different levels of spirits, powers and forces, which vary in strength and power, as evidenced by this story in the gospels. And 2 Timothy 3:13 tells us that in the last days, evil men and imposters will wax worse and worse, which I believe is what we are sensing.

Surrendering Control

Paul walked into Corinth carrying more than just scrolls and sermons, he carried fire! Holy Spirit fire! He could have dazzled the Greeks with his intellect, debated like a scholar, and beat them at their own game. But he didn’t. He stripped all that away and stood before them with trembling knees and a heart fully yielded to the Holy Spirit. Why? Because he wasn’t there to showcase human brilliance, he was there to unleash the raw, uncontainable power of God: And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God (1 Cor. 2:4-5).

Somewhere along the way, we’ve traded that fire for formulas. We’re trying to make Christianity fit into the modern man and modern mind, replacing Holy Spirit power with apologetics, intellectualism, philosophy and science, all good things when used properly, but they’ve become the main thing...unwittingly reviving the very Greek mindset Paul rejected. We’re relying on man’s abilities, not God’s to reach a hurting world and as a result, the church may be speaking, but it’s not shaking the ground.

Revival Focused

Any serious observer can see it — something is deeply wrong. The spirit of the age is pressing in like never before, and the Church needs help. We need to invite the Holy Spirit and His power into our lives, our homes, and our places of worship! We need Him to revive us. We need to know how to confront “this kind.” We need to pray; we need to fast. We need something that can go down beneath that evil power and shatter it! And there is only one thing that can do that, and that is the power of God!

It’s time to wake up. We do not need another fine-tuned lecture; we need to be equipped. The Church was born in power, and it will only advance in power. It’s time to recognize our desperate need. It’s time to fall on our faces and cry out for the only thing that can help us overcome: the power the comes from the Spirit of God.

To hear more on this tune into our podcast series on Revival: "This Kind" - What is the Church Up Against?

Prayer: Lord, like Paul in Corinth, convict us to lay down our human wisdom and eloquence speech and let us go out in demonstration of the Spirt and of power. That our faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God!

Pray for an Awakening! Pray for Power! Pray for Holy Fire! Pray for Revival!

God Bless You Today,

Carole