2Corinthians 5:17-18 (Amplified) says, "Therefore, if any person is (ingrafted) in Christ Jesus (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old (previous moral and spiritual condition) has passed. Behold, the fresh and new has come. But all things are from God, Who through Jesus Christ reconciled us to Himself (received us into favor, brought us into harmony with Himself) and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation (that by word and deed we might aim to bring others into harmony with Him)."
Luke 11:1 (Amplified) says, "Then [Jesus] was praying in a certain place; and when He stopped, One of His disciples said to Him, Lord, teach us to pray, Just as John taught His disciples."
At this point in His ministry, Jesus' disciples had witnessed many miracles and Super-natural things happen. These men had walked with Jesus, long enough to realize that His power came from God. They knew that Jesus' strength came from praying to and hearing from God, and so they implored, "Teach us to pray, Lord." There have been numerous occasions after I wrote about the Super-natural ability of the new creation family of God, that people say they are, "extremism." Prayer is one of the most Super-natural functions of the Church. Many times though, we disregard prayer as being Super-natural, because we've adopted man's ideas about it.
One must believe that God is there, before even beginning to pray. This is itself, an act of believing in the Super-natural. No one would pray, if he or she didn't believe "Someone was listening." When we pray, we're praying to a Super-natural Being, Who is invisible to the natural man. When we pray, we must not only believe He will hear us, but that He will intervene into the natural realm and correct things in the natural realm that might be going wrong in our lives.
Why would anything in the new creation, Super-natural man, be more extreme than answered prayers? I truly believe that unbelief in a person's heart, is the main reason so many prayers are unanswered. We still lack a full understanding of who we are now, as new creation people and as children of God.
Any time you step out in faith and break from the natural Church, you've stepped into a place they do not understand. This doesn't mean you are "wrong" or "foolish," even though you might appear that way to their eyes. You're actually accepting by faith, that Jesus is Real and He is there for you. Answered prayer should be the first sign that a believer is growing up. Many times, we pray more in hope, than in faith. God has been down-played in the world's ideas about the Super-natural things of God and this has crept into the Church as well.
Jesus told His disciples and followers that prayer was His Source of power. In John 5:20 (Amplified), He instructed them to study prayer more closely, saying, "The Father dearly loves the Son and discloses to (show) Him everything that He Himself does. And He will disclose to Him (let Him see) greater things yet than these, So that you may marvel and be full of wonder and astonishment."
We seemingly think that Jesus was the Only One Who could hear from and obey the Father's Voice. The world has taught that miracles followed Jesus only because, "He was Jesus." Of course, we don't wish to take anything away from Who Jesus was, but the things He did, were the things that were to follow the new creation after His resurrection. We need to grab hold of the truth of who we are in Him.
Jesus passes this Truth to His followers and commands them to do these things, in Mark 16:15-20 (Amplified) which says, "And He said to them, Go into all the world and preach and publish openly the Good News (the Gospel) to every creature (of the whole human race). He who believes (who adheres to and trusts in and relies on the Gospel and Him Who sets forth) and is baptized will be saved (from the penalty of eternal death) but he who does not believe (who does not adhere to and trust in and rely on the Gospel and Him Who it sets forth) will be condemned. And these attesting signs will accompany those who believe; in My Name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new languages; They will pick up serpents; and (even) if they drink anything deadly, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick and they will get well. So then the Lord Jesus, after He had spoken to them, was taken up into Heaven and He sat down at the right hand of God. And they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord kept working with them and confirming the Message by the attesting signs and miracles that closely accompanied it) Amen (so be it)."
Which was more Super-natural? The new birth or the signs that accompanied it? Both are a Super-natural walk for the new creation family of God. We've dismissed the miracles and healing part of Jesus' command, as a result of the world and natural man's ideas concerning God. Ephesians 2:6 -7(Amplified) says, "And He raised us up together with Him and made us sit down together (giving us joint seating with Him) in the Heavenly Sphere (by virtue of us being) in Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed One)." The next Verse explains why this is so important in the new creation person's life. Thus, it says, "He did this that He might clearly demonstrate through the ages to come the immeasurable (limitless, surpassing) riches of His free grace (His unmerited favor) in (His) kindness and goodness of heart toward us in Christ Jesus."
We must not only teach about "becoming born-again," but we must also "set at liberty all who are bound by the devil." We've been diligent to preach salvation, but we haven't raised these new believers in the knowledge about who they have become in Christ Jesus.
Being saved and born-again, is undoubtedly the most important Message for an individual, but in order for them to demonstrate Jesus to the world, we must teach them who they have become in Him. Mark 16:19 (Amplified) says, "And after [Jesus] had spoke to them, He was taken up into Heaven and He sat at the right hand of God." Ephesians 2:6 (Amplified) says that, "He raised us up together with Him, and made us to sit down together with Him." We are NOW in Him. All that Jesus was and is, He has given to us.
In these last days, we must understand the need for revealing the Super-natural things of God, to the world. It's not any more Super-natural to pray, than it is to heal the sick. Both things are displays of our faith in the ability of a Super-natural God, Who cares for and delivers His people. James 1:18 (Amplified) tells us, "And it was of His Own (free) will that He gave us birth (as sons) by (His) Word of Truth, so that we should be a kind of first fruits of His creatures (a sample of what He created to be consecrated to Himself)." James 1:22 (Amplified) also tells us, "But be doers of the Word (obey the Message) and not merely listeners to it, betraying yourselves (into deception by reasoning contrary to the Truth)."
We have betrayed ourselves through deception that is "reasoning contrary to the Truth." The things of God are eternal. They do not "pass away" and they never "go out of style," simply because someone says they do. We must place our faith into having our prayers answered. Prayer is what brings the Super-natural Presence of God, into the natural realm. We've mostly "hoped"that God will answer our prayers. Prayer should be the greatest and most integral part of our relationship with the Father. Many have dismissed the "Faith teachings," but these are the most important teachings available to the Church. It's not simply our having faith, but it's Who we have faith in.
Hebrews 11:6 (Amplified) says, "But without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him. For whoever would come near to God must (necessarily) believe that God exists and that He is the Rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him (out)." Especially in these last days, we need to learn how to approach God in faith again. Praying isn't like playing the lottery, but should a certainty in the believer's life. Unanswered prayer demonstrates our lack of faith, in the One Who has called us. We never seem to know how our Heavenly Father will respond to our prayers. We leave room in our prayers, in case He doesn't answer them. We might not pray for others, in order to protect our pride (it would be embarrassing if we prayed for someone and it didn't work). We must examine ourselves, because He isn't to blame for unanswered prayer. His prayers are "Yes, and Amen." We must put God back in place, as God.
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