Flowing With Power

 DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LUKE

FLOWING WITH POWER

Luke 6:17-19

17 He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coast of Tyre and Sidon, 18 who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by evil spirits were cured, 19 and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all.

NIV

First, we do not know if this record of Luke is the same event that took place as Matthew records, and that is considered as the Sermon on the Mount. The reason is the following verses that are the same as the beginning of what Matthew records, and His ending words are very similar in Luke’s record as is in Matthew’s record. However, we are not going to spend any more time looking at both, but rather simply deal with what Luke records. We want to remember that Jesus had just named his twelve after he had spent the night alone on the mountain praying. Jesus had just spent alone time with his Father, who is also our Father who is in heaven, the same Father who we hallow, or make holy, his name. It is not that we make the name of God holy, but we affirm that his name is made holy, but the fact God, and all that means is holy. We need to be careful in thinking that because Jesus spent all night in prayer is the reason that all the power was coming from him and healing all that came to him. However that is also not bad thinking, as when we spend time alone with our Father who is in  heaven, and we praise his holy name, we are also filled with his power, although we might not have that same kind of power that was coming from Jesus. We might not have that kind of power coming from us that we can heal anyone who comes to us, but we certainly can pray to our Father in heaven in the name of Jesus with power because of our faith which comes from spending alone time with our Father. We do wonder about those who are called prayer warriors, and if they have the power of God flowing from them enough to heal someone, is it just their faith is deeper than those who are not seen as prayer warriors. However, if we spent alone time with the Father, as Jesus did, perhaps we might see that power coming from us to do that which Jesus did, as he said that we would do even greater things than he has done. Perhaps praying is not about asking God for all the needs of others, but simply spending alone time, separated from all the voices of the world, just us and Him, alone together, and spending most of our time listening, hearing His voice speaking His truth into our lives, and as a result of being in the holy presence of our Father who is in heaven, there will be power coming from us, like shining with unveiled faces, reflecting the glory of God in ever-increasing glory and flowing with power.