Greater Works (John 14:12-14) Series

Understand that Jesus promised that the same things Jesus did, you would do-- and greater things. And know that the "greater things" are not just healings. It includes things like prophecy, and words of knowledge. Seek these things. Desire them (1 Corinthians 12:31; 14:1).

(2) Over the past few months, I've realized that in praying for healing for people in Jesus' name, one of the things I should often do, is help people learn to have faith.

There are people I've prayed for, where I can feel the Spirit while I'm praying, and and I'm buzzing off and on the rest of the morning in the Spirit, and that person still looks the same months later. They never received the healing. They never allowed themselves to really have faith. They are still stuck in the same wheelchair, crippled by the same stroke. They still have incredible back pain.

Why does this happen? Most of the time, I'm confident it's me. I'm the weak link. I haven't been the kind of person that the Father says "yes" to. I didn't pray with the type of faith that's necessary. I was tired, or worn-out, or drifting from God. I'm still trying to grow into this, and figure it all out. But, at any rate, something was wrong with me.

But at other times, for a few people, I think part of the problem has maybe been on their end (and if I had more faith, and/or a greater measure of the Holy Spirit, I could compensate for that more than I have). When I've asked the people still stuck in the wheelchair, or still hobbled by back pain, how they are doing, this is the answer I've gotten: "This is something I will always have."

They don't have faith. They don't really believe that God could do it, or would do it.

If you are going to be brave, and claim Jesus' words about "greater things" as a promise, it's important that you listen to people, and listen for faith.

Some of the greatest healings I've seen, have happened in those who believed that they had received it (Mark 11:22-25). People (often? usually? sometimes?) have to claim their healing, and receive it. They have to let themselves hope. And you should listen to people, and help them toward that. [And in reading John G. Lake and Smith Wigglesworth, I'm struck by how much time they devote to pushing people to have faith. Every meeting Wigglesworth held, the church say this simple song with the words "Only believe."] They don't need perfect faith. But they need a little, at least, I think.

I say all of this, and now let me pick it apart in two ways:

(A) I think that everything I've said is more true for Christians, than non-Christians. God expects more from us-- from his children-- than He does from people outside of his family. We are expected to have some faith; we are expected to understand that God is trustworthy, and loyal, and powerful, and that He loves us. We are expected to understand that our Father in heaven likes to say "yes," if we have faith.