The Key of the Greater Work

"The person who trusts me will not only do what I’m doing but even greater things... you can count on it." (John 14:12)

Prayer does not to prepare us for greater works - prayer is the greater work. Why do we think of prayer as some commonsense exercise that we have to do? In the teachings of Jesus Christ, prayer is the working of the miracle in my life and in yours.

Prayer is the battle, and it makes no difference where you are. In whatever way God may plan your circumstances, your duty is to pray. Never allow yourself this thought, "I am of no use where I am," because you certainly cannot be used where you have not yet been placed. Wherever God has placed you and whatever your circumstances, you should pray, continually keep offering up prayers to Him. You know why? Because he promises, "Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do..." (14:13).

But how come we refuse to pray unless it thrills or excites us? Guess what? This is the most intense form of spiritual selfishness. We must learn to work according to God's direction, and He says "On your knees and pray for harvest hands!" (Matt 9:38) I agree there is nothing exciting about a person who does the dirty work, but it is that person who makes the ideas of the genius possible.

It's the same with you. It is the Soul'd Out Warrior who makes the ideas of his Master possible. When you pray, (from God's perspective) there are always results. You will get the surprise of your life to see, once God decides to reveal everything to you, all the work that has been done by you, simply because you have been in the habit of taking your orders from Jesus Christ.

God's Silence - Then What?

"When He heard that Lazarus was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was." (John 11:6)

Has God trusted you with His silence - a silence that has great meaning? God's silences are actually His answers. Just think of those days of absolute silence in the house of Lazarus! Just when they needed God the most, God kept silent! Is there anything comparable to those days in your life? Can God trust you like that, or are you still asking Him for a visible answer? God will give you the very blessings you ask if you refuse to go any further without them, but His silence is the sign that He is bringing you into an even more wonderful understanding of Himself. Are you complaining before God because you do not have an audible response?

After pouring your heart out to Him in prayer - the wonderful thing about God's silence is that His stillness is contagious. It gets into you, causing you to become perfectly confident so that you can honestly say, "I know that God has heard me." His silence is the very proof that He has.
When you cannot hear God, you will find that He has trusted you in the most intimate way possible - with absolute silence, not a silence of despair, but one of pleasure, because He saw that you could withstand an even bigger revelation. If God has given you a silence, then praise Him - He is bringing you into the heart of His purposes.