"Why doesn't God answer my prayer?"
"Why can't I receive my deliverance and my healing?"The answer to your most urgent need is close much closer than you ever imagined. Just a word, spoken from your heart, can cause life's darkest clouds suddenly to disappear. It's time to stop thinking that God is an unapproachable Spirit residing millions of miles away. The Father is so near that you can talk to Him at any moment, and His Spirit is so close that He can give you comfort, peace, and direction. All you have to do is ask and trust that He will act.What I have found in the Spirit is not some mystery-shrouded secret. It is as real as life itself and as close as your very heartbeat. And that's why I want to share it with you.
THE WORK OF THE GODHEAD
"Weakness" or "Will"?
Let's begin with this fact about the Godhead: What is true of one does not necessarily apply to all three. They are sometimes different, even in the way They move and in the way They talk. We've already discussed the fact that members of the Godhead are distinct persons yet They are One.
But when it comes to our personal relationship and communication with "God," an understanding of Father, Son, and Spirit is essential. Anytime you see God working, you see Him as oneGod. But you begin to see some distinction in the way They think and in the way They act. For example, when the Jewish people under the OldCovenant willfully and knowingly sinned in the presence ofthe Father, do you recall what happened? Scripture records that they were either slain or punished.
But Christ the Son dealt differently with those who knowingly and willfully sinned. Example: Consider the Pharisees. Did Christ kill them? No! He rebuked them. You say, "Benny, I always believed that Christ for gave everyone?" Scripture doesn't record whether Jesus forgave the Pharisees for their sin. Yet He did forgive the criminal on the cross when he cried from his heart, "I'm a sinner!"Don't misunderstand.
God the Father did forgive, but He also killed or punished those who refused to stop rebelling against Him. God the Son, however, responded in another manner. Instead of slaying or judging the willful sinner, He simply rebuked him. You ask, "But what about the Holy Ghost? What is His response to a person who knowingly, deliberately sins?" Here acts differently from even the Father and the Son. The Spirit does not remove them or rebuke them He convicts them and withdraws the power of His presence. (Where Should I Look?)
The Trinity, as we see, is composed of three distinct and unique persons. But you need to understand Their Oneness Their unity. It is essential that you recognize that the all-through the Son to the Father. How is that gift returned? Let's say your request is for healing. God the Father remember now that God is three persons looks at God the Son and says, "Would you please heal him?"Christ delivers the healing. Why? Because that is the role of the administrator. The very word administrate means to minister or to serve. So the Father releases the healing to the Son, and the Son serves it to you.
Can you picture yourself reaching out to receive your healing and finding that somehow it seems just out of your reach? You stretch your arms as far as you can, but the gift seems beyond your grasp. So close and yet sofar away. What has happened? What's missing? That's where the work of the Holy Spirit enters the picture. He presents Himself to manifest the healing that was provided by God and served by His Son. It is the Spirit who completes the process of your healing.
(He's by Your Side) It began at Pentecost.
The Holy Ghost descended from heaven to make manifest the word of the Godhead. And exactly where is the Spirit today? Where does He make His residence? The Spirit does not stand beside Jesus as many well-intentioned people believe. And He does not stand alongside the Father. He was given to you and to me as the Comforter or "the one by our side."The Holy Spirit is your helper. Yes, He is your assistant to help you receive the life, the healing, or the deliverance you so desperately need.
Often someone asks, "Benny, who should I pray to?" My answer, is, "Please don't confuse the issue. You pray to the Father.""Well, then," the seeker says, "you told us we are to talk to the Spirit."I have to tell them, "There is an enormous difference between talking and praying. I've never yet prayed to the Holy Ghost."Do you know what the meaning of the word prayer is? Prayer means petition.
In other words you come with your need asking for an answer. You come looking and expect to receive. You never look to the Spirit—He's the one who helps you look. To this day I have never said, "Holy Spirit, 'give me.'"But I can't count the times I've said, "Precious Holy Spirit, help me ask!"Are you beginning to realize that your answer is only a breath away? Just a word, waiting to be spoken.
It may be a physical problem that has tormented you for years. Or it may be a habit that seems impossible to break. The answer you need is near at hand. Isn't it time you turn to the Spirit of God and say, "Holy Spirit, You are my helper. I need You. Will You help me now?" The very second you utter those words from your heart, the Holy Ghost will place His hand on you and something marvelous will happen. Suddenly you will find yourself literally "in the Spirit" absorbed in His presence and His person.
(Three Little Words)
When the Father gives you something, it comes of the Father. And when the Son gives you something, it is usually described as coming through Jesus.
But when the Holy Ghost provides, it is given in Him. Of, through, in just three little words, but they are mighty and powerful. As you read God's Word, the pattern is striking. When we see the Father spoken of, it is in terms of "the love of God," "the power of God," "the grace of God." That's how God is presented again and again. But how is Christ portrayed? Often in Scripture we are taught that we "give praise through the Son," "receive through the Son," and so on. When it comes to the Holy Ghost, however, the terminology changes.
The word in is used. "Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh" (Gal.5:16). And "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit" (v. 25). As Christ said to the Samaritan woman at the well, "The hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him" (John 4:23). Here, the word in simply means "at one with." In other words, Christ said that the Father seeks those that worship and are at one with the Spirit.
Are you walking at one with the Spirit? Are you living at one with the Spirit? Reaching that relationship is not difficult. It is as simple as saying to the Great Helper, "Help me!" That's when the Spirit of God will touch you and actually assist you as you reach out to receive what God wants you to have. What is important in all of this is that you realize that the Trinity is actually working together to accomplish one goal to meet your need. They are Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, but They are One. They are a team of persons, united in one nature, working together, in complete accord and eternal harmony.
(A "COVENANT" RELATIONSHIP)
It is because the Holy Ghost is here on earth and by your side that you keep the healing or deliverance you have received. That is why Jesus could return to heaven, and yet you can retain on earth the gift He has given. If you want to know how to maintain a close relationship with the Holy Spirit, listen to the word of the great prophet Haggai:"According to the word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so My Spirit remains among you; do not fear" (Hag. 2:5).
When you ask the Son of God to come into your heart, you are making a personal covenant with God. And it's not a one-way conversation. God also makes an agreement or a"covenant" with you. That's the way He has always worked. The Father initiated covenants with Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, David, and many others. But just as God has sought to enter into agreements, so has humanity reached out to God. That is what we discover with Jacob, Joshua, Elijah, and the Israelites. As the Israelites confessed their sins to God, they said:
Now therefore, our God,The great, the mighty, and awesome God,Who keeps covenant and mercy. we are in great distress. (Neh. 9:32,37)Then Nehemiah told the Lord, And because of all this, We make a sure covenant, and write it;And our leaders and our Levites and our priests seal it. (v. 38) It was signed by no fewer than eighty-four leaders who swore to have "entered into a curse and an oath to walk in God's Law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord . . . " (10:29).
Covenants with God were ratified by a variety of acts including standing (Ezra 10:14), loosing the shoe (Ruth4:7-11), giving a feast (Gen. 26:30), erecting a monument(Gen. 31:45-53), and taking an oath (Joshua 2:12-14).Perhaps the most important covenant of all is the one God made to you through His Son when He "brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead. . . through the blood of the everlasting covenant" (Heb. 13:20).
(A Word of Warning!)
But just as God has a covenant regarding your salvation, you can make a vow or oath with God that deals with your personal needs. I've made a number of commitments to God, and I believe that God recognizes the sincerity of a commitment when you state categorically what you're willing to do in response to His blessing.
One fact is obvious; the Old Testament is filled with covenants that pleased God. And why is that important to you? Because God works by and through covenants, and you can enter into a covenant with Him regarding any special need. You will find that the Father is more than willing to stand by His word. I have come to believe that the Holy Spirit enters your life as the result of the eternal covenant God made with you regarding your salvation. He is God's messenger and Christ's to you from that moment on. And that agreementis to be taken seriously.
Remember what happened to Samson. After Delilah had his head shaved while he was sleeping, she shouted, "'The Philistines are upon you, Samson!' So he awoke from his sleep, and said, 'I will go out as before, at other times, and shake myself free!' But he did not know that the LORD had departed from him" (Judg.16:20). What had departed was the same "Spirit of the LORD" that "came mightily upon him" earlier (Judg. 15:14).
Can you imagine being in that spot? You think you're filled, but you're not. You believe you're anointed, but the Spirit is gone. Samson was totally unaware that he had betrayed His calling and His covenant with God.
He believed he still had strength, but the Spirit had vanished from his life. The same thing happened to Saul. The Lord rejected Saul as King because "he has turned back from following Me, and has not performed My Commandments" (1 Sam.15:11).
Not only did the Spirit leave the King, but something far worse happened: "The Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and a distressing Spirit from the LORD troubled him" (1 Sam. 16:14).
(The Vacuum Will Be Filled)
Do you know that every unbeliever is greatly influenced by demons? It sounds shocking, but that's what Scripture says: "And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of theair, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience" (Eph. 2:1-2).
You say, "But that could never happen to me! I'm filled with the Holy Spirit." That may be true, but if for any reason the presence of the Holy Spirit leaves you, a vacuum is created and that is exactly what Satan is looking for. Then his influence turns to oppression. Nobody likes to talk about demons. Preachers don't preach about them. Christians don't discuss them. And sinners erase the dreadful topic from their minds. It's like a politician avoiding the subjects of drugs and crime, thinking that somehow they will just go away. But Christ addressed the issue without fear. He talked about how demons are eager to invade your life. Jesus said to the Pharisees: "When an unclean spiritgoes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none.
Then he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there" (Matt. 12:43-45). Listen closely to what the Lord says next: "And the last state of that man is worse than the first" (v. 45).
Satan's plan of attack is this: Every demon that has left will pay a return visit to see if the opportunity is still available. And if he is given a chance he will bring others with him. It's a frightening situation, but one that you can avoid by staying completely, totally filled with the Holy Spirit and never breaking your covenant with God.
Do you remember the story of the disciples who failed in their attempt to heal a small child? It was while Christwas on the Mount of Transfiguration being glorified. And when the Master came down from the mountain, the father of the boy said: "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water.
So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him" (Matt. 17:15-16). But more than a physical healing was needed. Christ said, "'Bring him here to Me.' And Jesus rebuked the demon, and he came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour" (vv. 17-18).
The Lord not only wants to remove Satan and his demons from your life those things that are a barrier to your healing and deliverance but He wants to fill that empty void. That's why He sent the Comforter. He wants you to be filled with the Spirit. Right now, the Spirit is on earth. In fact He is waiting patiently for your invitation. All it takes is just a word, even a whisper—
"HolySpirit, please help me!"Your answer is only a breath away.
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