NOTES: With Christ in the School of Prayer - Andrew Murray

Power for Praying and Working:

Truly, truly,  I say unto you, he that believes on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall you do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever you ask in my name, That will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you shall ask anything in my name, I will do it. John 14:12-14

- whoever wants to do the works of Jesus must pray his name. Whoever prays in his name must work in his name.

- In prayer the power for work is obtained.

- This is reality......With the resurrection, the powers of the eternal life were to take possession of the human body and obtain supremacy over human life. With his ascension, Christ was to receive the power to communicate the Holy Spirit completely to his body. The union-the oneness between himself on the throne and those on earth-was to be so intensely and divinely perfect that he meant it has the literal truth: "greater works than these shall he do, because I go on to my Father. "

- as we believe and ask in Jesus's name, the power comes and takes possession of us also to do the greater works.

- The one reason there is little or nothing to be seen of the power to do anything like Christ's work, not to mention anything greater is this: the belief in him and believe in prayer and his name are absent.

- Every child of God must learn this lesson: prayer in the name of Jesus is the only way to share in the mighty power that Jesus has received from the Father for his people. It is in this power alone that the believer can do greater works.

- If you want to do the work of Jesus, believe and become linked to him, the Almighty One.

- Effective working first needs effective praying.

- The second lesson that every child of God must learn is: whoever prays must work.

- It is for power to work that Prayer has such great promises. Power for the effective prayer of faith is gained through working. Our Lord repeats no less than six times those unlimited prayer promises that evoke anxious questions as to their real meaning: "whatsoever, ""anything, ""what you will,""ask and you shall receive," John 14:13-14; 15:7,16; 16:23-24.  Many a believer has read these promises with joy and hope, and indeed earnestness of soul has attempted to plead them for his own need, and has come out disappointed. The simple reason was that he separated the promise from its context.

- The Lord gave the wonderful promise of the free use of his name with the Father in conjunction with doing his works. The disciple who lives only for Jesus' work in the kingdom, for his will and honor, will be given the power to appropriate the promise. Anyone grasping the promise only when he wants something very special for himself will be disappointed, because he is making Jesus the servant of his own comfort. But whoever wants to pray the effective prayer of faith because he needs it for the work of the Lord Jesus Christ will learn it, because he has made himself the servant of his Lord's interests. Prayer not only teaches and strengthens the one for work, work teaches and strengthens one for prayer.

- Let us give ourselves to the master for his work!

- Believer in Jesus! You are called-you are appointed-to do the works of Jesus, and even greater works. He has gone to the Father to get the power to do them in and through you. Give yourself and live to do the works of Christ, and you will learn how to obtain wonderful answers to prayer. You will learn to do not only what he did, but much more. With disciples full of faith in Jesus, boldly asking great things in prayer, Christ can conquer the world.

PRAYER:
Oh my Lord, once again, I am hearing you say things that are beyond my comprehension. I can do nothing but except them and keep them in simple, childlike faith as your gift to me. You have said that because of your going to be with the Father, anyone who believes in you can do not only the things you have done, but greater things as well. Lord, I worship you as the Glorified One and eagerly await the fulfillment of your promise. May my whole life be one of continued believing in you. Purify and sanctify my heart. Make it so tenderly susceptible to yourself and your love that believing in you will become its very breath. You have said that because you went to the Father, you will do whatever we ask you to do. You want your people to share your power. From your throne, you want to work through them, as members of your body, in response to their believing prayer in your name. You have promised us power in our prayers to you and power in our work here on earth. Blessed Lord, forgive us for not believing you and your promise more. Because of our lack of faith, we have failed to demonstrate how you were faithful to fulfill that promise. Please forgive us for so little honoring your all-prevailing name in heaven or on earth. Lord, teach us to pray so that we can prove your name is all-powerful with God, with men, and with devils. Teach us to work and to pray in a way that glorifies you, and do your great works through us. In Your powerful name Lord Jesus, Amen!