BY DR DOUG MAMVURA
I will never forget as a young believer how I sought for God’s power. I prayed for that power, and read every book I could find that would tell me how to get it. I would drive to my famous prayer mountain in Mashonaland Central and spend time praying for God to give me His power. I was very zealous, but unfortunately, it was zeal without knowledge.
I didn’t realise that the power I was looking for was already resident within me. This wasn’t ordinary power, but the power that raised Christ from the dead (Romans 8:11). Jesus made it clear that “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word and My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling place with him” (John 14:23). My body is the State House of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and so what on earth was I looking for at that mountain? Indeed, people perish because of lack of knowledge.
I believed that power would come if I had a certain kind of experience. I would long for the man of God to touch my head so I would fall down because of the “anointing”. I used to see in some churches the so-called man of God touching people and them falling down and became so eager to have such power.
Then I realised that God was in me and so I was capable of doing all these things through His power and authority He had given me as His son. By His grace, I realised that the Word on my lips would do the same thing that it did on the lips of Jesus and the disciples.
Then I saw this truth; the Holy Spirit was in me to give me the ability to use the Name and the Word. This Name has all authority in it. You remember Jesus said, “Whatsoever you ask of the Father in my Name, He will give you.” And again, “In my Name ye shall cast out demons, speak in new tongues, lay hands on the sick and they shall recover” (John 14:13). Notice this carefully, “that whatsoever ye ask in my Name I will do it”. The miracle working ability of God is in that Name. It has nothing to do with Papa, or Prophet or Pastor. It is all about Jesus. The name of Jesus is higher than any other name and it is more powerful than anything else you could be facing.
I had never before heard anyone preach on the name of Jesus. All we used to hear during my early days as a believer was repent or else you will burn. God was portrayed as a very angry God who was ready to punish any misdemeanour.
I will never forget how timid I was when I tried that Name the first time. How thrilled I was when I saw that it worked. It did the thing. After a while I dared to start praying for the sick using that name. I remember praying for a friend’s wife who had leukemia and God healed her. I then realised God’s Word is true, it’s active and alive.
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I then decided to go to Bible School full-time so I could fully understand the Word of God and learn how to have an intimate relationship with my Father. As a student at the Bible School, we would go for missions and preach the Word, pray for the sick and I saw many miracles taking place. That is when I realised that God can use anyone to do His work as long as you are willing. His power is available to anyone who believes. You don’t have to be a Papa, Bishop, Prophet, Pastor, Evangelist, or Deacon. God is a Father of all and a stepFather of none. It is sad that some of us preachers we make the power of God exclusive to us when its available to all His children.
You don’t need to pray for power because it is already within you. All you need is Authority and that Authority is in the name of Jesus. First Corinthians 1:30 says: “But for Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God.” The ability and wisdom Jesus used in His earth walk is yours as a believer. You have to know that the Father invested all authority in the name of Jesus which is now available for our use. Are you aware of your rights and privileges as sons and daughters of the Most High and your right to use that name of Jesus? Stop feeling unworthy and desperate. The enemy loves to see you feeling desperate, weak and unworthy.
I felt the same during the early days of my Christian walk. I tried everything that man had taught. I sought the “clean heart”, “entire Sanctification”, “Second Work of Grace”, everything that was preached. I was blessed for a while, but it would all fade away. I wanted something that was permanent. I knew I could find it in the Word. I was reading Romans 3:26. I knew that the key word of Romans was “Righteousness”, but I had no definite interpretation of righteousness.
I had always thought it meant right conduct, right living. I did not see the Pauline significance of it. In the Pauline Epistles we see that the word Righteousness means the ability to stand in the presence of the Father without any sense of guilt, fear, or condemnation; and in the presence of Satan without any sense of inferiority or fear. The problem was how to get that righteousness. We were told during those days by some of the ministers of the Gospel that to be righteous, one had to fast and live a holy life and never miss all-night prayer meetings.
Second Corinthians 5:21 eventually resolved my problem “He who knew no sin because sin so we could become the righteousness of God.” I then discovered that righteousness was a gift which had nothing to do with my works or performance such as prayer and fasting or paying tithes.
I couldn’t believe it at first. I struggled for days on this scripture. I had always believed that righteousness was something you needed to work for. It was such a relief when I discovered that righteousness didn’t depend on my works because it was a gift from God following the finished work of the cross.
A strange quietness filled my whole being. A joy that I had never before experienced, filled my heart. I said unconsciously, “Thank you Jesus I now get it. I have it. Now I can approach the Father without the sense of unworthiness. I can face the adversary as his master.” I remember that morning, we had a service. As I was coming up the steps to the church, I said, “Satan, at last you are my servant. I am your master.” I had never had that consciousness before. I had never known that I was the righteousness of God in Christ. I had never realised what I had in me. Now I said, “Father, I am going to let the Spirit loose, He shall be free in me.” Now I could use this Word, the sword of the Spirit, as I had never before used it. Then it was that I saw the very genius of Christianity. God had recreated me. He had given me Eternal Life. He had made me His Righteousness in Christ, by imparting to me His own nature. I had never realised it, never understood it, consequently I had never taken advantage of it. I believe there are many more believers who may not be aware of their privileges as children of God and the enemy is busy terrorising them and yet they have all that power resident within them.
First John 4:4 says: “You are of God little children and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” There is no force or pressure out there that is bigger than He who is in you and I. There is no mountain that is too big to be removed. He is greater than any mountain or problem you could be facing. Don’t allow the devil to intimidate you. Take your authority as a believer. God is right there with you, for you and in you.
You don’t need to run around looking for Papa or the man of God. The same power is resident within you.
- Dr Doug Mamvura is a graduate of Charis Bible School. Feedback: drdoug@corporatemomentum.biz or Twitter @dougmamvura
