The Power Belongs to God

Scripture:

God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them. – Acts 19:11–12

Think:

When someone you love is hurting, you want something you can do.

A prayer you can pray. A step you can take. Something you can hold on to that will make the situation change. Helplessness is painful, especially when you would give anything to make someone better.

That longing makes the details in this passage compelling. Handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched Paul were carried to the sick, and diseases left them. Even evil spirits came out.

But before Luke tells us what happened, he tells us who did it: “God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul.”

God was doing the miracles. Paul was His servant. The cloths were objects God chose to use. Neither Paul nor the objects possessed the power that brought healing.

We need to hold on to that distinction because our hearts are quick to reach for something tangible. We can begin to place our confidence in a particular person’s prayers, a certain way of praying, or an object associated with a spiritual experience. We want something that makes the outcome feel more certain.

But these verses give us no method for securing a miracle. They reveal a God who has power over disease and evil spirits. The cloths could accomplish nothing apart from Him. Paul could accomplish nothing apart from Him.

Imagine being in one of those homes when healing came. Luke does not describe the families’ reactions, but we can imagine the relief of watching someone who had been suffering become well. Whatever gratitude they felt toward Paul, the deepest gratitude belonged to God. He was the One who had entered their suffering with mercy.

And He is the One we come to now.

You do not have to find a person whose prayers are powerful enough to reach Him. Asking others to pray with you is a gift, but their presence does not make God more accessible. Through Jesus, you are already invited to come to the Father.

You can come with a shaking voice. You can come without knowing how to put the ache into words. You can ask boldly for healing because God has the power to heal, while trusting Him with an outcome you cannot control.

Acts 19 does not promise that every illness will end immediately. It does tell us where our hope belongs.

When you have exhausted what you can do, God has not exhausted what He can do. His power does not depend on your ability to explain it, summon it, or hold it in your hands.

Your hope rests in Him.

Application:

As you pray about the situation weighing on you, consider where you have placed your confidence. Ask God boldly for His help, remembering that the power belongs to Him—not to the person praying, the words spoken, or an object you hold.

Prayer:

Father, when I feel helpless, I want something I can control. Help me place my confidence in You. Please bring healing where there is suffering, and teach me to trust Your wisdom as I ask for Your power. Thank You that through Jesus, I can come directly to You. Amen.