Most Christians make deals with God in prayer, begging for the worldly outcomes they desire with no thought of the eternal will or character of God.2 The purpose of living the gospel is to become more like God, not to bargain with God for goodies. God is not a pagan god. He is not arbitrary or fickle. He does not want token favors or pretended piety. He wants us to be like him. God’s power is not a reward for what you do; it comes from who you become.
Power is the ability to achieve, obtain, and retain what you want. God’s power is the ability to achieve, obtain, and retain what he wants. The connection between God's power and God’s purpose is illustrated by the way the High Priest’s ephod was tied to his breastplate with a symbolic blue cord.3 While the breastplate provided the wearer with the ability to seek and receive revelation from God through the urim and thummim it held, the priest’s access to it was determined by his willingness to bind himself to and maintain his connection with God.
If you want God’s power, you need to learn what he wants and shift your own desires to align with his.4 When the crowds saw the miracles that Jesus did, they asked “what shall we do, that we might work the works of God?” (John 6:28) Jesus responded: “This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.” (John 6:29) He explained that God’s power comes to those who live as he would, and is exclusively for doing what he would in your place. Like most people, they were only interested in using God’s power to pursue their own desires,5 and “from that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.” (John 6:66) This was not the only occasion where Jesus explained that divine power comes only to those who seek God’s will above their own.6
You may be surprised to learn how often your requests to God actually oppose his purpose. For example, many people seek miracles to reduce suffering, assuming that this is always good. God’s blessings are not for the purpose of reducing suffering, but for increasing improvement. It is rarely the case that these two ends overlap.
The Lord’s power is for advancing the Lord’s purpose.7 The more you seek the will of God, the more often you will find the power to accomplish what you desire.8 God’s purposes cannot be frustrated,9 and to the extent you make his purposes your own, neither can yours.10
Footnotes
- 1. Because both my attainment and my attenuation are in subjection to the Lord’s divine will, and I have power to do all things that are accordant with His character. (Philippians 4:13, Author’s Reflection) ↩
- 2. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. (James 4:3) The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him: but the desire of the righteous shall be granted. (Proverbs 10:24) Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed. (Proverbs 16:3, NLT) ↩
- 3. And they shall bind the breastplate by the rings thereof unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it may be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate be not loosed from the ephod (Exodus 28:28) ↩
- 4. This is the secret by which you can obtain all power in heaven and earth: Learn my Father’s will, and do all things that lie in your power to bring everything into greater alignment with him, and the impact of your actions will endure eternally. (Matthew 13:19, Author’s Reflection) ↩
- 5. ...seek ye earnestly the best gifts, always remembering for what they are given; For verily I say unto you, they are given for the benefit of those who love me and keep all my commandments, and him that seeketh so to do; that all may be benefited that seek or that ask of me, that ask and not for a sign that they may consume it upon their lusts. (D&C 46:8-9) ↩
- 6. When his disciples asked him how they could have more divine power, he responded with this parable: “But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat? And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink? Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not. So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.” (Luke 17:7-10) ↩
- 7. And Christ hath said: If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me. (Moroni 7:33) And whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you. (3 Nephi 18:20) ↩
- 8. Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. (Psalms 37:4) ↩
- 9. Yea, and how is it that ye have forgotten that the Lord is able to do all things according to his will, for the children of men, if it so be that they exercise faith in him? Wherefore, let us be faithful to him. (1 Nephi 7:12) ↩
- 10. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. (John 14:13-14) ↩