I Didn't Know My Own Strength

Luke 4:14

Then Jesus returned in the Power of the Sprit to Galilee, and news of him went out through all the surrounding region.

There was a lot of excitement on the return of Whitney Houston after 7 years of being in the wilderness of cocaine addiction. Her interview and testimony on The Oprah Winfrey Show was poignant and powerful as she talked about how God brought her through recovery to deliver her first album in seven years. Whitney closed the show with a powerful song that says, “I Didn’t Know My Own Strength.” Oftentimes, we don’t know how strong we are until we go through a wilderness experience to face our demons or the devil himself.

It is only when we detox or fast that we are able to combat our demons with our spiritual strength. Jesus fasted forty days preparing himself for his return to Galilee. Before he faced the public for the greatest three years of his life he had to get himself ready for his return.

The devil put him to the test by trying to twist the Word of God for self-gratification but Jesus knew the Word for himself and brought the voice of the enemy in check with the Word in proper context. As a result, Jesus returned in the Power of the Sprit and news of Him spread. You don’t have to pull a Kanye and try to keep your name alive with media stunts while intoxicated but when you sober up and are filled with the Spirit, God will make the news come to you.

Usually when we try to make a debut or return we get this backwards. We market our image then show up without power or substance. Whitney, like Jesus, stayed gone until she was cleansed and filled with the spirit. Oprah asked her was she off drugs for good. Whitney said, “I’m taking one day at a time, I’m an addict.” That’s real substantive answer. We must do the work of sobering up before we return. When you are restored spiritually and face your demons, God does your marketing for you. Your gifts will make room for you and bring you into the presence of Great men.

Before you return make sure you take 40 days to:

1. Fast. What is it you need to pull away from or get out of your system? For some of us we may need to go into a drug rehab or go to counseling to get some addictions out of our system. Some of us may need a few days to fast from food or drink so we can hear from God again.

2. Pray. We need to go into our prayer closets and not come out until we get an answer.

3. Face your demons. The devil tried to tempt Jesus with what Jesus already had the power and promise to experience. He tempted him with shortcuts. He tempted him with Self-Medication but Jesus fought back with the Word of God. You have to know the Word to use the Word.

Dear God, help me to return with Power. Clean me up so I can have some substance. Help me to defeat my demons so I can come back to ministry with power. I don’t want to have a form of godliness with no power to go with it. Send me through spiritual boot camp so that when I come back, I’m better, I’m stronger. I realize that I don’t know my own strength because I’ve never used it, because I have not resisted to the point of shedding blood. I’m ready to go into extreme training so that I can return with power. I’m ready Lord.

In Jesus Name,

Amen.