I'm With Him

Rev. E.V. Hill was a great preacher.  I used to watch him preach on TV, heard a tape of him preaching his wife's funeral and always loved to hear E.V. talk about "the Lord's Kitchen", a food ministry at his church in California.  A well-respected black pastor, I heard him talking about traveling with Jesse Jackson overseas.  Now for the record, E.V. seemed head and shoulders above the political maneuvering of  Jesse, so don't let me lose you yet.  He said that as they arrived in the center of the city in this foreign country, the press, the citizens,  and the rest of the circus that surrounded Jesse started pressing in.  Jesse went through a gate while E.V. struggled to get through the crowd and catch up.  When E.V. arrived at the gate, they did not want to let him in.  He said, "I am with Jesse" and they let him in. Then he made this point: E.V. alone had no power there.  It was all in association to Jesse that the gates opened for him.  He went on to point out how the Christian has power in prayer.  It is not in what we have done, who we are, and what we can do.  It is instead because of who we are with.  When Christ defeated the grave, He took His place at the right hand of the Father, and began making intercession for us.  Therefore now, when we come to pray, the gate is not shut.  It is open, but not because of who we are but whose we are.  Because we are with Christ our prayers are now, not only heard, but are powerful and effective.  As James 5:16 puts it- The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.   Today, take advantage of the opportunity that you have to walk through the gate that Christ has opened and bring your petitions before the throne of God.  What a thought!  Have  a great day.