Mensa Otabil - Faith Draws Virtue
- Watch
- Donate
Welcome to day number 15 of our 40 days of power. Today, we are talking about what faith is able to accomplish. Faith draws virtue or releases power. Mark chapter 5, verses 28 to 34: She said, «If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.» Immediately, the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.
Jesus immediately learned in Himself that power had gone out of Him. He turned around in the crowd and said, «Who touched my clothes?» Jesus usually healed people by touching them; in this miracle, the reverse happened. Instead of Jesus touching the person, the person touched Jesus. Thus, a change in methodology occurred, and something left Jesus and touched her. The Bible calls it power, or the old King James calls it virtue; something substantial went out of Jesus. Many people were touching Jesus at this time, but nothing was happening. However, this particular woman touched Jesus, and something happened to her. There were about three kinds of people who were touching Jesus, each reflecting different kinds of touch.
The first was the crowd. The crowd was around Jesus, and they were touching Him; most of them were touching Him out of curiosity. There is a way in which people approach God with a sense of curiosity: Would He do it? Is He real? Is He powerful? Can He do it? These people, touching Jesus as a crowd, are curious. They want to tell others that they have touched Jesus, just like people who want to be bearers of stories go to visit a church and say, «Oh, I went to church,» but there is no real faith in action here.
Then there were the disciples. They were also touching Jesus, but nothing happened to them. Their touch was one of familiarity. This was Jesus; they knew Him. They had been with Him for some time, slept in the same place with Him, and eaten with Him. They had seen Him work miracles, but He was with them; He was familiar to them. So, although they knew that He was the Son of God, they were not as excited about touching Him as others would be. So, there’s a touch of curiosity from the crowd, and then there’s the touch of familiarity. Make sure you never become too familiar with the things of God.
Then there is the woman with the issue of blood. Hers was a touch of faith. How do we know she touched Him and that her touch was a touch of faith? Because she said, «If I touch Him, I will be made whole.» She had set an agenda of faith. She wasn’t doing it out of curiosity; she wasn’t doing it out of familiarity. She was doing it as an act of faith. So she pressed through the crowd, overcame all the resistance, and confronted her own shame and weaknesses to touch Jesus. Immediately, Jesus sensed it because power left Jesus and touched her.
Today, there are still people touching Jesus out of curiosity or familiarity, but you must touch Him with a touch of faith. If you set an agenda with God, He will meet you, and your touch will release a miracle your way. I trust today you will touch Him in a very supernatural way, and that He will come to you wherever you are. Why don’t we share a word of prayer together before you go out today? Let’s pray and say with me: «Heavenly Father, today I release my faith to touch Your power. I receive divine power from You into me to meet every need of mine. In Jesus' name, Amen.» May the power of God reach you tremendously today. Pastor Mensa Otabil, shalom, peace, and life to you.