“If you seek after anything but a deeper relationship with Me, you will travel down many trails that lead to dead ends, and experience only a portion of My Word. You will need to turn from them and eventually come to a place of making Me your priority. Remember this, miracles do happen; but if you only seek them, you will find only part of Who I am.

"It is the same with all the gifts that I provide. The immature run after spiritual experiences and supernatural power. The mature run hard after Jesus and a deeper relationship with Me. I want you to crave intimacy. Because of that intimacy, I will be able to send you to where I am performing miracles and allow you to flow in My power.”

Matt. 7:21-23 NIV

21) “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

22) Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord,’ did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’

23) Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”

Matt. 14:22-23 NIV 

22) Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd.

23) After he had dismissed them, he went up into the hills by himself to pray.

It amazes me to see how often Jesus went away to be with His Father. He was telling us that one can minister only from a place of communion and direction.

In contrast, most of us crave the spiritual power, the miracle-working glory, and the wisdom to accomplish work here on earth. We have no idea that such power without intimacy and maturity is like putting a revolver in the hands of a child. He can make it work but has little ability to understand - prior to it going off - the impact of what havoc it can reap.

Draw me close, Lord,

Jim Corbett