...he offered them money,

— Acts 8:18b

The power of God, the anointing of God, the Holy Ghost, cannot be bought.  Simon wanted the anointing so badly that he offered the disciples money for it!  Many people live without the results of the anointing because of self-works.  They try to pray enough, fast enough, read enough, to impress God so He will anoint them.  But you already have an anointing (1 John 2:20, 27)!  If you are going to fast, you do not do it to get the anointing–-you fast by the anointing.  You do not pray to get the power, you pray with the power.  You do not read the Word to get the anointing, you read the Word in the anointing.  Anything you do without the anointing being involved will just be a religious exercise.  You have an anointing!  Now put your trust in the anointing that you have.  Simon’s sad mistake was that he wanted the power of God without allowing God to change his heart.  He wanted the power of God so he could give out that he himself was some great one, so the people would say that he was the great one of God.  What do you want the power of God for?  For what purpose do you desire it?  It should be a desire to help others and set them free!  The power is for service to others, to minister to others, not so you can be some well-known, big-time Christian.  There will be promotion in the anointing, but it will be a God-promotion, not man’s promotion.  Desire the power, but keep the right motive for the use of the power–-to heal them all!

And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed.

— Luke 5:16

Long before the house was filled in Luke 5:17-26, long before the power of the Lord was present to heal them all, Jesus had withdrawn into the wilderness and prayed.  If Jesus had to withdraw and spend time with the Father and pray, how much more the Church today.  There are many in the wilderness, in communion with the Father, preparing to come and bring the power of the Lord with them.  They are not well-known, they are not on TV every night, but they are positioning themselves in the anointing of God.  Jesus commanded us to go to a secret place, close the door, and pray in secret, and the reward, or the results, would be seen openly.  Many want to be seen openly, to be well known, to be famous in the body of Christ, to be known as the great power of God, but have failed to enter in, close the door, and spend time with the Source of that power.  They desire to have earthly connections rather than to make the connection with the Holy Ghost.  In that secret place, the Spirit of God will change your heart through prayer and the Word.  He will nurture in you the right motive and the right attitude for a life in the anointing.  Your reward will not only be your reward but will also help and benefit others around you.  Many desire and want the reward, but many do not want the closet or the shut door.  What you do in secret-–will be seen openly.