7 Marks of the Spirit-Filled

In the first year that I had come to know Jesus, I sought out spiritual mentors and studied them closely. From both men and women of God, I received information, inspiration and impartation. While learning from God’s anointed servants, I came to notice similarities in their mindsets, character traits, and even demeanors. They shared certain attributes that I’ve come to call “Marks of the Spirit”.

I asked the Lord to mark me in the same way and have committed to faithfully seek the face of Jesus. The more I seek Him, the more I notice the work of His Spirit in my life.

And, dear reader, you too can bear these marks. And if you already do, they can become more clearly seen upon your life.

For God has commissioned a work of art. Jesus is the model, the Holy Spirit is the painter and your surrendered life is the blank canvas. With every stroke, the Holy Spirit causes the countenance of Christ to appear on you in greater and greater detail.

Samuel the prophet spoke to Saul concerning this kind of Spirit-empowered change:

“And the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you, and you will prophesy with them. And you will be turned into another man.” - 1 Samuel 10:6

Consider that: “…turned into another man.’

No matter where you are in your spiritual journey, the Holy Spirit has the power to make you more like Christ. He brings transformation.

And you know His work isn’t static; His work is continual.

“Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit…” - Ephesians 5:18

Be filled. In the verse above, the word filled is the Greek verb Plerousthe. It literally means to be continually filled. This is not to say that we can receive the Holy Spirit a second time.

To clarify, I present this simply analogy: You can charge your cell phone all the way up to 100%, but the moment that you unplug the phone, it begins to die again. However, if you plug your cell phone into a power source, it can be fully charged to 100% and kept there. Even using your phone would not drain its battery if it were plugged into a power source. The phone would be both fully charged and continually charged.

In the same way, we are to be continually filled with the Spirit, even after having received the infilling.

So the Holy Spirit can make you a different man or woman even now. You can be a different person today than you were yesterday. In fact, His work can even be from moment to moment! You can be a different person now than who you were even a second ago. Your change is constant when you abide in the presence of the Holy Spirit. For every second you spend in His presence, you become more like Jesus.

Consider His awesome power. He is the very same Spirit Who raised Jesus from the dead, empowered the early Church and now confirms the message of the gospel with power and demonstration. That very same power is at work in you now, in this very moment, whether you realize it or not.

And, as you live under that power, these are the marks you will come to bear.

#1 Boldness

“When they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness.” - Acts 4:31

Before I was baptized in the Holy Spirit, I was an awkward, self-conscious person. Constantly second-guessing myself, I feared the criticism of people.

Then one day, I took a day trip to a college with a campus preacher. He was a very bold man who cared deeply about proclaiming the truth in love. He didn’t mind being mocked, criticized or hated. In fact, people would even physically harm him from time to time. But he just wanted to see people get saved, so he frequented college campuses.

I stood in awe, as I watched this man proclaim the gospel with divine wisdom. I’m telling you; the people who opposed him were confounded (much like the pharisees). I was just thinking to myself something like, “I don’t think I can do that”, when this campus preacher turned to me and said, “Okay. It’s your turn.”

With fear and trembling, I stood in front of a crowd of intimidating onlookers (about 60 people) and began to preach the gospel to them. And, as I preached, I felt the chains of fear break away from me. In the place of fear, I felt a boldness well up within my soul. Something took over!

I was mocked.

I was criticized.

I was challenged.

But I was perfectly fine. None of what I feared was as bad as I thought it would be. From that day forward, I allowed the boldness of the Holy Spirit to be my strength. It changed almost everything about me. The power of the fear of man was broken over my life, because of the boldness of the Spirit.

Believer, the boldness is already in you. This has nothing to do with personality types, for we all must adjust to look more like Jesus. Let boldness come forth through bold action.

#2 Confidence

“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Spirit.” - Romans 15:13

If boldness is the ability to act in faith, then confidence is the ability to avoid reacting in fear. Boldness is action; confidence is a state of being. Confidence is peace, inner-calm.

I recall a story of a preacher who was taking a nap on a flight. While he was taking his nap, a problem occurred with the engines and the passengers were told to prepare for an emergency landing. Everyone on board the plane began to panic. One of the panicked passengers nudged the sleeping preacher and announced to him, “Wake up! We’re going to need to make an emergency landing!” The preacher looked at the passenger, glanced around and casually said, “Jesus slept through the storm; I’m going to sleep through this.” Then he went back to sleep.

Everything turned out fine.

That’s one of the marks of the Spirit-filled; they are confident. In the face of deadlines, they are not hasty. In times of lack, they are not worried. In moments of chaos, they are not shaken. They remain collected, calm, intentional, methodical. There’s a relaxed and refreshing air about them.

This is not to say that they aren’t practical when need be. This just means that they are at peace no matter the situation.

They may be in a storm, but they do not allow the storm to be in them.

#3 Authority

“…how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.” - Acts 10:38

Confidence has to do with how you respond to situations, but authority has to do with how situations respond to you. Everywhere Jesus went, He changed the atmosphere. Sickness and demonic power was broken at the very nearness of Jesus.

The same is true of the Spirit-filled.

The authority to operate in God’s power is not reserved for the spiritually elite, if ever there was such a group. The authority of Heaven can rest on your shoulders. It can be yours. It is yours.

The Spirit-filled carry such an authority that they themselves become an atmosphere. When you enter a place, the spiritual atmosphere changes, because you have God’s authority by the Holy Spirit.

#4 Revelation

“But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.” - John 14:26

While gleaning from mighty men and women of God, I would often find myself astounded by their knowledge of God’s Word. But I was most impressed with how they would often see things in the scripture that I had missed. I would have to ask myself, “How could I have missed that?”

People can tell the difference between a message that is prepared with only intellect and a message that is prepared under the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

When you study the Word of God with the help of the Spirit, you will make important connections, find deep truths and understand concepts more often. The Holy Spirit doesn’t just give information; He ignites inspiration and imparts revelation.

The Spirit-filled are rich with revelation.

#5 Sensitivity

“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.” - Romans 8:14

Before I was born, my parents prayed that I would have a sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. As a result of their prayers, I can remember being aware of the presence of the Holy Spirit as early as the age of 7. From then on, I have sensed Him in the air around me.

So it was only a matter of time before I would begin to “click” with believers who also walked in this kind of awareness of God. And, while spending time with those believers, I began to pick up what some might call “strange habits”.

Such habits were things like: stopping mid-sentence to respond to the Lord, leaving social occasions early to “tend to the Spirit’s call to prayer” and involving the Lord in almost every circumstance.

People who are sensitive to the Spirit will catch themselves when they say something un-productive and say, “Forgive me, Lord. I shouldn’t have said that!” They are constantly aware of God’s likes and dislikes. People who are sensitive to the Spirit don’t just hear God clearly; they respond quickly.

How many times have you felt a “hesitation” before doing something, only to realize in hindsight that the “hesitation” was actually the leading of the Spirit? Conversely, perhaps you’ve also missed opportunities to do something you should have done.

Sensitivity will cause you to pause and respond to the inner leading of the Holy Spirit. You can walk in an awareness of God 24/7. Spiritual sensitivity is a mark of the Spirit-filled believer.

#6 Generosity

“We have diverse gifts according to the grace that is given to us: if prophecy, according to the proportion of faith; if service, in serving; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with generosity…” - Romans 12:6-8a

I’ve seen people give away so much that others considered them to be crazy. And the Holy Spirit has led me to give in ways that made me think I was crazy.

The Spirit-filled give so extravagantly, so selflessly that people ask, “Should you really be doing that?” They say, “That seems to be a bit much.”

Everyone wants to receive extravagantly, but very few are willing to give extravagantly. And I’m not just referring to specific amounts, for all giving is relative.

I’ve seen wealthy business people give hundreds of thousands of dollars towards the gospel. I’ve heard of Spirit-filled believers giving away cars and houses simply because, “The Holy Spirit spoke”.

And…

I’ve also seen missionaries, who were barely making enough to buy food, give away almost all of their income to other missionaries. I’ve witnessed believers, who were believing for a financial breakthrough, give to others in need.

Spirit-filled believers pray for God’s provision, while at the same time becoming God’s provision for someone else.

The Spirit-filled allow themselves to be selflessly marked with generosity.

#7 Burden for the Lost

“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” - Acts 1:8

The purpose of the Holy Spirit’s power is world evangelism.

Every truly Spirit-filled believer who I have ever met had, burning within, a passion for souls – they were weighted by a burden for the lost. The Holy Spirit is the most gifted evangelist on the earth today, and His love for the lost soul overflows to you.

Dear reader, I believe that we should carry joy, but I also know that we must come to a place of agony over the spiritually dead. Without a brokenness for the un-saved, the believer lacks. It is a  love for souls that drives the gospel into closed countries and hardened hearts.

When you allow the Holy Spirit to shed this painful love abroad in your heart, you won’t need to be convinced to evangelize; evangelism will become somewhat of an obsession.

I’ve often wondered what “sharing in” Christ’s suffering completely entails. What comes with sharing in His pain? Perhaps, this heartache for the lost counts toward that.

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The Crucified Life

“Your dreams are about to come true."

“Your breakthrough is on the way.”

"The toughest times come just before the greatest blessings.”

“God is getting ready to catapult you into greatness.”

Statements like those find their power by pulling on a person’s deep longing to be successful, wealthy, put-together, respected, and otherwise well-positioned in life. In fact, the Word “breakthrough” has become a Christian code word that means “The day I never have any more struggles.” We have sermons that give you steps to a better you and keys to success in this area or that area. It seems that every message you hear is about how your dreams are just within arm’s reach. But the reason we have so much preaching on climbing mountains is because we don’t have the faith or power to move mountains. And we lack faith and power because we lack the preaching of the cross.

Sadly, many are promising a life without troubles, trials, sacrifice, or commitment. Honestly, that’s just contrary to what Jesus told us:

John 16:33

In the world you shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Sure, the blessings of God abound in the life of every believer. He prospers, provides for, protects, and loves His people. God does not despise the prayer request. God does not become angry with His child’s request for a blessing. But one thing we should all remember is this: God’s cause takes precedence over the believer’s comfort. So let me just be real with you - many are deceived by a false gospel that requires nothing of them.

Mark 8:34-35

34 Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. 35 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it.

Jesus spoke those challenging words just after prophesying His own death. His disciple Peter was resistant to the idea of Jesus giving His own life on the cross. The Lord rebuked Peter, saying, “Get away from me, Satan! You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”

Get away from me Satan? Those harsh words exposed the source of Peter’s resistance to the cross. Resistance to the cross is Satanic. Think of how the Devil tempted Jesus in the wilderness. Satan offered to Jesus a cross-less path to glory. Yet Jesus, filled with both the Word and the Spirit, overcame the temptation to deny the cross. He chose instead to deny Himself.

A cross-less gospel is a Christ-less gospel. The gospel is not about self-improvement; it’s about self-abandonment. It’s not about our dreams; it’s about God’s will. We must stop trying to build what the Word of God has told us to crucify.

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Make Room for the Lord

One day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, great crowds pressed in on him to listen to the word of God. He noticed two empty boats at the water’s edge, for the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon, its owner, to push it out into the water. So he sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there. - Luke 5:1-3, NLT

Jesus presented the Word of God with such a magnetic anointing that large crowds would gather to hear Him preach. Because of the press of the crowd, Jesus was unable to address everyone effectively.  So He looked for a place from which He could effectively teach. That’s when the Lord took notice of two empty boats.

Jesus stepped into the boat, and, as He did, He asked Simon to push the boat into the water. Simon obliged.

After teaching the Word, Jesus told Simon to push the boat onto the water and cast his fishing nets into the water again. Simon was at first reluctant but then obeyed Jesus.

“Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.” And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear! A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking. - Luke 5:5-7, NLT

Simon had worked all night for a catch but caught nothing. But because He let down his nets in response to the command of Jesus, there was an abundance. Simon was likely exhausted from the night before – and likely discouraged. But what couldn’t be accomplished by man all night was accomplished by the Lord in a matter of moments.

Even Simon’s business partners, James and John, were blessed by Simon’s obedience toward Christ. And those around you will also be blessed at your obedience toward Christ – including your family and loved ones.

To top it off, Simon, James, and John were then called by Jesus to become His disciples. Can you imagine that? The failure of the night was likely forgotten in the joy of their newfound abundance and calling. How quickly things can change when Jesus comes on the scene!

But I can’t help but ask this question: what would have happened if the boats were not empty?

Sure, the call of the disciples was an important part of the sovereign plan of God, but you cannot forget the element of free will. People miss their opportunities everyday. Think of the rich young ruler who many Bible scholars say could have been a disciple of Jesus had he only given up his riches.

My point is this: have you left room for the Lord in your life?

Do you give Him time in prayer, the Word, and worship? Do you live attentive to the inner witness of the Holy Spirit?

You see, dear reader, the Lord will step into the lives of those who make room for Him. And, once there, the Lord will challenge you. Once you make room for the Lord, He will move on your behalf and then challenge you to forsake all and follow Him.

Think about it. The Lord had just blessed the disciples with an abundance of fish. Then He asked the disciples to leave that blessing and follow Him. Often, God will bless you just to test you. And, often, God will bless you just to show you that He is your source – that you need only to follow Him.

Once Jesus had stepped into the empty boat, He made a request of Simon – namely, to push the boat out onto the water. This is how the Lord works: He will challenge those who make room for Him. He will test those who seek Him. And He will bless those who by faith obey Him.

Have you made room for the Lord to challenge you? Have you given Him a place to speak into your life? Are you ever quiet enough to hear His voice?

Make room for the Lord. Once He’s on your boat, everything changes and rapidly so.

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Cleansed and Called

Before God will use you, He will cleanse you. Of course, one mustn’t be perfect before becoming useful in God’s hand. However, there is a standard God has set before us at the threshold of each promotion. The promotion upon your life is directly proportional to the purity within your life. As you allow God to cleanse you, you become more able to cooperate with His agenda for your life.

Isaiah the prophet experienced this cleansing before answering the call, “Who will go for us?”

While serving in the temple, Isaiah captured a glimpse of the Glory of the living God. Imagine that! He literally saw the train of God’s robe fill the temple. The Lord was accompanied by angelic hosts, and the voices of the angelic hosts shook the temple to its foundation. They cried, “Holy, holy, holy is Lord of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with His glory!” Their vibrant worship literally shook the place. What powerful voices these angels must have had!

It was while witnessing this dramatic display of divine beauty that Isaiah was moved to anguish over his own humanity. In Isaiah chapter six, verse five, Isaiah exclaims of his filth: “…Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.”

When you draw closer to the Lord, His holy light shines more intensely upon you, and when that revealing light falls upon your humanity, you too will be moved to anguish. Anguish over sin indicates that you are moving closer to the Lord. For when we truly glimpse His glory, we know, simply by comparison, the wretchedness of self.

But we must move beyond sin-consciousness. Sin must be confronted, and repentance must be worked whenever we find ourselves in the wrong. Just know this: your hatred of sin is not an indication that you’re drifting from God; it’s a sign that you’re moving toward God. In fact, the closer you get to the Lord, the more sensitive you become to sin in your life.

And God will cleanse you. That is the power of the presence of God – He cleanses you. He does not shine His glory upon you to shame you; He shines His glory upon you to cleanse you.

But until you allow the Lord to cleanse you, you cannot move deeper into the call He has placed upon your life. For every cleansing we undergo, we enable ourselves to become promoted.

6 Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: 7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. 8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. – Isaiah 6:6-8

Oh, to be free of the shame and heaviness of sin! Allow the Lord to cleanse you today. Then, fix your focus on Him. Ask Him to cleanse you, repent, and then move forward into what the Lord has called you to do.

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Abiding in the Vine

“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” – John 15:5

Making the mistake of doing things in your own strength is as deceptively easy as living without prayer.

Certainly, the ministry requires from us hard work, and living the Christian life is done so with vital disciplines. But the ministry is not to be overwhelming, and the Christian life is not tedious. The believer is not meant to walk in a constant state of exhaustion and tension.

We become exhausted when we give from ourselves instead of from the Source. However, if you will abide in the secret place of prayer, you’ll not grow weary.

When you abide in the vine, your ministry is overflow, your messages are fresh, your prayers are energizing, and your efforts are carried by the wind of the Spirit.

By contrast, when you try to carry out the ministry while neglecting the secret place of prayer, your mind grows tired, your body becomes exhausted, and there is a dryness to your prayers for others.

Thankfully, abiding in the vine is simple. It takes only this: time.

Spend time with the Lord daily – and moment by moment. Whether you, at first, sense a difference or not, God is pouring into you when you set aside time for Him. So step out of the desert and into the springs of living water.

Establish again the altars. Seek the face of Jesus. Keep it simple, and just spend time with Him. Obey His Word, and trust Him. Then you will receive all the benefits of abiding in the vine.

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The Holy Spirit: Masterful Teacher

The difference between information and revelation is like the difference between looking at a photo of a moment and actually being there to experience that moment.

The Holy Spirit is a Masterful Teacher of the Word of God, because He doesn’t just give you information; He brings forth revelation. He doesn’t just help you to process the information; He helps you to appreciate the revelation. Information is the depositing of facts into your mind, but revelation is the impartation of truth into your spirit. Information informs. Revelation transforms.

He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. – John 14:17 (NLT)

The Holy Spirit leads us into the truth of the Word of God. We cannot fully appreciate what God is communicating with us without the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Sure, anyone – even the carnal man – can retain the factual information of scripture. However, knowing what God’s Word says and experiencing the truth of God’s Word are two separate things.

One can know of God’s love and still never yield to it. One can know of the Holy Spirit’s power and still never walk in it. One can read about Jesus and still never meet Him. The information of the Word comes by reading the Word, but the revelation – the full experience and understanding – of the Word comes only with the help of the Holy Spirit. The Word of God becomes an experience when the Holy Spirit breathes upon it.

You sent your good Spirit to instruct them, and you did not stop giving them manna from heaven or water for their thirst. - Nehemiah 9:20 (NLT)

The Holy Spirit is our Instructor.

Perhaps you have become frustrated with what you feel is a lack of understanding. Perhaps you have attempted several times, to no avail, to receive from the Word of God on your own. Maybe you have seen others expound upon the Word of God with powerful insight and have thought, “Why didn’t I see that in the Word?” or “I wish I could receive revelation like that.”

If you’re like me, then there are times when you’re reading the Word and the information seems scattered. You have a difficult time putting the pieces together. My secret is simple: I just ask for the Holy Spirit to teach me as I read the Word.

Yes, it really is that simple. The scripture says…

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. – James 1:5 (NLT)

Without His help, I am absolutely unable to truly understand the deeper things of God. I don’t want to just learn theology, I want to access spirituality. The Holy Spirit helps me to do that. I simply and slowly move through the text. As I am diligent to give myself to the discipline of research and reading, He is faithful to remind and reveal. You do the difficult, and the Holy Spirit will do the supernatural. You take the time for the Word, and He will meet you there to teach you.

So, as you read the Word of God, relax, be still and, with child-like faith, ask for the guidance of the Masterful Teacher, the Holy Spirit.

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Praying “Our Father”

Remember this: the Holy Spirit is the One Who helps us to pray. Jesus instructed us on how to pray, and the Holy Spirit helps us to obey those instructions.

After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. – Matthew 6:9-13 (KJV)

Our Father…

Notice here that Jesus does not instruct us to pray, “My Father”. He is teaching us to pray from a point of unity, from the sense of collective belonging. In fact, Jesus taught us that we should reconcile our issues with each other before approaching our Heavenly Father. Unity is so important to the Lord that He will not even hear your prayers until you have forgiven others.

…leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God. – Matthew 5:24 (NLT)

Unity brings about a greater power when we pray. But unity isn’t just about praying corporately or in groups. To pray from the collective sense by truly declaring, “Our Father”, we must pray without offense within our hearts. In this way, even when we are praying in solitude before the Lord, we can still rightfully pray, “Our Father”.

True unity is about being free from offense. True unified prayer is prayer without grudges or bitterness.

So how do we live in this unity and, thereby, pray from the right posture?

Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. – Ephesians 4:3

The Holy Spirit is the One Who promotes unity among the brethren and is, therefore, the One Who helps us to rightfully pray the “Our” in “Our Father”.

Our Father…

Think about what that means. Jesus begins the prayer by recognizing His Sonship. He starts from faith, not from questioning. He enters prayer with confidence, not with begging. Prayer begins with Sonship; it is not a means to obtain it.

How much time could you save in prayer if, instead of begging God to hear you, you believed He already did?

We must enter prayer knowing that we are children of God. We must come to Him in confidence. Don’t waste another moment begging for God to hear you. Know that He hears you now!

“Our Father which art in Heaven!”

Here again the Holy Spirit is our Helper, for He convinces us of our rightful place as God’s Children.

For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. – Romans 8:15

And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” – Galatians 4:6

However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. – Romans 8:9

Perhaps the most important work that the Holy Spirit will ever do is convince us of our identity in Christ. He convicts us about who we are. Conviction is deeply held belief. The Holy Spirit doesn’t just convict us about sin – He convicts us of our identity and God’s righteousness.

And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. – John 16:8

He convicts us (causes us to deeply believe) that we are children of God.

The Holy Spirit helps us to truly pray, “Our Father”. He helps us to stand in the collective sense of “Our” by helping us to live free of offense and in unity with one another. And He helps us to identify God as our “Father” by convicting us of Sonship.

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Prayers of the Holy Spirit (2 of 2)

Last week, I wrote to you concerning areas that affect your relationship with the Holy Spirit, and then I wrote prayers after which you could model your own. This article is the second and final piece of “Prayers of the Holy Spirit”. The idea behind this two-part post is simple: to draw you closer to the Person of the Holy Spirit by getting you to think in key directions while sealing said thinking with prayer.

So let’s continue now to together meditate on the Word of God and sincerely pray. We will pray that we might be people who…

Believe His Truth…
Embrace His Gifts…
Be Aware of His Presence…
Bear His Fruit…

Believe His Truth
Perhaps the most important work of the Holy Spirit, of course outside of His participation in the miracle of salvation as the Father’s seal of promise, is His convincing the believer to think according to truth.

“For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.” – Romans 8:15

The Holy Spirit stirs faith within the soul, enabling the believer to exchange the fear that comes with deception for the joy that comes with truth. While we live with the constant need to resist temptation and rebuke demonic powers, for the mature believer, the greatest battle isn’t against sin or the demonic realm. For the mature believer, the greatest battle is the fight of faith – the simple battle to believe God’s truth over every lie.

“Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.” – 1 Timothy 6:12

And this is where the Holy Spirit commits to that vital role of convincing you according to God’s truth. He is the One Who gives us the unction to cry “Abba Father”! He bestows upon us the boldness to believe in the completeness of salvation. He helps us to identify as God’s, securing forever in our hearts the assurance of God’s blessed salvation.

If ever we are to do, become, and have all that God desires, we must choose to believe His truth. Even when our own flesh – by which I mean emotions and doubts – tells us convincing and powerfully persuasive lies, we must, with the grace of the Holy Spirit, cast down those thoughts which contradict truth.

“Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;” – 2 Corinthians 10:5

Believing His truth is in part an act of faith and in part an act of discipline. We must allow the Holy Spirit to speak to us and cause us to dispose of those thoughts that drag us toward deception. We must believe His truth to know victory.

Pray this prayer:

Holy Spirit, help me to believe your truth, even when the lies seem so convincing. When I am confronted with deception, help me to recognize it and defeat it with your Word. Reveal to me the areas in which I am being deceived in my own life. I commit to casting down imaginations and everything that would contradict what you say and think about me. Holy Spirit, thank you for helping me to think according to your truth. In the saving name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

Embrace His Gifts
Paul the apostle taught the Corinthian Church about the special abilities that the Holy Spirit distributes to each individual believer. He emphasized that He did not want them to be ignorant about these abilities.

“Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.” – 1 Corinthians 12:1

In his letter, Paul continued to teach on the spiritual gifts by distinguishing the spiritual gifts of the Holy Spirit from the pagan abilities of the occult.

“Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led. Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.” – 1 Corinthians 12:2-3

Paul did not want the Corinthians to confuse the spiritual gifts with their former pagan power displays. He gave them this “test” to help them distinguish between pagan power and God’s power: The spirits that don’t point to Jesus as Lord are not spirits of God. Only the Holy Spirit points to Jesus as Lord.

By giving them that clear instruction, Paul the apostle gave to the Corinthians a safety net that would keep them from venturing again into idolatry.

Despite this clear distinction given by Paul the Apostle, many believers still to this day have trouble identifying the work of the Holy Spirit through His gifts. Instead of confusing occult power for the power of the Holy Spirit, most believers today confuse the power of the Holy Spirit with demonic activity. In other words, many portions of the Church are labeling the Holy Spirit’s work as heretic activity. This is sad, indeed. For we know that the source of the spiritual gifts is truly divine.

“Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.” – 1 Corinthians 12:4-6

The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit each played a role in assigning to each believer a spiritual gift. And Paul the apostle gave us a clear standard by which we can discern all displays of power: if the power is backed by the message of the gospel and points to Jesus as Lord, it is of God. Again, despite this very simple standard, many, likely out of paranoia, reject the gifts of the Holy Spirit. When we do so, we stifle the effectiveness of Christ’s bride.

“But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.” – 1 Corinthians 12:7

We must not be so afraid of error that we rush to the extreme of powerlessness. The safety net is Jesus Himself, and we can have confidence in that safety, confidence in the fact that if we keep Him as the focus, we are safe.

Whether you are adamant or apathetic and whatever your hesitation may be, there is no good reason to reject the gifts of the Holy Spirit. When explaining such rejection, many often point to some bizarre display that they witnessed at some church service. They will cite that display as their reason for rejecting the gifts of the Spirit. They will say something like, “Well, I once saw a man barking like a dog” or “I saw people acting out of order.” And they, for some odd reason, think that the existence of the counterfeit is a good reason to reject the genuine. Odd, isn’t it?

But why would you want any less than all for which Christ died to give you? Don’t punish the Church or the Holy Spirit for something foolish someone else did. Fear not. The Holy Spirit is not silly or senseless. He is classy, elegant, regal, and beautiful.

Open yourself to embrace His gifts today.

Pray this prayer:

Holy Spirit, I’m sorry for rejecting your gifts. Forgive me for being so suspicious of you when you did no wrong. I receive anything you want to give to me. Without hesitation or reservation, I embrace my spiritual gifts. Thank you for them. In the generous name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

Be Aware of His Presence
Sometimes, it can feel as though God is a million miles away. But I ask you this: how can God come any closer than within you?

“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” – 1 Corinthians 6:19

The key to experiencing a moment-by-moment closeness with the Holy Spirit is not emotions. Who cares if you feel Him or not? Feelings change all the time. The key is not in getting the Holy Spirit to come close to you; the key is becoming aware of the presence that is already within you. This presence is, of course, the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.

You may not always see Him at work in your life. You may not always feel Him close to you. However, believer, you must not live by feelings, but by faith. Your faith is based on the unchanging Word of God.

If you will commit to simply keeping the Holy Spirit in mind as often as possible, you will strengthen your daily walk with the Lord. You can experience His presence all throughout your day, and you can begin to walk in this awareness as soon as this very moment!

Pray this prayer:

Holy Spirit, I know that you dwell within me. I know that you are ever-present and that you are always with me. Help me to accept the fact of your nearness despite what I feel. I commit to moment-by-moment fellowship with You. Help me to be aware of you at all times. In the unchanging name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

Bear His Fruit
The greatest sign of having been filled with the Holy Spirit is the way you live your life.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.” – Galatians 5:22-24

Speaking in tongues is not the primary evidence of having received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Neither is the gift of healing, the gift of prophecy, or any other supernatural display of power.

The primary evidence is the fruit of the Spirit. These fruits, when they are displayed in your life, make you look like Jesus. And Christlikeness is our goal. Don’t be dull, bitter, angry, impatient, or lifeless. Let the joy and peace of the Holy Spirit flood your being and make you a magnetic witness for Christ.

Let His fruit grow in your life.

Pray this prayer:

Holy Spirit, I want to be like Jesus. I want You, in the place of my image, to bring about the lovely and majestic countenance of Christ. Help me to bear Your fruit. Give me Your peace, love, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, humility, and temperance. Thank You for Your work in my life. In the life-giving name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

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Prayers of the Holy Spirit (1 of 2)

Prayer is potent. It can accomplish much. But while prayer can certainly affect the world around you, it is most effective on the one who prays. Prayer is a force that can change the outer world, but it is most trans-formative toward the inner man. Prayer causes you to become its own answer.

There are many things for which we can pray, but I want to help you focus your prayer on your friendship with the Holy Spirit. This week, we will focus our prayers on these four areas:

Pray to hear His voice…

Pray to obey His leading…

Pray to receive His power…

Pray to understand His revelation…

Hear His Voice

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” – John 10:27

If you belong to Him, you can His voice. You just have to spend enough time seeking Him to recognize that voice. Don’t fall for the commonly accepted myth that the believer must struggle to hear the voice of God. Did the prophets, the apostles, or early Christians struggle to hear God? Certainly not! You can hear His voice with confidence and clarity. The question is not, “Can I hear God?” The question is, “Am I a sheep?”

Pray this prayer:

Holy Spirit, help me to find your voice in the sacred place of silence and stillness. I commit myself to quietness. Speak to me; I’m listening. Thank you that I don’t have to struggle to hear you. Thank you for speaking with absolute clarity. Help me to hear your voice on a moment-by-moment basis. In the precious name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

Obey His Leading

“And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.” – Ephesians 4:30

We all have things in our past of which we are ashamed. Disobedience can be quite damaging to not only your mind and emotions – but also to your life and those around you. But God’s mercies are renewed every morning. There’s no reason or benefit to be found in beating yourself up over your sin. Instead, renew your commitment daily to obeying the leading of the Holy Spirit and avoiding grieving His vulnerable heart. From this moment on, commit to a lifestyle of repentance and obedience.

Others cannot pray for you to be obedient to God. God inclines the heart of those who approach Him in humility. You must seek the obedience of the Lord for yourself personally and willingly. Even if you struggle in certain areas, you can ask the Lord to make you willing to obey. In other words, you can be willing to be made willing. He’ll meet you right where you are.

“Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you.” – Psalm 51:12

“Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness.” – Psalm 119:36

Pray this prayer:

Holy Spirit, I want to be more like Jesus. I want to obey your leading and walk in righteousness. Give me the grace and the power to live holy, and help me to keep going when I falter. Thank you for dwelling within me and supplementing my lack, for placing your strength where I am most weak. Thank you for making up the difference. I renew my commitment to a lifestyle of obedience and repentance. Give me your empowering grace. In the merciful name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

Receive His Power

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere–in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” – Acts 1:8

The Lord gives us His power to accomplish His purposes. The primary reason for which God will give you power is the spreading of the gospel. Grace empowers you to live holy, but the kind of power being talked about by the Lord in Acts 1:8 is the power to fulfill the great commission, to participate in the divine and global mandate of world evangelism. You can’t do it without the power of the Holy Spirit. We need a fresh infilling of power.

“Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit…” – Ephesians 5:8

The phrase “be filled” in that portion of Ephesians, in the original language, means to be filled “continually”. For example, when you plug your phone into its charger and it reaches a 100% charge, it is both charged and being charged. We must live in the states of both “filled” and “being filled”. We must walk in a fresh empowering through daily surrender.

Pray this prayer:

Holy Spirit, I can’t be an effective witness without your power. Help me to focus on the task of global evangelism, and then give me the power to do it. I want to live in a constant charge of your power. Remind me constantly to plug into the source. Thank you for your power that makes me a soul-winner. In the powerful name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

Understand His Revelation

“But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true–it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ.” – 1 John 2:27

The natural man cannot receive the things of the spirit. Only spirit can understand spirit. We cannot receive God’s revelation by the flesh – by intellect or human wisdom. We can only come to truly understand God’s Word by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit without the Word brings only inspiration. The Word without the Spirit brings only information. But, together, the Word and the Spirit bring revelation.

“But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative–that is, the Holy Spirit–he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.” – John 14:26

Pray this prayer:

Holy Spirit, be my Teacher and my Guide. I can’t truly know God or the things of the spirit without your help. Make the Word come alive for me. Make Jesus real to me. Vivify the Master! Reveal Jesus, the Word, to me in a way I never knew possible. Thank you for being so patient with me. Thank you for being such a masterful Teacher. I love you with all of my heart. In the wonderful name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

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Carry Your Cross

Yesterday, my aunt and uncle, who are missionaries to Romania, gathered with several of us family members at my grandmother’s house. We gathered to celebrate my Aunt’s birthday. It was a rare but very much enjoyed moment. Gatherings like that are, for us, few and far between. Our family is scattered seed, purposefully planted by the hand of God in various regions of the world.

Though my immediate family gathers quite consistently, we have, for the most part, settled with the reality that it may not always be that way. We are committed to going anywhere the Lord might lead for the sake of the gospel.

In fact, I remember saying good-bye to my grandparents when I was only 7 years old. After a wonderful season of them having lived with us, my grandparents, in an unexpected season of life, saw an opportunity to get the gospel into Russia. The night before they flew out of the country, my parents and my siblings spent time talking with them. I remember the entire family crying together. It was heartbreaking.

Yet, even then, we knew why it had to be done.

Now back in the States, my grandparents still pastor here in Southern California, as do my parents.

So we gathered on Sunday evening. I stood at my grandmother’s house until about 11pm, talking about politics, old family stories and the Lord’s agenda for the nations.

But that got me thinking about the price of ministry. We often hear of God’s blessings, and I believe in God’s blessings – the ones that make us smile.

But we’ve also been blessed with a cross. We have the honor of sacrificial response. (And I use “sacrificial” hesitantly, for the reality is that we end up being blessed anyway, so there really is no such thing as sacrifice for us – we always come up with more than we put in.)

We all have a cross to bear for the sake of the Kingdom.

“Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me.” - Matthew 16:24

Notice that Jesus says this to his disciples. He doesn’t say this to admirers, listeners or fans. He says it to those who are committed to doing what He does.

To be saved, you just need faith. However, to be a disciple, it takes the rest of what you have.

The cross is a place of death. When following Christ, when doing His work, there will be things in your life that have to die. But that’s where the real power is found – in the surrendered life.

We must graduate from elementary faith, and we must pick up the cross. Not everything will be easy. Christ never promised easy. If you want to be used of God, then you must die daily, surrender all and commit totally to His purposes. My encouragement to you today: pick up your cross!

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Are You Too Spiritual?

There is no such thing as being too spiritual. You can be too emotional. You can be too chaotic. You can be too weird. You can be too strict. But you can never be too spiritual.

The essence of spirituality is not strictness, seriousness, silliness or spookiness. Do not equate such characteristics with what should be your highest goal. Being spiritual is simply being aware of and in fellowship with the Holy Spirit. And He marks those who spend time in His presence with distinct characteristics.

“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!” - Galatians 5:22-23

Your interaction with the Holy Spirit makes up the entirety of your spirituality. We must judge our spirituality, no upon misconceptions, but upon how we respond to the Holy Spirit.

There seem to be two extremes of so-called spirituality.

On one hand, there are those who deem themselves spiritual on account of their stoic and stiff nature. These might live seemingly holy lives, but their countenance is so depressing that their spirituality lacks the magnetism that Jesus carried. They are harsh in their dealings with others and hold to standards that Christ Himself has never raised. Making it more difficult for people to get into Heaven than it ought to be, they present a false sense of spirituality that is rather suffocating.

These lack love, joy, peace, kindness and gentleness.

On the other hand, we see those who are silly and senseless in their approach to spirituality. Seeking inebriation rather than intimacy, they present a peculiar and chaotic example that leaves most to consider them brainless. Hiding behind the flimsy defense of being “free in the spirit”, they turn the church into a circus and carry on with aimless wandering, drifting without purposeful action. The gospel is not a drug, and the Holy Spirit is not ecstasy. Far from being effective, these gather to themselves a culture of the church’s harshest critics, and they preach an openly rebellious, anti-establishment message.

These lack patience, goodness, faithfulness and self-control.

In the case of extremes, it’s not that people go too far; it’s that they don’t go far enough. They stop short of spirituality and settle in the valleys of senselessness and seriousness.

We must look no further than the Holy Spirit for the balance. A member of the divine Godhead, He is both royal and rugged. He is powerful and vulnerable, soft-spoken and heavy-handed. He is elegant and, quite literally, down to earth.

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The Surrendered Life

What qualifies one to be a minister of the gospel? What attributes must the believer acquire before he or she can be fit for the Master’s use?

Certainly, there are standards one must reach before being considered worthy of God’s high call. Such standards of proficiency are plainly laid out in the scripture. 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 lay out for us a general standard of leadership. But beyond those standards, we often reach or aim to reach further than we are able, further than God actually requires us to reach.

We disqualify ourselves based upon imperfections, inadequacies and past mistakes. In fact, some people have left the ministry and dread having to “regain” all that was lost. Accepting the definition their mistakes attribute, many believers, who might otherwise become a powerful tool in the hand of God, simply count themselves out.

When I first began to seek the Lord at the early age of eleven, I asked Him to use my life for whatever He saw fit. In my mind, I never considered myself to be great or ideal for God’s use. My prayers often sounded like this, “God, I don’t have much to offer, but use what you can.”

Of course, many would, at that point, interject something to the effect of, “Of course, you had much to offer!” While I appreciate the sentiment, if I am going to be real with you, in light of the endless abilities of God, it becomes quite apparent that we, in fact, have very little to offer to God.

But it’s never really been about what we can offer to Him; it’s always been about what He can do with what we offer to Him.

We may list qualifiers.  Some might think, “You need to speak eloquently, live perfectly, be charismatic and carry many talents.” While there might be some small truth to that sort of thinking, I can’t help but also think of Jesus’ disciples.

“The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus.” - Acts 4:13

The disciples were, by all standards, ordinary men. They lacked special training in the scriptures, and they definitely weren’t perfect. Their qualification was, I strongly believe, their relationship with the Son of God. It was their personal and close connection with Christ Himself that enabled them to be used of God.

All true Spirit-filled ministries are forged in the fires of a passionate love for Jesus. The Holy Spirit within you is your greatest qualification for ministry.

If God were to use only men of renown, our thinking would by no means be confounded. If God only used the strong, the intelligent, the charismatic and the able, then what reason would there be to marvel at the enabling of divine grace?

“Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world,h things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.” - 1 Corinthians 1:27-29

God uses the weak to demonstrate His strength, the powerless to demonstrate His power and the broken to demonstrate His restoring grace.

Though you’ve likely never heard this thought delivered in this exact way, you’ve most likely heard this thought nonetheless. This truth only has power if you come to embrace it through acts of faith. The truth, no matter what your distracting internal monologue might suggest, is that God wants to use you and can use you.

Be encouraged. Take a step of faith. It’s not a matter of how gifted you are but of how surrendered you are. The life that is most suitable for the Master’s use is the surrendered one. Ask the Lord to use you. Make yourself available. Do it now in this moment, and then take a step of faith.

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First Love

Jesus is holy – we must love Him more than our sin.

Jesus is humble – we must love Him more than ourselves

Jesus is present – we must love Him more than distraction

Jesus is selfless – we must love Him more than our comforts.

Jesus is truth – we must love Him more than our beliefs.

Jesus is trustworthy – we must love Him more than our fears.

Jesus is accepting – we must love Him more than our prejudices.

Jesus is supernatural – we must love Him more than our agenda.

Jesus is personal – we must love him more than our independence.

Jesus is good – we must love Him more than our blessings.

Jesus is merciful – we must love Him more than our rights to justice.

Jesus is generous – we must love Him more than our gain.

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