The last time I shared with you writings from an author, John Langer. He has written about the amazing and beyond imaginable ways God has worked in his life through the Holy Spirit. That message that God still speaks reminds me of times in my life when the Holy Spirit has worked in ways I could never have accomplished in my own power. The completion of a drilled well in Guatemala, becoming a special education teacher, and opening a Christian Bookstore are just a few that come immediately to mind. I pray you have times you can name, too. But His presence in my life and yours is not just for the big things; we take care of the rest. We, too, seldom give over to him the small, problematic, challenging things we deal with daily. We also fail to recognize and praise the Holy Spirit at work in those small mundane moments. When we stay open to God, through his Spirit, we’re blessed by this promise from God in 1 Corinthians 2:9-10 (quoting Isaiah 64:4):

“However, as it’s written, ‘What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him’- these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.”

Because our understanding and articulation about the Holy Spirit is limited at best, we seek his presence through Prayer and ask for broader understanding. In his book Forgotten God – Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit, Francis Chan takes his readers back to Acts, chapter 2, where the first disciples were waiting for the counselor Jesus said he would send them. They were all together in one place when they heard a sound like “a mighty rushing wind.” Verse 4 says, “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.” Fast forward to today, to your life and mine. As in those early days when Peter spoke to the multitudes, this promise of God is for us, too. Peter spoke these words (Acts 2:38):

“Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

For many of us, this promise is already fulfilled. For some, perhaps this is the perfect time to accept this gift from the one true God to move forward. Yet, all of us together have much growing to do to let the Holy Spirit have the power in our lives to bring us where God envisions we could be. Are you blessed with these powers of the Holy Spirit in your life?

“The Spirit helps us speak when we are in precarious situations and need to bear witness.”

“The Counselor teaches and reminds us of what we need to know and remember.”

“From the Spirit, we receive power to be God’s witnesses to the ends of the earth.”

“The Spirit sets us free from the sins we cannot get rid of on our own.”

“Through the Spirit, we have received a spirit of adoption as children.”

“The Holy Spirit convicts people of sin.” *(Forgotten God)

The list can go on and on, including gifts of freedom, hope, opportunities of service, and the fruit we read about in Galatians 5:22-23: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. As you read each of these ways we can receive help from the Holy Spirit, don’t just read it as a list and go on. Stop and consider each one. If it isn’t a vital part of your life now, you can pray for a stronger realization of each one in your life. Just like God the Father and God the Son – Jesus, God the Holy Spirit longs to hear your prayers and strengthen your faith.

My Prayer for you, too, is a deeper relationship with God and Jesus through the Holy Spirit.

Written to God’s honor and glory, Carolyn Moe

Quotes are from The Holy Bible, several versions and *Forgotten God – Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit, Francis Chan with Danae Yankoski, Copyright ©2009 Francis Chan, David C Cook.