GOOD MORNING, HOLY SPIRIT!

I wonder how long it has been since you got up in the morning and said, "Good morning, Holy Spirit! I love You and honor You. I need Your presence and power in my life today." Honestly now, how long has it been?

Like many who were raised in a Spirit-filled home by godly parents who truly taught me how to live as a Christ follower, I have been guilty of becoming casual about my approach to the Holy Spirit and His place in my life.

I have been around "moves of the Holy Spirit" (some real and some not so real) most of my life but this blog is not about that. I have written about "revival" and if you are interested, you can read the last article I wrote about revival and my feelings about it on my other blog site. There is a link to that site over on the left column of this page. The article is entitled "Questions for a Former Revivalist." This article, however, is about cultivating the power and presence of the Holy Spirit in our daily life.

Casualness or familiarity with a particular subject has a way of becoming edged with pride. Familiarity will cause us to say things like, "I've been around this for a long time so I guess I know everything I need to." This kind of pride often gives way to a form of contempt and we begin to say things like, "I'm beyond all that now; I just don't need that in my life anymore."

When I treat the Holy Spirit casually, treat Him as though He's not that important, then I am being disrespectful and He responds by stopping much of His active ministry in me. He does not go away but the Dove from heaven does not release His power and presence in an unwelcome atmosphere.

A time of confusion and bewilderment gripped the disciples in the days before Jesus’ death and it was at that time that He introduced the ministry of the Holy Spirit. The disciples just couldn't get a grip on the reality of where everything was headed and that brought on confusion. I can't get away from the thought that with all the confusion and dreadful things going on in our world right now, we need a refreshing reintroduction to the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

So how do we cultivate/activate the Holy Spirit and His power and presence in our lives? Let me share a few things I have learned and continue to learn and perhaps together we can discover more fully how to live and walk in the power of the Holy Spirit.

1. Cultivating sensitivity to the Holy Spirit.

The Dove from heaven is gentle and sensitive and He will never force Himself on you. The Spirit comes as a dove to rest upon us and we need to spend time in His presence to understand what grieves or pleases Him. Daily times of devotion, reading the Word, praying, and then being silent in His presence are indispensable in developing sensitivity to the Spirit.



2. Cultivate friendship/fellowship with the Spirit.

Greet the Holy Spirit each morning. It's absolutely okay to talk to the Holy Spirit, to tell Him that you love and honor Him. Don't hesitate to ask Him questions and talk to Him as you face challenges. Freely share your joys and sorrows with Him. Make it a habit to ask Him to guide you as you make decisions. Jesus said the Holy Spirit would lead us to truth and I believe that includes making decisions that are right and true by heaven’s standards (see John 16:13).

Love God’s Spirit for Himself. Be more interested in the Spirit than in His gifts and what you can get out of Him. Enjoy His company. Commit yourself to cooperating with the Holy Spirit in cultivating the fruit of His presence in you life (see Galatians 5:22).

Invite Him to open your understanding whenever you turn to the Scripture (Ephesians 1:17). I have found that the Holy Spirit loves to operate in this area. Satan blinds our understanding (2 Corinthians 4:4) and the Holy Spirit opens it. He gives insight and understanding, so invite Him to empower you to understand and obey the Scriptures (John 14:26).


3. Build intimacy with the Holy Spirit.

 Invite Him to help your weakness during times of prayer. He knows your weaknesses and when you ask Him, He is free to bring the comfort and help you are looking for. Remember, Scripture says He is like a dove and He will not force Himself on you. He knows and prays according to the will of God. If you have a prayer language, then use it daily. “Be still, and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10 ESV). The word know means to get acquainted with, to have intimate contact with, and we do not get to know the Holy Spirit unless we are intimate and quiet with Him.

4. Partner with the Holy Spirit.

Ask for His presence and power to be with you in all your daily activities. The apostle Paul's life is a tremendous study in partnering with the Holy Spirit. At times his partnership and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit allowed the Spirit to clearly tell him what to do or what not to do (see Acts 16:6-7).

This is just my beginners’ list. There is so much more to learn about the Holy Spirit and His place in our lives. So perhaps we'll look into it more in future blogs.

Good morning and welcome, Holy Spirit!