HARNESS THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

“I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.” – Ephesians 3:16.

You never know how much you depend on something until it’s gone. Take power, for example. Without power, not only are we without light and heat, but we can’t charge our electronic devices. Light and heat are important, but what would we do without our computers, iPads and iPhones? Even with all of their capabilities and functions, no electronic device can function without power. Without power, they cannot perform the tasks they were created for or even be useful. Without being connected to a power source, our electronics serve no purpose. We learned that hard lesson five years ago when Hurricane Michael swept through the Panhandle.

When fulfilling our purpose as Christ followers, we, too, have to have power. We have to be plugged into a power source. Without power or fuel, we cannot fulfill our purpose to help the world find and follow Jesus. We cannot do that until we are plugged into the power source.

Our power source is the Holy Spirit. Understanding who the Holy Spirit is, the place He holds within the Holy Trinity, and the role He plays in individual lives is vital to anyone exploring what it means to become a Christian and anyone trying to follow Jesus. Knowing the Holy Spirit will radically change your life because He is how you will experience God’s life within you.

As believers, we’ve been given the Holy Spirit as a Helper, Teacher, and Friend. His presence, guidance, and wisdom in our lives are our greatest gifts while here on earth. We have access to a direct connection with our heavenly Father through Him. Through Him, we receive spiritual gifts to empower us. We house His Spirit in us, and if we allow His Spirit to operate in our lives, we will be more than okay, no matter what comes our way.

The Holy Spirit’s presence in the life of the reader is essential to our total understanding, appreciation, and implementation of Scripture.“But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.” (1 Corinthians 2:10-12) John 14:26 says, “ 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.”

As Christians, we have a unique resource. On those days when we don’t feel empowered or feel as if our inner strength has been sapped, God has unlimited power to take care of all that.

Discussion Questions:

1. When you think of the Holy Spirit, what comes to your mind? 
2. How familiar are you with the topic of the Holy Spirit? Is the Holy Spirit a confusing or encouraging topic of study for you? Why or why not?