Power of Holy Spirit
| |

Do You Know the Power of the Holy Spirit?

When reflecting on my thoughts from the book, Forgotten God, I was faced with this question.

Do I know the Holy Spirit intimately?

We speak of knowing God, the Father, who created us, crafted us and guides us.

We speak of knowing Jesus, our Savior, who loves us, died for us and offers life-giving joy.

But what about the Holy Spirit? The one who fills us, dwells inside of us and has the power to perform miracles.

Have our lives been changed by the presence of God within us?

 

Power of Holy Spirit

Something Better

In Jesus’ final moments with the disciples, He promises the Holy Spirit.

When referring to the Holy Spirit, Jesus says,

Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.” -John 16:7

As amazing as it was to have the physical, miracle-performing, love-filled, life-giving Jesus among them, Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would be better.

Do we live as if the presence of the Holy Spirit inside us is as powerful as Christ beside us?

[bctt tweet="Do we live as if the presence of the Holy Spirit inside us is as powerful as Christ beside us?" username="NicoleAKauffman"]

Francis Chan says, “If we woke up tomorrow and discovered that it is not true that the Holy Spirit lives inside of us, most likely our lives wouldn’t look much different.”

On my best day, I’d like to say that mine would. But if I’m being honest, I don’t think I live out the power of the Holy Spirit as God intended.

I want the physical Jesus beside me.

I want an audible answer to my prayers.

I long for the tangible embrace and the actual miracles that Jesus provided.

 

Power of Holy Spirit

The Power of the Spirit

But the Spirit within us has the power to do all these things and so much more.

The Spirit physically transforms us, allowing us to forsake our sinful desires and chase after our eternal purpose.

The Spirit puts to death our selfishness and replaces it with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness and self control.

The Spirit prompts us, nudges us and convicts us of the way that God intends for us to live.

The Spirit opens our eyes to the things that break God’s heart and the opportunities we have to be the love of God to those around us.

The power of God lives within us.

[bctt tweet="The power of God lives within us." username="NicoleAKauffman"]

So Now What?

So how do we get to know the Spirit intimately? How do we access this power to transform?

It starts with prayer. We must pray for the Spirit to fill us and to work in us. Pray for our eyes to be open to the Spirit within us. Pray for the desire to know the Spirit.

As we pray, our eyes will be opened, our hearts will be awakened and we will become aware of His working within us.

The power of God lies within your very heart and begs to be known. As you seek to know the Spirit, you will become familiar with His speaking over your own.

In times when I was in close communion with God, praying hard over direction or guidance, spending more and more time reading Scripture, I began to see the difference in my voice and the Spirit’s voice.

I began to know what nudges against my heart were from the Spirit and which were from my own guilt, selfishness or desires.

As we pray to know the Spirit, we must also spend time with God in Scripture.

The Scriptures are a great way to get to know how God works and who He is. As you read the Word of God, you will begin to know Him more intimately.

And as we grow closer and more intimate with God, understanding more of who He is and how He works, we will also grow closer to the Spirit of God within us.

We become aware of what promptings the Holy Spirit will provide. Prompting us to serve, to love and to live for the glory of God.

[bctt tweet="I am embarking on this journey of getting to know the Spirit intimately." username="NicoleAKauffman"]

I am embarking on this journey of getting to know the Spirit intimately. I want to know the power of God, the power of Christ, the power of the Spirit that lives inside of me.

I long to live out the Spirit’s love and transformation.

Will you join me on this journey?

 

**This post contains affiliate links. Check out my affiliate disclosure here.**

.

45 Comments

  1. I have felt the Holy Spirit indwell in me and fill me with abundant love only a few times in my life. I long for that feeling again. It is more than a feeling and so hard to explain, but if you every feel the entire presence of the Holy Spirit it is remarkable and life-changing in ways you can’t imagine. Thanks for sharing on the #LMMLinkup this week.

  2. Wonderful post as always, Nicole! Once you get a taste of the Holy Spirit, you are forever changed. It’s something you desire more of all the time! But, without intentional effort, we can find ourselves missing Him desperately. I love all your tips and advice! Thanks so much for sharing hope, my friend!
    Blessings and smiles,
    Lori

  3. There is a literal sweet space of knowing the power of His Spirit, of truly recognizing that the Holy One is in our midst. It is a hard to breathe, don’t want to move, just sit in the midst place of reckless abandon but the ever safest place to be kind of space. And you are right, Nicole, we can have it…we start in His Word, we bend low and break knees in prayer as we seek what is promised can be found. Praying for the audible tangible beautiful knowledge of His Spirit by your own.
    Blessings,
    Dawn

  4. You got this right Nicole! I understand it that we all get the Holy Spirit when baptised. But, you can feel the Holy Spirit if you are given the gift of discernment. It is an remarkable gift with much responsibility.

  5. Such a great post, Nicole! I desire to grow closer to the Lord and sense His Spirit guiding me each and every day. It’s so true how we long for the tangible touch of Jesus, forgetting that He is right within us! Visiting from counting my blessings! 🙂

  6. You’re so right about needing to work on this on a daily basis. It is possible to walk in His Spirit for a time and then begin to drift away, to forget, because remembering is something we need to actively do. Our default is set on forgetting because of sin. I like what Tyra said; we must daily crucify the flesh. When we are grieving the Spirit because of allowing some sin to cycle in our heart, that is certainly not the way to be filled with Him.
    I read your post, then got up and walked out of the room for a moment; my eyes fell on a verse that I think goes with all this: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” I used to think that meant in heaven, but now I think it is possible to “see” (i.e. perceive)Him in the here and now through the Holy Spirit.
    May the Lord give us success in this quest to draw ever nearer to Him.

    1. Great insights, Ruth. I completely agree that it has to be an active every day thing. I notice the days that I am not seeking Him and crucifying the flesh. Thank you for stopping by 🙂

  7. Nicole, have you ever done that Bible study of Beth Moore’s on the Holy Spirit? I can’t remember the name of it, but it was so, so good. — I’m with you, I’d sure like it if I could have a tangible God sometimes. But, that power inside us, is a miracle unto itself. So thankful for the God who chooses to have His temple inside the hearts of His people. — Thanks for sharing with #ChasingCommunity today! ((Hug))

  8. Nicole, I love your post. Life without the power of the Holy Spirit is a boring life. If you’re looking for another great book on the Holy Spirit check out Mark Batterson’s book Wild Goose Chase. It talks about learning to follow the direction of the Holy Spirit. Not as much on the power of the Holy Spirit, that I think you need to experience, not just read about 🙂
    ~Sherry Stahl
    xoxo

    1. It is definitely something that gets easily overlooked for all of us! It’s why I loved Forgotten God so much, Francis Chan takes an honest and open look at the Holy Spirit in our lives and our churches today, it was eye-opening 🙂

  9. Enjoyed your post and will look at this book. I’ve been seeking more of the Spirit in my life. Reading AW Tozer’s book on the Holy Spirit. It’s very good. Loved his analogy of walking in agreement–like when you walk with someone you have to agree on the destination, pace, route, and be pleasant company. Simple but profound at the same time. Great to visit your blog from Coffee for Your Heart.

  10. I feel like I have had a great grasp on this and then lost it numerous times throughout my life. I am definitely in a time of yearning for it now.

    1. It is such a blessing that as we seek Him and the Holy Spirit, He will reveal Himself to us. Thanks for stopping by, Crystal!

  11. You are speaking truths Nicole. Accessing God’s power starts with prayer. I am thankful the Holy Spirit lives within me. The more time I spend with God, the more evident that will be. Have a fabulous week and may God continue to bless you and yours.

  12. Walking in the power and strength of the Holy Spirit is beautiful. I am constantly learning to draw near and nearer to God. I want to know Him and lean on His Spirit Who lives right in me. I just wrote a post on the Holy Spirit and now want to pick up “Forgotten God.” Thanks for sharing what the book meant to you, but mostly how you are not forgetting God as He lives.

    1. It is so beautiful, isn’t it?! I am amazed at the power of the Spirit when we seek to know Him more. Thank you, Linda!

  13. More than even filling is that baptism of fire, it is power, love and the sound mind. His, coming to us with the mind of Christ, renewing it daily, because we can face such fears and often the suspicions Lesley talked about. It is the Holy Spirit that keeps us going and we can depend on Him.

  14. Great post! I agree, knowing the Holy Spirit’s power makes a tremendous difference. I was part of a church for several years which seemed to view the Holy Spirit with suspicion and teach that his power was only for the apostles in the Bible and not for today. It was so freeing to finally break away from that to discover the truth and to experience the power of the Holy Spirit, and it transformed me a lot. Glad to be your neighbour today at Coffee For Your Heart.

    1. I’m so glad you broke free of that, Lesley! The Holy Spirit is very much at work today and I don’t know where we’d be as Christians without it! Thank you so much for stopping by 🙂

  15. This summer I learned what it was like to do life walking next to the Lion of Judah during a time of trial and suffering. This is such an important part of walking through life empowered. Excited for you challenge.

    1. Thanks, Lauren! And great point, we can walk through suffering empowered. That is such a beautiful picture.

  16. Yes! The kids and I are memorizing Romans 8 right now and we are *right now* on verse 11. It’s been amazing for me to chew on the deep, rich truths in Romans 8. Wow. Sounds like a great book! (Happy to be neighbors today at the #RaRaLinkup!)

    1. Inspired by your comment, I sat down this morning and read Romans 8. So powerful!! Thank you for sharing 🙂

  17. Yes! Oh that the saints would grab hold of this POWERFUL truth. I’m so grateful for having this revelation. And I’m thanking for His reminder to crucify the flesh and take up my cross daily so that the power of the Holy Spirit is free to operate in my life. Happy to be visiting from #raralinkup

  18. I do know and feel the Holy Spirit as it works within and for me. Gives me guidance and warns me of evil. You can drive the spirit away with your thoughts and actions.

  19. Yes I will join you on the journey! For the last year or so I’ve been trying to learn more about the Holy Spirit – how to get more of Him, how to be filled with Him, etc. I am ashamed that for years I basically ignored 1/3 of the trinity.

    1. Yay! So glad you’re joining me, Sarah! I definitely agree with spending so much time forgetting about the Holy Spirit and all that He can do in us!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

I accept the Privacy Policy