Drawing On The Powers Of Heaven

Acts 1:8 " But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

These words are spoken from Jesus himself to his disciples about the receiving of the Holy Spirit God was going to pour into each of them. Jesus in the flesh, would be leaving, but he also gave them assurance before he left, they would not be alone inJohn 14:26, "But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you."

These words from Jesus, our Savior, ring just as true for you and me today. We receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon us! That power comes upon us as soon as we believe in Christ as our Savior!Immediately-there is no waiting period!

We receive the power of Christ because he is living in us, through his Holy Spirit. Do you believe that you have that power within you right now? Have you fully received the power that God has given to you?

I hear so often of others struggling to get by in life and how exhausted they are, how stressed out they are, how uncertain they are of their future, how overwhelmed they are by their circumstances, and how they are filled with great worry or fear for the "what if's" in life. The reason we end up feeling this way as children of God, is because too often we only rely on our own limited power and strength. We forget or don't fully believe we have this immense power of God within us to draw from. We have finite amount of power on our own. We will run dry and end up at our wits end if we continually draw solely from our personal power source.

If you can relate to this, I want to encourage you and remind you of the limitless power you already have within you as you hope in Jesus Christ as your Savior. We have a well of living water that runs deeper than any of life's troubles we face to draw from. In that living water we have infinite wisdom, strength, and courage we can access through the power of the Holy Spirit.

You have everything you need already within you to walk in peace and be filled with immense joy every day of your life.You have everything you need to make wise choices that are good for you and your family. You have everything you need to overcome every struggle you face in life. You have everything you need to live a life that models the life of Jesus and brings honor and glory to your heavenly Father. You have everything you need to boldly witness to others the love and salvation Jesus Christ offers.

Everything you need comes from the power source of the Holy Spirit living inside of you. What a precious gift we have been given. Jesus didn't leave us alone. God didn't forsake us. They gave us the Holy Spirit to connect us to our heavenly Father and to continue to teach us all things so that we may live a life of abundance in the here and now.

Do you see the Holy Spirit as a gift to treasure and draw upon daily?He is always there, always at your ready to guide you in all areas of your life.Do you call upon him?Do you surrender your will to his? Do you invite him to lead you? Do you ask for his power, courage, wisdom, and peace to flow through you?

Drawing upon the power of the Holy Spirit takes practice and consistent effort.

It's the same as strengthening muscle groups in your body. If you don't use your muscles they will grow weak and shrink in size. If you don't consistently connect with the Holy Spirit, you will feel weak and your power will shrink in size. As you put your muscles to use on a regular basis however, they grow stronger. They develop what is called muscle memory. Your exercises become easier because your muscles remember what they are supposed to do after a while. They are trained for the work you are calling them to do. In order to make them stronger, you work them harder, and they continue to grow in size and you are able to do more and more with those muscles. Your strength and ability increases because you have trained your muscles to function at a higher potential.

We have to train ourselves to draw upon the power of the Holy Spirit.

He has limitless power, but until we actively start drawing upon his power, we don't realize the potential he offers us. We need to develop a training routine that helps us realize and witness the immense power the Holy Spirit offers us. We must be intentional to surrender ourselves before God daily, to open our hearts and invite the Holy Spirit to flow within us, to offer our thoughts to be guided by the Holy Spirit, and to invite him to teach us how to walk in his ways as we read God's Word. Like any training, it will be painful and uncomfortable at first, maybe even awkward. Also like any training, as you stick with the program, each day gets a little easier; a little more comfortable. In time, you begin to see positive results which keeps you motivated to continue forward.

In our spiritual walk, we see fruits of the spirit coming out in our lives as we train ourselves to draw upon the Holy Spirit.

That might be our ability to extend grace in situations we wouldn't normally before, showing compassion to someone, offering forgiveness, praying for others, remaining in peace through uncertain situations, and taking steps of faith outside our comfort zone as we let God change our lives.

If you are in need of greater Holy Spirit muscle memory, then I want to encourage you to make a plan today. Ask yourself:What will you do differently today, and each day going forward to build up your connection to the power of the Holy Spirit within you?

We are called to be His witnesses to the ends of the earth! What will you do , to ensure you are a faithful witness who is walking in power of the Holy Spirit daily?

One thing is certain, if you do nothing to change your daily routine, nothing will change.

The gift is already yours, will you receive it, and access it daily?

Let's pray:
Lord God Almighty I thank you for always being with me, and never forsaking me. I thank you God that you have had a plan from the very start that made a way for us to draw close to you and have a personal relationship with you. You sent your son, Jesus Christ, to be the Savior of the world. He came to teach us how to love you and live as you call us to live. He died to pay the ransom in full for all our sins; the spotless lamb who had no sin. He rose again to show us that death could not hold him down, nor do we need to fear death because you offer us eternal life with you. Even as Jesus ascended to be at your right hand in heaven, he made it clear that he would not leave without sending another to be with us to comfort us and teach us all that you desire us to know. Thank you God for the precious and personal gift of the Holy Spirit residing in me. It is through the Holy Spirit I have direct access to you; to feel your presence, your comfort, your peace, and your hope. Thank you Father for this precious gift. Father I admit, I forget to draw upon the Holy Spirit at times and I try to handle things on my own. I realize Lord that leaves me exhausted, frustrated, and overwhelmed. Lord I want to walk in the abundant life you desire for me. Please prompt me of your Holy Spirit within me when I want to walk in my own power. Remind me you have so much better for me. Remind me you are with me and all I need to do is surrender to you and let your Spirit guide me. Remind me Lord, that I might be a powerful witness of your faithfulness and goodness in my life, wherever you call me. In the mighty name of Jesus I pray. Amen.