The Holy Spirit Energizes Us

The Holy Spirit is the "energizer" of the spiritual gifts that He has given us. Peter wrote, "As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God" (1 Pet. 4:10).

We learn from Paul, "Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit" (1 Cor. 12:4). The Bible also says, "There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good" (1 Cor. 12:6–7).

Oh, my, this is profound, powerful and precious! Every Christian is gifted. We are to minister to one another and to use our gifts as good stewards of the grace of God. The word works in verse 6 is the word energizes in the Greek. The Holy Spirit not only gives us the gifts, but He "energizes" us to use the gifts. What a ministry the Holy Spirit has through each of us!

People who know me have asked hundreds of times, "Where do you get all of that energy to preach, teach and reach the lost?" It's simple. I have learned that when I walk in the Spirit, the Holy Spirit "energizes" me to do these things. Philippians 2:13 says, "For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure." Doesn't that make sense? I can tell the minute I am walking in the flesh because when I am, I have neither the desire nor the energy to do what God tells me to do. 

Oh, dear people, cry out to God to "energize" you to use your gifts to the fullest. Ask Him to help you impact people's lives and bring glory to God, for that is what life is all about. All else is "wood, hay and straw" (1 Cor. 3:12). Make sense?

Prayer: Father, may Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Energize us with your powerful Holy Spirit. Help us to do your good pleasure. Keep us from walking in the flesh. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Quote for the Day: "It is not only that sin consists in doing evil, but in not doing the good that we know." —Harry Ironside

Praying in the Spirit

Paul wrote that we should be "praying at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints" (Eph. 6:18). Just as "walking in the Spirit" means walking in conscious dependence on the Holy Spirit, so "praying in the Spirit" means praying in conscious dependence on the Holy Spirit. To pray in the Spirit, you must be filled with the Spirit, controlled by the Spirit, and walking in the Spirit. Carnal Christians cannot really pray in the Spirit.

Haven't you heard people just "blabber" in prayer? They go on and on, praying for whatever pops into their mind. Their prayers contain very little thanksgiving, but a lot of "gimme's." And sometimes, you hear people repeat clichés that they have heard others pray. This can become simply "vain repetition," and Jesus said, "Don't do it" (Matt. 6:7).

When you pray in the Spirit, you will be far more conscious of God than you are of those around you. Hannah was praying in the Spirit when she "poured out her soul before the Lord" (1 Sam. 1:17), and God granted her what she requested.

You have great liberty when you pray in the Spirit, for "where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty" (2 Cor. 3:17). In private prayer, your heart becomes so full that your prayers become the natural overflow of your heart, just like Hannah's prayers were.

Exodus 2:24 says that "God heard the groaning" of the sons of Israel. And when they prayed in the Spirit, God not only heard them, but He "took notice of them" (2:25). When you pray in the Spirit, God will answer your prayers. Remember, "If I regard wickedness in my heart, the Lord will not hear" (Ps. 66:18).

Oh, dear people, "the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words" (Rom. 8:26). We must pray in the Spirit if we are going to have an effective prayer life.

Prayer: Father, You are so wonderful. Thank you for inviting us to pray. Help us to depend on the Spirit to make our prayers real and effective. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Quote for the Day: "God cares more about the love of the servant than the length of the service." —Vance Havner

You Were, Are and Will Be Sanctified

We are sanctified by the Holy Spirit. Paul wrote, "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God" (1 Cor. 6:9–11).

Notice carefully the wording here: "Such WERE some of you," but then we were washed, sanctified, and justified. The word sanctified means "set apart." Sanctification happens in three stages. The first occurs at the moment of salvation, when we are "rescued from the domain of darkness, and transferred to the kingdom of His beloved Son" (Col. 1:13). This is positional sanctification, permanent for every believer.

Progressive sanctification occurs as we are separated from the world in our daily living and separated unto God in our holy living. Paul wrote, "Come out from their midst and be separate… cleanse yourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God" (2 Cor. 6:17-7:1). Separation is not isolation. Remember, we are in the world, but not of the world. We are to be "transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit" (2 Cor. 3:18).

Perfect sanctification will take place when we are taken out of this world and we see Jesus as He is and we become like Him. He will "sanctify us [the church], having cleansed us by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless" (Eph. 5:26–27). What a day that will be! It makes me want to cry out, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus."

Oh, dear people, we should crave to be more like Jesus every day, in every way.

Prayer: Father, give us a passion to be like Jesus. Give us a hunger for holiness. May we love You and please You because we are going to live with You forever. In Jesus' name, Amen. 

Quote for the Day: "One of the telltale signs of the Spirit-filled life is gratitude. Show me a grumbler, and I'll show you a person who has distanced herself or himself from the Spirit of God." —Chuck Swindoll