This is the 3rd post and the 3rd letter in the acronym the Lord gave us for our Further in Faith Fellowship retreat last week. The Spirit called a few of us into the peace and quiet of our backyard forest where my home is located to have a meeting with Him. This is the Study He gave on the subject of Prayer.
"A" stands for acknowledge our dependency.
We have been through the praise of preparation to enter into the Holy Place of meeting with our God. We have seen a different side of repentance and taken our humble place before His Throne on our knees...Today we will consider and acknowledge our dependency upon our Sovereign and Almighty God.
When we got saved, we received the Holy Spirit. When we were "born again" the process was completed in an instant. Christianity is not just a mental or emotional exercise. Jesus did not come to introduce us to a new set of laws and rules for sin management. Yet many think that this is what Christianity is all about.
Christianity is the full blown possession by another. We always think of "possession" as being demonic because Satan has stolen and counterfeited God's plan for our unity with Himself.
It was God's plan and when Jesus said, in John 14:18, "I will not leave you as orphans. I will come to you", this is what He meant. He was leaving physically but was going to send another counselor. He said we would "know" Him for He lives with us and will be in us; this is the unity (potential) that a believer lives in. Jesus said, "I am in the Father, and you are in Me and I am in you". He goes on to say that the Holy Spirit will lead us into all Truth and will teach us all things.
We were never meant to be independent. It was always God's plan and His Will that we be dependent on Him. The idea that we get saved and then float around here on earth aimlessly looking for good deeds to do without a dependent relationship on our God is a lie.
Jesus likened Himself to a vine and us to the branches. We must remain in vital connection and dependency on the "vine" He even said, "apart from Me you can do nothing". Over and over the reality of our "designed " dependency is spoken.
Remember the call is to "pray without ceasing". There are struggles we all face most of the time and we need God's wisdom to deal with them all of the time. The closer we move to the heart of God in our love relationship, the more we will delight in Him and the more we will learn to say, "Thy Kindgom come Thy Will be done" on this earth, here and now, as it is in Heaven.
The Holy Spirit within is the 3rd person of the Majestic Trinity. He is God and yet dwells within us. His presence assures us that whatever God's Will for us happens to be, we are able to accomplish it, not by our own strength or power or might, but by the Holy Spirit's power and even His righteousness as He dwells within out hearts.
When we finally get to the end of ourselves, and say "I can't",the Holy Spirit says, "I Will". But the reverse is also true. When we say, "I will" (as from pride or self-reliance), He says, "OK, give it your best shot, but if you will, I won't". The point is when we try to power through our way, who's glory are we seeking?
This is not an excuse for inaction, but rather the necessary posture for unity. It is continuous dependency. Just like God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit work in harmony with each other, we join them in privilege as part of the "team" in the execution of the Father's Will.
In our acknowledged dependency, God is glorified. God is revealed and by the successful execution of His Will, He is glorified and we are blessed. I have a dear friend who mentored me in this acknowledged dependency on the Holy Spirit.
In her life of ministry she recently went to a 3rd world country. When she arrived, she got a "Word" from the Holy Spirit that the mission had changed and she was called to use her primary gifting of "deliverance'. There were so many people in bondage and "demon" possessed that she ended up teaching and instructing in Biblical deliverance and spiritual warfare.
During the deliverance of one woman who had a small baby, the Lord spoke to her and told her the woman was going to throw her baby. She was told to get ready, so she passed the word to a fellow worker who got in position to catch the child. The woman did, the worker did and what would have been a horrible tragedy was averted because she was listening to the Holy Spirit.
When dealing with the enemy and God's will or the life decisions we must make each day, we must understand that the Lord knows all things. He knows the enemy's strategy, and the end from the beginning and just as Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil, the Holy One within will teach us how to do the same and show us the pathway of His Will.
We are going to stop here, for you to look within for the Holy One. If you are saved He is there. This may be your time to get aquainted with His voice. Invite Him to reveal and manifest Himself, then look for him and listen for His voice.
If you already know Him, Praise Him for His powerful Presence. Celebrate that you are His servant and that He is always within to guide you, comfort you, heal you and help you no matter what life brings. You are safe and secure because He will never leave you nor forsake you.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
"A" stands for acknowledge our dependency.
We have been through the praise of preparation to enter into the Holy Place of meeting with our God. We have seen a different side of repentance and taken our humble place before His Throne on our knees...Today we will consider and acknowledge our dependency upon our Sovereign and Almighty God.
When we got saved, we received the Holy Spirit. When we were "born again" the process was completed in an instant. Christianity is not just a mental or emotional exercise. Jesus did not come to introduce us to a new set of laws and rules for sin management. Yet many think that this is what Christianity is all about.
Christianity is the full blown possession by another. We always think of "possession" as being demonic because Satan has stolen and counterfeited God's plan for our unity with Himself.
It was God's plan and when Jesus said, in John 14:18, "I will not leave you as orphans. I will come to you", this is what He meant. He was leaving physically but was going to send another counselor. He said we would "know" Him for He lives with us and will be in us; this is the unity (potential) that a believer lives in. Jesus said, "I am in the Father, and you are in Me and I am in you". He goes on to say that the Holy Spirit will lead us into all Truth and will teach us all things.
We were never meant to be independent. It was always God's plan and His Will that we be dependent on Him. The idea that we get saved and then float around here on earth aimlessly looking for good deeds to do without a dependent relationship on our God is a lie.
Jesus likened Himself to a vine and us to the branches. We must remain in vital connection and dependency on the "vine" He even said, "apart from Me you can do nothing". Over and over the reality of our "designed " dependency is spoken.
Remember the call is to "pray without ceasing". There are struggles we all face most of the time and we need God's wisdom to deal with them all of the time. The closer we move to the heart of God in our love relationship, the more we will delight in Him and the more we will learn to say, "Thy Kindgom come Thy Will be done" on this earth, here and now, as it is in Heaven.
The Holy Spirit within is the 3rd person of the Majestic Trinity. He is God and yet dwells within us. His presence assures us that whatever God's Will for us happens to be, we are able to accomplish it, not by our own strength or power or might, but by the Holy Spirit's power and even His righteousness as He dwells within out hearts.
When we finally get to the end of ourselves, and say "I can't",the Holy Spirit says, "I Will". But the reverse is also true. When we say, "I will" (as from pride or self-reliance), He says, "OK, give it your best shot, but if you will, I won't". The point is when we try to power through our way, who's glory are we seeking?
This is not an excuse for inaction, but rather the necessary posture for unity. It is continuous dependency. Just like God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit work in harmony with each other, we join them in privilege as part of the "team" in the execution of the Father's Will.
In our acknowledged dependency, God is glorified. God is revealed and by the successful execution of His Will, He is glorified and we are blessed. I have a dear friend who mentored me in this acknowledged dependency on the Holy Spirit.
In her life of ministry she recently went to a 3rd world country. When she arrived, she got a "Word" from the Holy Spirit that the mission had changed and she was called to use her primary gifting of "deliverance'. There were so many people in bondage and "demon" possessed that she ended up teaching and instructing in Biblical deliverance and spiritual warfare.
During the deliverance of one woman who had a small baby, the Lord spoke to her and told her the woman was going to throw her baby. She was told to get ready, so she passed the word to a fellow worker who got in position to catch the child. The woman did, the worker did and what would have been a horrible tragedy was averted because she was listening to the Holy Spirit.
When dealing with the enemy and God's will or the life decisions we must make each day, we must understand that the Lord knows all things. He knows the enemy's strategy, and the end from the beginning and just as Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil, the Holy One within will teach us how to do the same and show us the pathway of His Will.
We are going to stop here, for you to look within for the Holy One. If you are saved He is there. This may be your time to get aquainted with His voice. Invite Him to reveal and manifest Himself, then look for him and listen for His voice.
If you already know Him, Praise Him for His powerful Presence. Celebrate that you are His servant and that He is always within to guide you, comfort you, heal you and help you no matter what life brings. You are safe and secure because He will never leave you nor forsake you.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
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