Category: Holy Spirit

The Power of Love

by Innermost Being, posted in Holy Spirit

Paul’s Prayer for Spiritual Wisdom

The Apostle Paul prayed that God would give the believers in Ephesus the Spirit of wisdom and revelation so that they would know Him better (Ephesians 1:15-23).

I pray that the eyes of your heart will be enlightened so that you may know:

– the hope to which you have been called

– the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people

– his incomparably great power for those of us who believe

Those of us who put our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ are God’s inheritance! We are valuable to him.

The incomparably great power that is available to believers is the same power that raised Jesus from the dead!

Paul also prayed (Ephesians 3:16-19) that God would strengthen believers with power through his Spirit in our innermost being so that Christ may dwell in our hearts.

Paul prayed that the believers in Ephesus would have the power to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ! It is a love that surpasses knowledge. Knowing this love, we “may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

Glorious Father, I pray that you will fill me with your Spirit of wisdom and revelation. Open the eyes of my heart. Remind me that you have called me to hope, not to despair.

I am valuable to you, the Most Holy God, the Creator of the universe. You sent your son to pay the ultimate price for my sins. There is no greater love than the love of Jesus, my Savior.

Fill me with spiritual wisdom and empower me as a witness to your love and mercy.

Fill Me Up

by Innermost Being, posted in Holy Spirit

I can still remember the old days when my dad would pull into a service station and tell the attendant to fill ‘er up. The attendant cleaned our windshield and if asked, would even check the oil. He’d prop up the hood, pull out the dipstick, wipe it off with a rag, then reinsert it.

It’s been years since I’ve been to a full service gas station but I’ve never forgotten the phrase “fill ‘er up.” It was a command directed to a person who could do what you could not do yourself.

In a sermon series on the Holy Spirit, my pastor focused on the phrase “be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). Then he gave us a mini grammar lesson. He pointed out that “be filled” is a command. Be filled is the passive voice – God does the filling. The verb’s aspect is imperfect, describing an action that is ongoing. We are to continually be filled with the Spirit.

Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 5:18-20

Being filled with the Spirit is a choice. We choose to be filled with the Spirit instead of being filled with other things. God can’t fill us with His spirit if we are already filled with something else.

The “something else” may be distractions of our daily lives. Do we make time for God? Or perhaps we are filled with thoughts and feelings that aren’t compatible with the Spirit. Paul urges us to not grieve the Spirit with sins of the heart.

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Ephesians 4:30-32

Paul suggested reciting Psalms and singing songs of praise. Make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks...

Holy Spirit, I love your presence. Come and fill me up.

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

“Come And Fill Me Up” Brian Doerksen

I can feel You flowin’ through me
Holy Spirit, com’n’ fill me up
Come and fill me up
Love’n’ mercy fill my senses
I am thirsty for Your presence, Lord
Come and fill me up

Lord, let Your mercy wash away all of my sin
Fill me completely with Your love once again
I need You, I want You, I love Your Presence
I need You, I want You, I love Your Presence

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

Photo credit: engin akyurt on Unsplash.com

The Fullness of God

by Innermost Being, posted in Holy Spirit

At the same time that my church began a sermon series on the Holy Spirit, my small group began to study Becky Harling’s Who Do You Say I Am? The pastor based a sermon on the Holy Spirit on Ephesians 3:16-19 and gave us copies of the verses to take home. Becky Harling told us to memorize these verses as we study who Jesus is.

I get the feeling that God trying to tell me something: write this prayer on your heart.

Paul’s prayer packs quite a punch. He prays that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith and that we may have power to grasp how huge Christ’s love is so that we may be filled with the fullness of God.

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Ephesians 3:16-19

My psstor noted that Paul did not pray that the Ephesians would have the intelligence or cleverness to grasp Christ’s love. His love surpasses our knowledge!

When Christ dwells in our hearts, we are rooted and established in love.

The love of Jesus grounds me. His love is an anchor in the storms of life. When the world tries to tell me who I am or who I should be, his love establishes my true identity and my true purpose. I am a beloved child of God. I am to love others as he loves me.

Christ’s love is deep and wide, like a fountain flowing, deep and wide.

When I really get this, when I feel the power of God’s love deep down in my innermost being, I may be filled with all the fullness of God.

What is this fullness of God? A commentator described this fullness (or pleroma) as God’s controlling influence on your thoughts, emotions, desires, words, and actions. It is to be aware of God’s presence and to yield to his Spiritual authority and character (his holiness, righteousness, and love). It is to continually walk in the Spirit.

Lord, you put these words on my heart for a reason. I pray that I will be constantly aware of your presence and your guidance. May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing to you. Amen.