POWER!
Have you ever thought of the many ways we use the word power and the many types of power that we need? Here are a few that just popped into my mind as I sat down to write about . . . power.
Power lunch, power plants, Power Rangers, wind power, solar power, power bars, power saw, power brakes, power strips, battery power, Hour of Power, power of attorney, power broker, power nap, power point, power couple. And the list goes on.
Have you ever thought about the power of the Holy Spirit? Most reading this email have. But do you experience His power? Or do you live with a power shortage when it comes to your spiritual life? The early disciples had such a shortage and Jesus knew it. He addressed the subject.
And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now” . . . But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses . . .(Acts 1:4-5, 8)
Notice Jesus’ words. He did not suggest that they wait for the Promise, nor did He recommend or hint that they observe His instruction. Rather, He commanded them to wait in Jerusalem until the Promise had come. Jesus placed high importance on this instruction because the empowerment of the Spirit was a must for successful Christian living and dynamic Kingdom work. It was true for the disciples then and it is true for us today. We need the power of God’s Holy Spirit!
Obediently waiting upon God for His Spirit’s empowerment is a challenge for many Christians because it involves effort, time, energy and discipline . . . all in short supply in our rush-rush, busy, “got too much on my plate” type of world.
Some argue that the disciples didn’t even have the Holy Spirit within them at the time of Jesus’ command to wait in Jerusalem. Their act of obedience, they assert, was a necessary part of their “salvation.” The problem with that position is that the disciples were already born again and they had already received the Holy Spirit. You see, shortly after His resurrection, in what would be for some of His disciples the first time to see Him since His crucifixion, Jesus commissioned his disciples. And during that “closed-door meeting” He “breathed on them” and said, “receive the Holy Spirit. ( John 20:21-22)
This was not a foreshadowing of what was going to happen in Jerusalem but an “immediately and right now” indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The disciples had actually already received the Holy Spirit before Jesus ascended to heaven. But they were not yet endued with His power (Luke 24:49) until they had been filled with the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost.
So . . . a shortage of Holy Spirit power is most likely a result of not waiting upon God for Him and His accompanying power. Praying and asking for the Spirit’s power is another way of expressing it. That’s what we are doing during these days of prayer.
Scriptures: I’ve highlighted the word power.
Luke 24:49 – Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city . . . until you are endued with power from on high.
Acts 1:8 – But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses . . .
Acts 4:33 – And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all.
Ephesians 1:16-19 – I do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power.
Ephesians 3:20 – Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us
Ephesians 6:10-11 – Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
2 Corinthians 3:3-5 – We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty (powerful) weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.
Prayer Prompts
· Acknowledge, again, that you appreciate the Holy Spirit’s presence in your life.
· Be bold in seeking the Holy Spirit’s empowerment.
· Ask for His power to be a bold and gracious witness for Jesus Christ.
· Seek the Holy Spirit’s power to break the hold of temptations, prejudice, bad behavior, negative thinking, and destructive habits, etc. Use the authority you have through Jesus Christ to resist and rebuke them.
· Receive the power of God to deal with all of the works of the devil.
· Declare and use the Holy Spirit’s power to deal with issues hindering your family, friends, co-workers, neighbors and so forth.
My Prayer for You:
Father God, without your Holy Spirit we are powerless to see our lives change for the better and we are helpless to impact those around us good. Withoutyou we wear out. We have a power shortage. Holy Spirit, endow us with your power during these days of prayer agreement. And teach us to tap into your never ending source of God-power. Help us . . . and help us to continually look to you as our source. In Jesus’ name, amen!
–John Tolle