Recently, a new believer asked me, “When am I going to get my Holy Spirit?” She had heard about being filled with the Spirit and wanted this for herself. So she prayed for the Lord to fill her and asked others to pray for her as well. But she felt no different. When my friend came and asked me about it, I found the use of her word “my” so endearing. Brand new to the Lord, she didn't realize that “my Holy Spirit” wasn’t the best terminology, but she wanted His sweet presence. While the Holy Spirit comes in us to change our lives for Jesus, He also desires to work through us for the common good. Yet, my dear friend reveals how a heart awakened longs for everything Jesus has to offer us.
The Spirit of God wants to be your Comforter, Counselor, Advocate and Empowerer for ministry. He wants to be your Guide and Teacher, your Renewer of life, and the Revealer of Jesus to you. So when was the last time you asked the Holy Spirit to fill you? If it’s been a while, perhaps you stopped asking because, like my friend, you didn’t feel any different. Don’t give up! God is faithful to His promises. In Acts 2:4, Scripture reveals that, “everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit …,” so much so that those around them thought they were drunk at 9 a.m. in the morning, and a revival broke out right there that would change the world for Jesus. Lastly, a man named Paul who was utterly transformed by the Spirit exhorts us in I Corinthians 14:1, “Let love be your highest goal! But you should also desire the special abilities the Spirit gives — especially the ability to prophesy.”
Keep on asking the Holy Spirit to fill you with the love and power of Jesus!
- Linda Cochrane