HAVE YOU BEEN BLESSED WITH THE SPIRIT OF GOD?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you
with power through His Spirit in your inner being.
(Ephesians 3:16)

MEDITATION:
Have you ever thought about how awesome it would be just to
receive a small portion of the glorious riches of God? Imagine,
the smallest amount of His riches is much more valuable than
anything the world could offer us. If we fail to believe that, then
our faith and trust in God may be questionable. We must believe
that God, in fact, does have abundant riches available for us.

One of the greatest riches we can receive from God is His Spirit
(aka Holy Spirit). When we are blessed with His Spirit, we are
never alone, even during those times when we feel alone. God’s
Spirit can read our thoughts, understand our emotions, and
know us better than we know ourselves.

In addition, His Spirit knows our weaknesses and strengths. He
knows our needs and especially the ones that can provide us with
courage and strength. Strength to worship and serve the Lord no
matter how we are perceived by the world. Courage to deal with
problems and difficulties that we face (such as financial issues,
sickness, loneliness, feelings of hopelessness, depression, etc.).

It’s no surprise that when Paul thought of how he should pray for
the Ephesians, he prayed that God would give them His Spirit.
That’s a lesson for Christians today, isn’t it? When we feel the urge
to pray for others, but are not sure how to pray, then we should pray
for God to give them His Spirit.

When others receive His Spirit, He will meet their needs, including
those we don’t know about. Not only that, but He will also help them
develop a preparedness to serve the Lord however He chooses to use
them in His ministry. God needs people today who have a martyr type
of character! He needs a few good men and women, and any of us can
be transformed by God for His purposes.

ACTION:
Questions to consider:
    – Do I have God’s Spirit in my own life?
       We may ask, “How would I know?”
A good indication would be to ask ourselves a few questions, such as:
    – “Do I look forward to spending time worshipping Him?”
    – “Do I pray often for others and put their needs ahead of my own?”
    – “Am I an unselfish person who is willing to inconvenience
         myself, so I can assist others as their needs arise?”
    – “Do I apply God’s principles to my own life,
         or am I someone who only talks religiously?”
    – “How often do I reach out to others?”
        “Do I only reach out to others as a response to when they
          reach out to me, or do I proactively seek to encourage
          and pray for others?”
    – “Do I live as a follower of Jesus, or do I only
         talk like I have committed to following Him?”

There are people who can quote scriptures and sound religious, but others
can’t see any evidence of their ‘walk’ supporting their ‘talk’. They may be
‘well versed’ in justifying their disobedience of God’s commands that they
don’t like, or that don’t fit their lifestyle. However, they may not realize it,
but their family and friends can see by their actions and attitudes, that they
have not been blessed with the Spirit of God. And, if they are honest with
themselves, they know they are missing God’s Spirit and are still under
the control of their own selfish desires.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, I pray that if Your Spirit is not genuinely living
in me, You will bless me with the Holy Spirit now. I know that when
Your Spirit lives in me, I will be more obedient to all Your commands,
enjoy reading Your words, and look forward to when I can spend time
worshipping You. With the presence of Your Spirit in my life, I know
I will no longer try to justify disobedience of Your commands. I also
know that Your Spirit will provide me with the strength I need to deal
with the challenges I face each day. Father, teach me to be unselfish
so I will pray for others to receive Your Spirit in their lives. Impress
on me the importance of being considerate of the needs of others, and
to pray for them because Jesus prays for me. He said, ‘I pray for them.
I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they
are yours’. Help me to become more like the one I have chosen to follow,
Your Son, Jesus.”

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