HAVE YOU BEEN BLESSED WITH THE SPIRIT OF GOD?

SCRIPTURE:
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?
Just imagine, the smallest amount of His riches 
is far more valuable than anything the world could offer.
If we fail to believe that, then our faith and trust in God may be questionable.
You see, we have to believe that He in fact does have riches untold.

One of the greatest riches we can receive from God is His Spirit.
When we are blessed with His Spirit, 
we are never alone, even when we feel alone.
His Spirit can read our thoughts, understand our emotions,
and know us better than we know ourselves.

As a result, His Spirit knows our weaknesses and strengths.
He knows our needs and especially the ones that give us courage and strength.
Strength to worship and serve Him 
no matter how we are viewed by the world.
Courage to deal with problems and difficulties that we face 
(such as financial issues, sickness, depression, etc.).

It is no surprise that when Paul thought of how he should pray 
for the Ephesians, he prayed that God would give them His Spirit.
That is a lesson for Christians today.
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 they receive His Spirit, He will meet their needs
that we didn't know about.
Not only that, but they will develop a preparedness 
to serve the Lord however He chooses to use them.
Christ needs people today who are made of martyr stuff! 
He needs a few good men and women.

ACTION:
Do you have God’s Spirit in your own life?
You may ask, “How would I know?”
A good indication would be to ask yourself, a few questions, such as:
“Do I look forward to spending time with other believers worshipping Him?”
“Do I pray often for others and put their needs head of my own?”
“Am I an unselfish person willing to inconvenience myself 
in order to assist others as the need arises?”
“Do I apply God’s principles to my own life, 
or am I someone who only talks religiously?”

There are many who can quote scriptures and sound religious, 
but there is no evidence of their ‘talk’ in their lives.
They are 'well versed' in justifying disobedience of God's commands 
that they do not like, or that get in the way of their lifestyle.
It is easy for others to see that they have not been blessed with God’s Spirit.
When they are honest with themselves, they know they are missing 
God’s Spirit and are controlled by their own selfish desires.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, I pray that if Your Spirit is not genuinely living 
in me, that You will bless me with Your Spirit now. I know that when 
Your Spirit lives in me, I will be more obedient to Your commands 
and look forward to worshipping You with others. I know that I will 
no longer justify disobedience to 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. Teach me to pray for others to receive 
Your Spirit as well.”