Receiving the Power of the Spirit and Repenting of Striving
Today, as the Underground, we come together in prayer and fasting. Every great move of God in the Bible and
in history begins with Extraordinary Prayer and Fasting. From the other side of eternity, we will find that the most influential people were not, perhaps, Presidents or Prime Ministers but the people who walked with God through passionate prayer. This week we will focus our prayer and fasting on the theme of Receiving the Power of the Spirit and Repenting of Striving
Movement 1: CLEAR! (Repent of Striving)
Read:
For by the grace given me I say to every one of you:
Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought,
but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.
Romans 12:3Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 1:13
Reflect:
When health professionals use a defibrillator, before the paddles hit the chest of the one in need, they cry, “Clear!”
In other words, “Hands off! Step back!”
Sometimes, we are way too “hands on,” attempting to change others or change a situation when what’s needed is “Clear!” We need to step back, take our hands off, and trust Jesus to bring the power, insight, and change instead of our own human striving. Merely human effort will get merely human results.
We get “drunk” with illusions of what we can do in our own strength. It’s delusional, and we are likely addicted to our own coping mechanisms. Paul and Peter tell us in these passages to get sober emotionally, spiritually, and relationally. Repentance leads to sobriety and freedom.
We long for the transformation only the Spirit of God can birth and bring to life. Let’s invite that again in prayer. Let’s get CLEAR!
Pray:
Let’s admit, we’ve attempted to be the Holy Spirit for others and for ourselves so, so many times. Hold that and reflect on the damage that has done, and the exhaustion that has caused. Sit in silence and let the Spirit bring to mind when you’ve done that in the past or where you may be doing that now. Admit that. Grieve the losses associated with that. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus! Accept no toxic shame but welcome the life-giving conviction of the Holy Spirit. Rediscover the light burden and easy yoke Jesus promised.
Ask the Lord, “Help me to get clear. Help me to get sober.”
Movement 2: Receiving the Spirit’s Power
Read:
Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit...
Ephesians 5:17-18
Reflect:
In this passage, we are invited to admit our powerlessness. We are invited to get sober of the substitutes and to be filled with the Spirit.
The verb there is plēroō, “to fill up, to cause to abound, to furnish or supply liberally, to flood, to diffuse throughout.”
The verb is in the present imperative. It is a verb tense that describes an action that is happening in an ongoing way in the present moment. In other words, we could safely say, “Be being filled...be constantly being filled with the Spirit.” Another interpretation would be, “Be constantly, moment by moment, being surrendered to the Spirit’s influence and power.”
This is for all of us. This is not about a special dose for people who are “pastors” or “professionals;” it is for all of us in the everyday stuff of life.
Do you have the Spirit right now? Yes! Do you need more of Him? Yes. Do you have the Spirit now? Yes! Do you need to be filled by Him again? Yes.
Why? He’s an endless ocean and a bottomless sea. He’ll never run out.
Why? We’ll never stop needing Him. We will never not need His power and guidance.
The biggest obstacle to the Spirit’s influence in our life is self-sufficiency.
I’m big enough. I’m strong enough. I’m smart enough. I’ve got everything I need. I’m a self-made man or woman. I’m competent. In control. Successful. I’m self-sufficient. I can do it on my own. My abilities are adequate. I don’t need to depend on the Holy Spirit. I don’t need to surrender every day. I don’t need to fall on my knees in humility. I don’t need to submit to a community and accountability. I don’t need to do any of that stuff. I can do it on my own.
What inhibits and blocks our experience of that power? Self-sufficiency.
Pray:
Surrender again to the Spirit. Ask Him to highlight where self-sufficiency may be getting in the way. Ask to be filled again. Remember repenting of self-sufficiency doesn’t mean we are passive. Quite the opposite! Often we get stuck because we have not followed through on a past prompting of the Spirit. The fire falls at our next step of obedience to the Spirit’s leading. Reflect on recent promptings and “I will...” statements. Is there an open circuit to be closed by a step of loving obedience?