Many of you would agree that you want the Spirit of God. Few others may not understand the significance of having the Spirit of God.
While we will explain what’s required to receive the Spirit of God, for the sake of the minority who do not understand the importance of having the “Spirit of God”, we will briefly cover that topic first.
Why is it important to receive the Spirit of God?
We will only be covering a few points now, so as to partly quench your desire. This way, we can get back to the objective of the article being covered promptly.
We know that the Lord God is all knowing, almighty and all powerful. He is omnipotent, He is omnipresent, He is omniscient. So His Spirit has all these dimensions. Thus we can have glimpses of the advantages as we tap into the Spirit of God.
The one major desire we have, will be for God’s presence, to please Him and walk in His will.
The Spirit of God will help us bring Hope, Peace and Joy to the people we interact with.
With the Spirit of God, we will be better placed into having His nature.
The Spirit of God will make us bold to speak, to witness, to testify about God.
The Spirit of God will convict us of sin, as we bounce back to pleasing God.
The Spirit of God will reveal matters to us. Enable us to prophecy.
The Spirit of God can use us for healing others, setting the captives free, comforting the broken hearts, showing mercy to the widow, the orphan and the poor.
The Spirit of God, can bless us with superior wisdom, break through ideas, redeem time and every other resource.
Thus in many diverse ways bring the Kingdom of God to lives, situations and circumstances.
Thus we can be a channel for the goodness of God to flow through as we surrender to the Spirit of God move in our life. Needless to mention, the list is not exhaustive. It is less than partial!!!
What must we do to receive the Spirit of God?
Well it is simple and straightforward. What matters is how strong your desire is for the Spirit of God? If your desire is strong, then you will pursue it with determination.
You will not bother the consequences of speaking or doing what it takes to please God, so that you receive the abiding presence of the Spirit of God.
You will pursue it consistently.
You will do what it takes to receive the manifestation of the Spirit of God.
You will reject what is required to be rejected.
Prudent choices are made by deciding in favor of what you have decided to want in a determined and consistent way. You reject every other option and possibility consistent to what you decided is contrary to what you want.
Ok, so here is what you want, since you made a choice to read this article.
You want the “Spirit of God”. So this is what you should do.
Turn at my rebuke;
Surely I will pour out my spirit on you;
I will make my words known to you. ( Proverbs 1:23 NKJV)
When the Lord rebukes you, you should be prompt to seek forgiveness and change your actions, your words and thoughts so that you are perfectly aligned to God’s commands.
Notice, when you become aware that the Lord is rebuking you, that very moment you change direction. You do not go any further in the same direction, take another step, linger on the same thought. The instruction is very clear, there is no ambiguity. You turn at the rebuke of the Lord.
Then the Lord will pour out His Spirit on you.
He will speak to you , direct you with His words.
Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.( Psalm 119:105 NKJV)
In Joel 2:28, we read about the Lord pouring out His Spirit on His sons and daughters, young and old men and women, maid servants and menservants.
“And it shall come to pass afterward
That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh;
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
Your old men shall dream dreams,
Your young men shall see visions.
And also on My menservants and on My maidservants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days.” (Joel 2:28, 29 NKJV)
When we read a few verses ahead in the same chapter of Joel 2, we receive further understanding about the context of receiving the Spirit of God. Here we read that after the spirit of God is poured upon a person, he/she prophecies, dream dreams and sees visions.
Here is the context.
1. Turn to God with all our heart
2. with fasting
3. with weeping
4. with mourning
5. rend heart
6. return to God for He is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and great kindness and He relents from doing harm.
“Now, therefore,” says the Lord,
“Turn to Me with all your heart,
With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.”
So rend your heart, and not your garments;
Return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm.(Joel 2:12,13 NKJV)
To sum it up, we should sincerely repent from our heart and bear the fruit of repentance – a change in our words, thoughts and actions.
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it. (Matthew 13:45,46 NKJV)
While a majority will get the above, here is what others can start doing.
1. Have a daily lifestyle of reading the Word of God.
2. Regular prayer habit which includes remaining still and hearing from God.
3. Regular attendance of church service.
May the Lord bless you with His Spirit poured upon you!
