This is the continuation of Holy Spirit Part 1 ~ Questions & Revelations
I continued seeking the Lord, seeking His truth, seeking intimacy with Him. However, I felt like I must be doing something wrong. Everyone around me was having big breakthroughs with the Lord. People were being empowered by the Holy Spirit all around me, but it wasn’t happening in my life.
After returning from Unicoi State Park, Michael Hinds was teaching on the Holy Spirit from Romans 6-8. He spoke of two separate works of the Holy Spirit: regeneration (salvation) and empowerment. Things began to fall in place. This all makes sense to me. I don’t want to settle any longer for less than the full and abundant life that the Lord is offering me. I want fullness in Him, the fullness of His power in my life.
As Michael is finishing his teaching on Romans 6-8, life in the Spirit, he offers to pray for people who want to receive
the empowerment of the Holy Spirit (just as the apostles and Paul did throughout Acts). I know that I need this. In fact everything inside of me is crying out for the fullness of God to the point where I feel like my insides are shaking. As he invites us forward for prayer, I feel like the woman who was bleeding for 12 years that pushed her way through the crowd to receive a touch from Jesus. I wanted to start pushing people out of the way shouting, “Move out of my way. I need to get up there.” So I hurried to the line and ended up about 4 people back. I began shaking more and more. By this point not only are my insides shaking, but my arms and legs are visibly shaking. I’m unsure that I will be able to continue standing. As I come closer to the front of the line I begin to cry out to the Lord, “Lord I’m so tired of living in less than the fullness that You offer! I want the fullness of who You are. Spirit of God come and fill me!”
As soon as I finished praying, Michael called me forward. As I stepped up all the shaking stopped and all I felt was overwhelming peace. Michael just looked at me and asked, “Have you done this before?” I shake my head no. He looks into my eyes and asks again, “Are you sure you’ve never done this before?” So I respond, “I guess I just did in line.” The Lord filled me with the power of His Spirit. I felt overwhelming joy and peace! This is life, life to the full!
The Lord not only wanted to give me His Spirit, but He also wanted me to know that I could do this. This was about Him and me, not about certain mentors or teachers.
I am now learning to live in the power of the Holy Spirit and it’s a beautiful thing!
*Check out this video to see my squadmate, Natalie’s, view of the Lord’s work that day.
