Wednesday, August 10, 2011

The Power of God

During the past few weeks I have posted on The Will of GodThe Plan of God and The Voice of God.
We learned that the will of God is not so much something we should ask for, but something we should do. It is a general instruction for the Believers. The plan of God is more specific for each person, depending on your character and circumstances, and will be revealed step by step. About the voice of God we noticed that it is much more than spoken words. This week I would like to take it a step further and share some things about the power of God. 

When we decide to live God’s will (in other words, to obey His Word) He will slowly begin to reveal His plan for our lives. Learning to hear His ‘voice’ is absolutely necessary in this stage to be able to follow His instructions. But that’s not all. We also need His power to work with us and through us. The power of God is an unlimited source that supplies anything and everything we lack in our lives at a certain moment. The power of God is available to us through the Holy Spirit. Please, note that the Holy Spirit Himself is a person, not a force.

When the Holy Spirit lives in us, He is there to help us, hence His name The Helper. Often we only think of Him as a help in trouble, but He is also there to help us in our daily lives, with our daily chores. (Think about Adam and Eve complimenting each other.) When we do all we can in the natural we need to rely on the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit to make our work effective. Many things can be done and accomplished by sheer will power, but only the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit can change our efforts into effective work for His Kingdom. The Bible clearly shows that God wants to share His power (through the Holy Spirit) with us: 
  • Acts 1:8, You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you
  • 2 Peter 1:3, His divine power has given us everything we need for life and Godliness through our knowledge of Him. 
  • 2 Timothy 1:7, For God did not give us a spirit of timidity but a spirit of power, of love and of a sound mind (or self discipline). 
When we think of God’s power displayed, we often think of the opening of the Red Sea, the sun standing still at a believers request or Daniel surviving the lion’s den. Wonderful examples, but most of us don't see such things happen every day. Although the exact same power is still available today and can have earth shaking results we will, for practical reasons, focus on His power in a smaller context, namely our daily lives. 

We are in need of God’s power every day, not necessarily to move mountains and open up the seas, but to overcome tough situations, to learn new things, to discern trouble and to do our work. God's power displayed on a smaller scale doesn't mean we have to yell, to jump, to push or to swing the chandeliers (although that can be fun) to make it happen. It means we have to call on the HELP of the Holy Spirit when needed, instead of doing it all by ourselves. Let me give some examples of the power that is available to us on a daily basis: 
  • The power to resist temptation
  • The power to endure
  • The power to proclaim
  • The power to overcome
  • The power to save 
  • The power to heal 
His power can be evident in every area of our lives but we have to ask! I would call for Believers everywhere to start uttering breath prayers all day: Holy Spirit I really need your help with this or that...

The Holy Spirit is our Helper and He  desires to display God's power through us, so we can be witnesses... until the ends of the earth!

9 comments:

  1. Anonymous5:35 AM

    Hi Marja - This is a very powerful post. I had not read all the previous posts but I like how you have broken it down. I'm coming back to jot some points down.
    God bless
    Tracy

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  2. Bring a note book Traci :) I hope it helps and inspires you! Than ks for your visit, I am enjoying your daily walk alphabet.

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  3. Amen. This is something I need to meditate on more often. It reminds me of the lyrics of a song - I listen to the song often but one phrase recently jumped out at me - "His holy presence living in me." It is, and as you said, His power is available to us. That's a good way to start the day! :)

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  4. That must be Michale W. Smith, Karen, right?! Glad to be of service at the beginning of your day... enjoy the presence of the Helper.

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  5. God's power IS limitless! I like the way you broke it down into practical application for our everyday lives: the power to resist temptation, to endure, to proclaim, etc. Sometimes we don't think of these areas requiring power, but without the power of the Holy Spirit, we give in to the flesh. Love this truth, "Many things can be done and accomplished by sheer will power, but only the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit can change our efforts into effective work for His Kingdom." Have a blessed week, my friend! Hugs!

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  6. I need the power of God in my life everyday. I need to ask for it more often.

    Fondly,
    Glenda

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  7. Oh yes Maria, It is limitless and I wonder why we don't tap into it more often. Many times I find myself struggling and then it dawns on me... duhhh... ask the Helper to come alongside.
    Thanks for your comment Maria, it is always the icing on the cake.

    Glenda, amen! We need to ask more often. I appreciate your visit.

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  8. Thanks, Marja,

    I have copied down the list you gave. It will help me too.

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  9. Great idea Wyn, put in on your fridge!

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Thanks for your visit, it is my hope and prayer that this post was an encouragement to you! Feel free to leave a comment.