John 14:26 -But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things . . .
The extra bedroom in my house seems to attract things with no particular place to live. When it is time for a guest, I scramble to put all the stuff in a permanent place. Do you ever do that? I started thinking about how or if I prepare my heart for the Holy Spirit to take up residence in the same way. Though every born-again follower of Jesus has the Holy Spirit living on the inside of them (John 7:38-39; Romans 8:9), every believer is also commanded to continually go on being filled with the Holy Spirit, “Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit.” Ephesians 5:18
We talk about being prepared to meet Jesus one day, but can we make our hearts hospitable for the Holy Spirit now? The answer is yes, we only have to ask and then watch. The Holy Spirit is anxiously waiting to be invited and make his love and peace known not only to us but to everyone in our lives. We need his help to use the spiritual gifts we’ve been given, to pray for others, to be nudged in the right direction, to accomplish God’s plan for our life, to make us aware of sin that needs repentance and the power to forgive others who sin against us to name a few. We don’t have to clean up our hearts, but he will if we ask.
We can also prepare our hearts by intentional interaction with God, the study of scripture, confessing our sins, and listening to that still small voice of the Holy Spirit. Did you know you can grieve the Holy Spirit? Ephesians 4:30 says, And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.
Experiencing the power of the Holy Spirit in your life is like putting a turbo engine in an old VW bug. Suddenly that car can do things it couldn’t do before– quickly. The Holy Spirit can help overcome your fears, comfort your anxiety, and help you take risks and leaps of faith that can only be explained by his power and love.
Let’s pray Psalm 51:10-12: Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. Amen.
Blessings, Deb Hill