Dunamis

Over the last few months God has been stirring me up, regarding whether or not I’m really operating in His power on a daily basis. When you read the word ‘power’ in today’s scripture and in many other places in the New Testament, it’s a translation of the Greek word ‘dunamis’ which means ‘miraculous power’, ‘mighty work’, ‘ability’, or simply ‘power’.

Often when we think of ‘power’, we immediately think of the Holy Spirit. After all, He’s the one who’s been sent to empower us to live the Christian life, right? Recently I’ve been thinking about the ways Jesus stayed in step with the Holy Spirit.

It seems to me that His life demonstrates three ways that we need the Holy Spirit in our lives as Christians. Before His baptism, Jesus was ‘full of the Holy Spirit’ and the scriptures say he was ‘led by’ the Holy Spirit into the wilderness. After He overcame the temptations of the enemy, it says that He returned ‘in the power’ of the Holy Spirit.

Many Christians I know would say that they’ve had an experience of being ‘filled’ or ‘baptised’ with the Holy Spirit. So, my first question to you today is this: would the people in your life describe you as someone who is ‘full of the Holy Spirit’?

Secondly, who makes the decisions in your life? How can we expect God to give us His power if we’re not first submitted to His authority? Are you being led by the Holy Spirit today?

And finally, (perhaps by this point you’ve noticed that today’s devotional was not designed to make you feel comfortable!), are you operating in the power of the Holy Spirit?

Paul, the apostle, was a man who led many people to Christ and was used powerfully by God to teach and equip the Church. He said this ‘My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power’. I don’t know about you, but I want to grow in this power. I don’t just want to be able to talk eloquently about God. I want to operate in His power, so people might be healed and set free as they come into contact with me. His Kingdom come, His will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Prayer: Father, thank You that You’re a powerful God. Thank you for sending Your Holy Spirit to fill us, lead us and empower us. I want to say sorry today for when I’ve settled for only being full of Your Spirit, or led by Your Spirit, and I’ve not sought to live in Your miraculous power. Thank You, Jesus, that You Yourself said that whoever believes in You will do the works You’ve been doing, and that they will do even greater things! I want to choose to believe this today, and I ask You to give me a new revelation of Your power. I also ask that You’d help me to overcome the fears that have held me back from stepping out in praying for the sick, or being used by You to bring freedom to others. In Jesus’ name, Amen.