Published on 04/1/2008

God will not do for us what we try to do for ourselves. If we are comfortable and complacent with our spiritual lives, our witness, our ministry in our communities and world, we will never know the power of God's Spirit.

A power tool can do some good on its own, without electrical power, but it can never do what it was made to do. We can do some good in our own strength, but we can never do what we were created to do in God's Kingdom. The trouble is that some of us like the credit, we don't like being dependent on others, we're convinced we can do it ourselves. But we cannot.

The first step to having the Spirit's power is to trust Christ as Lord. The second is to admit that we need the Spirit to empower us. This is the hardest step for most of us. It's tough for us to admit that we need the Spirit's help just as desperately as the first Christians did. But he can move in power only when we do.

Listen to Zechariah 4:6: "'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the Lord Almighty." This verse should convict us every time we hear it: "The Kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power" (1 Corinthians 4:20). Do we have all the power we should? All that we need? Are you winning enough people to Jesus? Do you want the Spirit to have control of your life? Make this decision right now. If you do, you can proceed to the next step.

The third step to the power of the Spirit: be cleansed from all that hinders him. I can connect my drill to a socket and still have no power, if the plug is corroded. The plug must be clean for the power to flow.

You and I are seeking the power of the Holy Spirit, but he cannot fill and control a dirty vessel. He cannot empower our lives through a dirty spiritual connection. Our souls must be clean first.

2 Chronicles 7.14 is clear: "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." If we confess, God will forgive. If we are clean, God will move in power.

But only then. Let's continue tomorrow.