Thoughts for Life: #22 How Spiritual Power is Depleted or Lost 1-4

Dr. Wesley L. Duewel: Jesus Christ did not begin His ministry until He received a special bestowal of Holy Spirit power. Hear His words: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach" Luke 4:10:18).

Peter summarized Christ's ministry by saying, "God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power" (Acts 10:38). (Google image, Jesus walking with disciples (slide 20)).

Jesus used the same power in His earthly ministry that we must use today—the power of the Spirit. He chose primarily not to minister through His inherent deity, but through the anointing of the Spirit.

Luke 6:19 explains, "The people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all." This was the power of the Spirit. When the woman who who had been suffering for twelve years touched the edge of Jesus' cloak, He said, "Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me" (Luke 8:46).

What was true of Jesus is true of you. As you minister to people, you expend spiritual power. If you want to be used of God, if you want to heal the wounds of humankind, God's power must be upon you continually and flow through you.

1. Spiritual power is expended naturally by your ministry. The more you minister, the more you need your power renewed. The busier you become, the more you need your power renewed, the more you need spiritual refreshment and replenishing.

It is not just mental weariness or physical exhaustion that you experience. Without spiritual renewal you will become a spiritual has -been.

Once when Luther was asked about his plans for the next day he replied, "Work, work, from early until late. In fact, I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer." Busy ministry without adequate prayer and spiritual renewal leads to loss of spiritual power.

The input is not keeping up with the outflow. Have you been giving to others so constantly that you yourself are spiritually depleted? Have you once known more of the power of God upon you and more of His anointing than you know these days?

2. Spiritual power is expended by involvement in non-spiritual affairs. We are living in a basically secular world. We are not an island, but live with all kinds of human associations.

God does not want us to be recluses, to isolate ourselves from the contaminating influences of life. We are to be light and salt in our world. But the source of light is expended by burning, and salt is expended by use.

There is no conflict between work and spirituality. Hard workers make the best Christian workers and the best prayer warriors. Many people are too lazy to be blessed greatly. They do not know how to pay the price of self-discipline to find time for God's Word and prayer.

They let almost anything take priority over spiritual replenishment.
They have not learned the lesson of Zechariah 4. They try to succeed by their own power rather than by God's Spirit. We ignore Him. We fill our minds with fantasies, self-pity, and self-made plans.

You need quiet of soul for spiritual communion and renewal. Some people are so accustomed to being entertained by radio or television that they hardly know how to use quiet time for spiritual refreshment and renewal of soul.

3. Lack of unity with other Christians depletes our spiritual power. David says that unity, like the dew from heaven, brings spiritual refreshment and blessing (Ps. 133:3). Disunity does the opposite. It dries the soul, withers spiritual life, and evaporates spiritual refreshment and keenness. Power is dissipated by critical attitudes, thoughts of resentment, or any unforgiveness or bitterness of heart.

Are you sensitive enough to recognize quickly what grieves the Holy Spirit? Whoever touches God's people touches the apple of God's eye (Zech. 2:8). with one critical remark, you can destroy the blessing you received from hours of prayer.

"Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God . . . . Get rid of all
bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander . . . . Be
kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each
other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Be imitators of
God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of
love, just as Christ loved us" (Eph. 4:30-5:2).

4. Lack of obedience depletes spiritual power. Failure to continue to walk in God's light, or failure to accept and use God-given opportunities can bring loss of the power of the Spirit. God constantly gives us opportunities to do little extra things for Jesus. They are not demanded of us; it depends upon how intensely we love Jesus, how eager we are to please Him with little gestures of love.

Just as active expression of your love to Him increases His nearness and blessing upon your life, so neglect of these gestures of love can lead to loss of the sweet awareness of His presence.

Delayed obedience, ignoring the Spirit's suggestions, any controversy between your heart and the Lord, resisting His highest will for you—these can short circuit the flow of God's power into your life. Spiritual power is governed by God's spiritual laws just as certainly as electrical power or nuclear power are governed by God's laws of nature.

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Used by permission of the author and Duewel Literature Trust, Inc., Greenwood, Indiana. Creative reading style by Jean.

Ablaze for God
#22 How Spiritual Power is Depleted or Lost, 1-4
by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel

(pp. 85- 88) ZondervanPublishingHouse

Our prayer today- by Sharon Jaynes

"Lord, help me to remember that my worth is based on who I am as Your child. According to Your Word, I am valuable, worthy, cleansed, forgiven and free. I am more than a conqueror who has been sealed by the Holy Spirit. I am Your workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works that You have prepared in advance for me to do. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Today's Bible verses-

Phil. 3:13-14 (TLB) “Forgetting the past and looking
forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of
the race and receive the prize for which God is calling us.”

Luke 11: 9 (NLT) "For everyone who asks, receives.
Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks,
the door will be opened."

Zech. 4:6 b (KJV) "Not my might, nor by power, but by
my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts."

Today's quote-

~ Gipsy Smith- "Pride, self-righteousness, sham, fraud, hypocrisy, lust, duplicity - the sin in your life which enslaves you, let it go. Kill it - and all other things in your life that are wrong will slink away like so many whipped curs.
What is repentance then? It is the moral response of the awakened soul to the call of God, the home of the soul. Have you repented? Have you turned from sin unto God?

[Taken from Herald of His Coming newspaper, Vol 76, No 2 (910), p. 37. Used by permission.]

Today's question-

What does it mean by, "So God created man in his own image"? (See Gen. 1:27 a).

We're fashioned for fellowship with God by his design.
We have His likenesses, which His other creations do not have.
As Christians, we can have God-like qualities that reflect Him.
We have a God-like hole placed in us; a heart hunger for Him that nothing else fulfills.
We have the capacity to think, act and speak like Him.
Our words bring life or death, blessing or cursing, just like His words do.
Our lives are fulfilled by His Spirit's guidance within us.
We can talk with Him, meditate and worship alone or with others; a God-producing connection.
This fellowship with God and other believers is essential for survival and maturity of our faith.
God will be found by anyone who truly seeks to find Him, as He wants to be found.