Three principles will help you experience the Holy Spirit’s power in your life.
1. God is the source of all power.
We have no power except what God has chosen to give us, even when we misuse it. God is willing to share His power with us, His children. But our loyalty and faithfulness can only be demonstrated to Him if we have the freedom to choose our actions. And so God permits us to use our freedom in our own way. Many times we use the freedom God has given us in a way that disappoints Him and hurts others.
Our fallen nature desires independence, so we want to possess “the power” to do what we want to do. We want the power to originate in us. The world defines our importance as a person by how much power and control we have over others. But, in reality, any power we have is from God. It is only by using that power for its intended purpose that our life will have true significance.
God is always in charge. He can even use acts of disobedience to fulfill His ultimate purposes. We are totally dependent upon Him, even for our very existence, and we can’t do anything without His knowledge.
2. God gives us power through the Holy Spirit to serve Him and fulfill the purposes for which He created us.
Our fallen nature doesn’t want power to do God’s will. It wants power so we can do what we want. The world system says “pursue more power so others will serve you more.” Our misguided goal is not to serve but to be served.
We want God to be our super genie. We believe that if we rub Him the right way He will give us what we ask and do what we want. We get it backwards–it’s not about us!
God has created us to serve and honor Him with our lives. He empowers us through the Holy Spirit to enable us to accomplish His purposes.
3. God’s power through the Holy Spirit is available to you from the moment you are born spiritually.
Our problem is not a lack of power. Our problem is a lack of understanding of the power God has already given to us. When you accept Jesus Christ into your life, the Holy Spirit also comes into your life, giving you power to live for and serve God.
At your spiritual birth you were transformed into a totally new person. We are all well aware of how a poor self-image may prevent a person from achieving their true potential in life. The same thing is true in the spiritual realm. God has dramatically changed who we are now that we are in Christ. He has given each one of us incredible and untapped spiritual potential. But unless our self-perception changes, we will never be able to put it to use. By faith, we must accept the reality of who we now are in Christ and allow God to conform us to our new identity.
You are a child of God! The same God who has the power to speak the entire universe into being has adopted you as His child. God has totally forgiven you for every wrong thing you have ever done. He no longer sees you as a sinner. He is looking at the righteous new nature that you now have in Christ.