Tactics #4

How can I access the power of the Holy Spirit in my daily walk with God? How can I obtain His help as I reprogram my mind? Let me start by telling you what you don’t have to do.

You don’t have to speak in tongues. I’m not opposed to it, but you don’t have to be able to do that. You don’t have to come through some sort of a crises experience that dramatically, instantaneously transforms you.

Here is the secret that can transform your life. If you want to encounter the Holy Spirit, go someplace where you know you can find Him. I ride my bike when the weather is nice. We have a lovely bike path right on the Mississippi River. If you want to hang with me, wait around on the bike path. Sooner or later I’ll be by.

There area lot of metaphors in the Bible that describe the work of the Holy Spirit. You can be sealed by the Spirit, baptized in the Spirit, baptized by the Spirit (not the same thing), and be filled by the Spirit. But my favorite expression is from Galatians 5:16. “Walk by the Spirit.” (NASB) If you can find out where the Holy Spirit likes to walk, and then hang out on the path, you’ll encounter Him. As a matter of fact, if you hang out in the right neighborhood and know what to do, you won’t have to find Him. He’ll find you.

When you decide to respond to temptation by thinking the way God wants you to think the Holy Spirit will release His power within you. When you determine to see sin the way God sees it and try to live a holy life the Holy Spirit will be right there to help you. So this isn’t psychology or positive thinking; it isn’t something you can do in your own strength. When you are tempted and you dig into your wallet for that little card that reminds you of what you need to be thinking about to see this whole situation from God's point of view, the Spirit of God will graciously manifest Himself to you and you will be transformed by the renewing of your mind.