Flowing in the Spirit: Embracing Deeper Communion

Devotional

Day 1: Embracing the Spirit's Current

The journey into the depths of the Holy Spirit's presence is akin to wading into a river, starting at the edges and moving deeper until fully submerged. Initially, one may only experience the Spirit's influence at a surface level, like standing ankle-deep in water. As one progresses, the current becomes more noticeable, pulling at the knees, then the waist, until finally, the believer is carried by the full force of the river. This metaphorical river, as described in Ezekiel's vision, is a call to move from minimal influence to a life of complete surrender, where the Holy Spirit's power and guidance are fully embraced. The deeper one goes, the more life and spiritual vitality one finds, just as the river in Ezekiel brought life to everything it touched. [05:29]

Ezekiel 47:3-5 (ESV): "When the man went out east with the line in his hand, he measured a thousand cubits, and then led me through the water, and it was ankle-deep. Again he measured a thousand, and led me through the water, and it was knee-deep. Again he measured a thousand, and led me through the water, and it was waist-deep. Again he measured a thousand, and it was a river that I could not pass through, for the water had risen. It was deep enough to swim in, a river that could not be passed through."

Reflection: What is one step you can take today to move deeper into the Holy Spirit's presence in your life, and how can you make room for His influence to grow?

Day 2: Challenging Pride and Intellect

Speaking in tongues is a spiritual practice that transcends human intellect and challenges personal pride. It is a form of communication with God that bypasses the constraints of human language and understanding. This gift is not about the eloquence of speech but rather the depth of spiritual connection. It allows believers to express the inexpressible, aligning their spirit with the Holy Spirit in a profound act of worship and prayer. The practice of speaking in tongues serves as a reminder that faith is not bound by logic or human reasoning but is a heart-to-heart communion with the divine. [24:10]

1 Corinthians 14:14-15 (ESV): "For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful. What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also."

Reflection: How can you embrace spiritual practices that challenge your understanding and pride, and in what ways might this deepen your relationship with God?

Day 3: Building Spiritual Fortitude

The act of speaking in tongues is not only a means of communication with God but also a tool for personal edification. It is a spiritual exercise that strengthens the believer's inner being, providing rest and refreshment. As one speaks in tongues, they tap into the deep wells of God's wisdom, often receiving clarity and direction for their lives. This practice is a way to build oneself up in faith, to recharge spiritually, and to prepare for the tasks and challenges that lie ahead. It is a divine mystery that, when engaged in, yields understanding and insight post-encounter. [26:24]

Jude 1:20 (ESV): "But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit."

Reflection: In what ways can you incorporate speaking in tongues into your daily spiritual routine to build yourself up in faith and receive God's counsel?

Day 4: Pursuing the Gift of Tongues

The gift of speaking in tongues is available to all believers as a sign of faith in Jesus' promise. It is not a badge of spiritual superiority but a practical tool for growth and empowerment. This gift is to be earnestly desired and pursued, recognizing it as a good and perfect gift from the Father. It is an invitation to experience a deeper dimension of spiritual life, where one can express worship and prayer in a heavenly language, fostering a closer bond with God. [22:28]

1 Corinthians 14:1 (ESV): "Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy."

Reflection: What steps can you take to earnestly seek the gift of speaking in tongues, and how can you cultivate an expectant heart to receive what God has for you?

Day 5: Receiving in Faith and Persistence

To receive the gift of speaking in tongues, one must approach God with faith and a willingness to be open to His gifts. This involves setting aside distractions, seeking the Lord through persistent prayer and worship, and positioning oneself to receive from the Holy Spirit. Just as the early church waited in anticipation for the outpouring of the Spirit, believers today are called to wait upon the Lord with the same expectancy. The Holy Spirit desires to fill and lead believers into deeper waters of spiritual life, where they can experience the fullness of His presence and power. [32:52]

Luke 11:13 (ESV): "If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

Reflection: How can you create space in your life to seek the Holy Spirit with persistence and expectancy, and what might be hindering you from receiving His fullness?

Sermon Summary

In my recent sermon, I delved into the profound ministry of the Holy Spirit in our lives, emphasizing the importance of walking with Him and experiencing the fullness of His presence. I drew parallels between the river in Ezekiel's vision and the Holy Spirit's work in us, illustrating how the river brought life to everything it touched, including the Dead Sea. This river represents the Holy Spirit, who brings life to our souls and enables us to flourish spiritually.

I explored the different depths of engagement with the Holy Spirit, using Ezekiel's measurements of the river as a metaphor for our spiritual journey. Starting ankle-deep, where believers are barely influenced by the Spirit, progressing to knee-deep, where the current's pull is felt, and finally to waist-deep, where believers intentionally surrender their desires to God. The ultimate goal is to be fully submerged, moving with the current of the Holy Spirit, abandoning self-will, and experiencing the life and power that comes from complete surrender.

I addressed the common barriers to the supernatural flow of the Holy Spirit in our lives: intellect and pride. By overcoming these, we can cooperate with God's work in us. Speaking in tongues, a gift available to all believers, is a practice that goes against our pride and intellect, as it may seem unintelligible and pointless to our natural minds. However, it is a powerful spiritual discipline that allows us to commune with God beyond our understanding.

I shared a personal testimony of how speaking in tongues during intercession led to a breakthrough in ministry, illustrating the tangible impact of the Holy Spirit's work through us. I also explained the practical function of speaking in tongues, which includes building ourselves up spiritually and drawing out the deep counsel of God.

Finally, I encouraged believers to actively seek the gift of speaking in tongues through faith and persistence, just as the early church did. I urged those who have received this gift to use it daily for worship, intercession, and edification, to be continually filled with the Spirit, and to be ready for whatever God has in store for us.

Key Takeaways

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Bible Study Guide

Observation Questions

In Ezekiel 47, what happens to the river as it flows further from the temple? How does this relate to the Holy Spirit's work in our lives? [01:28]
According to John 7:37-39, what does Jesus say will flow from those who believe in Him? How does this connect to the Holy Spirit? [02:02]
In 1 Corinthians 14:2-4, what does Paul say about the purpose of speaking in tongues? How does this practice benefit the believer? [10:00]

Interpretation Questions

How does the progression from ankle-deep to fully submerged in Ezekiel's vision illustrate different levels of engagement with the Holy Spirit? What might each level represent in a believer's life? [03:51]
Why might speaking in tongues be considered a challenge to our pride and intellect? How does this practice help us to surrender more fully to the Holy Spirit? [24:10]
How does the act of speaking in tongues build up the believer spiritually, according to 1 Corinthians 14:4? What are some practical outcomes of this spiritual discipline? [13:21]

Application Questions

Reflect on your current level of engagement with the Holy Spirit. Are you ankle-deep, knee-deep, waist-deep, or fully submerged? What steps can you take to go deeper in your relationship with the Holy Spirit? [03:51]
Have you ever felt that your intellect or pride was a barrier to experiencing the fullness of the Holy Spirit? How can you overcome these barriers in your spiritual journey? [23:34]
If you have received the gift of speaking in tongues, how often do you use it in your daily life? What changes can you make to incorporate this practice more regularly for worship, intercession, and edification? [31:54]
For those who have not yet received the gift of speaking in tongues, what steps can you take to actively seek this gift through faith and persistence? How can you position yourself to receive what the Lord has for you? [32:52]
Think about a time when you felt spiritually dry or disconnected. How might engaging in the practice of speaking in tongues help you to draw out God's counsel and direction for your life? [26:24]
How can you create a daily routine that includes time for speaking in tongues, worship, and prayer to ensure you are continually filled with the Holy Spirit? [31:54]
Consider the personal testimony shared in the sermon about the breakthrough in ministry through speaking in tongues. Have you experienced or witnessed a similar breakthrough? How did it impact your faith and ministry? [28:01]

Sermon Clips

"The primary barrier in every believer's life to the supernatural flow of anything God wants to pour through us is always the same: it's my intellect and my pride. If we'll get past those two natural barriers, I believe we begin to see more of what the Lord is doing and rather than working against him, we actually begin to work with him and cooperate with him." [24:10]( | | )

"When it comes to speaking in tongues, one of many spiritual gifts but one the Lord has for all of us, I believe speaking in tongues goes against my pride as I submit to something that seems unintelligible, it seems pointless. That's why for many people who I believe have been filled with the spirit but have not spoken in tongues, one of the barriers has been because they'll think that's just you." [24:10]( | | )

"The Bible says in Proverbs 20, 'Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out.' Counsel, wisdom, direction in a man is like deep water, but a man who will understand, a man who will know the decisions he must make, what he or she must do, is someone who learns to draw that out." [25:48]( | | )

"When I pray in tongues, there is a rest, a refreshing, there's a Ministry of the Holy Spirit at that moment. It's not usually till afterwards, it could be an hour later, it could be later in the day, when all of a sudden God's thoughts begin to flood my mind and I feel like, 'Oh, that's what I need to do,' or 'I need to call that person.'" [26:24]( | | )

"If you have been baptized with the Holy Spirit speaking in other tongues, you ought to be speaking in tongues every single day. There's not a day that should go by that you have not at some point spoken, worshiped, interceded, prayed, whatever. Build yourself up in speaking other tongues. It is for you because we cannot build up others if we're not building up ourselves." [31:54]( | | )

"How do I receive this gift from the father that Jesus Promised? You ask in faith. Faith simply means I believe what the Lord says, so I'm going to position myself to receive what he has for me. It may not happen just after service, it may not happen just in one or two quiet times, but I begin to press in and I begin to position myself to say, 'Lord, This Promise is for me.'" [32:52]( | | )

"Speaking in tongues is a Holy Spirit-inspired way of using a language that you have never learned to commune with God. It may be a language that is spoken elsewhere in the world, or it could be a dead language, or even what we refer to as a Heavenly language. Either way, speaking in tongues is an ability given to us by the Holy Spirit for prayer and worship that is beyond yourself." [11:13]( | | )

"The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, he helps himself to grow spiritually. When I pray out of my spirit to God's spirit, I don't have to think about what I'm saying with my natural mind. I'm just crying out to God to refresh my spirit, and you know what? He does. I can sense while I'm worshiping or praying or interceding in the spiritual language, heaviness removed." [14:40]( | | )

"The Lord wants us to be ongoingly filled with the spirit because when we are, there's a greater desire in our heart just to be moving where the Holy Spirit is moving, to give ourselves to the things that the Spirit has made us for, rather than just again living unto ourselves." [09:29]( | | )

"Jesus baptizes us with the Holy Spirit, he fills us completely with the Holy Spirit to overflowing, and we talked about the fact that there is the evidence of speaking in other tongues. But the reason, one of the reasons why the Lord baptizes us with the Holy Spirit, of course, is just that intimacy that we experience with the Lord." [02:40]( | | )

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