Wednesday, November 2

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Ephesians 3:16-17

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.

Some 30 years ago, when I was a “twenty-something single guy working my way through grad school” I walked down to a small lake on campus to pray. This was something I had done before because I liked something about the quiet of the water – especially at night. On that particular night, as I recall, I was seeking direction – direction in terms of my call to ministry as well as direction in my relational life. So I climbed up in what looked like a life-guard chair and poured out my heart to God.

After exhausting my questions and concerns – and hearing nothing in return – no voice, no shooting stars, no message from heaven - I climbed down and stood for a moment just staring at the lake. Then, suddenly, I felt something behind me – like someone had crept up and was standing right behind me – only bigger. Much bigger. I had the sense of an enormous presence – so huge and so near that I actually spun around with my heart pounding to see who – or what – it was.

Nothing; no one was there - at least not a person. But in that instant, I felt God whisper to my heart, “I am here; and I will always be here.” And while I didn’t get some of the answers I was looking for that night – I got what I needed most – which was the promise of the presence of God through the Holy Spirit!

In Ephesians 3 Paul writes:

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.

Here again we see the Holy Spirit functioning as a kind of conduit for the power of God and being described synonymously with the indwelling of Christ in our hearts.

If you have put your faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit has taken up residence in your heart. The Holy Spirit does not tend to draw attention to himself – but rather makes the power of God and the presence of Jesus known to us. I can’t explain exactly how this happens any more than I can explain the powerful experience I had that night at the lake. But God’s word tells me the Spirit lives in me and that through the Spirit I can know the power and presence of Jesus himself. It seems the key is whether or not I pay attention; whether or not I listen for the rustling of the Spirit in my heart and life.

Most of us tend to see prayer as asking God for things that we need – and, of course, it is. But it is also much more than that. Prayer is the practice of paying attention to the Spirit of God. Prayer is listening for what is sometimes the gentle whisper of a summer breeze; and prayer is paying attention to what is sometimes a gale force wind that shatters our souls!

As you pray today and in the days ahead, make sure you take time to do more than ask God for favors! Spend some time just listening to and for the movement of his Holy Spirit in your heart. You might be surprised!

Pastor Brian Coffey