“’ . . . Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts.”
ZECHARIAH 4:6
The baptism in the Spirit brings permanent power but not a permanent feeling of power. Fortunately, we don’t measure power by feelings or by what we see. Spiritual power is latent strength in our spirit. But when circumstances call for it to be used, spiritual strength is there. The supply is immediate, matching the need as it arises. Don’t let your dependence on feelings rob you of your spiritual victories.
WIRES, WHICH CAN CARRY 110,000 VOLTS, LOOK EXACTLY the same whether they are carrying current or not. Similarly, we cannot judge our own muscular power by FEELINGS but only by EXPERIMENT. Strong men don’t feel their strength. They can’t sit down and enjoy strength at the fireside. However, when asked to lift a heavy weight, they KNOW their strength and just do it. When we sit and rest, we don’t feel full of power. We feel completely ordinary—we’re not aware of His mighty power within us (2 Corinthians 10:1-6).
Nearly all prayers for power are really for a SENSE OF POWER—a desire to feel the throb or pulsation that accompanies power. That misses the point. Strength is evident when it is used. A man lifts dumbbells, and his strength shows. Some never do anything for God because they don’t “feel” the power or strength. They keep on praying for what they probably already have. What a waste of time and effort! God’s power will be there when it’s needed. Rich men don’t carry millions of dollars around with them. They draw on their resources whenever they please. We don’t need to be trembling under the weight of Divine power from breakfast until dinner. We work because HE has all the power—not us. That’s all that matters.
The Holy Spirit is fully present, whether we feel Him or not. His gifts and power do not depend on our ability to feel them. If we stand by faith on His Word, the Comforter will come and abide with you (John 14:16). We know He is always there, and He will never leave us nor forsake us, no matter the circumstances (Hebrews 13:5).
I ONCE HEARD OF AN EVANGELIST WHO REFUSED TO ENTER the platform to preach. He said, “I cannot feel the anointing,” and so instead of walking onto the platform, he cried and prayed backstage for God’s presence. But he was wrong; the Holy Spirit is not a commodity but a person—the Third Person of the Trinity. Yet, no person can appear in percentages—a half or a quarter of themselves. The Holy Spirit is always fully present, even if we should be absent-minded or cannot feel Him. Sometimes, when preaching in front of hundreds of thousands of people, I do not feel His presence. What do I do? I remember that Jesus told us that the Holy Spirit will abide with us forever. I then appropriate that promise by faith. I preach the Word of God, which is always honored and confirmed by the Spirit of God. We do not always feel the power, but He is always there. The Holy Spirit never leaves us.
All non-God-inspired operations are temporary, but the Jesus-Holy Spirit partnership will last far beyond anything else that moves. This is part of God’s order at creation and goes on forever–with or without us. We are free to be failures if we want–or heroes of faith.
WHATEVER GOD DOES SHALL BE FOREVER (ECCLESIASTES 3:14). This is as true about God’s creation as it is true of our lives and ministry. We can choose to factor God into every aspect of our lives and be Christ-centered in our dealings, or we can choose to ignore the reality of God all together. But I personally want to challenge you to do more than put God into the equation; I want you to partner with God to solve the equation. Let Him help you with your destiny, your health, your family, your ministry, etc. Whatever concerns you, He is willing and able to be a part of the solution.