By Rhonda Jones
"Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Holy Spirit dwells in you?" 1 Corinthians 3:16
We were made to serve the Lord. Our bodies are waiting to be filled with the light of the Holy Spirit so that we may lead a more spiritual, rewarding life. With His power using us to His will we can spread His word and His love to others lost among us. Too many people are closed off to God's will. Our hearts are fearful instead of trusting. Once you have yielded yourself to the Lord you will be more receptive to His communication and will know how to live a holy life.
1. Listen to God's Voice
The Holy Spirit is ready to enter your heart and support you on your path to spiritual living. God is already trying to communicate what he wants from you. Reading the Bible is akin to listening to God. He has an important message and the more you read, the more you will understand. The Holy Spirit cannot use you if you are not listening. You must know the path to follow, and must be willing to live the kind of life God wants for His children. Listen to what God is telling you and you will learn how to open your life to the Holy Spirit.
2. Praise the Lord
Once you have an understanding of the things God has done and continues to accomplish, worship reaches a new level of praise. You can not merely recite a prayer you learned from someone else. Worship is a very personal experience between you and the Lord. Your praise must come from your heart. It must mean something to you or it will mean nothing to God. Building a relationship between yourself and the Father is key in welcoming the Holy Spirit into your heart.
3. Yield to the Holy Spirit
To be used by the Holy Spirit you must submit. You cannot doubt, you cannot be selfish. You cannot harbor ulterior motives like pride or boastfulness. To be used by the Holy Spirit you must surrender both your physical and mental control. As humans we are unable to fully comprehend the reasoning of the Holy Spirit. We cannot know when or how the Holy Spirit will use us, so we all must be available to God, all the time.
Yielding is the most important thing you can do in order to prepare yourself for the Holy Spirit. If you are struggling with doubts and are unavailable, how can the Holy Spirit get in? How can He use you for His will if you are uncertain of how to behave? Letting God into your heart is enlightening. There is no better feeling. It is scary, to give up control. It is terrifying to trust. When you give that control to God though you will be comforted by the way He guides your life. Take the leap of faith and allow God in.
4. Serve the Lord
When you have yielded, the Holy Spirit will guide you through a holy life. You will be more spiritually awakened and able to not only help yourself but those around you. Your whole life will be serving the Lord. That means saving his other children. It means spreading His word to those who are lost or in peril.
There is no room for spiritual laziness in an enlightened heart. Spend your days loving others and witnessing to those who have not yet felt His love. If you dedicate your life to God, the Holy Spirit will recognize your commitment. He will use you to further spread the gospel. He may even use you for other things, that we cannot even imagine. All things are possible in the Lord.
5. Meditate on God's Word
It is important to take time out of your day to reflect on the things God has communicated to and through you. Give thanks for being a part of His plan, and for the things He has given you. Allow the Holy Spirit to envelope you. Through meditation you can gain a higher understanding of God's word and what He wants from you. Remember that there will always be things you do not comprehend. The Lord has many secrets but they are all kept for your own protection. Even so, it is important to reflect and meditate on what you can know.
When you express gratitude in the Lord, he feels it. It builds your relationship and He will use you more often, When your life is opened up to the Holy Spirit, you can achieve many things you could not on your own. The most prominent is the feeling of completion. For without the Holy Spirit in your heart, you are not living the life God intended for you.
Rhonda Jones is the creator of over 25 Christian meditation and affirmation Cds and the author of the Christian makeover program, Help Me God Change My Life and A Date with God. Learn more at http://www.thechristianmeditator.com and http://www.holyandhealthyliving.com.
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