Yet, I've never accomplished one goal nor filled one of my needs by worrying about it.
Instead, when I put my trust fully in HIM, it's like mountains move. I wonder why we are so thick sometimes...OK, I wonder why "I" am so thick sometimes.
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"Lord, You know all my desires and deepest longings. My tears are liquid words and You can read them all." (Psalm 38:9 TPT)
One of the most precious gifts I have been given is to know the Holy Spirit as my Comforter (John 14:26; Acts 9:31). There have been days when I have walked and talked with Him and felt His arms around me as I have cried. He interprets my tears and listens to me as I pour out my heart to Him. He is my most trusted and faithful friend. The Holy Spirit has spoken words of comfort to my heart as I have fellowshipped with Him in the daytime and comforted me with revelation through my dreams at night. Let's discover how comprehensively He meets the needs of our hearts.
Anxiety vs Anticipation
I remember being blessed with a day off in Florida a few years ago, and it was delightful. I had been ministering there every single day, so I was especially grateful for the break. I took a walk to talk with the Holy Spirit. I was just enjoying my surroundings and the conversation. But as He spoke to me, I suddenly realized that my thoughts had been subconsciously filled with worries. These were things I didn't have the right to be worried about. As I was talking with the Lord, I heard His voice say, "You were not made to think about these things."
I realized I had a default setting I didn't even know was there. In my inward conversation—that stream of thoughts we all have—I had developed the habit of worrying about things at a subconscious level. A lot of it was focused on what I needed, how this or that situation was going to work out, what if something bad happened or got in the way, and so on. As my mind began to relax, it was as if a pile of problems began to rise to the surface and release. I had been spending a lot of mental energy on thinking how to fix them. I'd fallen into a trap of living in a place of worry.
Before this, if someone had asked me if I was a worrier, I would have said no. I don't think I'm a worrier by nature. In fact, I think I'm a pretty happy person. But the Holy Spirit was showing me that my mind was reverting to an old, human pattern of anxiety. Most of us have a tendency to ask "what if?" about practically everything. That tendency had been lying beneath the surface of my conscious thoughts. The Holy Spirit brought it to the surface and gently reminded me that I wasn't made to think about such things. Worry is a thief of peace and joy. (Photo via Pxfuel)
When I was in Atlanta a few days later, Tony Thompson, a fellow pastor who didn't know any of this that I'd been learning, began to prophesy. "God says you weren't created to worry about anything," he said. "Your mind needs to be set on the miracles and the things He is going to do." That got my attention. It's so easy for our thinking to get filled up with questions: "How, God? When? Why did this happen? What's going to happen? What if...?" These questions can be relentless. There's a difference between living in anticipation of what God is going to do and living in anxiety about what might happen, and our minds default to the latter if we're not intentional about taking thoughts of worry and exchanging them for His truth.
"...We capture, like prisoners of war, every thought and insist that it bow in obedience to the Anointed One." (2 Corinthians 10:5 TPT)
We're told to cast all our anxieties on the Lord because He cares for us. Preoccupation with fears and concerns is not part of our design.
"Pour out all your worries and stress upon Him and leave them there, for He always tenderly cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7 TPT)
The Birthplace of Demonstrated Power
Perhaps you thought that life with the Holy Spirit was all about external fruit—seeing miracles, declaring God's words, and ministering in power. Those manifestations are certainly part of our relationship with Him. We are seeing more and more of them in our day. But if you want to walk in power outwardly, you will need to make some inward adjustments. The power of the Holy Spirit begins with Him working inside us to bring us comfort. Personal, intimate fellowship with the Holy Spirit is the birthplace of demonstrated power.
I woke up unusually early one day recently, and as I struggled to get back to sleep, I heard the kind voice of the Holy Spirit invite me to come and have a cuddle with Him. I was out of bed like a shot. Who could resist an invitation like that? I had such a sweet time as we fellowshipped together while the rest of the house was asleep.
When you have moments such as this with the Holy Spirit, you may be tempted to use the time to remind Him of what you've been struggling with and how unworthy you are. Thankfully, nothing in the Kingdom is based on your worthiness; it's all based on Jesus' worthiness and your faith in the fact that He lives within you. The Holy Spirit knows everything you're going through, and none of it is a hindrance to His love. He hasn't written you off. He says, "Come. Don't worry. Let Me give you My words; they will encourage and comfort you. Let Me help you remember who you are. Let Me show you who the Father is so your heart can settle down and you can come into a place of peace and joy." (Photo via Unsplash)
The Holy Spirit wants to comfort you, change your thinking, and set you free so He can make room for you to think about something better. You are not called to think like a mere human; you're called to have Christ's perceptions (1 Corinthians 2:16). You are called to have God's love be the root and source of your life:
"Then, by constantly using your faith, the life of Christ will be released deep inside you, and the resting place of His love will become the very source and root of your life." (Ephesians 3:17 TPT)
Knowing this love is the only way to be filled with the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:19). Have you ever noticed that God promises to achieve infinitely more than what we can ask or think "for His miraculous power constantly energizes you" (Ephesians 3:20 TPT)? It isn't just for us; it's in us. This kind of inner power comes from knowing and believing Him, not from going through the right motions. It begins in our hearts and minds.
Allow the Comforter to help you today. He understands you better than anyone else and loves you more than you could ever understand. Today, He is with you to comfort and encourage you. Open your heart to Him and be vulnerable. Let Him interpret your tears and breathe fresh hope into your soul, for He is love itself, and He is waiting for you today.
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(Article used by permission: The Passion Translation)
Katherine Ruonala
Glory City Church
Email: info@glorycityChurch.com.au
Website: www.katherineruonala.com and www.glorycityChurch.com.au
Katherine Ruonala has a prophetic and healing ministry and travels internationally as a conference speaker, bringing a message of love and hope to the nations. Katherine carries a strong, prophetic and miracle anointing, with many experiencing instant healing in her meetings. Reaching across denominational walls, her ministry is also used to spread the fires of revival and ignite a fresh passion in the hearts of Believers to go deeper in their relationship with God.
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It's "funny," in a way, that Jesus tells us so clearly to not even worry about what clothes we will put on, and yet many of us spend our lives in worry about many things far beyond that!
