The LORD is intimately aware of our weariness and it's HIS desire to refresh us regularly.
Here's a short word to exhort you (and me) into cooperating with God's desire to refresh us...
Enjoy this word. It's truly going to help you get refreshed again and again. (To Subscribe to the Elijah List subscribe here.)
Please forward this word to your friends! Encourage them to subscribe to the Elijah List right here: elijahlist.com/subscribe.
Refreshing Waters of the Spirit
"Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord." (Acts 3:19)
God gives refreshing and there is nothing like being refreshed. People flock to the beaches just to get refreshed, to rest and to relax. I totally get it too, because we live in Oklahoma where it gets to be 100 degrees or more in August. The beach and the pool are most welcome here!
Although the beach is nice, there is nothing that compares to the refreshing that comes as we spend time in the presence of God! It is also a whole lot easier, too, as you can enter into His presence, right where you are – any place, any time! What water is to us naturally, the Holy Spirit is to our hearts. He is the water of Heaven, the very river that flows from the throne of God!
We can come to drink from the wells of salvation at any time to receive joy and refreshing (Isaiah 12:3). Just by communing with God's Spirit we are able to find the joy that strengthens, revives and restores us. (Photo via Pxfuel)
From Dry to Refreshed
Sometimes God's people can get stuck in cycles of dryness. I get it. But it does not have to be that way. The reality is that God's Spirit does not go anywhere. When you understand that refreshing is part of God's nature, you realize that this aspect of who He is doesn't go anywhere.
He is always there as the REFRESHER of our souls. He is the Lord who does not change! What does that tell us? It shows us that the issue is most definitely not with God but needs to be fixed on our end.
There are things that need to be adjusted in our lives in order to get positioned under the spout where His glory flows out. We all need refreshing. People run everywhere to "get away" to find it. God is good and wants you refreshed more than you do!
Tips for Spiritual Refreshing
Here are a few practical tips that will help position you for the refreshing of His presence.
• Confess any known sin (things you have done wrong), if you know of any. Also ask the Lord if there is anything standing between you and Him (1 John 1:9).
• Realize that the Blood of Jesus cleanses you of all your sin when you confess to Him. Also, know that only by the Blood of Christ are you worthy to come into His presence – not by your works. Then say, "Jesus, I come into Your presence by YOUR BLOOD!" Again, it is not by your works or by anything that you can do (Hebrews 10:19). (Photo via Pixabay)
• Welcome the Holy Spirit to come fill you with His presence. Continually welcome the Holy Spirit. Say, "Holy Spirit, come into my heart and refresh me with Your presence!" Confess your need for Him. He is the HELPER that Jesus told us we needed. Jesus told us that He had to go away so that He could send the Holy Spirit, THE HELPER. If you need help, guess Who you go to? THE HOLY SPIRIT (John 16:7).
• Begin to engage in worship with thanksgiving. Create an atmosphere with some instrumental music or worship music. Music has a way of carrying you into the presence of God by engaging your heart through sound. Vocalize your worship to God, pray in the Spirit and express yourself to Him. The Father seeks those who will worship Him in spirit and in truth (Psalm 144:9).
• Meditate on the Word of God. Replace the bad patterns of thinking with God's Word – taking every thought captive and making it obedient to Christ (Psalm 1:1-3).
• Trust in the grace of God, realizing that the ministry of the Spirit is superior to the ministry of condemnation – i.e., the Law (2 Corinthians 3:8). God is love. He pours out His love in your heart by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5).
Enjoy His presence always!
Whatever you do, don't miss another ELIJAH LIST email! Subscribe at this link: elijahlist.com/subscribe.
John and Brandi Belt
Overflow Global Ministries
Email: hello@overflowglobal.com
Website: www.overflowglobal.com
John and Brandi Belt are the leaders of Overflow Global Ministries. The heart of their message is that God's greatest desire is to indwell His people with His presence. They believe that man was created to be inhabited by God through His Spirit. With a sincere devotion to God through the Holy Spirit, people can live in a place of overflow in His presence. This overflow translates into touching the lives of others through living encounters with God. When John and Brandi minister, the intimate presence of God is manifest – being accompanied with demonstrations of God's power to heal, revive, and restore.
Find us on:
* Facebook click here
* XAPiT click here
PLEASE FORWARD to all your friends! Permission granted (and you are also encouraged) to reprint these articles in hard copy form, as well as sending them to your own email lists and posting them on your own websites. We ask only that you keep Elijah List website, email contact info, and author contact information intact.
Elijah List Publications
525 2nd Ave SW Suite 629
Albany, OR 97321
www.elijahlist.com
email: info@elijahlist.net
Phone 1-541-926-3250