Power Hungry

Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom.
Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgement.
Proverbs 9:10

For everyone who asks, receives.  Everyone who seeks, finds.  And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.
Matthew 7:8

God is not a party trick. You don’t get to just say the right words when you need Him, and see the Holy Spirit put on a show. He knows a sincere heart when He sees one.

There was a time when I called myself a believer, but my heart was actually sealed shut. I had to seal it up to keep all the hurt and shame from spilling out. It was the only way I knew to try to keep things in my life from spinning out of control. God was with me in those times. He loved me deeply, cared for me like no other. He walked beside me, I knew He was there, but his power and authority were not mine to use.

It takes an open and repentant heart to be filled with the power and authority of Christ. His Spirit needs a place to reside. I had sealed in all the darkness, hoping to keep it hidden, but there was no space for the light to get in. I welcomed Him to walk beside me, but there was no room for Him to dwell within me.

Fear of the Lord is the foundation. This does not mean that I am afraid of God. That would be no way to start a great relationship. This is respect, knowing how awesome He really is, and being blown away by the fact that He loves me. That respect leads to wanting to know everything I can about who He is. And that knowledge leads to wisdom and good judgement. I am currently somewhere in the middle of that process. I certainly don’t always have the wisdom and good judgement mastered at this point!

If we truly and earnestly seek the Lord, He will reveal himself to us. As we seek more knowledge, we can progress to asking to be a part of His will, His plan. When I gave Jesus access to my heart, told him to open all the doors, clear out all the rooms, move in and take up residency, it was like an episode of Hoarders. Oh, how I wanted to hold onto some of those things that He found. But He cleaned out all the junk and filled that space instead with grace, mercy, power and authority. As I repent and give away all of that clutter, His Spirit grows and fills every inch of that empty space.

Jesus has authority over me, over my life. “In Jesus’ name” is no longer just a phrase to tag onto the end of a prayer before the “Amen”. He gives me the authority to use his name as long as I remain committed to him. I can use it to claim his promises, and his victory over the darkness, for me and my family.

Letting go of what I thought I needed to control has brought me to my true self. I am a daughter of the King, with all of the rights of the Son. He loves me that much. I am loved, chosen, accepted, complete, forgiven, powerful in submission, filled with light, called. His name is tattooed on my inner being, and that name gives me freedom, and strength, and power. The more I give up, repent, and submit, the more powerful I become against the enemy.

Have you found that the more you try to control your circumstances and your emotions, the less powerful you feel? Have you tried to prove your worth and your identity, only to find yourself feeling like a fake?

Friends, your identity is defined by the One who made you. He is the one who can show you who you are. He is already walking beside you, even if you don’t see him. Open your eyes, open your heart. Look for Jesus, get to know who he is. Knowing who He is will show you who you are…His beloved son or daughter, the one who He gave everything to save.