Recognizing the Power of God
In our daily lives, the influence of God’s power is profound and transformative. Even those who do not follow Christianity can sense this divine presence. For instance, a friend of mine who manages an orphanage in India faced bureaucratic hurdles until a non-Christian district Collector visited. This official, sensing a spiritual presence, promptly granted the necessary permissions. This anecdote underscores the vital role of God’s power in both personal and professional spheres.
The Importance of Anointing
Our businesses, homes, schools, and colleges need to be anointed and protected by the Holy Spirit’s power. This empowerment does not happen automatically. The Catholic Church has the ritual of parish priests blessing houses, vehicles, and buildings to keep these places holy.
However, having the Holy Spirit within you is not enough. You need to experience the baptism of the Holy Spirit. This involves being tangibly filled with the Holy Spirit and coming into communion with Him. The Church Charismatic Movement teaches us this.
Walking in the Power of God
God anoints people of prayer who seek His heart. Retreat centers, pilgrim centers, and some church buildings have the tangible power of God because of His purposes. People matter to God. He anoints people, especially those who pray. When leaders like parish priests, principals, or heads of establishments walk in the Holy Spirit’s power, their establishments automatically experience this power.
For example, the magicians of Egypt were no match for Prophet Moses. Moses stood his ground against the greatest army of that time, becoming invincible because of God’s power within him.
The Thunder of His Power
The power of God transformed Moses into a terror to his enemies. Similarly, the magicians in the time of the Apostles were repeatedly defeated because of the Holy Spirit’s power within the Apostles. Whether it was Simon who infiltrated the group of believers or Elymas who opposed the gospel, they were all bewildered. The Holy Spirit’s power continues to destroy the strongholds of the evil one.
We need to be so filled with the Holy Spirit that we are insulated by His power—protected, sheltered, and hidden from all the enemy’s power. The prophetic picture given by Prophet Isaiah in Chapter 61 remains relevant today: “Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you,” (Isaiah 60:1-2).
Walking in Communion with the Holy Spirit
This prophetic word tells us that as we ‘arise,’ the Holy power will rise upon us, and His glory will appear over us. If these things do not happen to us, we can be easily influenced and even deluded by the powers of darkness. But when God’s glory starts appearing in us and operating within us, we will not only be immune to the enemy’s powers and tricks, but we will also have noticeable power over them. Therefore, the key is not asking for ‘more power’ but ‘walking in communion’ with the Holy Spirit, the source of all power.
By the Holy Spirit’s power, God’s children can bear much fruit. He who has grafted us onto the true vine will make us bear “the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” “We live by the Spirit”; the more we renounce ourselves, the more we “walk by the Spirit.”
