“Jesus breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” John 20:22
During my first year of ordained ministry, I met a man named Curly. Every week I travelled to his house to lead a service for the small group of men who met for prayer and bible study. At the time of meeting Curly, he was already 6 months past the doctor’s “best guess.” He could no longer walk and the hose that supplied his oxygen ran throughout his house. Despite his illness, his faith was strong and his laughter joyful.
During one visit, I arrived at the house to see all the gentlemen seated around Curly. I took a chair, moving it beside Curly, and began to lead the service. At some point during our prayers, it was clear that Curly’s disposition had changed. He seemed to labor for breath, and his complexion seemed to grow increasingly pale. The gentleman and I exchanged glances of concern.
Deciding that an ambulance needed to be called, I stood up from my chair. When I did so, Curly took a huge breath inward, and the color quickly returned to his face. Apparently, I had placed my chair on his oxygen hose! (Not my finest hour of ministry)
What cuts you off from the Holy Spirit? Is there something in your life that dampens your experience of the Spirit’s power? Jesus desires to breath the Spirit into the lives of all his followers, yet things in our lives can restrict our ability to receive the flow of the Spirit. How might you further open yourself to the Spirit this week?
As we go through the remaining days of lent, how might you open yourself to the spirit of Jesus? How might you allow the Spirit to move within you, and through you? To begin, why not pray this simple prayer:
Jesus, I thank you for breathing new life into me. Help me open my heart, and my life, to your Spirit, so that I may perfectly love and serve you. Amen.
By Rev. Kyle Norman
Used by Permission
FURTHER READING
• Eternal Love
• Fully Surrender to the Lord
Learn more about knowing Jesus at: https://thoughts-about-god.com/four-laws/
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