Staying in Tune, Fully Charged, and Saturated by The Holy Spirit

Here are three things I've come to understand about the Holy Spirit in my life:

1) STAY IN TUNE: Like a guitar badly out of tune, which grieves our ears and is unpleasant, our spirits "out of tune" with the Lord can actually grieve the Holy Spirit, and hinder our communication with Him. Yes, we can grieve the Spirit, through bitterness, rage, anger, slander, quarrelling, and "every form of malice", as noted in Ephesians 4:30.

The more I allow the things of the world and the flesh to control me, the more out of tune my spirit becomes, and the more difficult it becomes to turn control of my life over to the Holy Spirit. How do I stay in tune with the Holy Spirit? By prayer, supplication, and thanksgiving at all times and in all circumstances, along with daily feedings on God's Word.

2) BE FULLY CHARGED: Our spirits are like positive (+) and negative (-) charges. When we are "fully charged" in the Lord, HIS wisdom, love, and guidance -- which He pours out on us at all times -- sticks to us, like metal to a magnet. Or we might think of it as when we are "positively" charged, WE are attracted to God and his Word.

When my charge diminishes, I am less attracted to the Word, and that allows more "negative" things (sin, worldly concerns) to grow around me and in me. These things clutter my spirit. Feeding on the Word, praying
at all times, and constantly seeking God's will is how I stay full charged with The Holy Spirit. The stronger my charge, the more I am drawn to the "things of the Spirit, and the less I am attracted to sin.

3) DRINK OF THE SPIRIT: Have you ever seen a potted plant that is drying out and seemingly crying out for water? Its leaves are withered, and its stems are bending. If you don't catch it in time, the plant will die. It needs water, and lots of it.  If you keep it fully watered, it will not only revive and survive, but it will thrive, and even produce it's fruit or flowers.

It's the same with our spirits: we need to take in an abundance of "water" -- i.e. The Holy Spirit -- or we can easily shrivel up and be ineffective, "dry" vessels for God.

Sometimes, when I've been away from one-on-one prayer in the Spirit, and am not getting regularly "hydrated" in the Word, my spirit shrivels and I feel very, very weak in the Lord.  I am easily assaulted by the enemy ... I cower under his threats ... I back off from confronting him ... I hide, like Adam and Eve did after eating the forbidden fruit.

The remedy is to immerse myself in prayer and study. And not just a "surface watering" which quickly dries out does not get down to the roots, but a full immersion watering, that saturates and penetrates my spirit and fully flows through my entire being. Depending upon the severity of the drought, it may take a full immersion over many days to restore me and bring me back to "life in the Spirit". And from then on, it is important to "stay watered" constantly in the Word and in prayer.

FINALLY, for all three items above, the symptoms of the problem are the same:

• I find it hard to sit down and study, and equally hard to devote quality time in prayer with The Lord
• I have less hunger for the Word, and diminished desire for it.
• I am more easily distracted by things of the world, from sports, to world events and personal matters
• I have less energy for things of the Lord
• I am more attracted to thoughts that can only be characterized as sinful and not of the Spirit

When I recognize this -- or, more accurately, when the Spirit convicts me of this! -- I understand that I need to get back in tune, get fully charged, and immerse myself in the living water of the Holy Spirit. This starts with prayer and repentence, and is sustained by abiding in the Lord.