Where The Spirit…
“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”
Before you go any further, take a moment to close your eyes and breathe. Set aside any distractions that may come your way and try to open yourself up to the Spirit of God.
You may not feel thrust into his presence emotionally or physiologically just because you stopped for a second, but every time we intentionally open ourselves up to the Lord is an opportunity to deeper our spiritual connection to God. The truth is that our spirit is not the same thing as our emotions or sensations. That is why you can have an exciting Christian production be very spirit-less, and a dull prayer meeting can be very spirit-full.
Part of the Christian journey is learning to discern the Spirit. Learning how to identify and live from the things of the Spirit is the key to living in freedom. Paul made it clear in 2 Corinthians when he said that where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. In many ways, freedom is not a condition. It is a person.
Romans 8:6 (ESV) says, “For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.” Do you want life and peace? You have to set your mind on the Spirit.
With all things, this takes practice. I am practicing it every single day as I lean in to become more like Jesus. So many things challenge our awareness of the Spirit of God. Distractions, tiredness, emotions, loss, gains, and most of all, sin.
Practicing living from the Spirit has a two-fold strategy. First, it requires openness to God. Even when we do not know what this looks like, we can position ourselves to be available. Waiting on the Lord, showing up to prayer, opening the Bible, and more things like this prepare us to encounter God. Secondly, we can surrender our sin, distractions, and spiritual competitors. The blocks we feel in prayer relate to where we have set our attention throughout our day.
Where God’s Spirit is, there is so much freedom. But we have to walk in the Spirit. Seek him today.
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Abiding happens daily in his presence. Abiding Daily is a simple and practical reminder to stay connected to the vine. Each prompt is inspired by the scriptures and designed to point you toward prayer and encounter. You can follow us on Facebook and Instagram. To get the Daily Invitation sent to you every day click this link or text “Daily” to +1 (779) 237-3914.
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