Get Empowered for 2025 - Part 2

Have you ever found yourself falling into the same New Year's resolution trap? It’s time to try something different. This might be something entirely new for you, but regardless of your goals, start with the spiritual. Everything begins in the spiritual realm, and when we are empowered by the Spirit of God, we can achieve far more than we could through our own stress, struggle, strife, and effort. Until I fully surrendered to Christ and allowed myself to be led by the Spirit, I struggled to achieve my personal goals, often starting strong but hitting a brick wall. In this next episode, I want to discuss the ministry of the Holy Spirit and how He serves as the best coach, guidance counselor, and empowerment specialist you could ever have.

We invest so much time energy, and money into self-help, mentoring, courses, degrees, coaching, and even scrolling through social media watching and listening about others accomplishing their goals but most fail to access the most beneficial person that can catapult us into our destiny. The Holy Spirit is so important that this was the last instruction given by Jesus to his disciples in the book of Acts before he ascended into heaven was to wait for the promise of the Holy Spirit before they did anything. When we go ahead and don’t wait for the Holy Spirit we eventually crash and burn because we go in our own efforts. But when we wait for the Holy Spirit to come upon us we receive supernatural power, ability, wisdom, and strategy to navigate what God has called us to do in ways beyond our natural understanding.

Let me share an example of this which started with a dream the Lord gave me. It was dark and I was by the sea with my husband. My husband asked me if I was able to float upon the water, and he said it doubtfully. I responded to him and said “Watch me do it” with a certain confidence. I walked into the calm ocean and floated on my back for what I counted as 8 hours, and I emerged as the sun was rising feeling very accomplished and looking at how strong my legs appeared as I walked out of the ocean onto the sand. That same week I was on my morning prayer call, and the Lord gave me a divine download for a book. He gave me an outline of the chapters, he gave me the content, I couldn’t stop writing and the ideas kept coming and coming. When I was done with my prayer call, I thanked God and kept taking notes. I told my husband what happened and that I was ready to write my first book. He asked, “Can you write a book?” doubtful as I remembered my dream, and I told him “Watch me do it”. I felt the confidence and backing of the Lord. Everything was crystal clear to me, so I started to write on the laptop. After my workday, I kept writing until the night and the next day, I did the same thing. When I was done, I went to my husband, jumping up and down, that I has finished my book! He couldn't believe it! The following day I edited my book and over the weekend uploaded my first book on Amazon, which was “The Simplest, Ultimate Guide to Achieving your dream body after 40.

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Wow! I knew I was living the book of Acts in that moment, I knew without a shadow of a doubt that the Holy Spirit was upon me, driving and guiding me to write this book and it took me exactly 8 hours just like my dream revealed. I learned something incredible through that experience. To wait on the Holy Spirit before I move ahead with my plans, especially if they are for ministry or the dreams that God has placed upon my heart. I have also learned to call upon the Lord and be more aware of his presence and that the Holy Spirit wants to help. If you don’t know what you have access to, you most likely will never access it but when you understand the ministry of the Holy Spirit a whole new dimension of supernatural living becomes available.

Number 1. The Holy Spirit is Our Helper, Teacher, Counselor

The Holy Spirit is our helper here on earth who teaches us and gives us strength, and wisdom to do the will of the Father. Psalm 32:8 (ESV), “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.” Here are two examples of how the Holy Spirit can teach us.

·        1 Corinthians 2:13 (ESV), “And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.”

·        John 14:26 (ESV), “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”

The Holy Spirit is also our comforter and counselor. As we draw near to God, he will draw nearer to us and speak to us what we have read in His word. The Holy Spirit wants to be there at our every step of every day, so that we may call upon Him as often as we need or even for no reason at all. Acts 9:31 (ESV), “So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.” Whenever we experience trials, difficulties, emotional upsets, discouragement, or even joy, call on the Holy Spirit to minister to you through it all.

Number 2. The Holy Spirit Provides Prophetic Ability

The Holy Spirit is the promise of the Father that we can see in the book of Joel. This prophecy is also referenced in the Book of Acts. Read Acts 2:16-18 (ESV). “But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.”

The Holy Spirit is responsible for the gifts and manifestations of the Spirit. Communication with God to humanity in the form of prophetic dreams, visions, and utterances is possible through the Holy Spirit. To be prophetic means to communicate or proclaim messages that are inspired by God, often providing insight, guidance, or warnings about the future. Prophetic individuals are believed to have a special ability to discern spiritual truths and reveal God’s will to others. This can include speaking forth words of encouragement, correction, or revelation based on divine insight.

As Christians, we are all called to be prophetic people, this is not just reserved for those called to the office of a Prophet. As we learn to walk with the Holy Spirit and commune closely with God, you too can learn to be prophetic. God wants to give us revelations of the future. John 16:13 (ESV) says, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.” 

Number 3. The Holy Spirit Convicts Us of Our Sins

The Holy Spirit is responsible for convicting us of our sins. When new believers comes to Christ, we should never pass judgement or try to change their behaviors because this is not our responsibility. We should be praying for them to be baptized with the Holy Ghost and properly discipled and encouraged. John 16:8 (ESV) “And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:  concerning sin, because they do not believe in me;  concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.” When we see churches in outward disobedience and with ministers falling in sin, the solution is more of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will not be where he is not honored. A church or ministry that does not acknowledge, teach, and honor the Holy Spirit, will not be fruitful in accomplishing the will of the Father.

Number 4. The Gifts of the Spirit are Available Only Through the Spirit

The Holy Spirit is the source of a variety of spiritual gifts. These gifts are described in 1 Corinthians 12:8-11 (ESV), “For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

These gifts are to be used all together in the body of Christ and can spring forth in our time of prayer.  We can use the gifts of the Spirit in a ministerial setting or even in our personal prayer lives. Let me give you a quick summary of each so you can have more clarity.

1.        Utterance of wisdom – Ability to speak a message of wisdom from God, about what is going to take place; foretelling the future with a God-given solution (Genesis 6:12-13; Matthew 24; Luke 21; & Mark 13).

2.        Utterance of Knowledge – The power to express a word of knowledge about something that is now known naturally. Also known as a gift of science which can be something that existed in the past or that exists in the present (2 Kings chapter 6 & John chapter 4)

3.        Faith – A supernatural ability that achieves what is not humanly possible (Daniel 6:16). Declarations of faith allow God to intervene and His Kingdom to manifest (Romans 8:37).

4.        Gifts of healing – This is the only gift that suggests multiple types of this gift. It is a special anointing for certain kinds of healings i.e. healing paralytics. Most people with this gift may not be able to heal all kinds of diseases and infirmities in the power of God. Only Jesus carried this gift in its fullness.

5.        Working of miracles – A supernatural intervention by God against the ordinary course of nature (2 Kings 2:8 & John 2:1-11).

6.        Prophecy – The ability to speak a message from God to the people for the purpose of edification (building up), exhortation (encouraging), and comfort (Acts 21:9). Prophecy may also come as a warning from God or a correction that is needed (Ezekiel 3:17-21).

7.        Distinguish between spirits, also known as discernment of spirits – A revelatory gift to distinguish sound, Godly doctrine from the deceptive doctrine of man-made religions and cults (Acts chapter 8).

8.        Various kinds of tongues - Speaking an unknown heavenly language or speaking in a language you have not learned. Part of the gift of tongues is praying in tongues, your personal prayer language (1 Corinthians 14:2). This is available to every Spirit-filled believer.

9.        Interpretation of tongues – Ability to supernaturally provide interpretation of an unknown, heavenly tongue which can be used to build up the church in the same way as a prophecy (1 Corinthians 14:5).

These gifts are a manifestation of the enablement of the Spirit and are given as God wills; when He wants and to whom He wants. We should desire the gifts of the Spirit but not more than we desire the one who gives the gifts. 1 Corinthians 12:29-31 (ESV), “Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the higher gifts.”

Number 5. The Holy Spirit gives us Spiritual Discernment

I mentioned the gift of discernment of spirits but I wanted to highlight this ministry of the Holy Spirit because it is a weapon against deception. We are in the last days and the demonic spirit of deception is at work everywhere, even in the Church. The enemy used deception to bring confusion, division, and blind our spiritual eyes. Through deceptive spirits we end up believing false prophecy, following false teachers, and putting our faith in man and not God. Here I will explain how the Holy Spirit can help us tell the difference between the sources of power at work (good and evil).

The Holy Spirit speaks to us so that Jesus can be glorified and the will of the Father to be manifested from Heaven onto Earth.  John 16:14 (ESV) reads, “He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.” All authority and power have been given to the Holy Spirit, He then speaks to us the will of the Father for us to bring it forth through prophecy, declaration, and prophetic acts of faith. Only those carrying the Spirit of God can confess that Jesus is Lord. This is how we can help discern Spirits, which means knowing what type of spirit is in operation and not being deceived with counterfeit gifts. I remember my father sharing with this clairvoyant taxi driver, he was following on social media. My father was telling me that this taxi driver had an amazing gift and would tell the riders all kinds of personal details of their lives that would induce emotional reactions from those listening. I am not arguing that this man had a gift but what I am saying is that every gift is not from the Holy Spirit. How do I know this taxi driver was not from God, even if he was doing apparent “good” work? Well, I just asked my dad, “Does this man confess Jesus or give God the Glory?” the answer was “No”. Anybody with the Spirit of God would be giving God the Glory and leading people to Jesus. It's that simple. Test the spirits.

If this message has been a blessing you can access the entire free course “An Introduction to the Holy Spirit” and other resources to help you live a powerful life at www.empoweringlives.online. Don’t forget to like, rate, share, and subscribe to get this message out to others.