We’ve been thinking about the power of the Holy Spirit in our prayers and in our lives this week, but what does that power look like? Ephesians 1:19-20 says that God’s incomparably great power is for us who believe and that power is the same as the mighty strength God exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in heaven. The power offered to us is "resurrection-strength power" … the power which brought Jesus from death to life. The thing is most of us don’t really believe those words. We read them. We believe the Bible says them. We may even believe other people may experience that kind of power. People like the disciples, the Apostle Paul, great church theologians like Irenaeus or Gregory or Augustine, or great preachers like Luther, Calvin, Wesley, or Billy Graham. But me? Not really. And so, the power of my limited thinking limits the power of the Holy Spirit in me. 

Invariably when I face a problem in my life, I try and solve it. I examine the problem using my reason and intellect, I come up with my own solutions, and I apply my own wisdom to the situation and then act as I think best. Only after I fail do I turn to God. How different things might be if I stayed plugged into God every day … every hour of every day. I have several electronic items that need to be plugged into an outlet to work. Some, like my television, must be plugged in all the time to work. Others can work for a time on a charge, but that time is finite. When it comes to the power of the Spirit, do we really expect to receive resurrection-strength power when we rarely plug ourselves into the power source? 

Attending an hour-long worship service once a week, if that, isn’t enough. While a short daily devotional such as this meditation will provide a spark, the charge still isn’t going to be full. What will connect you fully to the power source? Find time for spiritual stillness before God. Offer all that is in your heart to God in prayer, including your problems, fears, and doubts. Claim God’s promise of the same gift of power that raised Christ from the dead. Invite God to show you what God can do. Then hold on tight and see what happens.