Compelled by the Holy Spirit

"And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships, are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me - the task of testifying to the good news of God's grace" (Acts 20:24).

When was the last time you were 'compelled by the Spirit" (Galatians 5:16-18)?

This writing is prompted by a sense of being 'compelled by the Spirit.' I am on route to home, sitting in the Cleveland airport, awaiting my flight. Funny place to be compelled by the Spirit...? As I was walking, escalating, and walking on the 'people mover' from one end of the airport to the other, the Holy Spirit birthed from within me a 'new song of praise to our God'!

It was 'an original'...words of Praise about: God's Worthiness, His Love, His pursuit of me, and the precious cross on which my Savior gave His life for mine! It was a new tune - it just came 'out of the overflow of my heart!'(Proverbs 4:23…if you read this Mia, I know you love it and know what I mean!!)

How do I know the new song of praise was from the Holy Spirit? Well, I pray you know through your own experience, it is hard to describe 'how I know', but here it goes: The praise pointed to Jesus Christ; the song was unencumbered - it was not thought through for censorship of it's perfection, correctness, or form before the singing of it - it was joy flowing from within and brought great delight to my soul, it drew me closer to Jesus even as it was an expression of my relationship with Jesus, initiated and empowered by Him; it was fruit born from the Outpouring.

The Outpouring? This was the gathering that brought me to Cleveland and from where I was traveling. We are admonished to not forsake/neglect our gathering together as the body of Christ. This gathering was purposed in the heart of God for believers to come together to worship, pray, and wait on the Lord; to wait on the Lord with expectancy on the Holy Spirit to come amongst us and move by His presence and power. And He came. (Acts 1:8, Galatians 5).

There was worshiping in Spirit and Truth. There were people being set free (Isaiah 61:1-3). There was freedom of expression, pointing to Jesus and our Sovereign God. There were prayers of intercession - personal, family, community, nation, and world - send revival in the land, Lord (2 Chronicles 7:14). People were ministering to others with the gifts the Lord deposited in them. There was challenge to return to the places where God has positioned each one of us and to seek the Lord in evidencing the Fruit of His Spirit (Galatians 5, 25, 26). And to share what the Lord did during the Outpouring time - as the Apostle Paul declared, "testifying to the good news of God's grace" (Acts 20:24).

So, the song came, an new song - as a testimony of God's marvelous grace - the movement of His presence and power. I wait, we wait now, to see the evidence of the Holy Spirit's presence and power through the fruit to be born as a result of His movement during the Outpouring. Revive us O Lord. Bring Revival to your church.

When was the last time you were compelled by the Holy Spirit? When was the last time you said, 'Come, Holy Spirit' and waited for the presence of the Lord to move in power?