Growing up in Pentecost, there have been many times I've experienced the power of God in my life. Many church services where there was never preaching because we just began praying during the song service and got lost in the presence of God. There have been powerful tongue interpretations withing my own church and conferences. There have been times where God has spoken direct truths into my heart that I needed to hear! I've seen God transform lives, buuuuuuuuuuut there are two times above all the others that stand out to me more than all the rest.
.
1. One year at a youth conference, there was a powerful move of God during preaching. The preacher said everyone that has the Holy Ghost take a lap around the building. Well since it was a Pentecostal conference, just about the whole entire conference was taking a lap around the building. As we ran the preacher said, the Holy Ghost is going to take over in some of you all before you even fully make it around the building and I was one of thost people. Before I got back to my seat I was slain in the spirit at the altar. I had seen this happen to other people but never in my life experienced this and to be perfectly honest, i was a little scared. In all of my life I have never felt a force so strong that I had absolutely no control, I could not move my arms or body, it was like the spirit of God had pinned me down and there was nothing I could do. I was going through a really hard time in my life and it was like God was letting me know just how completely powerful he is. Nothing happens in our lives that is out of his control and he is truly an all-powerful God that we should not bother fighting against but should submit to. I just laid there completely in awe of God's power!!!
.
2. Another time the power of God has stood out to me was several years ago I went with my sister to a farmer's market and we're walking along looking all the craft and food vendors items. As we walked along there was a palm reading vendor, to be honest I really didn't think anything of the lady and wasn't really even paying too much attention to her. I wasn't scared of her, I wasn't going to be rude to her, I really wasn't thinking about anything much other than; I hope some of these food vendors have some good free samples. As we walked, my sister was on the left side of me and I was on the right, closest to the palm reader but there was still going to be a good space between us as I walked by, it's not like we were going to bump into each other as I walked by.
.
And I probably would have walked by without ever again remembering walking by this palm reader, but something happened that I will never forget. As I walked by, that palm reader jolted backwards like as if i had slapped her hard. Yet it was more than that, it was like this electrical force had jolted her back in pain and I don't even know if she as a human knew what had just happened to her. I was so surprised at her reaction and yet i instantly knew what had happened; I hadn't said a word to her. I hadn't touched her. I hadn't made eye contact with her. I hadn't avoided looking at her, I was just nonchalantly walking by thinking about FOOD, but I KNEW what had just happened!!! The spirit inside of her had felt the Holy Ghost inside of me and did not want to be near God's spirit.
.
That moment has stood out to me as another moment of JUST HOW POWERFUL GOD IS!!! But more than that, was the correlation between the two events. In the first God's power pinned me down and I had no control but in the second, unbeknownst to me as to what was going to happen, the power inside of me to authority over a palm reader. When we get the Holy Ghost, that SAME POWER that pinned me to the ground and I had no control over is literally living inside of us. Oh yes, I know the Holy Ghost is the spirit of God living inside of us. Buuuuuut do we ever stop to think about how much power we have living inside of us as well???
.
"Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,"
(Ephesians 3:20)
.
So often we forget with this scripture that it also says, ACCORDING TO THE POWER THAT WORKETH IN US...We have that same spirit that makes demons jump back and tremble LIVING IN US!!! We have the power of God but we don't even realize it! We live our lives not realizing that we have power and authority in the Holy Ghost, and the devil likes that, BUT GOD wants us to tap into His power in our lives. If you have the Holy Ghost, YOU ARE NOT A WEALKING!!!! Ask God to help you to realize his awesomeness, his power in this world and his power living inside of you! Ask him to help you to not just let that power sit there but to us that power in your life to live an overcoming, victorious life and also to use it to bring more souls into His kingdom!!!
.
"Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee... For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." (2 Timothy 1:6-7)
♥Mary Frances :)
