THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE SPIRIT

07/09/2024

"And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him” (Luke 15:20).

If you study the parable of the prodigal son very closely, you will find that fellowship is more important to God than holy conduct. This does not, by any means, discount the importance of conducting yourself in a holy manner. Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). Part of His commandments is that we be holy. 1 Peter 1:15 says, “…as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct…”

However, fellowship takes precedence over holiness because if you fellowship rightly, holiness will naturally follow. So what is fellowship, and how does it apply to the Holy Spirit, particularly as the Bible refers to the concept called the fellowship of the Holy Spirit? Fellowship refers to an exchange. In the context of the Holy Spirit, it means an exchange of attention. You attend to the Lord through prayer and sensitivity to His mood, voice, and movements, and He attends to you, especially concerning your destiny, with promptings, signs, and instructions.

The fellowship of the Spirit ought to be a constant feature of the Christian life, just as the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of the Father abide with the believer. From the standpoint of the Christian, there is a role to play in this fellowship. 2 Corinthians 3:14 says, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with all of you.” In other words, the attentiveness of the Holy Spirit to you should be matched by your reciprocal attentiveness to Him. This means you can know Him as intimately as He knows you. This is His ever-abiding invitation to all who believe in Jesus Christ.

On a moment-by-moment basis, you share your thoughts with Him and remain sensitive to His thoughts concerning you as an exercise of your oneness with Him. Remember that 1 Corinthians 6:17 says, “But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.” According to this scripture, your spirit is indistinguishable from the Holy Spirit, yet many in the Church act without this awareness and incur various losses.

As you give the Holy Spirit heartfelt attention through prayer and study, waiting for His voice, your awareness of God’s agenda will be up-to-the-moment. Nothing of the Lord will be hidden from you, so your decisions will always be accurate. As Jesus said, “He [the Holy Spirit] will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you” (John 16:14).

This is why your fellowship with the Spirit ought to include eliminating distractions when you pray and study, fully immersing yourself in the Spirit during those moments.

Make a practice of disengaging from the world and its motions when you pray or study, and you will enhance your capacity to fellowship with the Holy Spirit.

Have a great day!

Faith-Filled Confession:

I am one with the Holy Spirit. He lives in me as I live in Him. Our inseparability is enhanced by how much attention I give Him in prayer and study so that whatever is on His mind concerning His destiny for me is on my mind too. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Prayer Direction

Colossians 1:9-12 says, “For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and long suffering with joyfulness; Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.”

• Pray specially for saints of God around the world, that they will stand firm in all the will of God, the Word abiding in them continually and increasingly, causing them to walk in the fullness of their inheritance in Christ (Colossians 1:9-12).

• Pray that believers in Christ walk in the revelation of the love of God in increasing measure, bearing fruit in every good work, and fulfilling their purpose without reproach (Jude 1:24-25).

• Pray for those facing challenges in their faith, and for those whom Satan is stirring off the course of their calling in Christ through various temptations and trials. Pray that their faith will not fail, that they will be strengthened by the Spirit in their inner man, triumphing by the Word sown in their hearts and that their faith will prevail in all circumstances.
  

• Declare that they hold fast to their calling, living in and by the Word, irrespective of circumstances, that they may finish their course with joy, bringing glory to the Father in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
  

One-Year Bible Reading Plan: Job 40-42; Acts 15:22-41