Faith’s Residence and Strength – The Spirit When information that awakens belief and hope is discovered, its faith is kept alive and motivational by more than just reviewing the information. The fire that drives faith is fanned and fueled in the spirit, the realm where power for overcoming the impossible is enabled. The belief that inspires the mouth to move mountains has been ignited and energized by a tangible activation of the promised reality in the spirit. Where the spirit is weakened, so are faith’s actions required for acquiring the promise. However, where the spirit is built up and its river of life is flowing with inspired words of faith, steps will be taken and walls climbed by faith that would have never been taken before. For this strengthening with faith’s power, Jesus sent us a gift of the Spirit. By accepting this free gift, we receive a divine source of inspiration for building the spirit with faith. If left to human thoughts and perceptions, faith from discovered promises may quickly lose all hope and become lifeless. In the activation of the Spirit gift, however, faith is built up with a tangible representation of the Source of all blessings. When the Holy Spirit fills the spirit with His inspired words, His thoughts and His vision overwhelm impossibilities with faith’s strength. Praying in the Spirit, for the one will live by faith, is the essential exercise for building the faith that will hold firm till the triumph’s stance. Residence of Faith: In the heart/spirit the Holy Spirit comes to dwell/empower by faith. Ezekiel 36:26-27 (NKJV) 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. Faith to believe is Spirit to spirit. Romans 8:15-16 (NLT) 15 So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” 16 For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. Not by the natural, but by the Spirit, is where faith’s power speaks from. Zechariah 4:6-7 (NKJV) 6 So he answered and said to me: "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the LORD of hosts. 7 'Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone With shouts of “Grace, grace to it!” ' " Spirit-strengthened spirits are filled with faith’s fullness. Ephesians 3:14-19 (NKJV) 14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. How Faith is Strengthened The power that is resident on the inside needs strength. Ephesians 6:10 (TLB) 10 Last of all I want to remind you that your strength must come from the Lord’s mighty power within you. Ephesians 6:17-18 (TLB) 17 And you will need the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit—which is the Word of God. 18 Pray all the time. Ask God for anything in line with the Holy Spirit’s wishes. … Not just a residence, but the source of faith’s life. John 7:38 (TLB) 38 For the Scriptures declare that rivers of living water shall flow from the inmost being of anyone who believes in me.” Demonstrations of faith by the power of the Spirit Acts 1:8 (NKJV) 8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." The river’s flow. Acts 2:4 (NKJV) 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Prayer in the Spirit builds faith’s power Jude 1:20 (TLB) 20 But you, dear friends, must build up your lives ever more strongly upon the foundation of our holy faith, learning to pray in the power and strength of the Holy Spirit. Prayer in the Spirit activates faith with tangible substance. Hebrews 11:1 (NKJV) 1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Effective Prayer God’s will has a voice by prayer in the Spirit. Romans 8:26-27 (NKJV) 26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. Provision Instruction of God’s provision through faith comes by the Spirit. 1 Corinthians 2:12-13 (NKJV) 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. 13 These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. Truth Guidance of Truth by the Spirit John 16:13 (NKJV) 13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. Faith’s rewards Being full of the Spirit produces strength for faith’s rewards. Acts 11:24 (TLB) 24 Barnabas was a kindly person, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith. As a result, large numbers of people were added to the Lord. God’s overwhelming flood flows by His Spirit’s breath spoken through His people worldwide. Isaiah 59:19 (TLB) 19 Then at last they will reverence and glorify the name of God from west to east. For he will come like a flood tide driven by Jehovah’s breath. Overview: It is the spirit of man that is recreated in Christ and a residence of the Holy Spirit. From the Holy Spirit-filled spirit flows faith-empowered rivers of life in God’s expressed will. Strength comes from the Spirit’s residence by the Word of God. Exercising Jesus’ gift by praying in the Holy Spirit strengthens and builds up the fire and motivation of faith’s power. Inspired by the Spirit, God’s will is expressed uninhibited to bring Truth, Direction, Provision, and Healing to any circumstance. As God's breath fills the spirit voices of His body across the world, He will be known in reverence and glory. Prayer: Father, fill me with the fullness of Your Spirit and occupy my heart completely with Your presence. Use me to declare Your perfect will from my mouth and flood the world around me with Your breath. Strengthen and empower my faith for Your demonstrations as Your Spirit flows through my words, thoughts, and actions. Declarations: I receive Jesus’ free gift of the Holy Spirit by releasing His inspired words from my spirit through my mouth. This prayer by the Spirit builds up my spirit, empowering my faith for God’s demonstrations of power. The Holy Spirit enables the perfect will of God as I pray according to the Word, and He brings revelation of Truth, Direction, and Provision to my life. When the enemy comes to kill, steal, and destroy, I participate in the Spirit’s overwhelming response as the flood of God’s voice breathes through me. I am empowered to live and witness to the newness of life in Christ as I walk empowered in spirit by the Spirit’s filling.