The Wind of The Holy Spirit: It Realigns

Many people know that the Holy Spirit is our inner witness as Christians.  He confirms in our spirits what's good, what's bad, what's from God, and what's not.  

But God is in us and around us!  His Spirit may give us an outer witness as well (for more on this topic, see here).  Sometimes, He comes as a wind!  Sometimes, He comes as a rain.  And sometimes, He comes as that still, small voice--that inner witness that so many may be more familiar with.  

Whether God is moving in spiritual or natural realms, His Spirit can be likened to a wind.  And either way, this wind can realign, redirect, and re-inspire us as we walk through the path of our life--as we walk through His will.

Sometimes I'll be walking along, and God will send in a wind and steer me towards some other direction.  It's a blessed assurance!  It's Him telling me where He wants me to go.  "This is the way, walk in it" (Isaiah 30:21)  He's in control, and He manipulates His creation in order to speak.

In the spiritual realm, many things can steer us.  Thoughts can steer us.  Mental patterns can steer us.  And words can steer us--words steer us just as a ship is turned by the smallest of rudders (James 3:4).  People and situations can keep us distracted by the natural world--leaving us unable to navigate through the essence of God's spiritual character and spiritual will for our lives.

The solution for us is to make God's words our words.  To make His prayers our prayers.  To make His Word, the Bible, the dictate of our thoughts, speech, and action.  

We need to realize that the Holy Spirit wants to be our only guide.  God wants His power to be the only thing that propels us into the future.  If we are in trouble, if we are desperate, if we need to see breakthrough happen, then we need to let the Spirit lead us onwards into a place of rest.  

If each of us can be likened to a ship--that's what the Word says-- then we need to have our tongue come into agreement with whatever direction has already been given by the Spirit of God.  It is His inspiration that backs us.  And it is our words that confirm Him.  It's time to say what He's said.

We can progress into God's perfect will sooner if we allow the wind of the Spirit flow unhindered.  And we do this by bringing the rudder of our ship--our tongue-- into alignment with Him.

So thoughts flow into words, and words flow into actions.  If we believe the Word of God, if we make His thoughts our thoughts, then our future becomes His.  That's when the passion of God flows out.  That's when the Spirit of God makes things exciting.  That's when blessings rest on us, and good things happen.  

We need to let Him realign us, so we can be walking in the promises.  We need to back His will with our words.  We need to allow God to steer us and propel us, without stifling His Spirit with our own thoughts or filters.  We need to let Him be our guide.

What About The "Outer Witness"?

In the book of Revelation, we have described to us two witnesses.  Now, this reference may be symbolic, it may be literal, it may be both.  Either way, I think that we can apply this concept to our own personal walk, too.  Recently the Lord has been speaking to us about what I'll call the 'outer witness' of the Holy Spirit.

"Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it."           Isaiah 30:21

We all know about the inner witness that God gives us.  It may come as a still, small voice.  It may come as a strong unction, or a supernatural knowing.  It may come as a conviction.  Now, keep in mind that God confirms Himself by two or three witnesses (2 Corinthians 13:1). So then, what about external witnesses?  What about confirmations and promptings outside of ourselves?  That's where the outer witness comes in.

"The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."         John 3:8

Remember that the Holy Spirit can be likened to a strong wind--a ruach (Hebrew).  And I find that the wind is a medium through which God's Spirit often shows Himself.  Many times, I'll be outside and God will use the natural wind to speak to me.  I'll get the inner witness--the Lord will prompt me to head inside, for example.  Then, just a few seconds later, the wind direction will change, and gently push me towards where God's word already had me headed.  This is an external confirmation, and it establishes what God has already set into motion.  It's the outer witness.

Other times, the Holy Spirit may manifest as wind--inside! This is more rare (at least in my experience).
But sometimes, there comes into a room a supernatural and completely unexplainable wind.  What is it?  It's a sign!  It's a sign that the presence of the Spirit has come in.  I've noticed this happens must often in church.  But the Lord may do this anywhere!

Beyond wind, there are many other ways that God speaks through nature.  All creation serves to praise Him! And beyond that, there are many other ways that He gives an outer witness.  He my confirm Himself through another Christian, through a close friend, or even through something that an unsaved stranger says.  He may 'establish a matter' through a billboard's message, through a license plate, or through a street sign.  The possibilities are endless!  And all of these things are gifts from above, sent down from the Father to confirm His word.

We who are near God are commanded to acknowledge His power (Isaiah 33:13).  As believers, God wants us to have out faith built up by His outer witness.  He wants His Spirit within us to be communing, to be one, with His Spirit's working around us.  He wants us to grow from faith to faith.  The Lord wants to accomplish in us what He's already done among us.  He wants to have us walk into the establishment of His word.

All About Visions: Intercession

So, this marks the last post (for now!) in this "All About Visions" series.  And I wanted to describe one of the most wonderful and common ways that the Lord gives visions.  Often, we receive a vision for intercession!  We receive from God a vision and it's message so we know how to specifically intercede.

Intercession is wonderful even if we don't know what to pray for.  God is still pleased!  However, Spirit led intercession is the best.  We pray through the struggles of others, as God reveals to us just what those are.  And one of the easiest ways for us to conceptualize Him--His thoughts towards whoever we're praying for-- is through a vision, sent by Him!

So, we pray through another's trials for ourselves, until we have attained to spiritual rest. When you're in the Spirit, you just know when it's time to fight.  Conversely, you also just know when the faith comes in and the battle's already been won.  Sometimes God moves into victory very quickly!  So it's important to be attuned to His heart.

Let's say you're praying for your friend.  And you see a turtle swimming for part of your prayer. Visions for intercession, like always, fall into several (broad) categories.  Also like always, they may have more than one meaning:

1) There is some Christian symbolism here--you're friend is the sea turtle

2) There is some Christian symbolism here--someone in your friend's life is the sea turtle

3) This is a literal vision--maybe your friend loves turtles, or just lost their pet turtle

OK, most visions are not meant to be interpreted physically or literally--especially when it comes to intercession.  But since God gave the vision, we need to look back to Him for the interpretation, also. God may give a vision and speak a word, but He may just give the vision, because He wants you to ask Him to speak a word.  This is where relationship with the Holy Spirit comes in.  We need an accurate inner witness.  Anyways...

So...vision, interpretation, now what?  Well, then we can pray!  Based on what God revealed, there will be things to pray for, or things to pray against, or things to pray into.  There may be things to simply thank God for--things that He's already done.  There are many variables here, but He can lead during this also! All we need to do is pray according to His will.  All we need to do is ask Him to bring Heaven down onto earth.

With the Lord's leading--with visions and insights from Him--intercession can be done from a point of victory.  We don't have to struggle in the flesh!  We don't (necessarily) need to go on and on with long, general prayers.  We don't need to fight or worry, thinking that our mind is going to wander. We can be in a place of spiritual rest, knowing that all we need to do is repeat after God.

Now, there's many places for long prayers, but what I am saying is that one minute with God's passion is often enough.  One minute under the power and influence of the Holy Spirit--one minute of targeted intercession--is enough.  You'll already feel the victory!  You'll feel the heart of God stirring up to carry out justice.

Intercession is meant to be a joy, not a burden.  For me, it used to be a burden--until I yielded to God's love for another!  That's when He made His love my own.  And that's when passion came. That's when visions and revelations came!  And that's when I knew what it pleased Him to pray for.