We've Got It All

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. (2 Peter 1:3)

Peter knew this firsthand by having been near Jesus. He walked on the water as he drew near to Christ; He said, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God" by divine revelation (Matt 16:13-17). When he was away from Jesus, he denied Him. However, when Christ left the earth in His ascension, Peter remained powerful, preaching the hard truths of the Gospel (Acts 2), healing the lame (Acts 3), and remaining strong under persecution (Acts 4). How, you might ask? "He was filled with the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:4).

In the same way, so we can be filled powerfully with the Holy Spirit, since He indwells us (1 Cor 6:19). Do you pray, "God, give me more love for so-and-so," when Romans 5:5 says "the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts?" Do you ask, "God, I need more grace," when 2 Corinthians 12:9 promises this His grace is sufficient? Do we pray, "Lord, give me more strength," knowing that Philippians 4:13 says that we can do all things through Him, regardless of our circumstance?

As we seek an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, may we know indeed that we've been given everything we need for life and godliness. We need only tap the source of our strength, our knowledge of Him. I would encourage you, then, to get in the Word. We want to know Him, we want to see Him, we want to understand His will. What better way than to drink deeply of His Word?

One way to do that is to read over and over again portions of Scripture, until it saturates your mind, so that you do the will of God without much thought, as it is ingrained in you. John MacArthur, which much of this is excerpted from (in Found: God's Will) recommends reading 1 John every day for 30 days, and then a 1/3 of John's gospel for 30 days, and so on. Can you imagine how much of God's Word, and will, you would absorb with that kind of exposure? Be encouraged.