Praying in the Spirit Has Expanded My Knowledge of God's Love for Me

"20But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, 21Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life." (Jude 20-21)

Praying in tongues, or praying in the spirit builds us up. It's not just limit to our spirit, but to our mind and body, too!

I have been praying more and more in the Spirit for the last few weeks, and especially so when I am doing Cal-Trans assignments or waiting for long periods during breaks.

I think this is one of the reasons why my heart has been warming up so much, and why I have an increasing love for the boys I work with.

Praying the Spirit has made me more sensitive to God's love for me.

I am less interested in dealing with sexual issues, and more interested in just receiving more and more of His love for me.

Keep praying the Spirit, folks! That is how you and I get set free from all sorts of bondages in our lives!

I see His love as everpresent now. It cannot be taken away from me nor fall away from me. His love is palpable, real, unmistakable. It's not leaving, it's not departing, it's not something that I have to fight for.

Jesus, thank you for being patient with me, for working with me through everything that I have endured. After all these years, I really am learning that I did not know how loved I was! I never realized it. I was never taught to see how important it is to know that you love me, that you have never fallen away, never departed from me! This is so incredible, and I am so grateful that you continued to be patient with me all this time.

Thank you so much.

Indeed, I am writing this statement, based in part from what I learned in a sermon delivered by Bob George a few years before he died.

When we Christians go through hard times, we get to see more of God's love for us, His favor working in our lives in spite of the strained difficulties imposed on us. That is incredible. Once we pass through those hardships, we look back and declare "I would not have had it any other way!"

Indeed, I can say the same thing right now.

The health hardship was necessary so that I could break free of the crippling habits that were making more tired, less active, less effective.

So many internal battles are falling away, faster and faster than ever.

I have so much energy now. I feel younger at 38 than when I was 28.

I have a greater warmth within me, too. I am so full of love. I know more of how much my Daddy God loves me, and I am spending less and less time fixing my bad thoughts and feelings. I am spending more time fixing my thoughts and feelings on Him who has been from the beginning!

I am in love with Him because I realize how much He is in love with me.

It has become even easier to pray in the Spirit. It has become even easier to trust Him to take care of me, to take care of every need, every concern before me. It's easier to focus, it's easier to get things done. It's easier to work on tasks. I don't lose my temper as much. I don't feel the need to fight fights in my mind and emotions anymore.

It's great, and it's getting better. I truly believe that God's favor is reigning in me, and because of Him I am reigning in life (Romans 5:17).