The Power of the Holy Spirit

Catherine Martin , who is the director of Womens Ministries at Southwest Community Church, founder of Quite Time Ministries, is an Author of many books , and her latest book is titled, "Set My Heart On Fire " (Experience the Power of the Holy Spirit )....she was the speaker at the Womens Retreat that I attended in Lake Arrowhead.........Also my Mom and I have been attending a 4 week Bible study on Thursday mornings........where Catherine has been speaking in depth on this book. Wow, it has been good. Being filled with the power of the Holy Spirit is the only way to experience abundant life........He can take away years of bitterness and set a heart free from the load of cares.......He can comfort pain like nothing else ........He can bring Peace even in the toughest struggle......He can give us Love for the unlovable........He can guide us with knowledge..........He can give us Joy in spite of our circumstances....He can give us self control .......He can make us aware of sin in our life that we don't even realize we have..........When we ask God to fill us with His Holy Spirit , and then surrender to His lead, we can do things and experience life that we never thought was possible.......and would not be possible on our own. Jesus said in Luke 11:9-13
"And I say to you, ask and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, an it shall be opened to you. " For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks , finds; and to him who knocks, it shall be opened. "Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? "Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he? "If you then, being evil , know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him? "
The Holy Spirit is a gift from our Heavenly Father.......He is with us when we ask Jesus to be our Savior........ We need to ask to receive the filling of Gods Holy Spirit day by day and learn to surrender our weaknesses to Him.............and when we do we are plugged in to the full power .....not just giving the Holy Spirit a tiny place in our hearts to have.......that is not living abundantly.....not being filled up and surrendered to His power is like setting out to sail a sail boat with no wind.....or trying to sail against the wind.......that won't get us very far.......but day by day as we learn to surrender and allow the Holy Spirit to fill us with His Power and listen to the things that the Holy Spirit will tell us , we then produce the evidence of having the Holy Spirit......the fruit of the Spirit.....Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness,Gentleness, Self Control..........It is a daily struggle with the flesh ....as sometimes we want to do it our way on our own without His power and guidance.........but if we position our sails .....,by reading Gods Word and listening and being obedient to His will , Praying ,worshiping God, confessing our sins ......when we mess up asking Him for forgiveness in the name of the Lord Jesus ...........and asking for God to fill us with the Holy Spirit,.....then the mighty wind of the Holy Spirit will power us in the right path for smooth sailing..........and Powerful Abundant life.