Communing with God

Communing with God Communing with God: To lead believers into a lifestyle of communing with God for the purpose of buil

05/24/2026

Trying to control our flesh through an external system of do’s and don’ts will not change our behavior. True change is only possible when a vibrant connection to the Spirit of God brings about a deep rebuilding of our character. Only through God’s indwelling presence can our conscience ever become healthy. Our conscience has tremendous influence on the will, which in turn guides the thoughts and feelings of our mind. It directs our actions from within—standing firm no matter what we find facing us.

A lifestyle of communing with God is the key to transformation. Vibrancy in any relationship comes as the result of intimacy—it has to be real; it must be alive! What’s really awesome is that when we get close to God we can expect to grow into all He has planned for us. And yet we so often stubbornly refuse it. Why is that? It’s because we’re all wrapped up in ourselves.

From Free from the Power of Sin: the Keys to Growing in God in Spite of Yourself

05/17/2026

While trying to change our behavior by disciplining the body has some value, it ultimately never produces the desired result. This is because it merely treats the symptoms—not the disease itself. And not only that, it leads to heaping on a load of guilt when it fails to work. By its very nature, this strategy is doomed to failure because it simply bucks God’s design. His life flows not from the works of the flesh, but from the Spirit of God surging through our spirit.

The same goes for depending on our intellect. But doesn’t gaining more knowledge about God mean that our heart will change in the process? To some degree it does. It’s important, but that’s not what we need most! God’s strategy is centered on our opportunity to commune with Him. Genuine change in our heart results from the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit bringing our spirit alive to Him.

From Free from the Power of Sin: the Keys to Growing in God in Spite of Yourself

05/10/2026

We can’t fully appreciate what it means to be alive in our spirit until we understand what it means to be spiritually dead. Being dead means that our connection to God is broken in such a way that communication with Him on a Spirit to spirit basis simply isn’t possible. Since the very definition of spiritual life is the sharing of God’s life, His presence within is our only lifeline.

Christ’s death on the cross paved the way for every person on earth to experience His indwelling presence. But though He offers it as a free gift, it doesn’t just happen automatically. We receive His gift only by our willingness to turn from our own selfish desires—our sin—and then put Him in charge by making him the Lord of our life. If you haven’t already taken this step, do it now! God will keep His word. You’ll be born again and enter a life you never dreamed possible.

From Free from the Power of Sin: the Keys to Growing in God in Spite of Yourself

05/03/2026

Man’s spiritual nature is God’s supreme gift, since through our spirit, and only through our spirit, are we able to commune with Him. Indeed, the opportunity for His indwelling presence is the reason our spirit exists. Our spirit has been fashioned in such a way as to provide the Holy Spirit a dwelling place within. God actually takes up residence in our spirit as we allow Him to do so. Because He has given us the capacity of free will, God lives within us only as an invited guest.

I’m sure you’ve heard it said that within each person there is a God-shaped vacuum which only He can fill. That place is our spirit. Without the inhabiting presence of God, our spirit is simply dead—and therefore purposeless. God’s presence within our spirit is the basis not only for communion with Him, but also lays the foundation for fulfilling the purpose for which we were created: eternal life in Him.

From Free from the Power of Sin: the Keys to Growing in God in Spite of Yourself

04/19/2026

The Bible often uses the term flesh to illustrate what Jesus strongly warned against: “the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.” Here the term flesh is used to describe that part of our nature which stands in contrast to our spirit. It is the carnal nature of man, the root of our sinful passions. Our flesh encompasses body, mind and soul—that part of us which is able to function without ever submitting to God.

It’s very important to understand that the flesh follows us into our new life in God. It continues to have a life of its own, even as our spirit is reborn and made alive. Regardless of the fact that we’re now focused on the desire of the Spirit, we find ourselves constantly embroiled in a battle with the desires of our flesh, as Paul so emphatically states in Galatians 5:17. Thank God there’s help!

From Free from the Power of Sin: the Keys to Growing in God in Spite of Yourself

04/12/2026

Understanding our nature is tremendously helpful as we strive for spiritual growth. Why are we the way we are? Curiosity drove me to examine myself, because my behavior seemed to prove that I was a very different person than what I thought I should be. God knows who we really are. When He said, “Let Us make man in Our image,” He unveiled His purpose for all of creation.

We often think of our spirit as being our true identity as human beings. But being a person means a whole lot more than having to endure a physical body before our spirit is cut loose to inhabit eternity with God. Man is a complex mixture of body, soul and spirit—anything less simply means being less than human. We are none other than the pinnacle of God’s created order! And His plan demanded that we be fashioned in a specific way, since He could accomplish His eternal purpose by no other means.

From Free from the Power of Sin: the Keys to Growing in God in Spite of Yourself CommuningWithGod.org

04/05/2026

Because suffering plays such a vital role in God’s destiny for us, we can’t just sweep it under the rug. It’s tremendously helpful not only to understand suffering, but to embrace it as well. God wants us to experience joy and fulfillment, and even lots of pleasure as we live our lives for Him. But He did not create us for earthly happiness alone, no matter how bountiful life here might turn out to be.

It doesn’t matter what wealth or prestige we gain in life, or even how wonderful our relationships might be. Mature Christians know that none of this holds a candle to what we’ve really been designed for. None of us are exempt from the challenges and hardships that inevitably come our way. Trials are common to all believers. But it’s certainly not due to lack of interest on God’s part. Just the opposite, actually: He allows suffering because He deeply cares about us.

From Free from the Power of Sin: the Keys to Growing in God in Spite of Yourself

03/29/2026

Why does God allow us to encounter so much conflict and hardship in life? How does it all fit in with His plan to bring us into union with Him? Choice is the answer!
Our redemption does not merely rest on our initial decision to make Jesus Lord of our life. It’s true that receiving Christ as Lord is the bedrock of our salvation, but our relationship with Him is built on a series of decisions we make over the course of a lifetime. And because life’s circumstances are tough, these choices are rarely easy. God allowed sin to exist for this very reason.
If God had designed things so that it would be easy to follow Him, our choices would have little meaning. Our pursuit of Jesus, while forsaking our own selfish desires, is what He wants. And He’s created the ideal system to measure our progress—life here on earth.

From Free from the Power of Sin: the Keys to Growing in God in Spite of Yourself

03/22/2026

Scripture says that God “conforms us to the image of His Son, so that Jesus would be the firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29). Think about the implications of this incredible statement. Considered to be His brothers and sisters? Really? We like to describe our faith as a relationship rather than a religion. So we talk about having a personal relationship with Jesus (sometimes kind of flippantly). How often do we stop to think about what that really means?
Well, I wholeheartedly agree with the concept of personal relationship with Christ, but I’d like to add something. What Jesus has going with us is not merely relationship: it’s RELATIONSHIP—a powerful, intimate, living relationship in which we are welcomed to share in the very life of God Himself. But this raises a question: given the magnitude of the glory set before us, why would God create us like He did? Why this flesh with its countless problems?

03/15/2026

Millions of Christians have been lulled into thinking that God’s purpose for us boils down to little more than a fulfilling life on earth with the added bonus of a heavenly reward later. With this mindset, it’s only natural to focus on what God can do for us here and now. While this belief fits in neatly with our human appetites and ambitions, it merely serves to derail our spiritual growth. This clever deception of the enemy has always been a blight on believers—all the more so in this age of prosperity.
Life is really all about glorifying and enjoying God. And He also wants to enjoy us. In His infinite wisdom, He’s engineered a program to accomplish both goals. In what way might God enjoy us as fully as we enjoy Him? By making us His very own sons and daughters. God fashioned us the way He has, frailties and all, to accomplish this very purpose.

From Free from the Power of Sin: the Keys to Growing in God in Spite of Yourself

03/08/2026

“Dad, I’ve always felt I was destined to do something great,” my son once told me. Pretty cool, huh? It spoke volumes about our God-given ability to dream. Dreaming can be rooted in the pride within us all, but I think it goes deeper than that—much deeper.
Why does fantasy come so easily to us? Is it just for fun, or merely an escape from reality? Possibly. But just maybe we’re reaching into the very depths of our being, into the realm of the Spirit—tasting a little of God’s ultimate purpose for us.
Have you sensed being cut out for something great—that you truly are more than what you appear to be? Of course you have! If nothing else, it took place as a child. It happened before the rigors of life smothered it—before you decided that it was more reasonable to settle for the mediocre. That sense of purpose can be reenergized.

From: Free from the Power of Sin: the Keys to Growing in God in Spite of Yourself

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