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The Lord led me on a wonderful bible study last week regarding the Spirit. I stumbled on Hosea 4:12 that says, “My people consult a wooden idol, and a diviner’s rod speaks to them. A spirit of prostitution leads them astray; they are unfaithful to their God” (NIV). Right away my eyes fell on spirit of prostitution. In the prior verses, Hosea states that the priests, prophets, and people were sinning to the point of destruction. The spirit of prostitution that was on them and they were unable or unwilling to overcome it.
A spirit can simply be defined as an angel or a demon. Dictionary.com further defines it as a divine influence working in the human heart, feelings, or mood. The people who Hosea was addressing had a heart for prostitution and adultery.
When we are baptized as believers, we are filled with the Holy Spirit. In Acts 2:38, after Peter informs the crowd that they crucified Jesus he says, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
Although we have this amazing gift of the Holy Spirit, we are not accessing the power that the Spirit possesses. Instead, we are functioning on our own human spirit. The human spirit was contaminated when Adam and Eve ate the apple. When they physically consumed the apple, they accessed the sinful nature of mankind.
The Spirit of the Lord is embodied with power. In Exodus 35:30-35, Moses conveyed to the Israelites that the Spirit of the Lord had been given to the chosen people: “Then Moses said to the Israelites, “See, the Lord has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 31 and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills— 32 to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, 33 to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic crafts. 34 And he has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others. 35 He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers—all of them skilled workers and designers”
These men are examples of being filled with the Spirit of the Lord and were given wisdom, understanding, knowledge and all kinds of skills. When we possess the Spirit of the Lord we have access to His power and these gifts too. What spirit are we accessing and why? Is it a human spirit or the Spirit of the Lord? Is it spirit we need to overcome or are we unwilling to do so?
Honestly as of late and in addition to the usual demands of life, I have felt a spirit of tension and fear as the holidays approach. In general, I fear the unexpected. Since we have moved away from our family, our holidays will be different and I do not know what to expect. There are no travel plans as usual. There are just things on my heart that I have to deal with because the human spirit tries to rule me. These are spirits that I constantly have to battle against and rebuke. The sinful human spirits take our power away. It is important to be on guard, read the Word, and stay prayed up.
I have learned to extend an invitation to God in prayer to please grant me a willing spirit to sustain me. My prayers access the Spirit’s power. If I commit my spirit to him he will rescue me. Therefore, I have to believe that the holidays will be just as wonderful because God planned it all out in advance.
Here are a few biblical references to those human spirits that we need to pray off of us.
Evil/Impure Spirits- Mark 3:11; Mark 5:2-8, Mark 7:25, 1 Timothy 4:1
Embittered Spirit – 1 Samuel 30:6; Psalm 73:21-22
Haughty Spirit- Proverbs 16:18
Anger- Ecclesiastes 7:9
In obedience, we should commit our spirit to the Lord. Our goal is live our life by the Spirit and work toward gaining the fruits of the Spirit (Romans 8:41). In doing so, our spirit can be a lamp God uses to light someone’s path. Fred Hammond’s When the Spirit of the Lord song says, “When the spirit of the lord comes upon my heart, I will dance like David danced.” Start dancing, singing, and praying today and let that song led you into accessing a godly spirit.
Prayer Starter
Heavenly Father, I want and need the power of Your Spirit. Please attend to me as I fight off the human spirit that drives me to feel fear, anger, bitterness, pride, and a multitude of sinful spirits. Help me not to succumb and dwell in the negativity around me day after day. I believe you have good plans for me and want the best for me. You have plans to prosper me and give me a future. Your love for me has no limits. In Jesus’ name I pray for your Spirit of wisdom, understanding, and knowledge to come upon me this day and every day. Amen!
THE VOICE OF HOPE 
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