We have about two hundred teens going on their Confirmation retreat this weekend. It takes literally hundreds of hours to prepare for this annual event, and I’ll be the first to admit it’s pretty exhausting. I’ll also be the first to say that it’s also exciting to watch the Holy Spirit at work.
I think most of us know that the Holy Spirit is a part of God. Through Scripture, we understand that the Holy Spirit was there in the beginning as a mighty wind (Gen. 1:1), and will be there at the end as life-giving water (Rev. 22:17). But sometimes, in the midst of our daily living, we miss the presence of the Holy Spirit. What can we do to change that?
The most obvious answer is through prayer. When we’re looking for answers, Jesus told us to turn to the Holy Spirit. “What you don’t know, the Advocate will explain to you” (John 14:26). Several years ago, there was a popular Christian song that had the line, “quit asking Oprah what to do” in it. Many people today are seeking answers to their questions in the wrong places. I know I do it all the time, but I’m trying to get better 🙂 We’re more comfortable turning to others rather than turning to God. That approach is hit or miss, and I think we’d be far better off spending more time in dialogue with God.
When you want to understand something, why don’t you pray to the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit has the answers to your questions. That’s the point we want to get across to our Confirmation students this weekend. The Holy Spirit doesn’t just show up on Pentecost, or on their Confirmation Day. He’s there, ready, willing and able, to help us each and every day of our lives.
Since that first Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles (Acts 2:1-4), the Holy Spirit has been with us as our Advocate and Guide. I’d like to encourage you to begin turning to Him more often.
I’m going to do another posting about the Holy Spirit on Sunday. I’ll give you some practical ways to develop your relationship with Him. In the meantime, please say a prayer for everyone on our retreat this weekend. I’ll be saying a prayer for you too, asking the Holy Spirit to reveal Himself to you in a new and deeper way.
On an unrelated note, this is my 300th post on Making All Things New, and each new post will bring me closer to our 1st anniversary on March 14th. Thanks to everyone for visiting this site! I’m very grateful for your support.
