Intimacy With the Holy Spirit
(week 51/02)
Olubi Johnson
In addition to the knowledge of prayer and the Word (Hos. 4.6, 2 Pet.1.2), which we need to enter into perfection in this 3rd. day, we also need: to endure suffering (1 Pet. 4.1), by abounding in hope through the power of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 15.13). This is why it is necessary to develop intimacy with the person of the Holy Spirit.
Many Christians do not know or relate to the Holy Spirit as a person. The Holy Spirit is not just an anointing or a cloud or a dove. These are simply aspects of His manifest power or presence or character.
The Holy Spirit is a person. He is the 3rd. person of the Godhead. God is three persons but one God (Gen. 1. 26). The three persons of the Godhead are one in nature, character and power even though they are distinct persons. In fact, Jesus prayed for the members of the body of Christ to be one, even as the members of the Godhead are one: one in nature, character and power, but different individual persons (John. 17.22).
We need to develop intimacy with the Holy Spirit as a person so that all of our spiritual labour in prayer and the Word will not become mechanical and a drudgery, and so become fleshy works, but rather refreshing as they are done in conscious fellowship with presence of the person of the Holy Spirit.
Being a person, the Holy Spirit, like the Lord Jesus and God the Father, has a definite shape (John. 5.37) you can, and should, visualize as being present at your right hand constantly (Ps. 16.8, 121. 5).
By faith you should see this invisible being (Heb. 11. 27) at your right hand all the time. He is there to give you comfort, counsel, strength and encouragement (John. 14.26) especially when you are feeling weak or discouraged as you battle daily to overcome the flesh, the world and the devil.
Speaking in tongues is the physical, supernatural evidence of His invisible presence with and in us, just like the sound and pictures we hear and see on our TV and radio sets are the tangible, physical evidence of the invisible radio and TV waves. So praying in tongues often will help you to be more and more conscious of His presence and develop intimacy with Him.
To develop intimacy with Him, acknowledge Him in all you do, both spiritual and natural (Pr. 3. 5) everyday as you would a faithful and resourceful friend. Also give Him thanks constantly for His presence, comfort and help. This thanksgiving will cause you to abound (Col. 2.7) in the faith and so to be filled with the righteousness, peace and joy of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 14.17).
