Are You Truly Engaging Holy Spirit When You Worship and Pray? - KATHERINE RUONALA CHARISMA MAGAZINE SPIRTLED WOMAN

But then I realized I was singing, "I love You," with my mouth but not with my heart. (Flickr/D Coetzee)

Are You Truly Engaging Holy Spirit When You Worship and Pray?

8/6/2017 KATHERINE RUONALA  CHARISMA MAGAZINE  SPIRTLED WOMAN

Years ago, when I was a backup singer on a worship team, I would be concentrating so much on singing the right part that I would sometimes forget I was meant to be worshipping. It's easy for a music teacher and a perfectionist to get focused on harmonies and pitch. One day I was singing away and heard the Holy Spirit say, "Who are you singing to?"

"You, Lord," I answered. But then I realized I was singing, "I love You," with my mouth but not with my heart. I absolutely loved Him in my heart, so that wasn't the problem, but I was having a conversation with Him without being conscious of what I was saying. I made a decision at that moment never to do that again. I told the Lord I never wanted to sing another worship song without being aware of to whom I was singing, the sincerity of my words, and the reality of His presence.

Imagine what that would be like with my husband. "Um, yeah, you're awesome, Tom," as I look around and occupy myself with other things. "Really great ... I appreciate you so much," while I yawn and check my e-mail. That's a bit strange, isn't it? It doesn't demonstrate sincerity or a desire for connection. That's what happens when we think we are worshipping but don't focus on God. I think that especially happens with the Holy Spirit, who can sometimes seem like the mysterious, forgotten member of the Trinity. The Father and Son can seem easier to relate to. We have natural fathers and sons in this world, so the concepts of God the Father and God the Son make sense to us. But what about the Holy Spirit? He loves our attention too, and He very often doesn't receive it.

I don't want to grieve the Holy Spirit in any way. I know He doesn't take offense easily; that's a wonderful thing about God. "God is love," and love is not easily offended (1 John 4:8; 1 Cor. 13:5). The Holy Spirit is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Even when I have at times drifted from truth, He remained constant and kind. He is patient and understanding. He doesn't withdraw His love. We can worship by faith, believing that as we come to worship, He is always so happy to be engaging with us. Because Jesus has made us clean and pure by His blood, we can always approach the throne of grace.

I want my relationship with the Holy Spirit to be about much more than coexisting. I don't want to just mentally acknowledge His presence. I want deep, close companionship; the fullness of His power and love; His guidance and direction; His comfort and counsel; and so much more. I want to know and be deeply, passionately in love with the One who knows and is deeply, passionately in love with me. I want to do life with Him to fulfill every inch of my destiny and see His kingdom come on earth just as it is in heaven.

Do you feel the same way? You wouldn't be reading this if you didn't want these things too. This is what your heart was made for and what you've been longing for. The wonderful news is that the Holy Spirit wants to help you with everything. He wants to partner with you even more than you want to partner with Him. He wants your destiny in Him to be thoroughly, gloriously fulfilled.

The Holy Spirit wants to speak to your heart. He wants to encourage you, and He wants to refresh you. He wants to supernaturally expand your capacity to receive His love and demonstrate it to others. He wants you to move in His power. He wants to take you higher and higher into absolute, overwhelming joy. There is fullness of joy in His presence, and that's where you get to stand—you and Him together. A life surrendered to Him will change the world forever. Are you ready?

Adapted from Life With the Holy Spirit by Katherine Ruonala, copyright 2017, published by Charisma House-Charisma Media/Charisma House Book Group. If you are hungry for true fellowship with God, are eager to experience His power and want to work with Him in ministering to others, then this book is for you. It will help you know the One Jesus sent to comfort, teach, fill, empower and guide you to fulfill God's purpose, while experiencing the delight and benefits of having a meaningful relationship with Him. To order your copy click on this link.

Prayer Power for the Week of Aug. 6, 2017

This week, take some time to "pray in the Holy Spirit" so that you can immediately connect with the heart of God and His priorities for you, your loved ones, the nation and the world. Continue to pray for those in authority over us and ask the Lord to surround them with wise counsel and give them wisdom as they make decisions affecting us and the entire world. Remember those who have suffered loss through recent natural disasters, crime and/or terrorism. Ask the Lord to show you what you can do to help. Continue to pray for worldwide revival, those serving the people in our communities and nation, and our allies. Read: 1 Cor. 13:5; 1 John 4:8.

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3 Reasons Why you should read Life in the Spirit. 1) Get to know the Holy Spirit. 2) Learn to enter God's presence 3) Hear God's voice clearly! Click here to draw closer to God!

Lessons You Can Learn While in the Wilderness - KATHERINE RUONALA CHARISMA MAGAZINE

Lessons You Can Learn While in the Wilderness

 4/3/2016 KATHERINE RUONALA  charisma magazine

Your time in the wilderness can give you a powerful testimony. (iStock photo )

Time. That space between planting and harvesting, between promise and fulfillment. Living in a world where we are widely accustomed to instant gratification, the concept of having to wait can be frustrating. Yet if we understand the purpose and potential of these times, we can learn to cooperate with God and enjoy the journey.

Many live with a sense of destiny and promise but struggle to see how it can be fulfilled in the light of their present circumstances. That can be a frustrating situation, especially when they see how God is already moving in the lives of others. It invites all sorts of questions: Why not me? I know God has called me to greater things, so why do I feel stuck where I am? What am I doing wrong? When will God fulfill the promises He gave me?

This is a very common experience, and it can be disorienting if we don't understand what God is doing or know how to respond to it. Some people call it a "wilderness" and for good reason. Like Joseph in Egypt, the Israelites on the their way to the Promised Land, David in exile, and many other figures in Scripture, we are in the midst of a process between calling and fulfillment. Through their experiences we are able to take hope in the truth that God will also bring us through whatever situation we may find ourselves in.

Jesus spent years waiting for God's timing in His life too. He didn't begin His ministry until He was about thirty (Luke 3:23) which means there were long years of waiting. He had a calling. He had a vision. And He had God's promises, but He was not yet walking in the fullness of what God called Him to do. He also had an actual wilderness experience in which He overcame temptation and was able to solidify the reality that God had spoken and could be trusted.

In the wilderness we have the same opportunity to have our trust in God's words tested and solidified until they become like iron in our soul. (See Psalm 105:18-19.)

The enemy came at Jesus in the wilderness with all sorts of temptations and distractions, doing everything he could to steer Him away from His purpose, distort His thinking, or question His identity. But when Jesus came out of the wilderness, He began ministering with power the world had never seen before.

A lot of Christian leaders and teachers are doing a great job equipping God's people for their calling, showing the way to walk in God's power, and casting vision. Not many talk about the process between promise and fulfillment or calling and destiny, so the wilderness can come as a shock to those who are unprepared.

I believe there is a great need in our time to understand the processes of God, the baptism of fire, and the joy and power of surrender. My personal journey included years of frustration and wondering what God was doing, but I learned to lean on Him in those times and came out with a relationship that could not be shaken. Whenever I teach on this, it seems to resonate with many people. Some remark on how rare it is to hear from speakers about their years of preparation and their behind the scenes stories of trials God has brought them through. Many are encouraged to know the process from wilderness to wonders.

I believe you can embrace your journey with fresh hope and perspective, and that not only will you survive the seasons between promise and fulfillment, but thrive in them. In fact, with the right kind of response, your wilderness season can become a time of accelerated growth and fruitfulness.

I hope that encourages you. Wilderness seasons are a great opportunity to lean on your Beloved and learn the deep things of His Spirit. You learn to anchor yourself in the One who gives you lasting joy. You learn to carry the peace of God in every situation because the Prince of Peace is within you. You learn not to let the wilderness or the enemy shape your identity because you find your identity entirely in Him.

In the wilderness we learn to dream God's dreams. We discover God as our source in every situation. We learn how to respond to temptation, injustice and pain. We not only endure obstacles and storms, we become victorious in them and rise above them. In the wilderness we learn to recognize divine invitation and wage war with the promises God has given to us. Regardless of what we are going through, in the wilderness we learn to find our delight in God alone.

God wants to be the glory and the lifter of your head in every situation (Ps. 3:3, KJV). No matter how difficult your circumstances may seem, He wants you to look up and see His glorious face. He wants to tell you how lovely, free, clean, and redeemed you are. God wants you to know you are the beloved apple of His eye and that He has created you to shine.

The wilderness cannot prevent you from shining. Jesus shone in His wilderness season and you can too. Jesus' wilderness experience became one of His greatest victories. That can be your testimony too. You are destined to shine just as He does and to walk in His power, doing even greater works than He did. And even if you are in the midst of a wilderness, that can begin right now.

Adapted from Wilderness to Wonders—Embracing the Power of Process by Katherine Ruonala, copyright 2015, published by Charisma House. This book examines the journey we take through wilderness seasons of test and trials, and emphasizes the importance of enduring the process.  You'll be encouraged to stand in faith for all God promised you when you see how God is for you, believes in you, and is making all things work for your good. To order your copy, click here.

Prayer Power for the Week of April 3, 2016

This week pray that the Lord will help you embrace your life's journey with fresh hope and perspective, so that not only will you survive the seasons between promise and fulfillment, but thrive in them. Ask Him to help you have the right kind of response, so that it can become a time of accelerated growth and fruitfulness. Continue to pray for those who lost loved ones during the recent terrorist attacks, and pray for the peace of Jerusalem and the protection of our nation and allies. Lift up our spiritual, civic and government leaders and pray for revival to spread across the land and around the world. (Ps. 3:3; 1 Thess. 5:16-18; 1 Tim. 2:1-3).

Draw closer to God. Experience the presence of the Holy Spirit every month as you read Charisma magazine. Sign up now to get Charisma for as low as $1 per issue.

Dare to go deeper in your faith. Our "Life in the Spirit" devotional takes you on a journey to explore who the Holy Spirit is, how to interact with Him, and how He works in your life. Are you ready to go deeper?

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"Positioning Yourself: We're in a Season of Great Acceleration" Katherine Ruonala

"Positioning Yourself: 
We're in a Season 
of Great Acceleration"

Katherine Ruonala, Brisbane, Australia

The Elijah List

We are coming into a season of great acceleration, and so much is happening that we need to be fully aware and fully awake to recognize and partner properly with this glorious season. What is happening now could be likened to the 1970s and the Jesus People Movement. During that season of acceleration and revival when so many were saved, the rain fell on the wheat and the tares, and just as the Church rapidly grew and the Good News spread, many cults and false teachings also were spawned.

So how do we prepare for such a season?

The Word of God is our anchor and with it the Holy Spirit will guide us through this glorious time. We need to read whole books of the Bible all the way through, not just the verses that we know and like. The book of Jude was written when the rapidly growing Christian Church was dealing with a lot of distractions: false teaching, divisive words, complaining, and more.

So Jude says, "But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life" (Jude 1:20-21). 

These are keys to keep us on the right course.

What Does It Mean to Keep Yourself in the Love of God?

It certainly can't mean that His love is still undecided about you so you'd better not lose it. His love doesn't change toward you. It is intense and powerful. Regardless of what you've done or how you feel about Him, He still loves you just the same. He loves you completely. He always has, and He always will. There is nothing any of us can do to earn it or to forfeit it. So to keep yourself in His love can't mean to maintain His love and make sure you don't lose it.

No, Jude is talking about positioning yourself to receive God's love—to experience it at a practical level. There's a war going on for your attention. God wants to see your face—to see your eyes gazing at Him, to lift your countenance, to make you shine, to fill you up with love so you can give His love to the "unlovely" of this world. 

He wants you to be completely absorbed in Him so you can come into union with Him and walk in the power of the Holy Ghost, loving and forgiving and being a catalyst for signs and wonders. (Photo via flickr)

When you overflow with His love, miracles begin to happen all around you. But the enemy is always trying to distract you and redirect your focus to all kinds of hassles and problems. He wants to fill your mind and heart with disturbing thoughts and feelings. 

He wants to get your attention and turn your face toward anything or anyone else but God. He wants to see you frown, get discouraged, and approach life with fear, the opposite of faith. Not only will this keep you from experiencing intimacy with God, it will also keep you from doing the works of Heaven.

So to keep yourself in the love of God is to deliberately position yourself where you can keep your focus on God and receive the love He wants to show you. 

And you really do have to be very deliberate about it because the distractions can be very persistent and intense. Time is the new money, and in this world of email, Facebook, Twitter, and mobile phones, it is easily spent.

Alone Time With Him

I need time alone with God to drink in His love and allow Him to restore my soul more than I need anything else. I need much more than just one focused time alone with Him a day. His love is my life source, and I want to live overflowing with His love. Faith works by love, and God is love, so it is in His love that we are to live and move and have our being.

To do that, we must learn to drink deeply, deliberately, and continuously from the river of His pleasure that flows with love for us. And we need more than just a sip, because God wants us to thrive, not just survive. We have the privilege of being infused with supernatural strength and joy, so drink deeply! (Photo via pixabay)

As Jude's instruction implies, there's a link between praying in the Holy Spirit, building ourselves up in faith, and keeping ourselves in the love of God. As we pray in the Spirit, the Holy Spirit enlarges our capacity to receive love and strengthens us so we can supernaturally comprehend it. He prays through us with power, cutting through clouds of confusion that the enemy tries to blind us with.

As we pray in tongues, the Holy Spirit prays through us and for us about things that are not naturally seen, going before us and making our path straight. He knows what we need to pray about and helps us in our weakness with perfect intercession. He unfolds mysteries to us. Revelation is downloaded into our hearts and the gifts are stirred up.

It is time to be praying in the Spirit, fellowshipping with God in his Word and seeking His face. That way we'll be ready for this next wave of glory!

Katherine Ruonala
Glory City Church

Email: info@glorycityChurch.com.au
Website: katherineruonala.com and glorycityChurch.com.au

Katherine Ruonala has a prophetic and healing ministry and travels internationally as a conference speaker bringing a message of love and hope to the nations. Katherine carries a strong prophetic and miracle anointing with many being instantly healed in her meetings. Katherine and Tom Ruonala are the founders and Senior Ministers of Glory City Church Brisbane and oversee the International Glory City Church planting network which has a growing number of churches both in the US and in Australia. Katherine is the founder and coordinator of the Australian Prophetic Council and serves on the Apostolic team of Harvest International Ministries. Katherine is author of the book "Living in the Miraculous: How God's Love is Expressed Through the Supernatural". Katherine and Tom have three beautiful children, Jessica, Emily and Joseph.

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From the desk of Steve Shultz:

Here is another confirming word about the "season of acceleration" that is upon us. Some great prophets are coming out of Australia, and one I've recently gotten to know is Katherine Ruonala. She's not new to the prophetic word but new to our Elijah List readers.

Katherine's article leads with this:

We are coming into a season of great acceleration, and so much is happening that we need to be fully aware and fully awake to recognize and partner properly with this glorious season. What is happening now could be likened to the 1970s and the Jesus People Movement. During that season of acceleration and revival when so many were saved, the rain fell on the wheat and the tares, and just as the Church rapidly grew and the Good News spread, many cults and false teachings also were spawned.

So how do we prepare for such a season?

Read about this and more in Katherine's latest word.

Blessings,

Steve

Note from Steve: By the way, to have daily, encouraging prophetic emails from The Elijah List sent to your inbox, just CLICK HERE.

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Steve Shultz, Founder and Publisher
The Elijah List & Breaking Christian News 

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