Paraclete

Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

                           1 Corinthians 3:16

And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever

                           John 14:16

About 11 years ago, I was standing in church listening to Pastor Kevin read a passage from Romans on being led by the Spirit. I recall bursting into tears to the point where I had to escape to the restroom to try to collect myself, and I admit that I was in there a long time, trying to figure out why I was crying, and why I was crying so desolately. The only reason that kept coming to mind was that I had not experienced being led by the Spirit and something deep inside of me longed for such an experience. The next day, after talking with Kevin, I started reading The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit by R.A. Torrey, beginning a beautiful relationship with the Third Person of the Trinity.

Torrey tells us that there are at least 25 different names used in the Old and New Testaments for the Holy Spirit. Some of them include The Spirit of God, of Jehovah, of the Living God, of Jesus Christ; the Oil of Gladness; the Spirit of Grace, of Grace and Supplication, and my favorite: the Comforter. We find the reference to the Comforter primarily in the book of John. The simple translation of the Greek word παράκλητος is Paraclete (or Parakleetos or Parakletos), and it means “one called alongside”—as Torrey puts it “that is one called to stand constantly by one’s side and who is ever ready to stand by us and take our part in everything in which his help is needed. It is a wonderfully tender and expressive name for the Holy Spirit.”

He is our constant companion, our divine best Friend who convicts us and holds us accountable, and walks with us as we experience the smooth roads and the trials. He is all-encompassing, reminding us that we are never alone. How utterly blessed are we to have Him as our Friend?

And yet…as it is with relationships, we can often lose focus on that friendship, especially when the busyness of the world elbows its way into our daily lives and becomes a routine. I do make it a point to get up early before the workouts and the workdays and spend time with Him, and I am successful on most days to do so. And boy howdy, am I blessed by His presence, communing with Him in prayer and the study of His word. The minute the clock indicates that it’s time to work out and then rush to prepare for the day ahead, I admit that the warmth of the companionship fades into the mental and physical preparation for the task at hand. I allow the work calendar to drive my day, each meeting’s subject and takeaways to commandeer more of my mental faculties. Each morning I pray that He will help me be more aware of His presence, knowing that it will take a supernatural act for that to happen. However, I am not blind to the fact that, as with any relationship, I have a part to play in it as well. I must be an active participant for the relationship to thrive and for my spiritual maturity to blossom.

It occurred to me one morning as I was praying that perhaps I could be more aware of His presence if I were to think of Him as my Paraclete—as He by my side, His constancy assured. It is a mindset I am excited to try, and I am joyously hopeful that it will help.

I’d be curious to know how you maintain that connection with Him throughout the day—please let me hear from you if you’re willing to share!

Prayer Requests

·      Praise for God bringing us Skylar and Erica Weber, to lead our contemporary worship service and work with our youth

·      For us to be the disciples He has commissioned us to be

·      For the Lord to comfort and heal the hearts of those who carry worry and anxiety  

·      For pastors and leaders in the church, as we sense the Lord moving in our church!  

Like I said, it is a blessing to have His constant presence with us. As Torrey so eloquently states, “To have as one’s ever-present Friend, and to be conscious that one has as his ever-present Friend, the Holy Spirit and to surrender one’s life in all its departments entirely to His control, this is true Christian living.”

Quotes

“Winners of souls must first be weepers for souls.”  Charles Spurgeon

“God’s plan for you is bigger than your mistakes.”