The Spirit can work with you just like He did with Christ. The Holy Spirit was directly involved in every aspect of the life and ministry of the Son of God. He was involved in the conception of the Son of God (Luke 1:34-35). He was involved in the affirmation of the Son of God and His induction into ministry (Luke 3:21-22). Holy Spirit was also involved in the preparation, formation and training of the Son of God (Luke 4:1). Now we know that Jesus Christ was the firstborn Son, and as the first born of many to come, He became the pattern for all sons of God.

Just as the Holy Spirit was involved in every aspect of the Son of God, you too as a son of God must begin and end with the Holy Spirit. All your transactions of life must take place by the leading of the Holy Spirit. He has to initiate and empower your life and ministry. Because, while you may have the birth right of sons of God, you lack the stature of the sons of God. Therefore, the work of the Holy Spirit in your formation as a son of God is indispensable. And like Jesus, you should be living in perfect union with the Holy Spirit, which is the secret to knowing the heart and mind of God.  So, here are five ways to help you develop a working relationship with the Holy Spirit:

FIVE WAYS TO DEVELOP A WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT

1. Create a greater capacity in your spirit man for the Holy Spirit

We have unlimited capacity for containing the Holy Spirit. God designed human beings with enormous spiritual capacity and an ability to facilitate high volumes of spiritual activity. The Gadarene demoniac told Jesus that his name was ““Legion”, because many demons had entered him” (Luke 8:30). In Jesus day, the word legion referred to a battalion of 7000 Roman soldiers. This means that 7000 unclean spirits were present in this man, which shows us the spirit capacity of human beings. So, don’t underestimate the quantity and measure of how much of the Holy Spirit can live in you.

If the Son of God had the Holy Spirit in full measure (John 3:34), surely we as sons of God can likewise create greater capacity in our inner man to receive an increased measure of the Holy Spirit. In 2 Kings 4:1-7, the woman borrowed many jars and the jars came in various shapes and sizes, and all were filled with oil. The quantity of oil poured into each vessel was dependent on the capacity of the vessel. The larger the vessel, the greater the measure of oil.

2. Increase the duration and the strength of praying in tongues

Praying in tongues is a spiritual gift that God has freely bestowed on you. But, few Christians know how to capitalize and maximize this portal of grace. You must increase the time you spend praying in the Spirit. Increase your vocabulary too because praying in tongues is a language; it is not just the utterance of a few words or syllables. Learn how to become lost in the spirit world. The spirit realm is borderless and boundary-less. It is infinite and eternal. There is a lot of activity in the spirit realm currently. Heaven is pulsating with revelations and the voice of God. And praying in tongues will help you connect to the heavens and receive the dimensions of the Spirit.

3. Continuously study and meditate on the Word of the Lord

Don’t just read the Word. Get into the habit of studying and meditating on it. Engage the Word by praying out the texts that speak to you. Put yourself into the Word and use your imagination when you read the Scriptures. Follow the story in your mind and observe everything so that you can enter into all the dimensions of the Word. The mind, after all, is a very powerful tool. From the story in 2 Kings 4:3-4, you can see that the oil increased and multiplied because of the Word spoken by the prophet. The proceeding Word is a very powerful catalyst for Holy Spirit activity in your life. Furthermore, the Holy Spirit uses the Word as His point of reference to communicate with you and to guide and direct your steps. Thus, the Word is an invaluable contributor to the move of the Spirit in your life.

4. Walk in holiness and practice righteousness

Just like His name says, the Holy Spirit is holy.  Holiness is part of His attributes, and holy living can increase His movements. In Matthew 3:15-16, before Jesus received the Holy Spirit, He was water-baptised by John because it was “fitting to fulfil all righteousness”. As you can see, you cannot separate righteousness from the infilling of the Holy Spirit. Jesus’ life and ministry is a case in point. Jesus was without sin. And He was the perfect Son. That’s why, the Holy Spirit operated in His life in full measure. Son of God, may you not grow weary of holy and righteous living, “for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart” (Galatians 6:9).

5. Keep and honour covenant relationships

On the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit fell on the 120 disciples in the upper room because “they were all with one accord in one place” (Acts 2:1). These believers were connected in heart and spirit, and joined together for purpose and destiny. Their interactions were pure, clean and principled. They were strongly covenanted in honourable relationships. This is the missing link in the body of Christ today. We are cut off from one another, even in the local church. We have to recover this oneness if we are going to accelerate the outpouring of God’s Spirit into His Church.

Family is one of the areas where we must keep and honour relationships. Our relationships at home must become real and organic. Take the time to rectify all broken relationships and deal with anger issues in your life and in your homes. The rule of thumb is: we never fight or get angry with family members or life structures. So, keep your inter-personal relationships clean and pure. Forgive those who may have wronged you or hurt you. Because taking offence and entertaining bitterness will only defile your own spirit, and ultimately quench the Holy Spirit.