Stirring up the Holy Spirit
Steve Sampson

One of the most misunderstood principles in Scripture is that although the Holy Spirit is available to the believer,
He waits to respond to our level of hunger and expectation, not just because we have a particular need.

In fact, the Holy Spirit in our lives will remain in a dormant state unless we learn to draw upon Him. A good example
of this is when Jesus invited the disciples to get in the boat with Him and go to the other side of the lake. But rather
than a peaceful voyage a violent storm broke out. "And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the
boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep." Matt.8:24

He Responded to the Disciples, Not the Storm!

"Then the disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying;, 'Lord, save us! We are perishing!" So often we think
that the Lord knows our need and will automatically take care of our problem. But He waits for us to "wake" Him up.
He slept through their circumstance. It was only their finding Him and stirring Him from sleep that caused Him to get
up and deal with their storm. Our God doesn't respond to storms and circumstances, He responds to us! It is our
prayers that stir Him.

It is not enough to know that He dwells in us, but we have to live a life of continually stirring up our expectation of
Him. Hosea told us, "Break up your fallow ground." Hosea 10:12 We have to stir our hearts out of dullness and low
expectation and break up that ground of unbelief, stirring ourselves with expectation and anticipation of God.

Paul told Timothy, "Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my
hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." II Tim. 1:6-7 Peter
wrote to stir the believers to remember the words of God. "…of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder."
I Peter 3:1

We Can Stir Another

The writer of Hebrews exhorts us to stir and provoke one another. "And let us consider one another in order to stir
up love and good works." Heb. 10:24 We can stir the Spirit of God in one another, by acts of kindness and acts of
love. Sometimes a phone call, or sending someone a card, or giving him a word of encouragement will stir that
person's life out of discouragement into faith toward God.

Hannah was provoked by Penninah(I Samuel 1), and this extremely unwelcome and uncomfortable chiding,
provoked and stirred Hannah, until she cried out to God for a son. Because she was provoked to pray, the great
prophet, Samuel, was born.

Recipe

When my youngest daughter was around five years old, she learned to make brownies. She would get the mixing
bowl, put in the ready mix, add an egg, a little water, and a little oil. Then she would say, "Daddy, please stir this for
me." Recently it occurred to me how ridiculous it would be to declare that since all the ingredients are in the bowl, I
could just put it in the oven. What an ugly picture that would be, if the unmixed ingredients were cooked that way. It
doesn't matter how right the ingredients are, it still must be stirred!

In the Kingdom of God, we often have all the right ingredients in our lives. We have the gift of salvation, the baptism
in the Holy Spirit, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, perhaps some testimonies of the power of God in our lives, and even
some prophetic words given to us. Yet even with all these precious ingredients, our responsibility is to begin to stir
up all of this with expectation and desire and faith. "For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them;
but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed(stirred) with faith in those who heard it."
Hebrews 4:2 James said, "Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works(corresponding action) is dead."
James 2:17

How Can We Stir Up the Holy Spirit?

We can stir Him up by:

1. Prayer. Intense, fervent prayer, both individually and corporately will cause the Holy Spirit to be stirred. "And
when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the
Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness." Acts 4:31

2. Remembering. When Jehoshaphat was under attack by three armies, he began to pray, calling to mind past
victories. "Are you not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to
the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever?" II Chron. 20:7

3. Dialogue. Getting together with a spouse, or a friend, or any believer and talking about the Lord, and declaring
His goodness, always stirs up the Holy Spirit within us. It is amazing how His presence begins to be felt, and you
know He Himself is involved in the conversation.

4. Praise. God inhabits the praises of His people(Ps. 22:22). Anytime we praise Him, He is enthroned on our
praises and His presence is stirred up. You can be discouraged or distracted, but yet when you begin to praise
Him, He arises and your perspective quickly changes.

God is Waiting on us!

So many believers are waiting on God to do something, yet according to Scripture, God is waiting on us. He is
waiting on us to stir up the Holy Spirit, by inviting Him in our lives, and stirring ourselves with expectation. He is
willing and desires to manifest Himself in awesome ways, but just as the disciples stirred Him from sleep, we must
stir up our inner man. "But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit."
Jude 20