Yielding to the Spirit
Five Ways To Experience His Love More Deeply

Deep in our hearts, we all yearn for the Spirit’s presence. Often, however, obstacles can prevent us from knowing his grace more deeply. Below are five steps we can take to remove these obstacles and open our hearts to the Spirit’s transforming power.

Forgive those who have hurt you. What could be more like Jesus than praying with him, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34)? When we forgive, we allow the Lord to replace bitterness and resentment with his love and grace.

Do not tolerate sin. Nothing keeps us from receiving the Spirit more than allowing sin to continue in our hearts and in our actions. Scripture says that those with “clean hands and a pure heart” will receive the Lord’s blessing (Psalm 24:4-5). Go to confession, and ask the Lord for the grace to sin no more. He is always ready to forgive and strengthen his people.

Renounce prejudice. “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). God has freely poured out his Spirit on all people, and he calls us to love one another fully, from the heart.
Care for the poor. “As you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you did it to me” (Matthew 25:40). Many are the saints and heroes of the church who were able to see the face of Jesus in the needy and abandoned among them. By opening our hearts to those around us, we open our hearts to Jesus and his Spirit as well.

Accept God’s love. If we believe that we are too sinful, weak, or hard-hearted for even God to love, we will find it hard to believe that he would want to give us a gift as great as his Spirit. Every day in prayer, hold on to the words of scripture: “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, will he not also give us all things with him?” (Romans 8:32).