How to Have a Relationship with the Holy Spirit
From the moment CK and I received the baptism in the Holy Spirit, the supernatural realm opened, and we entered a truly miraculous, prophetic life. To this day, learning the ways of the Spirit is an adventure. We are continually learning and always wanting more of what the Lord has.
During the first four years of our Spirit-filled lives, we launched out to do everything the Word of God told us we could do. If there was a scripture on it, we did it. We trained ourselves to pick up on the slightest spiritual impressions that we felt may possibly be the leading of the Spirit. We learned and grew through each situation. Along the journey, we saw numerous people saved, baptized in the Spirit, healed, and delivered. Miracles occurred everywhere we went.
All those things were wonderful. However, the most important things to us were our relationships with the Holy Spirit Himself. During those years, we read loads of books and listened to hundreds of cassette tapes on the subjects of the Holy Spirit, faith, spiritual authority, and miracles. One day, while reading about what Jesus went through in the hours between His death and resurrection, I had an encounter with God.
Overcome by the Holy Spirit, I began to shake and weep for the millions of people who had never heard the complete truth about Jesus’ sufferings and resulting victory. Even if they’d heard enough to believe that He died and rose from the dead for the forgiveness of their sins, I realized that their shortened versions of the gospel overlooked the mysteries that unlock great revelation and power. It’s similar to making a sandwich with two pieces of fresh bread but nothing in the middle.
Paul understood this when he wrote, “That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead” (Phil. 3:10–11). Paul was saved, but he wanted to know Jesus more and to know more of the power that came with that relationship.
The experience I had while reading that book affected me so profoundly that I couldn’t keep from sharing it with CK that evening. I told her how the Spirit was also pulling me into full-time ministry and how I felt supernaturally compelled to preach the whole gospel message with intense power. As she listened to me pouring out my heart, an anointing filled the room. Then, CK shared what the Spirit had been saying to her, and she added that she was all in.
With the Holy Spirit’s confirmation, the two of us were in full agreement. When that happens, watch out! One person can really put a thousand to flight, but two can send ten thousand packing! (Deut. 32:30). Although we were a team in those early stages, we had no idea what our kind of ministry would even look like. I had some reservations, and so did CK. Both of us had experienced deep hurt from traditional churches that had been controlling and abusive at times and that were totally against how the Spirit was using us. Despite the pain and rejection, we recognized the leading of the Holy Spirit and were willing to trust and obey Jesus.
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