What Does It Mean To Be ‘In The Spirit?’

Would you rather listen than read? Listen here.

Fun In The Son

The first four summers of married life, my husband and I would travel to South Padre Island. We went with the youth group from our church to a summer camp called ‘Fun In The Son.’ It was a week of beaches and worship. One summer we had a group of kids that were really into the worship, and one evening God’s presence was tangible.

At the conclusion of one of the evening services, the kids were in a different mood than normal. You could almost see God’s presence resting on them. They wanted to go back to the hotel and pray. We did, and God’s presence was more palpable than I had ever experienced up to that point.

It’s moments like this, you wish would last a lifetime. I felt like Peter at the transfiguration telling Jesus, let’s build a shelter and take up residence here. These are moments I would call being ‘In the Spirit.’

In The Spirit

We read of several characters throughout the Bible that have moments of being in the Spirit. In Revelation 4, we read of John being in the Spirit. Metaphorically or physically, we do not know, God brought John to the throne room of Heaven.

“At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it.”

Revelation 4:2 NIV

The thought that keeps running through my mind is that if John, imprisoned on the island of Patmos, had gotten upset and angry about his situation, we would not have this book to read today. Instead of frustration, He turned to prayer. He focused on Jesus and had the privilege of being in the Spirit.

Follow The Spirit

God did not save these opportunities just for those in Biblical times. We, too, get to experience the power of God. Now, when we are in the spirit, we may or may not get to have glimpses of Heaven, but incredible things can happen.

“Each one went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, without turning as they went.”

Ezekiel 1:12 NIV

Ezekiel also had an incredible experience similar to John’s. He saw the same cherubim who circled the throne. When Ezekiel saw them, they were following the Spirit.

My favorite part of this verse is that they did not look to the right or to the left. They focused their eyes on the Spirit and went wherever it went.

As I read this, I felt convicted. We have some hard decisions to make, and I find myself worried and frustrated. Then I read scriptures like this and they remind me I need to have my eyes fixated on God. I need not look anywhere else but to Him.

How Do We Experience God ‘In The Spirit?’

In personal encounters, it has always started with prayer and/or worship. I am praying, and that prayer takes on different levels. It is a point of openness and willingness to let God do what He wants to do.

In these moments, we may hear Him speak, we may pray in the Spirit, He may show us visions. Anything can happen when we allow ourselves to come before Him and be vulnerable. Matthew Henry says about John being in the Spirit, “He was completely under divine influence.” This is a place I want to remain.

Does This Sound Familiar?

I want to be in His presence and guided by His Spirit. Don’t you? However, does any of this sound familiar?

You’re on your knees, hiding in another room, eyes closed. Then you feel a tap on the shoulder. “Momma, momma, momma (it’s getting louder). You ignore hoping they will realize you are trying to have a moment with God. Then you feel their breath as they say in your ear, “Momma, don’t you hear me?”

Have you been there?

If it is not kids, it is the wet nose of the dog that shocks you right out of prayer. The doorbell rings. Oh, that darn bing of the phone and all you can think about is the text. Is it a kid that needs me? The dryer buzzes, and the list goes on. So many times I just wanted to escape to a quiet place to be with the Lord.

Avoiding Distractions

Through my twenty-plus years of parenting, and a lifetime of distractions, I have found a few ways to get around this.

Get Away

Yes. Everyone needs some time alone. I used to go to a silent convent where I would spend a couple of hours. Everyone left their phones at the door. Someone else was in charge of the kids, and I found myself in the serenity of His presence.

Pray Together

I found that inviting the kids to pray with me also helped. This often happened in the car when big city traffic kept us on the roads. This often happened by accident. I would start praying out loud and then notice the quiet. I would look in the rear-view mirror and see them captivated, with their little heads bowed.

Take Every Opportunity

Taking any opportunity available has also been helpful. I found you can have incredible moments with God while one practices drums, another watches TV, and another does homework. God will honor your effort and move when you open the door for Him to do so.

Practice

I love brother Lawrence. He was a monk taught how to be with God while doing everyday tasks. He taught that while doing these mundane tasks, he would say over and over, “Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me.”

You can follow the example of brother Lawrence, or I invite you to take the list of worship I hope you made from last week’s post and take it into prayer with you. Begin worshipping God with the words of the heavenly beings. Use them as a prayer and sit quietly before Him and ask Him to draw you into the Spirit.