damolaolomu

i thought long and hard about how to title this reflection, i’ll probably still do that even as i proceed to elucidate my perspective; it could have been titled as “i talk to the holy spirit as i would my best friend”, and still be accurate because he’s literally my best friend- one i’ve never had. you see, i grew up in church and while this is no slight to my parents and our home church at the time, picture a beam balance with religion and relationship on each side, we hung pretty tightly to the religious end of the balance. i heard diverse doctrines and personal opinions taught as law but in all these, i had no personal experiences so i knew God by hearing – i heard about him, i knew about him but i never really knew him personally. there was a long list of do’s and don’ts but no real insight or understanding. i mean i get it in hindsight, in a bid to hedge against sliding into error, there was a silent but pervasive frown against expressing personal experiences in our walk with God and that was well, sincere but with many blindspots. 

 i served in church too and i did so diligently, i really enjoyed doing so but i did without a clear definition of the why, at that point, it was just the right thing to do and i did my bit before i left for school and as you can pretty much guess, i drifted- hard. i paint this picture intentionally because it’s important for you to understand where this reflection was birthed from. although i was never in total apathy when i left home, i still went to church, i still prayed – even if the chiefest part of that exercise was either asking for things or the expression of the need for a quick intervention and looking back now, the bulk of it was in ignorance. this drift was slow till it crystallized, mostly because there was no personal relationship and the underlying lack of understanding. freedom further established that gap because there was no obligation to do things religiously like i was erstwhile required to. no one made me pray or made it a point of duty to make me go to church, so the need for it dissipated until there was a need.

 consequently, he felt very far even while he was close and yeah, i definitely wasn’t in a good place but the good thing is i found my way back and when i did, i really did. now while i don’t frown at the structure of parents, guardians or spiritual heads enforcing the need to pray, partake in spiritual exercises and fellowship, in fact i think it’s a great moat, my point is that i truly believe that teaching and imparting understanding is a more excellent way. i believe that dwelling on the why, why we need to will always be superior to just drilling in the fact that we have to. empirical data backs this perspective, that it’s more effective when a person understands the why of a principle as opposed to just applying the principle. this is relevant in every realm of human endeavor and it can also be applied to systems and structures. for instance, a man who understands the wisdom in discipline will always outcompete the man who is just instructed in discipline if all other factors remain equal. replace discipline with any other proven principle and this statement still holds true. why? because understanding establishes consciousness.

 when i found my way back, i tried mechanically to sustain the relationship for a while and then i got baptized in the holy ghost and this was a watershed moment for me, not necessarily because of the tongues at first, but because of the ease that became available for intimacy and fellowship; i no longer had to do it by the strength of the flesh, there was a supply of help, i know that help to be grace now.  months later, i heard a preacher talk about how reading benny hinn’s book, “Good morning Holy Spirit” became a turning point in his walk with God.  i’m naturally very inquisitive, so i took it as a cue to read the book too and true to form, it radically adjusted my perspective, it gave me a revelation of who the person of the holy spirit was, it helped me conceptualize and contextualize the reality of the trinity and most importantly i saw a man express without holding back what a joy it was to have a relationship with God and i never want to recover from what that did to me. i honestly think everyone should read that book, because stumbling into truth does one of two things to you, it either affirms that you’re on the right path or it sounds the alarm that points out the need for an urgent detour and this is where my contemplation really begins. 

you see, where i come from and even now in society, talking about the holy spirit and a personal walk with him was almost esoteric. you either get it or you don’t, you were either in the club or you weren’t, and from the beginning it was not so. another perspective that birthed this reflection is my personality, i’ve never been one to have a lot of friends, acquaintances yes but even in those circles there was a few in the few. i enjoyed being alone, i’d rather be inside than outside, i like to listen more than i speak, and i’d rather observe the show than be the show and if i had to sell you on why, my big pitch would be wrapped around the fact that i get to hear my thoughts clearly. i can think, reflect, talk to myself and respond to those thoughts as they flow out of my lips, it’s like meditation but out loud. so for someone with a personality like mine, hungry for more spiritual realities while trying to conceptualize and understand the things i was experiencing, it was like striking gold when i read that book and that’s when my conversations with the spirit began. 

i’d ask him literally anything and wait for a response, some of these responses were immediate and for some i had to wait, then ask again; some explanations came in the same period that they were requested for and for others i had to build capacity first to even be able to grasp them when they eventually came but the beauty in all this was i’d found someone to run my thoughts by, and over time, a lot of assumptions got eliminated. i had a senior friend who knew all things and he’d found a very inquisitive friend in me, a genuine relationship indeed. before i read the book, my spiritual senses had just jerked back to life and i’d begun to see things, hear things, perceive things, have visions and dreams. i’d read my bible and while i was reading, i’d hear more than i saw in the print, i mean i always read the bible, but it was sealed, now these seals were breaking open and all of these experiences were alien to me, for a noob they felt weird and now in hindsight with higher levels of understanding i realize that that’s how he teaches, by walking you through a reality and then proceed to explain that reality by taking advantage of your curiosity. 

initially when they’d happen, i’d pick up my phone and rummage through search engines trying to find an answer or an opinion that explained what i was experiencing and occasionally, i’d bump into community groups where others were asking the same questions but there were no real answers, only speculations and assumptions at best and i’d settle for the notion that at least i wasn’t alone in the confusion. then i read that book and realized that those experiences were invitations to places of intimacy and understanding, that you don’t walk with a spirit by assumption nor by engaging your mind. i began to ask questions, all kinds of questions and the answers came in different ways. sometimes these answers came as direct responses, some as instructions, instructions like read this book, look up this teaching, listen to this sermon, read that article or listen to that song. some answers came as the names of some people who have gone ahead, walked the same path and have fruits to show for it, some answers came as a knowing of revelation, some were sensory perceptions and this is by no means an exhaustive list.

 i mean it was very interesting and soothing to know that he was willing to answer every question no matter how ignorantly it was phrased and that he was willing to satisfy my curiosity. he’d explain and then tell me why i had this and that experience years ago that i couldn’t understand, he’d revisit old decisions i made when i had certain choices presented to me and tell me how he guided me in making that decision when at the time if you asked me, my best answer would either be i just knew or that something told me, that something was a someone. he’d been in my life for a long time but almost like a stranger and that’ll never happen again. i began to understand his personality, gentle but powerful, he’d suggest but never impose on my power of choice, always close, never far. i’m an autodidact by nature and with a supercharged curiosity, i like to learn a lot, and i am predisposed to adding to my knowledge base in every way i can, from books to articles, to podcasts and documentaries.

 he took advantage of that and began to give me instructions, yes to this and no to that, watch this and listen to that, a little here and a little there, sometimes i’m reading a book by his instruction, and just a few chapters in, while i’m just getting around to the flow of the book, he says read another book and as soon as i obey, i see the beauty in the instruction, because a subject he was trying to teach me was explained better in the second book and i needed to read both to have complete understanding and balance. why? because knowledge in itself without structure can be a snare and structured knowledge is better than random knowledge. there are no words for this but it’s nothing short of amazing. this walk has shown me that spiritual realities can be understood, explained and articulately expressed to even the uninitiated and the proof is in the pudding. he’s really a teacher, one that’s interested in every aspect of my life and you see the excellency of his leadership by the wisdom revealed in his instructions.

 he brings you into the reality of truth, all truth. his wisdom transcends all subjects and fields and i speak by experience, he’s taught me things across board, from financial and relational wisdom and principles, to morals and character traits, to tips and instructions when i write code, to ideas and impressions that i write about. every manifestation of wisdom in my life, i credit it to him. i’ve found myself speaking on subjects i had little knowledge on and upon reflection, in my attempt to go for more knowledge on those subjects, i find that i wasn’t wrong. i’ve enjoyed help from key insights to bursts of utterance where he just takes over my tongue. he teaches you by leading you to materials that’ll expand your mind, which in turn gives him plenty of material to work with when it comes to inspiration, instruction and impressions. he knows what you need per time and if you’d obey, you won’t have to ask. this is true. by simple obedience, i’ve escaped from snares wrapped beautifully as flowers. emphasis on obedience because most times, he instructs without explaining why because he’s teaching you trust.

sometimes he does explain, but his modus operandi is to teach by walking you through it, and the explanation is in the process. failure to do this will leave you with many unnecessary scars. 

i could speak on his incontrovertible power to aid, save and advantage, but it goes without saying. his qualities and expressions are inexhaustible but i want to touch on the utter disadvantage of living in this realm without him. life as we know it is very spiritual, and the unseen realm is much more advanced in age, potent in power and pretty much decides what goes on in the realm that we do see. after all, the world as we know it was framed from the world we cannot see. brood for a minute, on the utter disadvantage in doing life by ad hoc opinions, assumption and conjectures when you have a literal tour guide who knows the way. he knows all things really, he was here before anything was and he’d also be around when this age passes away. i say all of this at the risk of sounding esoteric, because i know that without the actual experience, it’s mental ascent at best trying to understand spiritual things with the mind. 

you will never understand the gravity of a disadvantage if you’ve never had an advantage and you’d never value an advantage if you’ve never been in a prior state of disadvantage. for example, you might think you know the value of having two fully functioning hands but you don’t, and you won’t until you can only use one of them. you might think you value your eyes but you’d never truly value having eyes until you had them and now don’t. these are graphic illustrations i know but it’s an attempt to truly elucidate the concept of a disadvantage and i can only hope you get it but it really is as depicted- an utter disadvantage. as i’ve come to enjoy and take advantage of the relationship i have with the holy spirit, i think about those that currently are unaware of this truth or by reason of lack of true light have shied away from this reality. i speak as one who’s been there, i lived it and i marvel at the abundance of mercy that i enjoyed in ignorance and absolute risk. i think about the many mistakes i’ve made, from assumptions and pitfalls that looked right on paper to wrong associations, to being and living out of alignment and the many needless soul scars. i was empty and i just lived, tossed around by every wind of doctrine.

i lived a really risky life, i was skating on grace and mercy but i’ve realized that there’s a more excellent way. i found out my why and why i was by the help of the holy spirit. i’ve accessed help as insight, timely revelation, bespoke guidance and navigation – he doesn’t just tell you where you’re going, he tells you how to get there and as a bonus he’s willing to hold your hand and walk you there. when he teaches you, it never really leaves you and you can always draw from every lesson for future references. i touched on experiences a lot but not unconsciously, because that’s how he teaches but the balance is he’d never lead you, teach you or guide you against the established word of God. every experience is to lead you and bring you into truth, all truth. the lord himself said he had so many things to tell the disciples that they couldn’t bear-  bear as in handle, endure, understand, but when the spirit of truth is come, he’d guide – lead, bring you into, instruct and teach. if the master believed you need the holy spirit, you better believe that you do.

wisdom, revelation, understanding, might, counsel, the reverential fear of the lord comes from him. he’s the only one authorized to take from the father and give unto us. the fruits and gifts are his to give; renewal and refreshing comes from him. he’s the promise made fulfilled. i’ll speak on his power to transform, to change a man from inside out, from regeneration to reformation. i’ll tell you this for free, the character traits that society keeps looking for and have real trouble finding can only be produced in a people who have enrolled in his tutoring program, yielded their members and through process have come to a level of maturity. the world can’t explain it, but they know it when they see it. this is a school of many classes that you pass and make progress but you never really graduate from. through dealings and pruning you bear fruit, first downward and then upward. character is built into our frameworks by process and the holy spirit knows our tendencies so he fashions processes bespoke to those tendencies and he’d be there to walk you through that valley of pruning, a journey that’s usually unpleasant but absolutely necessary that he might bring you into places of understanding. he knows you better than you know yourself and he knows everything in the heart of the father that can only be communicated to you by spirit because he himself is spirit. 

this contemplation was supposed to be me talking about my relationship with him but as it developed into a full article, i found it pertinent to pass this truth across, that you can and should know God experientially. it’s an important part of our walk with him and while there’s the balance of doctrine and ultimate submission to the written word, i’m telling you for free that if you shut your heart off from the realm of the experiential knowledge of God, you’d be bankrupt of the very vital equipping this reality provides and produces in our walk with him. there’s a large dissect in the church today between the knowledge of God and information about God, like in the days that Jesus walked the face of the earth, the pharisees knew about God through the experiences of others, like abraham and moses but they never experienced him for themselves hence the ignorance and consequent hostility to the dimension the master was introducing. it’s why paul says that i may know him. know as in – to be taking in knowledge, come to know, recognize, perceive, understand. 

 experiences make truths real, like a stronghold. experiences or encounters as we’ve come to label them help to strengthen convictions and precipitate consciousness. for example, take two people, one of them has read about the God who’s a provider, the other has seen God reveal himself as a provider in a dire situation, who do you think is more conscious of God as a provider? i’ll leave you with this aphorism as you meditate on that question, that most if not all of the names of God we know today were personal revelations of God to his people, they had an experience and named him after that experience. i’ve had a love walk and a joyride with the holy spirit and it’s an experience i think everyone should enjoy. i ask him everything, and i mean everything, because for everything i know, there’s a revelation of the ton of things i don’t know.  i could rave on and on about this relationship but all of this and more is why i talk to the holy spirit like he’s my best friend and what’s more? he could be yours too – scratch that, he wants to be yours too. 

if you’re born again, then all you have to do, like benny hinn said is, say “Good morning, Holy Spirit and kick it off from there. if you’re not, it’s not the greatest place to be but you need him to translate from where you are to where you ought to be. 

Here’s a quick prayer to get that fixed.

Lord Jesus, I believe that you’re the son of God that came into the world to die for me that I might be reconciled to God. I acknowledge my state as a sinner, I receive you as my Lord and personal savior and acknowledge you as the Lord of all in my life. I declare that the power of sin and death is broken over me and that i’ve translated from darkness into the glorious kingdom of God.  

That’s all it takes.  Welcome to the family of God 🙂

well, until the next one, damola out!

references:

“To whom will he teach knowledge,

and to whom will he explain the message?

Those who are weaned from the milk,

those taken from the breast?

For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept,

line upon line, line upon line,

here a little, there a little.”

— Isaiah 28:9-10 KJV

Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

— Hebrews 11:3 KJV

And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward:

— Isaiah 37:31 KJV

I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.

— John 16:12 KJV

Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

— John 16:13 KJV

He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

— John 16:14-15 KJV

For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

— 1 Corinthians 2:11 KJV

Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and obey his word.

—‭‭John‬ ‭8‬:‭55‬ ‭NIV‬‬

That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

— Philippians 3:10