Want to Release Miracles? Do This One Thing with the Holy Spirit

Excerpted from Holy Spirit: God Within You.

As you grow in your fellowship with the Holy Spirit, the demonstration of power in your life intensifies.

As your faith is strengthened, God’s power is displayed.

And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen (Mark 16:17-20 KJV).

There, Jesus mentioned various different signs, demonstrations of the power of the Holy Spirit.

“In my name shall they cast out devils.” As believers, we have been given delegated authority to cast out demonic beings from the demonized (possessed). It is God’s authority, not a man-made technique or religious ritual, to which demonic powers must respond. I assure you it’s not a fight for the Holy Spirit. He does not deal with demons; He dominates them, and He’s given you power over them.

Jesus also said of His followers that they “shall speak with new tongues.” I cover more on the topic of tongues in the next chapter, “The Language of the Holy Spirit.”

“They shall take up serpents.” Here, Jesus is referring to the dominion given to the believer to subdue the powers of hell. Cross-referencing this text with another, we see what Jesus means by use of the word serpents.

Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you (Luke 10:19 ESV).

So “In my name shall they cast out devils” refers to the casting out of demons from the demon-possessed, and “They shall take up serpents” is a reference to the general authority the believer has over the forces of darkness.

Jesus also said, “and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them.” We know that Jesus is not encouraging His followers to intentionally put themselves in harm’s way for demonstration alone, for when tempted by the devil to do the same, Jesus responded: “Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God” (Matthew 4:7 KJV). So this is simply speaking of divine protection.

We know, of course, what the Lord Jesus meant when He said, “they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” Though we do not wield any of these abilities according to our own whims—even supernatural abilities are subject to God’s sovereignty—we can take Him at His Word. Every believer should make a practice of laying hands upon the sick and believing for their healing.

Who do these signs follow? Them that believe. Believe what? The gospel of Jesus Christ. If you believe on Him, then Jesus is talking about you. As sons of God, we are given the high privilege of otherworldly living. United with the Holy Spirit and living within this earthly realm, we become touch points of the Heavenly.

He will walk with you. Where you step, He steps. When you walk with the Holy Spirit, you don’t have to follow signs; signs will follow you. When you walk with the Holy Spirit, you don’t have to chase atmospheres, you become one. When you walk into rooms, because of the Holy Spirit within you, the atmosphere shifts. When you step foot into a place, demons start to tremble, sickness begins to loose its hold, and the peace of the Kingdom of God is established.

When I was a young boy, the Holy Spirit inspired me to pray this:

Lord, let my hands be Your hands. Heal through them. Let my eyes be Your eyes.

Allow me to see things, people, and situations the way You do. Let my ears be Your ears.

I want to hear Your voice. Let my feet be Your feet.

Take me where You want me to go. Let my being be Your being.

Let my heart beat as one with Yours.

Crucify my will, and, in its place, resurrect Your own.

I didn’t realize it then, but from the depths of my spirit, I was crying out for unity. I was wanting to disappear in God. Think of Enoch.

And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: and Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him (Genesis 5:23-24 KJV).

When I read of how Enoch walked so closely with the Lord that he “was not,” I said, “Lord, I want to be a ‘was not’ too!” I want to be an empty space, a portal, through which Heaven can touch earth. When you begin to know the beauty of the divine life of the Spirit, your interest in the things of this world begins to fade. Suddenly, the material, though still a reality, becomes secondary. Others may misunderstand you because of this, but your disinterest in the world is a sign that you are becoming more aware of God. You become frustrated by the emptiness of the things of this world. You know deep within your soul, “There’s more; there’s so much more.” You’ve been ruined for anything other than the genuine touch of God. Living in this surrendered state, you become a person of faith who dares to believe God. You should live your life in such a way that the only explanation for it is the power of the Holy Spirit.

I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father (John 14:12 NLT).

While many passionately debate what Jesus meant when He declared that we would do “greater works,” we at least know what He meant when He said “same works.” Healing. Deliverance. Preaching. Miracles. Truly, to live from the union you have with the Holy Spirit is to know a life of power. To be a friend of the Holy Spirit is to be a carrier of the glory. The key to the power of the Holy Spirit is the presence of the Holy Spirit.

The Key to Power

The flow of the power of God upon your life is directly proportionate to the depth of surrender within your life. Surrender yields great power. That’s the key. Whenever I’m asked about the secret to flowing in the Holy Spirit’s power, I stress that there are no secrets. Often, I sit across from eager believers who want to know what it will take to see God use them as vessels. “Do you really want to know?” I ask them. They always affirm their willingness. I’ll lean in and say, “Here’s the key. And it’s so very simple. If you do this, the limits will come off. If you do this, every- thing about your life and ministry will change. You’ll walk in supernatural power.” At that point, they’re usually leaning in to. I’ll continue, “You want that? Here’s what you have to do: die. You have to die to self.”

Some are disappointed with that answer. They want the mechanics of the supernatural. They want me to show them a secret way to pray, a formula of sorts, a special Bible reading plan, a strict spiritual schedule, or perhaps some fasting routine. But the power is not found in performance. There’s no mountain to climb, no waters in which to submerge yourself, no special oil to buy. There are no secrets. It’s death to self and life unto Jesus.

You have to die. So how can any of it be you when you’re dead to self? True followers of Christ desire to truly surrender to Him. It’s a daily devotion.

I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily (1 Corinthians 15:31 KJV).

You may have to die a thousand deaths a day. To die to self is to choose God’s will over your will, to choose God’s desires over your desires. Though it is the most base form of surrender, the rejection of sinful desire is, indeed, a form of carrying your cross.

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there (Galatians 5:24 NLT).

Still, it goes beyond dying to just sin. Anytime you say “no” to self to say “yes” to God, you are carrying your cross. Even little deaths are life unto God. Obedience is surrender, and surrender is the key to unleashing the flow of the Holy Spirit’s power. God uses those who know the power comes from Him. Those who walk in the most intense manifestations of power are fully aware of how little it has to do with them. We are totally dependent upon God. That’s why surrender, not ability, is the key to true power.