A very wise priest once told me, “Seek the anointing of the Spirit more often in your life. Ask the Holy Spirit, ‘What do You have for me? I want more of it!’”

Jesus came to be one of us so that we can have what He has. In heaven, He took his seat at the right hand of God. All power, authority, and glory came upon Him, and now He shares that with us. He sends the Spirit to those who believe in Him.

We have been given a spirit of adoption so that Christ may live in us, and we may live in Him. There’s nothing greater in the cosmos than this. The Holy Spirit wants to help us come into a living experience and awareness of it. The more you appreciate the glory that you have been given, the more confidence you’re going to have in all circumstances; the more confidence, joy, and sense of purpose you’re going to have; and the more the Lord can direct your life. As Paul says, “We have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us” (2 Cor 4:7).

Unfortunately, we spend more time worrying about our earthen vessels than the glory that’s in them. This is the enemy’s strategy. We spend time wishing we had someone else’s gifts instead of recognizing our dignity and the glory in us.

These two simple steps can deepen our personal relationship with Jesus.

1. Jesus is Savior. He knows the depth of your sin, corruption, and infidelities—and He came to break the chains of sin. He loves you and is asking you to give Him your sins, along with the past and whatever holds you back. He is looking at you with tender love. Pray, “Jesus, you are my savior. You’ve taken away all my sins. Thank you for your love.”

He came to give you a new power and the capacity to live a new way of life. He wants you to walk in the fruits of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—in a deeper way. Let’s ask for a fresh outpouring of the Spirit.

2. Jesus is Lord. All power and authority in heaven and earth has been given to Him. On Good Friday, when Jesus died on a cross, He showed us what it looks like to live under God’s authority. He humbled himself by becoming obedient even unto death, and God highly exalted Him, giving Him a name above every name.

Are you holding onto any pattern of life, behavior, or relationships that you know are not God’s will for you? I was at home one time, reading my Bible, when I looked at a stack of poker chips and asked the Lord, “What are those?” In my mind, He replied, “Those are your idols, money, and power—everything you’re holding on to. I want you to learn to give everything to me.”

An image popped into my head of Him on the other side of the poker table. He looked at me, looked at those chips, and asked, “What’s going to be your play?”

I threw Him a couple of chips. He shook his head and said with a smile and great love, “No, there’s one play. It’s to go all in.”

Let’s do that today.

The Lord wants to know, are you ready to get moving—even if it’s just in little ways? Wake up in the morning and say, “I’m on a mission, and the King is sending me. Where is He sending me today?” That’s the adventure of our lives. Give Him permission.

This article is condensed from a talk given at the 2025 Lift Jesus Higher Rally in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. You can listen to it here. The article originally appeared in Renewal Ministries’ June 2025 newsletter.