Faithful with gifts, fruitfully abiding and filled with the Holy Spirit

Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to reckless indiscretion. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your hearts to the Lord. (Ephesians 5:16-19)

I recently got a plug-in electric car (2017 Volt). I also got a special "supercharger" and meter to get cheap electricity overnight. It takes hours to recharge with the cord that comes with the car 12 hours won't give a full charge. But the supercharger does it in about 6 hours. My brother in law's life verse is John 10:10, "I've come to give you life to the full". I gave him a tee-shirt last year with a gas gauge, showing low fuel and the caption, "running on empty?". Then last night I was at Alpha MNTC and we watch, "How can I resist evil?". All this is a backdrop to my quiet time this morning. 

The Power of the Holy Spirit by JOHN LEE

On the importance of being filled by the Spirit: Ephesians 5:18 commands us to be filled with the Spirit.

 -  notice that the verse is imperative. God is commanding us to be filled. To be faithful, we need to be filled.
 - the imperative is also in the passive voice. This means that the act of filling has to be done to us. We cannot fill ourselves. Here is where prayer comes into play. We need to pray, wait upon God, and take steps of faith.

If we believe that God has already inaugurated his reign and rule on earth, then the primary way to unlock the power of the Holy Spirit is through our believing actions. We have to take concrete steps of faith. We should expect the supernatural as we minister to people. We can pray for people who are sick, for those who are depressed, or down, or defeated. More than that, we can expect the wholeness we will see in the new heaven and new earth to be manifest in our world now. We have actually prayed this prayer a thousand times—“Let your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

Drunkenness comes from an unnatural craving for excitement, stimulated by unwholesome conditions of life, physical and mental. He would satisfy the craving, so far as it is natural, by a divine enthusiasm, brighter and stronger than even duty to God and man, breaking out in thanksgiving, adoration, and love. - Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

Eph 5:15-21, Drunkenness is a sin that never goes alone, but carries men into other evils; it is a sin very provoking to God. The drunkard holds out to his family and to the world the sad spectacle of a sinner hardened beyond what is common, and hastening to perdition. When afflicted or weary, let us not seek to raise our spirits by strong drink, which is hateful and hurtful, and only ends in making sorrows more felt. But by fervent prayer let us seek to be filled with the Spirit, and to avoid whatever may grieve our gracious Comforter. All God's people have reason to sing for joy. - Matthew Henry Commentary

"the wages of sin is death" - some people "WORK REALLY HARD" earning these wages

Father God, give me over to prayer - teach my heart to pray and make music to you Lord. Let the song of my heart please you right now Lord. That I will be clear minded and self-controlled so that I can pray 1 Peter 4:7-11, let my gentleness be evident to all. Rejoice my soul, be glad - this is the day the Lord has made (Phil 4:4-7). Thank you for filling me with the Holy Spirit these past hours of prayer and reflection. Amen!