Every Day Faith - June 2019
JUNE 2019
I will walk in the power of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) who is present and active in our hearts, our lives and in the world, but who can tend to be the least acknowledged. We need the Holy Spirit’s power to live out the meaningful and fruitful life in Christ we’re called to have once we commit to Him. When we give our lives to Christ, His desire is to have His Spirit come upon us in a powerful way, so that we have a deep sense of His love and presence, a deeper understanding of His Word, and sensitivity to His promptings. We’re empowered to serve in meaningful ways that advance the message of the gospel wherever we live, study or work. Special gifts are given to each person (1 Corinthians 12:8-10), which, in combination with the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), result in the gospel being spread through our lives and example as we operate in them. Our hearts are sensitive to the Father’s desire to reach people without the forgiveness, peace and hope found in Christ, and we are burdened with the spiritual needs of those around us and throughout the world. We have the motivation and help we need to love others the way Christ loved us, even when it’s difficult. We have the courage we need to live counter-culturally, taking Spirit-led risks so that Jesus is reflected and made known. We’re able to withstand the criticism that may come with taking an unpopular stand that honours God, because of an abiding sense of His love and protection. And we can always ask God for more of His Spirit so that we can experience all of this, and much more.
Ask and it will be granted…
- That God will grant us a time of refreshing in experiencing the power of the Holy Spirit.
- That God will help us to understand more about how He has gifted us and how He desires to use those gifts through our lives.
- That the fruit of the Holy Spirit will become increasingly evident in our personal lives.
- That our eyes will be opened to new opportunities for serving and sharing our faith, and we would have the courage to pursue them.
For reflection:
- What is your understanding of the role of the Holy Spirit?
- Have you ever asked for more of the Spirit’s power to be evident in your life?
- In what areas would you like to imitate Christ’s example of walking in the power of the Holy Spirit?
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Galatians 5:16-24 (NLT)
“So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses.
When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.”
1 Corinthians 12:8-11 (NLT)
To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.
Ephesians 5:15-16 (NLT)
“So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.”
Colossians 1:8-12 (NLT)
“He has told us about the love for others that the Holy Spirit has given you. So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.
We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light.”
Next month’s “I Will” statement: “I will reflect Christ everywhere I go.”
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