RELYING ON THE HOLY SPIRIT
For toddlers, taking their first steps is not easy. They do not learn and grow just by relying on their own strength – their parents hold their hands as they learn to walk. Similarly, we grow and mature spiritually not through our own strength, but by relying on the Holy Spirit. He is our guide and counsel in our spiritual growth!
The Holy Spirit will give us understanding when we need it. The way we understand and react to circumstances are often shaped by our beliefs and past experiences. This can limit our understanding of how God wants to work in and through us. For example, when we encounter a challenging situation (e.g. the loss of a job), we can easily lose hope and worry about how to provide for ourselves and our families. In these situations, the Holy Spirit gives us wisdom and understanding. 1 Corinthians 2:11-12 tells us that we have received the Holy Spirit so that we can know and understand God’s mind. As we begin to rely on the Holy Spirit, He begins to reveal God’s purpose for us even in the midst of our situation.
It is the Holy Spirit who will empower us to overcome difficult situations. As we choose to rely on the Holy Spirit, He gives us the courage and faith to trust God with our situation. He brings us from a place of anxiety and worry into a place of absolute confidence and trust in God.
Today, make the decision to rely less on yourself. Instead, choose to rely on the Holy Spirit. Seek the Holy Spirit’s direction in every decision you make, no matter how big or small.
Reflect:
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- Why is it difficult to rely on the Holy Spirit?
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- Is there an area in your life where you are believing for a breakthrough? Ask the Holy Spirit to show you what God is doing in the midst of your situation.
Prayer:
Dear God, thank You for the promise of Your Holy Spirit. I know that when I choose to rely on the Spirit, I will step into the plans and purposes that You have for my life. Help me to rely less on my own strength and knowledge and more on Your Spirit. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Read:
Zechariah 4:6 NLT
Then he said to me, “This is what the LORD says to Zerubbabel: It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.
1 Corinthians 2:11-12 NLT
No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.