I thank You, My Lord, for Your gift of the Holy Spirit. Apart from the His power, it is impossible for me to live a life of obedience to You. Only if I succumb to His leadership and guidance, will I experience freedom from the control of sin and my flesh. Too often I’ve neglected seeking the Holy Spirit’s guidance and leadership. Many times I allowed circumstances and trials to take over my life rather than ask for His power to overcome them. More often than I’d like to admit, I’ve set out on my own to fix a problem or take control of circumstances in my life … only to realize that with the help and the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, everything would have worked out for the best. And many nights I’ve cried my eyes out over my sins and failings, my disappointments and the emptiness I felt when I could have sought the comfort and consolation of the One You left to look after me when You ascended into Heaven.
I realize that even when I’m at my best, I’m vulnerable to spiritual failure and discouragement. When I rely on my strength to resolve problems, I become overwhelmed and defeated. Instead of stumbling over my pride, I should remember to seek the help of the Spirit. How easy it would be to say “Spirit of God, I surrender to You” and trust that He will help me escape temptation and brush aside fear. I know that I am not forced to obey Your commands, but with the guidance of the Holy Spirit I can be led into submission and obedience. As I submit myself to the Spirit, I enable Him to supernaturally reshape and redirect my life from within. Over time, I feel He will conform me to Your ways. Only then, will I finally be able to rest as I accept the fact that it is through the working of the Holy Spirit that I gain victory over sin, my enemies and my flesh. He is the One who can turn my groaning into shouts of joy.
As Your child, I have taken Your name and the responsibilities that come with it. As a co-heir with You, I am equipped, through the working of the Spirit, with the power to withstand the forces of evil that come against me. The presence of the Holy Spirit in my life is a sign of my belonging to You. Whatever difficulties I face, I must remember that the Holy Spirit was given to me to resolve them or overcome them. All the pain … all the suffering … all the disappointment … all the insults and rejection … all the dashed hopes and shattered dreams … are minimized by the compassion and love of the Holy Spirit. As I remain close to Him, he helps me realize that all of my hardships pale in comparison to the blessings You have given to me. The cry of my heart has become “come Holy Spirit to work in my life” so that I might walk in the light and life that has been ordained for me. And it’s in Jesus’ name I pray. AMEN!!
Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you …