Daily Devotion – Thursday March 8th
Reminder- Dare this week: I Dare you to Pray for an Hour
Theme: Knowing God Leads to Personal Transformation
Suggested Opening prayer
Thank you Father God for being my “abba”, my daddy. Father, I come to you as your son or daughter in this moment. Thank you that you care for me and love me as an adoring, passionate father. I am so grateful to have you as my Father, and that I get to call myself a child of God. Amen.
Read:
Some background:
God makes it clear to us that we are not alone in the process of transformation; we have God the Holy Spirit living within us. The Holy Spirit desires to lead and guide our will, passions and pursuits after what the heart of God has for us. When we listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit obediently, things change for us. We are no longer concerned about what we used to desire to become when we were led by our “flesh”, rather, we are led by the Holy Spirit to pursue and demonstrate His (the Holy Spirit’s) “fruit”. This passage from Galatians describes the differences between the “flesh” and the “Spirit”.
A. Galatians 5:16-25 (NIV)
16 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.
19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
B. From Martin Luther
Faith is a living, bold trust in God’s grace, so certain of God’s favor that it would risk death a thousand times trusting in it. Such confidence and knowledge of God’s grace makes you happy, joyful and bold in your relationship to God and all creatures. The Holy Spirit makes this happen through faith. Because of it, you freely, willingly and joyfully do good to everyone, serve everyone, suffer all kinds of things, love and praise the God who has shown you such grace.
Reflect: silent and written
Reflect upon each individual aspect of the fruit of the Spirit listed in this passage: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Consider how you see each of these characteristics of the Holy-Spirit-driven life in your life: areas to be happy about? Areas in need of growth?
Respond:
Pray to God, ask the Holy Spirit to help you today to work on one particular characteristic of His fruit in your life. Commit to be prayerfully conscious of any opportunities to grow in and demonstrate that fruit today.
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