January 14, 2025

BE SENSITIVE TO THE HOLY SPIRIT EVERY DAY

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit,

Ephesians 5:18 NLT

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TODAY’S THOUGHT

Let’s talk about the importance of being filled with the Holy Spirit. We live in a world that caters to the flesh. The flesh wants immediate gratification with often little thought to the long-term consequences. We are pushed to act out of feelings and emotions.

Part of taking time for prayer and fasting is to become more sensitive to the Spirit and learn to deny the flesh. Practicing saying “no” to the flesh is a tough task.

When we give up something our flesh loves—like sweets, bread, or other food items—we are learning to discipline the flesh. This allows us to make more space to listen to the Spirit.

As I write this devotion, I think about an experience I had just yesterday. My oldest son has installed a cold plunge at his home. He has been encouraging me to come and use the cold plunge to help my muscle stiffness. The idea is to go from a hot tub to cold plunge multiple times to reset your muscles. 

I only lasted about 15 seconds in the cold plunge the first time in because my body hated the cold. After about 10 minutes in the hot tub, I went back to the cold plunge and made 30 seconds by mentally telling myself this is not going to harm me but is good for me. Then back to the hot tub for 5 minutes. The third trip to the cold plunge I managed to stay up to my neck for one minute. I had to tell my body this was good.

The end results were that I had an amazing night of deep sleep with very little muscle pain. I now hope to make this a regular part of my workout regimen—and I’m sure that each time I will have to convince my body it is good.

This is where we call on the Holy Spirit for help. We are the temple of God, and the Spirit of God lives in us. He is our Comforter, Intercessor, and Teacher, and Guide. Invite the Holy Spirit to help you be effective in your times of prayer and fasting. Ask the Spirit to direct your prayers. 

This is the time to be sure that you have surrendered every part of your life to Holy Spirit’s influence. Ask the Spirit to show you any area that is not completely under His control. This is what it means to be filled with the Spirit. 

I believe that being filled with the Holy Spirit is not a one-time experience but a daily experience. Every day we leak. Our flesh tries to take control of areas of our lives, and we must fight the battle anew. That is why daily we ask the Holy Spirit to fill us. 

A few moments a day using your prayer language will help keep your spiritual tank full. Don’t neglect the need to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

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TODAY’S PRAYER

Holy Spirit fill me fresh and new today. I surrender every part of my life to You. I want to keep my spiritual tank full. I want to be able to deny the flesh and live daily according to the Spirit. 

“Scroll down to share what you feel God is saying based on today’s reading.”