Tag: Spirit

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, LGG Study, Quiet Time, The Importance of Prayer, The Importance of Prayer

All You Can Ask or Think

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Inspired by “The Importance of Prayer”, an LGG Study – w4d5
Read John 1:16 and Ephesians 3:20-21

16 For we have all received from his fullness one gracious gift after another.

20 Now to him who by the power that is working within us is able to do far beyond all that we ask or think,

John 1:16/Ephesians 3:20

Verse 20 is actually the closure to Paul’s prayer, which you can read in verses 14-19, where Paul prays specifically for the benefit of the Gentiles (v1), that they would know the power that comes from the Spirit living in them, that because of their faith Christ would dwell in their hearts where the roots of their faith would grow deep and strong, that they would be able to comprehend the magnitude of God’s love through Christ, and “be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God Himself.”

When I think of all this, I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus for the benefit of you Gentiles[… When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, 15 the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. 16 [I pray] that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Ephesians 3:1, 14-19 NLT

At the end of Paul’s prayer (v20) he declares that God is able to do more than we ask or even imagine. He knows that the strength believers have – comes not from themselves but from the Spirit God has placed within them – and, because of this, he moves forward in verse 21, with a call that God be glorified in the church and in Christ Jesus. So confident is Paul in what God can do that he commits all he asked of God to God for the glory of God.

to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Ephesians 3:21

We have been invited to approach God’s throne boldly and with confidence (Hebrews 4:16), – and yet, so often it seems we come shyly before Him praying timidly. According to 1 John 5:14, we are able to ask anything according to His will and know that He will hear us. So, what is it you need to pray about? Pray for it – pray according to His will, pray with confidence, pray boldly, pray believing, and pray faithfully – and then watch expectantly to see what God does.

He’s a big, all-powerful, all-knowing, always-present God so let’s not limit Him. Let’s pray BIG prayers in Jesus’ Name. Yes, His answer may not look like what we envisioned but His vision is perfect and His ways are perfect and much better than we can conceive – and He is poised and prepared to do more than we ask or even imagine!

As John so beautifully put it in John 1:16, from God’s fullness [believers] have received “one gracious gift after another. which is best defined as “grace upon grace”. Knowing this led me back to read Ephesians 3:19 again, “May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.” Do you see it? Bear with me for a minute and allow me this paraphrased version – “May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the [grace] that comes from God.” In other words, Jesus is the full expression of God’s love for us, He, Jesus, is the grace of God poured out on us – for is it not by grace that we have been saved through faith? He cannot give us anything greater than Christ – nothing we ask is too difficult for Him – so I say again, don’t limit God! Pray big prayers, pray according to His will, pray with confidence, pray boldly, pray believing, and pray faithfully – and then watch expectantly to see what God does.

For it is by grace that you have been saved through faith…

Ephesians 2:8
Call to Action:

Does a doctor’s appointment have you concerned? Pray for peace to quiet the fear.

Is there a “river” you need to cross that seems impossible? Ask Him to part the waters or to show you the way around it.

Is there a “storm” brewing around you? Ask Him to silence the winds and waves.

Is a friend in trouble? Ask God to rescue them.

Don’t just ask – BELIEVE HE IS ABLE – not just able to do what you’ve asked – but exceedingly more than you’ve asked or even imagined!

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, LGG Study, Quiet Time, The Importance of Prayer, The Importance of Prayer

Pray to Abide in Christ (2.0)

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Inspired by a LGG Bible Study, “The Importance of Prayer”, w2d5

Scripture Reading: John 15:1-8; SOAP (5)

“I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me – and I in him – bears much fruit because apart from me you can accomplish nothing”

John 15:5 NET

Jesus is teaching His disciples that He is their source of life ; and He goes on to say that they [the disciples] are the branches. He doesn’t stop with that analogy though, but continues the lesson that gives them the key to being a healthy – thriving “branch”, which is to abide, or remain in Him. In the context of the analogy it might sound like this – ‘the one who remains attached to Me – and I remain in him – bears much fruit …” or the evidence of Christ in us – Galatians 5:22-25)

22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. \

Galatians 5:22-25

As for the little clause, “and I in him“, is a given fact, for Christ said – “Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” – Matthew 28:20. And, of course, in John 14:18 He told them that He would send the Holy Spirit so that they would not be orphans, in other words He wouldn’t leave them alone. Jesus made it clear that He will always be with us – the choice is ours – to stay the course of a true disciple, remaining attached to Jesus, the “True Vine” – or not. Note the passage from Galatians defines those who “belong to Christ” [a true disciple] as having “nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to His cross and crucified them there.” He then identifies the disciples who belong to Him as ones who live by the Spirit, and encourages them to follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of their lives.

Oh Father, may we choose well in our walk of faith, holding fast to the eternal life to which you have called us and about which we have declared before many witnesses in our churches and neighborhoods, at our jobs and to our families. Lord let us not falter but help us to faithfully keep in step with the Spirit – so that in all things we do and say – fruit will abound – disciples will multiply and You will be glorified! In the mighty name of Jesus – Amen!

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, LGG Study
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Pray Knowing the Spirit Intercedes

 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes on behalf of the saints according to God’s will. NET

 

 And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. NLT

Romans 8:27

This has been one of my favorite and most comforting verses since my early twenties. Somehow knowing that God searches our hearts – not just looking for sin and things that need to be removed, as David prayed in Psalm 139:23-24, but also to help us in our weakness, like when we want to pray but just can’t find the words. The Father, who knows our hearts – the good, and bad, and ugly of our hearts – doesn’t turn away from His children but instead cares so deeply for us and wants us to be able to communicate with Him – that He sent His Spirit to intercede on our behalf. Actually verse 26, in the New Living Translation, says that the Spirit prays for us with groans that cannot be expressed in words.

Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!

And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words

Psalm 139:23-24 and Romans 8:26

Imagine it – the Creator of the universe not only says come … bring me your burdens, your heartaches, and tiredness. Turn to me when you’re tempted or in need, cry out to me in your distress or when you’re afraid. He even invites us to bring Him our sin so that he might forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness … and as if that’s not enough – He says, when You don’t know how to pray about something – don’t worry, I have you covered. Oh the rich rich goodness of our God!

May you find hope and encouragement from these truths today!

Don’t miss today’s Love God Greatly Blog Post at https://lovegodgreatly.com/lgg-blog/

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout
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The Baptism of Jesus Matthew 3:13-17

John had been baptizing those who were repenting and turning to God. Now Jesus comes to be baptized by John. What an honor, right? John, however, understood that Jesus was the Messiah and did not need to repent of anything or turn to God, as was the requirement for baptism (Matthew 3:6). If anything, John understood his own sin and believed he should be baptized by Jesus not the other way around.

Reflection Question:

How did Jesus change John’s mind?

What happens after the baptism is relayed by Matthew in a beautiful picture of words that describe the love, joy, and pleasure that God took in seeing His son baptized – a symbol of being buried in death and raised to life. He also describes a scene of God’s Spirit descending like a dove, which one of my favorite Bible references describes like this:

God the Father immediately responds to Jesus’ baptism in a powerful way. As Jesus emerges from being fully immersed in the water of the Jordan River, the heavens are opened. Jesus sees God the Holy Spirit descending from heaven like a dove and coming to rest on Him.

It’s unclear from the descriptions in the other Gospels whether only Jesus saw the heavens opened and the Spirit descend. This might have been witnessed by everyone present. Or, perhaps it was only perceived by Jesus and John (John 1:32). Luke does specify that the Holy Spirit took solid, bodily form (Luke 3:22). However, the phrase “like a dove” can either refer to the visual appearance of the Spirit, or to the manner in which the Spirit descended. As such, it’s not explicitly clear that the Holy Spirit looked like a literal dove.

Bibleref.com in regard to Matthew 3:16

While John’s experience with Jesus is unique to only him, I am reminded what a privilege it is to serve God/Jesus in any way. I am equally convicted to remember the privilege and have a humble spirit like John, who surrendered to serve/baptizing as Christ requested – knowing, as Jesus told him, “It should be done, for we must carry out all that God requires.” 

Posted in Bible study, LGG Study

Draw Near: Week 4, Friday Relying on the Helper

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Today’s Scripture – Psalm 19:10-11; Colossians 3:16-17 (SOAP: Colossians 3:16-17)

Psalm 19:10-11

They are more desirable than gold,
    even the finest gold.
They are sweeter than honey,
    even honey dripping from the comb.
11 They are a warning to your servant,
    a great reward for those who obey them.

Colossians 3:16-17

Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. 17 And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

This is not solely up to you. If you are a believer you have the Holy Spirit living in you. He is your helper. He helps you understand truth and gives you a desire to live by that truth.

Read the complete blog/lesson at LGG

The way people in the early church remembered truths about God was through psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.

Read the rest of the devotion at LGG
Posted in Bible study, LGG Study

Draw Near: Week 4, Thursday The Sword of the Spirit

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Today’s Scripture – Ephesians 6:14-18; Psalm 33:4 (SOAP: Ephesians 6:14-18)

Ephesians 6:14-18

Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. 16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.  17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

Psalm 33:4

 For the word of the Lord holds true,
    and we can trust everything he does.

God’s word is necessary in fighting the schemes of Satan. 

Read the whole devotional at LGG
Posted in From the Insideout, Prayer Starters

Guarded Thoughts

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Do you ever find yourself distracted by the actions of others – your mind caught up in their behavior and pelted with anger? Or maybe you awaken to thoughts of your past that are hurtful and bring sorrow, or shameful and evoke guilt which in turn evokes lies and/or captivity that leads you away from God instead of toward Him. Whatever your trigger point is to thoughts that disrupt your peace and unity with God – He makes it clear through His Word that our minds are to be fixed on Him. He promises in the Old Testament as well as the New that when our minds are set or fixed on Him we will know His perfect peace.

You will keep in perfect peace all trust in You, all whose thoughts are fixed on You.

Isaiah 26:3

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7

Paul’s instructions to the believers didn’t stop with prayers that would bring peace. Instead, he encouraged them to fix their thoughts on other things – things that would replace the “anxious” thoughts so that God’s peace would continue to guard their hearts and minds as they lived in Christ Jesus.

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 9 Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

Philippians 4:8-9

It strengthens us to take thoughts that are not beneficial or pleasing to Him captive, making them obedient to Jesus Christ – who holds the power over sin and death.

Fixing our thoughts on Him is a Spiritual discipline that takes effort and practice. It is part of the Spiritual training mentioned in 1 Timothy 4:8 that promises benefits not only in this life but in the life to come. Fixing our thoughts on Him not only fills us with His peace but as 2 Corinthians 10:5 teaches, it protects us from arguments and pretensions that set themselves up against the knowledge of God. It strengthens us to take thoughts that are not beneficial or pleasing to Him captive, making them obedient to Jesus Christ – who holds the power over sin and death.

Father, my mind is sometimes a battleground and I plead for You, in Your mighty, omnipotent, omniscient power, to guard it. Block all thoughts that invoke unrighteous anger and bitterness toward others, and protect me even from the righteous anger that arises so that it does not take my thoughts captive and distract me from Your voice, Your guidance, and Your presence. Keep me from judgmental thoughts and the critical words they provoke. Guard me from fearful thoughts or thoughts of the past that provoke shame and regret, and all other erroneous thoughts that do not bring You glory and ultimately hinder a right relationship with You, diminishing the light of Your presence in me, which is meant to be evident in my life – both in the deeds that I do and the words that I speak.

Instead, as Paul wrote to the Colossians, help me to make allowance for other’s faults and to forgive anyone who offends me, help me to remember You have forgiven me and set me forever free from the past. I pray that You would empty my mind of what doesn’t belong and instead – fill it with and fix it on things that are true and honorable, and right and pure, and lovely and admirable. Whatever is excellent or worthy of praise, Father, help me to think on these things. 💜🙏 In Jesus’ Name – amen! ❣️

Let the Words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to You oh Lord, my Rock and Redeemer.

Psalm 19:14

Make allowance for each others faults and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.

Colossians 3:13
Posted in Bible study, LGG Study

Everlasting Covenant: Week 3, Wednesday – A. Better. Covenant.

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Today’s Scripture: Hebrews 8:6-13; 2 Corinthians 3:4-6 (S.O.A.P. 2 Corinthians 3:4-6)

Hebrews 8:6-13 New Living Translation

 But now Jesus, our High Priest, has been given a ministry that is far superior to the old priesthood, for he is the one who mediates for us a far better covenant with God, based on better promises.

7 If the first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no need for a second covenant to replace it. 8 But when God found fault with the people, he said:

“The day is coming, says the Lord,
    when I will make a new covenant
    with the people of Israel and Judah.
9 This covenant will not be like the one
    I made with their ancestors
when I took them by the hand
    and led them out of the land of Egypt.
They did not remain faithful to my covenant,
    so I turned my back on them, says the Lord.
10 But this is the new covenant I will make
    with the people of Israel on that day,[a] says the Lord:
I will put my laws in their minds,
    and I will write them on their hearts.
I will be their God,
    and they will be my people.
11 And they will not need to teach their neighbors,
    nor will they need to teach their relatives,[b]
    saying, ‘You should know the Lord.’
For everyone, from the least to the greatest,
    will know me already.
12 And I will forgive their wickedness,
    and I will never again remember their sins.”[c]

13 When God speaks of a “new” covenant, it means he has made the first one obsolete. It is now out of date and will soon disappear.

2 Corinthians 3:4-6 New Living Translation

 We are confident of all this because of our great trust in God through Christ. 5 It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God. 6 He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life.

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LGG Devotional
BibleREF.com
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Jesus Our Everything: Week 4, Day 3

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Question of the Day: According to today’s LGG Devotional, how can Christ cleanse us from sin eternally?

Today’s Scripture: Hebrews 9:11-14 (S.O.A.P. Hebrews 9:13-14)

Christ’s Service in the Heavenly Sanctuary

But now Christ has come[a] as the high priest of the good things to come. He passed through the greater and more perfect tent not made with hands, that is, not of this creation, 12 and he entered once for all into the Most Holy Place not by the blood of goats and calves but by his own blood, and so he himself secured[b] eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow sprinkled on those who are defiled consecrated them and provided ritual purity,[c]14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our[d] consciences from dead works to worship the living God.

Today’s LGG Blog
Posted in LGG Study

Jesus Our Everything: Week 4, Day 1

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Question of the Day: One of our SOAP passages today says that the new covenant isn’t based on the letter but on the Spirit? What’s the difference?

Today’s Scripture: Hebrews 8:7-13; 2 Cor. 3:4-6 (S.O.A.P. Heb. 8:7-8; 2 Cor. 3:5-6)

For if that first covenant had been faultless, no one would have looked for a second one.[a] 8 But[b] showing its fault,[c] God[d] says to them,[e]

“Look, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will complete a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.
9 “It will not be like the covenant[f] that I made with their fathers, on the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not continue in my covenant and I had no regard for them, says the Lord.
10 “For this is the covenant that I will establish with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord. I will put[g] my laws in their minds[h] and I will inscribe them on their hearts. And I will be their God and they will be my people.[i]
11 “And there will be no need at all[j] for each one to teach his countryman or each one to teach his brother saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ since they will all know me, from the least to the greatest.[k]
12 “For I will be merciful toward their evil deeds, and their sins I will remember no longer.”[l]

13 When he speaks of a new covenant,[m] he makes the first obsolete. Now what is growing obsolete and aging is about to disappear.[n]

Today’s LGG Blog