Category: purpose in life

I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard?
– Galatians 3:2 NIV

Most of us love lists. We can check things off our lists and show we’ve completed our tasks. If we don’t complete our list, we feel like we deserve any negative consequences. The Holy Spirit, however, is not something we deserve. The Spirit is a gift Jesus gives to those who believe in him — those who trust in and share with Jesus in his death, burial, and resurrection through baptism (1 Corinthians 15:1-5; Romans 6:3-6). Paul was reminding these Galatian Christians that no list, not even one given in the law, can bring the Holy Spirit to them. They received the Spirit because they fully believed in Jesus who poured out this gift upon them (Titus 3:3-7). No wonder Jesus talked about the Holy Spirit as one of God’s greatest gifts (Luke 11:11-13).

Father, thank you for the gift of your Son who died for my sins and was raised from the dead to give me the victory over sin and death. I also thank you, dear Father, for the gift of the Holy Spirit who is your presence that lives in me. May my life be to your glory, O God. In the name of Jesus, I offer you my deepest thanks! Amen.

“As for me,” God says, “this is my covenant with [the Israelites]: My Spirit that I’ve placed upon you and the words that I’ve given you to speak, they’re not going to leave your mouths nor the mouths of your children nor the mouths of your grandchildren. You will keep repeating these words and won’t ever stop.” God’s orders. 
– Isaiah 59:21 MESSAGE

The book of Isaiah furnishes so much language and imagery of the Messiah and the coming new covenant of God with his people. One of the great promises God makes through Isaiah is of the coming of the Holy Spirit so that the Spirit will never be taken away from God’s people. This promise lies behind Jesus’ promise to his followers before his death that he would not leave them as orphans, but would send the Comforter, the Spirit of truth, who would be with them forever (John 14:16-18 ASV). God’s Spirit will never abandon us or leave us or forget us, but will be with us forever!

Dear God, my Abba Father, thank you for your promises and for your word that connects centuries of your promises together and makes them available for us. In all the difficult times that we face — and that I face personally — I thank you for never abandoning me or leaving me alone. Thank you for living inside me and always being near me through your Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
— 2 Thessalonians 1:12

I can’t think of a more lofty goal for today than that the name of Jesus be glorified in what we do and say. But then Paul takes it a step further — that we find our glory by being identified with him! As the famed old hymn “Beneath the Cross of Jesus” says it, “my glory all the cross.”

Father of majesty and might, please help me as I strive to plan what my daily activities will be and then prioritize those activities so that my focus and passion are on bringing you glory in all that I do, think, and say. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

I know, O LORD, that a man’s life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps.
— Jeremiah 10:23

Are you headed in the right direction? While we may have goals and a sense of mission about our lives, our lives are not really ours to plan. Every day must be greeted as a gift from God. Every goal must ultimately be pursued to his glory. Every true sense of direction is a gift to us from our Father’s Word or his Spirit.

Wise and loving Father, lead me by your Holy Spirit. Fill me with your holy wisdom. Guide me into a more complete understanding of your will for my life. Please give me the wisdom to live each day with character and holy grace. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
— Acts 13:52 NIV

The Holy Spirit’s presence in God’s people is accompanied by joy! Jesus was full of joy because of the Spirit (Luke 10:21), and the same is also true of his disciples (Romans 14:17; Galatians 5:22). What I find interesting about today’s passage is that all the external reasons for the disciples of Jesus to rejoice were absent. Paul and Barnabas were persecuted and run out of the region of Pisidian Antioch (Acts 13:49-52). But, the good news of Jesus had penetrated the hearts of people who believed and turned to him. Paul and Barnabas continued on their mission and left behind a group of people in whom the Holy Spirit of God lived. No matter the circumstances, the Holy Spirit is going to bring God’s deep and abiding sense of joy. Before his death, Jesus had promised this joy to his followers (John 16:21-24). God lives in us through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is our assurance that we belong to God and will ultimately share eternity with him (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13). While trials, persecutions, and hardships may come our way, the Holy Spirit within us is God’s reminder that our ultimate victory is secure and that our Father’s love is always present. It’s no wonder we are filled with “an inexpressible and glorious joy”! (1 Peter 1:8-9)

Father God, I look forward to seeing you face-to-face as your child and experiencing the full realization of the joy of your grace. I thank you for the Holy Spirit who brings that sense of joy into my heart even in the darkest moments of my life’s journey. In Jesus’ name, I thank you! Amen.

Encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.
– Hebrews 3:13

How serious are we about sin? The Bible reminds us how seriously God views it. The power of sin to entice us, entrap us, and ultimately engulf us in its power can be offset by loving Christian friends who encourage each other daily.

Father God in Heaven, I know sin’s power is deceptive. Help me see those who need my encouragement today, so that together, we can help each other escape sin’s traps. In the name of Jesus, who withstood all of Satan’s tests, I pray. Amen.

Since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.
– Colossians 1:9

When we hear of Christians in other places, especially where circumstances and times are difficult, or they are new in the Faith, let’s intentionally and purposefully pray this prayer for them!

Loving Father please bless my brothers and sisters in Christ all over the world. Strengthen those under attack and facing oppression. Mature those new to your family. Enlighten those who are facing doubt and uncertainty. Please bless your people today with peace. In Jesus’ name I ask it. Amen.