Context
1 Corinthians 2 NIV
And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.[a] 2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. 4 My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, 5 so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.
 
6 We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7 No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 However, as it is written:
“What no eye has seen,
    what no ear has heard,
and what no human mind has conceived”[b]—
    the things God has prepared for those who love him—
 
10 these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.
 
The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. 13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.[c] 14 The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. 15 The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, 16 for,
“Who has known the mind of the Lord
    so as to instruct him?”[d]
But we have the mind of Christ.
 
Footnotes:

• 1 Corinthians 2:1 Some manuscripts proclaimed to you God’s mystery
• 1 Corinthians 2:9 Isaiah 64:4
• 1 Corinthians 2:13 Or Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual
• 1 Corinthians 2:16 Isaiah 40:13

 
Devotional
There is a difference between natural ability and spiritual empowerment. You can be talented and still need the Holy Spirit. You can be educated and still need the Holy Spirit. You can have experience and still need the Holy Spirit. You can have a platform and still need the Holy Spirit. Paul understood this. He had education. He knew Scripture. He knew how to reason. He had experience. But he knew that human ability could never replace the power of God. Sometimes God will call you to something that is bigger than your ability. That's intentional. Moses had a speech problem. Gideon felt insignificant. Jeremiah felt too young. David seemed unlikely. The disciples were ordinary people. But God specializes in using people who understand: “I can't do this without You.” Maybe you're looking at something God has placed in front of you and thinking, “I'm not capable.” Maybe that's exactly where God wants you. Because when God works through something you could never accomplish in your own strength, He receives the glory. Your prayer shouldn't always be: “God, give me the ability to do this.” Sometimes it should be: “God, give me the power to trust You while I do this.”

Reflect

• Where are you relying more on your own ability than on the Holy Spirit?
• What is something God may be asking you to do that feels bigger than you?
• What would change if you truly believed God would empower you?

Prayer
Holy Spirit, I need You. I confess that my ability isn't enough. My wisdom isn't enough. My strength isn't enough. If You have called me, empower me. If You have sent me, equip me. I am willing. Help me stop focusing on what I cannot do, and start trusting what You can do through me. Let my life demonstrate Your power rather than my ability. Amen.

Context
Psalm 90 NIV
A prayer of Moses the man of God.
1 Lord, you have been our dwelling place
    throughout all generations.
2 Before the mountains were born
    or you brought forth the whole world,
    from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
 
3 You turn people back to dust,
    saying, “Return to dust, you mortals.”
4 A thousand years in your sight
    are like a day that has just gone by,
    or like a watch in the night.
5 Yet you sweep people away in the sleep of death—
    they are like the new grass of the morning:
6 In the morning it springs up new,
    but by evening it is dry and withered.
 
7 We are consumed by your anger
    and terrified by your indignation.
8 You have set our iniquities before you,
    our secret sins in the light of your presence.
9 All our days pass away under your wrath;
    we finish our years with a moan.
10 Our days may come to seventy years,
    or eighty, if our strength endures;
yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow,
    for they quickly pass, and we fly away.
11 If only we knew the power of your anger!
    Your wrath is as great as the fear that is your due.
12 Teach us to number our days,
    that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
 
13 Relent, Lord! How long will it be?
    Have compassion on your servants.
14 Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love,
    that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.
15 Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
    for as many years as we have seen trouble.
16 May your deeds be shown to your servants,
    your splendor to their children.
 
17 May the favor[a] of the Lord our God rest on us;
    establish the work of our hands for us—
    yes, establish the work of our hands.
 
Footnotes

• Psalm 90:17 Or beauty

 
Devotional
In 1 Peter, he began his teaching about spiritual gifts with a reminder: “The end of all things is near” (4:7). That's a powerful reminder. We don't have unlimited time. Every morning we wake up, we have one less day on this earth than we did before. We don't know how many days God has given us. We don't know how many opportunities we'll have. We don't know how many people we'll encounter who need encouragement, prayer, help, or the gospel. But we do know this: Our days matter. Sometimes we say, “One day I'll serve.” One day I'll teach. One day I'll get involved. One day I'll share my testimony. One day I'll step out in faith. But one day isn't guaranteed. The enemy doesn't always have to get us to do something terrible. Sometimes all he has to do is keep us distracted. Keep us comfortable. Keep us waiting. Keep us saying, “Maybe later.” But God has placed gifts inside of you for today. Don't wait for the perfect opportunity. Don't wait until you feel completely qualified. Don't wait until you're fearless. Use what God has given you with the time He has given you.

Reflect

• If I knew I had a limited amount of time left, what would I change?
• Is there something God has been asking me to do that I've been putting off?
• What is one opportunity I have today to use my gift?

Prayer
Father, teach me to number my days. Don't let me waste the time You have given me. Deliver me from procrastination, distraction, and comfort. Help me recognize the opportunities You place in front of me. I don't know how many days I have left, but I want the days I have to count for Your kingdom. Amen.

Context
1 Peter 4 NIV
Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. 2 As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. 3 For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. 4 They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you. 5 But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 6 For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to human standards in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit.
 
7 The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.
 
12 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15 If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. 16 However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. 17 For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And,
 
“If it is hard for the righteous to be saved,
    what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”[a]
 
19 So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.
 
Footnotes

• 1 Peter 4:18 Prov. 11:31 (see Septuagint)

 
Devotional
Peter doesn't say some have received a gift. He says each one. That means you. God has placed something in you that He intends to use for His purposes. You may not know exactly what your spiritual gift is yet. You may not feel particularly gifted. You may look at someone else and think, “I could never do what they do.” But God isn't asking you to do what He gave someone else to do. He has uniquely equipped you. Your personality, your experiences, your abilities, your testimony, and your spiritual gifts are all part of the story God is writing through your life. The gift isn't ultimately about you. It's about what God wants to do through you. You don't have to stand on a platform to be used by God. You may encourage someone. Serve someone. Teach someone. Give to someone. Pray for someone. Help someone. Lead someone. Show mercy to someone. There are no insignificant people in the body of Christ. There are no spectators. God has given you something, and He wants you to use it.

Reflect

• What abilities or spiritual gifts do I believe God has placed in me?
• Who has God placed around me that could be blessed by what He has given me?
• Am I using what God has given me, or am I simply admiring it?

Prayer
Lord, thank You for giving me something that You can use. Help me recognize what You have placed in me. Show me how my gifts, abilities, experiences, and testimony can become a blessing to others. Keep me from believing that I have nothing to offer. I surrender what You have given me back to You. Use me for Your glory. Amen.

Devotional
One of the greatest mistakes we can make in our spiritual lives is becoming frustrated because we aren't growing fast enough. We look at ourselves and ask: “Why am I not further along?” “Why do I still struggle with this?” “Why am I not more patient?” “Why do I still get angry?” “Why isn't God finished with me?” Remember this: Growth takes time. You don't just wake up one morning with all nine fruits fully developed. They have to grow. And growth takes time. A tree doesn't produce fruit because someone walks up to it and commands it to produce. The fruit comes because the tree is alive and connected to the right source. That's the picture Jesus gives us. The branch doesn't manufacture the fruit. The branch stays connected to the vine. And eventually, the fruit appears. The same is true for us. We don't manufacture holiness through human effort alone. We surrender. We obey. We pray. We stay in God's Word. We remain connected to the body of Christ. And as we stay connected to Jesus, what God is doing on the inside begins showing up on the outside. You may not be where you want to be. But thank God you're not where you used to be. Holiness is a journey. Grace meets us where we are, but grace doesn't leave us where it found us. God is still working on you. So don't spend your life trying to manufacture fruit. Stay connected to Jesus. And the fruit will come. The goal isn't to spend our lives trying harder to look like Christians. The goal is to stay connected to Jesus and allow the Holy Spirit to transform us from the inside out. The Holy Spirit produces the fruit. Our responsibility is to remain connected to the Vine.
 
Read the Context
John 15 NIV
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
 
5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
 
9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love each other.
 
18 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20 Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’[b] If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21 They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father as well. 24 If I had not done among them the works no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. As it is, they have seen, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. 25 But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.’[c]
 
26 “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me. 27 And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.
 
Footnotes:

• John 15:2 The Greek for he prunes also means he cleans.
• John 15:20 John 13:16
• John 15:25 Psalms 35:19; 69:4

 
Make it Personal
What is one spiritual practice you need to become more consistent in so that you can remain connected to Jesus?
 
Practical Application
Spend 15 uninterrupted minutes with Jesus today. Put your phone away. Open God's Word. Pray. Listen. Abide.
 
Talk to God
“Jesus, help me abide in You. Keep me connected to the Vine. When I become frustrated with my growth, remind me that You are still working in me. Help me surrender, obey, pray, stay in Your Word, and remain connected to Your people. Produce Your fruit in my life so that others can see Jesus through me. Amen.”

Devotional
Of all the fruit Paul lists, love stands at the center. Not because the other fruit don't matter. But because love gives direction to all the others. Love gives patience a reason. Love gives kindness a purpose. Love gives gentleness a posture. Love gives self-control a direction. Paul makes it clear in 1 Corinthians 13 that we can do impressive religious things and still miss what matters most. We can speak. We can serve. We can give. We can know. We can sacrifice. But without love, it all becomes empty. Biblical love isn't simply a feeling. Love changes how you respond. Love changes the way you treat people. Even when they don't deserve it. That's what makes Spirit-produced love different. It isn't based on what someone else deserves. It's based on the love God has already shown us. God loved us first. And when we understand that we don't have to spend our lives trying to prove that we're worthy of God's love, something begins changing inside of us. We begin to love God more completely. And we begin to love people more deeply. That is part of what holiness looks like.
 
Read the Context
John 13 NIV
It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
 
2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
 
6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
 
7 Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”
 
8 “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”
 
Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”
 
9 “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”
 
10 Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.
 
12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
 
18 “I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill this passage of Scripture: ‘He who shared my bread has turned[a] against me.’[b]
 
19 “I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am who I am. 20 Very truly I tell you, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.”
 
21 After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.”
 
22 His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. 23 One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. 24 Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, “Ask him which one he means.”
 
25 Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?”
 
26 Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. 27 As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.
 
So Jesus told him, “What you are about to do, do quickly.” 28 But no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. 29 Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the festival, or to give something to the poor. 30 As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night.
 
31 When he was gone, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him,[c] God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once.
 
33 “My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.
 
34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
 
36 Simon Peter asked him, “Lord, where are you going?”
 
Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.”
 
37 Peter asked, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.”
 
38 Then Jesus answered, “Will you really lay down your life for me? Very truly I tell you, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!
 
Footnotes:

• John 13:18 Greek has lifted up his heel
• John 13:18 Psalm 41:9
• John 13:32 Many early manuscripts do not have If God is glorified in him.

 
Make it Personal
Is there someone in your life that God may be calling you to love differently?
 
Practical Application
Do one intentional act of love today that you normally wouldn't do. Send the text. Make the call. Give forgiveness. Encourage someone. Serve someone. Love someone.
 
Talk to God
“God, thank You for loving me first. Help me receive Your love so deeply that it changes the way I love others. Give me patience when I'm frustrated, kindness when I'm irritated, forgiveness when I've been hurt, and grace when people don't deserve it. Let Your love be visible through my life. Amen.”

Devotional
Jesus said that we would know a tree by its fruit. That's because what is happening inside eventually begins showing up outside. What's happening in your heart eventually shows up in your words. And more importantly, it shows up in your actions. The Holy Spirit doesn't simply want to live in you. He wants to produce something through you. Paul calls it the fruit of the Spirit. Notice that Paul doesn't say “the fruits” as though these are nine separate assignments we have to manufacture. He says “the fruit.” It is one healthy life being produced by one Holy Spirit. Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Goodness. Faithfulness. Gentleness. Self-control. This fruit becomes evidence of what God is doing inside of us. Holiness looks like something. It looks like patience when you used to lose your temper. It looks like forgiveness when you used to hold onto bitterness. It looks like self-control when you used to give in. It looks like faithfulness when walking away would be easier. It looks like love even when someone doesn't deserve it. The question isn't simply, “Do I know Scripture?” The question is: “Is the Spirit producing His fruit in my life?”
 
Read the Context
Galatians 5 NIV
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
 
2 Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. 3 Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. 4 You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
 
7 You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth? 8 That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. 9 “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.” 10 I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion, whoever that may be, will have to pay the penalty. 11 Brothers and sisters, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished. 12 As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!
 
13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh[a]; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”[b] 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
 
16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever[c] you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
 
19 The acts of the flesh 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, forbearance, 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 flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
 
Footnotes:

• Galatians 5:13 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit; also in verses 16, 17, 19 and 24; and in 6:8.
• Galatians 5:14 Lev. 19:18
• Galatians 5:17 Or you do not do what

 
Make it Personal
Which fruit of the Spirit do you see God developing in your life? Which ones still need growth?
 
Practical Application
Choose one aspect of the fruit of the Spirit and intentionally practice it today.
 
Talk to God
“Holy Spirit, produce Your fruit in me. Let what You are doing inside of me become visible in the way I speak, respond, serve, forgive, and love. Make me more like Jesus. Amen.”

Devotional
Following Jesus doesn't mean the battle disappears. It means you now recognize the battle. Paul tells us that the flesh and the Spirit are opposed to one another. There are competing desires trying to shape the direction of our lives. The flesh says, “I want to be in control.” The Spirit says, “Surrender to God.” The flesh says, “I want what I want.” The Spirit says, “Trust God's will.” The flesh wants to sit on the throne. But salvation changes the throne. Before Christ, we want to be our own master, not realizing that’. After Christ, we begin learning to say: “Jesus is Lord.” Every day brings another opportunity to crucify the flesh and walk by the Spirit. That doesn't mean you'll never struggle. It means you don't have to surrender to every desire you have. You can say no to the flesh because the Holy Spirit is at work within you. Sanctification is God's ongoing work of making us more like Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit. And sometimes becoming more like Jesus means choosing God's way when your flesh wants something completely different.
 
Read the Context
Romans 8 NIV
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you[a] free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh,[b] God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.[c] And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
 
5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.
 
9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life[d] because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of[e] his Spirit who lives in you.
 
12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.
 
14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.[f] And by him we cry, “Abba,[g] Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
 
18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that[h] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.
 
22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
 
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
 
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[i] have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
 
More Than Conquerors
31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:
 
“For your sake we face death all day long;
    we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”[j]
 
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[k] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
 
Footnotes:

• Romans 8:2 The Greek is singular; some manuscripts me
• Romans 8:3 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit; also in verses 4-13.
• Romans 8:3 Or flesh, for sin
• Romans 8:10 Or you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive
• Romans 8:11 Some manuscripts bodies through
• Romans 8:15 The Greek word for adoption to sonship is a term referring to the full legal standing of an adopted male heir in Roman culture; also in verse 23.
• Romans 8:15 Aramaic for father
• Romans 8:21 Or subjected it in hope. 21 For
• Romans 8:28 Or that all things work together for good to those who love God, who; or that in all things God works together with those who love him to bring about what is good—with those who
• Romans 8:36 Psalm 44:22
• Romans 8:38 Or nor heavenly rulers

 
Make it Personal
What desire or attitude has been fighting for control of your life lately?
 
Practical Application
When you face a difficult decision today, pause before responding and ask: “What would it look like for me to walk by the Spirit right now?”
 
Talk to God
“Father, help me recognize the battle within me. When my flesh wants control, help me surrender. When my emotions want to lead me, help me follow Your Spirit. Give me strength to say no to what pulls me away from You and yes to Your will. Jesus, be Lord of every area of my life. Amen.”

Devotional
Being filled with the Holy Spirit isn't about getting more of the Holy Spirit. It is about the Holy Spirit getting more of us. There is a difference between having a moment with God and actually surrendering your life to God. A moment with God can happen on Sunday morning. But surrender happens when we allow the Holy Spirit into our Monday morning, our marriage, our parenting, our workplace, our conversations, our decisions, and our everyday lives. The Holy Spirit doesn't simply want to visit your life. He wants to lead your life. That means every day we have another opportunity to say, “Jesus, not my will, but Yours.” Salvation isn't simply God changing your destination. It is God changing your direction, your desires, your character, and ultimately your life. The question isn't simply, “Am I saved?” The question is, “Am I surrendered?” The more we surrender to the Holy Spirit, the more He begins to make us look like Jesus.
 
Read the Context
John 3 NIV
Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
 
3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.[a]”
 
4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”
 
5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit[b] gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You[c] must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”[d]
 
9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.
 
10 “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? 11 Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.[e] 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,[f] 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”[g]
 
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.
 
22 After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized. 23 Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were coming and being baptized. 24 (This was before John was put in prison.) 25 An argument developed between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing. 26 They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified about—look, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him.”
 
27 To this John replied, “A person can receive only what is given them from heaven. 28 You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him.’ 29 The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. 30 He must become greater; I must become less.”[h]
 
31 The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. 32 He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. 33 Whoever has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. 34 For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God[i] gives the Spirit without limit. 35 The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.
 
Footnotes:

• John 3:3 The Greek for again also means from above; also in verse 7.
• John 3:6 Or but spirit
• John 3:7 The Greek is plural.
• John 3:8 The Greek for Spirit is the same as that for wind.
• John 3:13 Some manuscripts Man, who is in heaven
• John 3:14 The Greek for lifted up also means exalted.
• John 3:15 Some interpreters end the quotation with verse 21.
• John 3:30 Some interpreters end the quotation with verse 36.
• John 3:34 Greek he

 
Make it Personal
What areas of your life have you been trying to control instead of surrendering to God?
 
Practical Application
Start your day by praying: “Holy Spirit, have more of me today.”
 
Talk to God
“Holy Spirit, I surrender my life to You today. I don't want You to simply have a place in my life. I want You to have control of my life. Change my desires, my thoughts, my character, and my actions. Help me decrease so that Jesus can increase in me. Amen.”

Devotional
“Instead, be filled with the Spirit…” This may be the most important truth from this entire week: Being filled with the Spirit doesn’t mean I get more of the Holy Spirit. It means the Holy Spirit gets more of me. The Holy Spirit has already been promised to live in believers. The question is: Have we surrendered ourselves to His leadership? It’s easy to give God certain parts of our lives. We’ll give Him Sunday morning. We’ll give Him our worship. We’ll give Him church. But what about our attitudes? Our relationships? Our habits? Our thought life? Our finances? Our private life? Our future? Our fears? Our plans? God doesn’t want a compartment of your life. He wants you. Paul says, “Be filled.” Let Him have all of you. And notice what happens when we are filled with the Spirit. Our worship changes. Our relationships change. Our words change. Our gratitude changes. Our lives begin producing something different. This is where the fruit of the Spirit begins to make sense. The goal isn’t simply to look spiritual. The goal is to become more like Jesus. And we can’t accomplish that through our own strength. Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would be with us and help us. So today, don’t just ask: “Holy Spirit, will You help me?” Go one step deeper: “Holy Spirit, I surrender myself to You.” Because we don’t just need another moment. We need surrender. And when we surrender, He begins to transform us.
 
Read the Context
Ephesians 5 NIV
1 Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
3 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. 4 Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. 5 For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.[a] 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. 7 Therefore do not be partners with them.
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. 14 This is why it is said:
“Wake up, sleeper,
    rise from the dead,
    and Christ will shine on you.”
15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
22 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing[b] her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body. 31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”[c] 32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
Footnotes

• Ephesians 5:5 Or kingdom of the Messiah and God
• Ephesians 5:26 Or having cleansed
• Ephesians 5:31 Gen. 2:24

 
Make it Personal
What is one area of your life that you need to completely surrender to the Holy Spirit?
 
Practical Application
Find a quiet place today. Open your hands before God and say out loud: “Holy Spirit, You can have all of me.”
 
Talk to God 
Holy Spirit, I surrender. I give You my thoughts, my words, my relationships, my habits, my plans, my future, and my private life. I don’t want to simply experience Your presence; I want to walk with You every day. Fill me and make me more like Jesus. Produce Your fruit in my life so that the people around me can see Christ through me. Amen.

Devotional
“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity…” Paul reminds us that how we live matters. Our lives are not random. Our time is a gift. Our conversations matter. Our choices matter. Our influence matters. Every day gives us opportunities to live differently because we belong to Jesus. Sometimes we think our greatest testimony is something we say. But one of the greatest testimonies we can give is how we live. When everyone else responds with anger, you respond with grace. When everyone else compromises, you remain faithful. When everyone else walks in darkness, you choose the light. When everyone else tears someone down, you build them up. When everyone else wastes their time, you recognize that your life belongs to God. That’s what it means to walk in wisdom. Being filled with the Spirit doesn’t mean escaping everyday life. It means allowing the Holy Spirit to change the way we live our everyday life. Your workplace becomes an opportunity. Your marriage becomes an opportunity. Your family becomes an opportunity. Your conversations become opportunities. Even difficult moments become opportunities to demonstrate what it looks like to belong to Jesus.
 
Read the Context
Ephesians 5 NIV
1 Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
3 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. 4 Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. 5 For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.[a] 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. 7 Therefore do not be partners with them.
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. 14 This is why it is said:
“Wake up, sleeper,
    rise from the dead,
    and Christ will shine on you.”
15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
22 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing[b] her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body. 31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”[c] 32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
Footnotes

• Ephesians 5:5 Or kingdom of the Messiah and God
• Ephesians 5:26 Or having cleansed
• Ephesians 5:31 Gen. 2:24

 
Make it Personal
Where has God placed you right now that gives you an opportunity to represent Jesus?
 
Practical Application
Look for one opportunity today to intentionally show someone the love of Christ through your words or actions.
 
Talk to God 
Lord, help me recognize the opportunities You give me today. Don’t let me waste the life You have given me. Holy Spirit, guide my words, my choices, and my reactions. Help me live wisely and represent Jesus well wherever I go. Amen.

Devotional
There is an old illustration about two wolves fighting inside a person. One represents good.
The other represents evil. Someone asks, “Which wolf wins?” The answer is: “The one you feed.” Whether or not you know the original story, the principle gives us something important to think about. What are you feeding? What are you consistently watching? What are you listening to? What are you allowing into your mind? What conversations are shaping you? What habits are becoming normal? We are constantly being formed by what we repeatedly expose ourselves to. Paul tells us to walk in the Spirit. That means we cannot continually feed the things that pull us away from God and expect our spiritual lives to remain strong. If you constantly feed anger, anger grows. If you constantly feed lust, lust grows. If you constantly feed bitterness, bitterness grows. But when you feed your relationship with God through His Word, prayer, worship, fellowship, and obedience, your desire for God begins to grow. What you consistently feed will eventually grow. The question isn’t simply, “What do I believe?” The question is: “What am I feeding?”
 
Read the Context
Galatians 5 NIV
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
2 Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. 3 Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. 4 You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
7 You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth? 8 That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. 9 “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.” 10 I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion, whoever that may be, will have to pay the penalty. 11 Brothers and sisters, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished. 12 As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!
13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh[a]; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”[b] 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever[c] you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19 The acts of the flesh 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, forbearance, 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 flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
Footnotes

• Galatians 5:13 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit; also in verses 16, 17, 19 and 24; and in 6:8.
• Galatians 5:14 Lev. 19:18
• Galatians 5:17 Or you do not do what

 
Make it Personal
What is one thing you have been consistently feeding that is making it harder to walk with God?
 
Practical Application
Remove one unhealthy influence from your day and replace it with something that draws you toward God.
 
Talk to God 
Holy Spirit, show me the things I have been allowing to shape my heart. Give me wisdom to recognize what is pulling me away from You. Help me stop feeding the things that weaken my walk with You and start feeding the things that draw me closer to You. Amen.

Devotional
“Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love…” Children naturally imitate what they see. They pick up our words. They copy our habits. They notice our attitudes. They watch how we treat people. They pay attention to how we respond when we’re frustrated. The same thing happens spiritually. Paul says that because we are God’s children, we should follow God’s example. In other words: If we belong to God, our lives should begin to look like Him. Christianity isn’t simply about saying the right things. It’s about becoming more like Jesus. The Holy Spirit works in us so that our lives begin to reflect the One we belong to. How do you respond when someone hurts you? How do you talk when you’re angry? How do you treat someone who can’t do anything for you? What happens in your life when nobody is watching? These things reveal what is shaping us. We don’t become like Jesus by simply knowing more about Jesus. We become like Jesus as we surrender ourselves to the Spirit who lives within us.
 
Read the Context
Ephesians 5 NIV
1 Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
3 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. 4 Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. 5 For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.[a] 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. 7 Therefore do not be partners with them.
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. 14 This is why it is said:
“Wake up, sleeper,
    rise from the dead,
    and Christ will shine on you.”
15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
22 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing[b] her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body. 31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”[c] 32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
Footnotes

• Ephesians 5:5 Or kingdom of the Messiah and God
• Ephesians 5:26 Or having cleansed
• Ephesians 5:31 Gen. 2:24

 
Make it Personal
If someone watched your life today, what would they learn about Jesus?
 
Practical Application
Choose one situation today where you normally react negatively. Before responding, pause and ask: “How would Jesus want me to respond?”
 
Talk to God 
Father, thank You that I am Your child. Holy Spirit, help me become more like Jesus. Let my words, attitudes, relationships, and reactions reflect You. When people see my life, let them see Jesus in me. Amen.

Devotional
“Be filled with the Spirit.” We can have powerful moments with God. A worship service can move us. A song can bring tears to our eyes. An altar call can remind us of God’s presence. A sermon can challenge our hearts. And we should be thankful for those moments. But God never intended the Holy Spirit to simply be someone we experience occasionally. The Holy Spirit isn’t just for Sunday morning. He wants to be part of your Monday morning. He wants to be present in your marriage, your parenting, your workplace, your friendships, your decisions, your thought life, and even the moments when nobody else is watching. There is a difference between having a moment with God and surrendering your life to God. A moment happens in His presence. Surrender happens when we don't feel His presence but we still choose to follow Him. Paul doesn’t say, “Have a moment with the Spirit.” He says, “Be filled with the Spirit.” That is continual. Today, don’t simply ask God to give you another experience. Ask Him to have more of you.
 
Read the Context
Ephesians 5 NIV
1 Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
3 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. 4 Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. 5 For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.[a] 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. 7 Therefore do not be partners with them.
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. 14 This is why it is said:
“Wake up, sleeper,
    rise from the dead,
    and Christ will shine on you.”
15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
22 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing[b] her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body. 31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”[c] 32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
Footnotes

• Ephesians 5:5 Or kingdom of the Messiah and God
• Ephesians 5:26 Or having cleansed
• Ephesians 5:31 Gen. 2:24

 
 
Make it Personal
What areas of your life have you allowed the Holy Spirit access to—and what areas are you still holding onto?
 
Practical Application
Before you begin your day, simply pray: “Holy Spirit, I surrender this day to You.”
 
Talk to God 
Holy Spirit, I don’t want You to simply be someone I experience on Sundays. I want You to be present in every part of my life. Fill me today. Take control of my thoughts, my words, my choices, and my actions. Help me surrender every area of my life to You. Amen.

Devotional
This is where the conversation gets personal. It’s possible to spend your entire life learning about the Holy Spirit without actually learning to walk with the Holy Spirit. You can know the theology. You can know the terminology. You can know the stories. You can know what other people believe. But the question is: Are you allowing the Spirit of God to transform your life? Because the Holy Spirit doesn’t simply give us moments. He gives us a new way of living. Paul says: “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” Notice the language: Keep in step. That means relationship. That means awareness. That means obedience. That means listening. That means responding. The Spirit convicts you—and you respond. The Spirit leads you—and you follow. The Spirit reveals sin—and you repent. The Spirit teaches you truth—and you receive it. The Spirit produces fruit—and you cooperate with His work. The goal isn’t simply to have a powerful moment with God on Sunday. The goal is to walk with God on Monday. We don’t need a church that only knows how to talk about the Holy Spirit. We need believers who live by the Spirit. We need husbands and wives who walk by the Spirit. Parents who walk by the Spirit. Students who walk by the Spirit. Pastors who walk by the Spirit. Churches that walk by the Spirit. Because when we walk with the Spirit, He begins transforming us from the inside out. Galatians 5 doesn’t point us toward chasing experiences. It points us toward fruit. Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Goodness. Faithfulness. Gentleness. Self-control. That’s what Spirit-filled living looks like. The Holy Spirit doesn’t just want to give you a moment. He wants to transform your life.
 
Read the Context
Galatians 5 NIV
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
2 Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. 3 Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. 4 You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
7 You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth? 8 That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. 9 “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.” 10 I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion, whoever that may be, will have to pay the penalty. 11 Brothers and sisters, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished. 12 As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!
13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh[a]; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”[b] 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever[c] you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19 The acts of the flesh 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, forbearance, 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 flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
Footnotes

1. Galatians 5:13 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit; also in verses 16, 17, 19 and 24; and in 6:8.
2. Galatians 5:14 Lev. 19:18
3. Galatians 5:17 Or you do not do what

 
Make it Personal
What might the Holy Spirit be asking you to surrender?
Is there an area where you know what God is asking but have been resisting?
Which fruit of the Spirit most needs to grow in your life right now?
What would “keeping in step with the Spirit” look like tomorrow morning?
 
Talk to God
Holy Spirit, I don’t want to simply experience You occasionally. I want to walk with You every day. Lead me. Convict me. Teach me. Correct me. Empower me. Produce Your fruit in my life. Make me more like Jesus. I surrender my life to Your work in me. Amen.

Devotional
“All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit.” Imagine the disciples before Pentecost. They had walked with Jesus. They had heard His teaching. They had witnessed His miracles. They had seen Him die. They had seen Him risen. They knew the gospel. But Jesus told them to wait. Why? Because they needed something they could not produce themselves. They needed the power of the Holy Spirit. Then Acts 2 happens. Wind. Fire. The presence of God. And Scripture says: “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit.” And suddenly, something changes. Peter—the same Peter who had denied Jesus—is now publicly proclaiming Jesus. People hear the gospel. People repent. People believe. The church begins to grow. Why? Because God’s Spirit brings life. This is why we have to be careful about reducing church to what we can produce. We can produce programs, schedules, and music. We can produce events, sermons, and activity. But only God can produce spiritual life. A church can be busy without being spiritually alive. A believer can be active without being spiritually alive. And that’s why we need the Holy Spirit. The question isn’t simply: “What can we do for God?” The deeper question is: “What does God want to do through us by His Spirit?” The answer isn’t to chase an emotional experience. It’s not to manufacture a moment. It’s not to imitate somebody else’s experience. It’s to surrender ourselves to the Spirit of God. Because when God’s Spirit fills His people, He produces something the flesh could never manufacture.
 
Read the Context
Acts 2 NIV
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues[a] as the Spirit enabled them.
5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,[b] 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”
13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”
14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15 These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! 16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
17 “‘In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
18 Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy.
19 I will show wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below,
blood and fire and billows of smoke.
20 The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
21 And everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved.’[c]
22 “Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. 23 This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men,[d] put him to death by nailing him to the cross. 24 But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. 25 David said about him:
“‘I saw the Lord always before me.
Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.
26 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest in hope,
27 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
you will not let your holy one see decay.
28 You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence.’[e]
29 “Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. 30 But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. 31 Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay. 32 God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. 33 Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. 34 For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said,
“‘The Lord said to my Lord:
“Sit at my right hand
35 until I make your enemies
a footstool for your feet.”’[f]
36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”
37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Footnotes

1. Acts 2:4 Or languages; also in verse 11
2. Acts 2:9 That is, the Roman province by that name
3. Acts 2:21 Joel 2:28-32
4. Acts 2:23 Or of those not having the law (that is, Gentiles)
5. Acts 2:28 Psalm 16:8-11 (see Septuagint)
6. Acts 2:35 Psalm 110:1

 
Make it Personal

• Am I relying more on my ability or on God’s Spirit?
• Where have I confused activity with spiritual life?
• What would it look like for me to surrender today’s plans to the Holy Spirit?

 
Talk to God
Holy Spirit, breathe life into me and into Your church. Keep me from depending on programs, talent, personality, or human strength. Teach me to depend upon You. Make me useful for the mission of Jesus and empower me to live for His glory. Amen.

Devotional
“He lives with you and will be in you.” There is a massive difference between knowing about someone and actually knowing them. You can know facts about a person without having a relationship with them. You can know their name, where they live, what they do. You can even know things they have said. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you know them personally. And this is where our understanding of the Holy Spirit has to change. The Holy Spirit isn’t simply a doctrine to study. He isn’t merely a theological concept. He isn’t an impersonal force. He is God’s Spirit. And Jesus makes an incredible promise: “He lives with you and will be in you.” Think about that. The God who was present in creation. The God whose Spirit came upon God’s people throughout Scripture. The Spirit who came at Pentecost. Lives in His people. That changes the way we understand Christianity. Christianity isn’t simply: “I believe the right things.” “I attend church.” “I know the Bible.” “I grew up Christian.” Christianity is a relationship with God through Christ, made real in us by the presence and work of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit convicts you. The Spirit teaches you. The Spirit reminds you of Jesus. The Spirit leads you. The Spirit produces fruit in you. The Spirit assures you that you belong to God. So perhaps today you need to stop thinking about the Holy Spirit as merely something you know about and begin asking: “Holy Spirit, what are You doing in me?” Slow down. Listen. Pay attention. God’s Spirit is not merely around you. Jesus said He would be in you.
 
Read the Context
John 14 NIV
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God[a]; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.”
5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know[b] my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”
8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”
9 Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. 12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be[c] in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”
22 Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?”
23 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
25 “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
28 “You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe. 30 I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me, 31 but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me.
“Come now; let us leave.
Footnotes

1. John 14:1 Or Believe in God
2. John 14:7 Some manuscripts If you really knew me, you would know
3. John 14:17 Some early manuscripts and is

 
Make it Personal

• Do you think of the Holy Spirit primarily as a doctrine or as God’s personal presence in your life?
• When have you sensed the Spirit convicting, teaching, or directing you?
• What would it mean to become more aware of His presence?

 
Talk to God
Holy Spirit, I don’t want to simply know about You. I want to know You and recognize Your work in my life. Teach me to listen. Teach me to respond. Make me sensitive to Your presence and Your direction. Amen.

Devotional
Adam had a body before he had life. God formed him from the dust. He had eyes, but they couldn’t see. He had ears, but they couldn’t hear. He had hands, but they couldn’t move. He had a heart, but it wasn’t beating. He had a body—but he didn’t have life. Until God breathed. That’s one of the most beautiful pictures in Scripture. Adam didn’t create his own life. He received it. He didn’t manufacture his own breath. He received it. And that’s still true for us. We live in a culture that constantly tells us to become independent. Build your own life. Create your own future. Find your own strength. Be your own person. But Christianity begins with the realization: I am dependent upon God. Acts 17:25 says that God Himself gives everyone “life and breath and everything else.” Think about that. Every breath you take is a reminder that you are receiving something you could never manufacture on your own. Your next breath is a gift. Your life is a gift. And spiritually, we are just as dependent upon God. We don’t need the Holy Spirit merely to have a religious experience. We need the Spirit because we need life. Jesus doesn’t simply want to improve the life you already have. He brings spiritual life where there was spiritual death. The Christian life isn’t self-improvement. It is Spirit-empowered transformation. So today, take a moment and breathe slowly. Then remember: That breath is a gift from God. And let it remind you that your spiritual life is also completely dependent upon Him.
 
Read the Context
Genesis 2 NIV
Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.
2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.
4 This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, when the Lord God made the earth and the heavens.
5 Now no shrub had yet appeared on the earth[a] and no plant had yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no one to work the ground, 6 but streams[b] came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground. 7 Then the Lord God formed a man[c] from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
8 Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. 9 The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
10 A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. 11 The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12 (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin[d] and onyx are also there.) 13 The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush.[e] 14 The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Ashur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.
15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”
18 The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”
19 Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals.
But for Adam[f] no suitable helper was found. 21 So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs[g] and then closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib[h] he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.
23 The man said,
“This is now bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called ‘woman,’
for she was taken out of man.”
24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.
25 Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.
Footnotes

1. Genesis 2:5 Or land; also in verse 6
2. Genesis 2:6 Or mist
3. Genesis 2:7 The Hebrew for man (adam) sounds like and may be related to the Hebrew for ground (adamah); it is also the name Adam (see verse 20).
4. Genesis 2:12 Or good; pearls
5. Genesis 2:13 Possibly southeast Mesopotamia
6. Genesis 2:20 Or the man
7. Genesis 2:21 Or took part of the man’s side
8. Genesis 2:22 Or part

 
Make it Personal

• How often do you consciously recognize your dependence on God?
• Where are you trying to live your spiritual life through your own strength?
• What would surrender to the Holy Spirit look like today?

 
Talk to God
Father, thank You for the breath in my lungs and the life You have given me. Forgive me for the times I try to live independently from You. Holy Spirit, remind me today that I need You—not just for moments in church, but for every moment of my life. Amen.

Devotional
“The Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” Before there was a church, there was the Spirit. Before Pentecost, there was the Spirit. Before Moses, David, Abraham, or Israel, there was the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit didn’t suddenly appear in Acts 2. He didn’t begin existing at Pentecost. He was present in creation itself. Genesis gives us a picture of a world that was formless, empty, and dark. And then we are told that the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. That matters. Because throughout Scripture, the presence of God’s Spirit is connected with God’s work of bringing life, order, beauty, and transformation. God speaks into darkness—and light appears. God speaks into emptiness—and creation begins to fill. God speaks into chaos—and order begins to emerge. The Spirit is there. Sometimes our lives can feel a lot like Genesis 1:2. Formless. Empty. Dark. We may look at our circumstances and wonder, “How could God possibly bring something beautiful out of this?” But Genesis reminds us that darkness isn’t a barrier to God. Chaos isn’t a barrier to God. Emptiness isn’t a barrier to God. The Spirit of God is able to move into places that seem lifeless and begin bringing life. Maybe that’s what you need to remember today. God is not intimidated by the places in your life that still need to be transformed. The same Spirit who was present when God brought creation out of chaos is the Spirit who works in you. You don’t have to manufacture transformation. You don’t have to become your own source of life. You need to learn to surrender to the God who gives life.

Read the Context
Genesis 1 NIV
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.
6 And God said, “Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water.” 7 So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it. And it was so. 8 God called the vault “sky.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day.
9 And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good.
11 Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. 12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.
14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. 16 God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17 God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, 18 to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.
20 And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.” 21 So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.” 23 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.
24 And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. 25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.
26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals,[a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
27 So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
29 Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.
31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.
Footnotes

1. Genesis 1:26 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text (see Syriac); Masoretic Text the earth

 
Make it Personal

• Where does your life currently feel “formless, empty, or dark”?
• What would it look like to invite the Holy Spirit into that area?
• Are you trying to produce something God wants to produce through His Spirit?

 
Talk to God
Holy Spirit, help me recognize that You have been God’s presence and power from the beginning. Where there is darkness in me, bring light. Where there is emptiness, bring life. Where there is chaos, bring Your order. Teach me to trust Your work in me. Amen.

Devotional
Today’s passage shows a definitive relationship between victory, faith, love, obedience, and confidence. John is reminding believers that not only has God overcome the world, but that overcoming power is extended to every one of his children. He also assures the believers that everyone who has faith in Jesus Christ also has victory.
What does faith actually look like in everyday life? You may already have an awareness that the “faith” talked about in the Bible is more than just mental acceptance of a statement. The faith commanded by Jesus and his apostles goes beyond persuasion and includes reliance on Jesus, leading to faithfulness to Jesus. This kind of faith must be coupled with love for God, and both faith and love are fed by knowing God intimately. Our confidence in God grows as our relationship with him grows. And as our relationship grows, our faith and our love are expressed in willing obedience to him.

Read the Context
1 John 5 NIV
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. 2 This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. 3 In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, 4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
6 This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three that testify: 8 the[a] Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. 9 We accept human testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. 10 Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. 11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. 14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.
16 If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that. 17 All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.
18 We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them. 19 We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. 20 We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.
21 Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.
Footnotes

1. 1 John 5:8 Late manuscripts of the Vulgate testify in heaven: the Father, the Word and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one. 8 And there are three that testify on earth: the (not found in any Greek manuscript before the fourteenth century)

 
Make it Personal

• What is the connection between faith, obedience, and victory?
• How do I know that I love God? 
• Do I have the kind of faith John was talking about? 

 
Practical Application

• Make a point of using your time with God not just a time to check off something on your to-do list, but time to deepen your relationship with God. Some ideas to draw closer to God are: 

1. reading a portion of the Bible (remember he is the word made flesh [John 1:14], so time in his word is time with him)
2. listening or singing along with worship music
3. praying—not just for specific things, but talking to God about how you feel
4. asking God to speak, then listening in silence

• If you are having trouble finding evidence in your life to show your love or faith in God, ask God to show you any ways you might be disobeying him. Ask him to give you a repentent heart, and to strengthen you to show your love by obedience. 

Talk to God 

• What part of God’s character do I want to praise him for?
• What do I want to thank God for?
• Do I have any unconfessed sin?
• What do I need God’s help with?
• What questions do I have?
• Do I need direction? Do I know how God wants me to serve him today?

Devotional
How can we know that when we approach God in prayer, he will hear us? Sometimes, our doubt feels stronger than our faith and we find ourselves hesitant—hesitant to hope that God will answer our prayers, hesitant to leave the battle in his hands, or even hesitant to pray in the first place. Today’s passage reveals such a key element of God’s character: the desire of God’s heart is to give to us. These verses don’t just simply state that God wants or likes to give to us, and they don’t support such a claim with arguments about his kind character or generous nature. They go directly to the overwhelming proof of reminding us of what he has already willingly given: the ultimate sacrifice of his own beloved Son. What does God cherish more than his own Son? If Jesus was the price he offered for us—not under compulsion or out of a sense of duty, but by his own design—imagine what request he would deem too high a price for us. There is nothing of higher value than Jesus Christ. So we know that there is no good thing that he will withhold from us.
 
Read the Context
Romans 8 NIV
8 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you[a] free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh,[b] God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.[c] And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.
9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life[d] because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of[e] his Spirit who lives in you.
12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.
14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.[f] And by him we cry, “Abba,[g] Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that[h] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.
22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[i] have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:
“For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”[j]
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[k] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Footnotes

1. Romans 8:2 The Greek is singular; some manuscripts me
2. Romans 8:3 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit; also in verses 4-13.
3. Romans 8:3 Or flesh, for sin
4. Romans 8:10 Or you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive
5. Romans 8:11 Some manuscripts bodies through
6. Romans 8:15 The Greek word for adoption to sonship is a term referring to the full legal standing of an adopted male heir in Roman culture; also in verse 23.
7. Romans 8:15 Aramaic for father
8. Romans 8:21 Or subjected it in hope. 21 For
9. Romans 8:28 Or that all things work together for good to those who love God, who; or that in all things God works together with those who love him to bring about what is good—with those who
10. Romans 8:36 Psalm 44:22
11. Romans 8:38 Or nor heavenly rulers

 
Make it Personal

• What prayers have I felt are too great to ask God for?

 
Practical Application

• As you pray today, be intentional about asking for any deep needs that you have been writing off as too difficult, too selfish, or too great to ask God for.
• Take a few minutes before you pray to list the things God has done for you or given you over the past year. Let your memory of his goodness increase your faith.

 
Talk to God 

• What part of God’s character do I want to praise him for?
• What do I want to thank God for?
• Do I have any unconfessed sin?
• What do I need God’s help with?
• What questions do I have?
• Do I need direction? Do I know how God wants me to serve him today?

Devotional
When I think about victory, I would like to believe that means deliverance from trouble. I imagine a life where I no longer have to struggle—where the victory has already been won and the battle is over. Jesus never gave such false expectations. He was clear that the struggle will go on as long as we are in this world. He was very honest that we will have trouble. He was also very clear that he has already overcome the source of the trouble. We walk in victory. Sometimes that means that we enjoy the results of what he accomplished; sometimes that means we walk in faith that the final deliverance is sure. In either situation, we have a lifeline of connection to our savior. He is constantly waiting to commune with us, to hear our prayers and speak with us. When Jesus was on earth, he regularly relied on prayer. Many passages show Jesus withdrawing from other people to be alone with God (Mark 1:35; Luke 5:16; Mark 6:46; Luke 6:12; Matthew 14:23). What did he find during those times? Was prayer what he needed to continue walking in victory? Did he gain strength to continue living a perfect life? Was it intimacy with God that he was craving? Was it healing from the grief of being rejected and watching his creation slowly decay? The Bible does not say, but my experience leads me to believe that he needed and received all these things from his Father’s presence. Either way, I know that if God in the flesh needed intimacy with his heavenly Father, how much more do we as weak humans need frequent times of intimacy with God?
 
Read the Context
John 16
“All this I have told you so that you will not fall away. 2 They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God. 3 They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. 4 I have told you this, so that when their time comes you will remember that I warned you about them. I did not tell you this from the beginning because I was with you, 5 but now I am going to him who sent me. None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things. 7 But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 about sin, because people do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11 and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.
12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”
16 Jesus went on to say, “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.”
17 At this, some of his disciples said to one another, “What does he mean by saying, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me,’ and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?” 18 They kept asking, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand what he is saying.”
19 Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, “Are you asking one another what I meant when I said, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me’? 20 Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. 21 A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. 22 So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. 23 In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.
25 “Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father. 26 In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. 27 No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. 28 I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”
29 Then Jesus’ disciples said, “Now you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech. 30 Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God.”
31 “Do you now believe?” Jesus replied. 32 “A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.
33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
 
Make it Personal

• Do I rely on times of intimacy with God, or do I tend to rush through my day without making it a priority?
• When I pray, do I spend all my time talking, or do I also take time to listen?
• Is my prayer time rushed? Do I try to multitask while I’m “praying”?

 
Practical Application
Make a plan to be intentional about prayer over the next seven days. Make sure your plan fits your realistic schedule so you will be able to achieve it (it is better to pray for a short time each day than to plan to pray for a long time and then skip because you know you don’t have enough time). Try to include in your plan:

• When you will pray each day (it doesn’t have to be the same time every day, though some find this helpful)
• How long you will pray (be realistic)
• Where you will go to pray so you will have the fewest possible distractions (remember that the “stuff” around you can also be a distraction)
• Plan a little time for asking, a little time for thanking/praising God, some time for telling him how you feel, and some time for listening in silence for anything he might want to say to you

If you need help focusing your mind, try reading a Scripture, such as a favorite verse or a verse from Psalms, before you begin. 
 
Talk to God

• What part of God’s character do I want to praise him for?
• What do I want to thank God for?
• Do I have any unconfessed sin?
• What do I need God’s help with?
• What questions do I have?
• Do I need direction? Do I know how God wants me to serve him today?

Devotional
The ultimate victory was achieved by Jesus Christ on the cross. He conquered sin,  death (the consequence of sin), and Satan, the enemy of all humanity. But his victory isn’t limited to the afterlife. His victory wasn’t to just free us from the consequence of sin. His victory includes empowering us daily—moment by moment—with his divine strength to resist and overcome Satan and his temptation in every instance of struggle we face! The Christian life isn’t about waiting until heaven to find our victory. It’s about daily conquering the enemy of our souls and even our own sinful desires to live a holy life. This is the ultimate victory!
Our verses also remind us that temptation should never make us feel far from God or distant from him. Jesus was also tempted. Jesus Christ, the perfect Son of God, our holy example and pure sacrifice. Yes, that Jesus. He was “tempted in every way, just as we are.” He has experienced the same struggle. He feels our pain, our remorse, our weakness, our desire to be free. He gets us. He has felt what we are feeling and he remembers well the suffering of the day-by-day struggle. Don’t hide your feelings or your temptations from him. He has been where you are, and he knows how to achieve victory, even from that place. Take your temptations to him with confidence—not only confidence of the victory, but confidence in his acceptance of you while you’re still in your struggle.
 
Read the Context
Hebrews 4
Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. 2 For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed.[a] 3 Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said,
“So I declared on oath in my anger,
‘They shall never enter my rest.’”[b]
And yet his works have been finished since the creation of the world. 4 For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: “On the seventh day God rested from all his works.”[c] 5 And again in the passage above he says, “They shall never enter my rest.”
6 Therefore since it still remains for some to enter that rest, and since those who formerly had the good news proclaimed to them did not go in because of their disobedience, 7 God again set a certain day, calling it “Today.” This he did when a long time later he spoke through David, as in the passage already quoted:
“Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts.”[d]
8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. 9 There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; 10 for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works,[e] just as God did from his. 11 Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.
12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven,[f] Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Footnotes

1. Hebrews 4:2 Some manuscripts because those who heard did not combine it with faith
2. Hebrews 4:3 Psalm 95:11; also in verse 5
3. Hebrews 4:4 Gen. 2:2
4. Hebrews 4:7 Psalm 95:7,8
5. Hebrews 4:10 Or labor
6. Hebrews 4:14 Greek has gone through the heavens

 
Make it Personal

• What temptations have I been ashamed to really pray about?
• How does it change my perspective to realize that Jesus has also struggled with temptation?

Practical Application

• The next time you ask God for strength or victory over a temptation, take a minute to share with him how you’re feeling about that temptation.
• Ask God to help you see Jesus not only as your savior, but also as your fellow soldier in battle.

 
Talk to God

• What part of God’s character do I want to praise him for?
• What do I want to thank God for?
• Do I have any unconfessed sin?
• What do I need God’s help with?
• What questions do I have?
• Do I need direction? Do I know how God wants me to serve him today?

Devotional
God wants to answer our prayers. God delights to give us the desires of our heart. In this passage, the writer also emphasizes that God’s vision for us is sometimes larger than our vision for ourselves. God knows that the enemy engages us all in a spiritual battle, sometimes even without our awareness. His desire is to give us the victory in every spiritual battle we face. He has already won the victory for his children through the powerful resurrection of Jesus Christ.
He also wants to shape our desires to focus on spiritual things. He gives us earthly things, but those are temporary blessings. He has in store countless eternal blessings that he is just waiting to give us! When we focus our prayers on temporary things, we miss out on some of the spiritual work God wants to do in us.

Read the Context
Psalm 20
1 May the Lord answer you when you are in distress;
may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.
2 May he send you help from the sanctuary
and grant you support from Zion.
3 May he remember all your sacrifices
and accept your burnt offerings.[b]
4 May he give you the desire of your heart
and make all your plans succeed.
5 May we shout for joy over your victory
and lift up our banners in the name of our God.
May the Lord grant all your requests.
6 Now this I know:
The Lord gives victory to his anointed.
He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary
with the victorious power of his right hand.
7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
8 They are brought to their knees and fall,
but we rise up and stand firm.
9 Lord, give victory to the king!
Answer us when we call!
Footnotes

1. Psalm 20:1 In Hebrew texts 20:1-9 is numbered 20:2-10.
2. Psalm 20:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.

 
Make it Personal

• What battles am I facing?
• Am I trusting in earthly things, or the name of God?
• Do my prayers focus on temporary needs, or eternal things?

 
Practical Application
Be intentional each day this week to ask God for something eternal, something related to spiritual victory. Some ideas are: 

• Salvation of a friend 
• Power to overcome a specific temptation
• Success or advancement of a specific local ministry
• Revelation of truth in a specific situation
• Growth of one of the fruits of the Spirit in your life

 
Talk to God

• What part of God’s character do I want to praise him for?
• What do I want to thank God for?
• Do I have any unconfessed sin?
• What do I need God’s help with?
• What questions do I have?
• Do I need direction? Do I know how God wants me to serve him today?

Devotional
Jesus is coming back. We don't know when. But we know Who is coming. That changes how we live today. Being ready doesn't mean obsessing over dates. It doesn't mean living in fear. It means living faithfully. It means loving God. Loving people. Sharing the Gospel. Serving others. Forgiving quickly. Repenting when we sin. Walking in obedience. Keeping our hearts soft toward God. Jesus could return at any moment. So don't waste today trying to predict tomorrow. Live today for Christ. The return of Jesus isn't supposed to make us run away from the world. It should make us more faithful in the world. We wait. We worship. We work. We witness. We remain faithful. And we hold on to our first love. One day, faith will become sight. One day, the promise will become reality. One day, we will see the One we've been waiting for. Jesus is coming again. So the question isn't merely: “When is Jesus coming?” The question is: “Am I ready for Jesus to come?” 
 
Read the Context
Matthew 24 NIV
Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. 2 “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”
3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.
9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
15 “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’[a] spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. 18 Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. 19 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 20 Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again.
22 “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. 23 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you ahead of time.
26 “So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.
29 “Immediately after the distress of those days
“‘the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light;
the stars will fall from the sky,
and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’[b]
30 “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth[c] will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory.[d] 31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
32 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 33 Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it[e] is near, right at the door. 34 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
36 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son,[f] but only the Father. 37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.
42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
45 “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46 It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. 47 Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48 But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ 49 and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. 50 The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. 51 He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Footnotes

1. Matthew 24:15 Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11
2. Matthew 24:29 Isaiah 13:10; 34:4
3. Matthew 24:30 Or the tribes of the land
4. Matthew 24:30 See Daniel 7:13-14.
5. Matthew 24:33 Or he
6. Matthew 24:36 Some manuscripts do not have nor the Son.

 
Make it Personal

• If Jesus returned today, would there be anything in my life I would want to change?
• What is one thing I can do this week to live more faithfully for Christ?

Sample Prayer
Jesus, thank You for the promise that You are coming again. Help me live ready—not in fear, but in faith. Keep my heart awake, my love for You strong, and my life centered on You. Until the day You return, help me worship You, serve You, love others, and remain faithful. Come, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Devotional
The church at Ephesus was doing many things right. They worked hard. They persevered. They rejected false teaching. They had discernment. From the outside, they looked like a strong church. But Jesus saw something beneath the surface. They had left their first love. That's a sobering thought. It's possible to do things for Jesus while slowly losing your love for Jesus. We can attend church. Serve. Sing. Give. Teach. Preach. Know Scripture. And still allow our relationship with Christ to become distant. Jesus didn't tell Ephesus to simply work harder. He told them to: Remember.
Repent. Return. Remember what it was like when your heart was burning for Christ. Repent of what has pulled you away. Return to the relationship you were created for. First love isn't simply an emotional feeling. It is affection. Devotion. Obedience. Worship. Surrender. Relationship. The question isn't simply: “Am I doing enough for Jesus?” The deeper question is: “Do I still love Jesus?” 
 
Read the Context
Revelation 2 NIV
“To the angel[a] of the church in Ephesus write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. 2 I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.
4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. 5 Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. 6 But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
7 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
8 “To the angel of the church in Smyrna write:
These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. 9 I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.
11 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.
12 “To the angel of the church in Pergamum write:
These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. 13 I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives.
14 Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality. 15 Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
17 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.
18 “To the angel of the church in Thyatira write:
These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. 19 I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.
20 Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. 21 I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. 22 So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. 23 I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.
24 Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets, ‘I will not impose any other burden on you, 25 except to hold on to what you have until I come.’
26 To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations— 27 that one ‘will rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery’[b]—just as I have received authority from my Father. 28 I will also give that one the morning star. 29 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
Footnotes

1. Revelation 2:1 Or messenger; also in verses 8, 12 and 18
2. Revelation 2:27 Psalm 2:9

 
Make it Personal

• Has my relationship with Jesus become routine?
• What would it look like for me to return to my first love?

Sample Prayer
Jesus, I don't want to simply know about You—I want to know You. Forgive me for the times I have allowed ministry, routine, or distractions to replace my relationship with You. Restore my first love. Give me a heart that desires You above everything else. Amen.