THE HOLY SPIRIT

07/01/2024

"And behold, I send the promise of My Father upon you; but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem until ye be endued with power from on high.” (Luke 24:49)

The Holy Spirit is the reason why you and I are born again. 1 Corinthians 12:3 says, “…and no one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit.” This means that our decision to follow Jesus was made possible by the power of the Holy Ghost.

In Acts 16:14-15, we read about a woman who was listening to Paul preach the gospel. There was no impact on her until the Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. As a result, she and her household were baptized. This illustrates that we cannot even hear the voice of God until the Holy Spirit opens our hearts. The Bible describes this woman as a worshipper of God. This is why God said to Zerubbabel, “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ saith the Lord of hosts.” (Zechariah 4:6). This means we cannot give or receive anything from God outside of the Holy Spirit. Jesus also said, "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.” (John 16:13). Now that the Holy Spirit is here, we must live a life fully dependent on Him to fulfill God’s agenda for our lives.

Jesus achieved God’s plan for humanity because of the Holy Spirit’s ministry. From His birth to His ascension, the Holy Ghost was with Him. Most importantly, Jesus recognized and submitted to the Holy Spirit in everything He did. In John 5:30, Jesus said, "Truly, truly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing by Himself, unless He sees the Father doing it. For whatever the Father does, the Son also does.”

If Jesus lived a life fully submissive to the Holy Spirit, how can we ignore the Holy Spirit and expect to fulfill God’s plan for our lives?

In the month of July, God is calling our attention to the ministry of the Holy Ghost. He is calling us to deeper fellowship with the Holy Spirit. There are plans and pursuits that cannot come to fruition without dedicating our lives to the Holy Spirit’s ministry.

Throughout this month, we will linger more in our communion with the Holy Ghost.

Welcome to July: Your Month of the Holy Ghost.

God bless you in Jesus' name.

Faith-Filled Confession:The Lord is my shepherd, and I shall not want. He makes me lie down in health, victory, peace, and unending promotions all the days of my life. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Prayer Direction

Day 1 of 7 Days of Prayer and Fasting

• We will be thanking God for His Word, grace, mercy, and the ministry of the Holy Ghost in the lives of our leaders and those in authority, for our pastors and ministers of the gospel in our city and nation, and for our parents and family members.

Scriptural Reference

"I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness" (1 Timothy 2:1-2).

One-Year Bible Reading Plan: Job 21-22; Acts 10:1-23