Today’s Verse:
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. —Galatians 5:16
Your Challenge: Ask God to fill you with His Spirit and then rely on Him to lead you in moment-by-moment obedience.
Today’s Devotional:
Although it was retired from service in 1973, the Saturn V remains unsurpassed as the tallest and most powerful rocket ever flown. This mammouth rocket launched thirteen times, including its famous Apollo 11 mission that first landed astronauts on the Moon. The Saturn V stands at 363 feet—taller than the Statue of Liberty—and generated 7.6 million pounds of thrust (power equivalent to eighty-five Hoover Dams!).1
The sheer force of a space rocket boggles my human mind. And yet there’s an unmatched spiritual force fueled by the Holy Spirit inside each believing Christian. Romans 8:11 puts it into perspective for us:
If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
This awesome power raised Christ from the dead and transforms our lives today.
The Holy Spirit has unlimited ability to fill our daily life with resurrection power!
- He gives us victory over sin and the temptations of the flesh.
- He empowers our worship and witness to the world.
- He reproduces the character and heart of Jesus in us.
Walking with God in full surrender and obedience is the launchpad that releases His power in and through our lives. But Scripture also warns that the Spirit’s work is hindered when we say “no” to God and “yes” to sin (1 Thess. 5:19; Eph. 4:30). Self-reliance and sin diminish the Spirit’s power from the magnitude of a Saturn V to a wimpy bottle rocket. When we try to live out God’s purpose for our lives without Spirit-empowerment it’s like trying to reach the moon with a sparkler.
Friend, let’s not settle for a powerless life of defeat and discouragement. Let’s start walking in the full-throttle power of the Holy Spirit and seek God for daily revival!
Pray this prayer with me . . .
Look Up: Seeking Him in Praise
Father, You alone are all-powerful. Your greatness and majesty cannot be fathomed. Who else can scoop up the seas in His hands or measure the sky? Who else is both a mighty King and a gentle Shepherd? There is none like You, so we lift up our hearts in worship.
Look In: Seeking Him for Our Own Hearts
Triune God, fill me to overflowing with Your Holy Spirit! Search my heart and point out my sins that are quenching or grieving the Spirit. I surrender my life to You and ask for Your help to continually walk in step with You. Thank You for forgiving me and renewing my spirit.
Look Out: Seeking Him on Behalf of Others
Pour out your heart to God for a revival of Spirit-filled, Spirit-led Christians. Gather with a few friends to pray that the work of the Holy Spirit will be powerfully evident in all churches. Using Acts 1:8 as a guide, pray for an army of gospel witnesses to go forth from your community and beyond.
Reflect and Respond:
- In what areas do you most feel weak and in need of the Spirit’s power?
- How have you seen sin drain the Spirit’s power in your own life?
- Have you fully surrendered your life to the Holy Spirit’s control? Pray in faith for a fresh filling of His power and love using Galatians 2:20:
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
1“What Was the Saturn V?” Nasa. September 17, 2010. https://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/5-8/features/nasa-knows/what-was-the-saturn-v-58.html.
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