Daily Devotion: The Power of the Holy Spirit

Scripture:
Ephesians 5: 1-20

Main Verse:
Ephesians 5: 18-20
Be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Observation:
It is hard not to notice the presence of the Holy Spirit in the life of a true believer. When we are filled by the Holy Spirit, it will manifest in the way we live our lives and the way we worship, thank, and obey the Lord. We cannot claim that the Holy Spirit is in us if we find it hard to submit to God's authority. When Paul addressed the Ephesians in chapter 5, he was urging them to "be careful how they live" (v. 15), be wise and know what the Lord's will is in their lives (v. 17), and be filled by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will compel us--our heart, our mind, our entire being--to always honor and glorify the name of the Lord. If the Holy Spirit dwells in us, impurity, greed, immorality, and any kind of displeasing thing to the Lord will have no place in our hearts.

Application:
As believers in Christ, we need to let the Holy Spirit work in our lives. We need to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit's voice, and listen to it when it convicts us. We need to seek the power of the Holy Spirit so we can live holy lives, the kind of life the Lord wants us to have. We need to understand the Lord's will and seek to please God in our lives. Are we Christians or not? Do our actions show that we have been enlightened by the Word of God? Do we still continue to live the ways of the world, or do we seek the ways of the Lord?  It is only through the Holy Spirit's leading that we can follow Jesus's life. Our conduct should exemplify godly behavior so that we may bring glory to the Father's name.

Prayer:
Father, I thank you for sending the Holy Spirit as our Helper here on earth. The race toward the end is a difficult one, filled with struggles that may cause us to stumble and fall. But your generous ways, Lord, are incomparable. You did not only send your Son to save me, you also sent the Holy Spirit to help me live the righteous path while I am here on earth. Thank you, Lord, for your never ending grace. May the Holy Spirit dwell in me all the days of my life, in Jesus's name I pray. AMEN.