Amazing and Beautiful God, You gave me the gift of The Holy Spirit. To this today, I don’t completely understand His Power and effect on my life. I do know that The Holy Spirit’s prompting is why I stand and pray before You. My faith walk, however steady or wobbly it is, is a gift from You.
It’s comforting to know that the disciples lived with You and saw Your miracles first hand and in person; yet they doubted Your embodiment of the Living God.
I’m reminded of the passage in The Bible before Peter declares Jesus as the Messiah, Your disciples failed to see the point of Your teaching, and You said to them in Matthew 16:8-11:
“‘You have so little faith! Why are you arguing with each other about having no bread? Don't you understand even yet? Don't you remember the 5,000 I fed with five loaves, and the baskets of leftovers you picked up? Or the 4,000 I fed with seven loaves, and the large baskets of leftovers you picked up? Why can’t you understand that I’m not talking about bread? So again I say, ‘Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees’.’”
I like my brothers and sisters in Christ can be so dense. We apply our earthly eyes instead of our spiritual.
It is by the Power of The Holy Spirit that I can do all things. I can’t “think” or “will” myself into faith. Having said that, You make it abundantly clear that I must seek You, I must intentionally do … to get closer to You.
Throughout the Gospels, Jesus left the disciples to go off and pray, to be alone with You. I think that’s the model for me and all humankind in our journeys with You. Daily life is very distracting, consuming and can be overwhelming. Yet, one of the gifts of The Holy Spirit is self-control. I’m thinking that means something. It requires me to ask for it and then practice it. I need to set aside my own desires to make room to spend time with You.
Help me Holy Spirit know that You are not only my Savior but The Lord of my life. Help me order my life around You. I don’t expect it to happen overnight, but step by step, day by day, year after year—if I intentionally seek You; to see and hear You; seek time with You; put in some effort; I’ll look back and be amazed by the transformation of my faith.
In the Faithful, Generous and Faith Giving Name of Jesus I pray.
Amen.
