3 weeks of devotionals + prayers that will draw you closer to the holy spirit

wEEK ONE

the holy Spirit is god

ACTS 5:3-4
But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.” When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it.

The Holy Spirit is God. Fully God. He is no less God than the Father or than Jesus. All members of the Trinity are equally God. Sadly, many Christians today treat the Holy Spirit as less God or less important than the Father or Son. This has grave consequences. When Ananias lied in Acts 5, Peter said he had lied to the Spirit... to God Himself. Let us begin our journey with the Holy Spirit by recognizing Him as God and praying for a fuller revelation of who He is.

PRAY
Praise the Holy Spirit for His Deity. Adore the Spirit as fully God.
That the Spirit would give you a fuller understanding of who He is during these 21 days.
For an outpouring of the Spirit on our church this year.

the holy Spirit counsels

JOHN 14:16-17
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

The Father never wanted us to try and live the Christian life alone. He gave us the Holy Spirit as our ever-present Helper. The word Helper is sometimes translated as Advocate or Counselor. The Holy Spirit is the One who gives us the wisdom and counsel we need. He fights for us and holds us up, coming to our aid at our every moment of need. And we never have to wonder if He is with us. Jesus promised that the Spirit would always be with us and would dwell in us.

PRAY
Thank the Father for giving you the Holy Spirit as your Counsel.
Think of a specific issue in your life that you need counsel on. Ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you during these 21 days about this issue.
For the Spirit to dwell with us in supernatural ways this year.

the holy Spirit Teaches + reminds

JOHN 14:26
“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.”

One of the ways the Holy Spirit helps us is by teaching us what is true. He is, after all, the Spirit of Truth. (John 15:26) As we read the Word, the Spirit illuminates the truth in such a way that we are able to comprehend. And then, in the very moment that we need it, He brings that truth to mind again.

PRAY
That the Holy Spirit would teach or remind you what is true today.
That the hearts of believers at our church would be sensitive to the Spirit’s teaching, and have hearts ready to receive and respond to His instruction.
That the enemy would be unable to hinder this work of the Spirit in our lives.

the holy Spirit directs people to jesus

JOHN 3:7-8
“Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
JOHN 15:26
“But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.”

When someone chooses to follow Christ, we can be certain it is because the Spirit has drawn him. Apart from this work of the Spirit, there are none who seek the Lord, none whose hearts are ready to receive Him. But when the wind of the Spirit blows upon a person, it is always to lead them to Jesus - the Way, the Truth, and the Life. ( John 14:6)

PRAY
Thank God for sending His Spirit to draw you to saving faith in Jesus.
That the Spirit would blow upon our church, and lead anyone who does not yet know Jesus to salvation in Him.
That the Spirit of God would move in our cities this year and that many people would be brought into the family of God in Jesus’ name.

the holy Spirit comforts, counsels, + advocates

JOHN 16:5-7
But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.

Imagine how difficult it was for the disciples to hear Jesus tell them that He was leaving. Even more jarring was the directness of these words: “it is to your advantage that I go away.” This was a promise, though; they would not be left alone. The Holy Spirit, the “Helper” would come, never to leave them and always to lead them.

PRAY
As a believer, acknowledge that the Holy Spirit is present in your life.
Thank the Holy Spirit for the comfort He brings in times of anxiety and grief and the counsel He speaks into your heart when there are decisions to make or cautions to heed.
That the Father would help you trust the Holy Spirit’s advocacy on your behalf every time the enemy tries to accuse and condemn you.

the holy Spirit convicts of sin

JOHN 16:8-11
And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.


The Holy Spirit is constantly speaking, and we should be glad that He is. If it weren’t for the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit in us, we would doubt even more than we do. He will always be reminding us of what Jesus has done with our sin and reassuring us that we will live forever because Christ has given us His righteousness.

PRAY

Thank God for the Spirit’s faithful conviction when you sin, knowing that when He convicts you, He is calling you back to the peace and joy of salvation.
That the Spirit would keep your heart and mind sensitive to His “voice” of conviction.

the holy Spirit glorifies jesus

JOHN 16:14
He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

The Holy Spirit seeks to make the goodness and greatness of Christ as public as possible. He wants us to grasp the height, breadth, depth, and length of His love. We are never more in step with the Spirit of God than when we join Him in glorifying Jesus.

PRAY
That Christ would be magnified in your heart through the Holy Spirit.
That others would see the glory of Christ because of His work in your life.
For opportunities today to declare the good news of Jesus.

wEEK tWO

the holy Spirit gUIDES US TO TRUTH

JOHN 16:13-14
When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.
GALATIANS 5:16, 25
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh... If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.

Do you fear falling into temptation today? Does sin seem to be crouching at your door? Scripture calls us to not be afraid. Instead, choose this day to walk in step with the Spirit of God. When we follow His leadership in our life, sin cannot misdirect or sabotage His good plan for us.

PRAY
Repent of any actions or thoughts in your life that are not in step with the Spirit of God.
That the Lord would renew a steadfast spirit within you to walk in holiness.
As one who lives by the Spirit, that He would bring a sense of His refreshing presence in your life today.

the holy Spirit CAN BE RESISTED, GRIEVED, + QUENCHED

ACTS 7:51
“You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you.”
EPHESIANS 4:30
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
1 THESSALONIANS 5:19
Do not quench the Spirit.

When we study the Holy Spirit in Scripture much of the focus is on what the Holy Spirit does in us, and rightly so. For the blessings, power, and benefits the Holy Spirit supplies to the believer are immeasurable and vital for the Christian life. But is there anything we can do to the Holy Spirit? The short and unfortunate answer is, yes. In Scripture we see that we can resist the Spirit through disobedience. We can grieve the Spirit by how we treat our brothers and sisters in Christ, and we can quench the Spirit by despising His gifts and activity. While we cannot make the Holy Spirit do anything, we can cooperate with Him in what He desires to do. We can as Paul would say, “Keep in step with the Spirit” (Gal. 5:25). Let us be a people who do not oppose when the Spirit moves but choose to cooperate when He works.

PRAY
That the Holy Spirit would show you any areas you may be resisting, grieving, or quenching Him.
That the Holy Spirit would give you discernment in knowing His will and the desire to cooperate with Him in God’s mission.
That the Holy Spirit would give you every spiritual gift you need today to accomplish His purpose and will.

the holy Spirit WROTE THE WORD

2 TIMOTHY 3:16
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.
2 PETER 1:20-21
Knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

The Bible was written in three different languages, by some forty different authors who had various occupations, living on three different continents. They wrote sixty-six books covering hundreds of topics and yet there is one central, unifying claim: Christ is King to the glory of God! You would not expect this type of unity within so much diversity and by human power it would be impossible. But God’s Word was not given to us by human power but instead through Divine inspiration. Inspired by God and given through the Holy Spirit, written down through human hands. When we read God’s Word, we are reading God’s communication to us through the power of the Holy Spirit.

PRAY
Thank God for the precious gift of His Word today.
That the Holy Spirit would help you to understand God’s Word and apply it to your life.
That the Holy Spirit would increase your love and desire to read God’s Word and that you would more consistently spend time in it.

the holy Spirit EMPOWERS TO WITNESS

ACTS 1:8
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
1 THESSALONIANS 1:5
For when we brought you the Good News, it was not only with words but also with power, for the Holy Spirit gave you full assurance that what we said was true. And you know of our concern for you from the way we lived when we were with you.

The Holy Spirit is at work to get the Good News to people far from God. He is empowering believers to witness and then illuminating the truth of the message of Christ when we are faithful to share. The great news for the believer is that this isn’t something we have to work up, but we must simply cooperate with the Spirit already at work within us. This should give us confidence to open our mouths and proclaim the news of Christ because the Spirit is not just at work in us, but He is working in others and desires to give understanding to those who hear the message of Christ.

PRAY
That you would understand that the Spirit of God is empowering you to share the Gospel.
That God would put specific people in your path to share with this week.
That the Spirit of God would illuminate the truth to those around you as you speak the Word boldly.

the holy Spirit HELPS US SPEAK THE WORD BOLDLY

ACTS 4:31
After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness.

This event in Scripture is an outworking within the local church of what Jesus promised in Acts 1:8. Power quite literally came upon believers as they prayed and sought God, and this power pushed them into the streets to declare the Good News of Jesus Christ. The model we see in Acts 4 is still at work today. Prayer invites the work of the Holy Spirit into our lives. The Holy Spirit brings the power of God on our lives. That power pushes us into the mission of taking the message to our neighbors and the nations. Go in power today, trusting that the Holy Spirit loves to bring people far from God into the family of God, and He loves to use YOU in that process.

PRAY
That our church would consistently pray for people far from God.
That the Spirit would fill all the members of our church with power. (Pray for specific people you know).
That we would then go out in that power to speak the Word boldly.

the holy Spirit GIVES GIFTS + EQUIPS FOR MINISTRY

1 CORINTHIANS 12:1, 4, 7, 11
1 Now, dear brothers and sisters, regarding your question about the special abilities the Spirit gives us. I don’t want you to misunderstand this. 4 There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. 7 A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. 11 It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.

One of the marks of God on a believer is that through the power of the Holy Spirit He gives spiritual gifts to strengthen them and the church. There are different kinds of gifts and God decides what gifts to give, when to give them, and how they will be used. These gifts are driven by the power of the Holy Spirit and manifested in the lives of ordinary believers. The Holy Spirit uses these gifts to strengthen the faith of the individual believer, build up the church, and impact the lost as He sees fit. He gifts and equips all of us in different ways to facilitate any aspect of ministry needed for the advancement of His Kingdom.

PRAY
That the Holy Spirit would enable each believer to see how He has gifted them and how He wants to use these gifts in their lives.
That God would reveal to the church how he is using these gifts and building up the church.
That the Lord would empower each believer at our church to exercise their spiritual giftings.

the holy Spirit CAUSES GENEROSITY

ACTS 4:31-32
After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had.

The work of the Holy Spirit brings change from the inside out. One of the many ways we see the incredible work of the Holy Spirit in the first- century church was in their generosity. The work of the Holy Spirit is the same today, and still causes this same kind of generosity. Imagine a people that consider everything they have as not theirs. Homes, vehicles, clothes, food, toys, time, and everything else is for their benefit and EVERYONE else’s benefit. This overflow of the Holy Spirit inside us as believers begins to change everything around us. Two things happen simultaneously. God builds His church and His church reaches people through acts of generosity for His glory. It’s beautiful!

PRAY

Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal what possessions you are holding on to. And then ask Him to give you open hands for every possession you normally label as “mine.”
Pray for the Holy Spirit’s work in you to cause an overflow of generosity towards those around you.
Pray for boldness in conversation when your acts of generosity lead to gospel conversations.

wEEK tHREE

the holy Spirit INDWELLS + FILLS

ROMANS 8:9-11
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. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. 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 his Spirit who lives in you.

At the moment of salvation, the Holy Spirit indwells believers and imputes Christ’s righteousness. What an indescribable, eternal gift! The Holy Spirit regenerates us, giving us new life and causing us to belong to Christ. He continues to fill us to overcome sinful human nature and the flesh. Praise God! The same Spirit that resurrected Jesus lives in us!

PRAY
Thank God for the wonderful gift of the Person of the Holy Spirit.
That God would save people you know through the resurrection power of His Spirit.
That the Spirit would fill you and overcome fleshly sinful desires.

the holy Spirit HELPS US PRAY + INTERCEDES FOR US

ROMANS 8:26-27
And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.

One of the beautiful things about the Holy Spirit is that He makes sure our prayers get to the heart of God. In times when we can’t seem to get a thought out in prayer, the Holy Spirit steps in and helps. In times of deep distress, the Holy Spirit carries us in prayer right into the presence of God where help and healing can be found. We may not think our prayers are effective, but the Holy Spirit empowers us when we feel weak and inadequate in our praying.

PRAY
That the Spirit would build confidence in you as you pray.
That the Lord would encourage each believer to know that they are not praying alone.
That God would build faith as He answers prayers in ways that go beyond our abilities to pray them.

the holy Spirit UNITES BELIEVERS

ACTS 4:31-32
After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had.

The first-century church received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and was continually filled and equipped by the Spirit to be the kind of church God intended. One of the Holy Spirit’s roles is to bring unity to the hearts and minds of believers to accomplish God’s mission in His church. Unity is vital among God’s people and in our church today. The Spirit does not work among a church in disunity.

PRAY

That the Holy Spirit would fill each believer at our church with unity of heart and mind.
For increased unity in our mission and vision.
That the Spirit would convict and correct anything that breeds disunity.

the holy Spirit MANIFESTS THROUGH VARIOUS FRUIT

GALATIANS 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

The work of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer changes things about that person. There is a constant battle between the desires of the flesh that are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit that are against the flesh. The Spirit not only gives us the ability to stop doing evil things, but if we yield our life to the work of the Spirit, will produce in us great spiritual fruit.

PRAY
That the Holy Spirit would produce spiritual fruit in each believer at our church.
For an increased awareness of dying to self and living by the Spirit.
For the Spirit to reveal areas in your life that you are lacking spiritual fruit.

the holy Spirit SETS FREE

2 CORINTHIANS 3:17
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

One of the most beautiful aspects of the Holy Spirit is the freedom that He brings. Not just any type of freedom, but spiritual freedom. The Holy Spirit frees us from the penalty of sin, the bondage of sin, and the guilt of sin. At the same time, the Holy Spirit also frees us towards eternal life, communion with God, and promises of His Word. May we all find freedom in the Spirit of the Lord, together.

PRAY

That the Holy Spirit would help you walk in freedom from the stains of sin.
That the Holy Spirit would help you walk in freedom towards new life in Jesus.
That the Holy Spirit would give you opportunities to share this freedom with others.

the holy Spirit IS POURED OUT ON ALL PEOPLE

JOEL 2:28-29
Then, after doing all those things, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions. In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on servants—men and women alike.

The Spirit is generous to all of God’s people. He shows no partiality for the elite, but is poured out on men and women, young and old, the poor and the wealthy. Are we walking in a way that shows we believe this promise extends to us? The Spirit pours into us so that we can pour into others and build up the body of believers through our gifts.

PRAY
For faith to believe that the gifts of the Spirit extend to you.
That the Spirit would show you what gifts you bring to the church body.
That our church would be built up by a pouring out of the Spirit on all our members.

the holy Spirit BRINGS WISDOM + UNDERSTANDING

ISAIAH 11:2
And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.

The same Spirit that descended on Jesus as a dove came to the early church in tongues of fire. With this visitation came new insight, strength, and understanding. The Holy Spirit brings clarity, not confusion. He offers discernment, not disorder. As He rests on us, He allows us to see God rightly, understand His Word, and look at the world around us through His eyes.

PRAY

That the Holy Spirit would give you discernment in any decisions you are facing.
That the Holy Spirit would give you understanding as you read God’s Word.
That our church would be a place that is marked by the Spirit’s wisdom and understanding

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