Lead on Oh Holy Spirit
OPENING PRAYER:
Lord, help me to listen to your Holy Spirit’s guidance as I begin this new year. Amen
“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
“All this I have spoken while still with you. 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. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
REFLECT:
In the mornings I sit in my recliner, wrapped in a comforter, in the dark, and listen to Scripture or a Christian book to get my day started in the right direction. It is amazing how often I hear something that triggers my mind to something that will stretch my understanding of God and the direction for my life. Often in the Gospels we read that Jesus retired to a secluded place to pray, often all night after a busy day.
Recently, I wrote a devotional on the Lord’s plan for our lives which caused me to think about how he had guided my life, through the Holy Spirit. I decided to look back over my life to assess and make a list of how I had been guided by the Holy Spirit through both good and bad times. It was a very enlightening experience and I realized there was so much that I had taken for granted which was not coincidence. It was very evident to me that as Jesus promises in John 14 and 15, he has provided the Holy Spirit as my guide throughout my many years.
APPLY:
Many years ago, someone provided me with a book called, The Greening of the Church, by Findley Edge. It outlines how to know if the Holy Spirit is guiding you into a new activity, job, or ministry:
The idea genuinely excites you
You cannot stop thinking about it
Your friends encourage you to do it because it fits your gifting
As you begin the new year, take the time to review your life and assess how the Holy Spirit has guided your life. Think about the opportunities you will have in the new year, and ask your Guide, the Holy Spirit, to help you make good decisions about opportunities presented to you.
CLOSING PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, I praise you for the way you give the Holy Spirit to guide us through both the good and bad times. Amen