40 Days of Prayer - Day 6
DEVOTIONAL
There are things that we can do that will grieve the Spirit:
“And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption” (Eph. 4:30).
If we do not daily seek Him and cooperate in following where He leads us, His power will wane and our Christian experience will weaken.
God doesn’t force. When we receive the baptism of the Spirit, He will have a greater impact in our life. We will feel His prompting more strongly. He will be daily putting the desire in our heart to obey God. He will call us to study God’s Word and to pray more. The Spirit will cause us to begin loving righteousness and hating sin. However, we are always free to disregard His prompting. When we do this we begin the process of “grieving,” or “quenching,” the Spirit. Paul gives practical advice in many portions of Scripture on how to avoid doing this. These practical counsels to the believer on living the Christian life are intended to help us maintain the fullness of the Spirit in our lives. Two examples of such counsel are found in the following Bible verses:
“And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Eph. 4:24-32).
“Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. See that none render evil for evil to any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men. Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit” (1 Thess. 5:14-19).
Paul knew that the Spirit of God dwelling in the believer would be prompting him to do the things listed in these verses. If we refuse to yield to His prompting, though, we will be in danger of grieving and quenching the Spirit.
If you find that you have grieved the Spirit, don’t become discouraged! Ask God to forgive you, and He will:
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
Then ask God in faith to fill you anew with His Spirit, and He will do that too:
“If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” (Luke 11:13).
David knew God’s mercy. He had committed the sins of adultery and murder. He had walked away from the prompting of God’s Spirit in his life when he committed these terrible acts. Yet when he was convicted of his sin by the Spirit, he turned to God in prayer. Note especially these words:
“Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit” (Psalm 51:9-12).
When we find that we’ve been slipping away from God we must not let another moment go by without confessing our sin, accepting God’s forgiveness, and claiming the promise of the renewing of the Spirit in our lives just as David did. Then we will be strengthened once again in the “inner” man to be victorious over Satan:
“That he would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with mighty by His Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:16-19).
We serve a wonderful God. When we have failed Him, let us remember:
“The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide: neither will He keep His anger for ever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward them that fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth His children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him. For He knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust” (Psalm 103:8-14).
PERSONAL REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION
List some behaviors and attitudes the Holy Spirit will seek to bring into the Christian’s life.
How does a Christian grieve the Holy Spirit?
If we have grieved the Holy Spirit, what should we do?
What is God’s attitude toward His children?
PRAYER ACTIVITY
Call your prayer partner and discuss this devotional with him/her.
Pray with your prayer partner:
• For God to continue to baptize each of you with His Holy Spirit
• For God to forgive you if you have grieved the Holy Spirit in any way
• For God to give you the desire to yield to the Spirit’s promptings in your life.
• For the individuals on your prayer list.
INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING BIBLE VERSE IN YOUR PRAYER:
“For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in behalf of them whose heart is perfect [fully committed (NIV)]” (2 Chronicles 16:9).
Make our hearts fully committed to You. Show Yourself strong in our behalf to bring about the needed changes in us that we will experience the revival and reformation we need.
There are things that we can do that will grieve the Spirit:
“And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption” (Eph. 4:30).
If we do not daily seek Him and cooperate in following where He leads us, His power will wane and our Christian experience will weaken.
God doesn’t force. When we receive the baptism of the Spirit, He will have a greater impact in our life. We will feel His prompting more strongly. He will be daily putting the desire in our heart to obey God. He will call us to study God’s Word and to pray more. The Spirit will cause us to begin loving righteousness and hating sin. However, we are always free to disregard His prompting. When we do this we begin the process of “grieving,” or “quenching,” the Spirit. Paul gives practical advice in many portions of Scripture on how to avoid doing this. These practical counsels to the believer on living the Christian life are intended to help us maintain the fullness of the Spirit in our lives. Two examples of such counsel are found in the following Bible verses:
“And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Eph. 4:24-32).
“Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. See that none render evil for evil to any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men. Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit” (1 Thess. 5:14-19).
Paul knew that the Spirit of God dwelling in the believer would be prompting him to do the things listed in these verses. If we refuse to yield to His prompting, though, we will be in danger of grieving and quenching the Spirit.
If you find that you have grieved the Spirit, don’t become discouraged! Ask God to forgive you, and He will:
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
Then ask God in faith to fill you anew with His Spirit, and He will do that too:
“If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” (Luke 11:13).
David knew God’s mercy. He had committed the sins of adultery and murder. He had walked away from the prompting of God’s Spirit in his life when he committed these terrible acts. Yet when he was convicted of his sin by the Spirit, he turned to God in prayer. Note especially these words:
“Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit” (Psalm 51:9-12).
When we find that we’ve been slipping away from God we must not let another moment go by without confessing our sin, accepting God’s forgiveness, and claiming the promise of the renewing of the Spirit in our lives just as David did. Then we will be strengthened once again in the “inner” man to be victorious over Satan:
“That he would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with mighty by His Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:16-19).
We serve a wonderful God. When we have failed Him, let us remember:
“The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide: neither will He keep His anger for ever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward them that fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth His children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him. For He knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust” (Psalm 103:8-14).
PERSONAL REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION
List some behaviors and attitudes the Holy Spirit will seek to bring into the Christian’s life.
How does a Christian grieve the Holy Spirit?
If we have grieved the Holy Spirit, what should we do?
What is God’s attitude toward His children?
PRAYER ACTIVITY
Call your prayer partner and discuss this devotional with him/her.
Pray with your prayer partner:
• For God to continue to baptize each of you with His Holy Spirit
• For God to forgive you if you have grieved the Holy Spirit in any way
• For God to give you the desire to yield to the Spirit’s promptings in your life.
• For the individuals on your prayer list.
INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING BIBLE VERSE IN YOUR PRAYER:
“For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in behalf of them whose heart is perfect [fully committed (NIV)]” (2 Chronicles 16:9).
Make our hearts fully committed to You. Show Yourself strong in our behalf to bring about the needed changes in us that we will experience the revival and reformation we need.
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