Greg Laurie Daily Devotion - Mar. 14, 2012
God’s Will for You
Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit. - (Ephesians 5:17–18)
In addition to being a believer in Jesus Christ, another prerequisite for knowing the will of God is to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Why do I say that? Ephesians 5:17–18 tells us, “Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
I can’t do the will of God without Him helping me each step of the way. And that must begin with having my sin forgiven by God and being filled with His Spirit.
What does it mean to be filled with the Spirit? Does it mean that every day, you need to have an emotional encounter with God? No. It means that every day, you simply pray, “Lord, fill me with Your Spirit.” You may feel something. Or you may feel nothing. But if you pray that, believing it, then God will give you what you need.
It is sort of like fueling up your car. You can’t run forever on one tank of gas. In the same way, we need our lives to be refueled by the Holy Spirit.
The Greek term, “be filled,” from Ephesians 5 means “to be constantly be filled.” So it is not a one-time event; it is something that happens again and again. It also is a command. Through this verse, God is effectively saying, “I order you to be filled with the Holy Spirit.” That is God’s will for you.
When is the last time you prayed, “Lord, fill me with the Holy Spirit”? God’s will is for you as a Christian is to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
Summary sentence: God’s will includes you being filled with His Spirit-when did you last ask Him for this?
Tags: God’s will, Holy Spirit
Copyright © 2012 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
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You can receive a copy of Power in Prayer by Andrew Murray, in appreciation for your gift to Harvest this month. It is my prayer that it will help you learn how to pray more effectively…and that you will commit to praying for Harvest America.” —Greg
