A Prayer to Recognize the Holy Spirit
By Meg Bucher
“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 or knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.“ John 14:16-17 NIV
The old church van clunked through several neighborhoods as dusk descended upon inner-city streets. The doors creaked open and the smell of gym class lingered in the air as the after school bunch gathered around game boards. Laughter filled the air as we took turns rolling dice and flipping over cards. And once again, the power of the Holy Spirit united a gymnasium of strangers.
When we humble ourselves to serve others, as we follow the example of Christ, the Holy Spirit supplies the strength and understanding we need to love the people God has placed in our lives.
John was Jesus’ earthly best friend. As we read John’s inspired words today, we can only imagine the openness he possessed to allow the Spirit to fill Him in Jesus’ absence. When we miss our people, we want to be close to them again. When they are taken from us, there is an emptiness left in place of the part they used to fill in our hearts.
John certainly felt that way in Jesus’ physical absence. But just like he was for John, the Holy Spirit is here to fill us with His presence. Let us continue to pray for God to teach us more about the Holy Spirit of the Lord.
Father,
Glory to You in the highest, One true, Triune God. Today, Father, we pray for the heightened awareness to recognize the Holy Spirit’s activity in our lives. Let us have hearts willing and ready to serve the people You place in our lives, trusting through the Spirit we will have all we need to complete the tasks You assign to us. By serving others, we are able to experience more of You. It’s what we were meant to do. To bring glory and honor to You through our lives. May every day we live on this earth point others towards our home in heaven.
Thank You, Jesus, for the sacrifice You so willingly gave of Your life on the cross, and for leaving the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, to live and dwell in and among us, until You return. Help us to understand who the Holy Spirit is, the third person in the trinity. Soften our hearts and open the ears of our minds to listen and recognize the ways in which He nudges us daily. Help us to hear His counsel, and remember to cry out when we need You. Even in moments when we are falling apart and cannot string words together to pray, the Holy Spirit translates our cries and our mumblings to You, Father, in heaven. Thank You for the way You so completely love us, God.
Father, we know the Holy Spirit is powerful. If there is more of You available to us in this life, we want it! Allow us to see, hear, and know You in the most complete way we are able to on this earth. Let our hearts be sensitive to recognize the movement, and the reminders, of the Holy Spirit.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Meg Bucher is the freelance writer and blogger at Sunny&80, is the author of “Friends with Everyone, Friendship within the Love of Christ,” “Surface, Unlocking the Gift of Sensitivity,” and “Glory Up, The Everyday Pursuit of Praise.” She writes about everyday life within the love of Christ. Meg earned a Marketing/PR degree from Ashland University, but stepped out of the business world to stay at home and raise her two daughters, which led her to pursue her passion to write. She has led a Bible Study for Women and serves as a volunteer Youth Ministry leader in her community. Meg, a Cleveland native and lifelong Browns fan, lives by the shore of Lake Erie in Northern Ohio with her husband, two daughters and golden doodle.
Editor's Note: We're proud to announce we've just launched a new nighttime companion to Your Daily Prayer: the Your Nightly Prayer devotional. You'll soon be able to subscribe to receive Your Nightly Prayer via email, or as a podcast, but for now you can find it on the website at crosswalk.com/devotionals/your-nightly-prayer. We hope it's a relaxing and soothing way to wind down your day with rich meditations on who God is.
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