5 Habits - Spirit #7
Welcome to Everyday Devotions. These daily Bible readings and Prayer Pathways are designed to help you go deeper with God each day in response to what you are hearing at the Everyday Church services and Life Group gatherings.
Sunday 2nd February
Over the past three weeks, we have looked at three healthy habits that promote spiritual growth in us – Bible Meditation and Prayer Pathways and Sung Worship. In this week’s Everyday Devotions, we are looking at a fourth healthy habit – being filled with the Holy Spirit and then walking in step with him each day.
Bible Meditation
1 Corinthians 12:1-11
1 Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2 You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. 3 Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. 4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. 7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.
1) Yesterday we looked at the fruit of the Spirit – the Holy Spirit working out God’s character in our lives. Today we are looking at the gifts of the Spirit – the Holy Spirit working out God’s power in our lives. The apostle Paul observes in verse 1 that it is all too common for Christians to be uninformed about these gifts of the Holy Spirit. How much do you feel you know about the charismatic gifts that are listed in these verses?
2) How much does your experience match up with what you know?
3) Two words that particularly summarise these verses are diversity and unity. We all have different gifts but they come from the one Holy Spirit, who distributes his gifts as he sees best so that the whole Church is built up as Jesus wants it to be. So, which of the gifts listed in verses 8-11 do you think the Holy Spirit has either given to you or wants to give to you?
4) How much are you using those gifts to build up other Christians and the Church as a whole?
5) How can we grow into maturity in each of these gifts? Specifically, who are you planning to spend time with in 2020 to ensure that you grow into greater maturity in the spiritual gifts that God has given you?
1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not treat prophecies with contempt 21 but test them all; hold on to what is good, 22 reject every kind of evil. 23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.
1 Timothy 4:14 & 2 Timothy 1:6-7
14 Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you … 6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.
6) How do you think we can “quench the Spirit” and therefore neglect the gifts that he has given us?
7) How do you think we can “fan into flame the gift of God” and therefore grow in the gifts that he has given us?
8) Paul encourages Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:7 that growing in the gifts of the Spirit requires “self-discipline”. Paul also encourages him in 1 Timothy 4:14 and 2 Timothy 1:6 that growing in the gifts of the Spirit requires looking to our leaders. God wants to help you grow spiritually by connecting you to “the body of elders” and to any other mature believers who are willing to “lay their hands on you” So, be specific – how are you planning to grow in the gifts of the Spirit this year?
Advert: We have a Week of Prayer & Fasting from Sunday 9th to Saturday 15th February, which is a brilliant opportunity for you to get alongside mature believers who can lead you deeper into the things of God. We also have a Spiritual Gifts Workshop planned for the afternoon of Sunday 26th April, so make sure that it is in your diary!
Two resources for you: If you have enjoyed this week of Everyday Devotions focused on being filled with the Holy Spirit and if you want to explore things further, then two excellent book recommendations are Terry Virgo’s ‘Receiving the Holy Spirit and his Gifts’ and Dennis Bennett’s ‘Nine O’Clock in the Morning’. Both are classics and are available fairly cheaply on eBay.
Prayer Pathway
Spend some time praying The Trinity Prayer that we have been learning together. Linger over the rich meaning of 2 Corinthians 13:14 – “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” – and allow this prayer pathway to help you to order your thoughts before God in prayer.
THE LOVE OF GOD: Worship God the Father for his deep love towards you. Be as specific as you can about the ways in which you have witnessed his love towards you, allowing the Holy Spirit to help you to cry out to him, “Abba, Father!”
THE GRACE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST: Worship Jesus the Son of God for his grace towards you. Praise him for dying on the cross to be your Saviour and for rising from the dead to be your Lord. Thank him for God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense – including the priceless gift of the Holy Spirit. This is what Simon the Magician was unable to buy with money in Acts 8!
THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE HOLY SPIRIT: Worship the Holy Spirit as your Senior Partner, who has come to dwell inside you to equip and empower you to serve God today. Thank him for his fruit and his gifts in you. Fan them into flame as you pray to God the Father through God the Son in fellowship with God the Spirit.
THE LOVE OF GOD: Worship God the Father for his deep love towards you. Be as specific as you can about the ways in which you have witnessed his love towards you, allowing the Holy Spirit to help you to cry out to him, “Abba, Father!”
THE GRACE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST: Worship Jesus the Son of God for his grace towards you. Praise him for dying on the cross to be your Saviour and for rising from the dead to be your Lord. Thank him for God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense – including the priceless gift of the Holy Spirit. This is what Simon the Magician was unable to buy with money in Acts 8!
THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE HOLY SPIRIT: Worship the Holy Spirit as your Senior Partner, who has come to dwell inside you to equip and empower you to serve God today. Thank him for his fruit and his gifts in you. Fan them into flame as you pray to God the Father through God the Son in fellowship with God the Spirit.
End with Worship
In order to help you to respond to God in sung worship, we have created two playlists for you on Spotify:
The Everyday Devotions playlist contains a handful of songs which are particularly relevant to our Everyday Devotions this week. This song list changes each week along with our devotions.
The Everyday Church Song List playlist contains most of the songs that we are singing right now across the venues of Everyday Church. This is a wider song list for you to play throughout the day to help you worship as you wash up, as you drive, as you shower, as you sit on the bus and as you go about your day.
If you are somewhere where you can sing loudly, why not use these two playlists to end by singing some songs of worship to the Lord? If you are on the bus or train, why not put on your headphones and sing in your heart to God instead?
This week the songs are largely prayers for God to fill us with his Holy Spirit.
The Everyday Devotions playlist contains a handful of songs which are particularly relevant to our Everyday Devotions this week. This song list changes each week along with our devotions.
The Everyday Church Song List playlist contains most of the songs that we are singing right now across the venues of Everyday Church. This is a wider song list for you to play throughout the day to help you worship as you wash up, as you drive, as you shower, as you sit on the bus and as you go about your day.
If you are somewhere where you can sing loudly, why not use these two playlists to end by singing some songs of worship to the Lord? If you are on the bus or train, why not put on your headphones and sing in your heart to God instead?
This week the songs are largely prayers for God to fill us with his Holy Spirit.
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Connect: We’d really like your feedback on how these Everyday Devotions are helping you and how we might help you even better. Talk to us by emailing: devotions@everyday.org.uk
Continue: your connection with us by attending our Online Church Service
Connect: We’d really like your feedback on how these Everyday Devotions are helping you and how we might help you even better. Talk to us by emailing: devotions@everyday.org.uk
Continue: your connection with us by attending our Online Church Service