The Fruit of the Holy Spirit..Craig Denison Ministries;

 The Fruit of the Holy Spirit

Craig Denison Ministries;

Weekly Overview:

As believers, we’ve been given the Holy Spirit as a Helper, Teacher, Friend, and seal for the promised inheritance of eternal life with God. His presence, guidance, and wisdom in our lives is our greatest gifts while here on earth. Through him we have access to direct connection with our heavenly Father. Through him we receive spiritual gifts to empower us. And through him we are able to bear the incredible fruit of abundant life. Open your heart and mind to all that the Holy Spirit would give you, show you, and lead you to this week.

Scripture:“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23

Devotional:    

The fruit of the Spirit passage in Galatians 5:22-23 gives me tremendous hope for my own life. Scripture says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” When I read that list I receive a vision of who I long to be. I long to be a person full of love, joy, and peace. I long to have patience, kindness, and goodness. I long to be marked by faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Who wouldn’t? I see within those incredible characteristics the marks of a fully abundant life. I see Jesus.

At the same time, I see myself in light of these incredible fruits of the Spirit. I see all the ways in which my life doesn’t line up with what the Holy Spirit desires to birth in me. How can we, in all our sin and brokenness, live a life marked by these characteristics? How can we be a people so full of the Spirit that our very being portrays the Spirit of God who dwells within us?

God longs to tell you and me today that by his grace, a life marked by the fruit of the Spirit is entirely possible—but only by his grace. In and of myself, I can produce none of these wonderful characteristics. In my own strength, I will only produce selfishness, laziness, and pride. “But with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26). The Bible calls these characteristics fruit for a reason. They are birthed out of the glorious working of God in us. They come entirely by God’s grace.

So how do we allow the Holy Spirit to work at the core of our being and produce these wonderful fruits? How do we become children of God marked by the working of the Spirit in our lives? It comes from being connected to our source, that he might plant seeds that grow within us. As we spend time with God we become like him. In his presence our heart transforms into a greater reflection of his glorious love. He can do incredible and miraculous things in us if we simply open our hearts and spend time abiding in him. The more time we spend receiving his love for us, the more areas of brokenness and sin become healed and transformed. If you want to bear the fruit of the Spirit—if you want to be a person marked by the working of God at your core—then you must spend time each day simply being loved by God.

There is no shortcut to holiness. There is no trick to godliness. Jesus has made a way for us to enter into the holy places and see the face of God. God will do magnificent things in you today if you will follow the path laid before you by Jesus and spend time resting in the presence of your heavenly Father. Receive his love. Allow the words he speaks over you to transform the way you view yourself and the world around you. Spend time in prayer meditating on his word and allowing your heart to become more like Jesus’ today.           

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on God’s desire and ability to produce the fruit of the Spirit in you. Allow his word to fill you with hope that you can be a person marked by these characteristics.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.” Psalm 1:1-5

2. Receive God’s presence and rest in his love. Open up any broken places in your life to him. Talk to him about any areas in which you consistently struggle with sin and allow his love to heal those wounds.

3. Ask the Holy Spirit to bear fruit in you today. Ask him to lead you to a lifestyle of love, joy, and peace. Ask him to fill you with patience, kindness, and goodness toward others and yourself. Ask him to make you a person marked by faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

It’s vital that you understand these characteristics are not something you strive toward in your own strength, but they are a natural result of being loved by God. You will never be able to be consistently faithful, gentle, or anything else good in your own strength. It takes the work of the Spirit to be marked by the Spirit. Engage with the Holy Spirit throughout your day. When you find yourself in a situation and are struggling to be a person full of the fruit of the Spirit, take a minute and ask for the Holy Spirit’s help. Ask him to share with you his perspective and heart. He is with you in every moment and longs to help you live your life to the fullest. Enjoy his love today and live your life out of the abundance of God’s presence available to you.

Extended Reading: Galatians 5

Invest Your Time—Don’t Just Spend It..Dr. Charles Stanley

 Invest Your Time—Don’t Just Spend It

Dr. Charles Stanley

Ephesians 5:15-17

Time is a most valuable commodity. Since it’s irreversible and irreplaceable, we ought to give careful consideration to how we spend our days—and even our minutes. Time is a gift from God. That means we are not owners but stewards and will one day be held accountable for how we used what was entrusted to us. According to verse 15, there are only two possible ways to live: wisely or foolishly.

Let’s first consider what is involved in using our time wisely. Those who realize that their days belong to God are careful how they live. Their goal is to understand the Lord’s will and align their schedules and activities with His purposes. As they seek guidance each day through intimate fellowship with Him in the Word and prayer, their spiritual eyes are opened to discern which opportunities are from the Father and which are not a part of His plans for them.

But those who are foolish do not give adequate thought to the way they live. Some become unproductive and lazy, living for their own pleasures while missing out on God’s purpose for their lives. However, others may be very busy and extremely successful by worldly standards, but if their days are occupied with activities that aren’t God’s will for them, they’re wasting their time.

To make the most of your opportunities, begin each day with the Lord, submitting to His will and asking that He direct your activities. After all, none of us want to get to heaven and discover that even though we’ve been busy spending our time,we have failed to invest it for eternity.

Freedom in Our Conversations with God..Whitney Hopler

 Freedom in Our Conversations with God

By Whitney Hopler

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” – 2 Corinthians 3:17 (NIV)

I used to follow a long and complicated routine for my devotional time with God each morning. By incorporating various prayer and meditation methods I’d learned about into that routine, I was trying to maximize my spiritual growth. One day, however, I had to cast my entire routine aside to get to an early morning work appointment. All I had time to do was talk to God from my heart as I drove to the appointment. My prayers poured out naturally, even though I didn’t use a single method to express them. Then, a few minutes before arriving at my appointment, I stopped talking, asked God to speak, and just listened. God’s love flowed into my heart, and God’s guidance flowed into my mind – right there in the car. The wonder of experiencing pure, unforced communication with God filled me with joy. So, the next morning, I let go of all my formulaic prayer and meditation methods and enjoyed communicating with God naturally. It was refreshing to realize I didn’t need to pray or meditate in specific ways for my communication to count with God. I discovered I could notice God’s presence with me more by just communicating naturally.

God will meet us wherever we are when we communicate with him. We don’t need to worry God won’t listen and respond if we’re not communicating in certain ways, such as covering diverse topics, using formal language, or sitting still with our eyes closed. 2 Corinthians 3:17 assures us that “where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” (NIV) We can pray confidently because God has given us full freedom to communicate with him. Not only will God listen to us, but God will also answer our prayers with mercy and grace. Hebrews 4:16 encourages us to:

“… approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (NIV)

God places no limitations on our conversations with him. So, we can pray in all sorts of ways. We can pray silently in our minds, shout our prayers, or even express them in creative ways like writing, drawing, singing, or dancing. We can meditate with the Holy Spirit in any situation – not just while sitting still but also while driving, cooking, walking, or even doing chores at home. Prayer is simply talking with God, while meditation is listening to God. If we’re focusing our energy on communicating with God, that counts as valid prayer and meditation.

Communicating with God is an opportunity, not an obligation. It should be inspiring rather than stressful. If you don’t have a long time for a conversation with God, feel free to check in with him briefly. If you’re not in a quiet place but want to connect with God right where you are, feel free to do so. If any prayer and meditation methods are genuinely helpful for you, feel free to use them. But if you’re following any methods that feel like chores, feel free to let go of them. You have the freedom to choose what works best in your conversations with God. When you do, you can notice the wonder of God’s presence with you and experience joy in his presence. 

Intersecting Faith and Life:
As you reflect on how God has given you freedom in prayer and meditation, consider these questions:

• How do you currently incorporate prayer and meditation into your daily routine?
• Are there any obstacles preventing you from fully enjoying your conversations with God? If so, what are they, and how can you overcome them?
• What are a few different types of prayer and meditation practices you would like to explore?
• How can you prioritize checking in with God even when you’re too busy for anything more than brief conversations with him?
• How can you try communicating with God in a different physical environment?
• How can you make your conversations with God more expressive or creative? 

Further Reading:

• John 8:36
• Ephesians 3:12
• Galatians 5:1
• Psalm 119:45
• Isaiah 29:14

 

Our Sufficiency Comes from God..Anne Peterson

 Our Sufficiency Comes from God

By: Anne Peterson

Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God - 2 Corinthians 3:5

We live in a world overflowing with information. If you don’t know something you can Google it, and you’ll have the information you need within seconds. But sometimes we can depend on the information we get and lean on it.

At other times we’ve gone through circumstances, learned a few things and when a similar situation arises, we lean on our experiences.

2 Corinthians 3:5 reminds us we are not sufficient of ourselves but instead, our sufficiency is of God.

The world tells us God helps those who help themselves. Which is not found in scripture anywhere. 

Or it says, pull yourselves up by your own bootstraps. 

The world tells us, You’ve got this!

And then life happens, and we soon discover we are helpless. And often those feelings of helplessness lead us to feeling hopeless. But the good news is we have a loving Father who did not leave us alone, no matter what we’re going through. He makes us sufficient for whatever we face.

We read the story of Peter and how he got out of the boat and walked on the water to come to Jesus in Matthew 14. Can you imagine what that must have felt like? And Peter did fine with his water walking until he took his eyes off the Lord. He noticed the wind, the waves and he immediately went down. What I love most about this passage is how quickly Jesus reached out and saved him. There was no chastening. There was no shaming. Peter called and Jesus answered. And it’s the same for us. God makes us sufficient for whatever we face. And when we fail, he picks us up.

We don’t have control over many of the circumstances in our lives. But we do have God’s hand guiding us, providing for us and giving us the ability to work through and overcome whatever our circumstances may be. He makes us sufficient. 

Some things will seem monumental. Sometimes we’ll be fearful. But as we learn to lean on God and what He tells us in his Word, we’ll remember we’re not alone. God is close enough to collect our tears. And when we make it through to the other side, we can look back and say, “we were not sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency was from God.”

His Hand

I don’t know what tomorrow holds,
or what I’ll have to face.

But I know God is well aware,
and He will give me grace.

And when I start to worry, 
Or I don’t understand,

I’ll call upon my Jesus, 
and I’ll take his outstretched hand.

- Anne Peterson

A Prayer of Intercession..Jessica Van Roekel

 A Prayer of Intercession

By Jessica Van Roekel

"May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light." -  Colossians 1:11-12 ESV

I cherish, protect, and nurture my sleep. So, when it's disrupted, I am a little disgruntled. But when God wakes me with a name on my heart, I know he's called me to pray. I could grumble about the interrupted night's sleep or obediently pray. Sometimes the names God wakes me up with are people I know, so I have a general idea of how to pray for them. Other times it's a missionary I've never met but our church supports or a ministry I know about.

The Apostle Paul traveled far and wide, spreading the Gospel message of Jesus Christ. He founded several churches, and many of his letters were to those congregations. However, the church in Colossae was not a church he founded or visited, yet he wrote a personal letter to them. The church in Colossae was likely founded by Epaphras, who was converted to Christ during the time of Paul's ministry in Ephesus. Paul's letter to the Colossians was prompted by a visit from Epaphras, who shared a good report of the congregation and the church's spiritual challenges and doctrinal errors.

Paul had never met the Colossians, yet he prayed a powerful prayer for them. When we don't know what to pray for someone, we can turn to Paul's prayer for the Colossians in chapter 1, verses 9-14, for guidance. He prayed the Colossians believers would honor and please the Lord in four ways: fruitfulness, maturity, power, and gratitude. Paul prayed the Colossians would honor the Lord by bearing fruit. His word choice indicates bearing fruit is present and continual. Fruitfulness is the result of the Holy Spirit's work in individuals. Fruit trees produce fruit according to the kind of tree they are, and Christians are no different. We can pray for other people to bear fruit as they submit to the working of God in their life. Initial salvation kick starts our growth and maturity in Jesus Christ. Effective Christian life and ministry flow from a consistent increase in the knowledge of God. It is not mere head knowledge but personal knowledge through applying what we learn about Christ to our lives. We can pray for someone to have an ongoing life of discovery and adventure with Jesus.

The Colossians faced criticism, intimidation, and pre-Christian mindsets. They needed empowerment to endure with patience which is what Paul prayed for and what God provided. Christians today face discouragement, disappointment, pressure, and persecution. We face trials, temptations, and tests from various sources: our pre-Jesus past, criticism for following Jesus, and attacks from our adversary, the devil. These combine to distract us from devotion to God, make our influence ineffective, trap Christian leaders, and destroy the work God wants to do. We can pray that Christians be "strengthened with all power. . . that [they] may have great endurance and patience" (1:11). Paul emphasized rejoicing in his letters. Joyful gratitude helps us remember our Heavenly Father's gift of salvation. People will always want to disqualify what God has done in our lives. A joyful, grateful heart is one way to strengthen our hearts because we remember that God qualifies, rescues, and brings us into his kingdom. We can pray Christians will express their joy and gratitude over what God has done.

Let's pray:
Holy God,
Thank you for calling us to pray for others and giving us the words to pray in this letter to the Colossians. As we pray, we ask they will continually bear fruit as they serve you. May they know you more and more in a personal way. May you empower them to face persecution with endurance and patience. And may their heart overflow with joyful gratitude as they remember how you rescue, qualify, and bring them into your kingdom. Pour your Spirit upon them as they seek to live for you. In Jesus' name, Amen.