PRAY EVERY DAY - Day 15: Pastor Kjell Axel Johanson
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“… when you believed in Christ, He identified you as His own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom He promised long ago. The Spirit is God’s guarantee that He will give us the inheritance He promised and that He has purchased us to be His own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify Him.” Ephesians 1:13-14 (NLT)
Your identity in Christ is validated by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, which every Christ follower is given the moment they put their faith in Jesus. The Bible says in Ephesians 1:13-14 (NLT), “… when you believed in Christ, He identified you as His own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom He promised long ago. The Spirit is God’s guarantee that He will give us the inheritance He promised and that He has purchased us to be His own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify Him.”
This is a glorious promise to you and me! The work of the Holy Spirit is indispensable to the believer! One Bible teacher said, “What instinct is to an animal, the Holy Spirit is to man.” He is our internal moral compass that reproduces the likeness of Christ in our character. He convicts us, comforts us, counsel us, empowers us, and directs our lives. His ministry is so vital that Jesus told His disciples in John 14:16-17 (NLT), “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive Him, because it isn’t looking for Him and doesn’t recognize Him. But you know Him, because He lives with you now and later will be in you.”
The lives of the disciples were transformed at Pentecost when the gift of the Holy Spirit was given to them! They would never be the same. In Acts 2:4, we are told, “They were filled with the Holy Spirit…” These were the same men who only days before had deserted Christ when He was arrested, tried, convicted, and sentenced to death. They had pledged their love and loyalty to Jesus, following Him for three years! But they were powerless to stand with Him until they were filled with the Holy Spirit! Something wonderful happened between the death, resurrection, ascension, and Pentecost. Each one of them were invaded by the presence of the Holy Spirit, who empowered them to be witnesses for Christ. We get our English word “martyr” from the word “witness.” God transformed these men and women into bold witnesses who willingly laid down their lives for Jesus. No longer would they be controlled by fear. This world was not their home. They had an inheritance promised to them! So do you. Ephesians 1:14 (NLT) says, “The Holy Spirit is God’s guarantee that He will give us the inheritance He promised ….”
The word “guarantee” could be translated as “downpayment, deposit, or pledge.” The Message translates it as “first installment”. In Paul’s day, it meant “the down payment to guarantee the final purchase of some item or property. The Holy Spirit is God’s first installment to guarantee every Christ follower that He will finish His work in us and eventually bring us home to the rich inheritance He promised, where we will dwell with Him forever!
This word “guarantee” has another, more intimate meaning as well. In Greece today, you find them using this word as an “engagement ring.” Just as an engagement ring is one of a promise to be kept, so the Holy Spirit has been given to every believer, assuring us that Jesus is coming again to claim His bride – the Church! What greater confidence could we have about our future, and what better motivation to keep on praying every day?
Another important part of your daily devotional is spending time with God in prayer. The Woodlands Church Prayer Board lists prayer requests submitted by our members and provides a way to send them some encouragement by using a button on the page to let them know that you prayed for them. Whether you use the Prayer Board, or pray from your heart, the goal is to build the habit of incorporating prayer into your quiet time.
Need prayer yourself? Let us know by submitting a prayer request on the Woodlands Church Prayer Board.