The Holy Spirit Helps Us Move into Our New Beginnings
Today’s passage: Romans 5:1–9
Focus verse: God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (Romans 5:5)
In many of our readings, we talked about the Holy Spirit. As a member of the three-in-one Godhead, we also directed some of our prayers specifically to him.
Though this may not be a common practice for everyone, it’s a worthy exercise to consider. In doing so, it reminds us that God is three persons in one, comprised of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We can pray to them as a whole or specifically to one part.
In Day 3 we talked about God sending his followers the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. On that momentous day, the Holy Spirit descended on them like a dove; he gave them supernatural power (Acts 2:1–12).
From that day forward, the Holy Spirit lived in Jesus’s followers and guided them in everything they did.
As Jesus’s followers today, this same Holy Spirit that lived in his disciples then also lives in us. As such, the Holy Spirit is at work in our lives and can help us as we move into our new beginnings.
But not everyone who follows Jesus realizes that the Holy Spirit lives within them. Though he’s present, they may not know it.
Therefore, we must be open to the Holy Spirit’s presence in us and allow him to guide us and to work through us. We can choose to listen to him, or we can choose to ignore him. May we listen and then obey.
This means that as we move into our new beginnings, the Holy Spirit is with us. He can give us assurance when we are unsure.
He can give us direction when we don’t know which way to turn. And he can give us a supernatural confidence that can only come from God.
We can pray to the Holy Spirit. We can ask him for clarity and seek direction. And we can listen to his still, small voice as we move throughout our day.
Though hearing the Holy Spirit speak to us may be an uncomfortable consideration for some, with practice, we can all learn to hear the Holy Spirit when he talks.
Emboldened by the Holy Spirit, we can move into the new year with confident expectation. As we said in Day 26, if God is with us, who can stand against us? (Romans 8:31).
Questions:
What role does the Holy Spirit play in our lives?
How well do we do at obeying him?
If we aren’t aware of his presence, what can we do to learn more about him?
Prayer: Holy Spirit, may we depend on you as we move forward into the new year. When you speak to us, may we listen and hear. Give us strength to obey what you say. Guide us in all that we do and give us direction as we journey into our new beginnings. Amen.
For anyone whose New Year’s resolutions have ever failed, New Year with Jesus offers a more powerful alternative: a 31-day devotional journey to anchor your goals and fresh starts in the unchanging hope of Christ.
Through daily scripture, practical reflections, and guided prayer, you will learn to release past regrets, overcome anxiety about the future, and find the spiritual strength to make this year one of lasting, meaningful change.
New Year with Jesus is part of the beloved Holiday Celebration Devotionals Series.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront a status quo faith and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
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