Forward: 21 Days of Fasting and PrayerSample

WEEK 2 - BEING LED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT

This week’s focus is on Being Led by the Holy Spirit. Jesus promised us that He would send the Holy Spirit into our lives as our helper, comforter and guide. After the Holy Spirit fell on the early believers on the Day of Pentecost, they were empowered to preach the gospel, perform miraculous healings, bringing hope and freedom wherever they went. The same Holy Spirit that fell on the early believers is alive and present in us today!

To step forward into God’s plans and purposes for our lives, we need to develop a growing reliance on the Holy Spirit. How does this happen in our lives? We develop a reliance on the Holy Spirit when we first know the Him, learn to discern His voice, and are willing to submit and obey His leading in our lives. As we begin to grow in our reliance on the Holy Spirit, we become empowered to fulfill our God-given purpose in our lives.

BEING FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT

What we are filled with changes us. A person that is filled with alcohol eventually succumbs to the influence of alcohol. If you’ve ever felt a “food coma,” you know that filling yourself with too much food at lunch means struggling to stay awake for your afternoon classes and meetings! 

The Holy Spirit changes us to be more like Christ. The Holy Spirit is not an impersonal “force” or “power”. He is a Person. The Holy Spirit gives us wisdom and helps us to know the truth (John 15:26). He helps us in our weakness and teaches us how to pray (Romans 8:26-27). When we allow the Holy Spirit to enter our lives, we come under His influence and control. This means that He begins to influence every area of our lives - our thoughts, perspectives, words and actions. 

Be filled with the Holy Spirit! In Ephesians 5:18, Paul tells believers to be filled with the Holy Spirit. This means we are to “make full, to fill up” continually with the Holy Spirit. We cannot be filled with the Spirit if we simultaneously allow wrong desires, thoughts and attitudes into our lives. Begin each day in a posture of surrender to Him and allow Him into every area of your life! 

Reflect:

• What have you allowed into your life today? (e.g. negative thoughts, worry, wrong attitudes) As you identify these areas, surrender and yield each area to God.
• Is there an area in your life that you have sought to control in your own strength? Ask God to show you what these areas are and invite the Holy Spirit into those areas.

Prayer:

Dear God, help me to empty myself of everything of this world and fill me with Your Holy Spirit. I choose to surrender every area of my life to You and submit to the Holy Spirit’s leading in my life. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.