A Year of Prayer: Season One Weekday DevotionalsSample

Have you ever pulled into a side lane to attempt a U-turn and suddenly recognised ‘the sign with the U crossed out,’ which universally means, ‘Hey buddy, don’t attempt that’? Has there been a brief irritated moment when you thought, ' Well, maybe I just might. '

Perhaps you’ve been in a hurry, talking while you drive to someone, and suddenly, the map has updated to redirect to a new street because you missed your turnoff. That’s good, except when you see the new ‘estimated time’ blow out by a few minutes - or ten! Especially if you’re on a motorway, things can suddenly heat up very quickly in the hot-headed department!

To repent means to make an adjustment away from while we make an effort to step towards. Metanoia—the word in the Greek here for repentance—is about changing our ways and minds. New Year’s resolutions become more like ‘New Year’s wishful thinking’ when we change our minds but can’t change our ways to match them!

Changing our minds and ways is never easy. We make choices and decisions in our lives because of experience, fears, hopes, convenience, social and religious pressure or expectations, assumptions, and time constraints. For many of us, our minds and actions were made up many years ago, and there’s not much of a thing we feel we can do about it.

But a new baby changes everything. Someone who wants to wake up earlier will have no better reason than a baby's cries in the middle of the night! Someone who wanted to learn patience would have no option to suddenly put it all into practice (even if trying and failing) as soon as the baby needs something they can’t explain.

A new baby is a new being who introduces a completely new way of being to those around them—a new way of love.

The Holy Spirit is the same: the arrival of a new being with a new way of being and a new way of love. Rather than being needy like a baby relying on its parent, we become the baby! The things we need, the comfort we require, the encouragement and the uplift, and the words from our Lord all reside in the careful, tender caring of our Holy Spirit.

'But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.' (John 14:26-27 NIV)

Teaching, reminding, guiding, and giving us peace. Is this not the gentle parenting of a Spirit who loves, transforms, and watches us grow?

When we change our old ways and exchange our old minds, we are made capable of fully receiving the knowledge of Christ’s forgiveness and understanding the continuing gift of our Holy Spirit.

Prayer: 'Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience, and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonour, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.' (2 Corinthians 6:4-10 NIV)

Action: Spend some time thinking about two things:

1) Holy Spirit as a gentle parenting influence who loves you and is here for you, and 2) What times God has required a ‘U-turn’ of you, what you learnt from it, and where you may be required to be performing the same manoeuvre today.