All About the Holy SpiritSample

How do we know the Holy Spirit is at work in us?

When we spend time building an intimate relationship with God, we begin to see ourselves becoming more like Him. And as we become more like Him, we slowly gain His character traits and habits—His “fruit.” But when we don’t pursue God, we’re likely to take on traits that reflect the imperfectness of the world.

Jesus invites His followers to be different from the world, and because of our differences, we have the opportunity to inspire others to seek Him. God’s Spirit helps transform and empower us by encouraging our actions to reflect the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

These are all characteristics of Jesus that set us apart as His followers. Cultivating this fruit on our own is impossible, but thankfully, the Holy Spirit is here to help us.

Right now, consider what fruit of the Spirit need to be cultivated in your life, and then pause and pray through the following prompts…

Love

Ask for the Holy Spirit to guide you to people who need to experience His love.

Joy

Pray to experience the Spirit’s joy no matter what challenges come your way.

Peace

Invite God into your moments of worry—allow Him to give you His peace.

Patience

Ask God to encourage you while you wait on His perfect timing.

Kindness

Invite the Holy Spirit to transform your everyday encounters. Ask Him to help you be kind to everyone.

Goodness

Pray that God will give you the courage to do the right thing—even when it’s hard.

Faithfulness

Thank God for keeping all His promises and ask Him to help you stand firm in your faith.

Gentleness

Ask for the Holy Spirit to teach you how to be gentle with others when you’re angry or hurt.

Self-Control

Ask for the Holy Spirit to strengthen you in moments of temptation. Allow Him to shape the priorities in your heart so that you willingly turn away from things that don’t honor God.

As you prayed through those prompts, you might have noticed that the fruit of the Spirit are specific, but connected—together, they show that we are allowing God to shape every part of our lives.

There still will be times when we react to things imperfectly because we’re imperfect people, but when we learn from the Holy Spirit by accepting correction from Him, these traits start to become natural to us.

So starting today, allow the Holy Spirit to show you what areas of your life you need Him to change, and trust that He will help you demonstrate the fruit of His Spirit in your life.