Today we would like to begin by encouraging you to consider a devotional from Charles Spurgeon:

"Grieve not the Holy Spirit." 

Ephesians 4:30

All that the believer has must come from Christ, but it comes solely through the channel of the Spirit of grace. Moreover, as all blessings thus flow to you through the Holy Spirit, so also no good thing can come out of you in holy thought, devout worship, or gracious act, apart from the sanctifying operation of the same Spirit. Even if the good seed be sown in you, yet it lies dormant except he works in you to will and to do of his own good pleasure. Do you desire to speak for Jesus—how can you unless the Holy Ghost touch your tongue? Do you desire to pray? Alas! what dull work it is unless the Spirit makes intercession for you! Do you desire to subdue sin? Would you be holy? Would you imitate your Master? Do you desire to rise to superlative heights of spirituality? Are you wanting to be made like the angels of God, full of zeal and ardor for the Master's cause? You cannot without the Spirit—"Without me ye can do nothing." O branch of the vine, thou canst have no fruit without the sap! O child of God, thou hast no life within you apart from the life which God gives you through his Spirit! Then let us not grieve Him or provoke Him to anger by our sin. Let us not quench Him in one of his faintest motions in our soul; let us foster every suggestion, and be ready to obey every prompting. If the Holy Spirit be indeed so mighty, let us attempt nothing without Him; let us begin no project, and carry on no enterprise, and conclude no transaction, without imploring His blessing. Let us do Him the due homage of feeling our entire weakness apart from Him, and then depending alone upon him, having this for our prayer, "Open thou my heart and my whole being to Your incoming, and uphold me with Your free Spirit when I shall have received that Spirit in my inward parts."

It seems unthinkable that we individual believers spend so little time and give so little thought to walking in the Spirit.   We have a clear and definite promise:   “I say then, walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.” Galatians 5:16 (HCSB)

We each war daily with the desires of the flesh yet we often continue day after day losing most of the battles and failing to present much glory to God.   Jesus said that we can do nothing except we depend upon Him.  While most of us can quote this passage there are so few of us that live our lives as if they completely depend upon His work through us.    Many of us have what could be called a Martha mindset.  It seems that we would rather do our work in our strength even though we are told in the Word that it will amount to nothing!

Why is it that we say we seek after truth and yet fail to ask the Spirit of Truth to reveal truth to our hearts?   Why is it that we would rather organize an activity than to humbly pray?

Consider these questions …. How often so far today have you asked for the help of the Spirit?   How many times this week have you said to yourself I must be yoked to Jesus, or I must get help from the Spirit in this matter?  How often during this past week have you shared that you are depending on God or His Spirit with family or friends or coworkers?  How often has your mind even entered the realm of asking for help from God?

Of course Spurgeon is right when he says that we should not attempt anything on our own. Does this include our prayers?   Have you ask the Holy Spirit to assist you as you pray?  Is this a regular pattern of your prayer life?  What do you think our community would be like if every true believer would pray daily led in every prayer by God’s Spirit?

This holiday season, as we consider the birth of our Savior, consider this.  He came and died not only that you and I might have eternal life, but He died that we might be indwelled by the Holy Spirit of God.

The Holy Spirit is the only means to bring glory to God.   As we depend upon the Spirit to direct our thoughts, our eyes, our feet, and our words we become instruments in His hands to bring glory to God …. to bear fruit that remains.

Imagine if every true believer in your community were to be completely under the Spirit’s control, walking in the Spirit 24/7.    How would this enable the Spirit to transform the communities’ culture, climate, and public and private conversations?   What would be the impact of the Spirit in our churches, our schools, our public and private lives?  How would this influence the sins of abortion, pornography, homosexuality, or murder in our streets?

Yes, in truth, it appears that we are the problem.  We want to go our own way and do our own thing.   We want to bring glory to God as long as it does not require too much sacrifice.   Apparently we are very fond of the warm water in this soon-to-boil pot.

While full blown revival seems to be a thing that God alone sets the times and the seasons, the choice to walk in the Spirit is completely in our hands.   We have been given by God’s grace the opportunity to walk in the Spirit any time we humbly ask and depend upon Him. 

Learning to walk in the Spirit must be somewhat like learning to ride a bicycle … you fall a lot.   However, it is possible to learn, otherwise God would not have so commanded us.  In the process of learning to ride a bike it is very helpful to have a big person who can walk alongside and help us get started, and pick us up when we fall.    We do have a Big Person who is willing to help.   He tells us so.

John 14:12-14 (HCSB) 
¹²  “I assure you: The one who believes in Me will also do the works that I do. And he will do even greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. 
¹³  Whatever you ask in My name, I will do it so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 
¹⁴  If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.

It is well to note that these verses are located immediately before Jesus promises to send us His Spirit.

John 14:16 (AMP) 

¹⁶  And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever—

Yes, Jesus sent His Spirit to indwell you and me to provide us the potential to live in the victory that He paid for on Calvary.   He will help us learn to consistently walk in the Spirit if we will ask and keep on asking.   Our communities, our schools, the definition of family, and the freedom of the next generation stand in the balance.  Will you walk in the words of the Lord’s Prayer ….. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven?