God's Holy Fire: 'Spiritual Understanding'

Tuesday, January 27, 2026

What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.
— 1 Corinthians 2:12 NIV

Key Thought

We sometimes get frustrated when people outside of Christ do not seem to be able to understand the teaching of Scripture. However, we must not forget that there are two realities to the truth of Scripture that non-believers do not experience. First, the Holy Spirit, who inspired Scripture and uses Scripture to form us, also helps followers of Jesus understand the truth that God has given us. Second, the truth of Scriptures often becomes more understandable as we obey it. The Holy Spirit is at work helping us understand the Scriptures he inspired! Let's never approach our time in Bible study without asking for the Holy Spirit to make God's truth known to us!

Today's Prayer

Father God, I thank you for blessing me with your Holy Spirit. I pray that as I open the Bible, I will hear your voice and understand your will. I ask, dear Holy Spirit, that you open my mind and that you work on my heart so that I understand and obey the truths that the Father has shared through Scripture. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

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Illustration

Illustration of 1 Corinthians 2:12 NIV — What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.

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About This Devotional

God's Holy Fire is a daily devotional about the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

The Thoughts and Prayer for God's Holy Fire are written by Phil Ware.

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scripture quotations marked MESSAGE are taken from THE MESSAGE, copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

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