God's Holy Fire: 'Rest Comes From the Holy Spirit'

Sunday, July 12, 2026

"Where is the one who led [the Israelites] through the bottom of the sea? They were like fine stallions racing through the desert, never stumbling. As with cattle going down into a peaceful valley, the Spirit of the Lord gave them rest. You led your people, Lord, and gained a magnificent reputation."

Key Thought

Rest - true, genuine, deep rest - comes from the Spirit of the Lord. And when that sense of rest is gone, we need to seek the Spirit of God and look carefully at our lives to see if we have abandoned the Spirit's influence in our lives. The Spirit brings rest to our souls, so let's seek to be attentive and responsive to the Spirit's guidance and leading in our lives.

Today's Prayer

O Father, please use your Spirit to minister to me when I sleep, so that I can receive the full blessing of the rest and refreshment only you can give me. By the power of your Spirit within me, strengthen me so that I can live with passion without stumbling. Tune my heart to follow the direction and leading of your Spirit so that when I come again to the end of each day, I can rest securely and be at peace in the knowledge that I have lived in the center of your will. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

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Illustration

Illustration of Isaiah 63:13-14 NLT — "Where is the one who led [the Israelites] through the bottom of the sea?"

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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.