God's Holy Fire: 'Eyes Opened'

Friday, August 8, 2025

[John the Baptizer said,] "I did not recognize [Jesus] as the Messiah, but I have been baptizing with water so that he might be revealed to Israel." Then John testified, "I saw the Holy Spirit descending like a dove from heaven and resting upon him."
— John 1:31-32 NLT

Key Thought

Even though John the Baptizer and Jesus were relatives, John didn't immediately recognize Jesus as the Messiah. God had to make that clear for John by having the Holy Spirit reveal this truth about Jesus. That revelation from the Spirit was true at Jesus' baptism and in the proclamation of the early church and is still true today. (In John 14 and John 16, Jesus promised that the Advocate - the Holy Spirit - would come and reveal the truth about him!) If any of us is going to have our eyes opened and truly "see" Jesus, we need to ask for the Holy Spirit to make his presence and his purpose plain in our lives!

Today's Prayer

O Father in heaven, you are holy. Your ways are above my ways. So I thank you for coming and living among us as one of us in Jesus. I thank you for making yourself known through the work of the Holy Spirit. And I thank you for the Spirit's work as the Advocate who makes known the things of Jesus, in whose name I pray. Amen.

Have thoughts on this devotional? Leave a comment

1 Related Resource by Heartlight

He Is the One
Devo: What Jesus Did!
"[John the Baptizer said,] "I did not recognize [Jesus] as the Messiah, but I have been baptizing with water so that he might be revealed to Israel." ..."

Illustration

Illustration of John 1:31-32 NLT — "I did not recognize [Jesus] as the Messiah, but I have been baptizing with water so that he might be revealed to Israel."

Other Devotionals from Heartlight for Friday, August 8, 2025

What Jesus Did!
A daily guide from the gospels that challenges readers to live for Jesus.
'So Close and Yet So Far Away' (Mt. 27:3-10)
"When Judas, who had betrayed him, realized that Jesus had been condemned to die, he was filled with remorse. So he took the thirty pieces of silver....."
Praying with Paul
Features the apostle Paul's writings turned into daily, powerful prayers.
'Reconciled through Christ' (Co. 1:15-20)
"Dear Father, We are Christ's church and he is head over us, head over his body. He is the beginning, the first-born of creation and the first-born..."
Unstoppable!
A one-year devotional guide through the book of Acts.
'Paul Declared Innocent' (Acts 26:30-31)
"Then [King Agrippa, the Roman governor Festus], Bernice, and all the others stood and left. As they went out, they talked it over and agreed, "This....."
Daily Wisdom
A daily devotional featuring wise counsel found in Scripture.
Hebrews 13:17
"Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a..."

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.

More God's Holy Fire

Translations