God's Holy Fire: 'Worship by the Spirit'

Thursday, October 8, 2026

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For we who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort, ...
— Philippians 3:3 NLT

Key Thought

Our identity as God's children is defined by the presence of the Holy Spirit as we worship and continually offer ourselves as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1), not by our race or by a physical mark on our bodies. Those who have the Spirit are the children of God (John 3:3-7). We rely on the work of Christ and don't rely on our human attempts at significance. Christ poured the Spirit on us when we were saved by grace (Titus 3:3-7). The Holy Spirit is the mark of our identity (Romans 8:9). The work of the Spirit makes us a part of the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12-13). The gift of the Holy Spirit is our gateway to authentic worship (John 4:22-23). The presence of the Holy Spirit makes us the dwelling place of God, a holy temple in which God lives through the Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). The presence of the Holy Spirit defines our lives in Christ and is crucial to our identity and worship! Rather than our lives and worship being tied down by all sorts of detailed rules similar to those that the rabbis added to the Torah, we are set free by the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Today's Prayer

Father in heaven, please forgive me when I try to define my significance in any source other than your gracious love for me, your Son's sacrifice for my sins, and the work of the Holy Spirit in my day-to-day life. I ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.

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1 Related Resource by Heartlight

But One Thing I Do!
Article by Phil Ware
How do we keep from letting the past dominate our future? Phil Ware reminds us to let the past stay in the past and gives us Paul's advice for moving beyond our past: forgetting, straining, pressing on.

Illustration

Illustration of Philippians 3:3 NLT — For we who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort, ...

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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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