God's Holy Fire: 'Never Leave You'

Thursday, December 1, 2022

[Jesus said,] "If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth."
— John 14:15-17a NLT

Key Thought

Translators have tried to capture the essence of the Spirit's role as revealed in the word Jesus used here to describe the Holy Spirit. Different versions use Advocate, Comforter, Counselor, and Helper to translate the original Greek word "paraklaetos." Looking at all of these words helps us get an idea of the scope of the Spirit's work in us. But the point of Jesus' other words must not be overlooked: The Spirit will never leave us, and the Spirit will lead us into God's truth. No wonder the gift of the Holy Spirit was so anticipated by the Old Testament prophets as the sign that God's new age of salvation had come, and no wonder the early Christians saw this gift as crucial to one being a true follower of Jesus! Let's give thanks for this gift and cultivate our hearts so that the Spirit finds a welcome and receptive home in each of us.

Today's Prayer

My righteous and loving heavenly Father, I thank you for your many gracious gifts, and I especially want to thank you today from the bottom of my heart for the wonderful gift of the Holy Spirit. I open my heart to receive the grace, comfort, correction, conviction, and love you want to pour into my life through the Spirit. In Jesus name, I offer my thanks and praise. Amen.

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Illustration

Illustration of John 14:15-17a NLT — [Jesus said,] "If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth."

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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