Gratitude Series Episode 6

Hello, my walking friend! Have you cast your cares on Jesus so you can walk freely, focused on him? If you haven’t yet, why not do that now? Inhale deeply and exhale all your anxieties and set your heart and mind on Jesus. This is going to be a great 10 minutes! So let’s go!

Today is the 6th episode in the gratitude series. Each episode during this series we will take some time to focus on thanking Jesus for something specific and we will have two different verses to meditate on. Today we will be thanking Jesus for the Holy Spirit.

Our first verse to meditate on is John 14:16:

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever.

Jesus walks with you, but once you accept him as your savior, the Holy Spirit dwells within you. What a crazy, amazing gift! The Holy Spirit, the third person of the trinity, is dwelling within you! What an honor that you and I are the temples for the Holy Spirit. In the Old Testament times, the Lord’s presence was found in the tabernacle and the temple, but now the Lord’s presence, by means of the Holy Spirit, can be found in every believer.

But how often are we aware of that? How often do we pay attention to the Holy Spirit within us? I know it is easy for me to go about life without that awareness. Do you ever feel that way? I can imagine the Holy Spirit trying to get my attention – yo, Lynne, can I help? Let me give you some guidance in that situation. Wait! Don’t say anything, let me give you a dose of wisdom first. Yikes! Forgive me, Jesus!

Our second verse for today is, Ephesians 5:18-20 :

Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Take a little time to consider the crazy, amazing gift of having the Holy Spirit living within you and thank Jesus for loving you so much he gave you this gift.

Did Jesus reveal anything special to you as you meditated on these two verses? We have so much to be grateful for when it comes to the Holy Spirit. Here are a few to consider:
The Holy Spirit can reveal Jesus’ thoughts to us so we can know him better.

The Holy Spirit pierces our hearts and consciences when we stray away from the will of the Lord.
The Holy Spirit empowers us to live a holy life.
The Holy Spirit prays for us when we don’t have the power to pray for ourselves or when we don’t know what or how to pray.
The Holy Spirit helps us understand God’s word.

There are so many ways the Holy Spirit can help us – if only we let him. Let’s take some time now to thank Jesus for the Holy Spirit and for all the ways the Holy Spirit helps us.

You are now at the halfway point of your walk. If you need to be back in 10 minutes, this would be the time to turn around and head back.

Now I am going to pray for us:

Dear Jesus,
Thank you for sending the Holy Spirit to live within me. I want to be spirit-filled and spirit-led. Thank you for opening my mind to better understand your word. Jesus, I want to know you more deeply. Thank you for giving me the Holy Spirit to convict me when I do wrong so that I can grow to be more like you. I want to be holy and produce good fruit in my life. Let my soul sing with gratitude for all the ways the Holy Spirit works in my life. Thank you, Jesus, for always walking with me and for the Holy Spirit within me. Amen.

Here are some questions for you to consider:

How often do you pray for power from the Holy Spirit? What could help remind you that the Holy Spirit is in you and wants to empower you to live a Godly life? Consider your answer now.

Have you ever had an experience where you knew it was the Holy Spirit guiding you or opening your eyes to better understand scripture? Think of that time now.

Take time to thank Jesus for the specific ways the Holy Spirit helps you.

Before we wrap up, listen again to today’s verses:

John 14:16:

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever.

Ephesians 5:18-20 :

Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Is there anything else you would like to talk to Jesus about? Remember, he is right there with you, walking with you, and he is eager for you to share all that is on your heart and mind with him. Take some time to talk to and thank Jesus now.

Well, you did it, my friend! Another 10 minutes of walking with Jesus. As you walked today, were you more aware of the Holy Spirit within you? I hope so! And I hope we both will allow the Holy Spirit to fill us so that we can live the Godly lives Jesus wants us to live – and that includes living with gratitude!

Thank you for taking the time to walk with me! But more importantly, you are walking with Jesus… and the Holy Spirit!
For more Walk with Jesus resources, including the Walk with Jesus 21 day scripture, devotional, and guided prayer journal book for walkers, go to WalkwithJesusDevotional.com. The November edition focuses on gratitude and is a part of this podcast series. You will find the URL for this book and other resources in the podcast show notes.

I hope we can walk together again tomorrow, friend. In our next episode we will be thanking Jesus for your life. Until then, God bless you as you walk with Jesus.