The Overwhelming Importance of the Holy Spirit in a Christian’s Life!

09 Dec 2025 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Romans 8:26.        Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities (weaknesses): for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

It’s a brand new day friends, Tuesday, that means we have another twenty four hours to do good work in Jesus name. And you know, when you’re walking with and working for Him, any and everything is possible. So let’s put our heads and hearts together, and our hands on the plough and wake up this dark and evil world for Jesus! 

And today we’ll look at an interesting poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin simply titled ‘Worst – Best.’ And as always, we’ll note that I don’t know if I’ve shared it before, because I don’t keep a record, but for sure they are all worth hearing over and over again, because they bring such fresh and new insight into out thinking and lives. 

So please read with me. ‘O God It is difficult for me to think coherently To pray with any kind of sequence today. I am so weary, so worn, so fragmented. But, Lord, perhaps to your ears Sometimes my worst praying Is really my best. I trust so … I trust so. One thing I do know: All my desire is before you.’ And my friends that’s always the most important thing; that all our desire is before the Lord! That He is the one ruling our lives from cover to cover. 

Now, I don’t know about you all, but last week for a couple of days when the cold was really getting me down, that’s how I felt; like I couldn’t put two decent words of prayer together. But yuh know what? That’s when the Lord really and truly reaches down and pick us up. For as He says in that marvellous scripture when Bruh Paul asked three times for a thorn to be removed from His flesh: ‘My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength (power) is made perfect in weakness.’ (2 Cor. 12:9a) 

And that is the gospel truth friends, which I had the fortune or misfortune (smile) to call up a couple times in the last month, when I was dead on my feet, and the Lord faithfully responded by giving me the wherewithal to continue; His awesome power boosted me and carried me through. So how can I ever doubt that scripture eh? Even if I doubted it before, I can’t now, because it’s been performed in my life at least a couple of times. 

And that’s the beauty of knowing the promises that the Lord has given us in His Word, for we don’t know when, in a moment of weakness or surprise, a time might come when we need to use it, and if you don’t know it, then you obviously can’t use it. Thus it behooves us to get familiar with those wonderful promises, for our world is getting more evil and ungodly every day, which means we might now have much more use for those promises than before. 

And the Bible Promise for our poem comes from that most interesting and moving chapter of Scripture, Romans 8, where it says: ‘Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities (weaknesses): for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.’ (Rom. 8:26-27) 

Oh friends, that’s also such a timely and important scripture, for when we are so weak or lost and don’t know what to pray, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us with “groanings” much like ours. Or as the scholars explain it: ‘The Spirit also groans along with creation and the believer. The reference is to the Spirit’s interpretation of the believer’s innermost feelings, which cannot be put into words.’ Then through divine omniscience the Lord who searches our hearts, reads the Spirit’s mind, and thus understands what’s truly happening with us. 

So, you see, that’s another very important aspect of the Holy Spirit; interceding for us when we can’t help ourselves. No wonder we’re advised to pay great attention to the Holy Spirit, for He performs a number of important jobs in our lives; leading, guiding, reminding, comforting, interceding etc. etc. Unfortunately though, many of us supposed believers don’t take the Holy Spirit as seriously as we ought to, and thus don’t make use of all the purposes and benefits He can offer. 

Remember how Jesus spoke of the Holy Spirit. ‘If ye LOVE me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter (helper), that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.’ (John 14:15-17) That was the promise that eventually all believers would eventually be imbued, be filled internally, with the Holy Spirit, which happened at the first Pentecost after Jesus’ ascension. (Acts 2:1-4)  

And later on Jesus again tells the disciples about the Holy Spirit. ‘I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself (on his own authority); but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak; and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine (what’s mine), and shall shew (declare) it unto you. All the things the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you. A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father.’ (John 16:12-16) 

Oh my people, all of that simply shows how important the Holy Spirit is to us! It’s like a replica of Jesus living and working within us, while Jesus Himself sits on the throne beside the Father interceding on our behalf. So please, let’s wake up and see how important the Holy Spirit is in the lives of believers, and begin using Him to greater benefit! 

Now let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel! As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’ 

And having said that, we’re now duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…the Holy Spirit is…the action arm of the Holy Trinity…

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

Today’s Scrip-Bit   15 April 2024 John 14:16.

15 Apr 2024 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

John 14:16.       And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter (Helper), that he may abide with you for ever;

And as always, after Sunday comes Monday – the day we rather unfairly dislike. And why do we dislike Monday? Because it disturbs our weekend reverie, sending us back out into never ending rat race of the workday world, with endless traffic jams, that breed bitter road rage, and on top of all that, unsavoury work mates. (smile) But if we want to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table, then we have to bite the bullet, get out there and labour for the pittance our selfish and greedy masters believe we’re worth. 

And it’s best we do it with a good attitude, for anything less will only lead to further degeneration of our wellbeing. We cannot be overwhelmed by the stressful factors of this busy world and yet lead productive, God-centred lives. Thus, we need the calming power of Jesus at the forefront of all that we do, through the leading and guidance of His Holy Spirit that dwells within us to accomplish that very task. Remember Jesus’ promise to the disciples, when He informed them of His return to heaven in the near future? ‘If ye LOVE me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter (Helper), that he may abide with you for ever;’ (John 14:15-16) 

Please note that last phrase, the Comforter is to be with them and us forever! So, from the day we believe in Christ, and that Comforter comes to dwell within us, He never leaves until our dying day. Now, that ought to give us a wellspring of confidence, but unfortunately not enough of us supposed believers enjoy it, because we don’t follow the Comforter’s gentle leading. We talk the talk, but in reality don’t walk the walk. And what’s this Comforter all about eh? As per Jesus: ‘Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless (as orphans): I will come to you.’ (John 14:17-18) 

And there Jesus promises that He will always be with us through the Spirit of truth, which the world doesn’t and cannot know, but that we know and will eventually have dwelling in us. Then later on He expands on the Spirit of truth and what it would do. ‘These things I have spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter (Helper), which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:25-27) 

Ah friends, what comforting words from our Lord and Saviour! Yes, the Comforter or Helper, would be the Holy Spirit, the third member of the Holy Trinity, our Triune God! And according to Jesus, He would enable the apostles to remember all His words and works as they endeavoured to do His bidding and put quill to parchment to ensure that His earthly legacy endured down through the ages. And that’s exactly what the Holy Spirit did back then when He filled the believers on that fateful Pentecost Sunday in Jerusalem and the church of Christ was born, and what He’s still doing to this day for us who have believed because of what the disciples have written; that’s the New Testament. 

And if there’s one thing to be said for Jesus, He was always encouraging His followers. As we saw above there, He blessed them with His particular kind of peace, unlike any the world could provide, and that they should not be worried because He had things under control. And in the next chapter, He reiterates His earlier encouragement. ‘But when the Comforter (Helper) is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which preceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: And ye shall also bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.’ (John 15:26-27) 

Then Jesus expands on that when He tells them: ‘I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself (on his own authority); but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine (what is mine), and shall shew (declare) it unto you.’ (John 1612-14) Now that’s certainly an interesting scripture and as the scholars point out: ‘Just as Jesus came to do the will of His Father, so the Holy Spirit is sent to speak not of Himself, but of Christ.’ 

So what’s the long and short of the story? That if we have Jesus, His peace, LOVE, grace, mercy etc. as well as the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us and remind us of Jesus, then we ought not to be afraid of this evil and ungodly world, and should get out there on Mondays, in full spiritual armour, just rearing to go and to do serious battle in the holy name of Jesus! And to help us keep everything in perspective, let’s go to the throne of grace right now, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn seeking divine help. 

Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. 

So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’ 

And if we do as we prayed; turn from our evil ways, by humbling ourselves, praying and sincerely seeking God’s face, then divine help will surely be forthcoming! Much LOVE!

…there is method to God’s supposed madness…as first He operated through Jesus…and now operates through the Holy Spirit…

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Today’s Scrip-Bit 8 April 2015 1 Thessalonians 5:17‏

08 Apr 2015 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

1 Thessalonians 5:17.   PRAY WITHOUT CEASING!

Ah Friends, I wish I could say that it was a bright and beautiful morning in my neck of the woods. But unfortunately I can’t, because it ‘s damp, like some rain fell a while ago, and it’s cloudy.

But you know what, as fellow believers in Christ, we don’t have to allow the weather or anything else really to dictate how we feel, to control our emotions and our behaviour, since in Jesus we have the great I AM, the wonderful Saviour who gives us His peace and wisdom and guidance and blessings anew each day.

That’s whom we must take our direction from, not the things and powers of this world. For remember what Peter and the other apostles told the Jewish council when they upbraided them for preaching Christ crucified and resurrected, after being warned to cease and desist? ‘We ought to obey God rather than man.’ (Acts 5:29)

And the scholars explain here: ‘5:29. Peter is not sanctioning civil disobedience, as he makes clear in his first epistle (1 Pet.2:13-17; cf. Rom.13:1-7). We are to obey civil government, but when it goes contrary to the explicit commands of God, we must obey God and be ready to suffer the consequences.’

So please lets remember that and keep our focus on Jesus. And here’s a nice little ditty (smile) from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. This one is titled ‘MY DELIGHT!’

And it says: “You are My Delight…” This dear God You said to Jesus At the moment of His baptism There in the river Jordan. He is Your Son I am your child Forever related to You through Him. Baptize me dear God In the river of Your LOVE Your Joy Your Power Until with deep and widening gladness You can say to me Your chosen child “You are my delight.”

Oh Friends, what a delightful wish! It’s one that all God’s children can desire, for it causes us all to become more Christ-like, which is the Father’s intention anyway. And the scripture promise for that ditty is: ‘The Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing LOVE.’ (Ps.147:11, NIV) 

And that’s the indisputable, gospel truth my people! Our most LOVING God wants us to be delighted in dealing with Him and the things of His realm. And one of those things that delights Him and should also delight us is prayer; prayer that brings us to a close relationship with Him.

That’s why Bruh Paul told the Thessalonians in our Bit, and consequently us to PRAY WITHOUT CEASING. In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.’ (1 Thess.5:17-18)

And the scholars have an interesting note to that last verse. ‘5:18. In every event or circumstance (thing) the Christian is to give thanks to God for the good He can bring out of the event, even should the event be unpleasant. The constant attitude of prayer, mentioned in verse 17, will help the believer to maintain gratitude in the face of adversity.’

Yes my brethren, even when times are rough and we don’t see any way out, we still need to have a prayerful attitude, because our God has promised to make a way for us to bear whatever comes against us, when there seems to be no way. (1 Cor.10:13) So we have to keep that attitude of prayer always with us as Jesus did.

Luke tells us that on the night before His crucifixion: ‘And he came out, and went, as he was wont (accustomed), to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him. And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation.’ (Luke 22:39-40)

And that Friends, also applies to us today. We ought to keep praying that we enter not into temptation. And that doesn’t mean we should not be beset by temptation, because we will always be while on this wicked earth, but that we won’t fall into or give into it.

And we all know what Jesus did after He told the disciples that. He went apart and prayed to His Father, desiring Him to take away the cup of the crucifixion, if it was His will. And Jesus prayed so hard and intensely that His sweat seemed like ‘great drops of blood falling down to the ground.’ (Luke 22:44)

But we all know too that Jesus bowed to the Father’s will ‘nevertheless not my will, but thine be done,’ (Luke 22:42) although He knew that things were about to get real rough. Like wise Friends so are we to bow to the Father’s will for our lives, even though we know that serious adversity is in the offing.

And as pertaining to prayer, Jesus is again a perfect example. When promising the Holy Spirit, He tells the disciples: ‘If ye LOVE me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever.’(John 14:15-16)

And later on Jesus prays for the disciples. ‘I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.’ (John 17:9) And Jesus was so brilliant and beautiful that He even prayed for us: ‘Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word.’ (John 17:20)

Oh my people, what a wonderful Lord and Saviour we have. Imagine Him having the foresight and also the goodness of heart to pray for those who would believe in Him through the words of the disciples and other teachers when He was long gone! Wow! How can I not LOVE Him eh!

Ah Friends, prayer should be such an integral part of our lives, like breathing, we should always have it on our minds. Like Bruh David says in Psalm 109: ‘For (in return for) my LOVE they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer.’ (Ps.109:4)

Yes my people, giving ourselves unto prayer is one of the wisest and most beautiful things we can do in this life. It’s wisdom that truly comes from heaven! Much LOVE!

…at the time of decision…or indecision…our first urge should always be …to pray…