Day 15

13 Feb Day 15

Spirit of God – God’s Holy Spirit

WRITTEN BY: Evaliss “Eva” Taylor

Scripture: Genesis 1:1-2-NLT-“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.”

Read the full story here: Genesis 1

Observation: What we know is that God created everything we see and feel around us, from the sun that warms us to the air we breathe.  We must remember that God was here before any of this was created, and he started with a dark, blank canvas only to paint the magnificence we experience daily, and the Holy Spirit was with him there.

Application: I sat in awe looking at the masterpiece God created—the sun was setting, the blue sky fading into magnificent shades of orange, pink, and purple, and I was blown away with how wonderful God is! How blessed we are to get to experience this beauty day in and day out as a direct result of God’s power, also known as the Spirit of God.

It also made me ponder on how the Spirit of God has always been. From the very beginning, through it all, and now he lives in all who know Jesus as their Savior. The Holy Spirit is the third person in the Trinity and helps us to grow in our faith, provides us with clarity in the Word, and draws us nearer to Jesus. I think about it this way;  the Holy Spirit is like a spiritual counselor. He listens and guides us, keeps us focused, and stands up for us. He is present in every aspect of our lives, from our beginning to our end, even before our beginning.

When you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, imagine yourself as a blank canvas,  just as the earth once was. Your slate is wiped clean, your sins are forgiven, and now you are formless, empty, and craving a relationship with God. The Spirit of God was hovering and waiting for us, just like when the heavens and earth were created—ready to paint yet another masterpiece. However,  instead of painting this masterpiece alone, you were also provided a paintbrush, and the Holy Spirit will be the hand to guide you and ground you as you illustrate your walk with God. 

I can recall asking the Holy Spirit to help me hear God’s voice more clearly during 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting.  I felt lost and confused, and I wasn’t sure if I was praying correctly or if I was praying for the right thing. I did the only thing I knew how and called on my spiritual counselor, The Spirit of God, and asked for clarity. I allowed myself to worship and get filled up with the Holy Spirit, prayed, and fasted for the closeness I had been craving. I’ll tell you, I’ve never heard God so clearly in my life as I did in this time. It’s become a daily practice during my slot and spot to invite the Holy Spirit in and give me clarity in what I’m reading or hearing. To guide me on the right path so that I never lose sight of God and to speak to me about everything. (Yes, even the things that don’t seem that important because God is in everything.)

I challenge you to do the same, invite and welcome the Holy Spirit into your life every day. Whether it be during your commute to work, school, or in the brief moments when you need to take a break and talk with God. Ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten you and to give you understanding when reading the Word and to fill you up every day. Allow him to continue guiding your hands as you paint the masterpiece God breathed life into. You.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, thank you. You have designed a magnificent work of art and have blessed me with its beauty. Place your hands on mine and guide me in illustrating what you have planned for me. Fill me up with your Spirit and provide me the ability to see and hear you clearer. God, help me guide others into your presence. Let them get to know you and accept Jesus in their hearts so that their canvas may be wiped clean and a new masterpiece can begin. Father, it is in your Name I pray, Amen.

Evaliss “Eva” Taylor/Worship Care Team Leader

JLI (Journey Leadership Institute) Graduate 2022

Eva has been gathering at The Journey since February 2020 after being invited by a friend. After declaring Jesus as Lord and Leader of her life, she jumped right into serving. Eva loves being a part of the Worship Team and being the Worship Care Team leader. If she’s not singing or feeding people, you can find her chatting and loving on people in the lobby between gatherings. When Eva is not at church, she’s usually at home curled up with a good book or taking a nap!

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Next Steps:

Take time to read Genesis 1 and learn more about how the Spirit of God was with God always,

Breathe in the air of renewal, knowing that accepting Jesus as Savior will give you a new beginning.

Invite the Holy Spirit to fill you up and speak to you daily.

Take some time to read this devotional about who the Holy Spirit is in YouVersion: Who is The Holy Spirit?

Listen to Elevations Worship’s song: Here As In Heaven 

Come back tomorrow to read Day 16!