Read Ephesians 5:18-20 and Galatians 5:25
18 Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, 19 singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. 20 And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. – Ephesians 5:18-20 (NLT)
Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. – Galatians 5:25 (NLT)
Discover
1. What is contrasted with the Holy Spirit in Ephesians 5:18?
2. According to Ephesians 5:19-20, what are some byproducts of being filled with the Holy Spirit?
3. According to Galatians 5:25, in which parts of our lives are we to follow the Spirit’s leading?
Respond
Up until today, we’ve read about the promise, work, and power of the Holy Spirit. Today we see that the key is staying continually connected to the Holy Spirit as our power source. Similar to a gas tank, we can’t just fill up once and think we’ll remain filled. We have to be filled and remain full.
In both of today’s passages, the apostle Paul urges this type of filling. He contrasts the Holy Spirit with destructive habits, saying that rather than poisoning us, the Holy Spirit gives us life. He fills us with praise, worship, and gratitude. Paul also urges us to be filled with the Holy Spirit in every part of our lives, not just some. This means yielding to Him in our homes, relationships, workplaces, communities, and anywhere else we go. As we do this, we’ll be continually replenished and filled with joy.
What would it look like for you to live this way? Here are some ideas for response:
How You Can Pray
Spend some time praising God for who He is. Thank Him for being a God who wants to be actively involved in every part of your life. Confess where you’ve not let Him in or haven’t refueled in His presence. Ask Him to refill you now, praying that He would give you a new perspective that leads to joy and surrender.
What You Can Do
- Praise God by listening to your favorite worship songs. If you need help getting started, check out our Traders Point worship playlist.
- On a piece of paper or in a journal, write down the places where you typically find yourself in a given week. This might include home, work, school, church, grocery store, etc. Look back through your list and pray through each place, asking God to reveal where you’re not fully surrendering to His Spirit. Write down one thing you can do this week to do so.