Today’s Bible Verse

And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.

Ezekiel 36:26-27 (ESV)

Call for the Helper

“God has changed my life!” We’ve all said that but has there truly been a change and how does change occur?

I was brought up in a Christian home.  I was baptized, received Holy Communion at an early age, had the white dress, the veil, a new pair of shoes, and all that went with this special event in my life. I attended a Christian elementary and middle school and moved on to a Christian high school. I attended church every Sunday with my family. I sat when I was supposed to, stood when I was supposed to, did all that I was taught. It was a given. That’s what a Christian does. I even got married in that same church. However, with all of the good things that my upbringing taught me, there was no foundation, Biblical values, or a personal relationship with Jesus. Looking back, I recognize I never fully understood what being a Christ-follower meant. I thought I was following Jesus, but I never truly understood what it meant. 

After high school, I became apathetic and indifferent to church which ultimately led me to look for things the world had to offer. Finally, I grew into and fully embraced a worldly lifestyle. This worldly lifestyle caused me to drift far from God.

Just like the story of the man who built his house on unsteady ground, the life I thought I was building began to crumble. For the majority of my adult life, I had sought acceptance from the world and prided myself in what I thought I had accomplished. This draining cycle went on for a number of years and reached its highest when my marriage fell apart. I began to feel the full weight of my choices. 

I felt empty and lost; I felt like all the things I worked for and was trying to build in my life had been a waste, like I had squandered many years of my young adult life. I didn’t see the future I thought I was going to have; I felt overwhelmed and a sense of hopelessness filled my broken heart.

A friend invited me to church, and I began to be reacquainted with God. And, I began to learn about the Holy Spirit. I learned the Holy Spirit was my Helper. 

It says in John 14:26: “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”

 I needed a helper to lead me out of this place of despair. (Pastor Pattie Eselu)

Change My Story

I went to dinner at a friend’s house, and I shared my desire to receive the Holy Spirit. They wasted no time and prayed with me right there, and I received the infilling that night! I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit for the first time. When I received the Holy Spirit, it brought about a noticeable change in my life. I’ll never forget what it felt like to experience the Holy Spirit and to receive my heavenly language. I began to look at life differently from that night on. God gave me a new heart and put His Spirit within me. 

I realized all the goals and worldly desires from my past had been distractions from living the life that God had destined for me. I learned that the Lord has a plan and a purpose for me both in this life and eternity. I learned that the Holy Spirit was going to help me live this life I was now desiring. 

Where there used to be emptiness, there was purpose. The Holy Spirit was more than simply an assurance of new life in Christ. It is through the Spirit that God enables and empowers me to fulfill His purposes in my life. I know the Holy Spirit lives in me. He is my guide, my comforter, my peace. I depend on Him to lead me daily.

Today’s Declaration

When I believed, I was marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit! The Holy Spirit enables and empowers me to live the life the Lord has called me to. He teaches me all things and brings all things to my remembrance that I have learned. Father, thank You for giving me a new heart and putting Your Spirit within me.

Today’s Bible Reading

• Old Testament: 1 Samuel 14; Psalms 100
• New Testament: Mark 11:12-26; 2 Corinthians 5