Prioritize Rest

End your first week by focusing on rest. Your body is working hard; give yourself permission to relax.

Ways to Rest

• Wind down 30 minutes early tonight.

• Practice deep breathing or gentle stretching before bed.

A healthy fast includes caring for your body’s need for renewal.

Why Pursue the Holy Spirit?

“I Am Already Sanctified! I Don’t Need This Pursuit!”

James 4:6 – “But He gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: ‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.’”

Jeremiah 17:21 – “Now hear this, you foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear.”

Why pursue the Holy Spirit? Because sanctification comes through the work of the Spirit, not the flesh. We can do nothing apart from Him (John 15:5). In times of widespread godlessness—when God’s people often have religion without power—we develop theologies that fit our lack of experience and call it “normal.” As a result, we now view the baptism of the Holy Spirit as some fringe “charismatic” doctrine, when in reality—as we’ve seen in Acts, Joel, and Matthew—it is simply a biblical promise: the baptism of the Spirit.

Why Even Try?

I don’t know the exact level at which you are currently living in the fullness of the Spirit, but I do know this: many believers have the presence of the Holy Spirit yet still lack patience, humility, gentleness, and other fruits. Some mean well but come across as angry, rude, and hurtful—to fellow believers and to the unsaved.

Recently, a pastor friend confided in me, “I don’t like people sometimes.” I laughed and said, “Me too.” But they pressed: “No, really—for years I have genuinely struggled to like people, and I think it’s because of my relationship with the Lord.” Friends, that person is not alone. You and I are no different.

Jeremiah 17:9 – “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”

This verse applies to both believers and unbelievers. I know because I’ve seen long-time Christians with sick hearts—mean, rude, hurtful, and harmful—yet they’ve been in church for decades. Why the lack of change in those areas?

Because they are pursuing religion, not a baptism of the Holy Spirit. Remember: baptism drenches every part of our being.

As my conversation with that friend continued, they shared that when they worship and spend time pursuing the Holy Spirit, love for people floods their hearts again. My friends, I’ve been there too. There have been seasons in ministry when I wanted to quit because I didn’t like people. Why? Because I was pursuing religion and not the Spirit. I was operating with unhealed hurt and emotions. Only the Holy Spirit can deal with these emotions. Therefore, we must pursue the Holy Spirit so that he may heal our souls.

Jesus said, “Apart from Me you can do nothing”—zero, zilch, nada. Yet we often live as if that isn’t true. This is why far too many are not experiencing the fullness Jesus has for them.

How often do you spend at least 15 minutes, four days a week, alone with Him? Now compare: How often do you spend at least one hour, four times a week, watching a favorite show, scrolling YouTube, X (Twitter), Facebook, or reading a book?

We say we want more of God, but often we’re not willing to pay the price.

Dallas Willard wisely said, “Grace is not opposed to effort; it is opposed to earning. Earning is an attitude. Effort is an action.”

We don’t earn the presence of the Spirit, but we do pursue Him. My friends, we can have as much of God as we truly want—if we pursue Him.

Matthew 26:40 – Jesus found even His disciples sleeping and said, “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

These truths are not shared to condemn but to spur you on to seek more of Him. May we retool and refocus our time to pursue the presence of the Holy Spirit? May we tarry? There is nothing like the presence of the Spirit.

If worship helps draw you closer in this pursuit, spend some time meditating on the words of this song before or while you pursue the meditation questions

Meditation Questions

1. What is my attitude toward actively pursuing Your Holy Spirit?

2. How much do I truly want the fullness of the Holy Spirit?

3. Do I have any resistance to seeking this baptism of the Holy Spirit?

4. If so—Lord, show me why.

Meditative Passages

• John 15:5

• John 16:5–16

• Jeremiah 17:9

As we look to Jesus, meditate on these additional questions:

• Am I mean?

• Am I patient?

• Am I hurtful with my words?

• Lord, show me if I have wrong attitudes toward anyone—or toward pursuing You!

(Continuing from the previous devotional: May we tarry and pursue until we are drenched in His presence.)