This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalm 118:24)

“Jesus paid too high a price for our blessing for us to be cursed.” – Mark Hankins

Several years ago, Trina and I took our children to Disney World in Florida. It was quite an expensive trip for our family. I thought it was funny when I saw a mother scolding and correcting her little boy who had been whining and complaining. The mother grabbed him firmly by the arm and said, “I brought you here to have a good time, and you’re going to have a good time!”  She said, “I paid too much for this trip for you to be grouchy and complaining. It has taken too long to get here for you to ruin it with your whining!”

Now I can imagine our Father God having a similar problem with some of His children. I can hear Him saying,“I brought you here to have a good time–now you are going to have a good time!” The price of our freedom was the precious blood of Jesus. We are blessed in Christ. It is time to enjoy our victory in Christ! It is time to enjoy our redemption!

Confession: The joy of the Lord is my strength! I will rejoice in the Lord always! This is the day that the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it! (Nehemiah 8:10; Philippians 4:4; Psalm 118:24)

And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God…(Ephesians 4:30)

“The Holy Spirit can do more in five minutes than you can do in five years.” -Smith Wigglesworth

Is it possible to suppress or resist the Holy Spirit? In Acts 7:51, Stephen spoke these words to the leaders of the synagogue, “Ye do always resist the Holy Spirit.” If we are not sensitive to the Holy Spirit, we can override anything He wants to say. God will not violate our right to choose. We must learn to recognize the Holy Spirit and welcome Him into our lives daily.

There are so many things in this life that try to demand and command our time.  The Holy Spirit is a gentleman; He will not force His way into our lives. He just prompts us and then it is our decision whether or not to respond to Him.

The Holy Spirit is the Greater One that lives on the inside of us. We need to reverence the Holy Spirit in us. We are to report to Him for orders. If we would listen and respond to the Holy Spirit, we could avoid trouble in every area of our lives.

Confession: I choose to recognize, respect, receive, and respond to the Holy Spirit. I will yield to and not grieve the Holy Spirit of God.

Don’t suppress the Spirit. ( I Thessalonians 5:19 | MSG)

“Our only safeguard from dropping back into our natural mind where we can receive nothing from God is to be filled and filled again with the Holy Spirit.” -Smith Wigglesworth

My brother, Mike, is the pastor of a great church in Rowlett, Texas, which is a suburb of Dallas. Recently, he was in a service where the Holy Spirit was moving.  The Spirit of God began to move and the Holy Spirit manifested in great joy and freedom. The minister walked up to Mike and asked, “Why don’t you yield to the Holy Spirit?”

My brother thought, “Yield, that’s an interesting concept.” He pulled out his Greek lexicon from his coat pocket to look up the word. In Greek, yield means “when a soldier presents himself to his commanding officer for orders.”  This word yield shows us how important it is for each of us to daily acknowledge, recognize, and respond to the Holy Spirit.

Confession: I present myself to the Holy Spirit as a soldier presents himself to his commanding officer for orders. I will not suppress his work in my life!