I’ll use Psalm 31:1-3a for temple worship today (1 Corinthians 6:17-19; 1 Peter 2:5).
My Shepherd met me in His green pastures and laid me down in Jude. The Mind of the Spirit quickened the spirit of my mind in verse 20: (Add verse 21 for context)
Jude 20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
Jude 21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
To “quicken” is to make alive. It might be too strong a word for my current context. However, it speaks to the sensation I experienced when I read this verse today: we build up ourselves on our most holy faith by praying “in the Holy Ghost.” And doing this, we keep ourselves in the love of God. And all of this we do “looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”
The exhortation to pray in the Holy Ghost contrasts with Jude’s warning against those who have not the Spirit (Jude 19).
We are building a life on our “most holy faith.” Our faith serves as the foundation, and upon this foundation we build our lives into a habitation for God by His Spirit (Ephesians 2:22; we are lively stones constructed together to be a habitation for God “through” the Spirit; therefore, we each must be filled with the Spirit Who dwells in us, that God might “fill His house” through the Spirit Who dwells in us.) God’s presence anywhere is manifest through His Spirit.
We cannot pray in the Holy Ghost unless we are filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18-21). Praying in the flesh is a mere religious performance and is unacceptable to God (Romans 8:8—which is not speaking of the circumstance that we live in a body to which flesh is attached. Romans 8 speaks of where the mind (our thoughts) is at: after the Spirit or after the flesh (Romans 8:1-11). If we want our affections set on things above, our thoughts must be turned toward the things of the Spirit (Colossians 3:2; Romans 8:5).
Along the still waters: The responsibility for building our lives is ours. The means by which we accomplish this is to “keep [ourselves] in the love of God.” We do that, partly, by praying in the Holy Ghost.
God is a Spirit. The Spirit that is God is the Holy Spirit. God is Love. Being in the Spirit is to be in Love. The word “Ghost” is used when the subject is the manifestation of a spirit. The Spirit we want manifest is the Spirit of God—the Holy Ghost. When we are filled with the Spirit, the Holy Ghost manifests Jesus to the world through our mortal flesh (Ephesians 5:18-21; 2 Corinthians 4:11). Not everyone likes being around Jesus (John 15:18). In some company, if your goal is to be liked, it’s probably best to leave Jesus out of it, and enjoy the fellowship of the flesh, rather than of the Spirit.
In the valley, I was reminded that the Cross both offends and attracts (Galatians 5:11; John 12:32-33). At the moment this thought was clarified in my mind, I heard Jesus call: “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23).
At the table, Jesus anointed my head with His oil and filled my cup with His grace for the day. Goodness and mercy came along with assurance that they would follow me through the day!
Praying for revival! 🙏
Going live asap:
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