eugene h peterson

"Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" [Paul] asked them. "No," they replied, "we haven't even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." ... Paul said, "John's baptism called for repentance from sin. But John himself told the people to believe in the one who would come later, meaning...

You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. —Romans 8:9 NIV Key Thought Those who have received God's promised forgiveness and the...

Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off — for all whom the Lord our God will call." —Acts...

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. —Ephesians 3:20-21 NIV Key Thought Are you a dreamer? Even if you...

On one occasion, while [Jesus] was eating with [the disciples], he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." —Acts...

On the last and greatest day of the festival [the Feast of Tabernacles], Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them." By this he meant the Spirit, whom...

God has called us to live holy lives, not impure lives. Therefore, anyone who refuses to live by these rules is not disobeying human teaching but is rejecting God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you. —1 Thessalonians 4:7-8 NLT Key Thought Scripture calls us to two powerful principles through...

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. —2 Timothy 1:7 NIV Key Thought As Paul faced the challenges of imprisonment and impending death, he reminded Timothy in the next verse (2 Timothy 1:8) not to be ashamed of the message of Jesus or...

[T]he Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God's people in accordance with the will of God...

The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. —Genesis 1:2 NLT Key Thought In the very first chapter of the Bible, we are taken to the formless emptiness before time began. We find the Spirit of God...

[Jesus said,] "If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" —Luke 11:13 NIV Key Thought James told early followers of Jesus that they lacked many things in their spiritual...

I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and...

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. —Ephesians 3:20-21 NIV Key Thought While the focus of this...

Don't act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Don't be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, ... —Ephesians 5:17-18 NLT Key Thought Today we finish a year of devotionals helping us seek to live for God under the...

I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? —Galatians 3:2-3 NIV Key Thought When we come to...

The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let the one who hears say, "Come!" Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life. —Revelation 22:17 NIV Key Thought In the moving conclusion to the book of Revelation, we are reminded that the Holy...

Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. —Luke 4:14 NIV Key Thought Luke tells us that Jesus was conceived by the Spirit, announced by the Spirit through several witnesses, affirmed by the Spirit at his baptism, and led by...

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, ... —Luke 4:1 NIV Key Thought Jesus goes into the wilderness full of the Holy Spirit and led by the Holy Spirit. The role of the Spirit in the wilderness is crucial. The wilderness is a place for...

When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." —Luke 3:21-22 NIV Key Thought As...

Moved by the Spirit, [Simeon] went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: "... my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all...