Thank you for the Holy Spirit: giving thanks for the gift and what he does
We thank God for bread, health, family. We thank him more rarely for his Spirit. Yet it is one of the greatest gifts he gives to those who believe: his own presence in them. This quest invites you to reread Acts 2:38-39 and to give thanks for the Spirit and for what he does in you.
What it looks like in your day
Reread the passage. Peter has just spoken to the crowd, on the day of Pentecost. He says: "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." Then he makes clear that the promise is for everyone: for you, for your children, for all who are afar off.
Ask yourself: what does the Spirit do in me? A few ideas, taken from the Bible:
- He makes me call God "Father": he gives me the certainty of being a child of God.
- He comforts me and goes with me in hard times.
- He reminds me of what Jesus said, he sheds light on the Bible.
- He helps me pray when I don't know what to say.
- He produces fruit in me: love, joy, peace, patience.
- He leads me, warns me, holds me back.
Give thanks specifically. "Thank you, Lord, for your Spirit. Thank you that he comforts me when I am alone. Thank you that he reminds me of your Word when I need it. Thank you for not leaving me an orphan."
Notice a recent moment. An inner brake, a right thought, an unexpected peace, a verse that keeps coming back: it may be his action.
If you are in a hurry, one sentence is enough. If you are shy about subjects of the Spirit, remember that this prayer is simple: you give thanks for what the Bible says. Christians don't all experience the Spirit in the same way, but all can give him thanks.
What the Bible says
Here is Peter's promise, as reported:
“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.”
The gift of the Holy Spirit is linked to the forgiveness of sins: it is the natural sequel to repentance and faith. The promise is not reserved for the apostles. Paul explains what the Spirit produces:
“For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.”
"Ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father": there is no longer servile fear, but a relationship of sonship. In the letter to the Galatians, Paul takes up the same idea: God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts (Galatians 4:6). And the prophet Ezekiel had announced this promise: "I will put my spirit within you" (Ezekiel 36:27).
Pitfalls to avoid
Reducing the Spirit to sensations. The Spirit is given to every believer, whether they feel something or not. Give thanks for what is promised, not only for what you perceive.
Setting Christians against each other. Believers don't all understand the gifts of the Spirit in the same way. Giving thanks for the Spirit is common ground.
Forgetting Jesus. The Spirit is the Spirit of the Son: he always leads toward him. If what you perceive draws you away from Jesus, it is suspect.
Thinking you are without the Spirit. If you doubt that you have received him, go back to the promise: it is for "as many as the Lord our God shall call." Ask simply.
Forgetting the fruit. The Spirit shows in life: love, patience, kindness. Give thanks for these changes too, even small ones.
Today, reread Acts 2:38-39. Thank God for the Spirit, and name one concrete thing he does in you.