God's Holy Fire: 'A New Spirit'

Sunday, March 8, 2026

[God, speaking about the Israelite exiles in Babylon:] "And I will give them singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them. I will take away their stony, stubborn heart and give them a tender, responsive heart, so they will obey my decrees and regulations. Then they will truly be my people, and I will be their God."
— Ezekiel 11:19-20 NLT

Key Thought

The work of God's Spirit is at the core of God's promise to make a new people, a people with an undivided heart, a tender and responsive heart that moves us to be the people who God wants us to be. The things that human willpower and dedication and the gloriously holy old law could not do, God does by living in us. The Spirit is more than just the power that enables us to be God's people; the Spirit is also God's transformational grace that lives in us, unifies us, and leads us truly to be God's own.

Today's Prayer

O Father, without your own gracious presence within us through the Holy Spirit, we could never be what you want us to be. So, dear Father, I pray that you fill us, move us, empower us, and lead us to live as your people of redemption. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

Have thoughts on this devotional? Leave a comment

3 Related Resources by Heartlight

A New Spirit in You
Devo: God's Holy Fire
"[God said,] "I'll give you [my people in Babylonian captivity] a new heart. I'll put a new Spirit in you. I'll cut out your stone heart and replace it with a..."
A New Heart
Article by Russ Lawson
Do you want a new heart? A heart transplant reminds us that we need God's heart transplant spiritually.
Rules Versus Right Hearts
Devo: A Year with Jesus
"Dear Disciple, You are probably aware that I had many disagreements with the Pharisees, scribes, and scholars during My time on earth and that I..."

Illustration

Illustration of Ezekiel 11:19-20 NLT — "And I will give them singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them."

Other Devotionals from Heartlight for Sunday, March 8, 2026

Today's Verse
A daily devotional featuring a Bible verse, thought and prayer.
Jeremiah 33:2-3
"This is what the LORD says, he who made the earth, the LORD who formed it and established it — the LORD is his name: Call to me, and I will answer you and tell...."
Spiritual Warfare
A daily devotional about God's power for our battles.
'Love God, Be Loyal, and Follow All His Directions'
"Faithfully obey all these commands I’m giving you. Love the Lord your God, follow all his directions, and be loyal to him. Then the Lord will force..."
Praying with Paul
Features the apostle Paul's writings turned into daily, powerful prayers.
'Work and Discipline' (2 Th. 3:6-15)
"Dear Father, God who worked to create all things, Guide us and empower us to do our work in quietness, to avoid idleness, and to earn our own living...."
Morning & Evening
The classic twice-daily devotional from Charles H. Spurgeon.
Evening Thought: Haggai 2:17
"How destructive is the hail to the standing crops, beating out the precious grain upon the ground! How grateful ought we to be when the corn is spared..."

About This Devotional

God's Holy Fire is a daily devotional about the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

The Thoughts and Prayer for God's Holy Fire are written by Phil Ware.

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scripture quotations marked MESSAGE are taken from THE MESSAGE, copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

More God's Holy Fire

Translations