God's Holy Fire: 'Whole and Holy'

Wednesday, July 30, 2025

Your Gift Makes a Difference

Donations are vital to help us keep the light shining!

 Donate Now
So, my dear friends, don't take my rather bold and blunt language as criticism. It's not criticism. I'm simply underlining how very much I need your help in carrying out this highly focused assignment God gave me, this priestly and gospel work of serving the spiritual needs of the non-Jewish outsiders so they can be presented as an acceptable offering to God, made whole and holy by God's Holy Spirit.
— Romans 15:15-16 MSG

Key Thought

Yesterday we talked about the sanctifying work of the Spirit in terms of making us clean, making us new, and making our lives precious to God. In today's verses, Paul describes this work of the Spirit as making us "whole and holy." What is lacking in your life? What keeps you from feeling and being whole? What is lacking in your holiness? How have you stumbled and not kept yourself pure and your life precious for God? Today, let's take the time to confess our missing pieces and our failures, and ask God's Spirit to make us whole and holy - to heal, mend, forgive, and cleanse us and make our lives pure and precious for God!

Today's Prayer

O Father God, thank you for your grace and mercy. Thank you for your forgiveness and cleansing. Thank you for the Holy Spirit who is both your presence within me and your power to heal, mend, forgive, and cleanse me and make my life pure and precious for you. Jesus demonstrated this work in the lives of those he touched in his earthly ministry, and now I ask that you, through the ministry of the Holy Spirit within me, do the same in my life to your glory. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

Have thoughts on this devotional? Leave a comment

4 Related Resources by Heartlight

Special Messenger
Devo: God's Holy Fire
"[Paul wrote,] For by God's grace, I am a special messenger from Christ Jesus to you Gentiles. I bring you the Good News so that I might present you as an..."
A Channel for Your Word
Devo: Praying with Paul
"Dear Father, I pray that I may be full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to instruct others who want to know about your salvation...."
Beyond the Bucket List
Devo: A Year with Jesus
"Dear Beloved, Let me ask you several questions to get you started thinking about today's verses from Paul's letter to the Romans:What makes you..."
Paul's Reasons for the Road
Devo: A Year with Jesus
"Dear Beloved Disciple, Paul had many reasons to be on the road. He traveled extensively all over the regions bordering the northern and eastern..."

Illustration

Illustration of Romans 15:15-16 MSG —

Other Devotionals from Heartlight for Wednesday, July 30, 2025

Spiritual Warfare
A daily devotional about God's power for our battles.
'Jesus Prayed for Our Unity, So Let's Pursue It'
"I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just....."
Today's Verse
A daily devotional featuring a Bible verse, thought and prayer.
Psalm 31:23-24
"Love the LORD, all his saints! The LORD preserves the faithful, but the proud he pays back in full. Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD."
Praying with Paul
Features the apostle Paul's writings turned into daily, powerful prayers.
'The Ultimate Loyalty' (Ph. 2:19-3:7)
"Dear Father, Help me to be a Timothy, one who genuinely cares for the welfare of others. Help me look out not just for my own interests, but for..."
What Jesus Did!
A daily guide from the gospels that challenges readers to live for Jesus.
'This Scheme Is Evil!' (Mt. 26:1-5)
"When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, "As you know, Passover begins in two days, and the Son of Man will be..."

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