God's Holy Fire: 'Adopted as His Own'

Thursday, September 10, 2026

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God's Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, "Abba, Father."
— Romans 8:14-15 NLT

Key Thought

"She wanted a mother. She wanted me to be her mother. And I wanted to be her mother, but it could not be." My wife, Donna, said these words with tears in her eyes as she thought about precious Gladys, a nine-year-old who was in an orphanage in South America. Donna longed to adopt Gladys and make her a part of our family, but it was not possible because of the legal entanglements and restrictions. Donna's ache to share her love with this precious youngster gives me a window into God's heart and how he loves us. He wants to adopt us into his family. He paid the high cost of our adoption with the death of his Son, Jesus, on the cross. He brings us into his family and places his Spirit within us so we can call out, "Abba Father!" and know he is always near. Each of us as one of Jesus' disciples is God's child. He will not let anything separate us from his love for us in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:32-39).

Today's Prayer

O Father, I cannot fathom your love for me! I do not understand it. I do not deserve it. I have not earned it. But I have yearned for it, and now I rejoice in it. Thank you! In Jesus' name, I thank you. Amen.

Have thoughts on this devotional? Leave a comment

45 Related Resources by Heartlight

Abba, Father
Devo: God's Holy Fire
"So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God's Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him,..."
Led by the Spirit of God
Devo: God's Holy Fire
"For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God."
Romans 8:14
Devo: Today's Verse
"...those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God."
Romans 8:14
Devo: Today's Verse
"...those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God."
See All 45 Related Resources about Romans 8:14-15

Illustration

Illustration of Romans 8:14-15 NLT — "Abba, Father."

Other Devotionals from Heartlight for Thursday, September 10, 2026

Passion for Praise
A daily passage of Scripture emphasizing praise to our God.
'Holy Hands' (Ps. 134:2)
"Lift up holy hands in prayer and praise the Lord."
Praying with Paul
Features the apostle Paul's writings turned into daily, powerful prayers.
'God's Secret Wisdom' (1 Co. 2:6-10)
"Dear Father, revealer of secret wisdom, Thank you for revealing to us what has been hidden, the wisdom which you decreed before the ages concerning....."
Spiritual Warfare
A daily devotional about God's power for our battles.
'Pray and Watch Because Enemies Plan Attacks'
"They all made plans to come and fight against Jerusalem and throw us into confusion. But we prayed to our God and guarded the city day and night...."
Quotemeal
A daily dose of Christian quotes to inspire and encourage.
Quote by Mother Teresa:
"We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature — trees, flowers, grass — grows...."

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