The third person of the Trinity. The breath and Spirit of God. To love, worship, and adore the Holy Spirit is to know the very best friend we could ever have in life.

As Jesus prepared to lay down His life for us, He promised the disciples another paraclete (see John 14:16), which is often translated Comforter. The word comes from two Greek words: para meaning "alongside of" and clete meaning "come." So, the Holy Spirit comes alongside us. And what power He wields for us—this Advocate, Counselor, Helper! He is not a spiritual force, but the divine person of God who does the work of the Father and the Son here on earth as He walks with us through life.

Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit so that we might know Him. The Holy Spirit reveals Christ to us through the Bible, softening our hearts and opening our eyes to the Gospel Truth, so that we can love, obey, and live for Jesus. Indeed, He authored all of Scripture for this purpose, inspiring people from different backgrounds, professions, locations, and periods in history over the course of 1,600 years so that we might know God and His Son.

The Holy Spirit enables us to pursue godliness. Here are the different ways that this divine person of infinite majesty ministers to us.

• He reveals the Truth, convicting us of sin and illuminating our minds (John 16:8, 13; Eph 1:17-18; Luke 24:32).
• He seals us, declaring and guaranteeing that we belong to God (Eph 4:30; 2 Cor 1:21-22; Gal 4:6).
• He fills us, giving us life, strength, hope, and freedom (Rom 8:2, 6, 13; Rom 15:13; Eph 5:18; 2 Cor 3:17).
• He anoints us to be a royal priesthood, giving us joyful hearts (Eph 5:18-20; 1 John 2:20-21, 27).
• He manifests His fruit in us as we abide in Christ, giving us the will to obey (Gal 5:22-23; 2 Tim 1:7; Phil 2:13).
• He gives us spiritual gifts to love, bless, and strengthen the church (1 Cor 12:8-10; Rom 12:6-10; Eph 4:4; Col 3:16).
• He intercedes, or prays, for us, using perfect wisdom in accordance with God's will (Rom 8:26-27; 1 Cor 2:12-14; Acts 6:9-10).
• He fellowships with us, guiding and refreshing us (2 Cor 13:14; Acts 8:29; John 7:37-39).

In every aspect of His ministry, the Holy Spirit exerts unparalleled power and love. With the same power that raised Jesus from the dead and brought the cosmos into being, the Holy Spirit will transform us into the image of Christ with ever-increasing glory—if only we will cast off all our self-sufficiency and surrender ourselves body and soul to this divine person, our best friend, the Holy Spirit.

Prayer: "Holy Spirit, I surrender to Your loving leadership in my life today!"