John 14:15-27

¹⁵ “If you love me, you will keep^[f] my commandments. ¹⁶ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate,^[g] to be with you forever. ¹⁷ This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in^[h] you.

¹⁸ “I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. ¹⁹ In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. ²⁰ On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. ²¹ They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.” ²² Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will reveal yourself to us, and not to the world?” ²³ Jesus answered him, “Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. ²⁴ Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me.

²⁵ “I have said these things to you while I am still with you. ²⁶ But the Advocate,^[i] the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. ²⁷ Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.

John Baillie (1886-1960) was born Scotland. He was a theologian, teacher, author, and served as the Moderator of the Church of Scotland in 1943. His devotional life was the center of his personal and professional endeavors.

One of his most famous works is A Diary of Private Prayer. Our prayer for today is one of Baillie’s prayers from this marvelous resource:

For the power Thou has given me to lay hold of things unseen:
For the strong sense I have that this is not my home:
For my restless heart which nothing finite can satisfy:
I give Thee thanks, O God.
For the invasion of my soul by Thy Holy Spirit;
For all human love and good ness that speak to me of Thee:
For the fulness of Thy glory outpoured in Jesus Christ:
I give Thee thanks, O God.