Where does it come from?

This weekend, when we pray that everyone who has been baptized in the name of Jesus might "keep the covenant they have made" we need to be clear about where the ability to keep the covenant comes from.

It seems obvious to me that if we are praying for something, we don't think we can do it on our own, and in this case we would be absolutely right. It is by the Spirit who dwells in our hearts and speaks to our souls that we are able to do anything good. And it is for the Spirit that we pray. That the Spirit might have the room and the time and that we might get the heck out of the way for long enough so She might do her work.

Having a rule of life is one thing, but there is a reason why Peter and John laid hands on the Samarians - they needed the Spirit to carry them through. May you have that Spirit this day and for ever more.