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40 Days with the Holy Spirit: Fresh Air for Every Day
40 Days with the Holy Spirit will inspire you to encounter God in fresh and surprising ways. You’ll develop stronger spiritual muscles as you breathe, read, reflect, and pray—all with an eye to cultivating a relationship with the least familiar member of the Trinity. The book is interactive , offering the opportunity to write and pray each day; intelligent , rooted in a rigorous study of scripture, from Genesis to Revelation; and inviting , with 40 insightful, well-planned 20-30 minute daily exercises; and prayerful, with 40 original prayers that capture each day’s insight into the deep, spiritual work of the Holy Spirit.
190 pages, Paperback
First published February 25, 2015
42 people are currently reading
64 people want to read
About the author
Jack Levison
19 books30 followersJack Levison has a passion for ideas and an obsession with writing. Eugene Peterson called his book, Fresh Air: the Holy Spirit for an Inspired Life, “a rare and remarkable achievement,” and Scot McKnight, author of The Jesus Creed, considers Filled with the Spirit as “the benchmark and starting point for all future studies of the Spirit.” His latest books launch into what is for many readers foreign territory: The Holy Spirit before Christianity (Baylor University Press, 2019) and A Boundless God: The Spirit according to the Old Testament (Baker Academic, 2020). To support his writing obsession, Jack has received grants from the National Humanities Center, the Lilly Fellows Program, the Louisville Institute, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, the Rotary Foundation, the International Catacomb Society, the Sam Taylor Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Jack holds the W. J. A. Power Chair of Old Testament Interpretation and Biblical Hebrew at Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University. He lives in Dallas with his wife of 37 years, Priscilla Pope-Levison, associate dean for external programs and professor of ministerial studies at Perkins. His two adult children, Chloe and Jeremy, live in Dallas, as well, and are the source of considerable levity.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 6, 2016
This is the second book I've read by Jack Levison. The first, Fresh Air, was also about the Holy Spirit. I find it difficult to find good books about the Holy Spirit. This one, a 40-day devotional, is a good one. I've looked forward to reading it each day which is not something I can say about every devotional I've picked up. The author comes at this from a number of fresh ways. Recommended.
Read
August 19, 2025This book is fabulous, with its daily prayers equal to or even better than its meditations. Highly recommended for anyone who wants a better understanding of that comparatively-ignored member of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit.
February 3, 2023
This was suppose to take 40 days and it took me like a year. That says more about me rather than the book though. The book was quite good.
August 19, 2024
Overall Rating 4/10
I did spend 40 days focused specifically on the Holy Spirit and I was changed for the better by the experience. I don’t know that I felt the “return of the fire and wind” as promised by one of the reviews listed on the front cover, but I did probe the Bible for truth, confront my deepest expectations and hopes for what being filled with the Holy Spirit would look like, and even address some of my misconceptions. Overall, it was time very well spent and I highly recommend this book.
However, I often found myself distracted and put off by how author Jack Levison seemed to twist the scripture to fit his needs. He starts each day with a short passage from the Bible that mentions the Holy Spirit. Then, in the meditation portion, he would talk about his own stories, advice, and wisdom. The problem seemed to be that he evidently couldn’t find verses that both contained the words "Holy Spirit" and talked about the point he wanted to make for that day’s meditation. He could have just found another scripture that supported his point or have just given his advice without a specific scripture to back it up, but instead, he would try to force the verse he used to say something it was not saying. He did not say anything unbiblical, so it was not a big deal; I just found it distracting.
My takeaways from this book:
Life in the spirit is:
-a habit
-self-control
-may be filled with hopeless, hapless years of waiting
(that feels useless but is an opportunity to learn and practice skills)
-10% Inspiration and 90% human effort
-is not primarily spectacular miracles but the daily dogged practice of integrity
Life in the Spirit requires:
-prayer
-scripture (reading, studying, memorizing)
-Meditation
-Daily practice of integrity and the skills God has gifted us/called us to
-patience
I did spend 40 days focused specifically on the Holy Spirit and I was changed for the better by the experience. I don’t know that I felt the “return of the fire and wind” as promised by one of the reviews listed on the front cover, but I did probe the Bible for truth, confront my deepest expectations and hopes for what being filled with the Holy Spirit would look like, and even address some of my misconceptions. Overall, it was time very well spent and I highly recommend this book.
However, I often found myself distracted and put off by how author Jack Levison seemed to twist the scripture to fit his needs. He starts each day with a short passage from the Bible that mentions the Holy Spirit. Then, in the meditation portion, he would talk about his own stories, advice, and wisdom. The problem seemed to be that he evidently couldn’t find verses that both contained the words "Holy Spirit" and talked about the point he wanted to make for that day’s meditation. He could have just found another scripture that supported his point or have just given his advice without a specific scripture to back it up, but instead, he would try to force the verse he used to say something it was not saying. He did not say anything unbiblical, so it was not a big deal; I just found it distracting.
My takeaways from this book:
Life in the spirit is:
-a habit
-self-control
-may be filled with hopeless, hapless years of waiting
(that feels useless but is an opportunity to learn and practice skills)
-10% Inspiration and 90% human effort
-is not primarily spectacular miracles but the daily dogged practice of integrity
Life in the Spirit requires:
-prayer
-scripture (reading, studying, memorizing)
-Meditation
-Daily practice of integrity and the skills God has gifted us/called us to
-patience
December 22, 2018
Active reading for believing Christians.
Levison's devotional falls under the umbrella of "books you do" rather than read passively. Designed for the titular 40-day period (40 being a thing throughout Christendom), each day brings a scripture reading, an essay from Levison, a journal prompt, and a prayer. The unifying theme is the titular Holy Spirit (points for truth in advertising), and on the whole, is a nice guide to anyone who wants to learn a bit more about it.
The main thrust of the meditations seem to be that the Holy Spirit isn't what everyone thinks it is, namely something loud and raucous that makes you fall on the floor twitching, and/or speaking in tongues. Not that those things don't sometimes happen, Levison assures the reader, but more often the spirit is quiet and gradual. The results it brings aren't always what people expect either (sorry, charismatic Christians). Most faith traditions will be open to this message, especially those churches and congregations that are down with Eugene Peterson and the Message Bible, as Levison was heavily influenced by Peterson's work (the recently deceased Peterson even wrote the forward, giving Levison's work his stamp of approval).
If devotional literature is popular in your community and you don't serve a lot of charismatics, this is a good pick (if you wonder why I keep saying "charismatic," you probably don't have any such churches in your community, so don't worry about it). Given the popularity of The Message, this is a solid pick for medium-to-large libraries in urban areas, optional everywhere else.
Levison's devotional falls under the umbrella of "books you do" rather than read passively. Designed for the titular 40-day period (40 being a thing throughout Christendom), each day brings a scripture reading, an essay from Levison, a journal prompt, and a prayer. The unifying theme is the titular Holy Spirit (points for truth in advertising), and on the whole, is a nice guide to anyone who wants to learn a bit more about it.
The main thrust of the meditations seem to be that the Holy Spirit isn't what everyone thinks it is, namely something loud and raucous that makes you fall on the floor twitching, and/or speaking in tongues. Not that those things don't sometimes happen, Levison assures the reader, but more often the spirit is quiet and gradual. The results it brings aren't always what people expect either (sorry, charismatic Christians). Most faith traditions will be open to this message, especially those churches and congregations that are down with Eugene Peterson and the Message Bible, as Levison was heavily influenced by Peterson's work (the recently deceased Peterson even wrote the forward, giving Levison's work his stamp of approval).
If devotional literature is popular in your community and you don't serve a lot of charismatics, this is a good pick (if you wonder why I keep saying "charismatic," you probably don't have any such churches in your community, so don't worry about it). Given the popularity of The Message, this is a solid pick for medium-to-large libraries in urban areas, optional everywhere else.
May 25, 2024
We read this in our adult Sunday School class, and each week we would discuss the readings on the Holy Spirit we'd read that week. First of all, not everyone would complete the readings...maybe two or three of us. We would get a discussion going, but I felt that it wasn't as helpful because of the lack of participation. The book is set up to read a Biblical passage, Jack Levison, the author, would share his reflections, then the readers could share their reactions. Each lesson ended with a beautiful prayer (actually, my favorite part of each day). I spent a lot of time studying the Bible with each lesson in order to get more background on each week's scriptures. So, it was really good for me.
October 9, 2020
Filled with the Holy Spirit
I was trying to understand the Holy Spirit, and I wanted to deepen my connection with the Holy Spirit.This book has just done that and I am so grateful. The prayers in this book are from the soul. I want to pray more and pray these beautiful verses again and again. Thanks so much.
I was trying to understand the Holy Spirit, and I wanted to deepen my connection with the Holy Spirit.This book has just done that and I am so grateful. The prayers in this book are from the soul. I want to pray more and pray these beautiful verses again and again. Thanks so much.
September 1, 2020
I was wanting more substance
November 13, 2023
Good devotional and helps one pause and really think about scripture, meditate on the word and contemplate it's meaning.
March 28, 2015
A few years ago I read Jack Levison's Fresh Air: The Holy Spirit for the Inspired Life. I wrote a gushing review of it. My enthusiasm for that book was due in part to the way Levison unfolded the mystery of the Spirit's presence in scripture in a number of ways, and connected it to everyday life. While my previous run-ins with the Holy Spirit focused on his role in convicting us for sin, empowering us for mission, and ecstatic experience, Levison helped me enlarge my frame to see how the Spirit sustains us with his breath, and is active not only through 'events' but through habits, decisions (and a lifetime of decisions), and meditation. Levison also explored how the Spirit poured himself out on God's people (not just individuals but communities). While Fresh Air was a popular level book but full of rich insights
It is about three years later and I am again reading Levison. This time it is a devotional, 40 Days with the Holy Spirit. In forty daily readings, Levison reflects on Spirit's presence and activity in the Bible through seven verbs:
Breathing-- the ruach, Spirit Breath, which sustains each of us.
Praying--the listening, receiving and Abba-whisper of the Spirit.
Practicing--the long-haul of Spiritual formation.
Learning--the way meditating ( gnawing) on the Scripture opens us up to a deeper experience of the Spirit.
Leading--How the Spirit inspires, equips, sustains, empowers leaders.
Building--How the Spirit forms (and re-forms) vibrant communities of faith.
Blossoming--How the Spirit transforms us into what we were meant to be.
Each of the forty entries begins with a scripture, a brief meditation from Levison on the theme, a space for personal reflection and a space to 'breathe'--a short prayer to the Holy Spirit.
As with Fresh Air, I am inspired by the texts that Levison includes here. The devotional format demands a slow read and thoughtful lingering. Also Levison's meditations treat forty different scriptural passages. He is a perceptive reader and he treats some 'Spirit' passages that are overlooked (i.e. looking at the Spirit-breath of Job, how the faithfulness of Joseph allows him to exhibit the Spirit, the intimacy of Jesus' breath in the Johannine Pentecost, etc). Also Levison's prayers are artful and inspiring. Where I am not always a 'devotional' guy, I felt drawn in by Levison's depth and insight.
Often when we talk about what it means to be 'Spirit Filled' we hold up a small dimension of the Spirit's work in our lives. This book will lead you deeper into the life of the Spirit where we will encounter his wisdom, his inspiration, his daily teaching, his empowerment, his sustaining us through suffering, his enabling us to persevere and grow in grace, his guidance, his constituting community his transformative work. . . If you are looking for a devotional which will enlarge your vision (and experience) of God, look no further. Five stars.
Notice of material connection: I received this book from Paraclete Press in exchange for my honest review.
It is about three years later and I am again reading Levison. This time it is a devotional, 40 Days with the Holy Spirit. In forty daily readings, Levison reflects on Spirit's presence and activity in the Bible through seven verbs:
Breathing-- the ruach, Spirit Breath, which sustains each of us.
Praying--the listening, receiving and Abba-whisper of the Spirit.
Practicing--the long-haul of Spiritual formation.
Learning--the way meditating ( gnawing) on the Scripture opens us up to a deeper experience of the Spirit.
Leading--How the Spirit inspires, equips, sustains, empowers leaders.
Building--How the Spirit forms (and re-forms) vibrant communities of faith.
Blossoming--How the Spirit transforms us into what we were meant to be.
Each of the forty entries begins with a scripture, a brief meditation from Levison on the theme, a space for personal reflection and a space to 'breathe'--a short prayer to the Holy Spirit.
As with Fresh Air, I am inspired by the texts that Levison includes here. The devotional format demands a slow read and thoughtful lingering. Also Levison's meditations treat forty different scriptural passages. He is a perceptive reader and he treats some 'Spirit' passages that are overlooked (i.e. looking at the Spirit-breath of Job, how the faithfulness of Joseph allows him to exhibit the Spirit, the intimacy of Jesus' breath in the Johannine Pentecost, etc). Also Levison's prayers are artful and inspiring. Where I am not always a 'devotional' guy, I felt drawn in by Levison's depth and insight.
Often when we talk about what it means to be 'Spirit Filled' we hold up a small dimension of the Spirit's work in our lives. This book will lead you deeper into the life of the Spirit where we will encounter his wisdom, his inspiration, his daily teaching, his empowerment, his sustaining us through suffering, his enabling us to persevere and grow in grace, his guidance, his constituting community his transformative work. . . If you are looking for a devotional which will enlarge your vision (and experience) of God, look no further. Five stars.
Notice of material connection: I received this book from Paraclete Press in exchange for my honest review.
April 5, 2015
We are people of the Spirit. That has been a central theme for Christians since the day of Pentecost. What that means in practice is a different story. For some it means exuberance. For others it means that no matter where we go, God is with us.
Jacke Levison is a biblical scholar who has focused his attention on the Spirit in a number of books. He may focus his teaching on the Hebrew Bible, but it is the Spirit that he is drawn to as a writer. Having read a number of his pieces, I was when Paraclete Press sent me a review copy of this book. I decided to use the book as my primary devotional resource during the Lenten season, reading one chapter a day. Each of the forty brief chapters begins with a text of scripture, a meditation, a space for reflection and then concludes with a prayer addressed to the Spirit. The forty chapters are set apart with seven verbs: Breathing, Praying, Practicing, Learning, Leading, Building, Blossoming -- and then concludes with a final meditation -- "Looking Ahead."
Jack writes with a deep abiding concern that our experience of the Spirit not devolve simply into exuberance. There may be a place for spiritual ecstasy, but that always needs to be tempered by a life of study and learning. The key is keeping things in balance.
While this makes for a most attractive Lenten devotional exercise, it can be used at any time -- perhaps the season of Easter or the days following Pentecost. It is a most worthwhile experience, that I heartily recommend.
Jacke Levison is a biblical scholar who has focused his attention on the Spirit in a number of books. He may focus his teaching on the Hebrew Bible, but it is the Spirit that he is drawn to as a writer. Having read a number of his pieces, I was when Paraclete Press sent me a review copy of this book. I decided to use the book as my primary devotional resource during the Lenten season, reading one chapter a day. Each of the forty brief chapters begins with a text of scripture, a meditation, a space for reflection and then concludes with a prayer addressed to the Spirit. The forty chapters are set apart with seven verbs: Breathing, Praying, Practicing, Learning, Leading, Building, Blossoming -- and then concludes with a final meditation -- "Looking Ahead."
Jack writes with a deep abiding concern that our experience of the Spirit not devolve simply into exuberance. There may be a place for spiritual ecstasy, but that always needs to be tempered by a life of study and learning. The key is keeping things in balance.
While this makes for a most attractive Lenten devotional exercise, it can be used at any time -- perhaps the season of Easter or the days following Pentecost. It is a most worthwhile experience, that I heartily recommend.
April 18, 2017
Not as well organized as his book Fresh Air, which covers similar ground.
More instructional than devotional in nature.
More instructional than devotional in nature.
April 25, 2017
Great devotion book!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews