Yes or No...Pray!!!

Daily Reading: Acts 1

You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth … All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer. (Acts 1.8, 14)

Devotional Thought: Before Christ ascended to heaven, he met with the disciples and told them to wait for the gift of the Holy Spirit.  He went on to say, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses…”  Upon hearing that, those early disciples of Christ probably looked at their own lives and thought, “I sure could use some of that power…  I can’t witness.  I’m afraid!”  Well, what did they do about it?  They followed Jesus’ instructions and waited.  And prayed. The Bible says, they devoted themselves to prayer.  Their situation drove them to their knees.  They knew what they needed – power to witness – and they knew how to get it – pray for the Holy Spirit. 

What about you?  Would you describe your Christian life as one of power and witness? 

·       If no, what should you do?  Pray!  And not just alone.  Join with others of like need and desire.  Pray for God to pour out his Spirit in a fresh way into your life and your church.  Commit to seek God until you are an empowered witness, and your church is a place where the Holy Spirit is at work saving the lost.

·       If yes, what should you do?  Pray!  And not just alone.  Join with others who desire to see their lives and church remain powerful and effective in witness.  We should never take God’s power for granted.  Rather, we should continually live in a state of growing trust and dependence upon God.  We never “arrive” but are always on the journey.  There are still souls to win, still risks to take, so we need to pray!

May God fill you with power and enable you to be his witness today!

Prayer: Lord, I pray that you would fill me with your Holy Spirit and power, that you would grant me opportunities to be your witness.  Amen.

Psalm of the Day: Psalm 71.9-16

9 Do not cast me off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength is spent.

10 For my enemies speak concerning me; those who watch for my life consult together

11 and say, “God has forsaken him; pursue and seize him, for there is none to deliver him. ”

12 O God, be not far from me; O my God, make haste to help me!

13 May my accusers be put to shame and consumed; with scorn and disgrace may they be covered who seek my hurt.

14 But I will hope continually and will praise you yet more and more.

15 My mouth will tell of your righteous acts, of your deeds of salvation all the day, for their number is past my knowledge.

16 With the mighty deeds of the Lord God I will come; I will remind them of your righteousness, yours alone.