Welcome the Holy Spirit

Welcome the Holy Spirit

Acts 4:29-31 (NIV®)

“Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

When Jesus went back to Heaven in Acts 1, it was a pivotal moment in the story of Christianity. Jesus had been there to teach, explain, and show God’s power. Then He was gone. He had promised His followers they would receive power from the Holy Spirit, but they didn’t know what that meant. In Acts 2, the Holy Spirit came on them in a dramatic way, and the Jesus-story pivoted again. Instead of relying on their own power, they were fueled by the Holy Spirit’s power, and the gospel began to spread. Here, in Acts 4, we see the wonderful things that happen when Spirit-filled proclamation meets Spirit-filled prayer. It is time for us to stop looking for the world’s approval and say “yes” to God. It is time for us to welcome the Holy Spirit and place our confidence in Him to act. When we make those changes, people will begin to see and hear things—amazing things—that can only be explained by the power of God at work in our world.

THINK ABOUT IT

Each day, tell the Holy Spirit He is welcome in your life—without hesitation, reservation, or qualification. Allow Him to fill you continually with His presence, and consistently yield to His authority so He can direct you in your God-given purpose.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Your Spirit into the earth and for His presence that dwells within me. Grant me an understanding heart so I might welcome Him into every area of my life. Show me how to cooperate fully with Him. Deliver me from evil. Lead me in paths of righteousness. Open my eyes to understand the fullness of my redemption. May Jesus be glorified through my life. In His name, amen.