Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith. And many people were brought to the Lord.
—Acts 11:24 NLT
Earlier in the book of Acts, we met Stephen, who was described as being "a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 6:5). Now Barnabas is described in similar terms. Just as was the case for Barnabas, ministry must be based on the work of God through us as we are gifted and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Our faith that God can do more than we can even imagine is crucial to this kind of Spirit-power working through our lives (Ephesians 3:14-21). Unfortunately, some of us want a shortcut to the Spirit's power. We don't want to have to demonstrate faithfulness. We don't want to be focused on prayer. We don't want to be devoted to sharing with others. But in both Barnabas and Stephen, we see these qualities. As we continue our journey looking at the Holy Spirit through the remainder of the year, let's all ask ourselves: "What do I need to do to open my heart and invite the Holy Spirit to have more influence on me and more transformational power in me?" When we yield to the Spirit's power and influence, our lives bear amazing fruit. Barnabas wasn't effective just because of his talent; he was effective because of his faith and because of the Holy Spirit's power in him!
Almighty God and Creator, forgive me. Holy Spirit, fill me. Son of God, cleanse my heart. I want to yield to your control. I want to be faithful in every season of life. I want to be spiritually wise in what I say and do. I want you, O LORD, to have influence and control so that others can know your grace. In Jesus' name, I ask for these mercies. Amen.
Ⓒ 1996-2021 Heartlight, Inc. This material may not be reproduced in part or whole for commercial use without written consent. The Thoughts and Prayer for God's Holy Fire are written by Phil Ware. Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scripture quotations marked MESSAGE are taken from THE MESSAGE, copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
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—Acts 11:24 NLT
Key Thought
Earlier in the book of Acts, we met Stephen, who was described as being "a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 6:5). Now Barnabas is described in similar terms. Just as was the case for Barnabas, ministry must be based on the work of God through us as we are gifted and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Our faith that God can do more than we can even imagine is crucial to this kind of Spirit-power working through our lives (Ephesians 3:14-21). Unfortunately, some of us want a shortcut to the Spirit's power. We don't want to have to demonstrate faithfulness. We don't want to be focused on prayer. We don't want to be devoted to sharing with others. But in both Barnabas and Stephen, we see these qualities. As we continue our journey looking at the Holy Spirit through the remainder of the year, let's all ask ourselves: "What do I need to do to open my heart and invite the Holy Spirit to have more influence on me and more transformational power in me?" When we yield to the Spirit's power and influence, our lives bear amazing fruit. Barnabas wasn't effective just because of his talent; he was effective because of his faith and because of the Holy Spirit's power in him!
Today's Prayer
Almighty God and Creator, forgive me. Holy Spirit, fill me. Son of God, cleanse my heart. I want to yield to your control. I want to be faithful in every season of life. I want to be spiritually wise in what I say and do. I want you, O LORD, to have influence and control so that others can know your grace. In Jesus' name, I ask for these mercies. Amen.
Ⓒ 1996-2021 Heartlight, Inc. This material may not be reproduced in part or whole for commercial use without written consent. The Thoughts and Prayer for God's Holy Fire are written by Phil Ware. Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scripture quotations marked MESSAGE are taken from THE MESSAGE, copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
Continue reading...
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