Day 20
My Prayer
My Heavenly Father, in verses 9-13, Your Son told His disciples that they would be persecuted for the gospel, flogged in the synagogues and stand before kings to give testimony to Christ. Jesus instructed them to not be anxious.
I thank You Father, because You overcome anxiety as we pray the Endorsed Prayer of Faith.4.3a By prayer and the power of Your Spirit, that we can testify of You, in persecution, and without fear.
The disciples were told not to even think about what to say before they stood trial. They were to trust in You. They were to trust You to put the words into their minds and mouths. These words would be the words of Your Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit did not indwell them at the time Jesus spoke those words. But Your Holy Spirit came to dwell within them at Pentecost in Acts 2:1-4.
Some say that this promise of supernatural, Holy Spirit communication only applied to the twelve apostles. They say that Your Holy Spirit does not speak through Your disciples today, that our minds are sufficient to explain the Gospel. Forgive them for making up doctrine and calling it Yours.1.5h,i,j Scripture does not limit the ministry of the Holy Spirit to the twelve. I pray that they "learn not to think beyond the things which are written" (1 Corinthians 4:6).1.5h
Those who say such things may be unbelievers. Or, they could be believers with weak faith who live by rules as if they were in the Old Covenant instead of walking by the Spirit in the New Covenant.A3 Walking by the Spirit has something to do with... a Spirit.
1 John 2:27 was addressed to the church at large and makes it clear that the Holy Spirit puts ideas into our minds... "his anointing teaches you concerning all things".i In Ephesians 6:18-19, Paul asked Your Ephesian Church to pray that You would give Paul words to explain the Gospel. This is the Endorsed Prayer of Gospel Words.4.2b
Paul wanted You to put words into his mind!
Paul knew the gospel better than anyone alive. He wrote half of the books of the New Testament. He was taken up into the Third Heaven in Paradise (2 Corinthians 12:1-6). There he was taught the gospel directly by Your Son, the risen Jesus Christ, after His ascension (Galatians 1:11-12).
Your servant Paul knew that mere knowledge of the truth is insufficient to effectively deliver the Gospel. We must know truth. But Paul knew that we must ask You to give us Your words, speak the words You give us by faith, and then let Your Holy Spirit work supernaturally in those whose hearts You have prepared in advance to hear.
How great an arrogance it is to think that we can explain the Gospel on our own. The apostle Paul knew that he needed to ask You to give him the words! You deserve all praise!
By Your decree, this is how we present words of guidance to a brother or sister in Christ. This is how we encourage others in tragedy! This is how we take up the yoke of Christ! This is how we make disciples of all nations! We ask You to give us words. Then You give us the words!4.9
May Your name be lifted higher and higher and higher!
In this passage, Mark 13:11, You revealed just one of the many functions of the Holy Spirit... He speaks through Your children! Thank you for revealing this in Your word! For, how can we walk by the Spirit, if we don't know what the Holy Spirit does?
Heavenly Father, teach us to Walk by the Spirit. By Your Spirit, lead Your children to click this link: "What Does the Holy Spirit Do?"
You deserve all praise!
Amen.
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You are reading the Walk by the Spirit Daily Devotional Series, which is subchapter 3.7 of the free, online book Fellowship with God in the Sixth Path. In the Walk by the Spirit Daily Devotional, readers learn how to how to walk by the Spirit. Walking by the Spirit is one way the New Testament describes fellowship with God, the subject of this online book.
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