You Will Receive Power

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8

The early disciples were clothed in God's power. That power gave them the ability to effectively communicate the gospel of Jesus Christ. God confirmed their words with signs and wonders. The Holy Spirit accompanied the message so that those that heard it were convicted of their sin and turned their hearts and lives to the Lord.

We need this same power. It is the power that came at Pentecost, when the followers of Jesus waited in the upper room to be filled with the Holy Spirit. This same power is available to us today. It is not the power to control others, but to be controlled by the Holy Spirit. As we turn our hearts toward Christ and ask Him to baptize us in the Holy Spirit, He will. He will anoint us to minister to others.

With the infilling of the Spirit come the gifts of the Spirit (see 1 Corinthians 12 and 14) . These gifts help us to more effectively minister to those within the body of Christ and to those without. When we are baptized in the Holy Spirit, we receive a greater sensitivity to hear the Lord's voice. God can give us the words to say to those in darkness, and those words have divine influence to draw the lost to the Savior.

We do not need greater programs to grow our churches; we need our people to be yielded to the Spirit and willing and obedient to carry out the great commission. It is only through the power of the Holy Spirit that we can effectively reach others with the word of God.

Dear Lord,

Help us, the body of Christ, to depend upon your Spirit. Help us to seek You for a fresh infilling of Your power and love. Let us not desire an experience. Instead, equip us to go and tell Your story to those that haven't heard. Forgive us Lord for relying on our own understanding in the way we reach out to others. Help us to seek Your face and effectively minister Your gospel to those that don't know You. In Jesus Name we pray, Amen.