God's Holy Fire: 'No Match!'

Friday, May 22, 2026

None of [the people arguing with Stephen] could stand against the wisdom and the Spirit with which Stephen spoke.
— Acts 6:10 NLT

Key Thought

Stephen had been selected as one of the seven special servants of the church in Jerusalem to help make sure the widows were given the proper care. He was chosen because he was full of the Holy Spirit, faith, and wisdom. The Holy Spirit within him not only helped him in his service to the widows, but the Spirit also empowered him to speak God's truth boldly. When men opposed him, they found that they could not stand up to his teaching because of the power of the Spirit and the wisdom with which he spoke. Let's continue to pray for God to give us leaders today with these qualities and for us to be able to recognize these leaders and call them into service to the kingdom. Also, let's seek to be people who are full of faith, wisdom, and the Holy Spirit in our own lives!

Today's Prayer

O Almighty God, I continue to pray for your church. We desperately need leaders of faith and wisdom, leaders who are full of the Holy Spirit. Father, I want you to be at work within me through your Holy Spirit so that I am molded into the kind of person you can use to lead and bless your people. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

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2 Related Resources by Heartlight

Opposition Is Expected
Devo: Unstoppable!
"But one day some men from the Synagogue of Freed Slaves, as it was called, started to debate with [Stephen]. They were Jews from Cyrene, Alexandria,....."
The Spirit of Grace Under Fire
Devo: A Year with Jesus
"Dear Believer, Today I want to give you a glimpse of My servant, Stephen. In the verses below, you will see how he followed My example when faced..."

Illustration

Illustration of Acts 6:10 NLT — None of [the people arguing with Stephen] could stand against the wisdom and the Spirit with which Stephen spoke.

Other Devotionals from Heartlight for Friday, May 22, 2026

Praying with Paul
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'The Wisdom of Respect' (Ti. 3:1-3)
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Quotemeal
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Quote by A. W. Tozer:
"Let a man set his heart only on doing the will of God and he is instantly free. No one can hinder him."
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'The Challenge of the Resurrection of Jesus'
"[Paul, continuing his address to the council of the city of Athens:] "God overlooked people's ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now...."
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'True Growth Because of Prayer' (Co. 1:9-10)
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About This Devotional

God's Holy Fire is a daily devotional about the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

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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