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.

Have thoughts on this devotional? Leave a comment

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

Passion for Praise
A daily passage of Scripture emphasizing praise to our God.
'What Joy!' (Ps. 32:1-2)
"Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of..."
Morning & Evening
The classic twice-daily devotional from Charles H. Spurgeon.
Evening Thought: Psalms 84:11
"Bounteous is Jehovah in his nature; to give is his delight. His gifts are beyond measure precious, and are as freely given as the light of the sun. He..."
Daily Wisdom
A daily devotional featuring wise counsel found in Scripture.
James 1:13-14
"When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own..."
Praying with Paul
Features the apostle Paul's writings turned into daily, powerful prayers.
'Light that Exposes Sin' (He. 12:29)
"Dear Father, who dwells in indescribable light, I want to love the Light. Your verdict is: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness..."

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.

More God's Holy Fire

Translations