God's Holy Fire: 'God of Surprises!'

Friday, May 29, 2026

So Ananias went and found the house, placed his hands on blind Saul, and said, "Brother Saul, the Master sent me, the same Jesus you saw on your way here. He sent me so you could see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit."
— Acts 9:17 MSG

Key Thought

Acts 9 tells the story of one of the church's greatest enemies becoming one of its most passionate leaders. No one could have expected this complete turnaround to happen, especially not Saul of Tarsus. (Saul later becomes known as the apostle Paul, using his Roman name when his mission was primarily among Gentiles.) Emboldened by the Holy Spirit and seeing the evidence of the Spirit in Saul's life, the early followers of Jesus overcame Satan's barriers to see grace triumph over their enemies. For Saul (Paul) to become a great leader in this movement of grace and good news, he had to be filled, inspired, and empowered by the Holy Spirit, which is exactly what our verse today tells us was about to happen: Saul was about to be filled with the Holy Spirit, and the world would be changed by the Spirit's work through him!

Today's Prayer

Loving Father, I recognize the conquering mercies of your grace demonstrated for us at the cross. Thank you for showing your merciful power in reaching Saul, turning him around, and using him in the movement of your grace in ways that no one could have anticipated. Thank you, O God of grace and surprises. In Jesus' name. Amen.

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6 Related Resources by Heartlight

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Forgiveness and Power
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Can I actually be better? Phil Ware reminds us that God can make us better after we have been broken and use us to do his work in the Kingdom because of two things: forgiveness we receive in Jesus through baptism and the power of the Holy Spirit.
See All 6 Related Resources about Acts 9:17

Illustration

Illustration of Acts 9:17 MSG — "Brother Saul, the Master sent me, the same Jesus you saw on your way here. He sent me so you could see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit."

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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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