God's Holy Fire: 'Fearless Confidence'

Wednesday, November 1, 2023

[About the disciples in Jerusalem after Peter and John were threatened and then released from prison, Luke wrote:] While they were praying, the place where they were meeting trembled and shook. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak God's Word with fearless confidence.
— Acts 4:31 MESSAGE

Key Thought

I love the phrase "fearless confidence"! In the face of threatened persecution from the very same people who put Jesus to death and who made the disciples cower in fear just weeks earlier, this ragtag band of Jesus' followers was filled with fearless confidence. How was this change in them possible? There were three new realities for these disciples, and all three are still available to us:
  1. the resurrection of Jesus,
  2. the power of faithful prayer shared in genuine community, and
  3. the work of the Holy Spirit filling and empowering each follower of Jesus.
So let's encourage each other to stay focused on these three incredible realities that are ours in Jesus. With them comes fearless confidence!

Today's Prayer

Almighty God, thank you for the power you have unleashed in my life and in the lives of your people through the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, the gift of prayer, and the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. In Jesus' name, I thank you. Amen.

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Illustration

Illustration of Acts 4:31 MESSAGE — They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak God's Word with fearless confidence.

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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