DAY 9—THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
“After all this I saw another angel come down from heaven with great authority, and the earth grew bright with his splendor. . . . Then I heard another voice calling from heaven, ‘Come away from her, my people. Do not take part in her sins, or you will be punished with her’” (Revelation 18:1, 4, NLT).
Testimony
“The inworking ministry of the Holy Spirit is our great need. The Spirit is all divine in its agency and demonstration. God wants you to have the gracious spiritual endowment; then you will work with a power that you were never conscious of before. Love and faith and hope will be an abiding presence. You can go forth in faith, believing that the Holy Spirit accompanies you” (Ellen White, Evangelism, p. 299).
Someday will come a great revival among God’s true people all over the earth. The Holy Spirit will come down in great power. This moving of the Holy Spirit was compared in Bible times to the latter rains that would fall in the Middle East, bringing crops to maturity and harvest (Zechariah 10:1). Someday the people of God will go out to share their faith in every way possible. Miracles will be performed through Christ. Thousands, perhaps millions, will be saved. The work of the Holy Spirit is to save the lost, and there is no greater joy than to share in that work.
One Sabbath Lance and his wife, Renae, came to our Seventh-day Adventist church for the first time. Someone had left the book Bible Readings for the Home on their doorstep. Because of certain situations in their lives, Lance and Renae decided to see what the book had to say. Scanning the book, they noticed the subject of the Sabbath, which really piqued their interest. They thoroughly studied that section and were convicted that they needed to find the church that printed that book. Noticing that it was printed by Seventh-day Adventists, they located our church and visited the next Sabbath. Lance held up Bible Readings for the Home and asked, “Does your church print this book?” “Yes, we do!” I replied. “Great,” Lance continued, “we have a lot of questions. Is there any chance you would come to our home to give us Bible studies?” Of course, I assured them I would be delighted to do that.
When I visited, I learned that Lance and Renae and their two boys had been wishing for big changes in their lives. They had become victims of alcohol and substance abuse, and their marriage was severely suffering. I knew they needed the liberating power of Jesus. As I shared the gospel, constantly praying in my heart for God’s help, I could see the Holy Spirit was deeply convicting them. I finished the gospel presentation and asked, “Is there any reason why you wouldn’t want to give your lives to Jesus?” They responded that they would be very happy for the forgiveness and salvation of Jesus. We knelt in prayer right then, and I led them through a prayer of confession and acceptance of Jesus as Savior and Lord. With tears they repeated the prayer after me, and we rose to our feet with joy. The miracle power of the Holy Spirit was clearly evident. They were both now children of God.
When I arrived for our next weekly appointment, I had barely taken three steps into the living room when Lance asked, “Pastor, what do you think about cigarette smoking? Do you think it’s something a Christian should do?” I suggested we study the subject of healthful living that night, which we did. As a result of that Bible study and later visits, Lance and Renae became free from all the chains that Satan had enslaved them with. Soon they were baptized, and both became powerful helpers in the cause of Christ, sharing their testimonies and giving Bible studies to family members and friends. They too began to share in the work of the Holy Spirit by spreading the gospel to all around them. What a miracle!
Bible Texts to Pray About
- Matthew 28:19, 20—Every follower of Jesus is to do what they can to spread the gospel of salvation.
- John 16:13—When the Holy Spirit is working, people will be drawn to the truth of God’s Word.
- Acts 4:29-31—The early church asked God to fill them with the Holy Spirit so they could speak God’s Word with boldness.
- Ephesians 4:11, 12—The gifts of the Holy Spirit are for equipping Christians for the work of ministry and building up the church.
- Acts 9:36-42—The purpose of miracles is that people may have evidence by which to believe in Jesus.
- Mark 16:15-18—Go into all the world, heal the sick, preach the message, demonstrate the character of God to everyone.
- Isaiah 6:8—Here I am, Lord. Send me.
Suggested Prayers
- Dear Father in heaven, make me Your servant and help me share the message of Your love and salvation.
- By Your grace, Lord, I dedicate myself to becoming educated and equipped to share the gospel in the way You choose for me.
- Baptize me in Your Holy Spirit so that I will be driven from within to overcome obstacles and fears. Let me be a channel of Your power and the saving message of the crucified and risen Christ.
- Bless the efforts of pastors, Bible workers, teachers, and evangelists all over the world. Fill them with great power and authority. May millions of Your children be saved this very year!
- Please let our families reveal Your love in our homes and communities. We ask You to bring harmony into homes, heal broken relationships, protect the vulnerable from abuse, and reveal Your sanctifying power in seemingly hopeless situations.
- May our church members around the world feed on God’s Word every day. May we also seek You daily in personal prayer. Remind us that without You, we can do nothing.
- We ask You to raise up nurses and doctors to plant new churches among the 1,978 people groups in the 22 countries in West-Central Africa Division.
- We pray for the 49 million people in the 19 least-reached cities of Trans-European Division.
- Lord, please let our youth not only preach the sermon but also be the sermon. We ask God to bless Global Youth Day efforts and the 100,000 Total Youth Involvement initiative.
- We pray for the seven people on our prayer lists. Give them hearts to know You as Your Word says in Jeremiah 24:7.
- Local Prayer Requests:
Suggested Songs
Make Me a Servant; Here I Am, Lord; Hark! The Voice of Jesus Calling (Hymn #359); I Love to Tell the Story (Hymn #457); Rescue the Perishing (Hymn #367); Watchman, Blow the Gospel Trumpet (Hymn #368); Jesus Saves; Tell It Again; Is There Anything I Can Do for You; Days of Elijah; Shine, Jesus Shine.