Growing Multigenerational FaithSample

Jesus tells his disciples that it is to their advantage that he goes away, because if He goes away, he will send the Helper. (John 16:7) What could possibly be BETTER than Jesus with us? How about the Spirit of Christ within us?

In our verse today, the apostle Peter quotes God’s promise that was given through the prophet Joel:

“In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days (no one is excluded) and they will prophesy.”

In 2003, my Dad was diagnosed with brain cancer. When I was told that he wanted to get together for a weekend with his family and friends, I got a sense that God wanted me to pray for his healing. I didn’t grow up with my Dad and had little contact with him before this meeting, but within 30 minutes of my arrival, my Dad looked at me and asked me to pray for him. As I prayed, I got a sense that he wouldn’t receive a physical healing.

The following day, family and friends gathered around to spend time with Dad. Before he entered the room, I asked everyone if we could share with him what we would want to say if this were the last time we saw him. When my Dad came in, we all shared our thoughts.

The following week, my Dad passed.

“I will pour out my Spirit…” The Holy Spirit prompted me to pray for my Dad and also confirmed that he would not be physically healed. As a result, a room full of people who loved him got to share that love with him and had the opportunity to say “goodbye”.

John and Christina R. - Life Group Leaders

Questions to Consider

• Have you had an experience with the Holy Spirit? What happened?
• How have you discerned, or how can you discern, the Spirit’s prompting in your life?

Actions to Take

• God is calling you to do something today that will impact another person’s heart. Do it.
• Think of people in your spheres of influence. We can’t invest in everyone, but we can invest in at least one more person. Pray that God would reveal who that person is, then pray for, care for, and encourage them.

Prayer to Make

Dear Lord, thank you for the gift of your Holy Spirit. I pray today to be discerning enough of the voice of your Spirit and courageous enough to act on it to be an encouragement to others. Amen.