“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8 (NKJV)

Somewhere in my mid-30s, I ran out of fuel.

While serving churches in Miami, Rio de Janeiro and San Antonio, I resolved to study hard, counsel wisely, solve problems, organize committees and satisfy each cranky member.

But after three or four years, I lost my energy. Suddenly, I could not sleep. How does a person lose the ability to sleep? When my head hit the pillow, my mind would race. I thought of members to be called, decisions to be made. On more than one Sunday morning, I stood before the church having had little, if any, sleep. I was desperate.

In those late-night hours while I was still awake, I would climb out of bed, pad down the stairs, kneel at our couch and pray. What a dejected figure I was. Not Max the pastor. Not Max the church leader. That fellow in the crumpled pajamas was Max the depleted, confused disciple.

My prayers were moans. My faith was a frazzled thread. I couldn’t even summon the energy to fake it. I was honest. Honest to God, I was. Turns out God has a soft spot for an honest prayer.

Little by little I began to sense the Spirit. He led with a kind touch. He wooed with a whisper. Mysterious? By all means. But figment of my imagination? No. Not at all.

I requested strength. He gave it. I asked the Spirit to heal the sick. More than once, He did. I prayed for vitality and joy. Both returned.

Why? Because the Holy Spirit comes with power.

Jesus told His disciples, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

Mark it down. Power. Power to make good choices, keep promises, and silence the inner voices of fear and failure. Power to get out of bed, get on with life, get busy about the right things in the right way. Power to face the unexpected, unwanted passages of time. This is what Jesus promised then, and this is what Jesus promises still.

How is your power level?

Maybe today you find yourself lacking energy, enthusiasm or strength. Your step has lost its spring; your voice has no song. You want to be a joyful, empowered person, but you are weary from life’s chaos.

Friend, I want to encourage you that the Spirit of God longs to give you His great power. He will guide, teach and energize you. He will shoulder the burdens you were never intended to carry.

Help is here.

Heavenly Father, thank You for giving me the precious gift of Your Holy Spirit. Teach me how to experience the Spirit’s power so that my life is filled with purpose and strength for Your glory. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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Are you longing to experience the power of the Holy Spirit? Learn who the Spirit is, and how the Spirit impacts your life, with Max Lucado’s book Help Is Here: Finding Fresh Strength and Purpose in the Power of the Holy Spirit.

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FOR DEEPER STUDY

John 14:16-17, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” (NIV)

John 15:26, “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me.” (NIV)

What is your understanding of the Holy Spirit? On what is your knowledge based — teaching by the Church, personal study, Scripture or something else?

What kind of power does the Holy Spirit give us?

© 2022 by Max Lucado. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries thanks Thomas Nelson Publishers for their sponsorship of today’s devotion.

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