With Pentecost Sunday on 19 May, the following payers are focussed on the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, and Joy:
May 20 – Father, on the day of Pentecost, Your Church was not only baptised by Your Holy Spirit so that it would be blessed with supernatural power as a means of transforming itself, but also with the power to be effective witnesses to Jesus.
We ask for a similar new season of many Spirit baptisms, overflowing spiritual power, and fruitful, joyful witness by the people of our church. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
May 21 – Father, the subsequent witness to the people of Jerusalem that resulted from the Spirit baptism included exuberant joy. The believers were joyful witnesses. They so loved our Lord Jesus that the outpouring of Your Spirit magnified that love within them.
The Holy Spirit’s coming also included a loving adoptive baptism whereby they truly knew that great inner security derived from the experiential understanding that they were Yours and You theirs – daughters and sons through salvation in Christ.
This experience of Your Sprit of Adoption gave them great courage and strength. We pray for a similar experience of Your Adoptive Spirit in our church, in person and online. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
May 22 – Father, from that point, Pentecost, and the outpouring of the Spirit, the Church started to grow in every way. Lord Jesus, thank You for all that You did for Your people, and all You are still doing through Your Holy Spirit.
It was from that point that the Holy Spirit led the Church from a Bible College like experience of learning at the feet of the Master – to being out in the world at the heart of the cutting edge of the breakthrough of the Kingdom into the world.
The Kingdom of Darkness began to be overcome by the Holy Spirit at work in the joyful, Pentecostal people of God. Sin was broken, and righteousness established. We pray for righteousness to be established in and through Telford Elim, its people and ministries.
May Your Holy Spirit work in such a way through Telford Elim, that many repent and turn to Christ in saving faith, and go on to live fruitful, productive lives as Your disciples – men, women, young adults, young people and children who love Jesus, and are wholeheartedly committed to His service. In Jesus’ name and for His glory. Amen.
May 23 – Father, thank You that their destiny included more than simply enjoying the new power they possessed because of Your Spirit’s presence among them. This type of selfish, egocentric Christianity goes nowhere.
The biblical witnesses did not just sit back and say, “I’m so glad I’m saved. I’ll just enjoy the wonderful experience of the Spirit’s presence” No! They were empowered for something beyond a ‘bless me’ time; to reach the lost with the Good News of Jesus the Saviour.
Their experience was not a privatised overflowing joy, but one that led them from seclusion in the Upper Room, to the heart of their communities with the Good News about Jesus. They were saved, in part, for the salvation of the people around them.
We pray to be joyful instruments in the hands of Your Holy Spirit to bring Christ’s Kingdom and rule into our communities, in person and online. May that be the raison d’etre at the heart of our Church, its people and ministries. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
May 24 – Father, they were joy-filled witnesses to the love of Your Son. There came a divine transformation of their personalities so that they became exuberant, enabled, and effective communicators of the Gospel.
Non-believers were drawn to this joyful expression of truth because they desired the same experience. We pray for the people we witness to, to be similarly impacted.
At the heart of Your call to mission, is a developing partnership with Your Missional Holy Spirit. We ask that our partnership will grow, and therefore we become more and more effective in witnessing for Jesus, and being fruitful in doing so. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
May 25 – Father, the doorway to salvation, that the Spirit Baptism opened, included the challenge to repent of a wilful, sinful lifestyle. That conviction, by Your Spirit, led to people repenting and responding in saving faith embracing the wonderful Jesus as Saviour and Lord.
It also became the bedrock the early Church’s discipleship programme. The challenge and conviction of Your Holy Spirit was not limited to non-believers, but continued to be an active part of His sanctifying work in Your people.
The Holy Spirit and Your word are central to making believers holy and godly, a life-long process. Thank You that Spirit Baptism heightens the challenge to godliness and holiness.
May these two elements be clearly reflected in the lifestyle and faith of all who come to Telford Elim. In Jesus’ name and for His glory. Amen.
May 26 – Father, when Your Son said to them, ‘you’ll receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be My witnesses’ (Acts 1:8), He was defining what the Christian life would be all about, both then and now.
You want us to experience and personally walk with Your Holy Spirit. The elements this may include are:
A new Joy-filled life – filled with Your joy, and overflowing with faith;
Speaking in tongues giving evidence of the touch of the divinely given gift planted in the human spirit;
A new boldness to identify with Jesus and declare our love for Him;
Becoming fruitful witnesses moving under the power of the Holy Spirit leading to many people repenting and turning to Christ with saving faith;
Dreams and prophecies are also mentioned – your sons and daughters will prophesy. Revelation and spiritual renewal were part of the Church’s ministry;
A new power and strength to live victoriously, that definitely was not from within the person’s own resources.
All of these are evidences of Spirit Baptism. We are all commanded to live daily in the Holy Spirit’s fullness. Your Spirit’s fullness is made available to all those who will ask, and persistently ask, seek and knock for it! We do so… In Jesus’ name. Amen.
