Sometimes ministry can be hard and very trying. Pastors need our prayers and support. This month in Pastor Appreciation month, but Pastors and Church leaders need our prayers everyday. We don't know what Pastors go through with all the pressures and stresses. We think of physical stress most of the time when we think of stress, but there are other things that come against Pastors. The devil tries to trip up Pastors to ruin their witness and their effectiveness for the Lord.
We believers in Jesus Christ are not exempt from being attacked by the devil and his demons. The devil will try to knock us around and try to derail our faith. The good news is that Jesus Christ defeated the devil at the Cross. We have been set free through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. We have overcome the falsehood of the world and the lies of the devil. We still need to be on our guard by reading the Bible and discern what the truth is.
We believers also have the Holy Spirit dwelling within us. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Holy Trinity. God the Holy Spirit is within every believer in Jesus Christ. It is the Holy Spirit's job to help to grow to be more like Jesus and He helps us to understand God's Holy Word, the Bible.
We believers need to rely on the Holy Spirit more especially in this dark day and age. Sometimes we forget that we are in a war going on in our world. The devil is working in this world along with his demons to draw people away from the truth of who God is and who Jesus is.
Sometimes it seems all too easy for us to pretend that the devil doesn't exist and just go on with living. The truth of the matter is the devil is real and his demons are real. Thankfully we believers in Jesus Christ have no reason to be afraid for the Holy Spirit of God will help us for He is greater than any evil force that assails us.
When we are walking in obedience with the Lord the Holy Spirit will prompt us when there is danger. I have heard testimonies of believers that they felt prompted by the Holy Spirit to leave a certain area to avoid danger. The Lord still speaks to us and helps us through the Holy Spirit. I think many Christians including myself neglect the Holy Spirit in our lives. We try to rely on our talents and our own strength. Then we wonder why we are so weak and we wonder why we fail so often. the Holy Spirit is our helper. The Holy Spirit is the treasure in our earthen vessels.
I am thankful for the Holy Spirit dwelling within me. I had an experience this past Sunday that I will share with you. I was leading a service at a local nursing home and there was this woman that was seated in a chair. She didn't make eye contact, but she seemed very thin and leaned to one side. Every once in a while she would scream. We sang some songs and I played the guitar (she didn't scream during that by the way).
The time I started my devotional she started screaming especially when I was talking about Jesus. I was preaching on Romans 5:1-9 and I was talking about how God demonstrated His love for us by sending Jesus Christ to die on the Cross for us sinners. I felt the warmth of the Holy Spirit leading the words I was saying and I felt His comfort as I spoke. It was at that moment the woman formed words for the first time since the service started and a voice came from the poor women that said, "Tell him to shut the hell up!"
The voice was not a feminine voice at all, but it was a deep creepy voice from a dark place. So, through the power of the Holy Spirit I didn't even stop in my delivering the message. I kept on proclaiming the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ. I proclaimed the Gospel of Jesus. Everyone needs to hear the Gospel. Normally something like that would rattle me to the core of my being, but thankfully I felt the Lord with me through His Holy Spirit and I knew everything was going to be alright.
I finished my devotional telling the people there that we are all sinners and we need to repent of our sins and receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Then I thought I heard that woman say (in her voice this time), "yes, that's true."
I am thankful that the Lord equips us to do His work for Him. I didn't do anything spectacular for the power doesn't come from me. It comes from the Lord. I am just His servant trying to do His will. All the credit and Glory belong to the Lord.
Lord,
We praise Your Name.
Thank You, Lord, for using us to proclaim the truth of the Gospel to those around us.
I am weak and I lack strength to do what You want me to do.
I ask that Your Holy Spirit would work through me to draw others to Jesus Christ.
I humble myself to You O Lord.
May Your will be done.
In Jesus Name I pray,
Amen.
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