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Intention

To pray for more power from the Holy Spirit to boldly share the good news with those around us.

Scripture

“‘Your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed… And now, Lord, consider their threats, and grant that your servants may speak your word with all boldness…’

“When they had prayed, the place where they were assembled was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God boldly.”

– Acts 4:27, 29, 31

Reflection

After His resurrection and just before ascending to Heaven, Jesus gave His followers a clear and powerful mission. We now call it the Great Commission. This command is recorded in the Scriptures:

“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations…” (Matthew 28:19).

He instructed them to spread the good news throughout the world, to every creature, every corner, and every heart (Mark 16:15).

This commission wasn’t just for the disciples who first heard it. It remains alive today, extending to every believer across generations – including us.

The mission remains unfinished. As Jesus foretold, the good news of the kingdom will be preached all over the world as a testimony to every nation, and then the end will come (Matthew 24:14). We are part of that unfolding story.

But Jesus didn’t just send His followers out with a task. He sent them with a promise.

He knew they would need more than human strength to fulfil it. In His final days on earth, He told them that repentance and forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem. So, He urged them to wait and stay in the city until they were “empowered from on high” (Luke 24:47, 49).

That empowerment was the Holy Spirit.

In Acts 1:8, Jesus makes the promise even clearer: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be My witnesses… to the ends of the earth.”

The message is simple but profound. We are not meant to go in our own strength. God supplies the power we need through the Holy Spirit.

Jesus Himself is our example. The Father sent Him, and now He sends us in the same way (John 20:21). In Luke’s Gospel, we see how Jesus was baptised, prayed, and then filled with the Holy Spirit. He was led by the Spirit and began His ministry “in the power of the Spirit” (Luke 4:1).

Jesus fully embraced His calling, fully equipped, declaring, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to proclaim good news to the poor…” (Luke 4:18).

That same Holy Spirit is available to us today. The power that filled Jesus and launched the early Church is the same power that can carry us through fear, fatigue, and opposition. We can go beyond our natural abilities and be faithful witnesses, no matter how difficult our circumstances.

In Acts 4, the early believers faced intense threats. They were commanded not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But instead of retreating, they gathered and prayed: “Lord, consider their threats, and grant that Your servants may speak Your word with all boldness” (Acts 4:29).

God responded immediately. The place where they met shook, and they were filled again with the Holy Spirit. They spoke the Word of God with boldness. Great power marked their witness to Jesus’ resurrection, and great grace was upon them all (Acts 4:31, 33).

We can pray the same prayer. We can ask for more boldness. We can receive fresh power.

The same Holy Spirit who moved then still moves today.

Video

Prayer

Father God, we worship You and thank You for sending Your Son to save the world.

Empower us by Your Holy Spirit so we can boldly share this good news with whoever You lead us to. Strengthen us to go, just as Jesus went with power and love.

We ask this in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Author Bio

Stephen Lewin and his wife, Cheryl, have been ministering in Alice Springs and Central Australia for 13 years. Stephen is a member of Barefoot Ministries Australia Inc. and is involved in prayer, preaching, teaching and outreach ministry.

Stephen has a Diploma in Ministry from Southern Cross College and has served in varied ministry roles for over four decades.

Prayer Points for GO Month to Pentecost 2025

1. Five friends to trust in Christ and to share the gospel with those five in May. Matthew 28:19–20

2. Repentance, revival and reformation in Australia and for millions to believe in Jesus Christ. Luke 24:47

3. A Church that grows in extravagant love for God and people. 2 Corinthians 5:14–15

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