I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

I don’t like confrontational situations. They make me feel uncomfortable and vulnerable and somehow, I suspect that many of us are like that. However, I have found myself in a few situations where I have had to speak up when all I  really wanted to do was run screaming for the hills.

On one such occasion, while I was feeling particularly threatened in a work meeting, I prayed a silent prayer that went along the lines of, “Lord Jesus I don’t know how to handle this please help!” Then I opened my mouth and spoke. Even I was stunned by the words that came out. It was so forthright and so out of character that the atmosphere in the room changed and people’s attitudes shifted towards a much less aggressive disposition.

Too often I have found myself in difficult situations worrying about what to say instead of relying on the power of the Holy Spirit. But when I have amazing things have happened. In Mark 13:11 Jesus told His disciples not to worry about what to say but instead they should say whatever God gave them to say. When we have received the Holy Spirit His gift is within each of us. It is there for us to use. We just need to fan it into flame and watch what He does!

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Application:

What are you wrestling with now? Where are the stress points in your life? What are you most worried about? Whey not put it into the hands of the Holy Spirit and see what He can do?

Prayer:

Holy Spirit, I don’t know how to handle (fill in your own issues) please grant me the words and the wisdom to know what to say and what to do. In Jesus’ name. Amen.