And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people. Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
—Ephesians 6:18-20 tniv
When we open the book of Acts in the New Testament, we see the incredible power of the Holy Spirit to help the early believers to proclaim the message of Jesus. Because the Holy Spirit lives in us and intercedes for us when we pray, we can pray in the Spirit, knowing that the Holy Spirit allows us to speak directly to God (Eph. 2:18) and intercedes for us beyond the power of words according to the will of God (Rom. 8:26-27). While we often trust this intercession and access to God to convey our own heartfelt needs to him, Paul reminds us of another incredibly important gift given us when we "pray in the Spirit": intercession for God's people to boldly, fearlessly, and clearly proclaim the message of Jesus. Why not dedicate time one day each week to pray for those who give their lives to proclaiming the good news of Jesus?
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