10-DAY HOLY SPIRIT CHALLENGE: Day 8 “The Spirit will lead you into all truth”



Scripture text: Gospel of St. John 16.4-15

     At the Last Supper, Jesus uses a new word to describe the Spirit – he calls him the parakletos (“the one who stands beside”).  Some versions of the Bible translate this word as “advocate” (= defense attorney).  The book of the Acts of the Apostles describes the adventures of the apostles during the first few decades following the Ascension of Jesus – the beginnings of the Church and its world-wide mission.  The Apostles were often getting persecuted because they wouldn’t stop preaching about Jesus.  Jesus knew that his followers would get into trouble after he left this world (Jn. 14.27; 16.33).  While he was still with them, Jesus promised the apostles that he would not leave them alone (Jn. 14.18).  No matter what they would face, the Spirit would be with the apostles and give them the strength they needed.

     Jesus calls the Holy Spirit the “Spirit of truth”.  Jesus had said of himself, “I AM …the truth” (Jn. 14.6).  Jesus tells the apostles during the Last Supper: “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth” (Jn. 16.12-13).  After the Ascension of Jesus, the apostles began their mission with very few resources – they had no instruction manual, no Gospels (they would be written later on) and no Pope or church structure to instruct them.  What they did have was the Spirit – the powerful, life-giving breath and presence of Jesus to guide them and to teach them what to say when they were on trial.  The Spirit was all they had, but the Spirit was all they needed.

A Prayer for Wisdom and Peace When Making Big Decisions 

Dear heavenly Father,

     How we praise you for being the decision-making-God. It’s not our decisions, but yours that make all the difference. We will plan, but we trust you to order our steps. We will pray but ask you to fix our prayers en route to heaven. We will seek counsel but count on you to overrule faulty or incomplete input from our most trusted friends and mentors. We will search the Scriptures, but not looking for proof texts but for you, Father. All we want and need is you.

     Free us from the paralysis of analysis—wanting to make the right decision, more than we want to be righteous people; wanting to be known as wise people, more than we want to know you. Free us from the idolatry of assuming there’s only one “perfect” choice in any given situation. Free us from making decisions primary for our comfort and other’s approval or fear their disapproval. Free us to know that good choices don’t always lead to the easiest outcomes, especially at first. Free us from second and twenty-second guessing our decisions.

     Father, no matter if it’s wisdom about buying or selling, vocation or vacation, this place or that place, this person or that person, we know that in ALL things, your will is our sanctification—our becoming more and more like Jesus. Give us this passion; make it our delight.

     So, Father, make us more and more like Jesus, even as we trust you for the opening and closing of doors that are in front of us. All for your glory—Amen.

- Written by Scotty Smith

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