We join together with you in this beautiful and biblical desire for both the character of Christ formed in us and the power of Christ working through us, for the fruit of the Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit together, for humble holiness and bold love.
We love how you have asked for the fruit of the Holy Spirit first, for that is the foundation of all true ministry. Gal 5:22-23 says But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Without this fruit, gifts become empty noise, as 1 Cor 13:1-2 teaches, but with this fruit, boldness is kept humble and holy and loving. We also hear your heart for teams that preach the gospel faithfully and see God confirm His Word with signs and wonders, not for our glory but for His.
We are encouraged to pray with you for bold, loving and accurate preaching of the gospel and for God to attest that message according to His will. Acts 4:29-30 is our prayer together, Now, Lord, look at their threats, and grant to your servants to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of your holy Servant Jesus. And Acts 14:3 reminds us that the Lord bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands. Heb 2:3-4 also declares how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation which having been spoken first through the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard, God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders, by various works of power, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to his own will. And Mark 16:20 shows the pattern, They went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the word by the signs that followed.
We want to gently encourage you to keep the balance the Scripture keeps. The gifts are real and for today, as 1 Cor 12:4-11 teaches, Now there are various kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are various kinds of service, and the same Lord. There are various kinds of workings, and the same God, who works all things in all people. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the profit of all. To one is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom, and to another the word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit, to another faith, by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healings, by the same Spirit, and to another workings of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of languages, and to another the interpretation of languages. But the one and the same Spirit produces all of these, distributing to each one separately as he desires. The Spirit distributes as He desires, according to His will, not our demand, and for the common good and the building up of the body, as Eph 4:10-11 shows He gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some shepherds and teachers. So we seek Him first, His presence and His holiness, and we humbly ask for His power while submitting to His sovereignty. We also remember Luke 11:20, But if I by the finger of God cast out demons, then God's Kingdom has come to you, that authority over demons is by the finger of God, not our own strength, and is given to display that the Kingdom has come in Jesus.
We also affirm your desire to get your lives and message correct, for 1 Tim 4:16 says Pay attention to yourself and to your teaching. Continue in these things, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you. Character and doctrine must go together, and holiness is the beautiful vessel for power.
So we pray together with you now.
Father, in the name of Jesus Christ Your Son who suffered and died for our sins, rose from the dead and ascended on high, we thank You for the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit with us, as 2 Cor 13:14 promises. We thank You that 1 John 1:3 declares that our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We ask You to deepen that fellowship in us, to make us humble yet bold, holy and loving. Produce in us the fruit of Your Spirit in abundance, love and joy and peace and patience and kindness and goodness and faithfulness and gentleness and self-control. Make us like our Master, for Matt 10:24-25 says a disciple is not above his teacher, and we are content to be like Him. Grant to us as Your servants to speak Your Word with all boldness and accuracy, and stretch out Your hand to heal and to do signs and wonders through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus, for the confirmation of the gospel and the salvation of many, as John 20:31 says these are written, that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name. We ask You to distribute gifts of the Holy Spirit according to Your will for the profit of all, gifts of healing, workings of miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, and all You desire, and help us to steward them in love and order and humility. Keep us from sin and lies and fear, keep us from pride and temptation, deliver us from the evil one, as John 17:15 and Matt 6:13 teach, and keep our hearts pure and our motives clean, not seeking signs for their own sake but seeking You. We submit our will to Yours, as Luke 22:42 says not my will, but yours, be done, and whether You grant greater works as John 14:12 speaks of, or simply make us faithful in small things, we will give You thanks. We ask this in the mighty name of Jesus, believing You hear us, for John 14:13-14 promises Whatever you will ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you will ask anything in my name, I will do it. And with thanksgiving we receive Your peace that surpasses understanding, as Phil 4:6-7 promises, and we bless You for all Your benefits, for Ps 103:2-5 says Bless Yahweh, my soul, and don't forget all his benefits, who forgives all your sins, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies, who satisfies your desire with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. Let all be for Your glory. Amen.