Devotionals for July 26, 2023
Join us for a church-wide prayer & fasting on August 2-4. We will end this with a special prayer & worship on Friday, August 4 at 7:00pm.
READ
Acts 16:16-18
16 Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. 17 She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” 18 She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her.
16 Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. 17 She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” 18 She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her.
REFLECT
Who is the Gospel for? The people that society could care less about? The oppressed and the least among people?
Imagine not having a will of your own. Always forced to do someone else’s will. Never having the choice to say “no” or find a way to escape. This woman didn’t even have the choice to rebel against her earthly masters if she wanted to. The demon inside her possessed her more than they did and compelled her to do the things she did.
The demon thought that by having her shout around Paul and his friends he could deride, divide, and distract the Gospel. But the Gospel living in Paul is infinitely stronger and the demon was forced to flee the woman. She was finally free. Her masters could compel her by threats and fear, but she finally had the choice. The temporary power of Satan was gone and in their eyes, now worthless, but her true freedom was won.
Acts doesn’t say whether she accepted the gift of Christ through the Gospel, but it would not take much empathy to understand that she would be eternally grateful for what the Gospel did for her. Paul was there because the Spirit of God called him to preach the Gospel. There was no coincidence.
Is the Gospel for the downtrodden, the slave, the victims of an unjust society? Yes. Despite being possessed by the enemy of God, this woman was freed by the power given to Paul through the Gospel.
Imagine not having a will of your own. Always forced to do someone else’s will. Never having the choice to say “no” or find a way to escape. This woman didn’t even have the choice to rebel against her earthly masters if she wanted to. The demon inside her possessed her more than they did and compelled her to do the things she did.
The demon thought that by having her shout around Paul and his friends he could deride, divide, and distract the Gospel. But the Gospel living in Paul is infinitely stronger and the demon was forced to flee the woman. She was finally free. Her masters could compel her by threats and fear, but she finally had the choice. The temporary power of Satan was gone and in their eyes, now worthless, but her true freedom was won.
Acts doesn’t say whether she accepted the gift of Christ through the Gospel, but it would not take much empathy to understand that she would be eternally grateful for what the Gospel did for her. Paul was there because the Spirit of God called him to preach the Gospel. There was no coincidence.
Is the Gospel for the downtrodden, the slave, the victims of an unjust society? Yes. Despite being possessed by the enemy of God, this woman was freed by the power given to Paul through the Gospel.
APPLY
Q: Do all who hear the Gospel affected in the same way?
Q: How did Paul confront the power of Satan?
Q: When you are sharing the Gospel, what does this passage tell you about considering the situation of other people?
Q: How did Paul confront the power of Satan?
Q: When you are sharing the Gospel, what does this passage tell you about considering the situation of other people?
SING
PRAY
"Give us today our daily bread."
Lord and King, give us the grace to share the Gospel in truth and love so we can bring people the kind of freedom that only You can give. Sustain us Lord as we endeavor to be obedient to Your will.
Lord and King, give us the grace to share the Gospel in truth and love so we can bring people the kind of freedom that only You can give. Sustain us Lord as we endeavor to be obedient to Your will.