God's Holy Fire: 'Spirit-Led Conclusions'

Friday, June 13, 2025

[The apostles and elders in Jerusalem writing to Gentile Christians:] "For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay no greater burden on you than these few requirements ..."
— Acts 15:28 NLT

Key Thought

Acts 15 is a remarkable reminder of the power of the Holy Spirit to work within a group of people seeking to honor God. Today's verse is from the conclusion of the gathering of apostles, elders, and believers in Jerusalem where they were seeking to address questions about how much of Judaism would be required of Gentile converts to Christianity. There were radically different opinions on what should be done. Some of those opinions were wrong. Others were right. But as God's leaders - in the presence of the other members of Jesus' church in Jerusalem - prayed and discussed and listened, they came to a conviction they understood as the word of the Holy Spirit. Why is it so hard for us to come to such consensus and to a similar conviction?

Today's Prayer

O Father, give the leaders of your people Spirit-led insight and wisdom. Give us courage as your people to insist that our leaders be Spirit-filled. And, dear Father, please help us honor the work of your Spirit to lead us in the direction you want us to go. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

Have thoughts on this devotional? Leave a comment

3 Related Resources by Heartlight

Spirit-led Communication
Devo: Unstoppable!
"[At the end of the meeting about whether Gentile Christians had to follow Jewish customs,] the apostles and elders together with the whole church in...."
Guidance from the Holy Spirit
Devo: A Year with Jesus
"Dear Precious Disciple, The conference that you read about in the verses below occurred in Jerusalem. The focus of that conference was what should be..."
Generous Like Our Father
Virtual Worship by Demetrius Collins & Phil Ware
'Keep on helping the poor...' was a core commitment that came out of this history-changing moment in Jesus' church! Demetrius Collins and Phil Ware lead us in an online, DIY, worship through words and music using YouTube videos to celebrate our blessings in Christ and our need to reflect our Father's values by being generous and gracious ourselves.

Illustration

Illustration of Acts 15:28 NLT — [The apostles and elders in Jerusalem writing to Gentile Christians:] "For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay no greater burden on you than these few requirements ..."

Other Devotionals from Heartlight for Friday, June 13, 2025

What Jesus Did!
A daily guide from the gospels that challenges readers to live for Jesus.
'The Ultimate Net' (Mt. 13:47-50)
"[Jesus continued teaching about the Kingdom:] "Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a fishing net that was thrown into the water and caught fish of..."
Passion for Praise
A daily passage of Scripture emphasizing praise to our God.
'For the Honor of Your Name' (Ps. 31:1-3)
"O Lord, I have come to you for protection; don't let me be disgraced. Save me, for you do what is right. Turn your ear to listen to me; rescue me..."
Unstoppable!
A one-year devotional guide through the book of Acts.
'Persecution' (Acts 12:1)
"About that time King Herod Agrippa began to persecute some believers in the church."
Today's Verse
A daily devotional featuring a Bible verse, thought and prayer.
John 17:3
"Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent."

About This Devotional

God's Holy Fire is a daily devotional about the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

The Thoughts and Prayer for God's Holy Fire are written by Phil Ware.

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scripture quotations marked MESSAGE are taken from THE MESSAGE, copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

More God's Holy Fire

Translations