Acts 16:13 On the Sabbath we went a little way outside the city to a riverbank, where we thought people would be meeting for prayer, and we sat down to speak with some women who had gathered there. 14One of them was Lydia from Thyatira, a merchant of expensive purple cloth, who worshiped God. As she listened to us, the Lord opened her heart, and she accepted what Paul was saying.

You are called to work with the Holy Spirit. You are not called to be a substitute in His place or to be a lone ranger who works without Him. Jesus spoke clearly that you would be able to do nothing without His empowerment. In Acts 16 you see clearly that the response of this lady was not because of Paul’s great communication skills or his convincing charisma. This lady’s acceptance of Christ was because Paul was faithful to share the word and the Holy Spirit opened up her heart to accept what Paul was saying.

This account should be both an encouragement and a challenge to us. We should be encouraged to know that nothing we do for God is accomplished alone. He is always working within us, ahead of us, and around us to make our efforts fruitful. This should also challenge us to make sure that we invite the Holy Spirit to lead us and empower us for every act of service. It is His empowerment that makes your simple acts of obedience effective for His Kingdom.

Today’s Challenge: Realize that God wants to use your conversations to bring witness of His grace to the people around you. This is more than a challenge to express your faith. Express your faith knowing that you are doing so in synchronization with the work of the Holy Spirit. Invite Him to lead you, guide you, and empower you today.