Guided by God’s Spirit (Acts 16:6–10)

And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
– Acts 16:6–10

What a scene! Paul, Timothy, and Silas are traveling, and they’re trying to go into a particular part of Asia for the spread of God’s Word. And the Spirit of God the Holy Spirit, forbids them from going.

Then they try to go into Bethia, and the Spirit of Jesus does not allow them. Then they have this vision. Paul has this vision of a man from Macedonia, and God makes it clear: “That’s where I’m leading you to go”. So the Spirit of Jesus– and we don’t know why He does this– why did He stop Paul from going somewhere? We know it wasn’t just because it was hard. That doesn’t stop Paul in other places. So there’s some mystery around this. But the whole picture is Paul, Silas, and Timothy walking in step with the Spirit, and the Holy Spirit leading and guiding their steps where He wants them to go for the spread of His Word.

Acts 16:6–10 challenges us to live in step with the Spirit of God.

And as I read this, I think: I want to live like this. I want to live in step with the Holy Spirit all day long today.

Not just in major decisions like where to go in my life. I also want to in those decisions, but also in the small decisions, and just in every moment of my day. I want to walk in step with God’s Spirit. And I want to pray this over, not just my life, but over your life.

That you would walk in step with the Holy Spirit, knowing He’s leading all of us for sure, to spread His Word, to spread His love, to do all the things we know from His Word to do, to be holy, to be humble, to be Christ-like, to bear the fruit of His Spirit. So those things we don’t have to wonder about. We know we’re called to do those things. At the same time, who to share the Word with today? Who to encourage in what way? Who to serve in this or that way?

Acts 16:6–10 reminds us we need the Spirit’s guidance to be effective servants of God.

And that’s where we need the leadership of the Holy Spirit all day long just to guide us and direct us. And I love Romans 8: “Those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God”, or daughters of God, or children of God. So God, we pray for this in our lives today. We pray that we would be led by Your Spirit. We pray for sensitivity to Your Spirit.

Help us to speak.That every word we say may be led by Your Spirit. We pray that our thoughts all day long would be led by Your Spirit. We pray that our desires would be Spirit-led desires, not fleshly desires, but Spirit-led desires. And we pray that our decisions would be led by Your Spirit, whether that’s at work, at school, whatever we’re doing with family, with friends at the gym, and trying to decide where to go eat or what to do.

At this point in our day. God, we pray that all that we do today would be directed by Your Spirit. And we pray that, through Your Spirit in us, You would use our lives today, however, You want to build up other brothers and sisters in Christ, to lead people to hear Your Word, maybe for the first time. God, to be a blessing in any way You call us to the people around us today, to work with all our hearts in a way that brings glory to You. God, please direct us by Your Spirit.

A Prayer for the Tabasaran People

And Father, we pray in Your Spirit right now by the leadership of Your Spirit for the Tabasaran people of Russia. Oh Holy Spirit, 150,000 of them who need you to open their eyes to the gospel. Lead Your Church, to spread the gospel to the Tabasaran people of Russia.

We pray that it would be so by the power of Your Spirit. Do what you did in Acts 16 in your Church today. Orchestrate people, visions, whatever it takes for the spread of the grace, mercy, love of Jesus to the Tabasaran people of Russia. We pray that in Your Spirit. And we pray that You’d help us to live in step with Your Spirit all day long today. We pray this believing that You want this more than we even do, and that You will lead us, You will guide us as we ask for Your leadership and Your guidance, in Jesus’ Name.

And, oh God, I just sense prompting from Your Spirit to pray specifically over people who are walking through hard situations right now, who need wisdom to make decisions, wisdom in what to say, what to do in certain situations. I pray a particular grace over them, over all of us who are in that kind of picture, lead us. Help us by Your Spirit. we pray in Jesus’ name. May it be so. Amen.