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 in 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 and Silas and Timothy are trying to go one direction and the Holy Spirit forbids them. Like how did that happen? How did the Holy Spirit forbid Paul and Silas and Timothy from going to Asia and then they started to go into Bithynia and the spirit of Jesus didn’t allow them to go there.
Acts 16:6–10 Shows Us How the Holy Spirit Guided the Spread of the Gospel
I want to know how. Certainly, it wasn’t just because it was hard when they started to go in that direction. That doesn’t stop Paul at other times. This is part of the mystery of the subverse, how the Holy Spirit leads us. Obviously, we know the Holy Spirit will always lead us to obey the Word of God, to proclaim the Word of God. But where we proclaim it, when we go in this direction or that direction that necessitates that you and I walk and step with the Spirit.
This is one of my favorite passages in the Book of Acts. It just shouts to me, “David, walk and step with the Spirit today. There are so many things you will do today, you’ll say today, and different decisions you’ll make. You don’t want to make those decisions or speak those words in the flesh. You want to do everything in your day according to the leadership of the Spirit of God.”
And the Spirit will lead us. The Spirit will guide us. The Spirit will keep us from going in wrong directions if we’re walking in step with him. So let this transform the way you view your life today. You’re not just mechanically going through motions, you’re not just naturally making decisions. You have the Holy Spirit of God inside of you to lead you, to guide you, to form your thoughts and your desires.
Acts 16:6–10 Encourages Us to Walk in Step with the Spirit
And so seek him in the morning and say to God, “Lead me today by your Spirit.” This is one of the ways I try to finish my time with the Lord in the morning, just praying through my day. Praying for the people that I’m planning to interact with. The different things I’m planning to do. Knowing those plans could change. Knowing there will be things that I didn’t expect. “God, lead me by your Spirit in it all.” Let’s just pray that together.
God, we want to walk and step with your Spirit. Like Paul was walking in step with your Spirit in Acts 16:6–10. We want our every conversation, our every decision, our every thought, our every desire, our every step to be led by your Spirit. We think about Romans 8. Those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. God, we are so thankful to be your sons and daughters. And we praise you for the gift of your Spirit inside of us. So lead and guide and direct us today. We pray, toward the people, to the places, in all the ways that you desire to glorify yourself through us. Lord, we want to walk and step with your Spirit. Keep us from sin. Keep us from foolishness.
Help us to walk wisely in step with your Spirit and God, in step with your Spirit to speak your word to people around us, to build up the body of Christ as we have opportunity today, to share the gospel as we have opportunity today. And God, just as you were doing here in Acts 16, would you lead, guide, and direct our steps toward places and people who need the gospel and haven’t heard the gospel just like you were doing here in Acts 16, a man of Macedonia in this vision saying, ‘Come over here and help us.’?
Praying for the Igdalen People
God, help us to hear the cry of the unreached. We pray for the Igdalen people of Niger today, 70,000 of them. God, may somebody hear your voice, your Spirit calling them to go to the Igdalen people today for the spread of your grace and your glory in that people group.
God, we pray for our obedience to your Spirit’s leadership when it comes to the spread of the gospel among the nations. We say in a fresh way today, each of us, not just in the details of our lives today, but in the overall picture of our lives we belong to you. Lead us. Guide us. Direct our lives, our families, and our churches, according to your Spirit’s design for your glory among all the nations. We praise you for your Holy Spirit in us. We pray that you would help us to walk and step with you today. In Jesus’ name, amen.
David Platt serves as a Lead Pastor for McLean Bible Church. He is also the Founder of Radical, an organization that makes Jesus known among the nations.
David received his B.A. from the University of Georgia and M.Div., Th.M., and Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Some of his published works include Radical, Radical Together, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Don’t Hold Back, and How to Read the Bible.
He lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area with his wife and children.
