21 Days of Fasting & Prayer Devotional – Day 18: Freely Give!

Imagine this. You are going about your day like usual until you hear tragic news. A family that you know well has come across a devastating financial loss and needs $100,000 to make up for their debts. You are heartbroken for them and want to do something to help. A friend of yours who also knows the family hears about the news and decides they will help them by covering the $100,000. They want to keep the gift anonymous, so rather than paying the family directly, they ask if you would be willing to deliver the funds personally. You are thrilled with the news and have decided to give the funds as quickly as possible. You meet with the family and hand over the money they need to cover their debt. They are thrilled and so grateful to receive such a generous gift. Even though it wasn’t your money, you were still able to be a part of making a massive difference in their lives.

This perfectly illustrates what it looks like for a believer to operate in the power of the Spirit. When it comes to healing the sick, raising the dead, and casting out demons, we are not the ones who are doing it. Instead, we are just delivering the resource that has been given to us by God. That’s why when Jesus is teaching the disciples how to minister to others, he says, “Freely you have received; freely give.”

As believers, we don’t have to worry about whether or not we have the power to impact the lives of those around us. Jesus has the power, and He has freely given it to us! Our responsibility is to go out and share with others the power that God has made freely available through the Holy Spirit.

As you go throughout your day, look for opportunities to minister to those around you. You have freely received, so go out and give!

 

Scriptures

Matthew 10:5-8 (NIV)

These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of Heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.