January 24

Full of Faith and Power

Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs.
—Acts 6:8

Scripture reading: Luke 4:1–19

I n the early days of the church, all who did the work of serv-
ing had to be full of the Holy Spirit. The greatest qualifica-
tion for ministry is to be filled with the Spirit.
Stephen was a man “full of faith and the Holy Spirit” (Acts
6:5). God so manifested Himself in Stephen‘s body that he became
an epistle of truth, known and read by all. He was full of faith!
Such men never talk doubtfully. You never hear them say, ―I wish
it could be so,‖ or ―If it is God‘s will.‖ They have no ifs; they know.
You never hear them say, ―Well, it is not always so.‖ They say, ―It
is sure to be.‖ They laugh at impossibilities and cry, ―It will be
done!‖ They shout while the walls are up and when they come
down. God has this faith for us in Christ. We must be careful that
no unbelief and no wavering are found in us.
“Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs
among the people” (Acts 6:8). The Holy Spirit could do mighty
things through him because he believed God, and God is with the
man who dares to believe His Word. All things were possible be-
cause of the Holy Spirit‘s position in Stephen‘s body. Because Ste-
phen was full of the Holy Spirit, God could fulfill His purposes
through him. When a child of God is filled with the Holy Spirit, the
Spirit “makes intercession for the saints according to the will of
God” (Rom. 8:27). He fills us with longings and desires until we are
in a place of fervency like a glowing fire. When we do not know
what to do, the Holy Spirit begins to work. When the Holy Spirit
has liberty in the body, He conveys all prayers into the presence of
God. Such prayers are always heard. Such praying is always ans-
wered; it is never bare of result. When we are praying in the Holy
Spirit, faith is evident, and as a result the power of God can be ma-
nifested in our midst.
When some of the various synagogues arose to dispute with
Stephen, “they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by
which he spoke” (Acts 6:10). When we are filled with the Holy Spi-
rit, we will have wisdom.

Thought for today: A man full of faith hopes against hope.

49