READ: Acts 2.17-18 NLT




‘In the last days,’ God says, ‘I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on my servants—men and women alike— and they will prophesy.’
Peter responds to the suggestion that Jesus’ followers were drunk by making the practical observation that it was far too early in the morning for anything like that! He then goes on to point out that Joel, in the 9th Century BC, had prophesied that in the last days the Spirit would be poured out upon everyone in exactly this way. In Old Testament times we often see the Spirit coming upon people but it was always to the prophets, priests and kings. In this new era of the Spirit it would be fundamentally different. The leaders of the church would continue to play a crucial role but now the doors were flung open to everyone to receive the Spirit and to hear God speak with them.
We are still living in the last days, as described by Joel, and we should expect to hear God speaking through one another as his Spirit comes upon us. I find this incredibly exciting. We thank God for those whom he has called to be church leaders and we will often hear them faithfully declaring God’s word. But we should be expecting to hear God speak to us through everyone else in the church as well. We should expect to hear him speak through the shy and retiring people just as much as through the bold and talkative ones. We need to do what I love to call “deep listening”. Because we know that God loves to speak to us through one another within the church we need to give our best attention to one another. Deep listening takes time, effort and much love but as we listen we can be sure that we will hear God speaking to us.
QUESTIONS: Who are the people who have spoken God’s word to you most clearly in recent months?



PRAYER: Thank you, Lord, that you love to speak with us. Help me to listen out for your voice in all my Christian brothers and sisters. Amen

Released on 26 May 2021