Trusting minute by minute... and daily praying and filling... and relationship!

March 31, 2003

Yesterday I pinned ___'s and ___’s names to the cross at church: I forgive.

Then I remembered, “Day by day.” Yesterday the pastor’s son told how he would try to resolve to follow God better for a month or whatever, and then he’d screw up in a day, and how hopeless it seemed. And what helped him is that Pastor ___ advised him just to go minute by minute, because if you screw up this minute, there’s a fresh one available right away. And that is true. And Lord, I’m really wanting to do that. I don’t know any other way to trust You than just moment by moment because I have no control over even the present, much less the future.

Anyway, Lord, I read today in Acts 4 how, after the apostles had been filled with the Holy Spirit, and Peter and John had been put in prison and then taken before the council where they witnessed boldly for Jesus, they gathered together with the other apostles and prayed for confidence and the Holy Spirit filled them again. So… its not just a one-time experience! It’s daily praying and filling… I’m not quite clear on “details” or “formula”… except to keep praying, keep in totally close, ongoing relationship with the Father, through the Son… and reaching out to others by the Holy Spirit… who is given after prayer in Jesus’ name.

I’m wondering, Lord… the teaching I’ve been given seems to emphasize individual infilling of the Holy Spirit… but the Biblical accounts I’m reading seem to be group infillings… and I am so impressed by the “all things held in common” approach of the early church…

Lord, we are so individualistic in our society. That’s a big problem! What can I (we!) do to be more in “common,” in “unity,” in “oneness,” dear Jesus? Please show us some ways.