Wait for the Promise of the Father
Month 12: Risen & Sending · Walking in the Spirit
Today's Scripture
Read together: Luke 24:48-49
48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending the promise of My Father upon you. But remain in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
Memory Verse
“They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us as He spoke with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?””— Luke 24:32 (BSB)
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: 1 Thessalonians 1-3
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (A model church, gentle as a nursing mother, standing firm in faith and love.)The Heart of It
Jesus gives His disciples a huge job. "You are witnesses of these things." Then He tells them to wait. "Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high" (). Think about that. They had the most important job in history. Tell the whole world that Jesus is risen. And Step One was: don't go yet. Sit tight until the Holy Spirit comes. Jesus would not let them try to do God's work in their own strength. The same friends who had been hiding behind locked doors needed power from on high. And that power had a name. It was the Holy Spirit, "the Promise of the Father." Ten days later, at Pentecost, that promise came (). And frightened disciples became fearless witnesses.
This is the heart of walking in the Spirit. We are not meant to follow Jesus or tell others about Him by gritting our teeth and trying harder. We are meant to be "clothed." That is the picture in the word "endued." We are wrapped up in His power. Jesus already taught that the Father loves to give the Holy Spirit to those who ask. "How much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!" (). So we ask. And here is the beautiful order. First we receive Jesus as Savior. Then He wants to fill us with His Spirit for power to witness and serve. This promise is not just for the first disciples. It is for everyone Jesus calls, including your children. Before we run out to do great things for God, we wait, and we ask to be filled.
Around the Table
Jesus had a big job for His friends, but first He said, "Wait! I'm going to send you a special Helper." That Helper is the Holy Spirit, and He gives us power to be brave for Jesus.
Let's do it: Pretend to put on a superhero cape — that's like being "clothed with power" by the Holy Spirit! Then say, "Holy Spirit, fill me!"
The disciples couldn't do Jesus' big job on their own — they needed power from God. So Jesus told them to wait for the Holy Spirit.
Let's talk: Why do you think Jesus made them wait instead of letting them rush off right away?
Salvation comes first. Then Jesus wants to fill believers with the Holy Spirit for power. It is God's gift. We receive it by asking in faith. We never earn it or work it up.
Let's go deeper: What is the difference between trying to obey God by sheer willpower and being "endued with power from on high"?
💬 Conversation Starter
Have you ever tried to do something hard all by yourself when you really needed help?— Jesus told His friends to wait for the Helper before doing the biggest job ever.
🛡️ Defending the Faith
The disciples' change is itself evidence. Terrified men who fled the cross became bold preachers willing to die. And they said the change came from the Spirit at Pentecost. Cowards don't suddenly invent a movement they will be killed for ().
For Dad · Go Deeper
Classic Pentecostal teaching reads "the Promise of the Father" as a real empowering for mission that a believer can actually experience. It is distinct from the new birth, and it follows it. And it is available to every believer who asks, your children included. But hold two truths together. First, this is a gift, not an achievement. There is no formula to master and no spiritual technique to perform. We simply ask the Father in faith (). Second, the goal is witness and Christlikeness, never spectacle. As Sam Storms reminds us, "character is always more important than gifting." So any hype, prosperity twist, or pressure to manufacture experiences is off the table. Here is the searching question for you as the leader of this home. Are you trying to disciple your family on willpower, or on the Spirit's power? You cannot give your children a Spirit-filled life you are not living. So wait, ask, and lead from fullness, not fumes.
Draws on: Robert Menzies, Pentecost: This Story Is Our Story.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, thank You for the gift of Your Holy Spirit. We don't want to serve You in our own strength. Fill us with power from on high. Make us bold witnesses for Jesus. And grow His character in us. In Jesus' name, amen."
I'm not meant to follow Jesus on my own strength. The Father clothes His people with power from on high.