Prayer Works Morning Devotion: April 23, 2025

"Waiting On The Holy Spirit - Getting Our Hearts Ready for Pentecost"

"The Disciples' Eyes Opened"

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Good morning, good morning, everybody. Let us pray. Heavenly Father, we come before you today. We thank you for your goodness and your mercy towards us. This is the day that you have made. We are rejoicing and we are glad in it.  

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law. We are crucified with Christ nevertheless, we live not yet I, but Christ lives by faith in us is where dwells in us richly. We are able to say we are blessed, we are healed, we are set free, sickness cannot dwell in us. The number of our days you will fulfill.  

Sin cannot dominate us because the seed of God's word lives in us. We believe that God Jesus Christ came and died on the cross and rose again, and we now have this abundant life and the victory and the freedom and liberty that he provided, and we strongly believe that no weapon formed against us shall prosper.  

That in him and through him, we are now more than conquerors. Because of his great love that is in us we believe that Jesus Christ is the hope of glory in us. So as we acknowledge you and as we stand every morning to devote this time to you.  

It's our desire to grow in you. It's our desire for our faith to be enhanced. It's our desire to represent this Kingdom and it's our desire to commune with you daily. So that our lives are made much simpler because of the gift of the Holy Spirit working and counseling us.  

We thank you for your grace. We thank you, Lord, for loving us beyond the depth of our knowledge and our imagination. The scripture says with him just how wide, how long the love of God is, that nothing can ever separate us from the love that God has for us.  

So we are grateful that you loved us. So here we are this morning, Lord as we look into these scriptures. Help us to divinely understand. Help us to divinely grow And help us to divinely get the wisdom that we need to live this complex life that we find ourselves in. 

But yet magnificent and easy because your counsel outweighs any challenges or any problems that we would ever face. So we bless you this morning, be with us as we look into this word in Jesus name, Amen. 

If you are joining us for the first time, or if you're not sure what's going on between now and June 8th, which is Pentecost Sunday. We are going to be looking and pricking with Jesus as we are, wait for the Holy Spirit.  

We know that the Holy Spirit falls on the disciples in the book of Acts right after Jesus ascends. So we are kind of following and tracking this journey, believing in our hearts and in our minds that when we get to our Pentecost Sunday.  

That God will pour out his spirit on us and will give us revelation, knowledge and wisdom and all that we desire to know and to hear as we receive the power of the Holy Spirit. So we are tracking these scriptures so we can get a better understanding of what it was like during that time.  

As disciples awaited or rather, as the journey towards Pentecost unfolded. So today we are back in Luke. And this is right after Jesus rose from the dead. And he had met two people who were walking towards Jerusalem, and he has a conversation with him.  

And in that conversation you know, they were asking Jesus if he was the only person who didn't know what took place in Jerusalem because their eyes were closed to the fact that this was Jesus they were talking to. So when we ended yesterday.  

He said in verse 25 he said to them, hopefully if you are and how slow to believe all that the professor spoken did not Messiah, have to suffer these things and then enter his glory. And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the scriptures concerning himself.  

As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as he was going further by the ensuing strongly to stay with them, for it is nearly evening. The day is almost over, so he went to stay with them.  

When he was at the table with them he took bread. So now he has stayed with this two people. Now he's having dinner with them. So when he was at the table with them, he took bread and gave thanks and broke it and began to give it to them.  

Now as we all know, this is communion, common union and is taking place here again remember before the Last Supper Jesus broke bread with the disciples and to signify and it says do this in remembrance of me.  

Now this time these men have been Jesus had had gone all the way back, explaining stricture from Moses to now, yet they did not understand. And how do we know this is because even after they heard what Jesus said, their eyes were not open to the fact that this was the this was Jesus, the Messiah they were talking to.  

So now as they are sitting at this table Jesus breaks bread with them, signifying communion. And in that moment, in that moment of common union he gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them as soon as he gave it to them.  

Their eyes were opened and they recognized him and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other. We're not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened scriptures to us.  

They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found 11 and those with them assembled together. And saying it is true the Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon. 

Then the two told what had happened on the way and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke bread. Brothers and sisters today, we want us to center our hearts on communion.  

Now as you know it, because we have talked about this before. The word communion comes from 2 broken words, common and union.

In order to have a common union with another person, that means there has to be something between the two of you that is common, and it also brings you to unity.  

So the issue of communion or rather, not the issue the Joy of communion is that it brings us to alignment with Christ. It makes us one.

So when Jesus was telling his disciples do this in remembrance of me, in other words, as you are doing this, I want you to remember the things that bring us together in unity.  

And you're remembering you're remembering of Jesus brings you to this place of acknowledging the work of the cross and what he did and how you, in the acceptance of that work you are essentially becoming one with him.  

That's why the scripture says we are crucified with Christ nevertheless, with live, you don't get crucified with somebody unless you have common union. These men while Jesus was speaking to them on the road.  

They had every word that Jesus was speaking to them. But yet their eyes were not open to the fact that this was the Messiah they were talking to. Which means brothers and sisters in our quest, This is why sometimes you can hear a person say I read scripts every day, but I don't seem to understand it.  

The reason why there is not understanding when people read scriptures is because they haven't gotten to the place where there is common union. Common union simply means that there is a spirit that uniting us. 

That the scriptures essentially becomes very clear to you because there is the interpretation of the Holy Spirit. Again, we are waiting for the Holy Spirit. Now here's the thing, brothers and sisters. 

As you know the Holy Spirit wrote the Bible. Because it was the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that gave those the ability to write those scriptures. The Holy Spirit created the world Genesis 1.  

The spirit was hovering over the deep of the dark. And that's how the world came to be because of this spirit. The Holy Spirit was the one that impregnated Mary. Mary was found pregnant by the Holy Spirit.  

So now that we know these things, we then recognize this idea that it is through the Holy Spirit that we gain our understanding of the scriptures. Remember, we can read Scripture, but illumination of the Scriptures comes from the Holy Spirit.  

Without all the spirit there is no illumination. Now. This man walked with Jesus. The holy spirit is not yet poured out. As they are walking with Jesus, scripture is spoken all the way from Moses to where they are now.  

Now you can imagine how long this remember, it's 7 miles they are walking. So for seven miles that Jesus is walking with this man. He breaks down scripture from Moses to where he is standing now through all the prophets, sons and the prophets.  

The breaks it all down, that all that is pointing to me. And yet their eyes were not opened. But it was only after they sat with Jesus. Now I want you to think about this. Jesus is about to leave them. He's about to leave them.  

After he finished giving them the whole sequence of events from Moses and all the prophets. As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on. As if you were going further. 

So Jesus is like. Yeah, I'm continuing on my journey. Now here comes the invitation. But they urged him stay, stay with us. Now there's a principle here. We do this when we are extending salvation. 

That if you invite Jesus into your heart. Jesus now, while we are here, let me say this. All humanity belongs to God because we created us, he owns us through the fact that he created us. But belonging to Jesus is a choice.  

He chose us and we have to choose him back, we have to invite him. So after these scriptures were spoken to these men, their hearts were burning and Jesus is about to continue on his journey, but they insisted that he stayed.  

So if they don't insist in Jesus staying, it simply means that we don't get to communion. Jesus just left and all they would have had, after all that Jesus had said to them would have been information and knowledge description. 

But in order to get to wisdom it was appointed to invite Jesus to stay longer. Without the invitation of staying longer we don't get to communion. Remember yesterday we were talking about desire. That it's your desire that pushes the Kingdom to rest upon all of us, and also for the spirit.  

If we are facing and we are expecting then this spirit cannot deny itself upon us. So in this situation we ask to stay longer. Jesus leads us now to this place where we have to have communion. And it's only during communion that their eyes were opened. Only during communion that their eyes were open.  

For us now, brothers and sisters we can invite the spirits to show up. But that's not the end of it. The end of it is us the turning in our hearts that we want you to stay longer with us.

This is why brothers and sisters, if you, one of the reasons why churches are suffering is because when the spirit shows up, we don't invite him to stay longer.  

We watch our time and all the things that we need to do, and we asked him to leave because we have according to us more important things to do. But if you don't invite the spirit to stay longer, you don't get to communion.  

You don't get to sit down and break bread with the spirit. Because it's only through the breaking of bread and the communion of the Holy Spirit when he shows up. When you give him time to do what he desires to do only then will our eyes will be opened.  

Without communion, there is no opening of eyes. Without asking, there is no opening of eyes. Without asking the spirit to stay longer, there is no we don't get to communion. Remember time, time is in hours, minutes.  

Time was given to us so that it can govern our existence so that we in our interpretation of things we don't get lost because we essentially have time to help us to navigate our existence in this world but time. The Holy Spirit is not governed by time.  

That's why the scripture says what seems to be a moment to us is 1000 years in the Lord. So which essentially means that in spirit. That's why sometimes it's good worship services there is no time. It's timelessness.  

You just know I've been here. It's only later on when you look, you realize, Oh my God, I've been in this for a while, because when you are with the spirit there is no time. So what seems longer, 7 miles seems long but it wasn't enough. But the insistence of Jesus staying is what led them to communion.  

So here is the lesson for today. In fact, for the rest of our lives. Hear me brothers and sisters anytime you get the visitation of the Holy Spirit do not be quick to get out of communion.  

In fact, ask him to stay longer. So that it gets you to communion because once you break bread with the spirits, your life will never be the same again.

Do not be in a rush when the Holy Spirit indulges you. It is a privilege for the spirit of God to enter a place. Not everybody enjoys that privilege. Sometimes we have to do a lot to get to that.  

So when you finally does do not be quick to shut your doors on him. Because your agenda, your time is governing you, rather ask him to stay longer. Because you want to get to communion. Because when it's only when you get to convenience that your eyes will be opened. 

Only to get the communion your eyes will open and you don't get to communion without asking the Holy Spirit to stay longer. This is one of the biggest challenges that we had in the 21st century church. We don't know how to ask the Holy Spirit to stay longer.  

We want him at our pleasure, at our time, at our program. And he’s not governed by time. Once you put him in time frame, he doesn't fit that, that's for us.

So next time you are in worship next time you are in your prayer closet, next time you feel the Holy Spirit has come upon you ask him to stay longer so you get to communion.  

Why do you want to get to communion? Is because your eyes will be opened in as much as this man's eyes were opened. It's amazing when you think about that. 7 miles of walking with Jesus the Messiah.  

Right after Resurrection, Jesus is branding you straight from hell. Where he has been ministering for three days. And he just returned and he walks with you for seven miles and you can’t figure it out. 

And what about the knowledge of Scripture? Forget about walking with him. If somebody chronicles for you and details for you from Moses to the prophets.

I'm sure you be like. Who is this guy who knows this much scripture? But still their eyes were not opened to the fact this was the Messiah. 

It's only after they asked him to stay longer and eat dinner with them. Only then were their eyes opened. And that's when they recognize that, oh, my God, when he was talking to us while we were walking, didn't our hearts burn?  

So which means that during that entire time their hearts was burning because of the word, but yet their eyesight was not open to the fact that this was the Messiah. Only after sitting with him and we are breaking bread, fellowshipping in communion, says this is my body, eat it. 

I'm sure it was after that first swallowing that their eyes was like, Oh my God. This is the Messiah. Now look then they are eyes were opened and they recognized him right after they recognize him, he disappeared from their sight.  

In other words you got what I came here for. So you don't leave the Holy Spirit until you get what he comes there for. Until he reveals what he came here for because every time this tree shows up he comes bearing gifts.  

So what's the use of kicking him out before you get the gift. It does not make sense to me. That you wait along on the Holy Spirit for a while and then it shows up and then once he shows up, you're kicking him out before you get the gift that you brought. 

So in our interaction with the Holy Spirit, I want us to pay attention to these things because it is essential for our survival, for our eyes to be opened to the things that he wants to reveal to us.

It's only after he reveals that we can let him go. Otherwise it’s upon us to desire for him to stay until we get what we desire to get, Amen. 

I hope you enjoyed this as much as I'm enjoying it. And brothers and sisters to show you this is the period. I'm not writing notes the day before on this. I'm trying to go through this year in real time with all of us.  

Of course I will read the scripture back the day before, but really my desire is for him to show up these mornings when we are together and reveal his to us in real time. So that I both I and you can both enjoy the fact that he is revealing himself to us every morning.  

So this is an incredible lesson for me, for all of you that when the Holy Spirit shows up, asked him to stay longer. So you can get to communion. Why? So that your eyes can be opened, Amen.  

So as we're preparing for Pentecost, we are preparing to join together in June, and we are praying that all these lessons that we are getting will become evident as we also await for our Pentecost Sunday, Amen, Amen. Let us pray.  

Dear Heavenly Father we thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Today we are just grateful. We are not asking for anything. We are believing that when we commune with you our eyes will be opened to everything that you desire to do through us.  

So we pray, Lord, in our desires help us to have a clear understanding of how your spirit functions. So that we will not miss a thing when he shows up.

We thank you for this tremendous gift that you have given us to counsel, to work with us, to illuminate scriptures to us. To bring life and the gifts and the fruit of the spirit, of the spirit.  

We thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Can't imagine where our lives would be without it. So as we continue to commune with you help us in our desire to know the spirit when he speaks, when he counsels, when he opens up our eyes.  

We thank you for revelation knowledge and we thank you for wisdom. We thank you for information and we thank you for illumination.

Now Lord, as we go through this day. Bless us in our goings ad in our coming aims to protect all of us from harm and danger, seen or unseen. And Lord, we will continue to lift up our children.  

We know it was not an event, but it is the cause of our lives, so we continually lift them up. And asking the gift of the spirit to continue to indulge them in everything they do. Open their eyes to this incredible phenomenal gift.  

So their lives can be made richer too. Bless every family represented here. Bless every every child's agenda and desire, the things they want to accomplish and do in life.

Bless them mightly, open doors for every single one of our children, grown or young may their gifts and talents be enhanced in their efforts to live remarkable lives.  

But above all else give them Jesus. Heal those who are sick amongst us emotionally, mentally, physically. We thank you as we go through this day. May your blessings be upon us. May you walk with us.  

May you counsel us and may we be quick to hear and to listen and to obey. We thank you for this sovereign day. Now and forevermore lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one, for thine is the Kingdom, the power and the glory, forever and ever, Amen.  

Brothers and sisters we will have an incredible phenomenal day. Stay in the culture of expectation. You are just a moment away from God doing something remarkable from answering a prayer, from bringing things to fruition.

Raise your faith every single day that you are alive, raise your faith. Let us all have a good day. We will see you tomorrow.