Demonstrations of Power

Jim Elliot had a passion for the Gospel. This passion led him to become a missionary and follow God’s call to bring the Gospel to the Auca Indians in Ecuador. There, in 1956, Elliot and four colleagues were martyred.

This radical commitment enabled his life to have an impact that still inspires men and women. We can see his passion in his journals, which are full of insights. As he described on this day in 1949, he observed how many Christians knew a lot about the Bible, traditions, and doctrines. But something was missing: real power and real revelation.

His prayer was that God would raise people who possessed passion for the Gospel who would believe God for “new miracles.” He prayed that they would be filled with His power and speak “explosive, direct, simple words.”

Elliot wasn’t content with knowledge but desired a faith that made real change. Echoing the commitment made by the apostle Paul, he cried that the Spirit would move through his life and that there would be real demonstrations of power.

The world needs people with this same commitment and zeal for the things of God. We need people who aren’t content just to collect information about their faith but, as Jim prayed, will be “lit by the Spirit of God.” We need transformed lives, to be passionately committed to the Gospel, and to be bold and believe God for miracles.