Day 12: New Wine, New Wineskins
Bible passage: Mark 2:18–22; Psalm 51:7–12; John 7:37–39
Thirsty?
Today is Sunday 12th of January 2020. Welcome to Day 12 of our 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting. Yesterday we asked God to heal us. Today we ask Him to fill us.
On the last day of a great festival in Jerusalem, Jesus stood up and shouted to the crowd that anyone who was thirsty could come to Him and drink, and that rivers of living water would flow from the heart of everyone who believes in Him. John explains that He was speaking of the Holy Spirit (John 7:37–39).
Washed and Filled
Water That Cleanses
The Bible uses many pictures for the Holy Spirit, and one of them is water. Water washes and water gives life.
David asked for the washing. He prayed to be purified from his sins and washed until he was whiter than snow (Psalm 51:7). He knew that he could not scrub himself clean, so he asked Another to do it. In the same prayer he asked God not to take the Holy Spirit from him (Psalm 51:11). Cleansing and the presence of the Spirit go together.
Paul tells us that Christ gave Himself for the church to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word (Ephesians 5:25–26). The Word and the Spirit work side by side. Our part is to say yes.
Wine That Is New
In Mark 2, people ask Jesus why His disciples do not fast in the way that others do. Part of His answer is a picture from everyday life. Nobody pours new wine into old wineskins. New wine is still fermenting and expanding. An old skin, dried out and stiff, would burst, and both wine and skin would be lost. “New wine calls for new wineskins.” Mark 2:22 (NLT)
Jesus was not bringing a patch for an old way of life. He was bringing something new, and it needs a new container.
Soft Enough to Stretch
A new wineskin is soft and can stretch. That is what God is looking for in us: hearts that are surrendered to the lordship of Jesus and ready to be changed. When He finds them, He pours.
He did it at Pentecost, when all the believers were filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4). He did it again and again through the book of Acts. Peter promised that when we turn to God, times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord (Acts 3:19–20).
Jesus started His church full of the Spirit, and that is how He wants it today.
Asking for More
Look at Him
It is right to confess our sin. But once we have, we should lift our eyes. We are meant to be more aware of His presence than of our failures.
Three Steps for Today
Come thirsty. Jesus’ invitation is to anyone who is thirsty. Tell Him that you are.
Check the wineskin. Where have you become set in your ways? Ask God to soften whatever has grown stiff.
Ask and receive. Jesus said that the Father gives the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him (Luke 11:13). Ask Him today, for yourself and for our church family.
Prayer for Today:
Lord Jesus, I am thirsty, and I come to You to drink. Wash me by Your Word and make me clean. Soften my heart where it has grown stiff, and make me a new wineskin. Pour out Your Holy Spirit on me afresh. I say yes to Your way and Your will. Send times of refreshing on our church family. Amen.
Keep going
See every day of this guide on our Prayer & Fasting page.
Let us pray with you: send a prayer request.
Join one of our prayer meetings.
