9DAYS NOVENA TO THE HOLY SPIRIT. DAY 2

9DAYS NOVENA TO THE HOLY SPIRIT

DAY 2

MODERATED BY: Fr Justin Nzekwe

DAILY THEME: Envy nobody, be among the selected.

BIBLE PASSAGE: Numbers 11:16-29

The Lord said to Moses: “Bring me seventy of Israel’s elders who are known to you as leaders and officials among the people. Have them come to the tent of meeting, that they may stand there with you. I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take some of the power of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them. They will share the burden of the people with you so that you will not have to carry it alone.

“Tell the people: ‘Consecrate yourselves in preparation for tomorrow, when you will eat meat. The Lord heard you when you wailed, “If only we had meat to eat! We were better off in Egypt!” Now the Lord will give you meat,and you will eat it. You will not eat it for just one day, or two days, or five, ten or twenty days, but for a whole month—until it comes out of your nostrils and you loathe it—because you have rejected the Lord, who is among you, and have wailed before him, saying, “Why did we ever leave Egypt?”’”

But Moses said, “Here I am among six hundred thousand men on foot, and you say, ‘I will give them meat to eat for a whole month!’ Would they have enough if flocks and herds were slaughtered for them? Would they have enough if all the fish in the sea were caught for them?”

The Lord answered Moses, “Is theLord’s arm too short? Now you will see whether or not what I say will come true for you.”

So Moses went out and told the people what the Lord had said. He brought together seventy of their elders and had them stand around the tent. Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke with him, and he took some of the power of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders. When the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied—but did not do so again.

However, two men, whose names were Eldad and Medad, had remained in the camp. They were listed among the elders, but did not go out to the tent. Yet the Spirit also rested on them, and they prophesied in the camp. A young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.”

Joshua son of Nun, who had been Moses’ aide since youth, spoke up and said, “Moses, my lord, stop them!”

But Moses replied, “Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lordwould put his Spirit on them!”
REFLECTION: The wind of the Spirit blows wherever it wills. Human beings are only instruments in the hand of God, who decides whom to give his Spirit. The Lord asked Moses to gather before the tabernacle seventy men who are recognized as the elders and leaders of Israel.

They were to help Moses shoulder the burdens of the people. Moses did what the Lord asked him to do, but two people did not turn up. The Lord poured his Spirit upon the men before his tabernacle, and also to Eldad and Medad who remained in their tent and they all prophesy. The people including Joshua wanted Moses to stop them, but Moses said, “Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit upon them all!” Do not be jealous of others, pray for the gift of the Spirit that you desire.

Approach the tabernacle as part of this novena to ask God for his Spirit. Be ready also to shoulder the burden of others.

PRAYER:
Come Holy Spirit, I need you. Use me, possess me, overshadow me, consecrate me, work in me and through me. Fill me with your power and your unfathomable gifts. Recreate me that I may live a life in the spirit. Renew your church with the power of Pentecost, and revive me with the Pentecost experience. Come oh gift of Christ my Lord, so that I may never be left as an orphan. Build your home in me, make me a temple fit for thee. Come oh light divine, and dispel the darkness of my being. Come oh great intercessor and carry my prayers to God the Father in groans too deep for sound. Come oh tongues of fire and devour my fears, make me your worthy ambassador, and forever take control of my life. Amen.

CONFESS:
Lord as I surrender my life to you, let the radical power of your Spirit which descended on Eldad and Medad come upon me. Choose me and use me as a worthy instrument in your hand. Make me your prophet that I may be able to discern your voice.

***More prayers and meditation*** ***Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit……. (3x) *** In the name of the Father and of the son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.