Today’s passage: Acts 4:23-31
Helpful thoughts:
- In the midst of so much change, these believers knew that one thing hadn’t changed. God was sovereign, eternal, and in complete control.
- The word they used for “Lord” refers to an absolute master. They were taking comfort in God’s authority.
- In their prayer, they quoted from Psalm 2. Seeing how Christ had fulfilled prophecy assured them that everything they were going through was exactly according to God’s plan as well.
- The believers prayed for boldness to speak the word. The result, the Spirit gave them boldness to speak the word.
- These believers had just seen their brothers arrested for speaking the word…so they prayed for boldness. Not for release from persecution, but boldness.
Questions to consider:
- In what ways can the sovereignty, providence, and Lordship of God bring us comfort?
- How was the moving and filling of the Spirit different this time than it was at Pentecost? What didn’t need to happen this time? How was it the same? What was the end result of both instances?
- There are so many things these believers could have prayed for. What are some things you might have been prone to pray for if you were in their shoes before you would think to pray for boldness to continue to share the Gospel with others? How can this apply to today?