Acts 4:23-31 (NIV)

In today’s passage we go with Peter and John from their encounter with the Sanhedrin back to their community of Jesus followers. They talk about what happened, they pray, and they are filled with the Holy Spirit. They ask for the LORD to see the threats against them and to empower them with boldness. But they don’t ask for the persecution to stop... or for the opposition to be punished… because they see and understand what’s happening. In their minds there is a thread that connects the dots—a perspective that informs the past, present and future and helps them see their place in God’s story… They are looking at it all with a belief in the sovereignty of God. He is LORD over creation, over kings and nations, and even over the plans and schemes of those who oppose him. They trust God. They believe that there is no situation, no part of the human experience that he is not interested in, able to heal, or able to help them walk through. As you listen to the passage, particularly the prayer of this community, consider how you typically pray... and how your view of God informs the requests you lay at his feet.

----------REFLECT----------

1. What stood out to you in the passage?

2. When you come to the LORD in prayer, do you usually do that alone? Or with others who are following Jesus?

3. In this passage, the LORD answers their prayers by filling them with his Holy Spirit to speak the word of God boldly. This doesn’t mean arrogance or insensitivity. It just means they were able to speak without fear, with confidence and courage. Is there a situation in your life where you need the Holy Spirit to fill you so that you can be bold? To speak or act in courage as you follow Jesus? Ask for that from the sovereign LORD today.

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Bible Project: Acts 1-12 Overview >>

InterVarsity Press Selections: Acts >>

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