Monday 17 Apr 2023

April 17: Acts 4:23-31

Key Verse: Acts 4:31
After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

Devotion:
One things we see about the disciples is they were ready for everything which would get thrown against them after their walk with Jesus! On this occasion Peter and John had been arrested and taken before the Sanhedrin where they were warned against preaching about Jesus; they stood up to the Sanhedrin and said they could not back down from talking to people about what they had witnessed!

When they got back together with the others they prayed earnestly about what they had had to face even asking God why the world should come up against them and against God. I think the key point here once again in they took their fears and worries straight to God in prayer, not sitting down and worrying about things or putting things off for a while to see if they settled down – they took to prayer immediately.

This is the one thing I have learned about God – He listens to your prayers and answers them! If you are honest and up front with God in your prayers, He is going to reciprocate those prayers with honest and upfront answers too. God does not have to wait for the right moment to answer your prayers. He does not have to wait until you are on your knees under the weight of life. He does not have to wait for the priest to ask on your behalf… He is waiting and listening right now.

Now is the time to start your prayers and now is the time to be up front and honest in those prayers. God wants a closer relationship with you – that includes honesty and openness on both sides!

Points to Ponder:
How long do you wait before praying?

Will you try praying when you need to instead of waiting?