On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. "Sovereign Lord," they said, "you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David:
" `Why do the nations rage
and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth take their stand
and the rulers gather together
against the Lord
and against his Anointed One. '
Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of
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.
All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.
It has been amazing to see Peter and John’s boldness. But apparently they were not completely at ease. The religious leaders’ threats had some kind of impact. Peter and John went back and reported the religious leaders’ threats to the others, and they responded the way that Christians should respond: Recognizing their weakness, need, and (perhaps) fear, they prayed to God.
They praised God, acknowledging that He is all-powerful. He is the Creator. He made everything – including the disciples. They were His.
And then they noted that God Himself, through David, had predicted opposition to His Christ.
They again praised God for fulfilling His words. God had not only predicted opposition; God had brought it to pass as the Gentiles and Jews conspired together against Jesus.
And they asked for help as this opposition continued, now directed against them. They asked God to give them boldness to speak His words, and they asked God to keep doing His works in Jesus’ name. They asked God to stay on His program, and to help them in the midst of it.
The disciples recognized that they could not stand by themselves in the face of men’s threats. They did not simply get into a huddle, encourage each other, work themselves into a mindless frenzy, and break out into the world in their own strength to speak the words Jesus had given them to say. They knew that they needed God’s strength, even to speak God’s words in the face of threats.
God responded. He shook the place where they were meeting. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Talk about help! Talk about strength and power!
What were the results? They all spoke the word of God boldly. They were united with each other in heart, mind, and possessions (so much so that their needy people had all their needs met). The apostles continued to testify with power that Jesus had risen from the dead. This is what happens only by the power of God!
Father, we still need You to strengthen Your servants to speak and to stretch out Your hand to do Your works. Help us! Help me! I can’t help myself! I can’t make myself courageous enough to speak up when I’m scared. I certainly can’t do Your works – Your healings, Your signs and wonders. Lord God Almighty, carry out Your plans. Not mine. Yours. And use me and Your church. And strengthen me and my family and all Your church so that we can be useful to You. In Jesus’ name we ask for these things, because there is no other name given among men by which we must be saved. There is no other hope for such strength, such power to be poured out through us. So give us boldness to speak. And stretch out Your hands to do signs and wonders, even in the face of Your enemies’ threats and opposition. Amen.
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