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.
“After they prayed…” What had they prayed? They had been threatened and imprisoned by the same people who had insisted on the killing of Jesus (Acts 5:30). Peter and John fully understood the threat, “shut up about Jesus or else!” After they had been threatened and released they went back to their own people and with them praised God and prayed that they would be strong and not back down. They prayed that they would move forward and be strong in the Lord. They had been warned to stop or suffer severe, perhaps fatal consequences. Yet they did not dwell on the threats but reminded themselves who God is and how great He is (Acts 4:24-26). They didn’t look at the ones who threatened them but instead looked at God. David did the same thing when facing Goliath. Moses saw the Red Sea in front of him and all the Israelites, but Moses instead looked to the power of God and not the circumstances. David slew Goliath because God was with him. The Lord God told Moses “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” (Exodus 14:13-14) Then the Lord told Moses to stop crying out to Him but to do what Moses had been told to do. Move out and trust God. God parted the Red Sea with a mighty wind that pushed back the Red Sea and dried the land so that His people could pass through on dry land (Exodus 14:21-22). The Lord also moved the pillar of cloud from God that was leading them moved to the rear of them to keep the Egyptian army from advancing. After the Israelites were safely through the Red Sea, then God removed the pillar of cloud from blocking the Egyptians and they rushing into the Red Sea to pursue God’s people. Once between the walls of the Red Sea, God stopped the divide and the Egyptians were swallowed up by the sea (Exodus 14:23-23-31). So Moses could see the Red Sea before them all and he had to see the impossible with eyes of faith. God said to cross and they crossed. Nothing that opposed David or the people of Israel mattered. They only thing that matters is what God had for them to do. Giants were slain and a sea parted by the hand of God. The will of God prevails. His hand is for us! (Isaiah 41:10).
As the forefathers before them, the disciples of Jesus did not fear the threats of the leaders who threatened them, but believed what Jesus had been teaching them and also listened and yielded to the Holy Spirit. Threatened by rulers to stop obeying Jesus’ words that He would remain with them, they obeyed God and God blessed them for that.
The place where they had met was shaken. Family and Friends, this was not an emotional shaking but a shaking of the building that they were in. At Pentecost the power of the Holy Spirit filled them. Power was flowing in. Here the Holy Spirit was again filling them with supernatural power and the power was flowing out of them. So much power was flowing out of them that even the room shook as they boldly spoke the Word of God. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8) Family that kind of power is still being shown in many parts of the world. Parts of the world who read and believe that Jesus is the same for us today as He was for the disciples then. After all, when He prayed for them He also prayed for us (John 17:20-21). Of course, how and when the Lord moves miraculously is always up to Him. We should continue to believe and continue to pray for God’s mighty hand to move through and among us. If the dead are not raised, okay, that is the will of God. Praise God! If they are raised, okay, that is the will of God. Praise God! We pray in faith believing in God’s ability to do what we ask and at the same time joyfully and thankfully yield to His will. Let His will be done and let His praise be always on our lips. Let’s not back down, but always may the army of God advance. We have work to do. Praise God!
Power, Power, Wonder Working Power
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.