Acts 4:29-31 And now, Lord, observe their threats and grant to Your bond servants [full freedom] to declare Your message fearlessly, While You stretch out Your hand to cure and to perform signs and wonders through the authority and by the power of the name of Your holy Child and Servant Jesus. And when they had prayed, the place in which they were assembled was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they continued to speak the Word of God with freedom and boldness and courage. I want you to take a look specifically at verse 30-31. The place was shaken - This earthquake was an evidence of the presence of God, and a most direct answer to their prayer, as far as that prayer concerned themselves. The earthquake proclaimed the stretched-out arm of God, and showed them that resistance against his counsels and determinations must come to nothing. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost - And, in consequence of this, they spake the word of God with boldness; a pointed answer to a second part of their request, Act_4:29. A right prayer will always have a right and ready answer. Though these disciples had received the Holy Spirit on the day of pentecost, yet they were capable of larger communications; and what they had then received did not preclude the necessity of frequent supplies, on emergent occasions. Indeed, one communication of this Spirit always makes way and disposes for another. Neither apostle nor private Christian can subsist in the Divine life without frequent influences from on high. Had these disciples depended on their pentecostal grace, they might have sunk now under the terror and menaces of their combined and powerful foes. God gives grace for the time being, but no stock for futurity, because he will keep all his followers continually dependent on himself.-Clarkes Commentary The early church CONTENDED in PRAYER for the WORD to be CONFIRMED with POWER! We need to get to this place!!! They were also in a place of complete dependence upon God for the message to even go forth. LORD BREAK US DOWN. Strip us of EVERYTHING that HINDERS us from CONTENDING for YOU! The Word for prayed in verse 30 is the greek word DEOMAI. That word means: 1.)To beg. 2.) To desire. 3.) To long for. 4.)To bind one self to. When is the last time our prayer meetings looked like this?
Posted on: Wed, 23 Jul 2014 19:43:51 +0000
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