Read slowly and look for 1 or 2 things that really stand out from this text. Meditate on those truths.
23 When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24 And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, 25 who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit,
“‘Why did the Gentiles rage,
and the peoples plot in vain?
26 The kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers were gathered together,
against the Lord and against his Anointed’—
What stands out to you in this passage of Scripture?27 for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. 29 And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, 30 while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
So I have read this passage a few times and attempted to find a commentary to go along with it and still found it hard to really get what was going on...like where did they go when they left who were they praying with, was it a group prayer or was it more of a song that they knew? I'm not sure if this is pregnancy brain or if I'm just up too late but I think I'm going to have to read it when I'm having my coffee in the morning cuz I really feel like I just don't fully understand what is happening or I'm making this harder than it should be.
ReplyDeleteSo I guess the passage took me back because their prayer seemed more like a sermon and just trying to imagine a group praying together in my mind it seemed like they were in unison which just makes me think of the Catholic Church. I like that they continued with boldness that the room shook, it seems just so surreal to allot of daily encounters with God. I know just the last few years I have been really trying to even acknowledge the holy spirt...I know as a younger person we were taught about it but it was kind of like the weird uncle that doesn't seem to come around so it's really neat to see the Holy Spirt alive at work and evident in these lives.
ReplyDelete