“When they heard the report, all the believers lifted their voices together in prayer to God: . . . After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness.” v. 24; 31
Prayer changes everything when it comes from a pure heart. In what seemed to be their greatest hour, Peter and John have come back to report what had happened to them as they faced the council. The disciples at this time had a choice, to run and leave behind what Jesus had taught, or to press in and believe that He would be faithful to His teachings. Instead of running, they pray. This wasn’t just a whining prayer, this prayer was asking God to help them endure this tough road that could get even tougher.
God hears their prayer and shows up in a big way through the promised Holy Spirit. The Bible says that they (everyone) preached the Word of God with Boldness. The same is true for us today!
The power of the Holy Spirit first came with the attitude of prayer! Are you facing a tough situation? Have you taken the time to talk to God about it? When you do you unlock the power of God for that situation. Give it a try today and see if prayer doesn’t impact and empower you and your situation.
Dan Gould 