“Faith and Prayer at Work”

Focusing Idea: The power of Christ at work in us.

Following the coming of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, the Church was on the move spreading the Gospel and serving others.  The apostles were standing strong despite the attempts to stop them and scare them from speaking the name of Jesus.  In our Scripture for today, the Holy Spirit was working on the hearts of unbelievers and many of them were being saved.  In addition to spiritual healing, the power of the Holy Spirit working through the apostles brought about many physical healings.  The apostles were putting their words of Jesus’s love in action.  In healing the sick and freeing those of unclean spirits, they were showcasing the truth of God’s power and love at work.  Their actions were not of their own doing and accord; it was by God’s power alone that they were able to do these things.  Being bold for the name of Jesus Christ can create an amazing ripple effect. 

The healing of the crippled man in the previous chapter of the Book of Acts set off a widespread eagerness to many who sought to follow after Jesus Christ.  It stirred up a hunger in those who were seeking to know more about Jesus and the price He paid on the cross for our sins.  The only way in which the apostles were able to do this successfully was through faith and prayer.  As the Church, it was their role to continually seek God’s hand in all that they did and in our text for today, we witness their faith and prayer at work.