The Early ChurchVoorbeeld

# Won’t Cover Their Mouths The apostles, in the face of opposition, refuse to keep quiet about the resurrected Jesus. Trusting God to be their protector, turning to him in worship, the Holy Spirit strengthens and encourages them to carry on, despite the forces against them. Read: Acts 4:15-31(NLT) Explore the Theme: Peter and John are well aware of the danger involved in furthering the gospel. As they are threatened and told they need to stop, they pretty much say, “sorry guys, the priority is and will always be furthering the gospel.” The believers quickly move into prayer to take action against the council. The fellow Christians didn’t revolt or take matters into their own hands to help their friends; they turned to God and prayed. What made them use prayer as their first go-to in the face of this very real problem? Ask God: Are you prone to fight back with your own clever plans or do you retreat and hide when you face something way bigger than yourself? Ask God to help you not go to either extreme but to make your first step one of seeking him in prayer. Do you believe that he has the answer you need? Ask him to increase your faith that you would believe he has the answer and the direction to what you are looking for. Live it Out: In today’s day and age, when information and answers are often just a search-and-click away, we can find ourselves in a self-reliant (rather than God-reliant) position. The early church understood that in times of uncertainty, the most complete help and direction can be found in God alone. What practical steps can you take this week to make prayer and turning to God more a part of your regular routine?