A Dark Magic

The sons of Sceva get in a little over their heads and the demons make them pay. Surprisingly, this “victory” for demons results in multitudes experiencing a genuine life change.

Read: Acts 19:11-20 (NLT)

Explore the Theme: The name of Jesus is powerful to heal and to change lives -- and even the demons know it and respond. How might you have responded if you had witnessed Paul healing in Jesus’ name and then witnessed the demons’ response to the sons of Sceva’s attempts to heal?

Ask God: When you think of Jesus’s name, what comes to your mind first? Spend some time with him right now, asking him to reveal his power to you. What kind of healing do you need from him? In this passage, “many who had become believers came confessing and disclosing their practices.” What might Jesus be calling you to confess or to give up so that he can transform your life? Ask him, by the power of his name, to give you victory over things in your life that are holding you back from complete healing.

Live it Out: When the believers confessed and gave up their demonic practices, they did so publicly, and “the word of the Lord flourished.” There is power in publicly renouncing things that hold us back from total healing. What do you need to give up this week and who do you need to tell about it? Ask Jesus for the boldness you need to do this and thank him for his powerful, healing name.