The hand of the Lord

Verse 21 really struck me today.

The Lord’s hand was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord. (Acts 11:21)

It’s really easy to look at this chapter and see how the hand of the Lord was with Peter in bringing the gospel to the Gentiles.

But note here that verse 21 isn’t talking about how the hand of the Lord was with Peter.

It’s talking about how the Lord’s hand was on ordinary Christians who had been chased out of Jerusalem because of persecution, but who then started taking the gospel wherever they went.

In short, the hand of the Lord, the hand of Yahweh, is not just on special people like pastors or missionaries. It’s on all who are his people.

And so let’s pray for that. Pray that the Lord’s hand would be on his people to lead and to empower them so that those who are lost may be saved and filled with his grace.

Pray that for your pastors certainly. Pray the Lord’s hand would be on them.

But pray that God’s hand would be on you too. Pray that his hand would be on the people in your church. Pray that it would be on all his people throughout this world.

Only then will we see “a great number believe and turn to the Lord” in our cities, our nations, and our world.