Category: Acts Devotionals 2

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Acts Devotionals 2 Bible Original

No second-class

They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated and rested on each one of them. Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit… (Acts 2:3-4)

Those words arrested my heart this morning.

The Holy Spirit rested on each one in that upper room. Not just the 12 apostles. But each one. Men, women, young, and old.

There were no second or third-class among them.

All had access to God’s presence, his wisdom, and his power.

So do I.

So do you.

I don’t want to take that for granted.

I want to take full advantage of what God has given me.

And so I’m praying an old song today:

More love,
More power,
More of you in my life. — Jude Del Hierro

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Acts Devotionals 2

Devoted to prayer

Sunrise

All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer… (Acts 1:14, ESV)

I was thinking on those words this morning. They were devoting themselves to prayer. Not just praying casually. Devoting themselves to it.

What were they praying about? I suppose they could’ve been praying about personal needs or personal spiritual growth.

But I get the feeling there were two things they were specifically focusing on.

“Let your Kingdom come.”

“Send your Holy Spirit. Fill us with power to help bring about your Kingdom.”

I strongly doubt they knew exactly what they were praying for, how exactly God would answer their prayer.

They probably had little idea precisely how the Kingdom would sweep across the Roman Empire.

They probably had little idea on what it meant to be filled with and empowered with the Spirit.

But they devoted themselves to praying for those things.

And God answered in ways beyond they could have imagined.

I want to pray as they did.

Lord, let your Kingdom come.

Fill me with your Spirit. Empower me to do your Kingdom work in everyone I touch today.

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Acts Devotionals 2

Passionate for the Kingdom

Paul

From dawn to dusk he expounded and testified about the kingdom of God. He tried to persuade them about Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets.

Some were persuaded by what he said, but others did not believe. (Acts 28:23-24)

I couldn’t help but see the passion of Paul in those words. A passion to bring people into God’s kingdom.

Some people believed his message. Some didn’t.

But regardless of their response, it didn’t diminish his zeal.

I want that passion.

In these last several chapters of Acts, I’ve been thinking about Paul’s words to the Corinthians.

In particular, his words in 2 Corinthians 5 clearly explain his motivations for all he did in Acts.

Therefore, whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to be pleasing to him.

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may be repaid for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

Therefore, since we know the fear of the Lord, we try to persuade people… (Think about Felix in Acts 24:15, 24-25.)

For if we are out of our mind, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. (Think about Festus in Acts 26:24).

For the love of Christ compels us, since we have reached this conclusion, that one died for all, and therefore all died.

And he died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for the one who died for them and was raised. (2 Corinthians 5:9-11, 13-15)

Father, give me Paul’s passion for your kingdom: compelled by Christ’s love for me, compelled by my love for him, and compelled by his love for those around me.

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Acts Devotionals 2

A word to sustain the weary

Praying disciple

The Lord God has given me
the tongue of those who are instructed
to know how to sustain the weary with a word.

He awakens me each morning;
he awakens my ear to listen like those being instructed. (Isaiah 50:4)

I’ve been working on memorizing that verse the last few days, including just before reading today’s passage.

And as I read Acts 27 today, it struck me that Paul could have said those words.

God awakened his ears to listen as a disciple would. (Acts 27:23-24)

And he gave him the tongue of a disciple that could sustain the weary with a word. (Acts 27:25, 33-36)

That’s the kind of man I long to be.

Father, give me the ear of a disciple that hears your voice. And give me the tongue of a disciple that knows how to sustain the weary with a word.

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Acts Devotionals 2

Too small?

God's greatness

Why do any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead? (Acts 26:8)

Those words stood out to me today. Not because I don’t believe God can raise the dead. But it made me wonder, “Are there other ways in which I make God too small?”

I was praying for someone today, and the thought occurred to me, “Do I really think this can happen? Or am I just expressing a wish, a hope for something that I don’t think will really happen?”

I don’t want to be that way. My God is big. And I want to see him that way.

It made me think of an old worship song.

I have made you too small in my eyes.
O Lord, forgive me.

And I have believed in a lie
that you were unable to help me.

But now, O Lord, I see my wrong.
Heal my heart and show yourself strong.

And in my eyes and with my song,
O Lord, be magnified.
O Lord, be magnified. — Don Moen