Acts 24 - Praying God's Word

 

Please read Acts 24.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/act/24/1/s_1042001

Meditate on verses 24-25.

 

But some days later Felix arrived with

Drusilla, his wife who was a Jewess, and

 sent for Paul and heard him speak about faith

in Christ Jesus.  But as he was discussing righteousness,

 self-control and the judgment to come, Felix

became frightened and said, "Go away for the present,

and when I find time, I will summon you."

 

Felix did meet with Paul many times over the next few years.  His heart was troubled as Paul explained Jesus and God’s Word to him.  All of us should be sensitive to the Holy Spirit convicting us of truth for salvation and growth as believers.  The Holy Spirit also convicts us in these ways:

 

And He (the Holy Spirit), when He comes, will convict

the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.

— John 16:8

 

But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He

 will guide you into all the truth.

—John 16:13a

 

With all prayer and petition, pray at all times in the Spirit.

— Ephesians 6:18a

 

The sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, is living

 and active and sharper than any two-edged sword and piercing

 as far as the division of the soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow,

 and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

—Ephesians 6:17b; Hebrews 4:12

 

God goes to great effort to help us know Him and grow in our faith.

 

Pray Acts 24:24-25 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

 

“LORD, help me speak about faith in Christ Jesus with __________.

As we discuss righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to

 come, do not let them be frightened and delay following You.

In Your name, Jesus~”

 

The WATCHMAN on the WALL, 4 – Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

 

Acts 23 - Praying God's Word

 

Please read Acts 23.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/act/23/1/s_1041001

Meditate on verses 11 and 16.

 

But on the night immediately following,

 the LORD stood at his side and

 said, "Take courage, for as you

have solemnly witnessed to My cause

 at Jerusalem, so you must witness at Rome also."

But the son of Paul's sister heard of their ambush,

 and he came and entered the barracks and told Paul.

 

For his own protection, Paul was in jail after meeting with the Jewish Council (vs. 1-10).  Unbeknown to Paul and the Roman leadership, the Council conspired to ambush Paul the following day on his way to more Council meetings (vs. 12-15).  Paul’s nephew overheard the plot, reporting it to Paul and then to the Roman commander.  But prior to the plot being hatched, Jesus told Paul he would go to Rome (vs. 11-12).  Can you imagine Paul’s confidence he would not die because he heard from his LORD? 

 

What confidence do Christ’s Words bring to you?  Hear what He says to you in John 14:27:

 

"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you;

not as the world gives, do I give to you.

Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.”

 

The Holy Spirit brings peace and self-control in our times of fear.  Just imagine the courage He gave Paul’s nephew to talk to the Romans!  The more you walk with the Spirit, the more confidence you have when He urges you to do something.  Be courageous.  You are not alone on the journey.

 

Pray Acts 23:11 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

 

“LORD Jesus, stand at ______ and my side. 

Give us courage to solemnly witness to

Your cause every place we go.

In Your name, Jesus~”

 

The WATCHMAN on the WALL, 4 – Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

 

Acts 22 - Praying God's Word

 

Please read Acts 22.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/act/22/1/s_1040001

Meditate on verses 14-15.

 

And he (Ananias) said, “The God of our fathers

 has appointed you to know His will

and to see the Righteous One and

to hear an utterance from His mouth. 

For you will be a witness for Him to

all men of what you have seen and heard.”

 

As foretold by the Holy Spirit, Paul’s journey to Jerusalem resulted in mistreatment and being turned over to the Gentiles (Acts 21:11).  Seven days after his arrival, he was hauled out of the temple to be killed by the Jews (Acts 21:27).  As the Roman military rescued Paul, he pauses to tell the crowd about his life before Christ and his conversion (Acts 21:31-40; 22:1-21). 

 

As Paul recounts his story, we learn even more about the role Ananias played in Paul quickly going from villain to victory. (Acts 9:10-19; 22:12-16).  He was used by the LORD to work with the Holy Spirit in Paul’s conversion to Christianity, giving Paul God’s call on his life to tell everyone about Who he saw on that road and what he heard that Righteous One say (vs. 14-16).  As the Holy Spirit draws others to follow Him, be ready to be an “Ananias,” telling them what you have seen and heard concerning the Righteous One.

 

Pray Acts 22:14-15 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

 

“God of our fathers, appoint _________ and

me to know Your will, to see

You, the Righteous One, and hear

an utterance from Your mouth. 

We want to be witnesses for You to everyone

of what we have seen and heard.

In Your name, Jesus~”

 

The WATCHMAN on the WALL, 4 – Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

 

Acts 21 - Praying God's Word

 

Please read Acts 21.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/act/21/1/s_1039001

Meditate on verses 11 and 13b.

 

And coming to us, he took Paul's belt

and bound his own feet and hands,

and said, "This is what the Holy Spirit

says: 'In this way the Jews at Jerusalem will

 bind the man who owns this belt and deliver

him into the hands of the Gentiles.'"

 Then Paul answered, "I am ready not only

to be bound, but even to die at Jerusalem

 for the name of the LORD Jesus."

 

Paul and his missionary team moved quickly to Jerusalem.  Excited to tell the elders about the new churches and thousands of new Christians throughout Greece and Asia; Paul wanted to be there by Pentecost (Acts 20:16).

 

The Holy Spirit gave him exciting travel plans, telling him he would go to Rome, but first he must go to Jerusalem (Acts 19:21).  The Spirit warned Paul the trip would be tough (Acts 20:22-23).  Everywhere Paul went on the way to Jerusalem, the Holy Spirit confirmed His message, telling local believers Paul would have trouble (vs. 4, 11-12).  So, why is the Holy Spirit doing this?

 

The larger purpose was to show churches they could discern God’s will, and following His will was paramount regardless of the circumstances.  The Holy Spirit’s precise revelation of where Paul would go and the difficulties he would face, gave him the fortitude to endure the trials and the church clear reasons to pray with greater fervor for Paul.

 

Pray Acts 21:13b over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

 

“LORD, help _________ and me be ready

not only to be bound,

but even to do die for Your name, Jesus~”

 

The WATCHMAN on the WALL, 4 – Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Acts 20 - Praying God's Word

 

Please read Acts 20.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/act/20/1/s_1038001

Meditate on verse 28.

 

Be on guard for yourselves and

 for all the flock, among

 which the Holy Spirit has

made you overseers, to shepherd

the church of God which He

purchased with His own blood.

 

Such a powerful command from God to everyone who serves in a faith community! 

 

“Be on guard; therefore, be on the alert” (vs. 28, 31).  Be on guard for yourself, staying strong in the LORD, not surrendering to false teaching, so you can protect the flock from “savage wolves,” false teachers, speaking perverse things contrary to the Word of God (vs. 29-20).

 

Be on guard for ALL the flock (v. 28).  There is no exception for “all.”  Everyone in the flock needs to be protected.

 

“Among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers” (v. 28)—this is a vital phrase for church life—the Holy Spirit gifts people, choosing who serves in which positions within a congregation.  Therefore, a congregation must pray, asking the Holy Spirit who He wants serving in His ministries. 

 

The purpose of an overseer is to “shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood” (v. 28).  The LORD invests in us the great responsibility of caring for His

treasure, the church of God.  Thankfully, He does not make us do this on our own.  The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit participate with us in the family business of caring for the flock.

 

Pray Acts 20:28 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

 

“LORD, help ______ and me be on guard for ourselves and

for all the flock.  Thank You, Holy Spirit, for making us overseers.

Help us shepherd the church of God, which

 You purchased with Your own blood.

In Your name, Jesus~”

 

The WATCHMAN on the WALL, 4 – Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

 

Acts 19 - Praying God's Word

 

Please read Acts 19.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/act/19/1/s_1037001

Meditate on verses 2-3.

 

He said to them, "Did you receive the

Holy Spirit when you believed?"

And they said to him, "No, we have not even

heard whether there is a Holy Spirit."

And he said, "Into what then were you baptized?"

 And they said, "Into John's baptism."

 

Paul met twelve disciples of John the Baptist in Ephesus, and he wisely built on their beliefs and experiences.  Paul used the start of their faith to finish their faith.  Consider Paul’s witnessing approach when you share Christ with others.

 

People sincerely believe they are right in their religiosity, not needing anything else for salvation.  Many religions think works make you worthy, and Jesus was a great prophet and a good man who was not resurrected from the dead.  These beliefs seem reasonable; however, Jesus is God, the crucified Christ, and the risen Savior.  Faith in Jesus makes us holy and good. 

 

In addition, Jesus is with you, journeying with you for the rest of your life.  Bonus Round—you have the Holy Spirit inside of you.  Super Bonus Round—because of Jesus and through the Holy Spirit, you can come into the presence of the Creator of the universe all of the time, saying, “Abba! Father!” (Galatians 4:6).  The men at Ephesus were religious, but when they heard the rest of the story and believed, they received the Holy Spirit, making them children of God.

 

Pray Acts 19:4-6 and 20 over those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

 

“LORD, let _______ repent and believe in You, Jesus. 

Let them be baptized in Your name, LORD Jesus,

and receive Your Holy Spirit.

Let Your Word grow mightily and prevail.

Because of Your name, Jesus~”

 

The WATCHMAN on the WALL, 4 – Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

 

 

Acts 18 - Praying God's Word

 

Please read Acts 18.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/act/18/1/s_1036001

Meditate on verses 24-25.

 

Now a Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by

birth, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus,

 and he was mighty in the Scriptures.  This man

had been instructed in the way

of the LORD, and being fervent in spirit, he

was speaking and teaching accurately

the things concerning Jesus, being acquainted

only with the baptism of John.

 

Does Apollos describe you?  You may have nodded your head without thinking this one through.  He had all of the gifts and talents one could imagine.  He was from Alexandria, Egypt and well-trained.  With his training, came boldness and confidence in his abilities.  He was fervent in spirit, yet, like all of us, he needed discipling.  Thankfully, the Holy Spirit led Priscilla and Aquilla to go with Paul to Ephesus.  When Paul left the city, they remained, and God used them to establish Apollos in the Christian life. 

 

You may need a life coach, mentor, or shepherd to disciple you.  Ask the Holy Spirit to lead you to the right person. 

 

You may need to ask the Holy Spirit who you should disciple.  Maybe you already know who that person is.

 

Pray Acts 18:24b-26 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

 

“LORD, make ________ and me mighty in the Scriptures.

  Instruct us in Your way, LORD.  Make us fervent in

spirit, speaking and teaching accurately the

things concerning Jesus.  Before we speak out

boldly, let us be taken aside, so Your way can

 be explained to us more accurately. 

Then, let us accurately explain

 Your way to others.

For the sake of Your name, Jesus~”

 

The WATCHMAN on the WALL, 4 – Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell