Acts 18 ~ Praying God's Word

Please read Acts 18.

Meditate on verse 24.

Now a Jew named Apollos,

an Alexandrian by birth,

an eloquent man,

came to Ephesus,

 and he was mighty in the Scriptures.

This is a good chapter to practice your observation skills of God’s Word. Notice names of places and time phrases. Acts 18 started with Aquila and Priscilla being kicked out of Rome because they were Jews. They moved to Corinth where they were discipled by Paul. Aquila and Priscilla later moved to Ephesus where they taught Apollos. Apollos was mighty in the Scriptures, but he needed to learn God’s Word more accurately. Instead of being prideful about his Biblical knowledge, Apollos was willing to learn more about God’s ways. He then went to Achaia and discipled believers there. Discipleship family trees are beautiful. Paul—Aquila and Priscilla— Apollos—Believers in Achaia.

Is a mature Christian teaching you? To whom have you explained the way of God? Who are you currently discipling? What does your discipleship family tree look like?

Pray Acts 18:24-28 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

 “Jesus, please 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 You.

May we greatly help those

who have believed through grace.

Let us demonstrate by the Scriptures

that You, Jesus, are the Christ.

For the sake of Your name~”

The WATCHMAN on the WALL ~ Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Acts 17 ~ Praying God's Word

Please read Acts 17.

Meditate on verse 11.

Now these were more noble-minded

than those in Thessalonica,

for they received the Word

with great eagerness,

examining the Scriptures daily

to see whether these things were so.

Acts 17 is an enlightening chapter for living and sharing God’s Word. Pay attention to the facts God wants you to know. It was Paul’s custom to reason with people using the Word of God (vs. 2,17). Jesus was changing people’s lives in such a way that nonbelievers described Paul and Silas as “men who have upset the world” (v. 6). The worship of false gods exasperated Paul (v. 16). The sermon Paul boldly preached in Athens was to the men considered the wisest in the land (vs. 22-31). God overlooks your times of ignorance and allows you to repent (v. 30).

Pray Acts 17:11 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“LORD, please make ________ and me more noble-minded.

May we receive Your Word with great eagerness,

examining the Scriptures daily

to see whether the things we hear are true.

In Your name, Jesus~”

The WATCHMAN on the WALL ~ Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Acts 16 ~ Praying God's Word

Please read Acts 16.

Meditate on verses 6-7.

They passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region,

 having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit

 to speak the Word in Asia;

 and after they came to Mysia,

 they were trying to go into Bithynia,

and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them.

In Acts 15, you observed how God used a disagreement between Paul and Barnabas to start moving Paul and Silas in the geographical direction He needed them to go. In Acts 16, you observed the Holy Spirit forbade Paul and Silas from speaking the Word in Asia. The Spirit of Jesus would not permit them to go into Bithynia. Then in verse 9, God used a vision to show Paul where to go. Acts 16:10 said when Paul saw the vision, he immediately started making plans to get there. The rest of the chapter records the results of Paul and Silas’ immediate obedience to the will of God, the salvation of many.

This passage may be helpful in determining God’s will for your life. Do you yield to the Spirit when He forbids you to do something? Do you immediately go when the Spirit of Jesus tells you to move? Eternal results in your life and the life of others will be the result as you obey the LORD.

Pray Acts 16:6-7 and 10 as you seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance in your life and the life of those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“LORD, please help ________ and me recognize

and obey when Your Spirit forbids us to speak.

 Help us submit when You do not permit us to go. 

God, when you call us,

may we immediately do and preach according to Your will.

In Your name, Jesus~”

The WATCHMAN on the WALL ~ Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Acts 15 ~ Praying God's Word

Please read Acts 15.

Meditate on verse 40.

But Paul chose Silas and left,

being committed by the brethren

to the grace of the Lord.

As you read through the book of Acts, be aware of and thank God for the miracles He performed to start His church. The resurrection of Jesus proved nothing was too difficult for God. Faithful believers like Paul, Barnabas, and Silas traveled great distances to share the Gospel and to get church questions answered by the leadership at Jerusalem. Peter and James were not swayed by their Judaism but listened to the Holy Spirit to answer questions according to the will of God. God used a divisive situation for good, sending Paul and Silas to Greece to start new churches rather than returning to familiar places.

Christianity exists and thrives because of the grace of God. It is God’s grace, His merciful kindness and favor, which saves and keeps you as a child of His. Think about God’s grace in your life today, and as you thank Him for it, commit your loved ones to it.

Pray Acts 15:11 and 40 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

 “Jesus, thank You for saving me through Your grace. 

Through Your grace, please save ______________.  

I commit us to Your grace, Lord.

For the sake of Your name, Jesus.”

The WATCHMAN on the WALL ~ Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Acts 14 ~ Praying God's Word

Please read Acts 14.

Observe all God did to establish His Church.

Meditate on verse 3.

Therefore they spent a long time there

speaking boldly with reliance upon the LORD,

who was testifying to the Word of His grace,

 granting that signs and wonders be done by their hands.

The more you grow in Christ the more aware you become that nothing good comes from you except what Christ does in and through you. Acts 14:3 said it was the LORD who was testifying to the Word of His grace. Paul and Barnabas were merely vessels entrusted to the grace of God for the work they were accomplishing (Acts 14:26). The establishment and existence of Christ’s church was because God caused it to happen.

Pray Acts 14:3 and 26 over yourself as you serve by the grace of God. Pray Acts 14:15 and 27 over someone who needs to turn from vain things to the living God as their faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

 “LORD, I am relying on You.

 Help me speak boldly testifying to the Word of Your grace. 

I commend myself to Your grace for the work to be accomplished.

God, You are the Maker of Heaven and Earth,

the sea and all that is in them.

Please cause ___________ to turn

from vain things to You, the living God.

Open the door of faith to them.

In Your name, Jesus.”

The WATCHMAN on the WALL ~ Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Acts 13 ~ Praying God's Word

Please read Acts 13.

Meditate on verse 36a.

For David, after he had served

the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep,

and was laid among his fathers...

Acts 13 is another rich chapter in God’s Holy Word.  It contains interesting details about Israel’s history and the spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

King David’s epitaph is in Acts 13.  While David was alive, he served the purpose of God.  Can you imagine that on your tombstone?

What is your purpose in life?  Why do you wake up in the morning?  Do you live to please God and do whatever He says?

Is it the cry of your heart to serve the purpose of God?  Is that your desire for those you love?  Will it be engraved on your tombstone?

______________________

 served the purpose of God.

Pray Acts 13:12, 36, and 43 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“LORD, I am amazed at Your teaching. 

Please let ________ and me serve

 Your purpose in our generation.

May we continue in Your grace.

In Your name, Jesus~”

The WATCHMAN on the WALL ~ Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Acts 12 ~ Praying God's Word

Please read Acts 12.

Meditate on verse 5.

So Peter was kept in the prison,

but prayer for him was being made fervently

by the church of God.

Acts 12 is an action packed chapter. Anyone who claims that the Bible is boring has not read it! With 675 words, Luke described the true events of James dying by the sword, Peter guarded by 16 soldiers in a prison and freed by an angel of the LORD; a king dying because an angel of the LORD struck him, and he was eaten by worms, and Peter miraculously going to a home where many people were praying fervently for him.

Prayer, does it really make a difference? What does fervent prayer mean? How is it different from regular prayer?

Fervently means constantly, without ceasing, earnestly. Webster’s 1828 dictionary says that fervent means to boil and to swarm as bees.

I can imagine Peter was thankful God’s church was swarming like bees in prayer on his behalf.

Rather than boiling with worry over a situation in your life or the life of someone you love, try praying fervently and watching in faith for God to cause the chains to fall off the person and the situation.

Use Acts 12:5 to keep you constantly praying for someone you stand guard for as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“LORD, thank You that I can come to You in fervent prayer. 

Thank You that You desire fervent prayer. 

Thank You that You hear and answer fervent prayers.

Knowing these truths, I am bringing __________ to You.

LORD, I will continue to bring

___________ to You until You bring freedom.

In Your name, Jesus~”

The WATCHMAN on the WALL ~ Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell