Acts 4:31 (NKJV) And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.
Most would enjoy being part of a meeting where the place was shaken. I’ve been at prayer meetings where they prayed the place would be shaken. But is it accurate to pray such a thing?
If we separate Acts 4:31 from what precedes it and what follows it we might assume it is a recipe for meeting prayers.
But never once did even one of the believers in Acts 4:31 ask that the place be shaken. It simply says when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.
Somehow I do not think these believers were worried about the meeting itself. I think they were praying from a motive to advance the Kingdom of God where they lived!
In Acts 4:31 believers in Christ were doing life with a kingdom heart and mindset. As we go about our business and engage each day with a kingdom heart and mindset we too can discover the willingness of God to manifest His presence to others.
Jesus wants His gospel proclaimed and He will manifest Himself to others as do life with the motive of advancing His kingdom.
Acts 4:31 does not exist as a motivational passage for powerful meetings. It exist as a passage sandwiched between many other passages revealing a lifestyle and motivation that existed in the hearts of those early believers.
Without what happened to Peter and John as they did ordinary daily life we would not have an Acts 4:31 passage to begin with.
About The Author
- Tim Atchley
- Knoxville, Tennessee, United States
- I currently serve as Senior Pastor of Harvest Church in Knoxville, Tn. I was sent out from Trinity Chapel of Knoxville in 1993 accompanied by my wife Sheila our four children Sarah, Hannah, Josiah & Isaac and a handful of bold, brave and committed believers determined to plant our first church. Pioneering is hard work but well worth the journey. That is why we desire to make disciples of Christ who will, like us, also embrace the call to plant churches.
