Devotional: Keep in Step Acts 4:31

Shaunelius Sterns

May 28

Keep in Step

Let's start with some backstory…

Jesus had already lived, died, and rose again. Some of His closest friends—Peter and John—were telling everyone what they'd seen and heard. They even performed some astonishing miracles in Christ's name, like healing a beggar who'd been crippled from birth.

Thousands of people believed Peter and John's testimonies about Jesus, but many of the religious leaders did not. In fact, in their eyes, such messages and miracles were dangerous and could ultimately take away their power.

After doing some jail time because of what they'd been teaching, as well as defending their message in front of the religious council, Peter and John went back to the other believers, praying bold prayers and trusting in God.

"And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness."
‭‭Acts‬ ‭4‬:‭31‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Peter and John were in the habit of:

1. Gathering together with other believers

2. Praying together with other believers

3. Speaking boldly about the Word of God

As they did the natural—gathering, praying, and speaking—the Holy Spirit filled them with the supernatural power of God.

As Galatians 5:25 says, "Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." We keep in step with the Spirit by walking with Him, listening to Him, and following His guidance.

Like Peter and John, who faced tons of opposition for their faith, we can keep trusting in and walking with God. We can keep gathering together with like-minded believers. We can keep praying bold prayers that can't be accomplished on our own. We can keep speaking boldly and continually about the hope we have in Jesus.

And as we do that, God's Spirit will guide us—both naturally and supernaturally—every step of the way.