Bold Prayer & Unity

Read Acts 4:23-35 What are some distinctives of the early church that you observe in this passage? 

In verse 23, what is the first thing that Peter and John do after getting released from jail? 

Who is your community that you run to for support and encouragement and to be on mission with?  

After reporting what happened to their people, what did their friends immediately do (verse 24)? 

Do you have a group to pray for ministry with? Does your community group pray together about gospel advancement? 

The early believer’s prayer is rooted in God’s sovereignty, power, and providence. How does their prayer in verses 24-28 encourage you and help you rest in his strength? 

The early believers didn’t ask for the resistance to the gospel to stop or that they would be free from discomfort. They prayed for divine enablement to speak the word with great boldness & that the Lord would perform signs and wonders (vs. 29-30). How is this challenging to your prayer life? 

If the Lord answered all of your prayers, how would the world be different for the cause of Christ? 

Verse 31 says, “After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.” 

Have you experienced the Lord’s empowerment in ministry to others? 

Verses 32-35 shows us a picture of unity, generosity, and testifying about the resurrection of Jesus. How have you experienced unity in the body of Christ? How has your community group displayed unity?

Has your community group displayed generosity to one another or those outside your group? If so, how? If not, this would be a good thing to pray about and look for opportunities to give together. 

Does your community group pray together for particular people to come to know Christ? If so, have you seen answers to these prayers? If this hasn’t been part of your community group experience, talk about how to make this part of your weekly group time.