April 23, 2026 | Be Connected
Stretch Our Your Hand
Scripture: Acts 4:23-31(NIV)
23 On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24 When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. 25 You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David:
“‘Why do the nations rage
and the peoples plot in vain?
26 The kings of the earth rise up
and the rulers band together
against the Lord
and against his anointed one.’
27 Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. 28 They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. 29 Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
31 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.
18 Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! 20 As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
21 After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened. 22 For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old.
Devotional
To begin analyzing this passage, we need to look at why Peter and John were arrested and then returned. This is told to us in the previous section. They were arrested for being bold and preaching the Word of Jesus. But the Sanhedrin could not decide how to punish them, for the crowds were praising God for what they were doing.
Peter and John were then released, went back to their own people, and reported what they said. This caused more crowds and praises.
Peter and John continued and asked the Lord what we should also be asking of the Lord to do.
“Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” (Acts 4:30) This verse reminds us that we do have the power of the Holy Spirit. We need to be bold and speak God’s truth. We must be bold as Peter and John were. We will be protected by the Holy Spirit. Our enemies’ plans are known by the Lord before they know them. It is up to us to be brave enough to speak. In these verses, they do not pray a defensive prayer for protection from their enemy. Instead, they pray to be bold, to speak the truth and to show God’s wonders to their enemies.
There are times when I leave a conversation with someone and I think, “I missed my window.” I have an opportunity to share a testimony, ask someone to church, etc. But I don’t. Am I afraid of how I might sound? Am I afraid of their reaction?
So often my prayers ask for protection from things of which I am fearful. Mostly fears of the unknown. This passage reminds me that I need to pray for the power to share the Holy Spirit and the news of Jesus with others boldly! When that opportunity arises, I can be brave with the Holy Spirit guiding me. Be bold and stretch out your hand!
