Sermon Recap: Acts 4:23-31

World-Shaking Prayer

Acts 4:23-31

In this week’s sermon, World-Shaking Prayer from Acts 4:23–31, we saw that prayer is the church’s greatest source of power and courage in the face of opposition. When Peter and John were threatened for preaching Christ, the believers didn’t shrink back in fear—they gathered to pray. They began by declaring God’s sovereignty, remembered His promises, and asked not for protection but for boldness to keep proclaiming the gospel. God responded by shaking the place where they prayed and filling them anew with the Holy Spirit. This passage reminds us that true, world-shaking prayer doesn’t seek safety or ease, but faith and boldness to join God’s mission with confidence in His power.

Listen to the Sermon:

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Reflection Questions:

1. How does remembering God’s sovereignty in prayer help you face fear and uncertainty?

2. When you experience opposition or hardship, is prayer your first response or your last resort?

3. The early church prayed for boldness, not comfort. What would it look like for you to pray that way this week?

4. How might God be calling Old Town Church to display boldness in prayer and witness within our community?

Resources:

• Book: Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God – Tim Keller

• Book: A Praying Life – Paul E. Miller

• Article: “God, Make Us Bold About Jesus” – Jonathan Parnell

• Podcast: How to Strengthen Your Prayer Life – The Gospel Coalition

Songs from Sunday:

• All Creatures of Our God and King

• Hymn of the Holy Spirit

• Sovereign Over Us

• A Thousand Hallelujahs