These small group Bible studies of Acts 4 contain commentary, discussion questions, and practical application. Visit our library of inductive Bible studies for more in depth inductive studies on this and other books of the Bible you can use in your small group.
Acts 4:23-37 Bible Study Guide – Prayers for Boldness and Christian Community
Outline
I. Praying for boldness (23-31)
II. Sharing everything in common (32z-37)
I. Praying for boldness (23-30)
Discussion Questions
• Who are the “they” in verse 23?
• How did people respond to their release?
• What can we learn from this about having a lifestyle of prayer?
• Is your prayer life confined to certain times of the day or situations or is it spontaneous?
• In what types of situations should you spontaneously pray?
• How important is it to lift up your voices “together” (24) with other believers in prayer?
• How did they praise God in their prayer?
• What can we see about their knowledge of Scripture (25-26)?
• What had they learned about God’s sovereignty and plan regarding Jesus’ death (27-28)?
• What petition did they make to the Lord?
• Who did they ascribe the miracles they had witnessed to?
• How did God answer their prayer?
• Does God always answer prayer this quickly? Why or why not?
• What can we learn from this passage about the source of boldness?
• Can you share about a time when you witnessed great boldness in the life of a believer? How did this impact you?
Cross-References
An example of spontaneous prayer – Nehemiah 2:4 – Then the king said to me, “What are you requesting?” So I prayed to the God of heaven.
James 5:13 – Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.
Hebrews 13:15 – Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.
Psalms 115:1 – Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!
2 Timothy 1:9 – Who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began.
Acts 2:23 – This Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.
Ephesians 3:12 – In whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him.
2 Corinthians 3:12 – Since we have such a hope, we are very bold.
Verse by Verse Commentary
1. They had a loving and supportive community –
When Peter and John were released, they went straight to their friends to share about what had happened. These friends likely included the other disciples as well as other followers of Jesus.
They had been rejected by their religious and political leaders. By extension, this meant that their people and nation had turned their back on them. Peter and John were soon to be persona non grata, unwelcome by the traditional Jews.
This rejection could have hurt badly. The Jews were already ostracized by many other nations who looked down on them as backward and out of touch. Now even their own people were rejecting them. Jesus said that He did not come to bring peace, but a sword (Matthew 10:34-36).
However, they were not alone. They may have lost one family, but they gained another.
Mark 10:29-30 – Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life.
Peter and John were not alone. Jesus’ promise was fulfilled in their lives. A large and supportive community was praying for them. These dear brothers and sisters came around to celebrate their release and continue to petition the Lord on their behalf.
From the beginning, God did not design us to be alone (Genesis 2:18). The church was established by God as a community of brothers and sisters who are on the same team working together toward a common goal. We are fellow pilgrims making our way to the Celestial City. On the way, we are to encourage and help one another.
Hebrews 10:24-25 – And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
Application – Are you connected with other believers? Are you sharing life together? When you face struggles, do you go to them for encouragement and prayer? Do you likewise encourage them? Do you share testimonies with them of God’s goodness in your life?
People seem to be becoming more isolated than ever before. Screens and COVID accelerated this trend. Brothers and sisters, it is not enough to listen to a sermon online. You should be in active and close fellowship with other believers. Then you can support each other in times of difficulty as they did here in Acts 4.
2. The people responded with spontaneous prayer –
Spontaneous Prayer
“And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God…”
When Peter and John’s friends heard the report, they immediately prayed together. Rightly recognizing the gravity of the situation and God’s grace in freeing them, they went straight to the Lord with praise and further petition.
What a great response! There was no fanfare. No meeting was called. It wasn’t something that had to be scheduled. The people simply started praying. Their hearts were overflowing with gratitude toward God for His goodness in protecting the lives of His servants. The overflowing heart has no choice but to come to God in praise and thanksgiving.
Personal and Corporate Prayer
Here we also observe the practice of corporate prayer as they prayed “together” for this issue.
Jesus emphasized the importance of His follower’s personal prayer life (Matthew 6:6-7). That is very important. If a person does not have a vibrant personal prayer life, his public prayer life may be fake or for show. While the private prayer life is the foundation, the public prayer life is the structure built upon that foundation. If you have a strong foundation, that will manifest itself in being eager to pray with others when the occasion arises.
Example of Spontaneous Prayer
Another example of spontaneous prayer can be seen in Nehemiah.
Nehemiah 2:4 – Then the king said to me, “What are you requesting?” So I prayed to the God of heaven.
Nehemiah had already prayed about this issue. But now in the heat of the moment, he still didn’t rely on his own wisdom. He tossed up one more heartfelt prayer to God. It was probably a very quick, silent prayer. And yet that prayer had power. It had power because it matched Nehemiah’s life of prayer. Our life should be filled both with dedicated times of private prayer and also with those short prayers of help in times of need. If you only ask God for help in times of need and never prayed to Him before, those prayers may lack the same power. God wants to see us rely on Him through prayer consistently, making it a habit rather than only turning to Him in times of intense need.
Application – We should rely on God all the time. No situation is too urgent to offer up a quick prayer of help. Our lives should be saturated with prayer. Our natural response when facing decisions, trials, temptations, or emergencies should be to say, “God help me!”
We should also be sensitive to the needs of other believers around us. If they come to us with struggles, temptations, or pain instead of saying, “I will pray for you,” perhaps we can stop what we are doing and ask, “Can I pray for you right now?”
3. The people recognized God’s sovereignty and purpose in this event and Jesus’ death –
It took the disciples a long time to get it. Jesus talked about His mission and the need to suffer and die as being part of that. But they were confused. In their minds, Jesus was going to be king.
Peter went so far as to rebuke Jesus for saying that He was going to die.
Matthew 16:22 – And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.”
Even after His death, they still expected Him to set up the kingdom.
Acts 1:6 – So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?
But it seems that in this passage they are finally starting to understand that this was part of God’s plan and had to happen.
• In their prayers, they call God the “Sovereign Lord who made heaven and earth and everything in them.” They recognize that God is sovereign. As the author of all things, He is sovereign and has a plan. Before they were focused on their ideas and what they thought should and would happen. Now they seem more resigned to trust that God knows what He is doing.
• In addition, they quoted Old Testament Scriptures which indicated that the people would rage, plot, and stand against the Lord and His anointed (whom they later identified as Jesus). We can see them starting to realize that the Old Testament Scriptures predicted Jesus’ suffering. That means it was part of God’s sovereign plan from the beginning and not a surprise.
• Finally, they acknowledge that Herod, Pilate, and the people were acting in accordance with God’s predestined plan.
o Acts 4:28 – To do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.
o These were clearly enemies of God. But their sinful actions were used by God to bring about His perfect plan. This plan was not plan B. Rather, it was predestined.
As they prayed, they grew in understanding and awe of God. Prayer is not primarily a means of changing God. It is rather a means of changing us.
Reflect – How did recognizing God’s sovereignty affect how they responded to the situation?
It gave them peace, comfort, and strength. The things that were happening to them were not random and arbitrary. Rather they were allowed by a loving God would use these things for God.
In addition, they were encouraged to pray for boldness to face the persecutions that were going to come their way.
4. They prayed for boldness –
Reflect – If you were in their situation, what would you have prayed for? What did they not pray for that most people in their position would?
I likely would have prayed that God would spare me from the persecution and protect me and my family.
However, they did not pray for personal safety. Certainly, it would not have been wrong to do that. However, that wasn’t their focus. Their concern was for God’s kingdom to expand.
Here is their prayer request.
Acts 4:29-30 – And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.
Instead of thinking about their own lives, safety, and well-being, the believers were concerned about their testimony and the growth of the church. They prayed against fear which would keep them from speaking out the truth.
It is reminiscent of King Solomon’s prayer. He didn’t ask for personal riches or long life but for wisdom to lead his people well. His prayer was focused on the well-being of others.
The same is true for the disciples here. They did not want to be silenced. It would take great boldness to continue to speak up even in the face of intense persecution. Rightly recognizing that this boldness only came from God, they asked Him for it. God is the source of courage.
Application – Let us be consumed with the things of God so that the things that are on His heart are on our hearts. Instead of focusing on our comfort or physical well-being, let us prioritize the things of God just as Jesus did when He said, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work.” (John 4:34)
Let us also come to the Lord and ask for courage when we are nervous or afraid.
5. God answered –
Acts 4:31 – 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.
God immediately answered their prayer in an impossible-to-miss way. He gave them boldness by filling them with the Holy Spirit.
God was clearly pleased with their motivations, their hearts, and their prayer.
Sometimes He doesn’t answer us because our motivations are not as pure as theirs.
James 4:3 – You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.
When our heart reflects His heart, we can be sure that our prayers will be answered according to His perfect time.
Psalms 37:4 – Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
II. Sharing everything in common (32-37)
Discussion Questions
• What is something that you are very willing to share with others?
• What is difficult for you to share?
• To what extent should the church provide for and take care of the poor?
• What qualities did these landowners display when they sold their land and gave the proceeds to the Lord?
• How were they acting differently than most people in the world?
• What can you learn from them about selflessness and generosity?
• Should believers do the same today?
• What is the underlying principle we can learn from their example that we can apply today?
Cross-References
1 Peter 3:8 – Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.
1 Corinthians 1:10 – I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.
Philippians 2:3-4 – Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Verse by Verse Commentary
1. They were of one heart and soul – As the people were filled with the Spirit and zealous for the gospel, God gave them unity. Peace, harmony, love, and generosity filled their hearts. They were family. It was a special community.
This is the type of unity God wants us to have with other believers. Sin and selfishness create division. Sadly, that is too often a reality in churches today. Factions and division are all too common.
Application – The closer we get to God the closer we get to one another. As we love Christ more, we love one another more. Let us be diligent in pursuing unity with others. Is there another believer you have a relationship issue or conflict with? What can you do to start moving toward peace?
Ephesians 4:1-3 – I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
2. The people shared everything in common –
See notes on Acts 2:37-47.
God had not specifically required them to share everything they had with each other. This is something that they wanted to do. They loved one another more than they loved themselves. They put other’s needs first, living out Paul’s instruction in Philippians.
Philippians 2:3-4 – Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
3. The apostles were testifying of the resurrection of Jesus –
The apostles’ eyewitness testimony of the resurrection was very important. It was their word, shared with power and conviction, that the Holy Spirit used to convict many of the truth of Jesus and bring about repentance.
1 John 1:3 – That which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you.
God could have used any number of ways to spread the truth of the resurrection to the lost. He could have sent angels. He could have given people visions. He could have written the message with clouds in the sky. Jesus Himself could have gone.
But God chose to use the disciples to spread this message. He chose to use people as His instruments. That was a great privilege and also a great responsibility.
To this day, the normal method God uses to spread the gospel is through believers. He uses you and me.
Reflect – Why did God choose to use people to spread the message?
Application – Do you also testify of what God has done in your life? We should be observant to see what God is doing and then be bold to tell others. God wants to use you to shine the light in the darkness around you. While you are not an eyewitness of the resurrection, you are a witness to many other amazing things God has done. What are they? Will you tell others?
4. There was not a needy person among them –
They took care of one another. This is the ideal for members of the kingdom of heaven. God even said that is how the Israelites should live when they entered the promised land.
Deuteronomy 15:4 – But there will be no poor among you; for the Lord will bless you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance to possess.
If they followed the Lord, they would be blessed. They would have enough to share with all who needed it.
The problem is that sin stands in the way of perfect generosity. Unfortunately, as long as there is sin, there will always be poor people.
Deuteronomy 15:11 – For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.
One day, in the new heaven and new earth sin will be no more. As a result, there will no longer be any poor or needy person. Until then, let us be generous and share, showing love and care to those less fortunate than ourselves.
Here is a good verse on how the Lord wants the rich to behave in this world.
1 Timothy 6:17-19 – As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.
5. Landowners, including Barnabas, sold their land and donated the proceeds to God –
One manifestation of their unity was their willingness to give of their own possessions to the common good.
In today’s world where personal rights, possessions, and the pursuit of personal happiness tend to dominate, it is hard to find such examples of generosity. Some people do live selflessly for others, but it is not common.
Reflect – Can you share an example of someone who has selflessly practiced the gift of generosity?
Application – Spend some time prayerfully evaluating your attitude toward your material possessions and money. Are you giving to God? Are you giving with joy or under compulsion? Does your giving plan need to be adjusted moving forward?
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