So Now What?

1 One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer – at three in the afternoon. 2 Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. 4 Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, ‘Look at us!’ 5 So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. 6 Then Peter said, ‘Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.’ 7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. 8 He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. 9 When all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 they recognised him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. 11 While the man held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade. 12 When Peter saw this, he said to them: ‘Fellow Israelites, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? 13 The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. 14 You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. 15 You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. 16 By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see. (Acts 3:1-16)
 
17 Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God. 18 I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done – 19 by the power of signs and wonders, through the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem all the way round to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.  (Romans 15:17-19)
 
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you...Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the Lord swore to their forefathers to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance. The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”  (Deuteronomy 31:6-8)
 
“Does He who supplies you with the Spirit and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith?”  (Galatians 3:5)
When Peter and John healed the lame man by the Temple gate, it resulted in many people believing the Gospel and being saved. First, there was the lame man himself. We are told that “He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God.” Then, there are the people who witness the healing. “When all the people saw him walking and praising God, they recognised him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.” This shouldn’t really surprise us. People who are resistant when we proclaim the Gospel to them through our words become receptive when we prove the Gospel to them through our actions.

The Apostle Paul tells us that the same thing was true of his own ministry. In just nine short years, he managed to proclaim the Gospel and plant churches right across the Eastern Mediterranean, all the way from Jerusalem to Illyricum, which is modern-day Croatia. When asked for an explanation of his massive Gospel effectiveness, he gave a very simple answer. He told the Roman believers that it was because he both proclaimed and proved the Gospel. It was by “what I have said and done –  by the power of signs and wonders, through the power of the Spirit of God.”
 

This is really encouraging. Peter and Paul were not more effective than us at sharing the Gospel because they were better-looking than us or greater orators than us. They were ordinary people, like you and me, who had discovered that the Gospel needs to be proved as well as proclaimed. Paul explains again in Galatians 3 that Christian fruitfulness isn’t about our own strength or our Christian exertions. It is about our faith that God fills us with his Holy Spirit and enables us to perform miracles that convince people around us that the Gospel is true.

Let’s therefore end our week of devotions together with God’s words to Joshua when he stood on the brink of entering the Promised Land. The Lord encouraged him to step forward in faith: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified … I will never leave you nor forsake you ... Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
  
At the end of a week looking at what the Bible says to us about supernatural healing, the Lord says the same thing to you and to me.
1)   Have you ever seen anybody healed as a result of your prayers? If you have, then how long ago was it?

2)   How do you feel about the commission that Jesus gives his people to go out and carry on his healing ministry? Do you feel excited, or daunted, or a mixture of the two?

3)   How might you begin to put this into action? Who might God be drawing you to offer to pray for today?
Father God, I thank you that you healed countless people through your Son Jesus. I thank you that you continue to heal countless people through the followers of Jesus all around the world today. Father God, I want to be among their number. Please give me the courage and faith I need to step out and pray for people in the name of Jesus. And when I do so, may I see your power at work to heal people and to convince them that Jesus is their Saviour. Amen.
Today’s Everyday Devotions were brought to you by Phil Moore, who leads our team of whole-church elders.

If you have time, consider carrying on your conversation with God using one of our helpful Prayer Pathways.

Today’s Everyday Devotions have also inspired a devotional video that you can watch on our YouTube channel.

Join our online service at everyday.online