God's Holy Fire: 'They Prospered Wonderfully'

Thursday, May 30, 2024

When [Paul's] friends learned of the plot [to kill him], they got him out of [Jerusalem], took him to Caesarea, and then shipped him off to Tarsus. Things calmed down after that and the church had smooth sailing for a while. All over the country — Judea, Samaria, Galilee — the church grew. They were permeated with a deep sense of reverence for God. The Holy Spirit was with them, strengthening them. They prospered wonderfully.
— Acts 9:30-31 MESSAGE

Key Thought

I love the sentence, "They prospered wonderfully." This statement does not mean they were all healthy, wealthy, and wise. In the Holy Spirit sense, "prosper" means calm, smooth sailing, unity, strength, deep reverence, spiritual growth, and numerical growth. I don't know many places that actually demonstrate the Spirit in this way, but I do know that this possibility gives me hope.

Today's Prayer

O Father, please help us prosper in the ways you want us to prosper. May our prospering bring you honor and glory. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

Comments

Archived Facebook Comments

Other Devotionals from Heartlight for Thursday, May 30, 2024

Spiritual Warfare
A daily devotional about God's power for our battles.
'God Does What Seems Impossible' (Lk. 18:27)
"Jesus said, "The things that are impossible for people to do are possible for God to do.""
Morning & Evening
The classic twice-daily devotional from Charles H. Spurgeon.
Morning Thought: Song of Solomon 2:15
"A little thorn may cause much suffering. A little cloud may hide the sun. Little foxes spoil the vines; and little sins do mischief to the tender..."
What Jesus Did!
A daily guide from the gospels that challenges readers to live for Jesus.
'True Worth' (Mk. 8:36-37)
"[Jesus continued teaching the crowd,] "And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your..."
Unstoppable!
A one-year devotional guide through the book of Acts.
'Immediate Obedience' (Acts 10:7-8)
"As soon as the angel was gone, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier, one of his personal attendants. He told them what..."

Illustration

Illustration of Acts 9:30-31 MESSAGE — They prospered wonderfully.

About This Devotional

God's Holy Fire is a daily devotional about the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

The Thoughts and Prayer for God's Holy Fire are written by Phil Ware.

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scripture quotations marked MESSAGE are taken from THE MESSAGE, copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

More God's Holy Fire

Translations