Unstoppable! 'Waiting in Jerusalem to Begin' — Acts 1:6-8

Wednesday, January 7, 2026

So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, "Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?"

He replied, "The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere — in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

— Acts 1:6-8 NLT

Key Thought

"But you will receive power when..." In other words, not yet; they had to wait in Jerusalem for what was next (Luke 24:49). For most of us, waiting feels like a waste of time. However, in Scripture, waiting is a spiritual commitment to pray, listen, and anticipate what God is going to do through his people (Isaiah 40:28-31 NRSV). The disciples waited in prayer (Acts 1:14) and in seeking the Lord's guidance (Acts 1:23-26). Life is sometimes filled with wasted waiting. Let's redeem these earthly waits into spiritual times of prayer, listening, and anticipating what God is going to do through us next!

Today's Prayer

Father, I confess that I am impatient and do not like to wait. I let waiting become wasted time, and wasted time irritates me. I become impatient and compound the wasted time by wasting energy and being less than the person you have called me to be. I pledge to redeem my waiting times by using them as times of spiritual waiting by praying, listening for your still small voice, and anticipating how you are going to use me next. I ask for the Spirit's help as I seek to make each earthly wait a time of spiritual waiting. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

Related Scripture Readings

Have thoughts on this devotional? Leave a comment

57 Related Resources by Heartlight

You Will Receive Power
Devo: Unstoppable!
"So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, "Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?" He replied,..."
Power for the Interim
Devo: Together in Christ
"[In response to a question about when he would free Israel and restore the kingdom, Jesus] replied, "The Father alone has the authority to set those....."
Acts 1:8
Devo: Today's Verse
"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the..."
Acts 1:8
Devo: Today's Verse
"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the..."
See All 57 Related Resources about Acts 1:6-8

Illustration

Illustration of Acts 1:6-8 NLT — So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, "Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?" He replied, "The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere — in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

Other Devotionals from Heartlight for Wednesday, January 7, 2026

Morning & Evening
The classic twice-daily devotional from Charles H. Spurgeon.
Morning Thought: 1 Kings 19:8
"All the strength supplied to us by our gracious God is meant for service, not for wantonness or boasting. When the prophet Elijah found the cake baked..."
Praying with Paul
Features the apostle Paul's writings turned into daily, powerful prayers.
'Altar of Worship' (He. 13:10-21)
"Dear Father, Thank you for providing an altar of worship for me and all those who have faith in Jesus. Thank you that our Lord Jesus was willing to...."
Daily Wisdom
A daily devotional featuring wise counsel found in Scripture.
Hebrews 12:2
"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the....."
What Jesus Did!
A daily guide from the gospels that challenges readers to live for Jesus.
'Remaining Joined to Jesus' (Jn. 15:6-7)
"[Jesus continued,] "Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be..."

About This Devotional

Unstoppable! is a one-year devotional guide through the book of Acts. Each devotional consists of a scripture passage, a reflection and a prayer. The reflection opens up the day's scripture and shows how it challenges one to live for Jesus.

Unstoppable! is written by Phil Ware.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

More Unstoppable!