Unstoppable! 'Can't Be Shut Up! (Part 2)' — Acts 5:22-25

Friday, March 13, 2026

But when the Temple guards went to the jail, the [apostles] were gone. So they returned to the council and reported, "The jail was securely locked, with the guards standing outside, but when we opened the gates, no one was there!"

When the captain of the Temple guard and the leading priests heard this, they were perplexed, wondering where it would all end. Then someone arrived with startling news: "The men you put in jail are standing in the Temple, teaching the people!"

— Acts 5:22-25 NLT

Key Thought

With the apostles miraculously delivered from jail, the "message of life" (Acts 5:20) in their hands could not be derailed, sidetracked, or snuffed out by threats, persecution, and imprisonment. The book of Acts repeats this theme over and over. In fact, later in Acts, persecution and imprisonment became the conduit that God used to move Paul to the heart of the empire, Rome, to proclaim Jesus. The character and compassion of Jesus' disciples repeatedly won the hearts of those who jailed them and opened the door, literally and figuratively, for the Good News of Jesus to travel across the vast stretches of the Roman Empire. If we are willing, prayerful, and committed, the same can happen, and is happening, today!

Today's Prayer

We ask, dear Father, that the Holy Spirit moves in us and helps us have the kind of faith and conviction that the early disciples had. We pledge our hearts, souls, and minds and all of our strength to your mission in the world. We want the message of Jesus to be as unstoppable in our day as it was in the days of the early church. We ask for this in Jesus' mighty name. Amen.

Related Scripture Readings

Have thoughts on this devotional? Leave a comment

Illustration

Illustration of Acts 5:22-25 NLT — But when the Temple guards went to the jail, the [apostles] were gone. So they returned to the council and reported, "The jail was securely locked, with the guards standing outside, but when we opened the gates, no one was there!" When the captain of the Temple guard and the leading priests heard this, they were perplexed, wondering where it would all end. Then someone arrived with startling news: "The men you put in jail are standing in the Temple, teaching the people!"

Other Devotionals from Heartlight for Friday, March 13, 2026

Morning & Evening
The classic twice-daily devotional from Charles H. Spurgeon.
Evening Thought: Mark 9:15
"How great the difference between Moses and Jesus! When the prophet of Horeb had been forty days upon the mountain, he underwent a kind of..."
Passion for Praise
A daily passage of Scripture emphasizing praise to our God.
'How Majestic Your Name' (Ps. 8:1)
"O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth! Your glory is higher than the heavens."
Spiritual Warfare
A daily devotional about God's power for our battles.
'Don't Yield to False Gods!' (De. 32:16-18)
"They made God jealous with foreign gods and angry with hateful idols. They made sacrifices to demons, not God, to gods they had never known, new gods...."
God's Holy Fire
A daily devotional about the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
'Complete!' (Jn. 19:30)
"After he took the wine, Jesus said, "It's done ... complete." Bowing his head, he offered up his spirit."

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!