WEEK 4
Church-Wide Prayer/Prayers
Guided
Meditiation
Meditiation
Week Four:
Day 1 (Monday, 8/4): Acts 1
Theme: The Promise of Power
📖 Summary
Jesus appears to His followers after His resurrection, teaching about the Kingdom and promising the Holy Spirit. He tells them not to move—not to do anything—until the Spirit comes. Then He ascends into heaven, and the disciples return to Jerusalem to wait and pray together.
💬 One Thought
Jesus could have said, “Get out there! Go do big things for me!” But instead, He tells them to stay put. Why? Because the kind of life Jesus calls us to can’t be lived without power. Real power. Not personality, not strategy, not adrenaline—Spirit. The first thing the church ever did was wait. Before God poured out His Spirit, He invited them to sit, be still, and trust that something better was coming.
❓One Question
Where in your life are you tempted to rush ahead when Jesus might be inviting you to wait on the Spirit?
🔥 One Challenge
Practice the discipline of stillness and waiting. Set a timer for 5 minutes and simply say, “Holy Spirit, I’m here. I’m listening.” If you’d like more guidance than that, check out the guided 10-minute prayer and meditation for this week. Let waiting on the Spirit be enough for today.
Day 2 (Tuesday, 8/5): Acts 2
Theme: Filled and Sent
📖 Summary
The Holy Spirit arrives with power—wind, fire, and new languages. Peter preaches with boldness, and thousands believe. The early church is born, marked by unity, generosity, awe, and a new rhythm and practice of worship and life.
💬 One Thought
This is not a quiet moment. The Spirit doesn’t slip in and out unnoticed. He crashes in with fire, filling ordinary people with extraordinary boldness. This is a pretty memorable moment for them, but the goal isn’t a spectacle; it’s transformation. These early followers probably returned to this upper room and these experiences over and over again when things got hard, when they began to doubt or fear, when they gave their very lives for this movement of God. There was no mistaking what they had seen and experienced. This is what the Spirit does. We show up, and He shows off, and that fuels our hope in him.
❓One Question
What part of your life needs a fresh, miraculous filling from the Holy Spirit?
🔥 One Challenge
On Tuesdays, our challenge will be around worship. Worship is simply how we respond to who God is--the one who heals and frees and offers others what we can’t. Worship is more than music—it’s a posture of the heart that says, “You’re worthy, and I trust You.” But, music is one powerful way we worship because it helps us express things we might not have words for on our own.
Today, as a church, we’re all listening to the song Room Like This by RLCM and Cory Simon (you can find it on spotify) at some point in the day. Let it be your worship moment—whether you sing along, sit quietly, or take it in on a walk. Give God your attention and your heart and let it be your moment to pause and give your attention to the One who is with you, for you and more than enough.
Day 3 (Wednesday, 8/6) – Acts 3
Theme: Power in the Name
📖 Summary
Peter and John heal a man who’s been lame since birth. A crowd gathers, amazed, and Peter quickly points them not to himself—but to Jesus. Another opportunity to share the gospel is born through the Spirit’s power and Peter’s obedience.
💬 One Thought
Peter didn’t heal the man with money, resources, or credentials. He offered what he had—faith in the name of Jesus. That’s what the Spirit does: he uses what we do have and multiplies it. We may not be able to do everything for people, but we can point them to Jesus. We don’t have to wait to be more qualified or polished to have an impact on someone’s life. We just have to be available. God moves through the open hands of people who know what name they carry.
❓One Question
Where are you holding back because you feel like you’re not enough?
🔥 One Challenge
Each Wednesday during this study, we’re inviting everyone to fast and pray together.
Fasting means intentionally choosing to go without food for a period of time—not as punishment or performance, but to create space for prayer, focus, and connection with God. When we feel that hunger, we use it as a reminder to turn our attention to Him.
This may already be a regular practice for you, and you might feel ready to fast from food for 24 hours. If it’s new, no worries—start where you can. Maybe that means skipping a meal, a snack, or your favorite daily treat. The point isn’t perfection—it’s presence.
However you fast today, let it be on purpose. And when your stomach growls, let it draw you into prayer—for your own heart, for Mission as church (see specific thing we’re praying about this week on this page!), and for the Spirit’s work in and around us. Use it as an opportunity to talk to God about ways you feel like you’re not enough and allow Him to meet you there.
Day 4 (Thursday, 8/7) – Acts 4
Theme: Boldness in the Face of Fear
📖 Summary
Peter and John are arrested for preaching, but they won’t stop. Instead of shrinking back, the believers pray for even more boldness. The Spirit fills them again, and they continue to speak and live with courage.
💬 One Thought
Their response to fear wasn’t retreat—it was prayer. Not for protection, but for boldness. That’s the Spirit’s work: not removing fear, but empowering us to move through it. Boldness doesn’t mean you’re not scared—it just means you’re Spirit-filled enough to act anyway. These weren’t superheroes—they were people just like us, depending on the Spirit to keep going.
❓Reflection Question
What is one area of your life that you wish you had more boldness?
🔥 Challenge
As an intentional practice of boldness, ask the Holy Spirit to help you do something bold to serve someone else. Maybe he will give you words to encourage a coworker, or compassion to connect with a stranger and listen to their story, or guide your time to pray for a friend. See what simple boldness the Holy Spirit might empower you to practice today.
Day 5 (Friday, 8/8) – Acts 5
Theme: Integrity & Awe
📖 Summary
Ananias and Sapphira lie to the apostles and drop dead—a shocking moment that reminds the community the Spirit is holy, not flippant. Meanwhile, signs and wonders continue, and many are healed.
💬 One Thought
This chapter is jarring—but important. It reminds us that the Spirit isn’t just here to make us feel good; He cares about truth, integrity, and reverence. We can’t compartmentalize our lives and expect the Spirit to bless it all. God’s presence is beautiful—but also weighty because he knows we are as sick as our secrets. There’s something powerful that happens when we choose radical honesty, even when it’s hard.
❓One (actually two) Question(s)
Are there places in your life where you need to get honest? What do you need to do about that today?
🔥 One Challenge
Practice the discipline of confession. Talk to God—AND a trusted friend—about something you’ve been hiding. Watch as the Spirit breathes truth and freedom into it.
Day 6 (Saturday, 8/9) – Acts 6
Theme: Spirit-Led Solutions
📖 Summary
The growing church hits a snag—people feel overlooked and tensions rise. Instead of ignoring it or powering through, the leaders ask for Spirit-filled people to help. Stephen is among them, and peace is restored.
💬 One Thought
The Spirit doesn’t just speak in fire and wind—he speaks through wisdom. He leads us to practical solutions, Spirit-filled people, and peacemaking systems. We were never meant to do this alone. The way God has designed the church is that we need each other to accomplish something in the world that is so much bigger than us. The church grows stronger when everyone plays their part, led by the same Spirit.
❓One Question
What is something that feels messy in your life where you could ask the Spirit to give you wisdom or bring someone to mind who you could ask for help?
🔥 Challenge
Today, before you rush off, spend a moment to pray through your to-do list. Have a big meeting? Talk to God about it. Rushing to pick kids up from school then off to Trader’s? Talk to God about it. Need to walk the dogs, feed the cat, do your homework, fix your car? Talk to God about it. Take a moment to talk through your whole, upcoming day with God, logistics and all, and give it over to him.
Day 7 (Sunday, 8/10) – Acts 7
Theme: Full of the Spirit, Even in the Fire
📖 Summary
Stephen boldly retells Israel’s story and challenges the leaders’ hearts. He’s stoned to death, but before he dies, he sees heaven open and forgives his killers—just like Jesus did.
💬 One Thought
This is the Spirit’s power on full display—not in miracles, but in mercy. Stephen doesn’t just die courageously—he dies full of the Spirit, full of vision, full of forgiveness. That kind of strength doesn’t come from willpower. It comes from walking with the Spirit so closely that even suffering becomes sacred. When life gets hard, the Holy Spirit doesn’t leave the room—He fills it.
❓One Question
What hard thing are you facing—and how might the Holy Spirit help you face it differently?
🔥 One Challenge
Practice the discipline of surrender. Pray, “Holy Spirit, I give everyone and everything to you. Then repeat, I give everyone and everything to you.” Pray this over your situation every time you feel like you need to release your grip on the outcome.