Friday 4th July Acts 14.1-18

Qn. 1, 3

And there they continued to preach the gospel (7): Lystra and Derbe were cities of Lycaonia, in which Paul and Barnabas fled after being chased away from Iconium. They could easily take themselves as fugitives and do away with preaching of the gospel, or else spend time in sorrows as a result of life hardships.  Nevertheless, they took charge and kept on vehemently preaching the gospel. They seized the opportunity to pray for a person who was crippled from birth and had never walked (8-9). The courage of Paul and Barnabas originated from fearless and self-giving spirit, by which they could not focus on the issues they were facing. As we celebrate our liberation day, let’s take heed of what we learn from our national heroes, and even those we find in the Bible. …, That you should turn from these vain things to a living God,…(15): In the Old Testament, such words could be used to refer to idols, and it is so dreadful when people serve idols (1Sam. 12.21; Ps. 135.17-18). Even today, people waste their resources on diviners and other filthy things, instead of looking for something that would deliver their families from troubles. Prayer Request: Pray for those people whose lives are under some kind of oppression, so that they may be delivered.