Check out all the previous Pray for ONE Readings here.
Pray for ONE Reading Plan | Week 3 | Day 1
Prayer
As you come to spend time with Jesus, calm your mind and body until you feel fully present. Ask Him to teach you more about Himself today.
Bible Reading: Acts 2:42-47
Read these verses three times slowly.
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of breadand to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Reflection & Questions
By Pastor Dan Chapin.
Have you ever had a really close circle of friends that you shared everything with? Sometimes these circles of friends are made up of family members that still live in close proximity to each other, sometimes we find these friends with our roommates in college, other times we find these friendships through the power of the local church.
Today we live with an epidemic of a lack of friendships. In 2023 Gallup found that 17% of people above 65 years of age suffered from severe loneliness. The study also found that the highest levels of loneliness in any age group was 18-27 year olds with 27% agreeing with the statement, “I feel very lonely.” Today, our culture has a loneliness epidemic.
God designed us to be in community and to reflect a Jesus centered love toward one another. Look at the potent community that Acts 2:42-47 outlines. They devoted themselves to studying God’s word and to the fellowship of other believers. Meaning, they meant business when it came to knowing the Bible and knowing each other. And not in a freaked out “I know all your secrets” kinda weird way, but they knew each other deeply. They shared things in common with each other. They were never too proud to say, “I need some help with this, or the bills are tight this month.” They even were willing to sell their own personal property to help those in need within the community. They met together in the temple courts for worship. Their priority was to worship God not just on the Sabbath, not just when they had time for it, but they met together DAILY in order to keep their community and worship God – reorienting their hearts towards God at the center of everything they were doing.
As a result of living out this attractive community, they were a missional community that changed their communities. The passage said that, “the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” This type of community was infectious with the Gospel. The power of their love for each other, attracted people far from God. That type of community doesn’t sound lonely does it? That type of community sounds like one any of us would carve out the business of our lives to be part of.
- What’s attractive about this community to you?
- What do you wish you could replicate in your own life?
Prayer
God help me to search out a community where I can belong and expericence your love through other people.
Worship Song
You might use this song today to worship Jesus today:
Check out more Bible Reading Plans here.
Questions?
Ed Applegate
