Obeying and Standing With God
Today’s Verse:
Acts 5:29 ESV
But Peter and the apostles answered, ”We must obey God rather than men.”
The apostles made this bold confession as they stood before the religious authorities, who had ordered them to stop preaching in Jesus’ name. Their response was not rooted in defiance for its own sake but in faithful obedience to God. When human commands stand against God’s Word, the choice is clear for the Christian: Christ comes first.
In a world where the Church is often pressured to soften its witness or remain silent, Acts 5:29 gives courage. Our faith is not a private comfort but a public confession. We are called to stand firm, even when doing so may bring consequences, ridicule, or rejection. And yet, we do so with humility, knowing that Christ Himself was rejected first, for us.
Martin Luther echoed this verse at the Diet of Worms, saying, “Here I stand, I can do no other.” We follow Christ, trusting in His Word and relying on His strength, not our own.
.Prayers
A Prayer for Today:
Lord God, give us courage to obey You rather than men. Strengthen us through Your Word, and help us be faithful witnesses to Christ in both peaceful and challenging times. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
Apostles’ Creed:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Luther’s Morning Prayer:
I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands, I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.
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