Acts 4:31 (KJV)

Passage

And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.

Nearby Context

Acts 4:29 And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,

Acts 4:30 By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.

Acts 4:31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.

Acts 4:32 And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.

Acts 4:33 And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "prayed", "place", "shaken", "where", "assembled", "together", "filled", and "holy". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "prayed" and "place", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 30's "By stretching forth thine hand to heal..." into verse 32's "And the multitude of them that believed...", so "prayed" and "place" belong inside that flow. In Acts context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "prayed" and "place" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.