Acts 4:31 (LSB)

Passage

And when they had prayed earnestly, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with confidence.

Nearby Context

Acts 4:29 And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your slaves may speak Your word with all confidence,

Acts 4:30 while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders happen through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.”

Acts 4:31 And when they had prayed earnestly, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with confidence.

Acts 4:32 And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and not one was saying that any of his possessions was his own, but, for them, everything was common.

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

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 30's "while You extend Your hand to heal..." into verse 32's "And the congregation of those who believed...", so "Spirit" and "prayed" 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 "Spirit" and "prayed" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.