Praising God And Having Favor

"And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved." Acts 2:43-47

AWE:
"Phobos", alarm or fright; from "phebomai" (to be put in fear)

PRAISING:
"Aineo", to praise God; from "ainos" (a story) and "epainos" (laudation, a commendable thing)

FAVOR:
"Charis", graciousness; from "chairo" (to be cheerful, calmly happy or well-off)

The first, immediate, tangible result of experiencing complete and utter forgiveness of sin, and the intimate presence of the Holy Spirit, was praise and favor. The Christians were overwhelmed by care and interest and love for each other.

They evidently attended services at the temple regularly for worship, as well as for distributing food to those who needed it. The context describes a group of people who knew each other intimately, at least to the degree that allowed them to share needs.

The word used for "prayer" is a general description of any sort of wish or desire asked of God. As the Christians prayed together, aloud, they shared with God, and with each other, their basic needs as well as their spiritual needs.

The temple, or "church" became a place to learn from Scripture and to share needs and concerns with close friends.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? Is there more that we as a church can do to allow Gods Spirit to increase His influence over us all? What changes might the Lord be moving us toward regarding the essentials of "church":

- Teaching
- Fellowship
- Breaking of Bread
- Prayers

Image courtesy of www.sxc.hu/profile/spiz