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WEEK 7: 9 – 15 OCTOBER 2016Weekly Reading: EG White, The Acts of the Apostles, chapter 6: “At the Temple Gate”Study Guidevii:1. “Why were the people of Jerusalem amazed when Peter and John were able toheal the cripple? How did Peter explain the healing? See Acts 3:16.”2. “Read Acts 4:1-3, 5-7, 10. The boldness of the disciples amazed the priests andreligious leaders because just a few weeks earlier the disciples had fled and hidwhen Jesus had been taken prisoner. What caused the change? Can the samething happen to you?”3. “What would you do if you were ordered by the government not to speak orteach at all in the name of Jesus?”4. “Read the prayer of the disciples in Acts 4:24-30. What three things did thedisciples ask for in their prayer? Have you ever asked for anything like that?”Suggested Prayer Format: “Welcome/Introduction: 5 MinutesAdoration/Praise: 10 minutesConfession: 5-10 minutesSupplication: 20 minutesThanksgiving: 5-10 minutes”77Praying for Rain! A Mini-Handbook for United Prayer, p5: Copyright 2011, 2012, 2014 by Melodius Echo Mason,ARME Prayer Ministries, and Janet Page, associate ministerial secretary for prayer and pastoral families, GeneralConference of Seventh-day Adventists.Page13Notes in Preparation for Prayer Meeting/Cell Group:

WEEK 8: 16 – 22 OCTOBER 2016Weekly Reading: EG White, The Acts of the Apostles, chapter 58: “The ChurchTriumphant”Study Guideviii:1. “To be the kind of church God wants, it must withdraw “from all allegiance withthe world.” What kind of allegiances do you have that might hinder you fromcarrying out God’s sacred charge?”2. “Read the list of names of reformers part way through the chapter. Theseindividuals contributed to the building of God’s kingdom. Does your name belongon the list? What more do you need to do to ensure that you are following in thefootsteps of the apostles?”3. “Make a list of those with whom you have regular contact (e.g., family, friends,neighbors, coworkers, and service people). Start the ones you feel may bereceptive to Jesus. Begin praying for the people on your list, especially for thestarred names, and watch for opportunities to verbally testify about what Jesushas done for you. Ask Jesus to give you a harvest.”Suggested Prayer Format: “Welcome/Introduction: 5 MinutesAdoration/Praise: 10 minutesConfession: 5-10 minutesSupplication: 20 minutesThanksgiving: 5-10 minutes”88Praying for Rain! A Mini-Handbook for United Prayer, p5: Copyright 2011, 2012, 2014 by Melodius Echo Mason,ARME Prayer Ministries, and Janet Page, associate ministerial secretary for prayer and pastoral families, GeneralConference of Seventh-day Adventists.Page14Notes in Preparation for Prayer Meeting/Cell Group:

DAILY DEVOTIONSWe have supplied a special daily devotion for each of the 40 Days of Prayer.Each daily devotion contains: A Bible readingEG White QuotationLesson(s)Reflection questionsPrayer GuideAs you will notice, the daily devotions are mainly taken from the Book of Acts and thebook by Ellen White entitled The Acts of the Apostles.We pray that you, your church and others who receive the daily devotions will bedrawn closer to Christ, assisted in preparing to receive the fullness of the Holy Spiritinto your life and be empowered to be a powerful witness for Christ in the time we areliving in.Page15As the Holy Spirit directs, please feel free to pass on the daily devotion to others aswell.

29 AUGUST 2016 (DAY 1)The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,2 until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had givencommandments to the apostles whom He had chosen ” (Acts 1:1-2 NKJV)IN CONTEXT: Acts 1:1-3EG WHITE QUOTATION:Christ had finished the work that was given Him to do. He had gathered out those whowere to continue His work among men. And He said: "I am glorified in them. And now Iam no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to Thee. Holy Father,keep through Thine own name those whom Thou hast given Me, that they may be one,as We are." "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Methrough their word; that they all may be one; . . . I in them and Thou in Me, that theymay be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that Thou hast sent Me, andhast loved them, as Thou hast loved Me." John 17:10, 11, 20-23. {AA 24.1}LESSON(S): Jesus wants to continue His work on earth through His Church.REFLECTION QUESTIONS: Are we fulfilling the work (the mission) Jesus has entrusted to us as His Church? Are we as individuals and as a Church reflecting the love of God to the world likeJesus did?PRAYER GUIDE:Page16 Let us pray for an earnest desire, personally and among the members of theChurch, to continue Christ’s work on earth by becoming co-workers with Him. Let us pray that God will do a powerful work of transformation in our lives by Hisgrace in order that we may reflect His character to our families and to the world.

30 AUGUST 2016 (DAY 2)3 to whom [the apostles] He [Jesus] also presented Himself alive after His suffering bymany infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of thethings pertaining to the kingdom of God. (Acts 1:3 NKJV)IN CONTEXT: Acts 1:1-3EG WHITE QUOTATION:For forty days Christ remained on the earth, preparing the disciples for the workbefore them and explaining that which heretofore they had been unable tocomprehend. He spoke of the prophecies concerning His advent, His rejection by theJews, and His death, showing that every specification of these prophecies had beenfulfilled. He told them that they were to regard this fulfillment of prophecy as anassurance of the power that would attend them in their future labors. "Then opened Hetheir understanding," we read, "that they might understand the Scriptures, and saidunto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from thedead the third day: and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in Hisname among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." And He added, "Ye are witnesses ofthese things." Luke 24:45-48. {AA 26.2}During these days that Christ spent with His disciples, they gained a new experience. Asthey heard their beloved Master explaining the Scriptures in the light of all that hadhappened, their faith in Him was fully established. They reached the place where theycould say, "I know whom I have believed." 2 Timothy 1:12. They began to realize thenature and extent of their work, to see that they were to proclaim to the world thetruths entrusted to them. The events of Christ's life, His death and resurrection, theprophecies pointing to these events, the mysteries of the plan of salvation, the power ofJesus for the remission of sins--to all these things they had been witnesses, and theywere to make them known to the world. They were to proclaim the gospel of peace andsalvation through repentance and the power of the Saviour. {AA 27.1} Jesus prepared His disciples for the special work that He had entrusted to them.Jesus will also prepare us for the special work He has entrusted to us. As Jesus explained the Scriptures to the disciples “in the light of all that hadhappened, their faith in Him was fully established.” {AA 27.1} Jesus is able to fullyPage17LESSON(S):

establish our faith in Him by giving us a deep understanding of the Word of Godthrough the ministry of the Holy Spirit (See John 16:13-14). Like the disciples, we also need to come to a realization of “the nature andextent” of the work entrusted to us by Jesus: to proclaim to the world the truthsof God’s Word (AA 27) entrusted to us as Seventh-day Adventists (For example,Revelation 14:6-12).REFLECTION QUESTIONS: Is my faith in Christ fully established and founded upon the eternal Word of God?Am I setting aside quantity and quality time in God’s Word and in prayer in orderthat our faith in Christ may be fully established? Do I understand the nature and extent of the special work entrusted to us byJesus for the end-time? If not, do you commit to finding out through personalresearch and prayer?PRAYER GUIDE:Page18 As we take time to study God’s Word, let us earnestly pray that God would openour understanding and enable us to understand the Scriptures; let us earnestlypray that our faith in Christ would become fully established. Let us pray that we, like the disciples, may realize “the nature and extent” of thework Jesus has entrusted to us as God’s end-time people (AA 27).

31 AUGUST 2016 (DAY 3)4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart fromJerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you haveheard from Me; 5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized withthe Holy Spirit not many days from now.” (Acts 1:4-5 NKJV)IN CONTEXT: Acts 1:4-8EG WHITE QUOTATION:When Christ gave His disciples the promise of the Spirit, He was nearing the close of Hisearthly ministry. He was standing in the shadow of the cross, with a full realization ofthe load of guilt that was to rest upon Him as the Sin Bearer. Before offering Himself asthe sacrificial victim, He instructed His disciples regarding a most essential andcomplete gift which He was to bestow upon His followers--the gift that would bringwithin their reach the boundless resources of His grace. "I will pray the Father," Hesaid, "and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever;even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not,neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you."John 14:16, 17. The Saviour was pointing forward to the time when the Holy Spiritshould come to do a mighty work as His representative. The evil that had beenaccumulating for centuries was to be resisted by the divine power of the Holy Spirit. {AA47.1}LESSON(S): Before going out into the world with the gospel (Matthew 28:19-20), Christinstructed the disciples to wait for the gift of the Holy Spirit to be poured out onthem, “the gift that would bring within their reach the boundless resources of Hisgrace” (AA 47). And so, we too need to receive the gift and power of the HolySpirit in our lives before heading out into the world with the gospel! Without theHoly Spirit’s power attending our ministry, people will not be converted.REFLECTION QUESTIONS:Page19 Am I filled with the Holy Spirit like the early disciples were filled with the HolySpirit? If not, why could that be?

PRAYER GUIDE:Page20 Let us earnestly pray and seek for the infilling of the Holy Spirit in our lives inorder for our witness for Christ to be effective.

1 SEPTEMBER 2016 (DAY 4)6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You atthis time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 And He said to them, “It is not for you toknow times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. (Acts 1:6-7NKJV)IN CONTEXT: Acts 1:4-8EG WHITE QUOTATION:Just before leaving His disciples, Christ once more plainly stated the nature of Hiskingdom. He recalled to their remembrance things He had previously told themregarding it. He declared that it was not His purpose to establish in this world a temporalkingdom. He was not appointed to reign as an earthly monarch on David's throne. Whenthe disciples asked Him, "Lord, wilt Thou at this time restore again the kingdom toIsrael?" He answered, "It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which theFather hath put in His own power." Acts 1:6, 7. It was not necessary for them to seefarther into the future than the revelations He had made enabled them to see. Theirwork was to proclaim the gospel message. {AA 30.1}Instead of living in expectation of some special season of excitement, we are wisely toimprove present opportunities, doing that which must be done in order that souls maybe saved. Instead of exhausting the powers of our mind in speculations in regard tothe times and seasons which the Lord has placed in His own power, and withheld frommen, we are to yield ourselves to the control of the Holy Spirit, to do present duties,to give the bread of life, unadulterated with human opinions, to souls who areperishing for the truth.--Review and Herald, March 22, 1892. {Ev 702.1}LESSON(S): Jesus has revealed what we need to know regarding the future. Let us study andunderstand what Jesus has revealed regarding the future but let us, however, notget distracted by getting into that which He has not revealed. We need to stayfocused on proclaiming the gospel truth. Do I find myself spending time searching out matters which God in His wisdomhas not revealed to us and thereby neglect my present duties, including the dutyof proclaiming the gospel to the world?Page21REFLECTION QUESTION:

PRAYER GUIDE:Page22 Let us pray for a full surrender of ourselves to the Holy Spirit and a commitmentto doing only that which God says is important, which includes proclaiming thegospel to the world.

2 SEPTEMBER 2016 (DAY 5)12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is nearJerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey. 13 And when they had entered, they went up intothe upper room where they were staying: Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip andThomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James t

age 5 ABBREVIATIONS NKJV: New King James Version AA: The Acts of the Apostles by EG White DA: The Desire of Ages by EG White 6BC: EG White Quotation taken from SDA Bible Commentary, Volume 6 7BC: EG White Quotation taken from SDA Bible Commentary, Volume 7 3SP: The Spirit of Prophecy, V