Sit and Listen: Healing will Come

Baptist Daily Devotional
Aug 6
2 min read

Rev Tetteh-Annor Larbi | August 6 2025 | Acts 14:8-12

KEY VERSE: “He was sitting and listening as Paul preached. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed. Acts 14:9 (NIV)

MESSAGE:

A man who had been crippled from birth sat and listened as Paul preached. He wasn’t shouting, asking for healing, or making a scene—he was present and attentive. Yet in that quiet moment of listening, something happened: faith stirred in his heart. Paul, discerning this faith, called him to stand—and in an instant, the man was healed. This story teaches us that healing often begins with a posture of openness. Sometimes, the most incredible miracles come when we sit under God’s Word with a heart ready to receive.

This man’s healing wasn’t based on a dramatic act or ritual, but on his quiet faith. While the world tells us to hustle for change, this passage reminds us that listening—truly listening—to God can unlock what striving never could. Sitting still doesn’t mean doing nothing. It means positioning ourselves with our hearts ready to hear, believe, and respond to what God is saying. Faith comes by hearing, and healing often follows faith. What followed this healing was dramatic—the people of Lystra responded with awe, even mistaking Paul and Barnabas for gods. But before the crowd's voice rose, one man had quietly believed.

You may be waiting for a breakthrough, wondering what more you need to do. Perhaps the answer is to pause, be present, and listen to what God is saying right where you are. In that place of quiet attention, God sees your faith. And just as He did in Lystra, He may be ready to call you into a new strength. Keep your heart open, because healing often meets those who are still enough to hear the call.

FEET AND HANDS FOR THE MESSAGE:

Quieten your spirit and shut out the noise. Stay your heart on the word of God. Focus on the word to build faith. Hear it with your eye and with your spirit. You are positioning yourself for a life-changing encounter by faith.

PRAYER:

Lord, help me to slow down and truly listen to Your Word. Strengthen my faith as I sit in Your presence. I trust that in Your perfect time, healing—of body, mind, or spirit—will come. Thank You, Lord. Amen.

THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSING.

SHOWERS! BLESSINGS!!

The 365 DAILY BIBLE READING Day 218: 2 Kings 13–17 — Decline and Fall of the Northern Kingdom

DAILY word study: LISTENING The word “listening” in the New Testament is often translated from the Greek word akouō, meaning “to hear with attention” or “to understand.” It goes beyond just sound—it’s about giving focused attention with the heart.

In Acts 14:9, the man didn’t just hear Paul; he listened with his heart, and faith grew inside him. Listening creates space for faith. When we truly listen, we are not just receiving words—we are making room for belief to form.

Reflect on This:

Do you listen to God with the same focus you give your favourite stories or songs?