Acts 16:11-15 Christian Standard Bible
Lydia’s Conversion
11 From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, the next day to Neapolis, 12 and from there to Philippi, a Roman colony and a leading city of the district of Macedonia. We stayed in that city for several days. 13 On the Sabbath day we went outside the city gate by the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and spoke to the women gathered there. 14 A God-fearing woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, was listening. The Lord opened her heart to respond to what Paul was saying. 15 After she and her household were baptized, she urged us, “If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.
Word of God for the Children of God
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
The book of Acts is a fast-paced book of the Bible.
The church was on the move!
It grew quickly as the early apostles, filled with the Holy Spirit, traveled throughout the urban centers of the Roman Empire.
The main human characters in this book are people like Peter, John, and Paul.
It’s exciting to see how the gospel message transforms thousands of individuals who respond to the gospel while continuing to serve God in their vocations.
Lydia was one such example.
She was a business woman who made a good living working in the fashion industry by buying and selling luxurious cloth.
Lydia gathered with other women from her community to pray, and Paul came to share the good news of Jesus with them.
The Holy Spirit opened her heart, and Lydia believed!
Lydia then used her position and wealth to show hospitality to Paul and his companions.
And we can assume that after they moved on to other cities, Lydia continued in her work and calling as a textile merchant.
The gospel doesn’t usually lead us to abandon our jobs in order to enter full-time ministry.
The pattern in the early church is the gospel transforms ordinary people, with ordinary jobs, into people who use what they have available in service to God.
In the New Testament, stories of transformed lives underscore a powerful truth: genuine faith in Jesus ignites action and motivates believers to express their faith through love and obedience.
As we explore the journeys of various biblical figures, see how encounters with Christ catalyzed not only a change in their internal beliefs but also a profound redefinition of their relationships, priorities, actions within their communities.
These accounts illustrate that true faith is never passive; it compels individuals to embrace transformation in both purpose and behavior, paving the way for a deeper connection with God and others.
Acts 16:11-15, Lydia’s conversion signifies more than personal transformation—it marks the establishment of one of the first Christian communities in Europe.
As a successful merchant dealing in purple cloth, Lydia held a unique position of influence, yet her heart was open to Paul’s message.
Upon hearing the gospel, she and her household were baptized, showing the immediate ripple effect her decision had on those around her.
Lydia’s generosity in offering her home as a base for Paul and his companions underscores how her faith translated into tangible acts of hospitality and support for the mission of the early church.
Her home became a vital gathering place for believers, reflecting how one person’s faith can serve as a cornerstone for broader communal change.
True faith leads us to use our resources for God’s mission.
Reflection Question: How can we use our resources and spaces to support and expand God’s work in our communities?
Reflection Question: What familiar or comfortable areas of our lives might God be calling us to surrender for a greater purpose?
Reflection Question: Are there areas in our lives that need realignment with God’s standards as we commit to a path of integrity and faithfulness?
Reflection Question: How can we take practical steps to make amends or live justly, particularly in areas where we’ve fallen short?
Reflection Question: What parts of our lives might need to be reexamined in light of Paul’s radical transformation?
Reflection Question: How can we overcome our past or current struggles to share the message of hope and transformation with others?
Faith moves us from self-interest to serving others in tangible ways.
Reflection Question: How can we extend care and compassion to those around us, especially in moments of difficulty or uncertainty?
Genuine faith must be accompanied by actions that reflect love, service, and justice.
Reflection Question: In what ways can our actions more fully reflect the faith we profess?
Repentance is not merely a confession but a commitment to changed behavior.
Reflection Question: What fruit does our life produce, and how can we better align our actions with our repentance?
True discipleship is shown through obedience, not just words.
Reflection Question: Are we actively seeking to live out God’s will in our relationships, work, and community?
True transformation begins in the mind and leads to actions that reflect God’s will.
Reflection Question: How can we allow God’s Word to transform our minds and guide our decisions?
Loving Jesus requires obedience to His teachings.
Reflection Question: How can we demonstrate our love for Christ through acts of obedience in our daily lives?
Use these memory verses to pray using the
ACTS method: Adoration, Confession, Thankfulness, Supplication
- Adoration: Praise God. Do these verses bring any specific characteristics of God to mind?
- Confession: Tell God that you are sorry for specific sins. Do these verses bring any specific sins to mind?
- Thankfulness: Show gratitude towards God. Does anything from these verses inspire gratitude?
- Supplication: Make requests for yourself and for others. Does anything from these verses inspire a prayer?
“The Lord opened her heart to pay attention.”
This simple phrase reveals the beautiful mystery of salvation—God pursues us before we ever seek Him.
Lydia wasn’t searching randomly; God is orchestrating her divine appointment with Paul.
Perhaps you’re reading this today because God is opening your heart.
You didn’t accidentally pick up this devotional.
God is drawing you to Himself, stirring something within you that wasn’t there before.
The sovereignty of God in salvation isn’t a doctrine to fear but a warm blanket of security.
You didn’t find God; He found you.
Rest in this: if God has begun a good work in you, He will complete it.
Reflection: Can you identify a time when God was drawing you before you even knew you were being pursued?
Lydia was a wealthy businesswoman.
She was also a worshiper of God.
Paul met her and some other women gathered for prayer outside Philippi on the day of worship.
When Paul shared the good news of Jesus with them, God opened Lydia’s heart to believe and be baptized, committing her life to Christ.
Lydia was a faithful believer in God, but she had not heard the good news about Jesus, the Son of God who came to pay for our sin so we could be saved and have new life.
When God opens our hearts to believe this amazing message, we are filled with joy, comfort, and new life.
The Lord changes us from the inside out, and we want to live joyful lives of gratitude because of that transformation.
It’s not a burden; nor is it done just out of obligation. We delight in obeying and praising God as an expression of the change within.
dynamic coming to faith resulted in her household being baptized as well.
She persuaded Paul and his companions to stay at her home while they were in Philippi.
She extended hospitality as a true expression of her new faith in Jesus.
And by staying in her home—a non-Jewish home—Paul was also showing the grace and love of God.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit …
Praying …
Psalm 63
Praise God Who Satisfies
A psalm of David. When he was in the Wilderness of Judah.
1 God, you are my God; I eagerly seek you.
I thirst for you;
my body faints for you
in a land that is dry, desolate, and without water.
2 So I gaze on you in the sanctuary
to see your strength and your glory.
3 My lips will glorify you
because your faithful love is better than life.
4 So I will bless you as long as I live;
at your name, I will lift up my hands.
5 You satisfy me as with rich food;[a]
my mouth will praise you with joyful lips.
6 When I think of you as I lie on my bed,
I meditate on you during the night watches
7 because you are my helper;
I will rejoice in the shadow of your wings.
8 I follow close to you;
your right hand holds on to me.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 