Read: Acts 4:23–31
Lord, look at their threats, and grant to Your servants to speak Your word with all boldness. Acts 4:29
It is scary to feel threatened. When we feel as though we are in danger, we often back off and look for a safe haven. After Peter and John’s first altercation with the religious authorities in Jerusalem, they must have been tempted to tone down the rhetoric. While the story doesn’t directly indicate a willingness to retreat, the fact that the church was praying for holy boldness in the midst of the threatening circumstances suggests that Peter and John were in need of encouragement.
Every human being grows faint of heart from time to time, but when God is with us, when the Holy Spirit empowers boldness, when Jesus promises to be with us until the end of the age, we can be more courageous than we might have imagined ourselves to be. The text also indicates that the early church knew to pray for what they needed. If you grow faint of heart, pray for courage. If you face powerful adversaries, pray for protection. If there is a story that must be shared against all odds, pray for boldness.
What do you need to pray for today?
Lord, my faith is timid at times. I am reluctant to speak of You or Your presence in my life for fear that the people around me will think me odd. I do not want to be perceived as a religious kook. I would rather remain silent than be outed as a person of faith. Yet my quiet and private faith does not adequately mirror Your generosity and blessings to me. I need to pray for many things, but one request that I am reluctant to make needs to be voiced—give me the resolve to speak boldly to others about my relationship with You. In Jesus’ name, I pray. AMEN.