Prayer for Boldness (Cont’d from Feb 07)

Acts 4:13

¹³ Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.

What is required of us to work for Jesus? Before answering that question, did you know that Jesus is also a co-laborer who works alongside with us in extending the kingdom of God? That means as men when we work as laborers for the extension of the kingdom of God, Jesus is with us. When we suffer persecution Jesus suffers with us. When we experience the joy of God’s salvation, Jesus experiences the same. When we face thorns and thistles, Jesus faces the same and at the same time He comforts us by soothing the bruises caused by the thorns and thistles. He is the balm of Gilead. When a child falls and scrapes his knee, a wound is formed. It doesn’t heal instantly but after cleaning the wound and after applying with ointment, the pain is calmed and eventually the wound is healed. Similarly Jesus is our healing balm. He will spiritually clean the wound and apply the balm so that the spiritual wounds are healed by God’s timing.

Jesus declared in Acts 1:8, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” A Christian can only become bold when he allows the Holy Spirit to come upon him then only he can become a witness to Jesus Christ. How do we allow the Holy Spirit to come upon us? Acts 1:14 says, “These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication”. What did Peter and the other apostles pray in one accord you might wonder? The answer is found in Acts 4:29: Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your Word. When Peter and John spoke, it says in Acts 4:13, the rulers and the other men marveled at the way they spoke (for they were uneducated and untrained in theology) with authority and then they realized that these men were with Jesus of Nazareth.

Did you ever pray to the Lord to give you boldness to speak God’s Word? This is what the apostles asked God. What are you asking God? Are you asking God to give you a beautiful spouse and a house or a good paying job or a luxury car or more money and fame? None of above matters. When Jesus is with us even two words that we speak is enough for this world to marvel. Peter and John faced the rulers of their time but they were not afraid at all. They boldly declared the Gospel of Jesus Christ in spite of the trials and tribulations they were going to face.

Let us all humble ourselves and pray in one accord seeking the grace of God so that God may grant us the boldness to declare the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

May our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ bless us all!

Maranatha!