Pray With Dependency
Acts 4:23-31
The Jewish religious leaders commanded Peter and John not to speak or teach in the name of Jesus. They had boldly replied that they could not help but speak about what they had seen and heard.
Peter and John were released by the Jewish leaders and they went back to their own people. When the people heard their report, they prayed together to God, the Creator of heaven, earth, and sea and everything in them. It was more than a prayer; it was a song of praise, using the words of King David when he asked God why the heathen raged against Him and the nations plotted against Him. Even the kings of the earth were united to fight against Him.
They expressed their concern about what was happening in their city. The leaders of Rome, as well as the people of Israel, were united against Jesus, the Son of God. It seemed that they would stop at nothing. They expressed their heartfelt concern over what was happening and prayed that God would grant them boldness in their preaching. They also asked that He would bestow His healing power upon them and that they would be able to perform miracles and wonders in the name of His Son Jesus.
They did not pray for God to remove their problems, but to give them the boldness and grace they needed to deal with the problems they were facing. As believers, we will face many problems in this world, but God will give us the grace to deal with them. We need to pray privately, but we also need to unite with fellow believers in worship, praise, thanksgiving and prayer, asking that the Lord will give us boldness to be witnesses of His saving grace.
Our nation is facing the same type of problems today that the early disciples faced. The heathen are raging against God and His people. They are constantly plotting to remove any mention of God, religious activities, Christian symbols and prayer from our schools, communities, government and nation. We should be united in prayer that God will give us boldness, grace and wisdom to deal with the issues we are facing today.
After they had poured out their hearts to God, the place was shaken, they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they were empowered by God to proclaim His Word with boldness. Pray that God will shake us, fill us with His Holy Spirit, and empower us to proclaim His Word with boldness. May our prayer be: “Lord, send a revival and let it begin in me. Amen.”
Johnston– Lessons in the BSL series for the fall quarter are being written by Virginia Johnston, a member of First Baptist Church, North Charleston, where her husband Dan is pastor.