Pray for Boldness
Have you ever wondered what it was like to live in the time of medieval knights and dames? It was a time of chivalry and bravery -- a time when extreme acts of courage were commonplace. Boldness meant more than taking an unpopular stand on social media, it meant putting your life on the line in the battle field. Bold was more than a Chex Mix flavor, it was a decision to defend that which was right and good.
What has happened? Who are the knights of today? Is chivalry dead? Is courage outdated? Not at all. God still calls men and women to stand up for that which is right and good. You likely have noticed a cultural attack on Biblical principles. These are the battle fronts where God calls His people to take a stand. It takes boldness.
Back in the first days of the Christian church, the believers prayed for boldness. In the face of a government that was openly hostile to Christianity, they prayed:
“And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” Acts 4:29-30, ESV
God answered their prayer in the very next verse.
“And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.” Acts 4:31, ESV
Would this be your prayer? Would you join me in praying for boldness? Let’s pray that God would give us boldness to speak His Word. This is a boldness that is not based on political or social agendas, it is a boldness that comes from the Holy Spirit – a boldness that stands up for that which we know to be true. When God says all life is precious, we defend life at any age. When God says marriage is between one man and one woman, we defend marriage. When God says to care for widows and orphans, we boldly step out and take responsibility to help those in need.
As you pray for boldness, please be aware that it comes with a cost. To stand up for God’s truth costs time, resources, reputation, and potentially your life. Are you willing to sacrifice these for the sake of the Gospel? Is the fact that Jesus died for you enough reason for you to give your life for Him? It was enough for the believers in Acts. Notice Paul’s boldness.
“And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus. This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.” Acts 19:8-10
Paul would go on to be thrown in prison for preaching Jesus as the only way of salvation.
The cause is not lost. I look around Christ the King and see men and women that know God’s Word. Now the challenge is to carry it with boldness. Together let’s pray that everyone around us would know us as more than “a good person”, but also a soldier who stands up for the truths of God’s Holy Word!
Praying for boldness, Pastor Matthew