…and they continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
Acts 4:31
Sometimes you just need to pray. There are other times in life when you need others to pray. Prayer is a significant opportunity God gave us to speak to Him and sense His presence in a way otherwise not felt. When our rope is short, and we get to the end, we tend to cry out to God.
We cry out because of our need and hopelessness experienced. There are other times when we make smaller decisions and fail to have those same conversations with Him. In your life, what brings you to the point of prayer, and what is the content of your prayers?
We’ve had ten weeks of COVID-19 in South Carolina, and people are “all-out” stir crazy. All you have to do is drive to the grocery store, and you’ll understand what I mean. It’s like the Darlington 500 Nascar race out there, and everyone is jockeying for 1st place. I’ve been thinking about this time in our history a good bit, and I don’t think we need prayer. I think we need to pray.
Peter and John Needed to Pray
Peter and John were under great scrutiny before the rulers, elders, and scribes in Jerusalem because they were telling people about Jesus. Peter and John were bold and did not waiver from their desire to let people know about the Hope of the world.
They did not back down because others were offended at their message. They were bold. But this boldness did not happen because of their personalities or disposition.
I believe their boldness came from two places. First, Jesus genuinely changed them, and now the Holy Spirit directed and empowered them. I guess we could ask ourselves that same question. Have we been changed by Jesus and the Holy Spirit working in our lives? Has it made us bolder in our conversations about the real hope that we have in life?
Second, they were truly changed by what we see of Peter and John in the Acts 3:1. They had a daily prayer life. This prayer life was more than some ritualistic time where they recited prayers and went through the motions. They prayed to the one who saved them and gave them hope.
Peter and John’s Need for Prayer
It’s good to have friends when you need them. Peter and John were told by the rulers that they were no longer allowed to speak about Jesus because it was causing division in the ranks. But Peter and John quickly said they would not follow those rules of silenced speech and talked about Jesus anyway.
The rulers had no valid reason to keep Peter and John, so they were released, and people were praising God for this small victory.
However, the first thing they did was go to their friends. I believe good friends provide extra special spiritual wisdom and encouragement. But here, Peter and John were looking for something else. They needed additional prayer support, and their friends understood that (Acts 4:23-30). Do you have friends like that who you can call on for encouragement and prayer?
Peter and John were already bold in their conversations about Jesus, but their friends prayed for even more boldness. I think today is a good day to think about your friends. Can you count on them to pray for you? Can they rely on you to pray for them?