A Prayer for Boldness
Acts 4:23–31
There are moments in life when opposition seems overwhelming. The natural instinct in those times is to retreat, complain, or seek relief. Yet the book of Acts gives us a strikingly different example. Peter and John had just been threatened by the Sanhedrin for preaching Christ (Acts 4:18–22). Instead of cowering, the church pressed forward.
This brings to mind the story of John Akhwari, the Tanzanian marathon runner in the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. After being injured, he continued to run long after the race was over. When asked why, he said, “My country did not send me 5,000 miles to start the race; they sent me 5,000 miles to finish the race.” The early church embodied that same mindset: not to retreat in the face of hardship, but to finish strong.
Our passage today shows us how they prayed in those critical moments. Their prayers were not focused on comfort or safety, but on God’s sovereignty and mission. And the result was boldness.
Main Idea: When God’s people pray with confidence in His sovereignty, boldness is the result.
Praising God’s Sovereign Hand (Acts 4:23–28)
When the believers gathered in prayer, they did not begin by asking for protection. Instead, they began by magnifying God. They acknowledged Him as Creator and Sovereign over all things. Their prayer was not rooted in fear, but in Scripture.
They drew on Psalm 2:3–6, which speaks of rulers raging against God, yet His plan standing firm. They saw in their own day that Herod, Pilate, and the Sanhedrin were merely instruments carrying out what God had predestined (Acts 4:27–28).
This perspective shifted everything. Prayer rooted in Scripture is prayer rooted in power and promise. The Bible reminds us that one day “at the name of Jesus every knee will bow” (Philippians 2:10–11; cf. Romans 14:11; Isaiah 45:23). Prayer anchored in this truth becomes unshakable.
Application: Before we ask anything of God, what if we began by acknowledging who He is? True worship is more than music—it is declaring God’s power and promises. Worship shifts our perspective, reminding us that nothing can thwart His purposes. God’s sovereignty is the soil in which boldness grows.
Asking for Courage, Not Comfort (Acts 4:29)
What the church prayed for next is astonishing. They did not ask for safety, relief, or revenge. Instead, they prayed for courage to do the very things they had been told not to do—preaching Jesus Christ.
This prayer aligned them more closely with Christ Himself. Paul reminds us that “all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12). Jesus told His disciples, “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you” (John 15:18–20). True comfort, then, is not found in escaping hardship but in walking closely with Christ.
Application: Our prayers often drift toward comfort, convenience, or escape. But Gospel-centered prayer asks for courage to remain faithful even when it costs. Faithful prayer does not shrink from the fire; it shines through it.
A transitional prayer might sound like this: “Lord, alleviate this trial—but if You choose not to, may the Gospel advance and may You be glorified through my life.”
Responding with Bold Obedience and Power (Acts 4:30–31)
Peter and John had already faced prison, beatings, and threats of more. How could they continue so boldly? The answer is found in the power of the Holy Spirit. Paul wrote, “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you” (Romans 8:11).
Their prayer was not passive—it was filled with expectation. They asked God to act, and He did. “When they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:31).
The Holy Spirit empowered them to do exactly what they had prayed for. This fulfills the promise Jesus made earlier: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses” (Acts 1:8).
Application: Prayer without obedience is empty. Boldness is not just a request; it is a response to God’s filling. The Holy Spirit shakes His people so they can shake the world.
Conclusion
Boldness flows from three sources:
- Praising God’s sovereignty (Acts 4:23–28)
- Asking for courage instead of comfort (Acts 4:29)
- Responding with Spirit-filled obedience (Acts 4:30–31)
So what about us? What would change if we prayed less for protection and more for power? If we sought courage over comfort, how might God shake our lives, our churches, our communities, and even the world?
The early church prayed this way, and the world has never been the same. The question remains: will we pray like they did? Will we finish the race strong?