Boldness

"On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. 'Sovereign Lord,' they said, 'you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David...........Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus."
Acts 4: 23-25a, 29-30

Peter and John were warned strictly not to preach the name of Jesus. They were threatened (2:21).  And what did they do? They went back to their own people and began to pray that God would give them the boldness to preach! To speak GOD's Word with boldness!

It sure seems like we are beginning to live in a day and age where we need boldness to speak out GOD's word and to proclaim it as truth!  We are being warned by our chief priests and elders... The President, the local authorities, school systems, courts... not to speak or teach any longer in the name of Jesus. Not to pray. Not to teach the children at school of Jesus.  Doesn't seem so different than Acts 4:17-18 where the leaders determined that they "must warn these men to speak no longer to anyone in this name.  Then they called them [Peter and John] in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus."

Being the civilized and disciplined Americans that we are, most, submit to this instruction and stay within the rules.  But what if... What if instead we took this case to GOD and prayed that same prayer they did back in the days of Acts...

Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.