RADICAL PRAYER
Opening Prayer
Lord, Your work cannot be stopped.
Read ACTS 4:23–31
Peter and Others Pray for Courage
23 As soon as Peter and John had been set free, they went back and told the others everything that the chief priests and the leaders had said to them. 24 When the rest of the Lord’s followers heard this, they prayed together and said:
Master, you created heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. 25 And by the Holy Spirit you spoke to our ancestor David. He was your servant, and you told him to say:
“Why are all the Gentiles
so furious?
Why do people
make foolish plans?
26 The kings of earth
prepare for war,
and the rulers
join together
against the Lord
and his Messiah.”
27 Here in Jerusalem, Herod[a] and Pontius Pilate got together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel. Then they turned against your holy Servant[b] Jesus, your chosen Messiah. 28 They did what you in your power and wisdom had already decided would happen.
29 Lord, listen to their threats! We are your servants. So make us brave enough to speak your message. 30 Show your mighty power, as we heal people and work miracles and wonders in the name of your holy Servant [c] Jesus.
31 After they had prayed, the meeting place shook. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and bravely spoke God’s message.
Footnotes
- 4.27 Herod: Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great.
- 4.27,30 Servant: See the note at 3.13.
- 4.27,30 Servant: See the note at 3.13.
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Meditate
‘Your kingdom come, Your will be done’ (Matt 6:10).
Think Further
Peter and John are released, but the threat of re-arrest still lingers. How do they respond? They return to their church family and pray together about this danger. Despite being apostolic leaders, they do not think that this threat concerns only them, so they do not try dealing with it alone: this is a shared problem about which every Christian should pray.
The prayers of these first believers offer us a lesson in how to deal with trouble. They seem to have been aware that such a threat to their ministry brought with it the temptation to question God’s sovereignty. Could God really be all-powerful, if the Jewish authorities were able to threaten and seemingly thwart His plans? Indeed, most of us will have similarly asked, ‘Why has God let this happen?’ when things appeared to be going wrong in our lives. These Christians faced this temptation head on, reminding themselves that, despite appearances, God is still very much in control. Together, they declare how God had made the heavens and the earth. They also cite Psalm 2 and Christ’s sufferings at humanity’s hands to encourage each other that although people have always resisted God, the Almighty is never taken by surprise. His plans remain firm.
Gerhard Krodel points out that when these Christians prayed, they did not ask God to remove their problems and stop the authorities from persecuting them (Gerhard A Krodel, Acts, Augsburg Publishing House, 1986, p115). Instead, they asked Him to give them the courage to continue doing His will despite the threats they faced. Do we ever pray like this? How much of our prayer life is taken up with asking for God’s will to be done and how much with requesting an easier life? God clearly responded powerfully to their prayers for strength. Should we try praying as they did?
Apply
What lessons can you glean from these Christians about suffering and prayer? Spend some time asking God for the strength to do His will, despite the cost involved.
Closing prayer
Lord, despite our unfavorable circumstances, give us boldness to proclaim Your Word as did the early church.
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