Daily Devotional Saturday 22nd February 2020
by William Moody
Acts 4:23–31
The Believers Pray for Boldness
23 When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24 And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, 25 who through the mouth of our father David, your servant,1 said by the Holy Spirit,
“‘Why did the Gentiles rage,
and the peoples plot in vain?
26 The kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers were gathered together,
against the Lord and against his Anointed’2—
27 for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. 29 And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, 30 while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 31 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.
(ESV)
Peter and John return to the other believers after their night in prison and interrogation by the Jewish leaders (v23). What they desired was both fellowship and prayer (v24). In their helplessness they turn to Almighty God.
Their united prayer is one of the great prayers of faith in the bible. They begin by focusing on who God is, the ‘Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth’. They had a big picture of God which encouraged their praying.
As we pray we need to pause to consider the God who we are coming to. When we have a sense of awe at the God we are coming to then we can truly come to pray in faith.
The prayer then focuses on Psalm 2 which gives them an understanding into to what happened to Jesus (v25-27). As dreadful as what happened to Jesus was, it was still part of God’s plan (v28). Even when evil sought to do its worse, God uses it for good. In the most trying of circumstances, it is a wonderful comfort that God is Sovereign and works all things out for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8 v28). Do you have that faith?
The disciples don’t pray to be removed from danger but that they will be faithful in the middle of it (v29) and that God would be glorified (v30). The result was that the building were they met was shaken and they were filled with the Spirit (v31). What an amazing God we have!
copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.