Unstoppable! 'Give Us Boldness, O Lord!' — Acts 4:29-30

Thursday, March 5, 2020

[The disciples continued their prayer:] "And now, O Lord, hear [the threats of the rulers and people], and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word. Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus."
— Acts 4:29-30 NLT

Key Thought

I love the faith of that bunch of early believers, don't you? They were threatened by people who had exercised their authority to have the Romans crucify Jesus. Those early disciples didn't back down because of the threats of their adversaries. They knew (because they had been praying Psalm 2) that this battle against God's will and God's way had been waged for centuries. They didn't pray for the opposition to go away. They prayed for boldness and power to do miraculous things to open hearts and minds to the truth of Jesus. They didn't pray for protection, but for power!

Today's Prayer

O Father, give me faith to pray for boldness to reach a world hostile to you instead of being more worried about my safety than your mission. Because of Jesus' example, and for Jesus' cause, I pray this through the intercession of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Related Scripture Readings

  • Ephesians 3:14-21
  • Romans 1:1-6

Illustration

Illustration of Acts 4:29-30 NLT — [The disciples continued their prayer:] "And now, O Lord, hear [the threats of the rulers and people], and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word. Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus."

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About This Devotional

Unstoppable! is a one-year devotional guide through the book of Acts. Each devotional consists of a scripture passage, a reflection and a prayer. The reflection opens up the day's scripture and shows how it challenges one to live for Jesus.

Unstoppable! is written by Phil Ware.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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