Pray for Boldness
The wicked flee when no one pursues,
but the righteous are bold as a lion.
19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”
Abraham debates with God over the future of Sodom and learns that God is more concerned in saving the few righteous than in punishing the many wicked
12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted
19 But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, 20 for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” 21 And when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people, for all were praising God for what had happened. 22 For the man on whom this sign of healing was performed was more than forty years old.
“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, 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’—
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.”
Observe, in respect to this prayer, that they ask, not to be rescued from persecution, nor to be relieved from the obligation of speaking, nor to be avenged on their enemies or God’s, nor even for greater intelligence, acumen and skill, but (1) that they may continue to speak, (2) with boldness, i. e., freedom and courage of speech, (3) the word of God, implying a request for a continual revelation of that word (John 14:26; 15:26), attested by manifestations, not of divine justice, but of mercy, (4) to the glory of Christ’s name.
2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
25. There was no sleep for the missionaries that night, thanks to their pain and their uncomfortable position. But in the midst of their suffering they displayed their trust in God and their joy by praying and singing praise to him. Here we have a concrete depiction of the Christian ideal of ‘joy amid suffering’ (Rom. 5:3; Jas 1:2; 1 Pet. 5:6). The prayers offered may have been simply of praise to God; there is no suggestion that the prisoners prayed for release, although the fact that the other prisoners heard them is perhaps meant to convey the point that they would then regard the miraculous release which followed as an answer to the missionaries’ prayers to their God.
26. In answer to the joyful confession by the missionaries there suddenly came an earthquake which shook the prison building, causing the doors to fly open and the bonds securing the prisoners to the walls to be loosened. Escape thus became possible, although presumably the fetters would still be attached to the prisoners’ arms or legs. The point of the story, however, is that the prisoners made no attempt to escape. The miracle served a different purpose.
27. The attention shifts from the prisoners to the jailer who was roused from his sleep by the earthquake; seeing the open doors he drew the conclusion that the prisoners had already escaped, and was about to commit suicide. Attempts to provide a rational account of his behaviour are perhaps in vain. Why did he not first look more closely to see what had happened? Although he stood in danger of capital punishment if the prisoners escaped through his negligence, why should he have feared punishment when their escape was due to a natural disaster? But the man knew of the supernatural powers of Paul and Silas, and his wits were deranged in face of the supernatural; he did not know what he was doing (cf. Mark 9:6 and the sheer terror of the women at the tomb of Jesus, Mark 16:8).
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
1 Let us, therefore, be humble-minded, brothers, putting away all boasting and conceit and silliness and anger, and let us do what is written, for the Holy Spirit says: ‘Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, nor let the strong man glory in his strength, nor the rich man in his riches, but let him that glories glory in the Lord, to seek Him and to do judgment and justice.’ Especially should we remember the words which the Lord Jesus spoke, when He taught clemency and long-suffering. 2 For He spoke thus: ‘Be merciful, that you may obtain mercy. Forgive, that you may be forgiven. As you do, so shall it be done to you. As you give, so shall it be given to you. As you judge, so shall you be judged. As you are kind, so shall you be treated kindly. With what measure you measure, with the same shall it be measured to you.’ 3 In this commandment and in this counsel let us strengthen ourselves to walk obedient to His holy words, being humble-minded, for the Holy Writ says: 4 ‘On whom shall I have regard except on the meek and gentle and him who trembles at My words.’
Smith, Jay. “Courage in Our Convictions.” Evangelical Missions Quarterly 1998, Vol. 34 (1), pp: 28–42. ISSN: 0014–3359
Christian witness to Muslims in England by confrontation and debate is using the same methods the Muslims use to witness. The method of propositional truth is what Jesus and the early church used and needs to be re-activated today.