A semicircle of scholars wrapped around the two. Learned men. Men of means. Leaders in the community.

Stumped.

Flummoxed by a couple of blue-collar guys.

Fishermen, no less.

Followers of Jesus. Their scholarly noses wrinkled at the thought. Yet, the man, who had been crippled from birth, stood nearby, wiggling his toes and bouncing on his heels. Healed. Completely. Outside the Council doors, praise echoed through the Temple grounds, thanking God for the miracle.

So, the Sanhedrin let Peter and John go.

Not before throwing down their best threats, but they let them go nonetheless.

In Acts 4:24-31, Luke records the prayer of the early church after Peter and John returned from the Sanhedrin.

It’s not what you would expect.

It wasn’t a prayer for deliverance from persecution.

It wasn’t a prayer for protection.

It wasn’t even a prayer of thankfulness.

Here are the final verses, “ ‘Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.’ After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.” (Acts 4:29-31 NIV)

Boldness.

They prayed for boldness. No fear. No hesitation. No self-consciousness. Boldness to speak God’s Word. Click To Tweet

Here’s a compare and contrast list for boldness:

Synonyms: adventurous, daring, enterprising, gutsy, hardy, venturesome, brave, courageous, dauntless, valiant, gritty, plucky, fearless, lionhearted

Antonyms: cowardly, lily-livered, shy, timid, over-careful, afraid, unnerved, alarmed, un-enterprising, craven, overcautious, chickenhearted

Hmmm. Which looks like the church today? Which looks like me?

If there’s one example of boldness in the church today, it’s Todd White. Todd encourages me to be bold. He challenges me to remember that Scripture means what it says and that I must act on it. Now.

Am I still scared? Yes, but I’m working through it.

Do I still hesitate? Yes, but each hesitation grows shorter.

Is my faith growing? Yes, and so is my boldness.

Will you join me?

Workout of the Week: Boldness

Memory Verse: “ ‘Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.’ After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.” (Acts 4:29-31 NIV)

Meditation Passage: Acts 4

Just Do It: Practice boldness. Speak up today.