Thursday, October 23rd

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Thursday, October 23

Acts 4:23-31

When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 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, 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? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed'-- 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, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus." 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.

On a recent trip to visit potential ministry partners in the middle east I was blessed to attend a prayer meeting at the Evangelical Church of Dubai. The meeting had already begun when we arrived and there were about 30 people worshipping together as they were led by a guy on a keyboard and two women singing up front. They were singing in Arabic but the Spirit of the gathering needed no translation; they were lifting their voices and hearts to Jesus.

After 15 minutes or so or worship they began to pray. The keyboardist continued to play softly in the background which gave the prayer time a very worshipful feel. What I noticed right away was the intensity of the prayer being offered. I couldn’t understand a word that was being said but even though I was fighting the drowsiness of jet-lag I was caught up in the passion of their prayers.

At one point a man stood up to pray and prayed with such force that I whispered to the woman sitting next to me, who spoke Arabic, “What is he praying about?”

She whispered back, “He’s asking God to pour out his Spirit on the people in dreams and visions so they can know who Jesus is.”

It struck me that these believers, most of whom had faced rejection and persecution from their own families, were not asking God to make their lives easier or better but rather to send the Holy Spirit to reach those who did not know Christ! What I experienced in that prayer meeting in Dubai was what I see happening in Acts 4.

"And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus."

They ask God for more miracles like the healing of the man born lame (Acts 3), but not miracles for themselves. They ask for healing, for signs and wonders in the name of Jesus, but they are asking God to do these things for those who do not yet believe in Jesus so that they can then use those miraculous events to share the gospel!

So often my prayers tend to be focused on my own needs or the needs of those I love. And, again, there’s nothing wrong with lifting our needs and cares to our heavenly Father.

But how often do I pray for boldness with regard to sharing the gospel? How often do I ask God to do something miraculous in someone else’s life so that I will have the opportunity to share the grace of Christ with that person?

I think we are being challenged by these early believers to stretch our experience of prayer. Are you ready and willing to pray revolutionary prayers? Are you ready to ask God for the opportunity to share the truth of the gospel with a friend or neighbor? Are you ready to ask for boldness?


Pastor Brian Coffey