The Essential Question (Part 2): The Church Begins to GrowPrøve

Fearless Prayer Prepare: If you can, go to a window, look at the sky and pray, "Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth" (Psalm 108:5). Read: Acts 4:23-31 Reflect: A few years ago, I was playing golf by myself on a drizzly day at the Maumee Bay Golf Course in Ohio. On the fifteenth hole, a par three, I hit a five-wood to the front of the green, then watched as the ball rolled toward the pin and dropped into the cup. My first ever hole-in-one -- but no one saw it! When I got to the clubhouse I went to the pro shop manager and told him my incredible news. "Humph," he said, barely looking up from his papers, "that's a hard hole." Who do you call when you have exciting news to share? Your spouse, your parents, maybe a close friend? As soon as Peter and John hit the street they reported back to "their own people" (4:23), that is, the church. They weren't interested in getting attention for themselves. Rather, they were interested in sharing the good news about Jesus. That's still what makes the church effective. But the majority of this passage records how these believers prayed in response to opposition. Let's take a closer look, because it gives us insight into the mind and heart of this essential church. Notice they started by focusing on God, not their problems (4:24). Often when I pray, I go straight to what's bothering me, and there's nothing wrong with that (see Psalm 68:19). But if I'm not careful, my prayer becomes more like obsessing on my worries than talking to God. That's why it helps me to look into the sky sometimes as I pray. I'm reminded that God is bigger than my problems. But the most interesting thing about this prayer is what the church didn't ask God for: safety. You'd think that after being harassed and mistreated, they'd have been scared, especially since they knew what happened to Jesus. But there's not even a hint of fear in this prayer. In fact, what they ask for is spiritual boldness (4:29) -- and this request isn't out of spiritual bravado, either. That's because their primary concern wasn't for protection or even for their rights. Rather, it was for greater effectiveness in sharing the good news. That's the secret of fearless prayer, and it's a key ingredient for those who want to make a difference for God today. Apply: Are you facing a situation that intimidates or scares you? Ask God to help you overcome fear and boldly trust him to work through you.