2ND WEEK OF EASTER

Lord, . . . enable your servants to speak your word with all boldness. 

If you were being persecuted for your faith, you’d probably pray for the persecution to end. But in today’s first reading, the early Christians ask God for courage and boldness to proclaim the gospel in spite of it! And because God answered their prayer, the faith spread like wildfire and has continued to grow ever since.

Over the centuries, Christians have endured many forms of persecution: rejection, loss of employment, imprisonment, torture, and even death. Yet like the first disciples, men and women have persisted in gathering together and praying “to speak . . . with all boldness” (Acts 4:29).

Of course, the Lord wants us to pray for an end to persecution and for the passage of laws that protect religious freedom. But today, let’s also pray as the disciples did. Let’s invite the Lord to give us more boldness. Let’s pray for our hearts to be infused with courage, joy, and perseverance so that we can share the love of God with other people who also need to hear the good news.

While we’re at it, let’s also pray for boldness in other areas of our lives. That boldness can help us push back against the fears that may creep into our hearts. When news headlines and social media feeds lure us into distraction and worry, that boldness can help us refocus and pay attention to what God is saying to us. When a medical diagnosis leads us into a swirl of worry, boldness can empower us to be still before the Lord and receive his peace. And when our own shortcomings and brokenness discourage us, that boldness will open us to receive his mercy and start the day afresh.

So keep asking for boldness, whether it’s so that you can stand up for your beliefs, spread the faith, or conquer your fears. God is faithful. Just as he gave the disciples boldness and courage, so he will give it to you. And who knows? With such boldness, you may just witness “signs and wonders . . . done through the name of . . . Jesus” (Acts 4:30)!

“Lord, fill me with your Holy Spirit and enable me to speak and act with boldness today.”

Acts 4:23-31
Psalm 2:1-9
John 3:1-8