In Acts 3, Peter and John were used by the Holy Spirit to heal a who had been born lame. As the two of them approached the Temple gate, the man asked them for money. He did not lift his head to look them in the eye. When Peter said, “Look at us,” the man lifted his head expecting money. Peter spoke again and said, “I do not have any silver or gold for you, but I will give you what I have. In the Name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!” Peter extended his hand and held the man as he stood up and began to walk. No muscular atrophy. No unsteadiness! Just a man jumping, walking, and praising God as he entered the Temple with Peter and John.
A great crown gathered and Peter began to preach to the crowd about Jesus and how the Old Testament scriptures told of His coming. His message included a promise that I have always held dear. In verses 19-20, Peter said, “Repent of your sins and turn to God so your sins may be wiped away, and times of refreshment shall come from the Presence of the Lord.” Despite the miracle and the positive response of the crowd, Jewish leaders had Peter and John arrested and jailed overnight. When they came before the Sanhedrin, Peter was again filled with the Holy Spirit and proclaimed to them that Jesus was the only means of salvation. Before releasing them, they threatened them to not preach or teach in the Name of Jesus anymore.
Here is where it really gets interesting. Peter and John walked back to the fledgling Church and reported to them the threats from the Jewish leaders. Note the reaction of the people. There was no whining, complaining, or fear. They simply prayed. For what did they pray? That God would grant His slaves to speak His message with complete boldness. They did not pray for safety or delivery from persecution. They only prayed for bold obedience in sharing the Gospel. They longed for God to be glorified, for the Lord Jesus to be proclaimed, and the Holy Spirit freed in their lives to His work. Note how God responded to their prayers. Acts4:29-31 tells us that their meeting place was shaken and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.
The churches of America need to stop worrying about what the government is doing to protect us and focus more the Lord Jesus and less on the potential trials and persecutions we might face. We need to pray more often for holy boldness in proclaiming His Truth. We need to remember that Jesus said, “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me before it hated you (John16:19). Do not depend on anyone or any entity to protect you. That is God’s business. Pray for boldness to live obediently, witness faithfully, and trust our Sovereign Father to fulfill His purpose through you.
