“What’s stopping you?“
Have you ever really wanted to do something but never actually carried it out? Like, a real desire to eat healthier. Or to read your Bible more or pray more. What is the reason we sometimes don’t accomplish the things we desire to do? It seems that the reason must be there is a stronger force (situation, desire, circumstance) that prevents us from doing what we have a desire to do. I desire to eat healthier, but I have a stronger desire to eat that package of Oreo cookies. I desire to read my Bible more, but I have a stronger desire to stay in bed or watch another video on my phone.
We desire to be disciples of Jesus who make disciples of Jesus. Is there a greater force that is keeping us from doing that? The reason that was at the top of many lists was fear. Fear of Embarrassment – Don’t want people to make fun of them. Fear of No Response – Don’t want to be rejected. Fear of Intense Response – Don’t want to be persecuted. Fear of Ignorance – Don’t know all the answers. Fear of Shame – Don’t know how to deal with their own sin. Is there anything we can do to overcome this fear? I believe that we get an answer from looking at Acts 4. We see five reasons why we can and should pray the prayer they prayed.
What Was Asked
In verse 29 they arrive at their request: “And now, Lord, look upon their threats.” “God look.” – That’s their first request. It means: “Take note, Lord, they have commanded us not to speak of your Son’s name anymore.” They ask for three things: that God would give them boldness; that He would stretch out His hand to heal people; and that He would cause signs and wonders to happen—all this through the name of Jesus. “…and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, (30) while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” Notice what they didn’t ask for: A change of circumstances. They asked for boldness to speak the truth, and they ask for God to put Himself on display, all for the sake of the name of Jesus.
When It Was Prayed
Peter and John had just been released from custody. They had spent the night in jail and been interrogated. In verse 18 the priests and elders demanded that Peter and John “not speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.” In verse 21 they threaten them further.
Has there been threats against the preaching of Jesus today? Threats against the preaching of the Gospel? Threats against the preaching of absolute truth? The threats look differently for us, not imprisonments yet, no physical beatings yet, BUT, there are threats, it is no longer viewed as acceptable to say there is absolute truth, that Jesus is the only way, that heaven and hell are real, that people who do not trust in Jesus as there Lord and Savior before they physically die will go to eternal hell, that males are males and females are females, that marriage is between one man and one woman. The threats are often not really people at all, often the biggest threat is fear.
The occasion for this prayer is threats against the preaching of God’s Word in the name of Jesus. There were obstacles in the way of the spread of Jesus’ name. This is why the church is so urgent in its prayer. Fear could paralyze them at any moment and keep them from making disciples.
To Whom It Was Prayed
It is remarkable that these Christians take five verses to tell God who He is, and two verses to ask what they want from Him. Now God does not need to be told who He is. God is not unsure of Himself. But Christians need to know who He is, and precisely in their prayers they need to know and confess that He is the kind of God who can and will answer their prayers.
They identify God in two ways. First, they say He is the Sovereign Lord and Creator of all things. Verse 24: “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them” So, they appeal to Him as the Creator of all. They know that if God created everything in earth, sea, and heaven, then these elders and priests are His property and He can do with them as He pleases. Second, they say that God is the one who is ruler of all, even the deeds of evil men. They say this by quoting Psalm 2 in verses 25–26, and then by showing that the psalm was fulfilled in the way God was in control when evil men killed Jesus in (verses 27-28).
We will do well to fill our minds with the truth He has revealed about God and the truth revealed about you and I in Scripture. Then we will pray more like the early Christians.
Who Is Praying
This hits both sides of the spectrum, whether you feel disqualified to pray this or overqualified to pray this. Acts 4:23-24 – When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. (24) And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said…
Who are these “friends”? Luke does not say they went to “the other apostles.” He says they went to “their friends,” literally “their own.” It simply means family, friends, close associates, neighbors, THE LOCAL CHURCH. Therefore, we should pray this prayer because we can. It is prayed not by someone with special status and privileges, but by Christians.
We see another reason this prayer is relevant by looking at who is praying and who is receiving this blessing. On who did the outpouring of the Holy Spirit come? On week people? On disobedient people? Godless people? NO! Verse 8 tells us that Peter had been filled with the Holy Spirit when he stood up to speak in the courtroom. Verse 13 says, “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.” They had just been threatened with death and said, (Acts 4:19-20) “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, (20) for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” My point here is that the people praying this prayer were not weak, scared, disobedient, unSpirit filled Christians. They were Spirit filled, bold, obedient Christians so if they needed to pray this prayer than so do I.
The Answer That Came
Acts 4:31 – 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. What was needed was more time with Jesus. The Spirit of Jesus, God the Holy Spirit filled them, was with them and in them in a fresh, real, literal way. This outpouring of the Spirit is exactly what is desperately needed in the church because of the challenges that face us. This is true even in the best of churches. The church that prayed this prayer was not so bad right? Thousands were getting saved, they had all things in common and yet they needed the answer to this prayer, they needed a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit. We need extraordinary enabling by the Holy Spirit.
The question is, do you want to be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit so you can share the Gospel with power and effectiveness?
Living Hope Ministries 