Bold Prayers

September 24, 2023 

We’re in a message series about boldness! After Jesus went to heaven, his disciples, his followers went from timid to bold! All of a sudden, they were working many miracles! The secret was they were filled with God’s spirit, they knew God and were given God’s power to work miracles! In fact, we learned that some of the religious leaders were amazed that the disciples healed a man who couldn’t walk. They wondered, how can these, they called them idiots, work miracles?  

Well, when we know God, we live boldly! 

What I want talk to you about today is praying very bold prayers. Everybody say, BOLD! What you pray for reflects what you believe about God.” 

If you don’t pray at all, that reflects that you don’t believe God answers prayer. And if you only pray small prayers, that probably reflects that you don’t believe that God is a God who answers BIG prayers. If almost all your prayers are for yourself: bless me, help me, comfort me, be with me, that may reflect that you believe God is there to serve you. And when you believe God is here to serve you, if God doesn’t do what you wanted Him to do, you might get offended and say, “Well, God must not be real.” 

Let’s take a moment and think about what you prayed for in the last week. Now if God answered yes to all of your prayers last week, what would be different in the world today? If you pray like the average person, chances are pretty good the only things that would be different arethings that are close to you. 

If your prayers are answered, you would have gotten a raise, or your friend would be healed of cancer, or you would win the lottery. I pray that way, too. I think about what I need or want, who I want God to help. Yes, God loves us to come to him with our needs. 

But you can pray really big prayers! Life changing prayers! What if you prayed BOLD prayers so, that if God answered every one of your prayers last week, churches would be overflowing today with people who have decided to follow Jesus! You can pray so if your prayers were answered, orphans would be adopted by the thousands. People trapped in human trafficking would be set free, and no one on earth would go hungry.  

We’re praying, and so often asking God for little. If you really want to make a big difference in this life, you’re going to need to pray some very bold prayers. Bold prayers build your belief in God! 

We’re looking at the book, Acts of the Apostles, in the Bible. Last week we heard about Peter and John, who, filled with the Holy Spirit, lived a bold life, believing that God could do miracles. 

Two weeks ago, we learned that Peter preached a very BOLD message, telling people you are a corrupt generation! He told them to repent of their sin and be baptized. And a huge miracle happened: 3000 people turned and were baptized! 

Next, Peter and John see a man who was unable to walk for forty years. And they say boldly, “Pick up your mat and walk!” And all of a sudden, this man walked! 

The Sanhedrin, the religious court, was disturbed by this healing. They arrested Peter and John, put them on trial and asked them “By what name and by what authority are you doing these things?”  

And Peter and John said, “Let us state clearly, we are doing this in the name of Jesus Christ, the man that you crucified, but who God raised from the dead.” 

So, they were bold! The religious leaders would have loved to keep Peter and John in prison or kill them. But because they had healed a guy, people would not want to see them killed. So, the religious leaders had to release Peter and John. Acts 4:23 is where we pick up the story: 

“On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them.” They went back to the Christians. Peter and John would have said the religious leaders threatened us. They told us, don’t ever speak in this name again.  

When the Christians hear this, they raise their voices together in prayer to God.  I love this! There is something incredibly powerful when believers come together and lift up things in prayer to God!  

That reminds me of the first time I had a meal with Kevin’s family at their house. They had grace before the meal. Their custom was, somebody would pray grace while we all held hands. So, somebody said the prayer. Then I felt the person squeeze my hand a little. And I wondered if this was like Girl Scouts, when you are all holding hands, heads down and eyes closed, and you pass the squeeze around the circle? Then when it comes back around the circle to you, you know it’s finished. Maybe it was something different? So, the prayer was done and I still had my eyes closed, head bowed. And after a while they let me know, we finished praying, I could let go. That hand squeeze meant “the prayer is finished.” 

I just want you to know, when you get together with Christians for a prayer, its ok to ask how it works. Or it’s ok to hold on too long. They’ll let you know.  

Even though it may not be your nature to be a pray er, to pray with others, there’s something incredible when I pray with someone. I may not have a lot of faith, but I hear someone else praying, and it’s like their faith, their confidence in God, builds my confidence. Bold prayers build your belief in God. 

You can read the prayer of these Christians who were with Peter and John. It starts in Acts 24. They prayed, “Sovereign Lord.” Meaning ok God, you have all power. You made all that is! In vs. 29 they prayed: “Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.”  

They prayed for even more boldness! Now, I’m thinking, “Isn’t boldness what got you arrested the first time? Aren’t you already bold?” But they’re asking God for MORE boldness! 

I might advise them to lay low for a while, let things cool down so you don’t get arrested! Have you ever prayed for boldness? For courage? Let’s pray more of those prayers. Because it moves us away from only praying self-centered prayers. BOLD prayers are other-centered prayers. Boldness typically doesn’t help me. Boldness is for the benefit of someone else, to help them know the love of God through Jesus Christ. Bold prayers build belief in God. 

I’m the chairperson of the Locust Lake ministry where a chaplain holds a Sunday service in the summertime in the state park. In May of this year, we still didn’t have a chaplain. There were only a few weeks until the chaplain ministry was supposed to start. We had worked to find a chaplain, but there was no response. Our Schuylkill Association UCC spring meeting was on May 7. I gave the Locust Lake report and said, “In the last six years, we have always had a chaplain. In fact, I believe we never missed a summer for maybe 50 years. Let’s pray we get a chaplain.” We prayed! Two days later, someone notified Campground Ministry, they were interested in being chaplain at Locust Lake! That was our chaplain this summer: Ellen O’Connell. She did an incredible job and had an amazing impact! 

Our God is a bold God, so we honor God when we pray some bold prayers, full of confidence and courage, reaching out to change the world.  

Now what if what we pray for doesn’t happen? Maybe we’re afraid to pray boldly, because what if what we pray for doesn’t come through? We don’t want to be disappointed. So, we give God escape clauses, “if it be thy will.”  

I have no fear asking God for anything, because I’ve seen God come through in unexplainable ways. God does not always answer prayers. But my faith is big enough in Him that I can ask for something, and I can handle God saying no. He’s the Sovereign God, he is in charge!  

My homework for you this week is to pray a big BOLD prayer. That you would expect a lot of God, for God’s glory.  

Peter and John and the Christians they gathered with did not pray timidly. Peter and John had already been arrested and tried for speaking and healing in Jesus’ name. But when they were released, they prayed to be even more bold! The Acts of the Apostles in the Bible is all about their boldness. So, let’s pray some big bold prayers, full of confidence in what God can do, trusting He can work miracles! Amen.