Acts 4:24&29 When the believers heard this, they lifted up their voices to God with one accord. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “You made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them…. And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness.
The believer’s prayer for boldness broke the spine of the beast. The early church was persecuted brutally for their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The apostles were reprimanded, arrested and sternly commanded not to preach about the resurrection of Jesus and salvation through His name. But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” (vs 19-20). After an episode of being unlawfully arrested and harassed by the Sanhedrin, (The Jewish Legislative and Judicial Assembly), the believers congregated and prayed for more boldness to preach the gospel! They did not pray for protection against the persecution but prayed for boldness to continue preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. The purpose of the persecution was to stop them from spreading the goodnews but the more they persecuted the faster the gospel spread to the ends of the earth.
Persecution forced the believers out of Jerusalem and spread the gospel. There were no official boats to India but the Apostle Thomas landed on the southern shores of India. He preached the gospel in South India and died a martyr’s death. The diabolical plans to oppress the early church actually accelerated the widespread preaching of the gospel.
Standup bold and strong if you are persecuted, ostracized or criticized for your faith. Our boldness breaks the back of the breast! No man or no demon can touch us as the Lord of Hosts is on our side.
The boldness of a Believer breaks the spine of the Beast:
1. Break: Fear and fret of a believer strengthens the control of the beast whereas the courage and boldness breaks the spine of the beast.
2. Blur: Boldness and courage blurs the eyes of the beast. The enemy loses track of us when we walk in boldness. “The path, no bird of prey knows, And the falcon’s eye has not caught sight of it” (Job 28:7). The eyes of the enemy will be blurred when we walk in obedience, confidence and courage.
3. Blind: Our boldness attacks the enemy with blindness (Job 28:7). The enemy will not be able to throw boulders in our path as the Lord will blind his eyes. Boldness will make our path bright and will blind the enemy (Proverbs 4:18a).
Break the spine and blur and blind the enemy with your boldness.
Acts 4:13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.
Prayer: Dearest Lord Jesus, make me bold as a lion and break the spine of the beast. Let my tenacity terrorize the enemy. Amen
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