I honestly don’t know how I would have reacted if I had been either Peter, John or one of the believers at this point. Perhaps a ‘Phew, that was a close shave! Better keep our heads down now’ would have been tempting. Instead, they prayed for boldness to keep going (v 29). God was clearly pleased with their prayers as he filled them again with his Spirit and with such power that it would have registered on the Richter scale, if it had been invented (v 31)!

The believers’ prayers didn’t begin by asking God for boldness. Instead, they started by focusing on the greatness of God (v 24). When we pray, if we start with the sovereignty of God – grounded in Scripture (vs 25,26) – our faith can be fuelled and our perspective refreshed.  

The believers weren’t unaware of their opposition and its serious intent (v 29), but the clarity they had of God’s greatness, together with being caught up by God’s purpose (v 28), meant they were committed to speaking truthfully and boldly no matter what (v 29). They also expected to witness signs and wonders and for God to continue healing people (v 30).

‘Your kingdom come, your will be done.’¹

Peter and John had been released, but the threat of rearrest still hung over them. How did they respond? They returned to their church family and prayed together about this danger. Despite being apostolic leaders, they did not think that this threat concerned only them, so they did not try dealing with it alone: this was a shared problem about which every Christian should pray.

The prayers of these first believers offer us a lesson in how to deal with trouble. They seem to have been aware that such a threat to their ministry brought with it the temptation to question God’s sovereignty. Could God really be all-powerful, if the Jewish authorities were able to threaten and seemingly thwart his plans? Indeed, most of us will have similarly asked, ‘Why has God let this happen?’ when things appeared to be going wrong in our lives. These Christians faced this temptation head on, reminding themselves that, despite appearances, God was still very much in control. Together, they declared how God had made the heavens and the earth. They also cited Psalm 2 and Christ’s sufferings at humanity’s hands to encourage each other that although people have always resisted God, the Almighty is never taken by surprise. His plans remain firm.

Gerhard Krodel points out that when these Christians prayed, they did not ask God to remove their problems and stop the authorities from persecuting them.² Instead, they asked him to give them the courage to continue doing his will despite the threats they faced. Do we ever pray like this? How much of our prayer life is taken up with asking for God’s will to be done and how much with requesting an easier life? God clearly responded powerfully to their prayers for strength. Should we try praying as they did? 

What lessons can you glean from these Christians about suffering and prayer? Spend some time asking God for the strength to do his will, despite the cost involved.

¹ Matt 6:10  ² Gerhard  A Krodel, Acts, Augsburg Publishing House, 1986, p115