Diary of a Sinner

In our walk of faith, we often encounter moments that challenge our trust in God. When faced with trials, our instinct is to pray for an immediate resolution – “God, make it go away.” But what if we’ve been approaching these situations from the wrong perspective?

The early Christian church provides a powerful example of how to pray and respond in the face of persecution and hardship. Their approach offers profound insights for believers today who are navigating their own struggles.

Acknowledging God as Sovereign Creator

When the apostles Peter and John were released after being threatened for preaching about Jesus, they immediately gathered with other believers. Instead of cowering in fear or praying for protection, their first response was to lift their voices in praise to God, addressing Him as “Sovereign Lord who made the heavens and the earth, the sea and everything in them.”

This acknowledgment of God’s supreme authority and creative power is more than mere words – it’s a declaration of absolute trust. By recognizing God as the sovereign creator of all things, they were reminding themselves (and us) that nothing is outside of His control. Every breath we take, every blade of grass, every star in the sky exists because He wills it.

Do we truly grasp the magnitude of the God we worship? Our view of Him is often far too small. We serve a God who spoke reality into existence and continues to sustain it by His word. When we come before Him in prayer, do we approach with a proper understanding of His limitless power and authority?

Trusting in God’s Faithfulness

The early believers didn’t stop at acknowledging God’s sovereignty. They demonstrated unwavering trust in His faithfulness by recalling prophecies from Scripture that had been fulfilled in Jesus. Quoting Psalm 2, they recognized how various groups – Herod, Pontius Pilate, the Gentiles, and the people of Israel – had unknowingly fulfilled God’s predetermined plan in the crucifixion of Christ.

This realization reinforced their confidence in God’s control over all circumstances. Even those who opposed God’s will ultimately served His purposes. The early church understood a crucial truth: God is in complete control whether we acknowledge Him or not. His existence and sovereignty are not dependent on our belief or confession.

We often trust God with our eternal salvation but struggle to trust Him with our daily lives. If God orchestrated the intricate details of Christ’s death and resurrection over thousands of years, how much more is He in control of our present circumstances? There is not a single moment when God is surprised or unprepared for what happens in our lives.

Asking God to Intercede

With this foundation of trust in God’s sovereignty and faithfulness, the early believers made a remarkable request. Instead of asking for the threats against them to cease, they prayed, “Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness.”

Their prayer wasn’t focused on comfort, security, or ease. They simply asked for boldness to continue participating in God’s mission. In fact, they went a step further by asking permission to be part of what God was doing. This humble approach recognizes their utter dependence on God and their desire to align with His will rather than their own preferences.

How often do we approach God with this level of surrender? Do we ask Him to remove obstacles, or do we ask for strength to persevere through them? The early church anticipated that their situation would likely worsen, not improve. Yet their prayer was for empowerment to speak God’s word boldly in the face of opposition.

Expecting God to Answer and Empower

The account concludes with God’s dramatic response: “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.”

While we shouldn’t expect earthquakes every time we pray, this passage illustrates an important principle: we should pray with expectation that God will answer and empower us. This doesn’t mean He will always say “yes” to our requests, but it does mean He will always respond in a way that aligns with His will and ultimately works for our good.

The Holy Spirit’s empowerment isn’t a one-time event but a continual source of strength for believers. As we seek God and serve Him faithfully, even in difficult circumstances, the Spirit continually equips us for the task at hand.

Applying These Truths in Our Lives

How can we incorporate these powerful truths into our own prayer lives and responses to adversity?

1. Cultivate a bigger view of God: Regularly meditate on God’s attributes as sovereign creator and sustainer of all things. Let this expand your trust in His ability to handle any situation you face.
2. Study and remember God’s faithfulness: Reflect on how God has fulfilled His promises throughout Scripture and in your own life. Use these memories to bolster your faith when facing new challenges.
3. Pray for boldness and perseverance: Instead of always asking for circumstances to change, pray for strength to glorify God in the midst of trials.
4. Approach God with humility: Ask for permission to be part of His work, recognizing that serving Him is a privilege, not a right.
5. Expect God to answer and empower: Pray with confidence that God hears you and will respond, even if His answer looks different than what you anticipated.
6. Rely on the Holy Spirit: Remember that God’s Spirit dwells within you, providing continual empowerment for whatever you face.

When life’s storms rage around us, we have a choice. We can frantically pray for calm waters, or we can ask the Lord of the storm to grant us courage to sail boldly through the tempest, trusting in His sovereign control. May we, like the early church, learn to pray not just for comfort, but for the boldness to remain faithful to God’s calling no matter what challenges we encounter.