The Witnesses’ Weapon

Hello everyone,

How are you doing on this day? I hope well and bubbling in the Lord.

Primary Text

“After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened. For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old. 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. When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “You made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of Your servant, our father David: “’Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against His anointed One. Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed. They did what Your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable Your servants to speak Your word with great boldness. Stretch out Your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.” After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.” Acts 4v21-31 (NIV)

One of the greatest weapons that we as believers and witnesses of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ have is the power of prayer. Prayer is communicating with God; prayer is inviting God into our various situations. In the text above, after Peter and John had been threatened and they went to their own people, the response was to pray! They did not sit and fret or back down, but they prayed! Hallelujah. I don’t know what issue you are going through – great or small – but you can pray. Luke 18v1 (NLT) says “One day Jesus told His disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up” while 1 Thessalonians 5v17 (KJV) reminds us to “Pray without ceasing.” As witnesses, we can pray for boldness, utterance, open doors, and all things. We don’t have to be anxious and fret (Philippians 4v6) but we can bring everything to the Lord in prayer, not only on issues concerning ourselves but for others as well.

Supplementary Text

 “Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in the Spirit, with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty. To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance, interceding in behalf of all the saints (God’s consecrated people).” Ephesians 6v18 (AMP)

Prayer

Father, we thank You for the incredible power of prayer in Jesus name, amen.