Bible Study Praying for Boldness

[IncredibleTransformation]

23 And being let go, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. 24 So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: “Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them, 25 who by the mouth of Your servant David have said:

‘Why did the nations rage,
And the people plot vain things?
26 The kings of the earth took their stand,
And the rulers were gathered together
Against the Lord and against His Christ.’

27 “For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together 28 to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done. 29 Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, 30 by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.”

31 And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness. (Acts 4:23-31)

This was the first persecution of the church. Peter and John were put in prison for preaching the Gospel of Christ in the Temple.

As you notice, the first thing they did when they were released was to go back to their people and pray. Their prayer first acknowledged God as Sovereign. He made everything and therefore was in charge of everything. There was nothing that was out of his control. He knew what was happening to Peter and John. Jesus has warned them of coming persecution, but they may not have known what was really going to happen until the indecent happened.

The next thing they prayed for was boldness to continue to preach the Word. They wanted to be fearless for the Lord. Then the Holy Spirit shook the place where they were and they were able to preach the Word with boldness.

This was necessary to build a new church founded on the teachings of Jesus. Most of the disciples were persecuted unto death. Only one, John, did not die for his faith, but he was exiled for it.

Now, in a world where Christianity is losing ground every day, what do you pray for? We need Christ just as much now as they did back then. Do you pray for boldness to preach the Word? Are you bold for the Lord? I know that I need to be more bold, how about you?

 

[Chopper]

Yours is an interesting thread Dear Sister. It has been my experience that "boldness" comes thru me when the Holy Spirit is at work. Most of the time, Christians don't put themselves into situations whereby boldness is the only way out.

 

[Brother Mike]

23 And being let go, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. 24 So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: “Lord,

31 And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness. (Acts 4:23-31)


Now, in a world where Christianity is losing ground every day, what do you pray for? We need Christ just as much now as they did back then. Do you pray for boldness to preach the Word? Are you bold for the Lord? I know that I need to be more bold, how about you?

Just a few things here.

Where is Christianity loosing Ground? That's not possible.
And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
(Mat 16:18)

I think your confusing with the Light of the time of the end being shown on what was called Church and Christianity and the separation of what was really goats dressed to look like sheep. They were goats all along.

And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.
(Act 4:29-30)

This just came off from Peter getting drilled on what authority he used to heal the man at the gate. Boldness was already there, otherwise the issue would not have come up.
They were commanded to no longer speak in the name of Jesus, and would have punished them, but the people had rallied with the disciples.

So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people: for all men glorified God for that which was done.
(Act 4:21)

What they pointed out to God was that they were being threatened, and asked the Lord to deal with that, so they may speak openly, or freely, they already were very bold, and why the situation came up.

And now, Lord, observe their threats and grant to Your bond servants [full freedom] to declare Your message fearlessly,
(Act 4:29)
AMP:

`And now, Lord, look upon their threatenings, and grant to Thy servants with all freedom to speak Thy word,
(Act 4:29)
YLT

"Lord, pay attention to their threats now, and allow us to speak your word boldly.
(Act 4:29) GW

parrhēsia means to speak openly, with assurance in public speech. Freedom to speak, open frankly without concealment.
the deportment by which one becomes conspicuous or secures publicity.

Since it's a Greek Female noun, it's not a Granted action Verb.

tolmaō Would be the Greek Verb to make Bold. Parrhesia is a condition of something not a granted action.

Paul prayed something similar.
2Th_3:1 Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you:

eh, all boring stuff. The lesson though is we don't ask the Lord for Boldness. You will be asking a very long time with no results.
Faith though, steps out in what it believes, it takes action. Little faith, little action. Faith that is not acted on, James called it dead faith.

Peter who started the whole thing said, Silver and gold I don't have, but what I have I give it to you. In the name of Jesus, rise up and walk, and Peter's faith grabbed the man's hand in action and pulled him up.

If you want to see a man that has faith and acts on it, I just recently have gotten to know Thomas Fischer and have him now as a Google friend. He believes like I do. His faith is amazing.

 

[Chopper]

I wonder what she would have done if Thomas had said, "OK, now stomp on your glasses, you don't need them right.?

 

[IncredibleTransformation]

Just a few things here.

Where is Christianity loosing Ground? That's not possible.
And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
(Mat 16:18)

I think your confusing with the Light of the time of the end being shown on what was called Church and Christianity and the separation of what was really goats dressed to look like sheep. They were goats all along.

And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.
(Act 4:29-30)

This just came off from Peter getting drilled on what authority he used to heal the man at the gate. Boldness was already there, otherwise the issue would not have come up.
They were commanded to no longer speak in the name of Jesus, and would have punished them, but the people had rallied with the disciples.

So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people: for all men glorified God for that which was done.
(Act 4:21)

What they pointed out to God was that they were being threatened, and asked the Lord to deal with that, so they may speak openly, or freely, they already were very bold, and why the situation came up.

And now, Lord, observe their threats and grant to Your bond servants [full freedom] to declare Your message fearlessly,
(Act 4:29)
AMP:

`And now, Lord, look upon their threatenings, and grant to Thy servants with all freedom to speak Thy word,
(Act 4:29)
YLT

"Lord, pay attention to their threats now, and allow us to speak your word boldly.
(Act 4:29) GW

parrhēsia means to speak openly, with assurance in public speech. Freedom to speak, open frankly without concealment.
the deportment by which one becomes conspicuous or secures publicity.

Since it's a Greek Female noun, it's not a Granted action Verb.

tolmaō Would be the Greek Verb to make Bold. Parrhesia is a condition of something not a granted action.

Paul prayed something similar.
2Th_3:1 Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you:

eh, all boring stuff. The lesson though is we don't ask the Lord for Boldness. You will be asking a very long time with no results.
Faith though, steps out in what it believes, it takes action. Little faith, little action. Faith that is not acted on, James called it dead faith.

Peter who started the whole thing said, Silver and gold I don't have, but what I have I give it to you. In the name of Jesus, rise up and walk, and Peter's faith grabbed the man's hand in action and pulled him up.

If you want to see a man that has faith and acts on it, I just recently have gotten to know Thomas Fischer and have him now as a Google friend. He believes like I do. His faith is amazing.

Don't we say that we are a post-Christian nation in America? Our Christian monuments are being torn down and replaced with secular ones. Gay marriage and sin are rampant. The church in America is very worldly. Most Christians go along with everything that the world tells them to do. But yet people break down into tears when someone is bold enough to sing a Christian song in a secular setting. Truly people are just waiting for bold people to stand up and proclaim the Word of God to them. Truly "Te harvest is ripe, but the laborers are few." (Matt 9:37)

 

[IncredibleTransformation]

Yours is an interesting thread Dear Sister. It has been my experience that "boldness" comes thru me when the Holy Spirit is at work. Most of the time, Christians don't put themselves into situations whereby boldness is the only way out.

That is very true.

 

[Blake]

It seems to me that boldness is a fruit of prayer and righteous living. As someone well experienced in sin and living an ineffectual Christian life, I've seen how unrepentant sins, making excuses for sins, and spiritual laziness UTTERLY breeds a complete lack of boldness. It makes you afraid to speak the name Jesus in the public eye, afraid to lift holy hands in the congregation, makes you sit with your arms crossed and wonder why everyone around you seems to be catching fire while you aren't getting anything. It leads you away from your spirit man and starts making you search for God merely intellectually. It's a MESS.

Likewise I have seen how repenting, how fighting your sin instead of making excuses (Paul said even unto BLOOD), and having a true prayer life will make you bold. Living waters flow from your belly. You realize that which sets you free: I am in the trap, but I am not of the trap. God will deliver me from the snare of the fowler. HE DOES IT, even when were are just a LITTLE faithful. Your very life becomes a testimony of grace not because you have to walk around preaching it, but because they see your changed nature. You don't have to announce a fire, people can see it, people can feel it, like a pleasing warmth to the Godly and like a harsh flame to the wicked. As you draw near to Him, He draws near to YOU.

Exodus 34:34-35 "But whenever he entered the LORD's presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, they saw that his face was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the LORD."

GLORY. That's all I can say, I need a praise break!

 

[IncredibleTransformation]

It seems to me that boldness is a fruit of prayer and righteous living. As someone well experienced in sin and living an ineffectual Christian life, I've seen how unrepentant sins, making excuses for sins, and spiritual laziness UTTERLY breeds a complete lack of boldness. It makes you afraid to speak the name Jesus in the public eye, afraid to lift holy hands in the congregation, makes you sit with your arms crossed and wonder why everyone around you seems to be catching fire while you aren't getting anything. It leads you away from your spirit man and starts making you search for God merely intellectually. It's a MESS.

Likewise I have seen how repenting, how fighting your sin instead of making excuses (Paul said even unto BLOOD), and having a true prayer life will make you bold. Living waters flow from your belly. You realize that which sets you free: I am in the trap, but I am not of the trap. God will deliver me from the snare of the fowler. HE DOES IT, even when were are just a LITTLE faithful. Your very life becomes a testimony of grace not because you have to walk around preaching it, but because they see your changed nature. You don't have to announce a fire, people can see it, people can feel it, like a pleasing warmth to the Godly and like a harsh flame to the wicked. As you draw near to Him, He draws near to YOU.

Exodus 34:34-35 "But whenever he entered the LORD's presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, they saw that his face was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the LORD."

GLORY. That's all I can say, I need a praise break!

After your post I need a praise break also.

 

[Brother Mike]

Don't we say that we are a post-Christian nation in America? Our Christian monuments are being torn down and replaced with secular ones. Gay marriage and sin are rampant. The church in America is very worldly. Most Christians go along with everything that the world tells them to do. But yet people break down into tears when someone is bold enough to sing a Christian song in a secular setting. Truly people are just waiting for bold people to stand up and proclaim the Word of God to them. Truly "Te harvest is ripe, but the laborers are few." (Matt 9:37)

We are suppose to have monuments? What? Boldness is not annoying people, Boldness is stepping out to help people. It's not our fault there is gay marriage. In the end the so called "Antichrist type" does not regard women. That is a very good indication He is a flaming fag and that type of spirit is running rampant. Even Peter wanting to build a monument for Elijah, Jesus is like What?

If you read what they asked God in Acts, it was to stop the people that forbid them to preach in the name of Jesus, so they can boldly, and with openness Heal the sick, and set people free. That was the problem the devil had, the Power of the Word through the Lord Jesus was being displayed and removing the bondage the devils worked so hard to put on people. The devil could care less if we are out preaching against Homosexual marriage, or crying over some monument and Prayer being taken out of public school. That genders strife with people, and the devils like that stuff. What they don't like is when the Power of the Word and Holy Spirit is destroying their hard work in people,

I wonder what she would have done if Thomas had said, "OK, now stomp on your glasses, you don't need them right.?

Why would Thomas say that or request that? The women may have paid good money for those glasses, you don't ask someone to smash their glasses. I don't understand your line of thinking on this, you will have to explain more.

 

[IncredibleTransformation]

Evidently the boldness that the apostles had irritated people or they would not have been arrested and killed for their faith. Sin and rampant homosexuality is absolutely the fault of a church that has no passion of boldness for the Lord.

 

[Blake]

Evidently the boldness that the apostles had irritated people or they would not have been arrested and killed for their faith. Sin and rampant homosexuality is absolutely the fault of a church that has no passion of boldness for the Lord.

God will send Elijah's to hold the rain and call down fire. We need to be willing watchmen, because we never know who will be called and chosen. We need to be fasted, prayed and studied up. Lord send us fresh oil for our lamps, and spark a new flame in us! Let the fire on our altars continually burn.

 

[Brother Mike]

Evidently the boldness that the apostles had irritated people or they would not have been arrested and killed for their faith. Sin and rampant homosexuality is absolutely the fault of a church that has no passion of boldness for the Lord.

Eph_5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.

Through Ignorance, you don't understand exactly who your blaming for Homosexuality. You also don't understand the mystery of Iniquity and why iniquity is allowed to work at this time. It won't forever though.

It's not our Job to stop people from sinning, it's our Job to get them saved from the punishment of not believing on the Lord Jesus. That will be the only sin they get judged on.

How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.
(Rom 10:14-18)

Boldness is not stepping out to offend people of their life style. The World does that. Boldness has confidence in the Lord Jesus to back up what we preach.

Thomas Fischer on dealing with Homosexuality the power and help from Jesus to heal.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=784&v=s20UcKazW-k

 

[IncredibleTransformation]

We can't stop people from sinning, but we aren't preaching against sin anymore. This forum isn't supposed to be a debate forum, so I am going to stop the debate. I am only going to say that we need people in this country that are willing to stand up for their faith in a real way. People who are going out on a limb to say Jesus loves you and He died for your sins. I don't see many people that will actually put themselves out like that today.

 

[Brother Mike]

We can't stop people from sinning, but we aren't preaching against sin anymore. This forum isn't supposed to be a debate forum, so I am going to stop the debate. I am only going to say that we need people in this country that are willing to stand up for their faith in a real way. People who are going out on a limb to say Jesus loves you and He died for your sins. I don't see many people that will actually put themselves out like that today.

I do, and so do many others. Thomas in the video I showed walks the streets preaching Jesus and getting people healed. There are lots of believers like this everywhere.

I don't preach against sin, because it has to be revealed by the Lord. If you noticed, folks just don't stop sinning because we tell them, and Hell has lost it's fear long ago in the 1950's. We need to preach a REAL Jesus who does real things for people. From there, folks have to decided if that is what they want, and sometimes it takes a bit after sowing that Word for it to grow in them.

Years ago, I had a bible group and the people I taught had miracles in other peoples lives. One blind guy with a eye seeing dog got his sight back when Nicole a girl in my group laid hands on his eyes.

So, as I tell others who want Pastors to help marriages more, or Pastors to do this or that more. It could be instead of just mentioning it, get a group of your own together, train them up, and send them out.

It don't take much to get a bible study at your house, get a group of folks you train up in faith, then tell them lets go out, lets tell folks about Jesus. That's what I did, just tell them let's go, get something to eat, see who the Lord wants healed, lets be there to be of use.

Mike.

 

[Kidron]

Boldness comes in the doing and never in the talking about the doing.
God has no valid purpose in giving a person boldness in their prayer closet.
Boldness comes when the fight is engaged and not in thinking about the fight.
For example......say is person is always worried about "sounding stupid" or "feeling dumb", when they think about sharing the Gospel.
So, they never share it, and all they have is their idea of what it could be like.
Vs, they go and find themselves in a situation where they could share their testimony or the Gospel and as soon as they start a "boldness" come on them that is not their own and they understand at that moment that the will of God is not an idea, but rather its an empowerment to do the will of God as much as it is the actual will itself.
Its both.

 

[turnorburn]

Boldness comes in the doing and never in the talking about the doing.
God has no valid purpose in giving a person boldness in their prayer closet.
Boldness comes when the fight is engaged and not in thinking about the fight.
For example......say is person is always worried about "sounding stupid" or "feeling dumb", when they think about sharing the Gospel.
So, they never share it, and all they have is their idea of what it could be like.
Vs, they go and find themselves in a situation where they could share their testimony or the Gospel and as soon as they start a "boldness" come on them that is not their own and they understand at that moment that the will of God is not an idea, but rather its an empowerment to do the will of God as much as it is the actual will itself.
Its both.

Well said! When you go out just say four words "here am i Lord" and do it, once you've made that first step the rest will be history..

tob