“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.” – Acts 4:31
There is tremendous power in praying for God’s will to be done! When our hearts align to God’s heart, our will to His will, and our purpose to His purpose our prayers become the powerful wartime communications they were meant to be. Faced with threats and persecution, the early church prayed not for safety, but for the courage and boldness to carry out the Great Commission. They didn’t pray for anonymity, a hedge of protection, or political favor. They prayed for boldness and they prayed for God to do miracles that would point people to Him.
God loves to answer prayers like that! God loves it when our prayers are submitted to His will rather than our own human natures. When we’re earnestly praying for God’s Great Commission to be done by us, for disciples to be made of all nations, God answers that prayer dramatically.
As followers of Jesus, we need to truly follow Jesus – all the way to the cross if need be. God’s power is available to us in abundance when we’re willing to set down our self-centered desires and take up the cross of Christ. God’s power is available to us in abundance when we ask Him to help us do what He’s commanded us to do. God doesn’t want us to labor alone in our own strength. God’s Spirit lives within every believer and He will shake us and empower us to do His work regardless of the opposition we face if we’ll just pray for that.