And now Lord, behold their threatenings, and grant unto thy servants that with all boldness they may speak thy word. Acts 4:29
History repeats itself, and does so in some very unusual ways. Here at the very beginning of the work of the church do we find the disciples praying that, despite the opposition and threats of the Jewish leaders of their day, the Gospel can continue to go forth, the Word of God can continue to be open and freely proclaimed. Down through the history of Christianity, this same prayer, under myriad differences of situations, has been repeated. In many cases, saints in peril of their lives have been beseeching the Lord, not for their own safety, but for the Word of God to be sounded forth. These prayers extend to our own day, particularly in lands where such satanic forces as communism, Mohammedanism, and Buddhism are slaughtering the Christians and seeking to stifle their testimonies. But the greatest prayer of these dear saints is that they may continue to be able to speak the Word.
Such perils do not exist here in North America. But there are other perils that are just as dangerous and in many cases even more successful at squelching the proclamation of the Word of God and the servants who would proclaim it. We are at tremendous risk today that the great enemy of apathy would rob our Assemblies of their testimonies and zeal in the Gospel and support of God’s servants. We are so content and satisfied with our own situations that we fail to see the pitiful conditions of the lost all around us. Evil doctrines and practices gain strength all around us while we fail to support the Gospel or do what we can to help the Lord’s people.
Is our prayer today that God would open our mouths to speak a word for Him? If not, our priorities are wrong! -Jim MacIntosh