“Praying always with all prayer and supplication
in the Spirit. . .for me, that utterance may be
given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly
to make known the mystery of the gospel,
for which I am an ambassador in chains; that
in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.”
Ephesians 6:18-19
(NKJV)
“But I want you to know, brethren, that the
things which happened to me have actually
turned out for the furtherance of the gospel,
. . .and most of the brethren in the Lord, having
become more confident by my chains, are much
more bold to speak the word without fear.”
Philippians 1:12,
14 (NKJV)
God
really seems to be shaking things up! (Not that God created this pandemic, but
He has allowed it and is using it for His purposes.) The world has shut down in
many ways, our routines are disrupted and we now live in very restricted
circumstances. Yet despite those restrictions, this crisis is a unique
opportunity for believers. "Stay at home" does not mean we
should just hunker down and wait it out. Instead, we should be bold to make the
most of these unusual days. Paul asked for prayer to continue speaking the
gospel boldly. Paul also noted the importance of being a strong witness for
Christ in difficult circumstances and said that by doing so, the brethren will
be more bold to speak God’s truth without fear. That applies to us today
too.
Boldness
to speak. Social
distancing does not mean that conversations are cancelled or that relationships
are on hold; instead, they have taken on new importance. Paul says he
"ought to" speak with boldness and so should we. With the blurring of
lines in this limbo state we're in, I feel a new freedom to speak of God and my
faith to people and in venues that did not seem open before. I’m out of
my comfort zone, yet I feel God’s strong presence with me. There are many
different ways we can bring words of hope and encouragement to
those within our sphere of influence. And that sphere may be enlarging
during this window of crisis.
Boldness
to give. These are
desperate times for many, and many in the world are stepping up to meet
physical needs with kindness and generosity. As Christ followers, we should be
helping to meet such needs as well, giving with compassionate and cheerful
hearts. There are many ways we can give of our time, talent and treasure, to
minister to others. But ultimately, people's greatest need is spiritual and in
that respect, we have something to give that the world cannot offer: salvation
through faith in Jesus Christ.
Boldness
in prayer. These
days there seem to be more opportunities to pray for people and more people to
pray for. My intercessory prayer list seems to grow longer each day, but it is
a blessing to have additional fellowship with God during my prayer times. This
crisis should motivate us to spend more time on our knees before the throne of
God fervently praying for the lost, the needy, our leaders, etc., praying that
the Holy Spirit will work in their hearts and lives. For our words and actions
can only do so much; it is He who does the real work.
Pray
for boldness; pray for opportunities. Then step out as the Lord leads
you, without fear, trusting in His guidance.