Comfort or commitment...

This morning I was reading a well known story in the book of Acts. Two of the disciples, Peter and John, had been arrested and put in prison for healing a lame man and telling people about Jesus. When they are finally released and reunited with the rest of the believers, that group of first century Christians turns to fervent prayer. Nothing unusual about that, but it's what they pray that's so interesting.

These early believers were facing opposition and persecution, so you'd imagine that their common prayer would be, "Oh, Lord, please protect us from these hostile authorities and keep us safe." They were being threatened, after all. Instead (Acts 4: 29), they prayed, "Lord, hear their threats and give us great boldness in preaching your word.' Talk about asking for trouble!

Our natural tendency is to pray for what keeps us safe and comfortable, rather than for what accomplishes the will of God and shares the gospel with those who are lost. We need to learn how to lay our own comfort aside and pray for what will make the greatest impact on our world. 

These early believers also prayed for miraculous signs and wonders, vs 30 - 31. They weren't afraid to create a stir.
And what was the result of their prayer? The Holy Spirit came in power and filled them with courage.

In our modern world, we sometimes feel that we don't see enough evidence of the Holy Spirit's presence and power. Perhaps we would see more of the Holy Spirit at work if we cared less about our own comfort and cared more about the Kingdom of God.