Submitted for your approval...

Name: Nate

Scripture: Acts 4:29-31

"'Now Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.  Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your Holy Servant Jesus.'  After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken.  And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the Word of God boldly."

OAP:

Thought #1: Rod Serling used to say "submitted for your approval" before the beginning of any Twilight Zone episode.  It was an invitation to evaluate the scene you were about to experience.  What does it mean?  How does it affect you?  How will you react?  Is it plausible? etc.  Merely offering the viewer the opportunity for them to evaluate and consider what they were about to see.

Thought #2: When I pray, I'm a man of requests.  My prayers are to remove roadblocks, change others hearts, give me wisdom, insight, etc.  God is my giant vending machine.  Pump in prayers, get out stuff, but this prayer, this prayer is intense for me.

A. They just ask God to "consider" the threats to the church to keep them from speaking.  God "submitted for your approval".  The greek word actually means to "look upon or observe", not remove the threats.

B. They ask for boldness in the midst of the situation.  I'm all sorts of soft when it comes to this.  "I pray their ears will be open.  I pray they have a receptive heart." I don't pray "God, give me boldness despite where they are at."

C. They view evangelism as total partnership.  We'll do the speaking. God, You do the miracles.  How cool is that!!  And they attribute everything to Jesus, and His glorious victory.  The power of His name...I'll talk about the power of His name another time (maybe next Tuesday).  Its not just the me do something in Jesus name...God is taking part as well.

D. When the house is a rockin'...they get filled up with the Holy Spirit, and go out boldy. 

Such a cool model for prayer...I need to think about it more, but that's what jumps out at me initially.  And the fact that their prayer is specific.  We will do this, we ask You to do this.

Jesus, consider my co-workers and my work environment.  Enable and empower me to live differently and courageously for You.  Both in word and deed to speak with boldness.  As I live differently, I pray your Spirit will work around me and through me.  Do I dare pray for miracles?  Yes Lord, I pray for miracles that display the glory and power in the name of Jesus. (I don't need an earthquake...too much collateral damage), but a beautiful sunrise tomorrow would be awesome :)